Headlines — October 27, 2022

October 27, 2022

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DA Launches Grand Jury Investigation Into Glass Police Shooting

District Attorney Heidi McCollum announced Wednesday she has convened a grand jury investigation into the shooting death of 22-year-old Christian Glass.  A Clear Creek County deputy killed Glass in early June after Glas crashed his car and called 911 for help. 

Glass, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, told dispatchers he had knives in the car and was afraid to step out of the car.As officers responded to the call, Glass refused to get out. Eventually, police broke his car window and shot him six times. McCollum said the jury was selected Tuesday and is presenting the incident to the jury for further investigation and the possible return of charges. The case is also under review by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which normally reviews police shootings.

Boulder Man Found Not Guilty Of Police Obstruction During King Soopers Shooting

A jury on Wednesday found 44-year-old Boulder resident Dean Schiller not guilty of obstructing police while live-streaming the Table Mesa King Soopers mass shooting that occurred in March 2021. 

Schiller began recording the incident live on YouTube after hearing gunshots and seeing people injured as he was leaving the store. Schiller told the Daily Camera earlier in the year that he happened to be at the store with his friend Denny Stong, who was one of the victims of the shooting and reportedly told law enforcement he was a journalist.  

During the trial, prosecutors argued Schiller obstructed and interfered with law enforcement as they responded to the incident while Schiller and his attorneys argued for first amendment rights. According to investigator records, Schiller live-streamed police response for nearly two hours and ignored about 60 commands by law enforcement to leave, including several physical attempts to move him. 

The investigator also noted no other media members were at the immediate area of the crime scene and Schiller refused to move to the staging area for news media. Prior to the mass shooting, Schiller said he frequently filmed police activity around Boulder. 

Colorado Oil & Gas Regulators Approve New Weld County Wells

The Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission approved Wednesday a plan by Crestone Peak Resources to drill 19 horizontal oil and gas wells in Weld County near Broomfield and Erie. During Wednesday’s hearing, Broomfield officials presented air monitoring data which they say shows spikes in emissions caused by hazardous chemicals linked to oil and gas operations, including the chemical benzene.

According to the Colorado Sun, Broomfield also presented results from a health survey done in coordination with the state health department that shows people living close to wells have higher reported incidences of respiratory problems and other health issues. Broomfield’s arguments were the first time a local government could intervene in commission proceedings because of a new rule allowing local governments to protest when in proximity to proposed sites.

According to the Colorado Sun, the Town of Erie reached a separate agreement with the operator. The commissioners said they based their approval on recommendations that came from staff and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and that Broomfield’s data did not outweigh the information from the operator. 

Utility Gas Price Increase

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy’s plan to increase natural gas prices. The price increase is set to start by the end of this year. This rate hike will cause residential and small business monthly bills to rise by around three percent.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, high natural gas prices will continue to rise this winter. Households across the country may see their energy bills jump close to 30 percent.  

After Xcel Energy increases the prices, they plan to file a request for an electric rate increase as well by the end of the year. This increase will be an add-on from last April’s increase price of $182.2 million. AARP spokeswoman Angela Cortez said that the company is doing “It’s obvious ‘pancaking,’ filing one rate increase after another, and Coloradans are sick of it.” 

Colorado Automobile Dealers Association Data Shows Drop In Vehicle Sales 

The Colorado Automobile Dealers Association released its third quarter update this month that says the effects of inflation, limited inventories, and interest rates continue to affect vehicle sales. The state so far this year has had close to 160,000 new vehicle registrations through September, compared to roughly 190,000 at the same time last year.

Precise numbers show a 14.5% drop for the first nine months of 2022. The CADA report does highlight that pent up demand for vehicles continues to grow and also predicts that vehicle prices will probably lower when supply chain issues improve. Although vehicle sales are down overall in the state, the report shows Colorado drivers are snatching up more green vehicles this year compared to last with electric vehicles sales having the largest increase at 41%. 

CSU Students Remain In Overflow Housing At Nearby Hotel 

Housing officials with Colorado State University in Ft Collins say they still have 103 students temporarily housed at the Best Western Inn near the school’s campus. According to the Coloradoan, CSU fell short in providing on-campus housing for the record number of first-year students enrolled this year and scrambled to deal with a surge of incoming students.

At the start of the semester, school officials said they placed over 330 students in overflow housing and assigned 140 to the Best Western Inn. Although CSU expected to end the hotel housing by September, the school is now renting the hotel until the end of the semester. Officials said they got caught off guard by the record enrollment because of the pandemic and the low number of students who dis-enrolled over the summer. 

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