NO SWINE FLU IN CO: As of Friday, The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced there have been no documented or reported Colorado cases associated with the swine influenza outbreak in Mexico. The CDC has reported eight cases of type A swine influenza in the U. S., including six cases from California (San Diego area) and two cases from Texas (San Antonio area). All eight patients have fully recovered. There are reports out of Mexico of a much larger outbreak of a more severe influenza-like illness with a greater impact. Some of the Mexico cases appear to be from the same virus, according to state’s Chief Medical Officer Ned Calonge. Colorado officials are monitoring the situation closely. At this time, CDC has not issued any travel warnings or restrictions for travelers to Mexico, Texas or California. Swine flu is an A-type flu virus that infects pigs and, in this case, has been transmitted to humans. The symptoms are the same as for seasonal flu.
XCEL RATE HIKE PUBLIC HEARING: The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will receive public comment today from 4-6 p.m. in Hearing Room A at the PUC, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, on a proposed settlement in Xcel Energy’s electric rate case. The company and a majority of parties – including PUC staff and the Office of Consumer Counsel – filed a joint agreement on Wednesday calling for a $112.2 million increase in electric base rates. The proposed agreement would increase electric bills by about 5.2 percent, or $2.94 a month, for typical residential customers, based on usage of 625 kilowatt-hours. Rates for small commercial customers would increase by 4.9 percent, or $4.42 a month, based on usage of 1,025 kilowatt-hours. If approved by the PUC, the new rates would go into effect on July 1. Depending on the number of people who sign up to speak at today’s public hearing, each oral statement may be limited to a certain number of minutes.
CRIME VICTIMS’ RIGHTS CEREMONY: In honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, there will be a public ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of the Victims of Crime Act. The event takes place today from noon-1 at the Webb Municipal Office Building, located at 201 W. Colfax Ave. The ceremony includes a moment of silence honoring victims of crime, remarks by survivors of crime, victim services resource tables, and more.
NEW ILIFF THEOLOGICAL DEGREES: Denver’s Iliff School of Theology is now offering five graduate certificates for students interested in learning more about religious or theological subjects. The Iliff Graduate Certificate Program offers students the opportunity to obtain a certificate by completing four courses (16 credits) in a specific area of concentration. Courses are available in a variety of formats – online, on-campus, or hybrid. Any credit earned toward a certificate may be applied to an appropriate Iliff degree program. Visit www.iliff.edu for more information.
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Gov. Bill Ritter, on Friday, announced that the Colorado Health Information Technology (HIT) Advisory Committee has released a new report identifying how Colorado can significantly reduce costs, improve patient outcomes and make the state’s health care system more efficient and effective. Established by Senate Bill 196, the committee was charged with recommending strategies to use HIT throughout Colorado. The committee spent more than a year assessing Colorado’s HIT landscape, considering health care issues and HIT development among providers and communities across the state, region and nation. Visit www.colorado.gov/OIT to view the full report.
AWARDS FOR DENVER PUBLIC WORKS: Denver Public Works has been selected as the winner of two industry awards from the American Public Works Association (APWA): Ernie Ivy, director of Denver’s Fleet Maintenance Division, was awarded the “2009 Professional Manager of the Year - Public Fleet Award,” and the Westword feature story written by Alan Prendergast, “Crush Hour: Denver’s plan to beat the traffic depends on getting people to give up their wheels” was chosen for the “Exceptional Performance Award in Journalism.” The APWA selects winners from a competitive pool of national applicants.
DENVER GETS BIG ENERGY STAR: The city of Denver earned a No. 7 ranking by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency among metropolitan cities who had the most energy efficient buildings last year. The city has 109 Energy Star-qualified buildings, resulting in annual cost savings of $32.9 million, according to the EPA. The emissions savings is equivalent to the electricity used by 44,600 households. Los Angeles earned the top spot on the list of 25 cities. Visit www.energystar.gov for more information.
VOTE FOR HOSPITAL MASCOT: Denver Zoo animals are vying for votes to become HealthOne’s Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children animal mascot. Five Denver Zoo species are campaigning for the honor including mountain lion, grizzly bear, red panda, penguin and river otter. Visit www.healthonecares.com or www.denverzoo.org to make your pick.
HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT VICTORY: The Colorado Attorney General’s Office called a judge’s decision that the Adams County Board of Commissioners had misapplied hazardous waste funds a victory for hazardous waste management in Colorado. According to the decision, issued late Thursday, the Adams County Board of County Commissioners misapplied more than $750,000 worth of hazardous waste disposal fees collected from the Clean Harbors facility, located near Deer Trail, to pay for private attorney fees and court costs associated with suing the state in several related cases. The judge concluded that using the fund to pay legal fees to private attorneys was “plainly not a direct cost of operating the site.”
BOND AND MILL LEVY COMMITTEE: Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg, on Friday, announced the appointment of 15 Denver residents to the Citizens’ Bond and Mill Levy Oversight Committee. The Citizens’ Bond and Mill Levy Oversight Committee will monitor the 2008 bond issue supported by the Denver Public Schools voters on November 4, 2008; and also provide oversight of the mill levy expenditures, passed by the voters in 2003. Such monitoring and review is intended to provide a high level of accountability and communication on behalf of the superintendent to the citizens of the Denver Public Schools District.
MOUNTAINEER TO DISCUSS EVEREST TRIP: International mountaineer and adventurer Jamie Clarke will visit DU’s Stern Hall, located at 200 E. Asbury Ave., tomorrow night at 7 to talk about Expedition Champion, his fourth climb of Mount Everest to be undertaken in April 2010. Clarke, 41, of Calgary, Alberta has been taking part in expeditions for more than 20 years, covering the world’s highest peaks on all seven continents to the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia, one of most desolate deserts in the world. He has authored two books and has been featured in two National Geographic documentaries based on his adventures. The event is free.
EBAY SCAMMER TO PRISON: Derrick Lee Swantz, age 57, of Lakewood, was sentenced Friday to serve 52 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for mail and wire fraud. Swantz was previously convicted by a jury of implementing two schemes to defraud people, using eBay and AutoTrader.com, and the other using Xerox copiers. Swantz was also ordered to pay $252,349 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. Swantz offered luxury automobiles he did not possess or own for sale by means of eBay and Autotrader.com. Swantz directed his victims to make payment by sending a cashier’s check to his address, or to send money wire transfers to his bank accounts. Once Swantz received the victims’ payments, he did not deliver the collector or luxury car. Regarding the Xerox fraud, the evidence showed that from May 2004 through July 2005, Swantz represented to persons from whom he was soliciting money that he was knowledgeable about business copier machines, and would then ask such persons to front substantial sums to purchase particular machines, which he would claim that he would repair, maintain, store, and sell for profits that he would then later split with the investors. He would direct victims to write him a check for their contribution to the copiers’ purchases and/or make wire transfers into one of Swantz’s bank accounts. Bank records reflect that these victims paid more than $137,500 to Swantz.
