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• Woman accused of improperly collecting public aid

  November 29, 2012 8:02 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A Mesa County woman is accused of lying about her household income so she could continue receiving public assistance. The Daily Sentinel reports ( http://bit.ly/11fhNmu ) that according to an arrest warrant affidavit, April Dawn Creasman is accused of failing to report that the father... more »

• Train hits truck in Grand Junction, no injuries reported

  September 22, 2012 8:00 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Authorities are investigating after a coal train headed to Kentucky hit a truck that was stranded on the tracks in Grand Junction. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports the Union Pacific train with three locomotives and 104 cars hit the truck at about 2 a.m.... more »

• Grand Junction city officials plan how to afford street light repair

  August 14, 2012 12:31 PM

  How many city workers does it take to screw in a light bulb? That's what Grand Junction city officials hope to find out after they got a $500,000 estimate from Xcel Energy to repair dozens of street lights that have gone out around the city. The city of Grand Junction... more »

• Court OKs limited horse roundup in west Colorado

  July 7, 2012 11:39 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A federal court has ruled that the Bureau of Land Management can round up 40 to 50 horses south of Rangely that have been affected by the drought. For weeks, the agency has been delivering water to two groups of horses on Texas Mountain in... more »

• Locals rally against death penalty after man's exoneration

  May 7, 2012 1:00 AM

  Imagine spending 17 years in prison for a crime you didn't commit; that's Robert Dewey's reality. He's now a free man thanks to DNA testing but he's reentering a world much different than the one he left, and his case is bringing another issue to light: the death penalty. ... more »

• Air Academy swimmers and divers helping fight cancer

  May 5, 2012 2:35 PM

  The Air Academy High School swimming and diving team is helping in the fight against testicular cancer. The team held a free car wash at Foothills Swim and Racquet Club Saturday; they took donations for the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation based out of Grand Junction. Of course, being... more »

• Mesa County DA apologizes for wrong murder arrest

  April 30, 2012 4:36 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - The Mesa County District Attorney's Office is apologizing to a man who served nearly 16 years in prison for the 1994 rape and murder of a Palisade woman before he was exonerated by new testing of DNA evidence. A hearing has been scheduled for Robert... more »

• Plan to close post offices put on hold... for now

  April 22, 2012 1:54 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A plan to shutter 53 post offices across Colorado and hundreds of others elsewhere in the nation has been put on hold - at least for now. David Rupert, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service's Colorado operations, tells the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel the service... more »

• School bus driver charged for drunk driving in Grand Junction

  April 11, 2012 11:33 AM

  Colorado State Troopers took a Grand Junction school bus driver in custody Tuesday for suspected drunk driving after he had dropped his students at Orchard Mesa Middle School. Gary Williams, 54, is charged with Driving While Ability Impaired, 30 counts of Child Abuse and Failing to Drive in a... more »

• Man who shot woman says he thought Mohawk was bird

  March 25, 2012 12:44 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A 49-year-old Grand Junction man who said he shot a woman in the head when he mistook her large red Mohawk for a fowl that had been harassing his cats has been sentenced to five years probation. Derrill Rockwell told police he fired one shot... more »

• CO SUPREME COURT: DAs need not personally submit wiretap aps

  March 10, 2012 12:52 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Colorado's elected district attorneys need not personally prepare and submit applications for wiretap surveillance, a technicality that a drug suspected sought to use to have his conviction and 96 year sentenced thrown out. The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction reports the Colorado Supreme Court made... more »

• Shell breaks ground on oil shale work on US land

  March 3, 2012 10:02 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Shell Oil Co. has broken ground on its first project on land leased from the federal government for oil shale research. Carolyn Tucker of Shell said Thursday that the company continues to make "significant progress" on its oil shale project, which until now has occurred... more »

• 104-car coal train derails in western Colorado

  February 19, 2012 11:41 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - An investigation is under way after a 104-car train loaded with coal derailed in De Beque Canyon in western Colorado. Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis tells the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel the train was headed from the West Elk Mine in Arco to Kentucky when... more »

• 4 charged in alleged statewide child-prostitute ring in CO

  January 30, 2012 8:02 PM

  DENVER (AP) - The Colorado attorney general says a child-trafficking ring coerced or lured at least four girls under the age of 18 into prostitution in five Colorado cities. A 70-count indictment made public Monday charges four people with taking the girls to locations in Denver, Boulder, Lakewood, Grand... more »

• CO legislator loses committee chair position over traffic stop

  January 28, 2012 10:44 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Police say a law designed to protect Colorado lawmakers' ability to travel to and from the statehouse to cast their vote prevented police from determining whether one lawmaker was driving drunk. Police ticketed Rep. Laura Bradford, a Republican from Grand Junction, with illegal lane change and improper... more »

• Attempted murder charge for Grand Junction teens on shooting spree

  January 1, 2012 11:44 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Two Grand Junction teens are accused of going on a five-day shooting spree in which they allegedly fired at homes, vehicles and a pedestrian. The Daily Sentinel reports that 18-year-olds Aaron Wesley Plotner and Darian Tyler Kintz face multiple charges including attempted murder. Authorities say... more »

• UPDATE: United Airlines 757 flight from Denver to Los Angeles diverted to Grand Junction

  December 11, 2011 2:51 PM

  As reported earlier, a United Airline Boeing 757 en route from Denver to Los Angeles was diverted to Grand Junction Regional Airport when it was reported that one engine was shut down. The aircraft was able to make a safe emergency landing shortly after 11:30 am. The 757 has... more »

• United 757 diverts to Grand Junction from Denver

  December 11, 2011 2:02 PM

  The Federal Aviation Administration says a United Airlines 757 en route to Los Angeles from Denver has been diverted to Grand Junction Regional Airport with one engine shut down in western Colorado. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor says the plane was flying from Denver to Los Angeles on Sunday when... more »

• Suspect in custody in fatal Orchard Mesa robbery

  November 26, 2011 1:25 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Police have a suspect in custody in an apparent robbery at a home in Orchard Mesa that involved the shooting of a man and another man being struck in the head with a pipe. One person died and another was seriously injured. The Daily... more »

• Occupy Grand Junction targets Black Friday

  November 23, 2011 12:54 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Occupy protesters in Grand Junction are hoping to convince shoppers to stay away from large retailers during the holidays. Members plan to demonstrate at the Mesa Mall on Thanksgiving night as shoppers line up for Black Friday deals. Their message is "Buy local... more »

• Bear, 2 cubs killed by Colorado wildlife officers

  November 12, 2011 1:55 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A bear and her two cubs were killed this week near Grand Junction by Colorado wildlife authorities after the bears became a nuisance. The (Grand Junction) Sentinel reports that the bears were killed after eating from garbage cans from Aspen to the Grand Junction... more »

• Plea hearing Wednesday for ex-Western Slope DA

  October 19, 2011 1:17 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - The former 7th Judicial District attorney is scheduled in court for a hearing where he's expected to enter a plea. Police arrested Myrl Serra in September 2010 on suspicion of unlawful sexual contact with force, criminal extortion, indecent exposure and official misconduct. His trial... more »

• GJ Police doubt Bundy DNA will solve 1975 case

  August 6, 2011 3:15 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Police say they're doubtful that a recent discovery of the complete DNA profile of serial killer Ted Bundy will help solve the disappearance of a Grand Junction woman 36 years ago. Authorities know that Bundy was in Grand Junction that spring thanks to a... more »

• FBI joins search for suspects in Colorado slaying

  August 6, 2011 8:56 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Grand Junction police say the FBI has joined the search for two men wanted in connection with a slaying outside a Taco Bell restaurant last month. Grand Junction police say 19-year-old Jaime Cardenas and 24-year-old Fidel Silva may be hiding on the West Coast or... more »

• Man accused of using shoe camera to film women

  July 26, 2011 3:55 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A Grand Junction man has been accused of using a modified video camera on top of his shoe to record video up women's skirts. Grand Junction police say 34-year-old Joshua Vohs was issued a summons Sunday at a local grocery store while people were... more »

• 2 in custody, 2 others sought in Colo. crime spree

  July 23, 2011 6:18 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Police in Grand Junction, Colo., say two suspects are in custody and two others are being sought in connection with a one-day crime spree that involved a slaying, two armed robberies and a home burglary. Police say 18-year-old Lester Isaac Miranda-Davis was booked into... more »

• A Colorado city cracks down on social networking

  June 20, 2011 11:21 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Grand Junction is cracking down on social networking for city employees. All city employees are asked to refrain from posting photos of themselves in uniform or wearing any type of badge or clothing that would identify them as working for the city. According... more »

• Inmate accused of stabbing 2 with sewing scissors

  June 19, 2011 6:44 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - An inmate at Mesa County Community Corrections is accused of stabbing two staff members with sewing scissors. Twenty-two-year-old Paul Savage was booked into the county jail Friday on suspicion of three counts of first-degree assault. Police spokeswoman Kate Porras says the stabbing happened... more »

• Mesa State College gets new name

  June 6, 2011 9:59 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Mesa State College in Grand Junction will have a new name starting Aug. 10. The Daily Sentinel reports that Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law Monday that will turn the school in western Colorado into Colorado Mesa University. School officials say... more »

• Church revokes speaking invite for Churchill

  May 22, 2011 6:17 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A Grand Junction church that invited fired University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill to speak on Memorial Day has withdrawn its invitation. The (Grand Junction) Sentinel reports that the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley did not want to offend military families by having... more »

• Group formed to study upgrading Colo. monument

  May 19, 2011 9:22 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A community group has been formed to explore upgrading the Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction to a national park. Colorado Sen. Mark Udall and U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton said Thursday that the group is made up of 16 community leaders representing western Colorado... more »

• Colo. authorities investigating changed road signs

  May 7, 2011 3:13 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Pranksters have been posting harmless, sometimes humorous phrases on variable message boards at Grand Junction road projects, but city officials say the messages have turned nasty. Now the Colorado Department of Transportation has filed a report with the State Patrol, and whoever has been... more »

• HIV/AIDS homeless grants coming to Colorado

  May 3, 2011 5:12 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado programs that help the homeless and those with HIV/AIDS have received nearly $2 million in federal grants. The U.S. Development of Housing and Urban Development announced Monday that Colorado programs will get $1.8 million. Denver-based Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corp. will get nearly $1.5 million... more »

• W. Colo. water district unhappy with proposed deal

  April 30, 2011 1:51 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - One western Colorado water district isn't on board yet with a proposed deal between Denver Water and Western Slope water interests on how to share water. The Daily Sentinel reports the Ute Water Conservancy District says it likely wouldn't approve the agreement as it... more »

• Denver Water, Western Slope near water agreement

  April 23, 2011 4:23 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Denver Water is nearing a deal aimed at easing concerns of western Colorado water users over the utility's ability to divert more Colorado River water to the Front Range. The Denver Post reports the emerging deal includes a provision for Denver Water to contribute... more »

• Arizona fugitive gets 48 years for Colo. shootout

  April 23, 2011 2:01 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - An inmate who escaped from an Arizona prison and was caught after a shootout with police in Colorado has been sentenced to 48 years in prison for firing at an officer. The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction reports that Daniel Renwick was also sentenced... more »

• Western Slope job outlook poor

  April 3, 2011 2:04 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Despite new job orders in energy and construction, Colorado's Western Slope is coping with near-record jobless rates. Grand Junction's unemployment rate has tripled in the past two years and stands at above 11 percent. Mesa County reports that several hundred people apply for... more »

• Grand Junction Pro tem Mayor Resigns

  April 2, 2011 12:24 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - The mayor pro tem of Grand Junction has resigned effective immediately, citing personal reasons. City Councilwoman Bonnie Beckstein says she is stepping down because of "significant changes" in her personal life. She didn't give details and asked that her privacy be respected. The City Council... more »

• FBI divers search Colorado River in Grand Junction

  March 30, 2011 2:28 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Divers from the FBI are searching the Colorado River for a second day as part of an investigation. Grand Junction police spokeswoman Kate Porras declined to release details Wednesday. She said the search is part of an ongoing local investigation. There have been no... more »

• Tipton: community must rally to change monument

  March 26, 2011 10:26 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Colorado congressman Scott Tipton says efforts to upgrade the Colorado National Monument to a national park should be driven by the community. The Republican represents the district that includes the monument next door to Grand Junction. Tipton tells The Daily Sentinel that it's an... more »

• Redistricting panel heads to southern Colo.

  March 12, 2011 1:01 PM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - A bipartisan panel considering new congressional districts is headed to southern Colorado talk with residents about their district. The legislative panel planned hearings in Alamosa and Pueblo Saturday. Both are currently in the 3rd Congressional District represented by Republican Rep. Scott Tipton. The panel... more »

• Alleged brothel building being auctioned

  March 6, 2011 7:03 PM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - A building that federal authorities say was used for prostitution in Grand Junction is being auctioned off next month. Internal Revenue Service special agent John Harrison told The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel that about 70 percent of the proceeds from the April 14 auction... more »

• Grand Junction man accused of killing wife charged

  February 6, 2011 9:06 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Prosecutors have charged a 38-year-old man accused of stabbing his wife to death and his bond was set at $250,000. Authorities say in an arrest affidavit that Nathan Yager admitted to his mother that he had stabbed his wife. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel... more »

• Colorado National Monument reopens to motorized traffic

  December 25, 2010 9:09 AM

  COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT, Colo. (AP) - Colorado National Monument has reopened the upper portions of the Rim Rock Drive to motorized vehicles. The monument near Grand Junction closed about 14 miles of the road Dec. 1. to cut plowing and maintenance costs through the winter. But the road will... more »

• Colorado District Attorney faces more charges

  December 23, 2010 1:44 PM

  MONTROSE, Colo. (AP) - A western Colorado district attorney facing criminal charges for allegedly demanding sexual favors from women in his office has been arrested again, this time on allegations of harassment and violating his bond. The Grand Junction Sentinel reports that Montrose County District Attorney Myrl Serra was... more »

• School Bus Driver; Stops for Liquor

  December 8, 2010 11:13 PM

  A school bus driver who stopped at a liquor store on his way out of Grand Junction has been suspended and may be fired. The driver, whose name wasn't released, went inside alone to buy a bottle. It was not opened on the bus. Students on the charter trip returned... more »

• Engineers seek cause of roof failure at Grand Junction store

  November 28, 2010 9:09 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Structural engineers are trying to determine why the ceiling of a Grand Junction thrift store partially collapsed when 22 people were inside. No serious injuries were reported in the incident on Friday at the Salvation Army store. Roger Miller, a Denver-based spokesman for the... more »

• All people accounted for after thrift store partial collapse

  November 27, 2010 11:05 AM

  GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - Customers and employees have safely escaped after the partial collapse of a Colorado thrift store's ceiling. Firefighters carefully searched through the rubble for several hours Friday after employees said they thought a shopper might not have made it out of the Salvation Army store... more »

• Grand Junction votes to close marijuana centers

  October 5, 2010 12:45 PM

  The Grand Junction City Council passed a measure to close medical marijuana businesses in the city. The council voted 6-1 to pass the ordinance Monday night. Mayor Teresa Coons was the only member to vote against it. The ordinance requires that all dispensaries and other pot businesses shut... more »

• Hearing on Xcel energy plan

  August 30, 2010 9:39 AM

  State regulators are gathering comment on Xcel Energy's plan to use less coal to produce electricity. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission will hold a hearing on the plan Monday in Grand Junction starting at 6 p.m. Xcel has proposed spending $1.3 billion to convert coal-fired power plants to... more »

• Grand Junction opposes police rape lawsuit

  August 23, 2010 8:25 AM

  Attorneys for Grand Junction are denying claims of negligence by a woman who says she was raped by a police officer last year. The woman filed suit alleging the Police Department should have fired officer Glenn Coyne earlier, after an unrelated allegation of sexual assault was made in 2008.... more »

• Palisade Peach Festival this weekend

  August 18, 2010 11:09 AM

  Peaches from the Grand Valley are one of the best things about summertime in Colorado. Sweet, juice-dripping-down-your-arms peaches. If you love peach pie, peach ice cream and peaches in every form you can think of--the 42nd annual Palisade Peach Festival will be held Aug. 19-22. In addition to... more »

• 9-year-old girl dies in Colorado go-cart crash

  August 16, 2010 8:06 AM

  A 9-year-old Aurora girl whose go-cart collided with a maintenance vehicle at Grand Junction Motor Speedway has died. Mesa County Sheriff's spokeswoman Sally Weese says Taybor Duncan's go-cart rolled multiple times after it clipped a maintenance vehicle on the track Sunday morning. Weese says Taybor had just crested... more »

• Grand Junction K-9 recovers from near drowning

  August 13, 2010 7:05 PM

  Police officers in Grand Junction say they nearly lost K-9 "Oldo" when a suspect tried to drown him. Thursday night the dog sniffed out an alleged burglar who ran from a shed. When the suspect refused to comply to officers commands, they loosed Oldo. The dog latched onto the... more »

• Sprint time for Colorado Senate candidates

  August 9, 2010 11:09 AM

  It's sprint time for Colorado Senate candidates in primary elections. They're working the phones, waving signs on busy street corners and putting final touches on what they hope will be victory speeches Tuesday night. Democrats are focusing on Colorado Springs. That's because El Paso is the most populous Colorado... more »

• Mountain biking restricted in Grand Mesa Nat'l Forest

  August 9, 2010 8:46 AM

  Federal forest officials have banned mountain biking in parts of Grand Mesa National Forest because of damage to the forest. The U.S. Forest Service plans to close several user-created downhill routes. The agency also plans to ban mechanized travel on designated ski trails during the winter. Forest Service... more »

• Western Colorado communities OK ballot spot on pot

  July 20, 2010 8:07 AM

  Officials in Mesa County and Grand Junction, the county seat, have voted to reserve spots on the November ballot for medical marijuana issues in case proposals come in. County commissioners on Monday approved setting aside a spot on the ballot for a possible question asking voters whether to ban... more »

• West Slope growth rate slows

  June 7, 2010 9:28 AM

  State officials say population growth fueled by the western Colorado energy boom is slowing down in Grand Junction and surrounding Mesa County. But the state Demographer's Office says the area's population isn't expected to shrink. Elizabeth Garner, the state demographer, says Mesa County's growth rate may not pick up... more »

• Job of the Day: VA counselor

  May 14, 2010 11:17 AM

  The Veterans Administration is seeking more than two dozen therapists across the country to help vets readjust to civilian life following deployments. There are openings in the following Colorado cities: Colorado Springs Pueblo Denver Boulder Grand Junction Click here to apply. more »

• Colorado arrest in cold case murder

  May 11, 2010 8:18 AM

  Police say a Grand Junction man has been arrested in the 1994 beating death of a Boulder man after investigators matched evidence from the crime scene with information in a national crime database. Boulder police say 42-year-old David John Trujillo was arrested Monday on second-degree murder charges in the... more »

• Man plans pleads guilty in dog dragging death

  April 30, 2010 9:02 AM

  A Grand Junction man accused of dragging a stolen dog to its death in Colorado National Monument has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of aggravated animal cruelty. Steven Romero entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Denver Thursday. He faces up to three years in prison, or... more »

• Man accused of dragging dog to death to plead guilty

  March 30, 2010 2:43 PM

  A Grand Junction man accused of dragging a stolen dog to its death in Colorado National Monument plans to plead guilty to a charge of aggravated cruelty to animals. A lawyer for 38-year-old Steven Clay Romero filed notice last week in federal court in Denver of a plea agreement.... more »

• Police: Man killed wife in front of 2-year-old child

  March 17, 2010 8:37 AM

  Grand Junction police say a 24-year-old man killed his wife by stabbing her several times in the neck in front of their 2-year-old daughter. Police say Octavio Vargas-Herrera told detectives he killed his wife Sunday evening after she told him she didn't love him anymore. Police say Vargas-Herrera's... more »

• Smell in Colorado census office was pot next door

  March 11, 2010 12:03 PM

  Authorities say the strange odor seeping into a western Colorado Census Bureau office came from more than 1,000 marijuana plants growing next door. Grand Junction census workers say the smell was coming through the vents. Police got a search warrant Tuesday and found the plants next door in the... more »