SUNRISE: Driver hits 2 people, stops only when car catches fire, police say

Colorado Springs police arrested a man early Friday morning after he hit two pedestrians and then fled, hitting a light pole and stopping only when his car caught fire.

Kellen Kostka, 23, was driving west in the 1800 block of Dominion Way when he failed to follow the road's curve and jumped the curb, striking two of three people walking on the sidewalk at 1:26 a.m., police said.

One person was hit in the arm and a second, a 45-year-old man, was knocked to the ground, sustaining injuries to his head, police said.

Kostka fled, hitting a light pole, but continued north on Academy Boulevard to Dublin Boulevard, police said. He stopped in the middle of road on Dublin when he realized that his car was on fire.

Police caught up with Kostka not far from the blaze. Alcohol was a factor in his erratic driving, police said.

Oil and gas committee to meet
The Colorado Springs Oil and Gas Committee will hold its first weekly meeting on Thursday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. 

The committee was formed by City Council President Scott Hente and will be chaired by Councilmember Val Snider. The group will be comprised of city council members and residents, who applied for positions. Full membership will be announced Tuesday.

The meetings will be held Thursdays through May. The group expects to provide the city with recommendations for regulating local oil and gas exploration.

All meetings will be public and a public comment period at each meeting will begin in March. For more information contact Councilmember AngelaDougan at 322-2925 or adougan@springsgov.com.

Did you hear President Obama sing?
President Barack Obama belted out of few lines of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” at a Thursday night fundraiser at the Apollo Theater in New York. The audience included the Rev. Al Green, who made the song a hit.

Watch the President take on few bars of the song, and then compare it to the original.

BEST OF THE SITES

• outtherecolorado.com: Happy Days are here again
• coloradosprings.com: Trader Joe’s in the Springs? Don’t give up hope
• pikespeakparent.com: IKEA recalls baby-chair safety belts
• springsmilitarylife.com:  Army suicides down but violent crimes are up
• csfreshink.com: End of a season, a look back at Bronco’s last game
  

WEATHER
The National Weather Service predicts a high of 55 degrees Friday, with an overnight low of  degrees. The weekend in Colorado Springs should be warm and sunny, with a high of 60 degrees on Saturday.

AROUND COLORADO

Former western Colorado DA sentenced to 1 year
MONTROSE, Colo. (AP) — A former district attorney accused of harassing women in his office has been sentenced to a year in prison.

Myrl Serra was sentenced Thursday in Montrose, part of the 7th Judicial District where he served as the top prosecutor.

Serra entered an Alford plea in October to criminal extortion and unlawful sexual contact. The plea means he didn't admit guilt but acknowledged that a jury might convict him.

He was convicted in August of violating a restraining order after he was accused of harassing one of his accusers. Serra resigned as district attorney and was later disbarred under an agreement by the Colorado Supreme Court.

Windsor man convicted in $5.7 million fraud scheme
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — A Windsor man accused of scamming $5.7 million from investors has been convicted of six felony fraud counts.

The Coloradoan newspaper reported Thursday that Phillip Richard Trujillo was charged with misleading investors, deceitful business practices and theft. Prosecutors contended Trujillo's Wealth Management Resources company cost many investors their life savings.

Assistant Attorney General Jean Woodford said that Trujillo told investors their money was safe, then used it on risky investments or to pay back other investors.

The defense argued that Trujillo received false information from investment managers. Each felony count carries up to 12 years in prison and $750,000 in fines. Sentencing is set for March 7.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking a $10 million fine against Trujillo on behalf of 64 investors.

More than 1,600 deportation cases set to be closed
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Homeland Security Department is recommending canceling deportation proceedings for more than 1,600 illegal immigrants in Baltimore and Denver.

The recommendations come after a review of cases pending in federal immigration court in those two cities. Officials from DHS and the Justice Department reviewed 11,682 cases as part of an Obama administration pledge to focus deportation efforts on criminal illegal immigrants and those who pose a national security or public safety threat.

Of the 7,923 cases reviewed in Denver, officials recommended closing 1,301, according to figures shared with The Associated Press. In Baltimore, 3,759 cases were reviewed and 366 were recommended for closure.

Homeland Security and Justice officials expect to complete a nationwide review of about 300,000 pending deportation cases by the end of the summer.

Hickenlooper signs order to review business regs
DENVER (AP) — Colorado Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper signed an executive order directing state agencies to review regulations and determine how they can be improved to help businesses.

Hickenlooper signed the order Thursday at a luncheon hosted by the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry. Hickenlooper says the group helped craft the order.

Cutting red tape has been a frequent topic in Hickenlooper's public appearances. Last week, he released a report titled "Pits and Peeves" that outlined complaints from business leaders across the state about burdensome of duplicative regulations.

Hickenlooper's executive order directs agencies to review its rules to determine whether they're still needed, if they are appropriate and cost-effective, or whether they need to be modified or repealed. The Department of Regulatory Agencies will develop implementation guidance for the order.

Circumcision funding targeted by CO lawmakers
DENVER (AP) — Circumcisions would again receive state funding under a proposal introduced by several Colorado lawmakers.

The bill would allow Medicaid to again cover circumcisions. The procedure was dropped from Medicaid last year as a money-saving move. Several states have stopped covering circumcisions amid concerns that they're not medically necessary. Colorado projected that it would save about $186,500 a year if it stopped covering circumcisions.

Colorado's bill was proposed Thursday by several Democrats. It awaits a hearing in the Senate.

TODAY'S HAPPENINGS

-- Pikes Peak Home School Band winter concert, 7 p.m., Nazarene Bible College, Strickland Hall, 1111 Academy Park Loop, free.

-- Less Than Zero, 9:30 p.m., Southside Johnny’s, 528 S. Tejon St.

Check out the Sunrise Photo Gallery, with photos taken by readers. Send your photos to ryan.handy@gazette.com. Today's photo was taken by Jared Kelley, on Jan. 18, from Widefield High School.