Local News

A hazardous chemical spill at a home in a residential area of Evergreen on Monday evening turned out to be nitric acid that had been stored in a keg-size container.

Authorities found two kegs and some 28 drums, most of which were empty, that had been piling up under some trees since the mid-‘60s.

Someone from the home was cleaning up the area about 5 p.m. Monday when one of the barrels accidentally tipped, releasing a sludgy substance that generated a small cloud of yellow smoke, said Evergreen Fire Chief Garry DeJong.

State highway crews will be smoothing out bumps and finishing repair work on the Mount Evans Highway Scenic Byway near Summit Lake from Aug. 18 to 20.

Weather permitting, the road to the top will continue to be open, with lane closures in various places, CDOT spokesman Bob Wilson said Friday.

Although the weather was cold and rainy Friday, the scenic drive to summit was still open as of noon, according to CDOT’s traffic operations center in Denver.

Exactly how Indian Hills resident Kerry Kurt found herself responsible for about half of Denver’s most coveted outdoor venue on the one day in history when much of the world’s attention will be focused there makes for a curious tale.

“It was not a simple, straightforward process,” says Kurt, 44. “It’s kind of amazing, when you think about it. I think it’s a spirit thing: energy, force, grace — whatever you want to call it.”

Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman defeated three fellow Republicans in the Aug. 12 primary to replace outgoing 6th District Congressman Tom Tancredo. In Jefferson County returns, Coffman bested businessman Wil Armstrong by roughly 10 percentage points.

In overall final results, Coffman tallied 40.1 percent of the vote, compared to 32.8 percent for Armstrong, a business leader and son of former Sen. Bill Armstrong. Highlands Ranch state Sen. Ted Harvey was in third place with 15.3 percent, and Centennial state Sen. Steve Ward had 11.8 percent.