Headlines – August 30, 2023

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Judge denies second evaluation request for alleged King Soopers shooter

The court proceedings in the case of the person alleged to have carried out the mass shooting at the Table Mesa King Soopers are moving forward; albeit slowly.

Defense and prosecution attorneys were in court yesterday after a psychiatric evaluation found the defendant accused of murdering ten people competent to stand trial. The mass shooting took place on March 22 of 2021 and the defendant is the only suspect in the case.

Boulder District Attorney Michael Doughterty urged the presiding judge to deny a request for a second evaluation, citing already long delays in the case and the emotional toll it takes on victims’ families.

Public Defender Kathryn Herold described her client as “profoundly mentally ill” and argued that putting him on trial would violate his due process rights.

The judge denied the request for a second evaluation and set a restoration hearing for October 3rd and a preliminary hearing for the morning of November 14th.

In the meantime, the defendant will remain at a state psychiatric facility in Pueblo where – unlike in a county jail – he may receive what was referred to as involuntary medication.

Negotiation lower costs of medications for those on Medicare plans

Medicare – the health insurance program for people over 65 years old – will start negotiating prices on 10 drugs known to treat life-threatening diseases. This comes after the Inflation Reduction Act mandated the lowering of prescription prices for older Americans.

The first drugs under price negotiations include diabetes medication, insulin, and heart medication. These negotiations mark the first time Medicare has been able to haggle over drug prices, for its 65 million enrollees.

The Biden administration says seniors spent $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs for these medications in 2022. The negotiations could allegedly save taxpayers $160 billion by cutting Medicare’s spending on drugs.

State government to host listening sessions on regulations for natural medicine

The Colorado Department of Revenue will kick off a series of listening sessions next week to help craft new regulations on natural medicines – including psychedelic substances.

There will be five weekly sessions, starting September 5th and running through early October. They are run through the Department’s Natural Medicine Division, which was established earlier this year to help develop robust rules and processes related to the cultivation, testing, manufacture, and distribution of these medicines.

Key stakeholders, field experts, and the public are all encouraged to join, to discuss regulatory frameworks for natural medicine facilities in the state that the Department of Revenue is responsible for implementing.

This is the latest step in creating an established framework for natural medicine since Proposition 122 was passed in November of last year, which approved access to natural psychedelic substances in the state of Colorado.

CU Boulder hosts used bike sale tomorrow

CU Boulder will host a used bike sale on campus tomorrow at Farrand Field, as part of its Bicycling Recycling & Processing Program. Many of the bikes on sale have been refurbished, after campus staff determined them to be abandoned.

According to the University’s Division of Student Affairs, the Environmental Center clears around 600 bikes from campus racks each year. Impounded bikes are held for 30 days in order to give their owners a chance to recover them before they become university property.

The bike sale is part of CU Bike Fest, which happens Thursday at Farrand Field from 2 to 5pm.

Boulder Valley District starts new construction on New Vista High School

Last November, BVSD voters approved a $350 million bond issue distributed amongst all BVSD projects, including a new building for Boulder’s New Vista High School campus. Construction started Thursday with a grand ceremony held by the district.

The new building is set to replace the current New Vista High School, originally erected in 1952 as Baseline Junior High School. The new building will be about 76,000 square-feet, providing a more energy efficient campus with lower maintenance costs.

The new building will feature a modern performance stage, outdoor learning spaces, and flexible learning spaces according to 9News.

Tattoo ink nanoengineered at CU Boulder designed to turn on and off 

A CU Boulder nanoengineer has designed a ”smart” tattoo ink that ostensibly can be turned on and off with light. Carson Bruns, a CU Boulder nanoengineer says his ultraviolet smart tattoo ink appears under ultraviolet light and turns off when exposed to sunlight or a flashlight.

Bruns told KFF Health News that the tattoo offers a flexible alternative for tattoo lovers, being able to be turned off when going to court or grandma’s house and on for parties or social gatherings.”

Bruns has partnered with Keith “Bang Bang” McCurdy, Rihanna’s tattoo artist, to launch the smart ink to the market early next year. According to KFF Health News, Bruns and McCurdy hope the ink will lead to “smart tattoos that have a health value, but cosmetics are cheaper and simpler to get to consumers than medical devices. So, that’s where they’re starting.”

The ink is composed of dye particles encased in beads of plexiglass, the material used for lip fillers, and will be entering the market next year under the name “Magic Ink.”

Dentist accused of poisoning wife appears in court

Aurora dentist James Craig stands accused of poisoning his wife. According to the autopsy report Angela Craig died from a lethal dose of cyanide back in March.

The Aurora Police have released evidence in the killing. Angela also visited the hospital on multiple accounts leading up to her death, which may have been linked to initial poisoning attempts.

Yesterday, James Craig appeared in court. He is being tried for first degree murder and tampering with evidence. A 10 million dollar bond has been posted for Craig whose arraignment was rescheduled for October.

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