Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

Loveland, A-Basin have bright start to uncertain ski season

Loveland and Arapahoe Basin ski areas had a great start to what could be a challenging season for the ski business, with recession fears hanging over the economy.

Ex-convict headed back to prison

An ex-convict who served time in prison for manslaughter in the 1990 shooting death of a lounge patron in Denver has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in illegal possession of a firearm.

Hit-run brings five-year sentence

An elderly man with a long history of driving under the influence of alcohol was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison for a hit-and-run accident that nearly killed a bicyclist.

Fort Carson GI killed in Iraq

The Army said today that Sgt. Michael K. Clark was wounded by small-arms fire while on dismounted patrol Oct. 7 in Mosul.

Smooth sailing on opening day for Colorado skiing

Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Ski Area today became the nation's first resorts to open for the season. The Rocky's Julie Poppen blogged live as skiers and boarders flocked to the slopes. Above, Jason Forinash, of Silverthorne, rides a rail this morning at A-Basin.

Metro State clears teacher in Palin essay flap

The assignment? Write an essay on whether GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is living a fairy tale.

CNN poll: Colorado presidential contest still a toss-up

Sen. Barack Obama holds a slim lead over Sen. John McCain in Colorado in the latest CNN poll, which offered a snapshot of battleground states.

Sex offender acquitted of assaulting toddler in Glendale

An Arapahoe County jury has acquitted a registered sex offender of sexually assaulting a 2 1/2-year-old girl.

Pa. man killed after Harley hits car near Grand Junction

A Pennsylvania man is dead after the motorcycle he was riding drifted into the opposite lane and crashed into an oncoming car in western Colorado.

Aunt of gunman who killed 2 in Junction told cops he'd vanished

Stefan Martin-Urban's aunt told Lakewood police Friday morning that she was worried about him, saying he might be suicidal over his father's death.

School patrols stepped up after Boulder abduction attempt

An 8-year-old girl who fended off a would-be kidnapper Monday is a "very brave child who knew what to do in a scary situation," thanks in part to a school program aimed at teaching self defense, said Heatherwood Elementary School Principal Larry Orobona.