The Gazette back issues from December 2008:
LEG SAVED BY TEAM OF 20, RARE SURGERY ; Man may soon walk again, thanks to podiatrist
Dec 01, 2008; ... Things were looking bad for Stephen Ogonowski. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria had devoured his right ankle down to the bone,leaving an inches-wide hole full of raw and ravaged tissue.Amputation seemed certain, just as it did six months earlier whenhis left foot became infected and his leg ...
DEATHS
Dec 01, 2008 ... CHARLES S. "SAM" BLAKEMAN Born Feb. 12, 1921. Died nov. 30, 2008. Military veteran, one-year Colorado Springs resident. Survived byhis wife, Virginia J.; and three daughters, Patricia Blakeman, JudyMcCarthy and Wendy Blakeman. Service, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Swan-LawCascade ...
SERVICES
Dec 01, 2008 ... Annamaria Aguilar Visitation, 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, Memorial Gardens Funeral HomeChapel, 3825 Airport Road. Service, 2 p.m. Wednesday, MemorialGardens Funeral Home Chapel. Burial, Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Beatrice Coleman Visitation, 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Angelus Funeral ...
OUR VIEW
Dec 01, 2008 ... THE PENTAGON'S DISABLING RULES wounded warriors deserve better Few Americans would argue that fighting wars and compensatingwarriors is the purview of the federal government. The Constitutionexpressly gives this authority to Congress. Taking care of woundedsoldiers, Marines, ...
FANNING THE FLAMES OF NOSTALGIA ; Fire history museum kindles memories
Dec 01, 2008; ... Don Fooshee looks at the 1945 American LaFrance pumper truck, thefire-engine red paint now mellowed and chipping, and remembersdriving it on a day when Colorado Avenue looked more like theColorado River. On that day in the early 1960s, he said, they saved three peoplefrom ...
WINTER STORM WALLOPS COUNTY'S NORTH END ; Unexpected snow causes multiple accidents, slide-offs
Dec 01, 2008; ... A winter storm walloped northern El Paso County Sunday, leavingmore than a foot of snow on the ground from Monument to BlackForest. While downtown Colorado Springs got snow through much of the day,little stuck to the ground. Just a few miles up the road, residentssaw near ...
Charity provides more than money ; Beneficiary says it also helped her spiritually
Dec 01, 2008; ... Nancy is struggling on a fixed income of $230 a month while shetries to get disability payments. "When I have to pay car insurance and utilities, it doesn't leaveanything," she said. She often has trouble paying for the dozen different medicationsshe's on to treat bipolar ...
BRIEFLY
Dec 01, 2008 ... POLICE INVESTIGATING SPRINGS DEATH Colorado Springs police worked Sunday to figure out what killed aman found dead in the snow outside a Stetson Hills home. Officers were called to 7564 Amberly Drive in northeast ColoradoSprings just after 9 a.m., when neighbors reported seeing ...
CRIME STOPPERS
Dec 01, 2008 ... Wanted: Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers is asking for the public's helpfinding the following people for whom felony arrest warrants havebeen issued. Sheila Marie Bright, 51, is described as a 200-pound woman, 5feet 4 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. Bright is ...
CLASS DISMISSED ; Broncos dominate highly regarded Jets
Dec 01, 2008; ... EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Call the Denver Broncos whatever youwant, but don't leave out that they have a death grip on first placein the AFC West. Denver soundly defeated the New York Jets, who weretouted as the possible class of the AFC after winning their previoustwo games at New England ...
Nothing automatic with this enigmatic bunch
Dec 01, 2008; ... EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - It's no contest. The Denver Broncos are the most baffling team inthe NFL. How do you explain a team that loses to the pitiful OaklandRaiders at home one week and then invades Jersey to trash thepowerful New York Jets the next? You don't. This ...
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT KEYS VICTORY
Dec 01, 2008; ... After watching his team give up 74 and 76 points in back-to-backlosses, Air Force men's basketball coach Jeff Reynolds said hewanted to see players make "a commitment to defend." Sunday's game against Norfolk State was a good start. In a 75-52 victory in front of a sparse crowd ...
HILLIS RUSHES GIFT TO HIS FATHER
Dec 01, 2008; ... -- EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - On Saturday night, Peyton Hillis asked his father what he wantedfor his birthday. Doug Hillis didn't hesitate. He asked his son to gain more than 100 yards and score twotouchdowns in Sunday's game against the New York ...
THE PLAIN TRUTH: RAIN IS NO PAIN TO CUTLER
Dec 01, 2008; ... EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Early last week, the Denver Broncos knewthey would likely face rainy, miserable conditions at Giants Stadiumon Sunday. They also knew that quarterback Jay Cutler, who wouldn't admit toliking those conditions, could thrive in them. The Broncos didn'tchange ...
Saved by the kettlebell
Dec 01, 2008; ... A kettlebell isn't much to look at -- it's basically a cannonballwith a handle. And yet, this decidedly low-tech device has become a hot fitnesstrend. Colorado Springs kettlebell guru Jessica Huthmaker swearsthat the cast-iron weight is a key that opens a world of ...
PLAGUE SPURS PRAIRIE DOG DIE-OFF IN GRASSLANDS ; Conservationists say population there was among state's largest
Dec 02, 2008; ... An outbreak of the plague is killing off the black-tailed prairiedogs on the Comanche National Grassland in southeast Colorado, in adramatic die-off that has raised concerns for the future of thespecies in one of its richest habitats. The U.S. Forest Service, which runs the ...
DEATHS
Dec 02, 2008 ... RUTH FRANCES BAKER Born Oct. 20, 1921. Died nov. 30, 2008. Seamstress, longtime Colorado Springs resident. Survived by twosons, Brad and Kendall; and a daughter, Karen Horsch. The SpringsFuneral Services. chRistine a. BRyant Born Feb. 21, 1975. Died nov. 28, ...
SERVICES
Dec 02, 2008 ... ANNAMARIA AGUILAR Visitation, 4 to 8 p.m. today, Memorial Gardens Chapel. Service,2 p.m. Wednesday, Memorial Gardens Chapel. Burial, Memorial GardensCemetery. charles s. "sam" Blakeman Service, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Swan Law Cascade Chapel. Privateburial, Fort Logan ...
OUR VIEW
Dec 02, 2008 ... IGNORANT PIGS STAMPEDE SALE Who would jesus, jefferson trample? A stampede of human pigs, in pursuit of happiness, trampledJdimytai Damour to death. Blame Damour's death on rampant stupidityand immorality. Our culture increasingly disregards the importanceof religion and ...
lETTERS
Dec 02, 2008 ... SUPPORTING NEIGHBORS Local Indian community thankful for caring citizens As a leader of the Colorado Springs Indian Community, I have beenasked by many in our community to convey our sincere appreciation toall who have shown such warm, loving support to all of us during ...
On the road to freedom in a purple bread truck
Dec 02, 2008; ... Angel Hess describes himself as an eccentric artist living on theedge of the world and society. For now, he's living in a rancher's driveway on the edge of ElPaso County. His home is a funky purple bread truck with a bum engine. Hess, 30, bought the battered 1953 Ford ...
TEENAGER ARRESTED IN THREAT AT SCHOOL ; Day at high school was normal for staff, students
Dec 02, 2008; ... A 15-year-old boy was arrested Monday, accused of threatening tohurt students at Fountain-Fort Carson High School, the FountainPolice Department said. "We had some folks come in Sunday telling us they had overheardthis young man making threats," police Sgt. Jess Freeman said ....
NOVEMBER 2008 WAS WARMER, DRIER ; December is expected to be colder, with not much moisture
Dec 02, 2008; ... inside December's temperature chart, and why CDOT's Web site stoppedworking. Page 3 Despite Sunday's snowstorm, November was warmer and drier thanusual and a normal December should bring colder temperatures but nota whole lot of moisture. A continuing lack of notable ...
MAN WAS SHOT TO DEATH ; Earlier, police said no signs of foul play
Dec 02, 2008; ... A man found dead Sunday outside his Stetson Hills home was shotto death, Colorado Springs police said. An autopsy Monday revealed that 46-year-old Richard L. Schreinerdied of a gunshot wound to the torso. Neighbors had seen himshoveling snow around his home shortly before his ...
WITNESS: CASTLE WEST SUSPECT MADE THREATS ; Teen recalls phone calls before complex burned
Dec 02, 2008; ... A Colorado Springs teenager on Monday testified that she heardthe suspect in a deadly arson make threats about blowing up thebuilding minutes before the apartment she was in started burning. Vanessa Farris, now 15, said she was staying overnight with afriend at the Castle West ...
MEMORIAL SYSTEM CONSIDERS LAYOFFS</HEADLINE> ; Rising costs, higher debt expenses may bring cuts
Dec 03, 2008; ... Memorial Health System is considering layoffs and other cutsafter being financially pummeled in recent months by rising costs,fewer patients and higher debt expenses. Hospital officials said Tuesday they expect to save up to $25million next year by cutting back on raises and other ...
UPDATE: HOMICIDE
Dec 02, 2008 ... The case: The body of a 19-year-old Colorado Springs woman wasfound Oct. 13 in the woods off Old Stage Road, west of ColoradoSprings. The woman's throat was slashed and she had been raped,according to El Paso County sheriff 's investigators. The victim: Judilianna "Judi" Lawrence ...
DEATHS
Dec 03, 2008 ... EVELYN W. ANDERSON Born Jan. 11, 1926. Died Nov. 30, 2008. Homemaker, lifelong Colorado Springs resident. Survived by herhusband, Richard S.; and two daughters, Suzy Gingrich and KarenAnderson. Visitation, 5 to 8 p.m. today, Shrine of Remembrance.Service, 2 p.m. Thursday, ...
UPDATE: MURDER TRIAL
Dec 02, 2008 ... The case: The body of a Fort Carson soldier was found in August2007 riddled with bullets in the parking lot of a bank on LakeAvenue. A witness told Colorado Springs police the victim was robbedof cash as he begged for his life before being shot at point-blankrange, according to an arrest ...
SERVICES
Dec 03, 2008 ... Annamaria Aguilar Service, 2 p.m. today, Memorial Gardens Chapel. Burial, MemorialGardens Cemetery. Charles S. "Sam" Blakeman Service, 2 p.m. today, Swan Law Cascade Chapel. Private burial,Fort Logan National Cemetery. Beatrice Coleman Visitation, 5 to 7 ...
Body found along Fountain Creek
Dec 02, 2008 ... The body of a middle-aged man was found along Fountain Creeknorth of Cimarron Street and west of Interstate 25 near America theBeautiful Park downtown on Monday morning, Colorado Springs policesaid. There were no signs of violence, and police Lt. David Whitlocksaid the death was ...
OUR VIEW
Dec 03, 2008 ... HEALTH CARE, THE BIG RIPOFF How manipulation impedes efficiency America's top health executives told the Washington Postsomething obvious: Health care isn't a bargain. "We're not gettingwhat we pay for," said Denis Cortese, president and chief executiveof the Mayo Clinic ....
Briargate-area bank robbed
Dec 02, 2008 ... Colorado Springs police have no suspects in a bank robberyreported at 6:02 p.m. Monday at the Chase Bank inside the KingSoopers store at 3570 Hartsel Drive in the Briargate area. A man approached and threatened a teller at the front counter ...
HEAVY STORM HEAVY TRAFFIC STALLS CDOT SITE ; PHONES OVERWHELMED
Dec 02, 2008; ... Much like Interstate 25 between Colorado Springs and Denver, theColorado Department of Transportation's computer system justcouldn't handle the crush during Sunday's snowstorm. Motorists who tried to check road conditions on the busiesttravel day of the year could not access the ...
Letters
Dec 03, 2008 ... AUTO BAILOUTS Union contract restructuring must be part of any deal Picture in your mind a baseball player who has just hit a home-run ball over the center-field fence, and following a circuit of thebases, is declared "out" after crossing home plate. The reason: heneglected ...
NO BREAK IN SLUMP ; Monthly building permit numbers at their lowest in 17 years in November
Dec 02, 2008; ... Housing construction in El Paso County remained mired in a deepslump in November. Single-family building permits fell to the lowestmonthly total in more than 17 years and mortgage foreclosurescontinued climbing at a record pace. Single-family permits issued during November by the ...
MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING DAD INCOMPETENT LAWYER CLAIMS ; Mental state questioned in stabbing death
Dec 03, 2008; ... A Colorado Springs man accused of stabbing his father to death infront of his mother is mentally incompetent to stand trial, hisattorney said Tuesday. Senior Deputy District Attorney Brien Cecil filed a first-degreemurder charge against Sean Fitzgerald on Tuesday in the Nov ....
OPENING STATEMENT ; Cheyenne Mountain shows off depth in rout of rival Air Academy
Dec 02, 2008; ... The season-opening nonconference match-up between area hockeyrivals Cheyenne Mountain and Air Academy soon became a battle of thehaves and have-nots. With a clear advantage in depth, the Indiansrouted the Kadets 7-1 at Sertich Ice Center. It was the third offour games at the rink as area ...
Inaugural balls: a lot of glitz for hard times
Dec 03, 2008; ... What if we canceled the inaugural balls? At last count, 39 inaugural balls are being planned as job linesand foreclosure lists grow. As many Americans worry about theirshrinking pension funds or whether they can support their familiesin 2009, the fortunate few are buying expensive ...
SHANAHAN REMINDS ALL THE WEST IS NOT YET WON
Dec 02, 2008; ... ENGLEWOOD - Mike Shanahan isn't ready to order bunting to adornthe walls of Invesco Field at Mile High for a January playoff game. The Broncos coach a p p e a r e d displeased at a question duringhis Monday press conference that insinuated the Chargers werefinished in the AFC West ....
NO ONE HURT IN QUARRY SLIDE ; Mining is halted; plans for reclamation at risk
Dec 03, 2008; ... -- A rockslide early Tuesday shut down mining in the area west ofColorado Springs and may threaten reclamation plans. The slide happened just as Castle Concrete employees werestarting work on the bare, triangular slab of hillside north ofGarden of the Gods visible from ...
CC SLIPS IN POLLS WHILE AIR FORCE MOVES INTO TOP 10
Dec 02, 2008; ... After spending the first two months of the season ranked in thetop three, Colorado College dropped Monday in both national polls. The Tigers, who host Minnesota-Duluth this weekend, are rankedsixth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll and fifth in theUSCHO.com poll. The ...
PRIVATE MEETING FOR LEGAL TALK ; Commissioners discuss possible 2009 ballot measure to raise funds
Dec 03, 2008; ... El Paso County officials might be planning a 2009 ballot measureand went behind closed doors Monday to discuss legal issuessurrounding such a measure. County commissioners met in closed session "for the purpose ofreceiving legal advice on specific legal questions related to ...
DESTINATION ALL BUT KNOWN ; Falcons likely to return to Armed Forces Bowl against C-USA team
Dec 02, 2008; ... While an official announcement likely won't come until Sunday,when the final Bowl Championship Series rankings are announced, AirForce appears to be all but a lock for a second consecutive trip tothe Armed Forces Bowl. Should the Falcons, as expected, get an invite, bowl ...
'WE'RE THE SILENT HOMELESS'
Dec 03, 2008; ... Annie fell apart when her husband of 10 years left and she endedup living on the streets for much of the past year. "It was a total surprise when he left, and I lost it," she said. They were behind on rent when he left, so Annie was evictedwithin a few weeks and didn't have ...
INDIANS: CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN TAKES ADVANTAGE OF ERRORS
Dec 02, 2008 ... After Cole DeBoer's put back in the second made it 3-0, theIndians put the game away in the third. Trevor Isbell was active on the ice early with a couple of stealsand some good shots at the net, but it wasn't until the third periodthat his effort started to pay off. He ...
GIVEAWAY MUST STICK TO GIFTS, GROUP SAYS ; Event stirs concerns of religious bias
Dec 03, 2008; ... El Paso County may have tiptoed to the line separating church andstate in promoting a Christmas giveaway the Department of HumanServices is hosting for its clients with the help of an evangelicalgroup. In a news release, the county cited the Music EvangelismFoundation's Web site ...
Hillis sore after full workload ; Shanahan says runner will continue to be feature back on offense
Dec 02, 2008; ... ENGLEWOOD - Playing tailback in the NFL is fun on game days butcan be awful the next day. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said tailback Peyton Hillis, whocarried 22 times for 129 yards S u n d a y a g a i n s t the Jets,was moving pretty slowly Monday. "I think he was hurt all ...
ARMY PROMOTES ITS FIRST SPACE GENERAL
Dec 03, 2008; ... The Army promoted its first space general Tuesday in a ceremonyat Peterson Air Force Base. While Brig. Gen. Kurt Story isn't the first general to overseethe Army's space operations, he is the first promoted from withinits ranks of orbital experts. He's the deputy commander ...
LEAKING ROOF WILL BE FIXED ; Readers may have been moved by clever poem to vote for Bill Leonard
Dec 02, 2008; ... In October, William Leonard looked online at the other entrantsin The Gazette's Great Renovations Contest and felt guilty. He figured he had it easy compared with the families who facedinsurmountable medical bills and houses that had turned into endlessmoney pits. His ...
EMERSON RECOMMENDED AS 'FOCUS SCHOOL' ; D-11 board will hear restructuring team's plan for school tonight
Dec 03, 2008; ... Emerson Middle School should remain open after the Edison charterprogram there ends in May and should be converted to a "focusschool," according to a recommendation from a Colorado SpringsSchool District 11 restructuring team. The recommendation does not include what type of focus ...
Cops say shooting death isn't random
Dec 03, 2008 ... The Sunday morning shooting death of a man shoveling snow outsidehis Stetson Hills home does not appear to be random, police said. Richard L. Schreiner, 47, was found dead of a gunshot wound inthe torso about 9 a.m. Sunday on Amberly Drive. Although police were not disclosing ...
Emergency landing at Springs airport
Dec 03, 2008 ... A plane made an emergency landing at Colorado Springs Airport onTuesday afternoon after losing power to one of its engines. The US Airways Airbus A-319 was en route to Los Angeles fromPhiladelphia with 198 people on board, said John McGinley, assistantdirector ...
Calhan lawmaker wins annual award
Dec 03, 2008 ... Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan, has been named 2008 Coloradolegislator of the year by the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. In honoring Looper on Nov. 21, the 25,000-member agriculturegroup, serving Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico, ...
Different tune in guitar sales ; Try-before-you-buy mind-set hasn't hurt local shop online
Dec 03, 2008; ... Three years ago, Music Exchange owner Ed Johnson took the boldstep of adjusting his business model to include more online sales. Big mistake, according to many guitar-playing purists. After all,the prevailing philosophy in the music-retail business was thatmusicians were a "try ...
SPRINGS DISABILITY STARTUP TAKING OFF ; Word on Disaboom.com spreading organically
Dec 03, 2008; ... Disaboom is boomin'. The company, started by two Colorado Springs men, operates whatis billed as "the premier online community for people withdisabilities." In November, the number of monthly visitors toDisaboom.com soared past 1 million for the first time. The Disaboom ...
UP FRONT FOR THIS CENTER ; Wiegmann happy to be key player for division leader
Dec 03, 2008; ... ENGLEWOOD - Last offseason the Kansas City Chiefs were ready tomove on without center Casey Wiegmann. Wiegmann was ready to moveon, period. He had played 12 seasons in the NFL, and the last one stung. TheChiefs went 4-12, which made for a tough year. Kansas City chose notto ...
NICHOLLS GETS THREE LIFE TERMS ; Mother sentenced for murdering her 3 kids
Dec 04, 2008; ... A judge on Wednesday brought to a close the disturbing case ofthree young children slain in an arson fire when he sentenced theirmother to life in prison. Fourth Judicial District Judge Steven Pelican ordered Deborah LeeNicholls to serve three life sentences, one after the ...
STUMBLING STALLIONS BATTLE BACK
Dec 03, 2008; ... Sierra's season started worse than new coach Otis Johnson couldhave imagined. The Pikes Peak No. 2 Stallions trailed unranked Fountain-FortCarson 11-0 and didn't score until 47 seconds were left in the firstquarter. Then it got worse. Fountain-Fort Carson built a ...
UNIT WILL TEND IRAQIS, EACH OTHER
Dec 04, 2008; ... inside Iraq attacks are at lowest monthly level since war's start. A12 Fort Carson soldiers will head to Iraq later this month to takeover what has been called the world's busiest trauma hospital. More than 500 soldiers assigned to the 10th Combat SupportHospital will ...
FALCONS SENIOR NOW FINISHING WITH STYLE
Dec 03, 2008; ... A recurring image during Air Force's 2007-08 season was then-junior Anwar Johnson darting past a defender, swooping through thelane, leaping and contorting his body around opponents and ... The ball careening sharply off the glass or sliding off the rim. As wonderfully athletic ...
Juror said prosecutors' case fit like puzzle pieces ; Was careful to keep an open mind on Nicholls
Dec 04, 2008; ... One of the jurors who convicted Deborah Nicholls of murder showedup at her sentencing Wednesday to hear what she had to say. William Verigan of Colorado Springs said jurors only needed threehours to deliberate the case, after six weeks of trial, becauseprosecutors built such a ...
Falcons goalie Volkening honored
Dec 03, 2008 ... Air Force goaltender Andrew Volkening was named the AtlanticHockey Association Goaltender of the Month. The junior, who led the Falcons to a 6-1 record in the month ofNovember, ranks second in the nation in ...
DEATHS
Dec 04, 2008 ... ROBERT BATEMAN JR. Born Sept. 20, 1964. Died Dec. 1, 2008. Former 22-year Colorado Springs resident. Survived by his wife,Tami. Service, 1 p.m. Tuesday, Pikes Peak Christian Church, 4955Bradley Road, Security. Bayliff and Eley Funeral Home, Wapakoneta,Ohio. LARRY GENE ...
KITCHEN COOL FOR THE YULE ; Clever gifts can brighten cooking experience
Dec 03, 2008; ... Even in this sagging economy, you can't leave the foodies in yourlife high and dry at the holidays. We looked around for some fungadgets to stuff in stockings as well as pricier kitchen equipmentfor those extra-special cooks. Here's a peek at what we found in the $10-to-$50 price ...