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Colorado News Roundup: U.S. Senate race, shooting near Denver nightclub, peaceful protest in downtown Denver (07.11.16)

Here’s what’s happening around Colorado today:

ELECTION 2016

SEN. MICHAEL BENNET REPORTS NEARLY $6.1M CASH IN RE-ELECTION BID



DENVER — Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is keeping up his strong fundraising during his re-election bid.

Bennet’s campaign reported Monday that the Colorado senator raised $2.7 million in the second quarter of 2016 and had nearly $6.1 million in cash.



Darryl Glenn won last month’s state Republican primary to challenge Bennet. Updated fundraising totals weren’t immediately available for Glenn, an El Paso County commissioner.

Glenn’s campaign reported about $50,000 cash on hand on June 8. But that didn’t include substantial contributions from the Senate Conservatives Fund and other donations after Glenn was endorsed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and others.

Quarterly campaign finance reports for the race are due July 15.

TRAGEDY

LA PLATA COUNTY JAIL INMATE DIES; FOUL PLAY NOT SUSPECTED

DURANGO, Colo. — Authorities say a 67-year-old inmate in the La Plata County jail has died.

The sheriff’s office says deputies found the man unresponsive in his cell Sunday and tried to resuscitate him. Paramedics took him to a hospital, where he died.

Authorities say no foul play is suspected but the cause of death wasn’t immediately known. An autopsy was planned.

The sheriff’s office says the man was locked alone in a cell when he was discovered.

His name hasn’t been released because authorities haven’t been able to locate and notify any relatives. The sheriff’s office says he didn’t list any next of kin.

He had been in the jail about 11 months. Authorities say he had been convicted of a crime but offered no details.

An investigation is underway.

PROTEST

POLICE-SHOOTING PROTESTS IN DENVER CALM, LIGHTLY ATTENDED

DENVER — Police protests were calm and lightly attended in Denver on Monday, when a group of about 50 waved signs decrying police killings while a smaller group entered a fourth day of quietly mourning blacks killed by police in the last year.

The demonstrations outside the state Capitol attracted a mixed-race crowd and supporters bringing water, fruit and sandwiches to support the efforts. A handful of police stood watch from about a block away.

The Denver observations were a marked contrast from charged police protests in some cities.

None of the protesters attempted to block the streets during a busy lunchtime hour. Instead the protesters kept to a park to wave signs and mourn.

Protesters say they were inspired to protest by cases around the country of police killing young black men.

ENVIRONMENT

METHANE IN COLORADO WATER ISN’T ALWAYS FROM OIL WELLS

DENVER — Researchers say the oil and gas industry may not be to blame if northeastern Colorado tap water is so full of methane it can be set on fire.

A study released Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science says only about 5 percent of the region’s water wells that were checked for methane had been tainted by oil and gas leaks.

About 18 percent had methane that came from coal seams that underlie the area.

The others had methane that couldn’t be definitively traced or had no detectable methane at all.

Videos of flaming tap water occasionally surface in communities near oil and gas wells, and they’re sometimes cited as evidence of the danger posed by energy development.

But the researchers say that’s a natural occurrence in many cases.

PUBLIC SAFETY

2 HOSPITALIZED AFTER SHOOTING NEAR DENVER NIGHTCLUB

DENVER — Two people have been hospitalized after someone fired into a crowd near a Denver nightclub early Sunday and Denver police and a security guard returned fire.

Authorities say the dispute began outside an apartment complex. Denver police say a guard at the apartment complex used pepper spray to break them up.

The guard summoned two off-duty Denver police officers working at a nearby nightclub. About that time, two men returned to the scene, and one started firing. An officer and the security guard shot back at the men.

Bars were letting out at the time, and there were a number of people in the area, according to The Denver Post. No bystanders were hurt.

The victims, who have not been identified, are expected to survive.

— The Associated Press


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