Western Colorado

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Suspect in baby’s death working on plea bargain

Plea negotiations are in the works for 22-year-old Alaska woman Morgan Hite, who is accused of killing her newborn baby in Grand Junction, her attorney said Monday. Colorado Public Defender John Burkey said in court that he needed more time to ...

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Grower throws Pink Ladies into cancer fight

Every year, Susan Brennan Patton and her family have supported local nonprofit organizations, donating fruit from their orchards to food banks and gift basket programs and donating their time to causes such as Relay for Life. During a recent ...

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GarCo steps up effort to get disputed land for runway

RIFLE — Garfield County wants to expedite condemnation of land standing in the way of completing a $33 million airport runway project on schedule. The county is trying to reach an agreement under which it would gain immediate ...

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Natural gas price decline, tight credit, new energy rules could decrease Piceance development

Denver natural gas broker John Harpole recently conducted what he calls a “back of the envelope” survey of about eight energy companies’ northwest Colorado drilling plans. From the perspective of Harpole and others in the ...

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Enstrom to close facility in Arvada

Enstrom Candies is putting its candy-making focus solely on its headquarters in Grand Junction. Store owners on Nov. 7 closed the company’s Arvada manufacturing operation, making the state-of-the-art facility in Grand Junction its sole ...

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Pot bust puts $112,000 in sheriff’s coffers

Fighting crime, sometimes, does pay. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Department received more than $112,000 Friday for its part in uncovering one of the Western Slope’s largest marijuana growing operations in 2006. After a cooperative ...

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Oil, gas lease proposal would mean 60 wells on 19,465 acres

Federal officials are studying issues to be addressed in a proposal to develop oil and gas leases on 19,465 surface acres on the Bull Mountain Unit in northwest Gunnison County. The unit is about five miles north of the Paonia Reservoir near ...

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Meis’ energy firm sells, but he plans to remain in job

The local oil and gas industry services company owned by newly re-elected county Commissioner Craig Meis is being swallowed by a larger national outfit.  Nebraska-based Olsson Associates national engineering and design firm is acquiring ...

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Wild, scenic designation possible for parts of Colorado River, creek

The U.S. Forest Service is moving ahead on a proposal to determine whether parts of the Colorado River and Deep Creek are suitable candidates for inclusion in the national Wild and Scenic River System. The Colorado River Water Conservation ...

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Xcel says electricity costs to increase by $5 a month per household next summer

Xcel Energy plans to hike its rates for electricity across the board, but the bump in bills won’t happen until next summer. In a filing Friday, the utility proposed a $174.4 million electricity rate increase for Colorado, which the ...

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