"Train versus person accident"

Photo by News Blab

4/3/08: KOAA's website is reporting:  Police say a train traveling near E. Woodmen Road and E. Rockrimmon Blvd. struck and killed a person late Wednesday night.
Police say, a train in northern Colorado Springs struck and killed a person late Wednesday night. It happened just after 11:15 p.m.
The train was traveling north at about 25 miles per hour, when the conductor says a man suddenly jumped out of the bushes onto the tracks.
Police say it appears the man took his own life, but they are investigating if foul play was involved.
 

UPDATE: Here's what KRDO's website had:  COLORADO SPRINGS - Emergency crews were sent to investigate reports of an incident involving a train near Woodmen and Rockrimmon in Northwest Colorado Springs late Wednesday Night. NEWSCHANNEL 13 has learned that 1 person was hit and killed by a train near the Edmonson Trailhead. Police were still investigating early Thursday Morning to determine whether foul play was involved.

"Butterflies are Free"

A fluttering flutterby... I mean butterfly, in Monument Valley Park

"Fire on the far West Side"

4/2/08: A chimney fire in the 3600 block of W. Pikes Peak Ave. brought out a couple of CSFD engines on Wednesday night.  Any farther west and it would have been the Manitou Springs FD handling the call.  Firefighters poured a bunch of water down the firebox and made temperature measurements to make sure it was out before leaving the scene.

Photos by News Blab

"AMR ambulance contract to be extended"

A News Blab Exclusive

4/2/08: At today's El Paso County Emergency Services Agency (ESA) meeting, Board Members discussed the probable reality that the current contract with AMR to provide ambulance service in the County, will be extended by 6 months.

A new request for proposal (RFP) for ambulance service is now out on the street for input, but because of the timeframe involved with reviews, selection, and implementation, it was suggested to the Board that an extension to the current contract be voted on at the next official meeting.

If approved (talks among Board Members hinted that it would be), it would then be placed onto the County Commissioners agenda, as well as on the City Council agenda for their approval.

Also at today's ESA meeting a number of new EMTs were sworn in and given their badges.

So, just what is this ESA, anyway?  I'll tell you all about it in an upcoming News Blab article.  Stay tuned...

Photos by News Blab

Todays ESA meeting

Swearing in some new EMTs

And next come their badges

"Should the 'F-word' throw be an Olympic sport?"

4/2/08: I looked like any other visitor/tourist walking around the Olympic Training Center on Monday afternoon.  I strolled, with my camera capturing many of the colorful sights presented there; silhouette depiction of athletes, Countries flags, banners waving in the breeze, and a flame that flickered as the wind tossed it around.  I even got to see... and hear some of those future Olympians in training.

I had just left the area where you can watch athletes swimming in the Olympic pool, when three female athletes in training approached me as I was reading one of the many informational signs in the area.  The closer they got, the more I could hear their conversation.  They had to see me, and they must have figured I was just another one of the many visitors who walk around the training center.

So why was one of them spewing out the "F-word" so freely?  I counted at least 5 occurrences of the 'f-bomb' usage, in the short time they were near me.  Doesn't she know that a certain image of American Olympians is expected?

I would have thought the USOC would have frowned on such open and blatant behavior.  What I was hearing sounded like something you'd probably hear in the halls of a high school... while the kids are going from class to class. I didn't expect to hear what I was hearing from a US Olympian in training, right there at the Olympic Training Center... especially within earshot of a visitor.

Okay USOC... maybe one of the first things you should do, even before you get settled into your new Tejon Street home, being paid for by us Colorado Springs taxpayers.

1) Provide your trainees with a better briefing on how to act, especially around visitors at the training center.

2) Wash the offending athlete's mouth out with soap.

3) Propose that the "F-Word" throw be included as a new Olympic Event... at least one of your future athletes is a possible Gold-Medal winner.

Photos by News Blab

A future Gold-Medal winner?

"CSPD gets report of possible skeleton near creek"

A News Blab Exclusive

4/1/08: CSPD officers responded to the banks of Monument Creek this evening, at a location just south of the Fillmore Street bridge.  It was there that a reporting party had called to report he might have found a human skeleton.  When officers arrived they had to negotiate a steep slope, just to get to the area where the bones were found.  Once there they determined the remains were probably from an animal, but the bones were placed in a plastic bag... just in case.  Here's a few pics from the scene...

Photos by News Blab

"Who made 'April Fools' of the local media?"

4/1/08: Today I received a news release from some organization via the "Got a tip?" form.  The release outlined an incident that happened early this morning.  Seems a realistic looking press release went out to local media outlets letting them know that District 20 students were going to have to do a do-over on the CPAS test. It must have looked real, cause I understand that no media outlet verified the information... they just went on-air and on-web with it.  Turns out... it wasn't real.

Some later retracted the news, while others, as is their standard operating procedure... just removed the news from their website... and acted like it never happened.  I heard (unconfirmed) that the following news organizations were made "April Fools" of... The Gazette, KRDO News Channel 13, and KOAA News First.  Since I didn't see all of those who broadcast or posted... did I miss anyone?

UPDATE 6:09 p.m. KOAA apologized for the earlier story they broadcast about the CPAS re-do.  They showed the realistic looking letter they received.  They said they were investigating where it actually came from.  I hope the culprit or culprits are caught!  Some April Fool jokes... just aren't funny when they involve something serious, and this was serious.

"How many times has the torch been passed?"

Photo by News Blab

4/1/08: Wow... Try to follow the history and reasoning behind the change of ownerships for the building at 27 S. Tejon, the one that will soon be the new home of the USOC. The one LandCo, according to news reports, is saying they are donating.

- MUSTO PROPERTIES INC sold it on 04/17/2002 for $1,858,200 to KAMERON FAMILY PARTNERSHIP #3 LLLP

- KAMERON FAMILY PARTNERSHIP III LLLP sold it on 05/10/2005 for $1,200,000 to 27 SOUTH TEJON PARTNERS LLC

- KAMERON FAMILY PARTNERSHIP NO 3 LLLP sold it on 09/15/2005 for $3,234,000 to LANDCO INVESTMENTS LLC
(I thought they already sold it to 27 SOUTH TEJON PARTNERS LLC four months earlier???)

- LANDCO INVESTMENTS LLC sold it on 10/24/2005 for $1,129,100 to 27 SOUTH TEJON PARTNERS LLC

- 27 SOUTH TEJON PARTNERS LLC sold it on 03/19/2007 for $0 to LANDCO27 LLC

- 27 SOUTH TEJON PARTNERS LLC sold it on 03/19/2007 for $0 to RUBICON ALLIANCE LLC

- RUBICON ALLIANCE LLC sold it on 03/19/2007 for $903,491 to MOUNT VERNON ESTATES LAND HOLDINGS LLC

- MOUNT VERNON ESTATES LAND HOLDINGS LLC sold it on 03/19/2007 for $0 to NORTH COUNTY LAND LLC

- NORTH COUNTY LAND LLC sold it on 10/22/2007 for $0 to LANDCO 27 LLC

Confused...??? I am... Good thing I'm not in Real Estate... I'd starve!

"So, just how much did those rings cost us?"

Photo by News Blab

4/1/08: This ain't no April Fool joke... but it should be considered a rumor until confirmed!

A source has told News Blab that a former employee of the USOC disclosed that Colorado Springs had once before requested to use the Olympic Rings logo as a part of the City's marketing venue, but the USOC is purported to have said, not enough money had changed hands between them and the City. What has now changed their minds?

I guess a part of the recent multi-million dollar offer must have been earmarked for the rings logo agreement, and that amount must have been just enough to have sparked a flame, and lit the USOC's torch...  Got any additional 411?  Let me know...

"Engine one dispatch... we have a person on the roof"

A News Blab Exclusive

3/31/08: Those were some of the first words spoken when CSFD Engine #1 arrived at the Colorado Deaf and Blind School last night; arriving at the scene of what they thought was just a general fire alarm.  But, what it turned out to be was a rescue of a female resident student who had gotten onto that roof, while distraught, paranoid, and agitated, as was confirmed to me by School/Community liaison, Diane Covington.

Additionally, there were two others up on that roof, trying to convince the distraught student not to... I'm guessing, jump.  That part wasn't confirmed to me, and I was not told if the two others were also students or staff.  Covington did say there was staff on duty when the incident occurred. 

Someone had pulled the fire alarm when they discovered that a student was on the roof, hence the general alarm call.  The rescue effort lasted a little more than an hour.  CSFD personnel were able to secure the distraught student, and place her into a rescue basket, to be lowered to the ground. She was then transported by AMR ambulance to the hospital.

Note: The school was founded in 1874, in a $50 a month house in downtown Colorado Springs.  It moved to its present location after receiving a donation of 10 acres from William Jackson Palmer in 1876.  They now have 18 buildings on 37 acres.  52% of their students stay in the dorms.  They also have a 7 member Board of Trustees.

Last year, Reid Hunt, the supervisor of student life at the Deaf & Blind School died when he fell from an ice wall while climbing near Seven Falls.  The student life supervisor is in charge of many student related things, including the dorms where resident students stay while attending school.

Here are some pictures from last night's rescue at the Colorado Deaf and Blind School...

Photos by News Blab

"Mayor touts, this is a 'landmark day', as USOC proposal passes"

3/31/08: Well Mr. Mayor... you almost called it right.  What you should have said is, this is a "LandCo day", because LandCo, who contributed thousands of dollars to your re-election campaign, are the clear winners in this one, as they are now guaranteed many $$$'s for all that construction they will be accomplishing for this USOC effort.  Much of the $$$'s they will be getting is coming from us taxpayers... as you now know.

By the way, the final vote was 7-1, with Darryl Glenn the only one refusing to vote yes. Glenn is reported as saying, he wouldn't vote yes for the agreement because he thinks it should be ratified by a public vote.  Good for you Mr. Glenn.  Make sure to remind the taxpaying citizens of this vote when you run for Mayor.  It might just put you over the top.

UPDATE - 6:00 p.m. I did get to talk with Mayor Rivera a short time after the news conference.  I shared with him my feelings about not being fully behind the decision they made, but how I do understand why they made it.  Mayor Rivera was polite with me, shook my hand, but then moved on.  I don't think he wanted to have a much longer discussion.

Photos by News Blab

But that wasn't the case when I spoke with Vice Mayor Small and Councilwoman Radford.  They told me they appreciated my views and my open-mindedness.  The three of us had a nice talk in front of the Olympic Center.

But... the most priceless picture at the news conference had to be when I took one of LandCo owner Ray Marshall, the exact moment he was being told I was the one who leaked the photos of his building with the Olympic rings on it.  That's him glaring at me...