Western Colorado

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Competency review ordered for convicted man

The Colorado Court of Appeals has ordered a Mesa County judge to take another look at a man’s 2006 attempted-murder conviction. In a 23-page ruling handed down Thursday, the court said Chief District Judge David Bottger applied an ...

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Death penalty repeal bill still close call

A final House vote on repealing the death penalty in Colorado will be close, and the measure might yet fail, said a death-penalty proponent. The measure passed the House last week on second reading, but five Democrats voted against the ...

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Sanity report delayed for accused murderer

A report likely to prove pivotal in the case of accused child-murderer Allen Grabe has been delayed. In a letter addressed to District Judge Brian Flynn, an official with the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo blamed cramped ...

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FedEx building bigger facility west of airport

McCauley Constructors, based in Windsor, broke ground recently on a $3 million FedEx shipping facility west of the Grand Junction Regional Airport. The building should open in September, said Nancy James, business development coordinator for ...

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Grandma resists her would-be robber, who runs away

Deanna Morrison did what any other 66-year-old ranch-raised cowgirl would have done. She pushed back. “I just looked at him and said, ‘You’re not getting my purse,’ ” said Morrison, counting her blessings ...

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Arrest Prompts Range Of Emotions For Victims’ Friends

For many, the news that police had caught up to the man suspected in the brutal murder of their classmate and her daughter more than 30 years ago was predictably jolting. For some, it ripped open old wounds and triggered tears that ...

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Einstein bagel chain may be coming to this area, Junction

When you say Einstein on the Front Range, residents don’t automatically think of the wild-haired, 20th century genius famous for the theory of relativity. Some of them think instead about bagels. That may soon be the case on the Western ...

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County cutting budget by $4 million

Sinking revenue and a sluggish economy will trigger approximately $4 million in spending cuts for Mesa County, including nearly $1.4 million set aside for travel, consulting and related expenses. The cuts, announced Thursday in a news release ...

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Three accused in Collbran meth bust

Three people face drug-related charges after a search warrant was executed at a Collbran trailer park. Scott Peterson, 45, of Lamar, Sandra Pankratz, 46, of Seminole, Okla., and Lisa Eisenbarth, 48, of Collbran, could be charged with ...

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Sheriff, commissioner split on traffic enforcement

Mesa County Sheriff Stan Hilkey and County Commissioner Craig Meis disagree about how big the county’s new traffic enforcement team should be. In its 2009 budget, the Mesa County Commission approved funds to hire, train and equip two ...

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