The Daily Sentinel from Grand Junction, Colorado • 4

Grant allows library to create lab for language-learning The more than 500 people utilizing Mesa County Public Library language classes have a new learning lab to aid them in their pursuit of a second language. The eight-computer language learning lab, downstairs in the Mesa County Central Library at 530 Grand and a 10-laptop-computer mobile learning lab were paid for through the Colorado State Library Broadband Technology Opportunity Program Grant Project. The project provided funds to 76 libraries across the state. Libraries were selected for a piece of the $3.3 million grant based on each poverty level, ethnic diversity and demand for public access to broadband, according to Sharon Morris, director of library development for Colorado State Library. The learning lab and laptops cost $35,166.

The library provided $3,700 for the project, and the rest of the money came through the grant, funded by the federal government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The stationary lab will help people learn English, Spanish and about a dozen other languages through software and online programs available at the library, according to Karen Kllanxhja, head of literacy services at the library. have students from 34 Kllanxhja said. have a little bit of English, but want to learn The laptops will travel to other Mesa County library branches, Homeward Bound Homeless Shelter, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Community Corrections and Western Colorado Community College to aid volunteers in teaching language classes as well as classes that teach people computer skills, such as how to write a resume, search for a job on the Web or use various computer programs. The laptops also will be used at Rocky Mountain Elementary School, where library volunteers teach two language classes a week to parents of the students.

Arizona poised to pass bill By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOENIX Arizona, a state that has shown little reluctance in bucking the federal government, is again plowing controversial political ground, this time as its Legislature passed a bill to require President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove their U.S. citizenship before their names can appear on the ballot. If Gov. Jan Brewer signs the proposal into law, Arizona would be the rst state to pass such a requirement potentially forcing a court to decide whether the birth cate is enough to prove he can legally run for re-election. Hawaii cials have ed Obama was born in that state, but so-called have demanded more proof.

Opponents say bill gives the state another black eye after lawmakers approved a controversial immigration enforcement law last year, considered legislation asserting state rights, and made it illegal to create hybrids by fertilizing human eggs with nonhuman sperm and vice versa. is in the midst of a scal crisis. cut school funding. And they pass a bill questioning citizenship? For said Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Phoenix, an opponent of the bill.

Republican Rep. Carl Seel of Phoenix, the author, said the birth By EMILY ANDERSON Emily.Anderson@gjsentinel.com THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARIZONA GOV. JAN BREWER speaks in February at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting in Washington. The Arizona Legislature gave fi nal approval Thursday to a proposal that would require President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove they are U.S. citizens before their names can appear on the ballot.

NATION SENTINEL WIRE SERVICES Storms tear through Midwest, South CRYSTAL SPRINGS, Ark. Powerful spring storms roared through parts of the South on Friday, toppling trees, smashing buildings and killing at least 10 people, including two sets of parents and children who were huddled together as the winds raged outside their homes. It was the deadliest storm of the season so far. Several tornados accompanied the onslaught, but much of the damage was attributed to straight-line winds sudden, violent downbursts that struck with hurricane force in the middle of the night. As the storm howled through Crystal Springs, Eden Davis woke up, grabbed her young child and sat on the edge of the bed waiting to pull a mattress over both of them to shield the pair from ying debris.

The storms began late Thursday in Oklahoma, where at least ve tornadoes touched down and two people were killed. The system then pushed into Arkansas, killing seven more. Dozens of others were hurt. Colorado to keep daylight saving time DENVER Colorado will keep springing forward and falling back, after all. A proposal to put Colorado on year-round daylight saving time was rejected Friday by a Senate panel.

Republican Sen. Greg Brophy said his idea would give people more light in the evenings to enjoy the outdoors. But the idea was rejected 6-4 by the Senate Appropriations Committee, which said there is no money in the budget to pay for any expenses associated with the change. After the vote, Brophy joked on Twitter that Democrats must not like change. County: Extra Aircraft deal still in works By WILLIAM WOODY William.Woody@gjsentinel.com MONTROSE Lease negotiations between Montrose County and Extra Aircraft were characterized as ongoing Friday, one day after an Extra cial said the deal appeared hopeless.

County staff reportedly was talking Friday morning with Extra Chief Executive cer Ken Keith, according to County Commissioner Ron Henderson. has not been taken Henderson said. Keith is attending an air show in Germany, according to Errol Bader, head of corporate development for Extra in Denver. Montrose County Manager Jesse Smith said Friday he could not comment about the negotiations except to say the county and company were working together to nalize a lease. Asked if the negotiations would continue into next week, Smith said, carry over until which time they are approved or Bader said Thursday the deal hinged on the lease rate between the county and company for Extra to rent hangars at the Montrose Regional Airport.

Extra is pursuing its rst U.S. manufacturing facility in Montrose, where it plans to assemble up to two different aircraft models and hire dozens of employees from the Montrose area. Bader said the company was led to believe it would be able to rent the hangars for 18 cents per square foot, but the county recently proposed $4.78 per square foot. Bader called the rate unacceptable. County Commissioner Gary Ellis said Thursday the county is working to lower its price in a new proposal.

Calls to Bader on Friday were unanswered. Requests for comment from Keith also were unsuccessful. record satisfy the requirements of his proposal and that Obama would have to provide other records, such as baptismal cates and hospital records. But Seel said the measure intended as a swipe against the president and instead was meant to maintain the integrity of elections. Obama drew the question out, but not about Seel said, noting his bill would also require statewide candidates to complete an davit showing they meet the cations for those ces, which include U.S.

citizenship. The governor, who has until the end of business Thursday to act on the proposal, declined to say whether she would sign the measure. bill is an interesting piece of legislation. I certainly have not given it a whole lot of thought with everything been on my said Brewer, a social conservative who has vetoed four bills and signed more than 100 others since the legislative session began in January. The U.S.

Constitution requires that presidential candidates be U.S. citizens, be at least 35 years old, and be a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. But the term is open to interpretation and many bloggers, politicians and others have weighed in. No one knows for sure what the term means, said Gabriel J. Chin, a University of Arizona law professor who is an expert in citizenship and immigration law.

was modeled after a phrase used in British law, and the U.S. Supreme Court has never ned it, he said. Birthers have maintained since the last presidential election that Obama is ineligible to hold the highest elected ce because, they argue, he was actually born in Kenya, his homeland. mother was an American citizen. Hawaii cials have repeatedly rmed citizenship, and his Hawaiian birth cate has been made public.

Even though the courts have rebuffed lawsuits challenging eligibility, the issue gone away. Whether measure would be found constitutional is an open question, legal scholars say. Daniel Tokaji, an election law expert at Ohio State law school, said he think the bill on its face icts with federal law. But he said a court might nd its application unconstitutional. By WILLIAM WOODY William.Woody@gjsentinel.com MONTROSE A judge ruled Friday enough evidence exists for a second criminal case against former 7th Judicial District Attorney Myrl Serra.

Serra was in court Friday for a preliminary hearing on charges he violated his bond conditions. He was arrested in December and charged with harassment, violating a protection order and violating the terms of his bond. The charges were a result of a Dec. 5 incident at a Montrose Department Store in which he reportedly confronted a female witness in another criminal case against him. Records show Serra was not to have any contact with that woman.

Serra previously denied all allegations against him. Serra was arrested Sept. 30 and charged with felony unlawful sexual contact with the use of force, criminal extortion, misdemeanor unlawful sexual contact, indecent exposure and cial misconduct. Those charges stemmed from allega- tions by a woman in his ce. Serra resigned as DA on Jan.

11, one day after Dan Hosten- piller took over as interim DA. trial on the bond-violation charges is scheduled for Aug. He will go to trial in the sex-assault case July 18. Hotsenpiller did not return calls Friday from The Daily Sentinel. Former bond-violation trial set for August ANCHORAGE, Alaska Former Alaska Gov.

Sarah Palin has won another protective order against a Pennsylvania man accused of stalking the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and her family. A magistrate in Anchorage issued the 20-day order against Shawn Christy, 19, of McAdoo, and set a May court date for Palin and other plaintiffs who also are seeking an extended six-month order. Palin ed by phone during a hearing last week that Christy has become more brazen in his threats and her family was worried about him. Palin also said she had learned that Christy traveled to Alaska on her birthday in February. Police in Wasilla, where the Palins live, did not return a call asking if Christy was under investigation.

Palin, her father Chuck Heath and her friend Kristan Cole also want protective orders against parents, Craig and Mary Karen Christy. However, request for a protective order against Mary Karen Christy was denied. they want to be is left said attorney John Tiemessen, who represents Palin. repeatedly asked the Christys if they would just quit bothering the Palins, the Heaths and the Coles, and they refuse to do There were no telephone listings in McAdoo, for any of the Christys, and they could not be reached for comment Friday. Protective order extended against Palin family stalker A MAN THROWS RUBBLE on a pile as he helps clean up the ruins of two homes of relatives in Tushka, on Friday.

The homes crashed into each other during Thursday tornadoes. Measure would require presidential candidates to prove U.S. citizenship By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sign up by April 21st and be automatically entered to WIN A $100 CONOCO GAS CARD! No purchase necessary to win. Must be 18 years of age or older. Must enter by midnight April 21.

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