DENVER
Driver in school bus crash ordered to write letters
A former Denver Public Schools bus driver, who crashed her bus with more than two dozen students aboard into a house earlier this year, was ordered Tuesday to write apology letters to the youngsters and perform community service at Children's Hospital.
Denver County Judge Mary A. Celeste also told Katherine Sierra, 59, that she also had to take part in driving safety seminars and refrain from operating commercial vehicles for two years.
"I'm just so deeply sorry that it happened," Sierra said. "I'm thankful none of the children were seriously hurt."
Sierra had picked up students at Hill Middle School on April 26 and was heading north on Albion Street when she lost control of the bus, hit a parked car and slammed into a house. Nineteen of the 24 students riding in the bus were taken to area hospitals to be treated for injuries.
Sierra pleaded guilty in September to three misdemeanor counts of careless driving resulting in injury. The judge ordered Sierra to pay $721 in fines, victims compensation and court costs.
DPS fired Sierra after the wreck. She had been a bus driver since 2000.
Police believe dead man may be homicide victim
A man found dead in an east Denver home on Monday suffered a gunshot wound, Denver police said.
Authorities said they are not releasing the name or age of the victim because they are still trying to reach his family.
The man was found in a home at 3601 Seventh Avenue Parkway by a housekeeper about 9:30 a.m. Monday. The shooting is believed to have occurred over the weekend.
Paramedics initially thought the man had died of natural causes. Further investigation led police to believe the man was a victim of a homicide.
Recycling center workers discover body
A Denver recycling sorting center was shut down for a few hours Tuesday after workers found a man's body among the incoming materials, police said.
Police do not suspect foul play, but they are working to identify the man and determine how his body got to the recycling center.
Employees at the center at 5359 Franklin St. called 911 around 11 a.m. when the fully clothed body entered the facility via a large conveyor belt, said Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson.
Zoo welcomes arrival of tiny leopard tortoise
A leopard tortoise incubated for 140 days cracked its way into the world on Nov. 1, the Denver Zoo reported Tuesday. It was about the size of a walnut when it emerged.
Though small at birth, the tortoises quickly grow to 16 to 18 inches in length and weigh up to 50 pounds, the zoo said in a press release.
Leopard tortoises are native to southern Africa and are known for their black-and-yellow leopard-like shell pattern.
The new arrival brings the Denver Zoo's leopard tortoise family up to five members. It can be seen in the nursery of Tropical Discovery.
CU gets $1 million for cord blood inventory
A federal agency awarded $1 million to the University of Colorado Cord Blood Bank to expand its umbilical cord blood inventory.
Cord blood, which is rich in stem cells, is an excellent therapy for the 10,000 patients nationwide who can't find a donor for a bone-marrow transplant, said Brian Freed, professor of medicine at the CU-Denver and Health Sciences Center's School of Medicine.
CU hopes to add up to 4,600 cord units to the 6,000 it already has on hand.
The blood comes from the umbilical cords of newborns, whose parents agree to take part in the program.
BOULDER
CU tweaks policies on holiday parties
The University of Colorado is putting the kibosh on Christmas parties, but the red-and-green cookies and poinsettias can stay.
CU tweaked its party policies after a critical state audit released a year ago, but officials just sent a mass e-mail to employees over the weekend clarifying that a "holiday party is no longer a sole justification for an allowable university event."
Under the new policy, though, CU still can have holiday themes at the parties it holds to thank donors or employees.
"What matters the most is the reason for the party," CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard said Monday. "Departments can spend a little bit of money at the end of the semester for a staff appreciation party, but the motivation cannot be the holiday itself.
"That's the key. They can't just have a Christmas party or a Hanukkah party."
State money can't be used to throw lavish parties or celebrate religious holidays, said State Auditor Sally Symanski.
Featured
-
Through Your Lens
Submit your photos or see the Editor's Choice slide show here.
-
Rocky Multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.
-
Holiday Lights
Is your house the jolliest on the block? Submit your holiday lights display.
-
Holiday Gift Guide
Looking to get a jump-start on the holiday shopping season?
-
Mount Crushmore
Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's midweek rant on the Chiefs.
-
Broncos Video
Get the latest from Dove Valley as the Broncos prepare for Sunday's matchup.
-
Calendar wallpaper
Download this month's desktop wallpaper calendar
-
Sam Adams' Open Mic
Open Mic: Stirrin' the Soup with Matt Iseman
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.