Colorado
Quinnipiac Poll shows Clinton made major inroads with independents in last month, has large CO lead
DENVER – New poll numbers released Monday show Hillary Clinton has jumped out ahead of Republican challenger Donald Trump in Colorado three weeks before Election Day.
The latest Quinnipiac Poll, which was conducted Oct. 10-16 and sampled 685 likely voters (with a 3.7 margin of error), shows Clinton leading Trump 45-37 in a four-way race. Libertarian Gary Johnson drew 10 percent in the poll, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein drew 3 percent.
In comparison, the previous Quinnipiac Poll, conducted Sept. 13-21, had Clinton leading with 44 percent. Trump (42 percent) was close behind, followed by Johnson (10 percent) and Stein (2 percent).
But when one looks at the two-way race numbers, Clinton’s lead widens.
She leads Trump by 11 percent in the newest Quinnipiac two-way poll, 51-40 percent; the two were tied at 47 percent in the Sept. 13-21 Quinnipiac two-way.
Clinton’s camp appears to also have made extensive headway with independent voters in the past month, as the poll shows 38 percent of independents are likely to vote for her, compared to 34 percent who say they’re likely to vote for Trump.
The Sept. 13-21 poll showed Trump leading likely independent voters with 42 percent, compared to Clinton’s 33 percent.
Though Trump and his surrogates have campaigned extensively in Colorado over the past month, polls, which Trump and others have often discredited based on what they say, have continued to point in favor of Clinton winning the state.
The last poll that had Trump ahead in a two-way race was the Sept. 22-23 Gravis poll, which had Trump +4 among 799 likely voters. The same poll had Trump +4 in a four-way race as well.
But others polls have had Clinton up by as much as 11 percent over the past month, and a Real Clear Politics average of each Colorado poll taken since last November has Clinton up 9 percent in a two-way race and 8 percent in a four-way race.
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.
Colorado secretary of state, spokeswoman lambaste Trump’s ‘rigged election’ comments
DENVER – The spokeswoman for Colorado’s Republican secretary of state offered a strong rebuttal to Donald Trump’s claims that there is voter fraud occurring in what Trump has called a “rigged” election.
“Donald Trump has been tweeting about elections being rigged, but he offers no evidence of such,” Secretary of State Communications Director Lynn Bartels said in a statement to Denver7. “I can say on Twitter I’m a super model, but that doesn’t make it so.” Continue reading
Health chief: No apparent danger from plume of orange smoke released at Suncor refinery
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Officials have yet to determine what type of chemical was released or if it was hazardous when a plume of orange smoke emanated from the Suncor Refinery in Commerce City Friday afternoon.
The smoke was caused by a power outage and prompted officials to issue a shelter in place order, though no evacuation was ever ordered.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said it does not appear the release poses any immediate risk to the surrounding community. It is talking with Suncor officials to determine the cause of the malfunction.
Denver Fire Department said they dispatched hazmat crews to assist South Adams County Fire Protection District as the companies investigate what could be creating the unusual smoke.
Denver Fire officials initially believed the released chemical was sulfur dioxide, but further testing came back negative. Crews are still testing the area to determine the exact chemical and its level of toxicity. South Adams Fire says air quality readings have shown no hazardous readings and confirmed no toxic chemicals were released.
#NOW: South Adams fire deputy chief says no hazardous readings in air quality @DenverChannel pic.twitter.com/4PdebmZZgK
— Marc Stewart Denver7 (@MarcKMGH) October 14, 2016
According to #DenverFire it’s safe to be outside in #CommerceCity @denverchannel
— Marc Stewart Denver7 (@MarcKMGH) October 14, 2016
Suncor says the refinery lost power around noon, which “resulted in an operation upset,” according to the company. It says the plume started emitting from refinery towers shortly afterward.
A spokeswoman for the company says it is working to stabilize the plant and monitoring nearby air quality. The spokeswoman, Nicole Fisher, said regulators have been notified.
Witnesses described the scene as “apocalyptic.”
“All of a sudden, it felt like it was the end of the world coming,” said witness Michael Deifik.
“It kind of looked like the Wizard of Oz — kind of green-yellow smoke,” said Blake Johnson.
Road closures.
Starting at about 1 p.m., officials closed I-270 in both directions from I-70 to I-76 due to official response to the Suncor plant.
The closure didn’t last long, with officials re-opening the road minutes later. Backups are expected on the road.
Suncor also said Brighton Boulevard is closed for the time being.
Suncor’s history with odd smoke.
Similar stories have emanated from Suncor in the past — most recently in May of 2012. Fire officials investigated a similar looking plume of smoke from one of the oil refinery’s towers.
The Environmental Protection Agency also investigated after Suncor released a statement explaining what caused the smoke.
“There was an interruption with one of the process units which uses the ‘catalyst,'” which is a clay dust used in processing.
The officials said the interruption caused the refinery’s stacks to throw out some of the catalyst.
That was ruled not threatening to the health of any residents at that time.
What is Suncor?
Suncor Refinery is a North American-based energy company with refineries both in Canada and the United States.
The company has one refinery in Colorado, situated in Commerce City. That plant produces 98,000 barrels per day, producing gasoline, diesel fuel and paving-grade asphalt
Hickenlooper denounces Trump’s comments; Trump says new claims are lies, blames woman’s looks
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado’s Democratic governor, John Hickenlooper, decided Friday it was time to denounce Donald Trump’s comments about being able to sexually assault women because of his fame – a week after the comments were made.
Hickenlooper held a news conference in Colorado Springs Friday afternoon to make the announcement at a Hillary Clinton campaign office. Continue reading
Judge asks for more time in deciding if charges to move forward against former El Paso Co. sheriff
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – It will be another couple weeks before a judge rules whether there is probable cause to move forward on charges against the former El Paso County sheriff and two other high-ranking officers in the office.
Former El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa and former Undersheriff Paula Presley were indicted on nine charges that include kidnapping, extortion and tampering with evidence.
Former EPCSO Commander Juan San Agustin faces kidnapping and false imprisonment charges.
Maketa and Presley are accused of pressuring a deputy’s girlfriend to change her story regarding an alleged domestic violence incident that left the girlfriend with bruising.
But after going through the sheriff’s office, she was ultimately arrested for domestic violence, driving under the influence and harassment charges. However, no sobriety test was ever performed.
The indictments of the three say they all worked together to push the case against the woman forward despite there being little to no evidence the investigation should continue.
Marketa and Presley are also accused of threatening to end a contract with a correctional facility health care company whose employee declined to run Presley’s campaign for sheriff.
Denver7’s news partners at KRDO report another hearing is scheduled in the case for Dec. 19. Defense attorneys want some of the charges dropped altogether.
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.
Donald Trump scheduled to campaign in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs next Tuesday
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Donald Trump will again be back in Colorado next week when he makes campaign stops in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction.
Trump’s rally in Colorado Springs will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Norris-Penrose Event Center.
Doors for the event open at 10 a.m. Anyone wanting to RSVP for tickets can do so here.
The Grand Junction rally will be held at West Star Aviation at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Tickets to the event can be found here. Doors open at noon.
Trump and his surrogates have visited Colorado several times this year and have doubled down on the state in the past month.
Trump has made several stops in Colorado Springs this year and has also visited Pueblo, Loveland, Denver and others this year.
Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, his son, Donald Jr., and running mate Mike Pence have all visited the state in the past month. Donald Trump Jr. stopped in Grand Junction on that trip as well.
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.
Bernie Sanders to campaign in support of Amendment 69 in Boulder next Monday
BOULDER, Colo. – Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will campaign in support of Amendment 69, better known as ColoradoCare, in Boulder next Monday.
Sanders has been a stringent supporter of the measure since last year as he campaigned in favor of a single-payer health care option ahead of and during the Democratic primaries.
Sanders is scheduled to speak at Farrand Field on the CU-Boulder main campus Monday at 5 p.m. Doors to the event open at 4 p.m.
“There is an important ballot initiative in Colorado which calls for a [Medicare-for-all] health care system,” Sanders said in a news release announcing the stop. “It is absurd, it is beyond belief, that here in America we remain the only major country on earth not to guarantee health care to all people. If that proposal can win in Colorado, I believe that idea will spread around the country.”
Sanders, who won Colorado’s Democratic caucus with 59 percent of the vote, compared to Hillary Clinton’s 40.3 percent, brought up the measure several times in campaign stops in the state.
The measure eventually gained enough signatures to be put on November’s ballot.
The amendment would take advantage of a clause in the ACA that allows states to create their own health care systems, though the state would have to obtain a waiver for subsidies.
Funding would come from a 10 percent payroll tax in which employers would pay 66 percent of costs and employees would pay the other third.
Sanders’ appearance comes at a crucial time for Amendment 69, as the most recent polls released show a fairly-large majority of people oppose the measure.
A Colorado Mesa University, Rocky Mountain PBS and Franklin & Marshal College poll conducted mid-September showed 56 percent opposition, and a Magellan Strategies poll conducted at the end of August showed 65 percent opposition. Both polls had a sample size of greater than 500 people, with margins of error within 4.3 to 5.1 percent.
The proposed amendment has drawn a vast opposition campaign from a political action committee called Coloradans for Coloradans, which has so far dumped in $3.77 million to oppose the ballot measure, according to state campaign finance records.
Of the close-to $4 million the PAC has raised, much of it has come from the country’s largest health insurance and health care companies.
Emails recently released by Wikileaks that appear to be from Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, show Clinton wanted to avoid talking about Amendment 69 during campaign stops in Colorado last November.
Sanders’ visit comes as part of a trip in which he will swing through Colorado, California and Washington to support various state ballot measures and continue to push for a single-payer health care system.
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.
Tips for getting your vehicle ready for driving in winter weather
DENVER – Snow is already falling in the Colorado mountains, and drivers need to be prepared – especially if you’re new to the state.
Colorado has some special laws regarding winter driving that you may not have encountered where you lived before if you’re a recent transplant.
Here are some tips for keeping your car and yourself safe while traveling in Colorado’s winter weather:
TIRES
Tires are among the most important things you can invest in for winter driving. A good test to see if you need new tires requires just a single quarter.
Take the quarter, turn it upside down, and put it into your tire tread – Washington’s head goes upside-down.
If your tire’s tread covers his head, your tires are OK. But if his head his poking out, you should probably look into getting a new set.
All-season tires are a good suggestion if you can only afford one new set, since they’ll get you through most of Colorado’s ever-changing weather conditions.
But in the winter, snow tires are strongly suggested for most vehicles and are necessary for some.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will put in place traction or chain laws at times during periods of heavy snow.
The “Traction Law,” also known as “Code 15” requires vehicles to either have four-wheel or all-wheel drive; as an alternative, to have snow tires or mud/snow tires; or if your vehicle doesn’t fit into either of those categories, have tire chains or another alternative traction device, like an AutoSock.
These tires usually have an “M” or “M+S” designation on the tire.
But when conditions get really bad, CDOT will implement the Passenger Vehicle Chain Law, known as “Code 16,” which requires every vehicle on the road to have either chains or an alternative traction device.
CDOT has partnered with many Denver-area tire shops to offer discounts.
Any drivers with equipment that doesn’t meet standards at the time face fines between $130 and $650. For more information from CDOT on the traction and chain laws, click here.
OTHER VEHICLE NECESSITIES
While good tires will ensure you don’t end up blocking the roads or in a ditch somewhere, there are a few other things you can do to winterize your car to ensure you’re safe at all times no matter what weather pops up.
Car batteries should be checked, as the cold weather will suck some of their energy, causing the batteries not to perform as well. Batteries operate between 30 and 60 percent worse in weather under 32 degrees.
Check your fluids: be sure your antifreeze is rated for winter conditions and is filled up. Also be sure your oil is rated for the temperatures you’ll be driving in (most 10W-30 and 5W-30 oils perform at all temperatures).
Some no-freeze washer fluid could also prove worthwhile, as certain washer fluids that are heavily water-based can freeze. In winter driving conditions, snow, ice and salt from the roads can cause windshields to become cloudy as they accumulate more gunk from the road.
Also be sure your brakes are working well and that the brake fluid is at the correct level. Mountain driving brings steep inclines and declines and sharp curves, and when the roads are slick, stopping times can be multiplied by up to six times the stopping times during normal conditions.
Be sure to stock your car with an emergency kit filled with a flashlight, jumper cables, extra warm clothes, blankets, kitty litter (for traction purposes), flares and an ice scraper. In the event you become stopped in traffic during a highway closure or end up off the road waiting to be rescued, some of these essentials could save your life. Non-perishable food and water is also suggested.
If you have any questions about whether your car is ready for winter, head into a local mechanic for it to be checked out and tuned up if necessary.
And remember — take it slow and easy when driving during winter weather, don’t slam on your brakes, and never follow any other vehicles too closely. Stay safe out there!
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.
Vehicle sweep completed at Boulder Co. Sheriff’s Office amid ongoing bomb investigation; no threat
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. – The FBI and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate how and why an explosive device ended up at a Nederland shopping center near the town’s police station.
Both agencies conducted a vehicle sweep at the sheriff’s office Thursday morning. The sheriff’s office had been closed during the sweep, but reopened around 10:30 after the sweep.
The FBI confirms it and the sheriff’s office conducted a preliminary sweep on a vehicle from a person who came to the sheriff’s office with information on the initial explosive.
The sweep was precautionary and there was no threat to the public, the FBI said.
The FBI and sheriff’s office have opened a tip line regarding the Nederland bomb. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 303-441-3677.
The improvised explosive device failed to go off after a police officer stumbled across a backpack containing the bomb when arriving to work Tuesday morning.
The officer brought the bag inside headquarters, and upon finding the explosive, had all workers evacuate the building.
After hours of investigating, an explosives robot detonated the device.
The FBI, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and Nederland Police Department are all involved in the ongoing investigation. Nederland Police Department are all involved in the ongoing investigation.
Former FBI agent Kevin Knierim, who now works as a private investigator, says the fact the bomb was found in a town as small as Nederland could help police catch their suspect.
“Probably makes it in a weird way easier to investigate because there is less folks but then there is less reasons,” Knierim says.
Knierim adds that the bomb itself will give investigators even more clues.
“They blew the [IED] up and they know what it was made of, so they can take those materials and trace back to where maybe where they were bought,” said Knierim.
The location of the bomb will be important to the investigation as well, since the bomb was placed right outside the Nederland police building.
“Obliviously [police] are going to be thinking about cases that have happened recently and who is willing to do something this egregious,” Knierim says.
Knierim says the suspect was someone who likely wanted to send a strong message without getting attention, since no notes were left behind.
“It’s always been my theory that somebody that’s really serious about doing something doesn’t telegraph it,” Knierim says.
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.
Pueblo PD K-9 sniffs out 10 kilos of cocaine worth $1.1M
PUEBLO, Colo. – A Pueblo Police Department K-9 with a sharp nose sniffed out 10 kilograms of suspected cocaine worth $1.1 million during a traffic stop Tuesday night.
The K-9 officer, named Widget, was used in an open-air sniff after Pueblo officers pulled a car over on northbound I-25 near Pueblo Boulevard around 8:30 Tuesday evening.
Officers say they were able to get permission from the driver, identified as 27-year-old Edgar Florez-Valenzuela, to search the car.
The alleged cocaine was found in a hidden compartment in the car, according to police.
Officers arrested Florez-Valenzuela on drug possession with intent to distribute charges. He is being held at the Pueblo County Detention Center on a $200,000 cash-only bond.
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.