NEWS: Monday February 8, 2010Posted by Janine Mayfield on February 8th, 2010

A longtime Telluride resident was indicted last week on charges of helping his brother-in-law to defraud Bank of America, HSBC, and Citibank of loans totaling more than $290 million dollars. According to the Telluride Watch, Shahin Kashanchi provided Hassan Nemazee with fake documents allowing him to obtain fraudulent loans in their own 12-year Ponzi Scheme.  Kashanchi faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million dollar fine if convicted.
Source: Telluride Watch (Posted 5:54a)

Residents along 33 Road in Clifton are giving up pieces of their property but say they don’t mind, knowing it’ll improve the safety of the road. The Daily Sentinel writes that the last two phases of the $8 million dollar improvement project will be wider and safer when it’s complete by the end of next year.  The project entails widening the road to three lanes with a center turn lane.
Source: Daily Sentinel (Posted 5:53a)

They’re urging the country’s top doctor to tell kids in Colorado – and across the country – to ditch the screens and get outside and play. Over 200 health, conservation and youth organizations are asking Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin to declare more time outdoors a national health priority for children. Kevin Coyle with the National Wildlife Federation says a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the average child spends more than seven hours a day staring at television or computer screens. While Colorado kids may have more opportunities for outdoor activity than in other states, the state’s childhood obesity rate has more than doubled over the last three decades. Coyle says that’s only one symptom of less outdoor play time. He says too much screen time has also led to an increase in nearsightedness, attention deficit issues and vitamin D deficiency.
Source: Colorado News Connection   (Posted 5:53a)

A move to resolve a feud between landowners and professional river rafters is coming to a crest in the Colorado Legislature. KJCT says the House Judiciary Committee is taking up a measure on Monday that would clarify rights of navigation for guides employed by river outfitters and provide limits on landowner liability for damages. The bill allows rafters to pass over or through private property and gives them immunity if they make contact with the riverbed or banks of the waterway because of low water levels or to avoid an obstacle.
Source: KJCT/AP   (Posted 5:52a)