Colorado Springs police had to shimmy through storm water pipesnorth of Penrose Main Hospital Wednesday afternoon, searching for awoman who ran from them at the hospital.
The woman had been taken to Penrose for care just after 3:30 p.m.after police had received a call concerning a suicidal person nearMaizeland Road and Radiant Drive in central Colorado Springs.
Once at the hospital, the woman ran from police, who hit her witha Taser. The Taser blast wasn't enough to stop her as she headed fora drainage ditch and eventually into the pipes. Officers followeduntil the pipes grew too narrow.
After checking under multiple manhole covers, the woman waseventually found in the pipe at Jackson Street and Tejon Street justnorth of the hospital. Officers convinced the woman to crawl out andshe was admitted to the hospital.
WEATHER
The National Weather Service expects strong enough winds toprompt another red-flag warning in the Colorado Springs and southernEl Paso County areas.
Gusts of up to 35 mph should help dry things out, meaningelevated fire danger for Thursday. Sunny skies and highs of about 67degrees are expected for the area with a slight chance of showersand thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Overnight lows are predicted to be about 40 degrees with strongwinds remaining.
AROUND COLORADO
Explosion kills 1 at Pueblo metals recycling site
(AP) - A 30-year-old man has been killed in an explosion at ametals recycling business in Pueblo.
The explosion occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday at WesternMetals Recycling, which is near the Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel Millin Pueblo and 100 miles south of Denver.
A contract worker from Hammond, La., was killed. Pueblo CountySheriff Kirk Taylor tells The Chieftain that the explosion happenedwhen something was being welded.
No one else was injured. Sheriff's spokeswoman Lisa Shorter saysthe company has notified federal workplace safety investigators.
An official with Western Metals declined to comment.
The recycling company leases the site from Evraz. Western Metals'website says it's based in Salta Lake City and has eight processingplants in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Nevada.
MARIJUANA CELEBRATION
Annual pot celebrations draw thousands
(AP) - The annual 4/20 marijuana celebrations drew thousands toDenver's Civic Center Park and to the University of Colorado-Boulder campus .
Organizers had expected Wednesday's event in Denver to be evenbigger this year because it came on the eve of a major national potconference in Denver.
CU official say about 10,000 people gathered in Boulder at theannual smoke-off and rally for legalizing marijuana. Thousands moreconverged on the downtown Denver park.
This year's event in Denver comes the day before the annualconvention of the National Organization for the Reform of MarijuanaLaws, a prominent legalization group marking 40 years. Thisweekend's conference is drawing most Denver mayoral candidates andColorado's Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat who favors legalization.
Synthetic pot ban up for vote
(AP) - A Colorado Senate panel postponed a vote to ban syntheticmarijuana after an amendment was proposed to lessen the penalty foroffenses related to the drug.
The bill outlaw several chemicals used to make syntheticcannabinoids and people who manufacture or sell the drug could facefelony charges. Republican Sen. Mike Kopp asked for a vote on hisbill to be postponed Wednesday after another senator tried to amendit so the offenses would be capped at a misdemeanor.
A vote will be rescheduled later.
The chemicals to make synthetic pot are widely available on theInternet and mimic the effects of marijuana in products called"Spice" or "K2."
Because the fake pot is typically sold as incense and labeled asnot intended for consumption, there's little oversight of thechemicals used in the drugs.
Bill to redefine ID theft shelved
(AP) - Senate lawmakers shelved a proposal that would allowColorado prosecutors to charge people with identity theft even incases where the defendant did not know that the information theyused belonged to another person.
The proposal sought to address a state Supreme Court decisionlast year that said a man who used a stranger's Social Securitynumber to get a car loan did not commit criminal impersonation. TheCourt said prosecutors must prove that a person knew he was usinganother person's identifying information in order to be guilty ofcriminal impersonation.
Republican Sen. Ellen Roberts, a sponsor of House Bill 1049,asked a Senate panel to kill the proposal Wednesday. She sayslawmakers could not reach an agreement on the bill's merits.
Lawmakers lock horns on redistricting
(AP) - Partisan wrangling over new congressional district linesin Colorado sunk lawmakers' hopes of meeting a self-imposed deadlineon new districts.
Republicans and Democrats were far apart Wednesday on plans toredraw districts as required after every census.
Democrats say they generally want to make congressional racesmore competitive, so that Democrats and Republicans both have achance. Their plans would mean big changes to the state's sevendistricts.
Republicans say they prefer to keep congressional lines close totheir current makeup.
After hours of partisan bickering, Democrats and Republicansagreed to disagree and keep negotiating.
State officials say some easements overvalued
(AP) - The Colorado Department of Revenue says it found wildlyinflated land values when they had appraisals done last year afterlandowners appealed conservation-easement tax credits that werelater denied.
Phil Horwitz, director of tax policy analysis, said thedepartment looked at 67 appraisals and found some property wasovervalued as much as 22,000 percent. The average was 2,800 percent.
He refused to identify the property owners, citing taxpayerprivacy.
At issue are tax credits that were granted to property owners inexchange for not developing their land. The credits were laterdenied.
The House Finance Committee approved a measure Wednesday thatwould allow property owners to go directly to district court todispute the state's assessment, or give the Department of Revenuethree years to settle disputes administratively.
HAPPENINGS
- "Teen Movie Night - Secretariat," 4 p.m., Briargate BranchLibrary, 9475 Briar Village Point, free.
- "Showcase at Studio Bee," 6 p.m. Carla Starkie, 6:45 p.m.Michelle Patterson, Studio Bee, east of Pikes Peak Center, 190 S.Cascade Ave., free.
- Black Forest Acoustic Society fiddle jam, 7-9 p.m., SeniorCenter, 1514 N. Hancock Ave. Free; donations accepted.
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