SUNRISE: Man arrested after throwing 'boulders,' fighting with police

Colorado Springs police arrested a man after he allegedly pelted a neighbor’s car with rocks and had to be subdued with multiple shocks from a stun gun Wednesday.

Rocks were flying over a home in the 5200 block of Solar Ridge Drive at 4:31 p.m., smashing a car windshield as well as hitting officers when they arrived. When officers went around the side of the home, they found Michael Menke throwing rocks and used a stun gun to stop him, police said.

“I’m not talking about little rocks. These were big boulders that he was throwing,” said Lt. Robert Ryan.

Officers followed Menke retreated into his home, where a fight broke out when police tried to arrest him, Ryan said.  Officers used a stun gun several times on Menke to no effect, Ryan said.

Menke was booked into the El Paso County jail on suspicion of assault on a peace officer and reckless endangerment, among other potential charges.

SUV drives through 7-11 front door

A woman was arrested after she drove her SUV through the front door of a 7-11 store early Thursday morning, Colorado Springs police said.

Kimberly Sandoval, 35, crashed her SUV through the glass front doors of the store at 3805 E. Pikes Peak Ave. just before 2 a.m. Thursday, police said.

Alcohol is a suspected factor in the crash, police said.

Sandoval was arrested on suspicion of aggravated driving under restraint and DUI and booked into the El Paso County jail.

Cable TV subscribers up

More and more television watchers are buying into cable and satellite channel listings. Comcast, Colorado's largest cable-TV company, with more than 800,000 subscribers, is raising rates statewide by more than 4 percent. DirecTV will raise rates by an average of 4 percent beginning in February.

Read more at coloradosprings.com.

Volunteers needed for oil and gas committee

The City Council Oil and Gas Committee is looking for members from the community to help provide recommendations to the City Council on oil and gas exploration.

The committee will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Thursdays, from Jan. 26 to May 31 and will be chaired by Councilman Val Snider.

Citizen members should attend all meetings, but only council members of the committee can vote on final recommendations.

Read more on how to apply for the committee and where to send letters of interest. 

Need a job in the new year?

If you brought in the New Year without work, or needing a new job, it’s never too early to start realizing those resolutions. The Pikes Peak Workforce Center will be hosting a series of job-oriented workshops this January, to help you prepare a job application. Workshops include resuming building, mock interviews, and surveys to  help determine what career path is for you.

The workshops are free, but registration is required. Some classes have already started — for dates and descriptions visit the workforce website.

Register on line or call 719-667-3790. All workshops are held at the main office at the Citizens Service Center, 1675 Garden of the Gods Road, Colorado Springs CO 80907.

Today in History

On this day in 1912, at the semiannual meeting of the El Paso county Pioneer association, a plan was considered of marking historic spots in and around Colorado Springs. Of the places to be marked was the spot where the Everhardt boys were scalped by Indians near the Hagerman residence on North Cascade avenue, and the site near the D. & R. G. station where the first hotel, a log affair, was built.

And on this day in 1962, the second annual observance of “Twelfth Night” was held at 7 p.m. Saturday in Cascade. Discarded Christmas trees were piled in front of the Country Store, and a tree burning ceremony was supervised by the fire department. Group singing was conducted by Harold Stumbough, assisted by the choir of the Church in the Wildwood. Refreshments were served in the community firehouse.

Weather

January is usually the coldest month for El Paso County, but on Thursday temperatures are expected to rise close to the record high. The National Weather Service predicts a high of 62 degrees Thursday — the record is 70. Overnight temperatures will drop back down into the chilly 30s. A 30 percent chance of snow is in the forecast for Saturday.

Around Colorado

Ex-sheriff to learn IDs of informants in his case

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — Defense attorneys for a former sheriff accused of trading methamphetamine for sex with men will get to learn the identities of two informants in the case.

Former Arapahoe County Sheriff Patrick Sullivan was arrested late last year and faces charges of possession of methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, attempting to influence a public servant and solicitation of a prostitute.

Sullivan's attorneys have been seeking the identities of informants in the case so they can properly defend him. Prosecutors had wanted to wait until after Sullivan enters a plea before making the informants known.

At a hearing Wednesday, a judge denied prosecutors' motion to keep the identities secret.

Sullivan was sheriff of Arapahoe County from 1984 until 2002.

He is free on bond.

Man convicted in 2004 crash accused of DUI again

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — A man convicted over a fatal drunken-driving crash in Wyoming in 2004 has been arrested in a suspected drunken-driving case in Colorado.

The Coloradoan reports police in Evans, Colo., arrested 52-year-old Ron Holland of Greeley in November on suspicion of driving under the influence, menacing and violating parole.

Holland had been sentenced to seven to 12 years in the Wyoming prison system after a crash in Cheyenne in 2004 that killed Janna Klussmann and permanently disabled Andy Klussman.

Andy Klussmann was the assistant volleyball coach for Colorado State University at the time.

Death of man who fell at concert ruled accidental

BROOMFIELD, Colo. (AP) — Coroner's officials say the death of a 20-year-old Highlands Ranch man who fell while climbing down closed bleachers after a concert in Broomfield was accidental.

Broomfield police say Christopher Engel fell from retractable bleachers behind the stage around 1:15 a.m. Saturday at a concert by electronic artist Pretty Lights at the 1stBank Center. The Colorado State University junior died of his injuries Monday.

Police say alcohol was present in his system, but foul play was not involved in the accident.

The Daily Camera reports the Adams County coroner issued a report Wednesday supporting the findings of police.

Engel was studying computer science at CSU and was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.

Man faces assault charge in New Year's Day fight

DENVER (AP) — Denver prosecutors have filed a criminal charge against a man accused of punching another man in the face in the hallway of a Denver hotel early New Year's Day.

Twenty-four-year-old Shawn Forbes is charged with second-degree assault causing serious bodily injury. Prosecutors say the alleged victim fell after he was punched and suffered a head injury.

Forbes was jailed Wednesday, with bond set at $5,000.

Teen arrested in string of Denver-area robberies

AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Police have arrested a 17-year-old boy suspected in as many as 20 robberies in the Denver area last month, mostly of convenience stores.

The teen was arrested at a home in Aurora this week.

His name hasn't been released.

Woman charged with damaging art at Still Museum

DENVER (AP) — Denver prosecutors have filed a charge of criminal mischief against a woman accused of scratching, hitting and leaning against a painting at the new Clyfford Still Museum.

Thirty-six-year-old Carmen Tisch is accused of damaging the painting, valued at between $30 million and $40 million, the afternoon of Dec. 29.

Prosecutors say restoring the painting will cost an estimated $10,000.

Tisch was in jail Wednesday, with bond set at $20,000. It wasn't immediately known if she had a lawyer who could comment on her behalf.

Still is credited with pioneering the abstract expressionism movement.

The Clyfford Still Museum, which is dedicated to Still's work, opened in November.

New Colorado Black Caucus hosts first event

DENVER (AP) — The newly formed Colorado Black Caucus is hosting its first event.

Organizers say more than 200 people are expected to attend a reception Thursday evening at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Members of the caucus include Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, state Rep. Angela Williams and city council and school board members from around the state.

Williams, the chair of the group, says the goal is to work together on issues that affect communities of color.

She says the caucus will strive to increase African-American participation and influence in politics.

Ascent Solar shares rise after investment news

THORNTON, Colo. (AP) — Shares of Ascent Solar Technologies Inc. are up after its announcement that an Asian company plans to boost its ownership stake in the thin-film solar panel manufacturer.

In August, Ascent said TFG Radiant Investment Group was buying 6.4 million of Ascent's shares at $1.15 apiece for a roughly 20 percent stake in Ascent. On Wednesday, Thornton, Colo.-based Ascent said TFG Radiant plans to buy a stake in Ascent owned by Norsk Hydro Produksjon AS for $4 million, which would bring TFG Radiant's ownership stake to around 41 percent.

The latest transaction values each share at around 50 cents.

Shares of Ascent were up 14 cents to close at 56 cents Wednesday.

TFG Radiant is the East Asia licensee of Ascent's technology.

See Mesa Verde National Park free in Jan., Feb.

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (AP) — Mesa Verde National Park is waiving its entrance fees through March 3.

Park Superintendent Cliff Spencer said Wednesday he's waiving fees to start the year because he wants to encourage visitors to come at a time when the park generally isn't as busy.

Private vehicles typically pay $10 to $15 to enter the park, with the fee good for seven days.

Mesa Verde also is among national parks that plan to waive entrance fees April 21-29 for National Park Week; June 9 for Get Outdoors Day; Sept. 29 for National Public Lands Day; and Nov. 10-12 for Veterans Day weekend.

Denver mayor instructs city to 'dress Western'

DENVER (AP) — Denver's mayor has instructed city residents to "dress Western" Thursday in honor of the opening of the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo.

Mayor Michael Hancock declared "Dress Western Day" to mark Thursday's annual cattle drive of Texas Longhorn cattle through downtown Denver.

Hancock said in a statement that residents should "get into the 'steer-wranglin' spirit" and attend the parade. Denver is trying to boost excitement for the rodeo's 106th year after the stock show last year considered moving to neighboring Aurora in search of more room.

The rodeo opens Saturday and runs through Jan. 22.

Florida man reunites with lost kitty in Colorado

GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — A cat who wandered away from his new home in Florida has been reunited with his owner after being found nearly 2,000 miles away in Colorado.

Waylon, an orange-striped tabby cat, was reunited with Daniel Johns on Wednesday at the Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden.

The cat went missing from the Naples, Fla., area in June, disappearing within an hour after Johns adopted the stray. Waylon apparently fled through a hole in a dryer vent.

Last month, a woman in a Denver suburb noticed him hanging around as she walked her dog and brought him to the shelter. A microchip linked the cat to Johns.

It's not known how the cat made its way to Colorado.

One of the shelter's theories is that snowbirds may have taken the cat home with them.

Today’s Happenings

-- Fiction book group, “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway, 2 p.m., Cheyenne Mountain Branch Library, 1785 S. 8th St., free.

-- Independent film screening - “Daisy Bates - First Lady of Little Rock,” 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., Colorado College, Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, Screening Room, 825 N. Cascade Ave., free.

-- “Teen Movie Night - Super 8,” 6:30-8:30 p.m., Old Colorado City Library Branch, 2418 W. Pikes Peak Ave., free.

--

Contact Ryan Maye Handy: 636-0261

Facebook Ryan Maye Handy

Twitter @ryanmhandy