The Daily Sentinel from Grand Junction, Colorado • 2

2A The Daily Sentinel Friday, November 11, 2016 Local Western Slope lawmakers get leadership posts Court rejects appeal in drug case Argument hinged on 'knowledge' of meth possession By CHARLES ASHBY Charles.Ashbygjsentinel.com 1 -a. Guzman of Denver as minority leader. In the House, Democrats elected the state's first Latina as speaker. That job went to Rep. Crisanta Duran of Denver, who has been working as majority leader.

Replacing her in that role will be Rep. KC Becker of Boulder. For their part, House Republicans didn't choose the current assistant minority leader, Rep. Polly Lawrence, R-Parker, to replace outgoing Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland. That may be because the party lost seats in the 65-member House, going from their current 34-31 split to a 37-28 divide.

Back in the Senate, Sen. Ellen Roberts, the Durango Republican who had been serving as pro tern of the Senate, reminded her colleagues that she will be resigning her seat at the end of the year. Rep. Don Coram, R-Montrose, is to date the only person vying to replace her, a decision that will be made by the GOP central committee for Senate District 6, which includes Montrose County. Coram said he still plans to pursue that seat despite fellow Rep.

J. Paul Brown, R-Ignacio, losing his southwest Colorado seat to Democrat Barbara Mc-Lachlan. Some Capitol observers believed Brown would vie for Roberts' seat. '2 i i Now that the elections are over and state lawmakers know who will be at the Colorado Legislature next year, those lawmakers gathered Thursday to choose their new leaders. Three of them who will be in that leadership are from this side of the Continental Divide.

While Reps. Millie Hamner, D-Frisco, and Bob Rankin, R-Carbondale, will return as members of the powerful Joint Budget Committee, which drafts the state's annual budget, Sen. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction, was chosen to serve as assistant majority leader in the Senate. That was possible because Republicans were able to hold on to their one-vote majority in the 35-member Senate. Scott said he isn't certain what committees he will serve on as a result, or whether he will chair any of them.

Currently, he is chairman of the Senate State, Veterans Military Affairs Committee. Scott will serve under Sen. Chris Holbert, R-Parker, who was named majority leader. As for the rest, Sen. Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City, was named Senate president, Rep.

Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Ster-ling, as pro tern, and Sen. John Cooke, R-Greeley, as majority whip. Senate Democrats, meanwhile, re-elected Sen. Lucia De Beque By ERIN MclNTYRE Erin.Mclntyregjsentinel.com Although almost 300 voters in the De Beque area agreed to create a mosquito-control district this week, it appears that almost one-third of those voters didn't want to pay for the district with their property taxes. A matter of 35 votes left the majority of voters denying funding to the district that some of them were in favor of creating, with 249 voters turning it down and 214 voters in favor of U.UV11 UlltA JJ-.

LVJ. 111 1UVU1 J. Lofty Goals Madeline Jones, 2, of Grand Junction, wants her grandmother, Glenda Walter, to push her higher at Lincoln Park. Walter, who lives in the Midwest, is visiting her family here. said Vincenzetti.

When asked why she thought voters would approve the creation of the district, but deny operating funds, she said, "I believe there was some misinformation out there and I think people just didn't understand it." The ballot question asked for up to $230,400 annually, and allowed the mill levy to be set annually to adjust for property values and account for the district's budget requirements. The question stated that the tax J. 11V IV -J 1. DLULUH L11UL LllV LCAY OKs mosquito-control district, but the property tax. The results of the Roan Creek Metropolitan District referred measures were mixed, with 64 percent of voters agreeing to form the district, but with only 46 percent of voters approving the up to a 4 mill levy increase to finance the operations of the special district.

That left 54 percent of the voters in the proposed district voting not to fund the district, which has left the board members who were elect ed on Tuesday wondering what do Capitol Thursday and vowed to renew progressive activism. The morning protest came a day after high school students from Denver, Boulder and Colo rL L.l!' v-Til' "if--; 1 DEAN HUMPHREYThe Daily Sentinel not mnding would never exceed 4 mills. Farris said she feels the ballot question was written in a confusing manner. "I do think if it were written in clear, concise language it would have been a much better situation," she said. Vincenzetti said the board will schedule its first meeting soon and will be discussing next steps with its attorney, Larry Beckner.

"I still think it's salvageable," Farris said. lary Clinton won Colorado and the national popular vote, and they encouraged each other not to slow activism for progressive causes. National forecast Forecast highs for Friday, Nov. 11 -10s -0s 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s By CHARLES ASHBY Charles.Ashbygjsentinel.com The Colorado Court of Appeals rejected a Clifton woman's argument that she should not have been convicted of possession of methamphetamine because she had already used it up before being arrested by Mesa County sheriff's deputies. When the woman, Meghan Hurley, was arrested in March 2013, deputies found a scale, a sunglass case containing small baggies, three Xanax pills, a silver spoon with crystal-like residue and burn marks, a red straw, a broken glass pipe with white residue, and a visible crystal-like substance scattered throughout the sunglass case, the ruling said.

A court-appointed attorney for the now 28-year-old woman tried to have her conviction overturned on grounds that there wasn't enough white crystalline residue from the meth she had used to constitute "knowingly" possessing any at the time she was arrested. But a three-judge panel of the court ruled Thursday that Hurley was guilty of possession, in part, because she also had related drug paraphernalia that had drug residue on it. "Defense counsel stated, 'We know (Hurley used) methamphetamine, and she left the burn residue and she left some scrapings in this tube, but that doesn't mean she knew that she had meth. She knew that she'd used it and she put her things Judge David Furman wrote in the ruling, which was joined by Judges Daniel Dailey and Elizabeth Harris. "A jury could reasonably infer that Hurley knew she possessed methamphetamine based on the deputy's recovery of the burnt spoon, glass pipe, baggies, scale and red straw drug paraphernalia found together with the methamphetamine substance in Hurley's purse and on her person at the time of arrest." Hurley's attorney also tried to argue that the trial court abused its discretion by giving the jury an amended version of her theory, but the appeals court said a defendant is not entitled to choose the specific words contained in jury instructions.

Sunny Pt. Cloudy Cloudy Fronts Pressure Cold Warm Stationary Low High VNv Weather Underground AP 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s Road conditions 877-315-7623 Air quality advisory Mesa County 248-6990 MontroseDelta counties 874-2172 sA. Ull J. LIVO U.UJ VVUllU.1111 VV11UL l3Jl 11j11V IIUVV IUIIUJ.11 A.J. J.U, About 300 gather at Colorado Capitol i r- ml i i i i i 11 i i CAJ.

J. to protest Trump election .1 ii i i .1 j.1 i ni' 1 i no and black speakers and the head of Colorado's largest abortion-rights group. Speakers reminded the crowd that Democratic nominee Hil Here's what's in store today High 64, low 37 Sunny MONDAY TUESDAY High 66, Low 39 High 70, Low 44 will happen with a district that has no money to operate. Voters elected Toni Vin-cenzetti, Cynthia Farris, Kim Heidel, Vernon Bruse and Al-den Savoca to serve on the first governing board of the special district. At this point, the board members aren't sure how to proceed with operating a district that has no funding.

"I'm hoping that we can move forward and have a district and somehow have funding for it," rado Springs walked out of class to decry the election results. Democratic state Rep. Joe Salazar of Thornton led the rally, which also included Lati Sunset today 5:03 p.m. Sunrise Saturday 6:55 a.m. UV index: 4 (moderate) Full moon Last qtr.

New moon First qtr. nnnn Nov. 14 Nov. 21 Nov. 29 Dec.

7 Temperature High Low 67 at 3:25 p.m. 32 at 5:50 a.m. 54 30 72 in 1958 6 in 1950 59 Average high Average low Record high Record low High this date last year Low this date last year Precipitation For the period ending at 5 p.m. Total this month Average month to date Total for year Average year to date 36 0.00 in. 0.02 in.

0.27 in. 7.31 in. 8.37 in. Relative humidity High Low 75 at 6 a.m. 24 at 4 p.m.

Lake Powell 3,608 ft. Blue Mesa Reservoir 7,493 ft. Colorado River at Cameo 1,680 cfs By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DENVER About 300 people chanted anti-Donald Trump slogans on the steps of the Colora SATURDAY SUNDAY High 63, Low 35 High 64, Low 37 DeltaMontrose High 64, Low 35, sunny Rifle High 66, Low 33, sunny Glenwood Springs High 64, Low 36, sunny Grand Mesa High 50, Low 22, sunny Southeastern Utah High 68, Low 40, sunny Denver area High 59, Low 33, sunny Partly Cloudy Fort Collins Greeley 58 I 32 .61 I 28 Denver- 59 I 33 Grand Junction Colorado Springs 64 I 37 57 I 35 Pueblo Montrose 61 I 35 64 I 35 201 6 Wundergrouna.corr City High Low Pre. Otlk. Albuquerque 56 37 PCIdy Anchorage 40 29 .06 Cldy Atlanta 70 42 Cldy Baltimore 60 38 PCIdy Birmingham 73 40 PCIdy Bismarck 60 35 Clr Boise 66 42 Clr Boston 53 39 .01 PCIdy Charlotte, N.C.

67 37 Clr Cheyenne 62 39 Clr Chicago 63 41 Cldy Cincinnati 60 31 PCIdy Cleveland 60 37 Cldy Columbia, S.C. 68 37 Cldy Dallas-Fort Worth 72 51 PCIdy Des Moines 72 40 Clr Detroit 63 35 Cldy Flagstaff 58 25 Clr Honolulu 83 68 Clr Houston 73 55 Cldy Indianapolis 60 35 PCIdy Jacksonville 72 50 Clr Kansas City 69 34 Clr Las Vegas 80 58 Clr Los Angeles 90 65 Clr Miami Beach 83 68 Clr Milwaukee 66 43 PCIdy Minneapolis-St. Paul 68 46 Clr Nashville 67 38 Clr New Orleans 70 61 Cldy New York City 56 40 .01 PCIdy Oklahoma City 70 36 Clr Omaha 70 37 Clr Orlando 80 58 Clr Philadelphia 58 40 .03 PCIdy Phoenix 82 65 Clr Pittsburgh 59 37 Cldy Portland.Ore. 68 48 Cldy Reno 70 39 PCIdy Richmond 61 40 Clr Sacramento 75 50 mm St. Louis 67 39 Clr Flurries Snow Showers Rain Weather Underground AP Showers Rain T-storms Flurries Snow Ice St.

Petersburg 77 67 Clr Santa Fe 56 27 PCIdy Salt Lake City 64 41 Clr Seattle 62 46 Cldy San Antonio 70 60 Cldy Tampa 82 63 .01 Clr San Diego 90 65 Clr Tucson 76 54 Clr San Francisco 73 57 Cldy Washington, D.C. 63 44 PCIdy City High Low Pre Snow Grand Junction 67 32 0.00 0 Akron 69 37 0.00 Greeley airport 70 28 0.00 Alamosa 64 8 0.00 0 Gunnison 65 16 Aspen 63 26 0.00 Hayden 64 32 Burlington 73 28 0.00 La Junta 77 28 0.00 Centennial arpt 66 36 0.00 Lamar 76 16 0.00 Colorado Springs 69 34 0.00 0 Leadville 54 21 0.00 Cortez 62 25 0.00 Limon 68 21 0.00 Craig 68 19 0.00 Meeker 67 23 0.00 Denver intl arpt 69 42 0.00 Montrose 63 31 0.00 Durango 60 27 0.00 Pueblo 76 22 0.00 0 Eagle 64 19 Rifle 70 27 0.00 Ft Collins arpt 72 37 0.00 Springfield 72 29 0.00 Get instant weather Tellu ide 60 35 Trinidad 69 27 0.00 information at M-Msmngwrace Current Grand Junction conditions 243-0914 then press 1 Five-day forecast 243-0914 then press 2 Time local temperature 242-2550 Gunnison River in Grand Junction 1,360 cfs Gunnison River below Gunnison tunnel 598 cfs GJSentinel.com.