Centamin bounces back as gold exports resume

Centamin (CEY) shares rebounded strongly on Monday morning as the miner announced the resumption of gold exports from Egypt.

The company said the halt by customs authorities on gold exports from the Sukari mine in the Middle-Eastern country had been lifted and the first shipment made on Sunday.

It was also implied that the dispute concerning fuel supply had been resolved, meaning operations at Sukari can be restarted in the "coming days".

Centamin has been hit by a series of incidents in recent months that have seen its Egyptian operations seriously hindered.

Last week, the firm revealed that a local fuel supplier had hit it with a $65 million (

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Max spuds new Kazakh well

Max Petroleum (MXP) has spudded the ESKN-1 exploration well on the Eskene North prospect in Kazakhstan.

The Eskene North prospect, a four-way anticline, is targeting unrisked mean resources of nine million barrels of oil in Triassic reservoirs.

The total vertical depth of the well will be approximately 1,400 metres.

However, analysts at FoxDavies warned investors that cash was "still an issue" for the oil and gas exploration and production company: "How this gets monetised will remains a longer-term issue for management to tackle," they said.

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Bleak forecast hits Aggreko shares

Aggreko (AGK) was the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 in early trading, losing 16%, after the company warned its 2013 forecasts had been too optimistic.

The temporary power firm said that with military orders falling, Japanese renewals not expected and the effect of the Olympics in 2012, it is likely to report lower revenue next year.

The market for international power projects was waning, the company said, but stressed that it expected growth in both domestic and international business.

However, this was not expected to be significant enough to offset the expected

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Monday's mining news: Anglo Asian signs Glencore contract

Anglo Asian Mining was buoyed by a new copper sales contract with Glencore International, while Aurum Mining announced encouraging drilling results.

Anglo Asian signs Glencore sales agreement

Shares in Anglo Asian Mining (AAZ) gained 4.5% on the news that it has signed a contract with Glencore International (GLEN) for the sale of 2,500 wet metric tonnes (WMT) and 550 dry metric tonnes of copper concentrate, when available, from its Gedabek gold/copper/silver mine in Azerbaijan.

Under the terms of the sales agreement, which is due to commence before the end of the current year, Glencore will purchase 250 WMT per month of copper concentrate product.

There is also an option for Anglo Asian to stop selling copper concentrate product to Glencore after 1,500 WMT has been sold.

Further positive results for Aurum and Ormonde

Aurum Mining (AUR) and Ormonde Mining (ORM) have reported further encouraging results from a trenching programme at their joint venture, the Cabeza de Caballo Gold Prospect in Spain.

Results received from samples collected in the latest two trenches excavated on an extensive gold-in-soil anomaly have encountered gold mineralisation over wide zones of good grade. The results came from two trenches and followed initial results that encountered similar gold mineralisation.

Trench CABTR004 encountered two main zones of veining and mineralisation of 19 metres and 30 metres width. The best interval within the two mineralised zones included four metres at 8.17 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, and one metre at 14 g/t.

If zero gold grade is assigned to the intervals that were not sampled in this zone, then this gives an average grade of 0.97 g/t over the 30 metres.

Trench CABTR006, located approximately 90 metres south of the first, returned 21 metres grading at 3.71 g/t from a similar zone of quartz-sulphide veining.

These trenches are located on a gold-in-soil anomaly, which has a strike length of 800 metres.

Shares in Ormonde gained 7.8% on Monday morning, while Aurum moved up 3%.

Stellar Diamonds ups Droujba resource

Stellar Diamonds (STEL) has increased the resource estimate at its Droujba Kimberlite Project, Guinea.

A 475-metre long section of Katcha dyke has added a further 446,500 carats to the resource, increasing the total Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant resource increased to 2.9 million carats.

Katcha remains open with an estimated strike length of five kilometres based on field mapping. An economic scoping study is planned for the first quarter of 2013.

Despite the upgrade, shares in the firm lost 4.5% on Monday morning.

Afferro unveils testing results

Afferro Mining (AFF) has released the results from the direct shipping ore bulk metallurgical testing conducted on material from the Nkout project in Cameroon.

Over five tonnes of potential ore material was tested from 12 representative holes across the Nkout deposit, with the fines product achieved with a 63.4% iron grade and low-deleterious materials, using simple attrition scrubbing.

Low-cost crushing was implied, due to the soft, incompetent rock with a very low bond work index of 2,600 kilowatt hours per tonne.

Saprolite and magnetite bulk metallurgical testing is expected to be delivered in January 2013.

Amur drilling doubles mineralisation length

Amur Minerals (AMC) has doubled the strike length of mineralisation at its Maly Kurumkon nickel-copper sulphide project in Russia as a result of its 2012 drilling programme.

A total of 4,149 metres of drilling in 23 holes were completed in a 1.5 kilometre-long area immediately east of Maly Kurumkon. Results confirmed the mineralisation extends eastward along strike for a total of two kilometres, doubling the previous drill-defined length within the 2007 pre-feasibility study.

Historical and 2012 drill results indicated that that mineralisation at Maly Kurumkon remains open along strike in both directions and at depth, providing the company with the potential to further increase the resource at this deposit.

Red Rock raises

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Shares to buy, hold and sell

Paul Marriage is manager of the Cazenove UK Smaller Companies fund. With strong performance, up 26.6% over one year and 72.3% over three, the fund has

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Monday's oil and gas news: Magnolia strikes oil in Oklahoma

Magnolia Petroleum, Xtract Energy and President Energy all updated investors on Monday. Read on to see what they had to say.

Magnolia Petroleum issues Oklahoma drilling update

Magnolia Petroleum (MAGP) on Monday confirmed that hydrocarbons had been encountered in the Roger Swartz #1 vertical well in the Mississippi Lime formation, Oklahoma.

The well had been drilled to a total depth of 5,180 feet, logged and casing has been set to a depth of 5,000 feet.

Testing was underway to determine production capabilities and/or the economic feasibility of further fracturing or stimulation of these zones.

"The company's disclosure that its most recent well, intersecting Oklahoma's Mississippian Lime is a significant step forward on two counts: (i) that the company has intersected a new potential hydrocarbon source; and (ii) that this marks a departure to a more direct operatorship, both a positive for the company," commented analysts at FoxDavies.

"Ultimately, further testing will be required before the well can be deemed anything more than a technical success, but as first steps go, this is a pretty good one."

Xtract Energy slims down

Xtract Energy (XTR) has announced the disposal of its Australian and Moroccan shale assets for an overriding royalty.

The company talked of a "strategic alignment" of Xtract's interest in Julia Creek in Queensland, Australia with Global Oil Shale Group (GOS) as an investor and developer for the deposit.

Under the terms of the agreement, Xtract will assign its oil shale rights in Julia Creek to GOS in exchange for a strategic equity stake in GOS of six million shares on signing the share purchase agreement and satisfying all closing commitments. Xtract will receive a further maximum of 1.5 million shares in GOS in the event of its planned initial public offering, a long-term interest in the Julia Creek project through a 1% net smelter royalty and an initial cash payment of AU$50,000 (

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Where to go for growth and avoid pitfalls in 2013

Investors looking for clear ideas on where to invest in 2013 and beyond should keep in mind three important themes: that quantitative easing (QE), dubbed the greatest financial experiment in history, is ongoing and its results are not yet known; that income has become very expensive to extract from many assets, particularly bonds; and that some stockmarkets, especially China, have become historically cheap.

We will also need to keep an eye on the actions of politicians and policymakers this year. The global economic background remains challenging: experimental (or perhaps increasingly desperate) measures - from Washington and Tokyo to Brussels and London - will continue to be used to get credit flowing again, kick-start anaemic economic growth and shore up the eurozone.

Will inflation be benign or damagingly high? Will interest rate expectations start to rise in 2013? Can we look forward to normal, higher levels of economic growth or more years of austerity-driven weakness? Is the global financial system on firmer foundations or are the tough decisions still being kicked down the road?

We cannot be sure what effect all of the unconventional, experimental measures that are being adopted will have, but it's safe to assume that we won't know all the answers in 2013.

Money Observer's Wealth Creation Guide should not, therefore, simply be viewed as a compendium of tips for 2013 alone, but as an analysis of the current and potential future state of financial affairs and how you might want to factor some of the resulting investment ideas and themes into your own wealth creation, or preservation, strategy.

Certainly the most compelling theme for me is just how expensive income has become. Put another way, investors are not being adequately rewarded for the risks they are taking by investing in particular asset classes, chiefly bonds. The chart below shows the 20-year range of yields on various assets, with the yellow dots indicating where, worryingly for bond investors, they are now.

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Markets: FTSE 100 closes in the red on Monday

Mon, 17/12/2012 - 17:10

Interactive Investor's Market Report brings you bite-sized news covering all the day's FTSE and AIM announcements, the latest on commodities, global and domestic economics, gold, oil and currencies as well as US markets. Updated throughout the day, it's the digest you can't afford to miss.

Last updated: 17:10

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What's in store today...

We will find out on Tuesday whether a little Christmas cheer can be delivered in the form of a fall in inflation, and Keller Group (KLR) will release a pre-close update.

Recent news: Keller's November interim management statement indicated strong trading in the four months to October. Progress was being driven by its North American operations which was benefiting from "gradual improvement in construction markets". Asia was also trading well, Australia was ahead of last year and emerging markets were resilient.

Analysts' expectations: "While many of its end markets remain difficult, early action on costs and improving efficiency is working. We expect confirmation of a good year with the pre-close update. We also upgrade our forecasts and target price to reflect this improvement," say analysts at Panmure Gordon.

"Following the November interim management statement we belatedly update our forecasts. Our new 2012 full-year pre-tax profit is

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Edmond Jackson's Stockwatch: BG Group

This article is for information and discussion purposes only and does not form a recommendation to invest or otherwise. The value of an investment may fall. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.

Near a recent two-year low, do the FTSE 100-listed shares in integrated natural gas firm BG Group (BG.) qualify yet as a contrarian investment? The price has plunged just recently by over 20% due to a warning of flat 2013 production which jarred against expectations of growth. This shows investors must beware complacency towards so-called "blue-chip" shares; any business can suffer an interruption to progress, especially in resources and where operations are widespread internationally.

In response, some brokers' analysts have downgraded while others are more positive with the price around 1,030p. This is a slight recovery on a recent low of 1,001p, if well down on a 1,547p high during the early 2012 "risk rally". Most of these analysts target prices well over 1,300p although, bear in mind, brokers' very existence is to promote stock and some have been caught with their pants down - recommending BG at higher prices - so there's a credibility aspect to reiterating 'buy'.

From a macro view it is indeed worth watching BG more closely now. Any utility bill payer should know how rising prices point to energy supply issues, which make BG a vital company in the long run. If stockmarket investors are going to fret over a slip in performance then other big operating companies may exploit this for a takeover. BG emphasises that production is not being lost but deferred to future years, except in Egypt where there has been a fall in gas output. Well, any big international resources firm faces such risks. Other BG projects, such as in Brazil and Australia, remain prized.

BG's international spread, with about 80% of last year's revenues outside the UK, can also be seen as a virtue to help protect a portfolio against long-term sterling weakness - now credit rating agencies are threatening to downgrade the UK as the coalition government fails to get a grip on public borrowing and spending.

So these macro themes of essential resources, long-term energy supply and hedging against sterling are useful for portfolio investors to protect their wealth. What is less comforting is when you consider specific aspects of BG's financial profile.

BG Group financial summary
Consensus estimateYear ended 31 December
2007200820092010201120122013Turnover (

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Colorado marijuana legalization task force meets for first time Monday

Font ResizePoliticsBy John Ingold
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 08:28:15 AM MSTDecember 17, 2012 5:39 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 10:39:28 AM MST


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Man arrested in Molotov cocktail incident in Englewood

Font ResizeLocal NewsThe Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 11:31:47 AM MST

 A man who police said threw a Molotov cocktail through the window of an Englewood office building early Friday faces charges including arson, Englewood police said Monday.

Milton Delaney, 52, was arrested near the scene of the blaze, 125 E. Hampden Ave., an occupational and rehabilitation center. No one was inside the building and no one was hurt, but the flames caused $15,000 worth of damage, officials have said. The building's sprinkler system helped firefighters put out the blaze.

Police don't know why Delaney threw the incendiary device or whether he had a connection of the office building. Detectives have submitted their case to the Arapahoe County district attorney's office, which could file charges as soon as Monday or Tuesday.

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Denver coroner identifies hit-and-run victim as Dolly Rosales, 58

Font ResizeLocal NewsThe Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 12:34:46 PM MSTDecember 17, 2012 8:18 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 01:18:59 PM MST

 A pedestrian killed in a weekend hit-and-run was a 58-year-old Denver woman, the Denver medical examiner's office said Monday.

Dolly Rosales was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision, which happened about 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the 2800 block of South Sheridan Boulevard in southwest Denver. The medical examiner said it would perform an autopsy on Monday.

Police continued to search for a vehicle described only as a white minivan with front-end damage. It was last seen headed north on South Sheridan Boulevard.

Police urged anyone with information about the crash or the driver's identity to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

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Colorado State University wants to talk to farmers about U.S. drought

Font ResizeSuburbsBy Monte Whaley
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 12:10:23 PM MSTDecember 17, 2012 8:21 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 01:21:19 PM MST

FORT COLLINS — Agriculture experts at Colorado State University are asking the state's farmers and ranchers to talk about the crippling effects of this year's drought.

The survey will gauge the impacts of one of the driest years on record but will also be used to fashion tools to manage drought in the future, say CSU agriculture economists.

"The question we ultimately want to address is, 'How do we improve the resiliency of agriculture and rural communities in Colorado?' because we expect more drought," said James Pritchett, associate professor in the CSU Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, who is leading the survey project. "It's time to make these systems more resilient, so they can adapt to changes ahead."

The CSU survey called "Telling the Story — Drought in Colorado," is funded with $35,000 from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

CSU is especially interested in responses from an estimated 600 Colorado farms and ranches with annual income surpassing $100,000. These producers are at the core of the state's agriculture industry, which chips in $40 billion each year to the Colorado economy.

The survey asks producers about the likelihood that drought could force them out of farming and ranching. It also asks about tools and strategies producers need to improve management effectiveness in the face of drought.

All of Colorado is currently suffering from drought conditions, ranging from moderate to exceptional, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

This was the case during much of the 2012 growing season, with the most severe conditions in parts of the state which produce dryland crops, such as wheat, or cattle and operations that rely on forage, said Pritchett.

There are no indications that the drought will end anytime soon. Very little snow has accumulated in western Colorado, the state's chief water source. Also, temperatures have been above average, leading to melting of even low amounts of snowpack.

CSU's survey also wants to touch on the impact the drought has had on rural communities, where agriculture is still the key to economic survival.

"The ripple effects (of the drought) can last for years," Pritchett said.

The on-line questionnaire is available now for Colorado producers.

Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907, mwhaley

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Coroner IDs man killed on Federal Blvd. in Denver; no charges in case

Font ResizeLocal NewsThe Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 12:46:48 PM MSTDecember 17, 2012 8:35 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 01:35:19 PM MST

The driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a pedestrian last week won't likely face charges, Denver police said.

The Denver medical examiner's office on Monday identified the pedestrian as Felix Thomas Nuanes, of Denver. Nuanes, 69, died from multiple injuries stemming from the accident, which happened Wednesday afternoon as he crossed Federal Boulevard near Bayaud Street.

Police said Nuanes was at fault because he crossed into oncoming traffic.

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Census to offer Internet option in gov't surveys

Font ResizeBy HOPE YEN Associated PressAssociated PressPosted: 12/17/2012 11:21:34 AM MSTDecember 17, 2012 10:9 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 03:09:02 PM MST
WASHINGTON—For the first time, the Census Bureau is giving U.S. households a chance to respond to government surveys over the Internet, part of a bid to save costs and boost sagging response rates in a digital age.

The new online option will supplement the traditional census mail-out operation. It is a major shift for the agency, which has relied almost exclusively on paper forms since 1970 but is now moving toward a more Internet-based system after spending a record $13 billion on the 2010 census.

"The online response option is part of an ongoing digital transformation at the Census Bureau," said Thomas Mesenbourg, the Census Bureau's acting director. "The Census Bureau is transforming to make responding to surveys more convenient, conducting surveys more cost-effective and America's statistics more accessible on digital and mobile devices."

Beginning this week, more than 3.5 million U.S. households that are randomly selected each year to participate in the American Community Survey will be sent letters asking them to respond online. The ACS questionnaire, formerly known as the census "long form," asks households for wide-ranging details from education and income to disabilities, language use and commute times.

The Census Bureau also will add a new series of questions on computer and Internet usage to the survey, with data gathered becoming available beginning in 2014.

If households don't respond within two weeks, the Census Bureau will send out copies of paper surveys and follow up with interviews by phone or in person.

The Census Bureau said it is hoping to tap into the changing information habits of Americans, especially younger adults, who are increasingly turning to computers, tablets and smartphones for their communications. Over the last two censuses, the government has struggled with decreasing response rates, due to a combination of perceived inconvenience and concerns about revealing personal information in surveys.

Perhaps equally important, the Census Bureau believes higher response rates could eventually reduce costs, mainly by decreasing the need to mail out voluminous forms or dispatch hundreds of thousands of survey-takers each month to individual homes. At least initially, officials estimate the switch could shave $3 million off the price of conducting the American Community Survey, which cost taxpayers roughly $250 million in 2012.

The American Community Survey is used to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds for hospitals, roads and schools.

The ACS surveys being distributed this week mark the first time the government will offer an Internet option on such a wide scale to U.S. households, according to Frank Vitrano, the Census Bureau's associate director for the 2020 census. He said it currently offers the option in smaller surveys for more niche audiences, such as businesses. An Internet option also previously was provided on a limited basis in 2000, but only a small fraction of households participated. By 2010, census officials had backed away from an Internet-based survey, citing concerns of hacking and other security breaches.

Since then, countries such as Canada and South Korea have moved to make the Internet a regular part of their census operations. In more recent U.S. tests, about 50 percent of households responded when allowed to respond via the Internet, census officials said. The Census Bureau also has taken additional steps to boost digital security, requiring users to enter a randomly generated user ID to enter the survey site.

The Census Bureau for years has been urged by members of Congress to move to an Internet-based system, partly to help cut costs. But concerns remain as it is studied for use in the 2020 census, which counts the entire U.S. population rather than a representative sample. The once-a-decade count has traditionally missed hard-to-track groups such as minorities, the homeless and the poor, who also may be less likely to have access to computers.

Recent government tests have shown that U.S. residents who are more likely to respond to surveys online are younger, Asian, non-black, or "other" race, with higher education. Those living in larger households as well as those who speak a language other than English at home also were more likely to fill out Internet forms.

Reaching hard-to-count groups has been a major factor behind ballooning costs to the census, which sustains its biggest costs when it has to send survey-takers to households.

"An Internet option cannot come at the expense of reaching hard-to-count communities. Because of disparities in Internet access, this is no silver bullet to increasing response rates and could make racial and language minorities, as well as rural residents, even harder to count than they are now," said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of various civil rights groups.

"The bureau cannot use this as an excuse to scale back the field offices and programs that ensure everyone gets counted, regardless of race, language, or ZIP code," he said.

Census officials say planning for the 2020 census is under way, and that money saved by implementing an Internet option could possibly be used to pay for additional efforts to track hard-to-count groups.

———

Online:

www.census.gov

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El Paso County commissioners to take up ban on marijuana sales

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy John Schroyer
The Gazettedenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 02:22:38 PM MSTDecember 17, 2012 10:18 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 03:18:12 PM MST
RelatedDec 17:Colorado marijuana legalization task force meets for first time MondayParker bars pot shops, sets rules on growingDec 15:Obama: Feds won't arrest marijuana users in Colorado, WashingtonDec 14:Obama's stance on marijuana still not clearPresident's pot comments prompt call for policyObama won't go after marijuana use in 2 statesDec 13:Colorado pot legalization: 30 questions (and answers)Dec 11:Colorado heading toward a too-stoned-to-drive standard, experts sayDec 10:Hickenlooper signs proclamation making marijuana legalization officialDec 7:Marijuana goes legal in Washington stateColorado pot law closer to becoming realityDec 6:Washington pot use starts, Colorado awaits legalizationAs pot goes proper, a history of weed

COLORADO SPRINGS — El Paso County commissioners on Tuesday will consider two proposals that would outlaw marijuana in certain circumstances.

One county proposal would prohibit the display, possession and use of recreational marijuana on county property. The second would prohibit the cultivation and retail sale of recreational marijuana in unincorporated El Paso County.

The measures have been crafted in response to the passage of Amendment 64 in November, which legalized the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and six marijuana plants for adults over 21. It also legalized retail sales of recreational marijuana, beginning in January 2014.

Read the rest of this report at Gazette.com

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Aspen city manager in running for Miami Beach job

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy Andre Salvail
Aspen Timesdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 02:57:17 PM MSTDecember 17, 2012 10:31 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 03:31:44 PM MST


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Man gets 414 years for Denver murder

Font ResizeCops and CourtsBy Tom McGhee
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 03:38:14 PM MSTDecember 17, 2012 10:39 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 03:39:53 PM MST


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CU nutrition doctors get $11 million Gates grant for pregnant moms

Font ResizeHealthBy Michael Booth
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 03:43:58 PM MSTDecember 17, 2012 10:47 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 03:47:04 PM MST

 Two University of Colorado doctors have won an $11 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to further nutrition research aimed at helping babies grow even before they're conceived.

Dr. Michael Hambidge and Dr. Nancy Krebs, both with the nutrition section of the University of Colorado School of Medicine pediatrics department, will use the money to boost pregnancy nutrition in Guatemala, Pakistan, India and Zambia.

Early evidence shows intervening in undernourished societies even before women get pregnant can boost baby size and health in the long term. The researchers will look at what happens when women start taking a fortified, power-bar type square three months before they get pregnant, compared with women who don't start until their 12th week of gestation.

One big trick, of course, is to "guess" which women will be getting pregnant in 90 days. To find enough comparison subjects, local clinics and health sites have to enroll a lot of women, the researchers said.

The five-year grant can help answer vital nutritional questions in societies where many people long assumed cultures were genetically shorter or smaller than Western nations. On the contrary, research has shown that Guatemalan or other families who move to the U.S. reach the U.S. average size within a generation, Hambidge said.

"There is irreversible damage to stature potential after just two years of age" in the absence of good nutrition, Hambidge said.

"So much of the programming for later outcomes occurs in the very earliest days and weeks of gestation," Krebs said.

Michael Booth: 303-954-1686, mbooth

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Annual Father Woody gift day brightens holidays for needy people

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy Jason Pohl
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 02:13:16 PM MSTDecember 17, 2012 10:48 PM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 03:48:24 PM MST


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Denver teen shot, killed, family looks for answers

Font ResizeCops and CourtsBy Tom McGhee
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 10:46:10 AM MSTDecember 18, 2012 12:11 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 05:11:37 PM MST


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Newtown to the media: You're making this nightmare worse

Font ResizeBy Adrienne LaFrance, Digital First Mediamercurynews.comPosted: 12/17/2012 05:01:55 PM MSTDecember 18, 2012 12:17 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 05:17:07 PM MST


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Hickenlooper to unveil mental health changes after Aurora shootings

Font ResizeColorado NewsBy Tim Hoover
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 05:22:57 PM MSTDecember 18, 2012 12:28 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 05:28:24 PM MST


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Colorado gun background checks break records after Sandy Hook massacre

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy Ryan Parker
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 11:05:30 AM MSTDecember 18, 2012 1:0 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 06:00:56 PM MST


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Denver to see snow, colder temperatures late Tuesday into Wednesday

Font ResizeCops and CourtsBy Tom McGhee
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 05:57:30 PM MSTDecember 18, 2012 1:13 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 06:13:48 PM MST


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DNA, GPS on trial in case of Denver cop facing rape, kidnapping counts

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy Jessica Fender
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 06:37:10 PM MSTDecember 18, 2012 1:46 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 06:46:44 PM MST

Denver jurors on Tuesday begin deliberating a rape and kidnapping case that pits a young police officer who lied to investigators against a woman with a checkered past and a history of heroin addiction.

Denver police officer Hector Paez, 33, is accused of driving the female arrestee to a secluded spot on May 16, 2010 and threatening to take her to jail on an outstanding warrant unless she performed oral sex on him.

One juror who was dismissed after closing arguments Monday said the prosecution made a compelling argument for the felony kidnapping charge against Paez, but said she was less sure about the sexual assault.

The victim incorrectly reported Paez was circumcised, she misidentified him in a photo lineup and there was no DNA evidence to back up her claim, said Lisa Simms.

"I definitely think the lack of DNA was pretty big for me," said Simms, who was excused to take care of a personal matter. "For the prosecution, the GPS was huge. It would have been a tough decision."

A GPS unit in Paez' patrol car showed he drove to a spot shielded from view in a deserted warehouse district and proved the first two stories he told internal affairs investigators was bogus.

Paez has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, rape and providing false information to authorities.

The trial is now starting its third week. Eight men and four women will decide his fate.

Paez denies the sex act took place and testified that he spent half an hour with the alleged victim in his patrol car grilling her for information about heroin dealers.

Defense attorney Gary Lozow painted a picture of Paez as an eager young officer and father of four, who was being framed by a cash-hungry victim worried she'd get in trouble for informing on her drug dealer.

The woman has filed a civil lawsuit and spoke in March with The Denver Post and CBS4 News about the alleged attack.

"She's busy doing press releases, T.V. appearances," Lozow said. "This is about money, to some extent. This is a savvy lady."

Chief Deputy District Attorney Doug Jackson pointed to parts of the woman's story that synced up with the GPS data and the emotional text messages she sent to her boyfriend immediately after the alleged attack.

Even if jurors aren't convinced the sex assault took place, Jackson said that Paez unlawfully seized the woman when he arrested her and did not take her to jail as policy dictates.

"He knew the limits of his authority and he knew what he was doing was unjustified," Jackson said. "He's finding a secluded spot. That shows his intention is not just to talk."

He added that certain inconsistencies — like not knowing Paez' name when she called police — suggest she wasn't carefully crafting a complaint with a payday in mind.

"Don't you think she would have made it up better?" Jackson asked.

Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 , jfender

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Former tennis champ Andrea Jaeger goes to Newtown to offer comfort

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy Nancy Lofholm
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 06:49:30 PM MSTDecember 18, 2012 1:58 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 06:58:13 PM MST

When Andrea Jaeger turned up in Newtown, Conn., last Friday following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, the former tennis star found "a war zone."

"There was grief beyond words," said Jaeger after she returned to her home near Hesperus in southwest Colorado.

Jaeger, 47, who has devoted a lifetime outside of professional tennis to helping children in need, said she drove to Newtown Friday when she heard about the shooting while she was in Staten Island, N.Y. helping families displaced by Hurricane Sandy.

She said she drove into a traumatized town where a temporary morgue had been set up in a freezer truck and where the bodies of the slain children and adults still lay in the crime scene of Sandy Hook Elementary School.

She made her way to churches to offer a shoulder and an ear to traumatized residents. She told some children that she talked to that it was OK to smile again. She bought toys for the schools at a local toy store and she left 27 white roses outside the school for each of the slain.

"Acts of kindness can be far-reaching," said Jaeger of her efforts.

Jaeger is no novice at offering kindness in tragedies involving children.

Her philanthropy began when she was still a young tennis prodigy — the youngest seeded player in Wimbledon history. She played her way to second in the world before retiring from competitive tennis in 1987.

When she was still at the top of her game and traveling the world, she would often deliver toys to children in hospitals. She and a friend started a foundation to help children with cancer when she was barely 15. She was still a teenager when she was playing tennis at Madison Square Garden and took time to travel to White Plains, N.Y., to offer solace to kids and family members affected by a rash of suicides.

In 1996, she hopped a plane to Dublane, Scotland when a former scout leader massacred 16 school children and a teacher. She took the kids gifts and she gave them tennis lessons. One of them was Andy Murray, who survived the shooting, and who is now the top ranked tennis player in England.

More than two decades ago, Jaeger started the Little Star Foundation, which helps children with cancer.

During that time, she nearly took final vows as a Catholic nun, but abandoned that, she said, because she couldn't spend enough time on worldly matters and still be able to fulfill the commitments required of her as a nun. Jaeger said she still carries on the same mission she had as an aspiring nun.

"Each action we do with pure and kind intention has the potential to turn into great things," Jaeger said.

Nancy Lofholm: 970-256-1957, nlofholm

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Colorado oil and gas industry sues to kill Longmont fracking ban

Font ResizeEnvironmentBy Bruce Finley
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 07:18:11 PM MSTDecember 18, 2012 2:19 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 07:18:12 PM MST

  The oil and gas industry on Monday hit Longmont with a lawsuit to kill voters' recent ban on fracking within city limits.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Association contends the ban is illegal because it denies mineral owners the right to develop their property and blocks operations that state laws allow.

COGA has asked Weld County district court to invalidate the resolution passed by Longmont voters.

"We recognize and understand that the citizens of Longmont are concerned about the safety of their environment," COGA president Tisha Schuller said in a written statement.

"We hope that the lawsuit can be quickly resolved," Schuller continued, so that industry and the city can cooperate "to address those concerns in a way that does not illegally preclude the safe and responsible development of oil and gas reserves."

Longmont leaders vowed to fight back.

"We will vigorously defend our charter and the will of the people," City Council woman Katie Witt said.

The voters on Nov. 6. changed the city charter to prohibit fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, and the storage of fracking waste in the city. Energy companies frack by blasting millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals deep underground to loosen oil and gas held in rock.

Colorado residents elsewhere along the Front Range also are pushing to ban oil and gas operations inside municipal limits. Local governments face intensifying pressures as drilling expands close to communities. They've tried to respond to constituents by toughening health and safety regulations that could withstand legal challenges.

However, when Longmont's council passed tougher regulations this year, Gov. John Hickenlooper directed state attorneys to sue the city, challenging local authority.

State lawmakers have established the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to simultaneously regulate and promote development of oil and gas resources. COGA's lawsuit aims to set a precedent.

Hickenlooper on Dec. 6 said the state will not sue Longmont again over the action of voters but that it will support any lawsuit by companies. On Monday, neither the governor's office nor state natural resources officials responded to queries.

Industry officials say the oil and gas under Longmont is worth $500 million.

"A ban on oil and gas development ignores our interdependence with oil and gas," Schuller said. That means "products we use, including electricity production, home heating, cooking and hot water, movement of goods and services, and our essential transportation needs."

Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700, twitter.com/finleybruce or bfinley

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Connecticut shooting results in locked school doors in Colorado

Font ResizeEducationBy Karen Augé
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 07:20:39 PM MSTDecember 18, 2012 2:21 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 07:20:40 PM MST

 As uneasy parents across the nation sent their children back to class Monday, thousands of them in Colorado did so with schools' attempts at reassurance tucked away in their inboxes.

"In light of the tragedy in Connecticut, we will begin keeping our front doors locked . . ." began an email to parents at one Douglas County school.

"PSD is committed to ensuring that all students continue to remain safe in our schools," Poudre School District Superintendent Nancy Wright wrote to parents in her district.

Counselors, class discussions and locked doors were deployed with seemingly equal intensity after the massacre of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut school once again reminded educators of the need to walk a fine line between keeping schools safe and turning them into armed camps.

A first order of business at many schools was not just the physical safety but the emotional health of kids who may or may not have heard accounts of the bloodbath over the weekend.

Stefan McVoy, school director at Denver School of Science and Technology's Stapleton campus, told parents that students were informed at their regular Monday morning meeting that if they need to talk, someone will be there.

"We recognize that students will process this information in different ways - for some, it will seem like a world away; but for others, it may be difficult to sit in a classroom," McVoy wrote to parents.

"Rest assured, our intent is not to dwell on the issue, but to simply acknowledge that there are caring adults who can help . . ." he wrote.

At the same time, McVoy reminded parents that they need to show identification when they visit the school, "even though we are likely to recognize many of you."

In Jefferson County, where they know as well as anyone how quickly a typical school day can unfold into a national nightmare, security is always a priority, said spokeswoman Lynn Setzer.

That's not to say the district that is home to Columbine High School is complacent.

"I'm sure no school district would say they have everything 100 percent right; you're always thinking about and looking at your practices and you want to be open to looking for improvements to what you have in place," she said.

On the Western slope, Mesa County schools has five full-time resource officers from local law enforcement agencies. Monday, they added more, with police driving around neighborhoods near schools.

"We wanted to put students', staff and parents' minds at ease," said Tim Leon, district director of safety, security and transportation.

In Douglas County, Superintendent Liz Fagen said that when news broke about the shooting in Connecticut, county and law enforcement officials immediately began re-arranging their calendars to set up a meeting Monday morning.

By Monday afternoon, the district had released a plan of action, some ideas being implemented immediately, others to be added over time.

Among them: Creating a marshal program similar to that used by the Transportation Security Administration. Only instead of trying to blend in with airline passengers, these plain-clothes officers would be in schools.

"You never know if there's one a plane when you're flying," Fagen said. "It would be the same with the schools; there wouldn't be a marked car in the parking lot where someone could go, 'Oh, Bill is here today, I'd better go to another school.'"

Douglas County schools offer free wi-fi to law enforcement officials. The school district wants to take that a step further: officers in the field who need to write reports are asked to do so from schools, just to get them on school grounds. To sweeten the deal, any law enforcement official can get a free lunch at any Douglas County school.

Even with lots of ideas, Fagen realizes no system is perfect.

"The law enforcement officials were very clear that we can be creative and innovative but they can't guarantee that nothing will ever happen," she said.

"But these ideas, taking this multi-layered approach, will really move the odds more in our favor."

Staff writer Anthony Cotton contributed to this report.

Karen Augé: 303-954-1733, kauge

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Denver City Council approves controversial proclamation on oil-shale

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy Jeremy P. Meyer
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 07:30:39 PM MSTDecember 18, 2012 2:31 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 07:30:40 PM MST

Typically, Denver City Council proclamations are void of controversy, reserved to commending people for service or feel-good statements by the city's lawmakers.

But on Monday, the council was divided over a proclamation that supports the "research-first" approach to oil-shale development proposed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management that some in the industry vehemently oppose.

The council spent nearly an hour debating the proclamation, which is not a law and merely an official statement.

At the end, eight members voted in support, two against and two abstained — a rare division for a proclamation that normally gets unanimous approval.

"Occasionally it is important for the council to stand up and be counted on a controversial issue ..., to plant a flag," said councilman Chris Nevitt, who voted for the measure."This is one of those times."

The proclamation was focused on the possibility that future oil-shale development could use up Denver's water supply.

"I think it's important to state that it is part of our responsibility as elected officials to be looking out for the interests of the citizens of City and County of Denver," said councilwoman Debbie Ortega.

But councilman Charlie Brown said the council's proclamation could be seen as meddling in the affairs of the Western Slope. Brown voted against the proclamation.

"My concern is this policy and document will increase the rift between the Western Slope and Denver," Brown said. "I really believe that this proclamation is unwarranted, unnecessary and unjustified."

The proclamation supports a U.S. Bureau of Land Management position that companies seeking to lease land for oil-shale development should first "prove the technological, economic and ecological viability of oil-shale development, and the impact that mining and processing of oil-shale will have on statewide water demand and water quality."

Oil-shale mining and processing on a commercial scale is not occurring in Colorado and is not to be confused with "shale oil" development that extracts oil from shale formations. Oil shale is a sedimentary rock rich in kerogen that through an expensive process can be heated to extract a crude-oil-like substance.

Councilman Chris Herndon said he, too, was distressed about the council making a statement that neither Denver Water nor Denver Mayor Michael Hancock have chosen to make. Herndon abstained.

"We are responsible for a lot of things on the council. Water is not one of them," Herndon said. "I have full faith in Denver Water. We shouldn't weigh in unless we don't think they ware doing their job."

Councilman Paul Lopez, who voted for the proclamation, said he doesn't think Denver Water is doing an adequate job and it is the City Council's responsibility to pay attention to how the city's water is being used.

"I don't really trust Denver Water with our water," he said. "I don't think it is a board with much oversight. ... We have a say and it matters. When it comes to water, absolutely."

Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367, jpmeyer

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Second pond search turns up body near where Arvada man went missing

Font ResizeLocal NewsBy Jessica Fender
The Denver Postdenverpost.comPosted: 12/17/2012 07:35:00 PM MSTDecember 18, 2012 2:35 AM GMTUpdated: 12/17/2012 07:35:01 PM MST

A second search of the pond near the Westminster hotel where a 36-year-old construction worker went missing revealed a body in the water on Monday, said Westminster police investigator Cheri Spottke.

Crews are still working to recover the body from the icy water and have not yet identified the remains.

John Lucas Edwards went missing early Dec. 9 following a Christmas party at the Westin Hotel at 10600 Westminster Blvd.

A Westminster Fire Department crew initially conducted a sonar search of City Park Pond and was satisfied that Edwards' body was not there.

"But there was some ice on the water," said Spottke, noting the weather had warmed a bit in the meantime. "With the storm coming in, if we were going to send divers in, it had to be today."

The second search uncovered a body.

Edwards rented a room for his company's Dec. 8 holiday party. He was last seen around 3 a.m. Dec. 9, and witnesses said he appeared intoxicated.

He never made it to his Arvada home, and both his truck and belongings were discovered at the Westin after a missing persons report was filed.

City Park Pond, about a quarter mile from the hotel, is 18 feet deep and reached temperatures as low as 36 degrees.

Authorities at the time of Edwards' disappearance said they had no reason to suspect foul play.

Spottke said that until the body is recovered and identified, officials won't be able to determine cause of death.

"We've been working ever since he went missing," Spottke said.

Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 , jfender

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Anonymous Hacks, Promises to ‘Destroy’ Westboro Baptist Church

Anonymous Hacks, Promises to ‘Destroy’ Westboro Baptist Church -Truthdig .column > div, .eartotheground > div, .uncovered > div, .report > div, .interview > div, .arts_culture > div, .avbooth > div, .dig > div, .cartoon > div, .podcast > div, .margin {padding: 10px 10px 20px 10px;margin: 0 0 0 0px;border-bottom: 1px dashed #999999;}/*\*//*/ @import "http://www.truthdig.com/?css=home/site_styles_mac.v.1314771156";/**/body div#share_footer {margin-bottom: 30px;}body div#instory_newsletter_signup {margin-top: 30px;}.nav {font-size:90%;} December 17, 2012
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  Anonymous Hacks, Promises to ‘Destroy’ Westboro Baptist Church Email    Print    Share

Tweet Posted on Dec 17, 2012 Flickr/Elias Gayles

The hacktivist group Anonymous is going after Westboro Baptist Church after members of the Topeka, Kan., religious hate group announced plans to protest at Sandy Hook Elementary School after the massacre that claimed the lives of 28 people, including 20 children. The group said it would picket in order “to sing praise to God for the glory of his work in executing his judgment.”

Cue Anonymous.

Led by former Truthdigger of the Week @KYAnonymous, the hacktivist collective responded by posting a trove of private information belonging to group members on the Internet.

CNET:

As part of a campaign dubbed #OpWestBoro, KY Anonymous said yesterday it posted the personal information belonging to members of the extremist organization, which is best known for conducting protests designed to disrupt the funerals of members of the military killed in action. The data dump included the names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and physical addresses of dozens of alleged members of the religious organization. The group did not indicate where or how it acquired the data.

Read more

Along with the data, the group posted a video in which it promised to “destroy” the church organization. According to the video statement:

From the time you have received this message, our attack protocol has past been executed and your downfall is underway. Do not attempt to delude yourselves into thinking you can escape our reach, for we are everywhere, and all-seeing, in the same sense as God. We are a body of individuals who fight for a purpose higher than self, and seek to bring the malevolent intent of the malefactors to light.

We will not allow you to corrupt the minds of America with your seeds of hatred. We will not allow you to inspire aggression to the social factions which you deem inferior. We will render you obsolete. We will destroy you. We are coming.

The message from Anonymous to WBC is loud and clear: It’s on.

Meantime, hackers over at UGNazi have hijacked the Twitter feed belonging to Westboro Baptist spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of the church’s founder, Fred Phelps.

#PrayForNewton #FuckWBC

— Cosmo (@DearShirley) December 17, 2012

Among the things that the church’s Twitter account links to is this petition on the White House’s “We the People” site to have WBC legally recognized as a hate group. In the three days since it was posted, more than 100,000 people have signed the petition, well over the amount needed to elicit an official White House response.

—Posted by Tracy Bloom.

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