The Daily Sentinel from Grand Junction, Colorado • 1

EX-ENERGY WORKERS RECEIVE IN-HOME PATIENT CARE HEALTH "1 fflfek thedaiot SENTINEL GRAND JUNCTION. COLORADO ALSO INSIDE 'NOVA ROLLS TO ANOTHER NATIONAL TITLE SPORTS IB Tuesday April 3, 2018 $1.00 Your community news source since 1893 Redlands fire sparks evacuations Authorities called for the evacuation of 300 homes Monday night in the area of Rosevale Road on the Redlands as fire crews responded to a wind-driven fire. The fire was at 0 percent containment as of 11 p.m. No injuries were immediately reported. Eric Butz was one of the people who called 911 when the fire first ignited.

He could see the flames in a field behind a mobile home at 367 Rosevale Road, where he rents a room. Within 10 minutes there was "a wall of fire" a few yards away from his house, embers were flying through the air and Butz was running to his car. He did not have time to grab his wallet, cellphone or any of his possessions. "At first I thought it didn't look that bad. Then the See FIRE, page 8A BY KATIE LANGFORD AND AMY HAMILTON Katie.Langfordgjsentinel.com Amy.Hamiltongjsentinel.com A windswept fire pushed along by tinder-dry conditions destroyed multiple homes, buildings, vehicles and power lines and prompted authorities to call for the evacuation of at least 300 homes in the Roseva-le neighborhood on the east end of the Redlands late Monday night.

Officials with the Grand Junction Fire Department do not know what caused the fire that engulfed homes and other structures near Rosevale Road, but calls to emergency dispatchers about a brush fire that was threatening buildings started rolling in at 7:30 p.m. en in CHANCEY BUSH The Daily Sentinel State Senate will not expel Blagg case in jury's hands In closing, DA points to marital discord, defense blames intruder Baumgardner BY CHARLES ASHBY Charles.Ashbygjsentinel.com A movement to expel Republican Sen. Randy Baumgardner failed Monday night after GOP leaders in the Colorado Senate, who received daily calls from Democrats for more than a month to introduce their resolution to oust Baumgardner over sexual harassment complaints, finally agreed to do so. In a surprise move late Monday, GOP leaders in the Senate allowed debate on a resolution to expel the sen 5 ator whose district includes Garfield and Rio Blanco counties on allegations he slapped and grabbed a female staffer, even though there still are two more complaints to be completed and aren't expected to be released for another week. SEN.

RANDY BAUMGARDNER S1 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBl rJVXmABBBBBBBBBBL'lvABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBl BBBBflBBBDSfBDnFfiHjiHr- HflBBBBBBE3TCLEBBffigEQ By GABRIELLE PORTER Gabrielle.Portergjsentinel.com GOLDEN After five grueling weeks of testimony, the murder case of Michael Blagg is now in the hands of a Jefferson County jury. In front of a courtroom packed with family members of both Michael and Jennifer Blagg, relatives of the attorneys, members of the media and a few curious onlookers with no relation to the case, prosecutors and public defenders delivered closing arguments Monday morning in the retrial of the now-55-year-old Blagg, who is charged with first-degree murder after deliberation in connection with the fatal shooting of his wife, Jennifer. The 34-year-old mother disappeared from the family's Redlands home on Nov. 13, 2001. Her body was discovered in the Mesa County Landfill seven months later.

Abby Blagg, the couple's 6-year-old daughter, disappeared along with her mother. Her body has never been found, and no charges have been filed in her presumed death. Jurors deliberated for a few hours Monday afternoon before leaving for the day. They will resume deliberations this morning. Lead prosecutor Trish Mahre spent an hour walking jurors through the prosecution's case against Blagg, who is accused of shooting his wife in the face while she slept between 1 and 2 a.m.

"While Jennifer Blagg slept, the defendant got his gun," Mahre said. "He found the bullets. He loaded his gun, he stood over his wife's head, covered it with something light in nature and shot her in the face." Mahre attacked the defense's theory that a child predator targeting Abby broke in about 6 a.m. after Blagg left for work by reminding jurors of multiple neighbors who testified that they saw and heard nothing unusual during the daytime hours. Reminding jurors of Blagg's 911 call, Mahre pointed out that he reported his wife and daughter missing before he checked rooms other than the master bedroom, and noted that he was already referring to his family in the past tense.

"He did not demand urgency from the 911 operator," Mahre said. "He was also not afraid to go back into his home because he knew they were dead. There was no suspect in the home." Mahre referred to numerous blood smudges and stains in the family's minivan, parked in the garage when Blagg got home. "The only logical evidence is that the van was used to transport the bodies," she said, reminding jurors that both sets of keys were accounted for. When Blagg sat with investigators more than five hours, Mahre said his behavior was suspicious.

"Interestingly enough, Mr. Blagg doesn't ask for any updates (during the interview)," Mahre said. they been found? Should I go None of that. Because he knew they were dead." Mahre reminded jurors that when Photos by GABRIEL CHRISTUSSpecial to the Sentinel Marilyn Conway and David Loman, mother and brother of murder victim Jennifer Blagg, are seen Monday at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Golden. Closing arguments were made Monday morning in Michael Blagg's retrial.

But after hours of emotional speeches from Democrats, the effort to expel Baumgardner came up short. It required a two-thirds vote 24 members of the 35-member Senate but only the 16 Democrats in the chamber voted for it. All Republicans voted against it, except Sen. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction. Though Scott didn't address the full Senate, he said afterwards that unlike his Republican colleagues, he believed what he read in the investigation against Baumgardner.

While that investigation found the complaints to be credible, Senate President Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City, said he didn't think it was. Over the course of several hours, Democratic senator after Democratic senator spoke about why Baumgardner should be expelled. "What we do today or what we don't do will speak volumes about us, about this chamber, about this institution," said Sen. Matt Jones, D-Louisville. "It'll speak volumes to anyone dumb enough to come forward.

That's the worst thing here." Baumgarnder is one of five legislators who had complaints of sexual harassment lodged against them, but only two rose to the level of sparking resolutions for expulsion. Last month, for the first time in more than a century, that happened in the Colorado House. There, now former Rep. Steve Lebsock of Thornton was tossed. He had been a Democrat, but moments before that vote was taken to expel him, he switched party affiliations to Republican.

He was ousted on an overwhelming 52-9 vote, with all dissenting votes coming from GOP lawmakers. Western Slope Reps. Dan Thurlow, R-Grand Junction, Bob Rankin, R-Car-bondale, and Millie Hamner, D-Fris-co, voted for expulsion. Reps. Yeulin Willett, R-Grand Junction, and Marc Catlin, R-Montrose, had been excused bbbbbbbTbbbB I ij hi Clare Peterson, sister of defendant Michael Blagg, and her husband walk hand-in-hand Monday at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Golden.

Jurors deliberated for a few hours Monday afternoon before leaving for the day. They resume deliberations this morning. See a photo gallery at GJSentinel.com. See SENATE, page 8A See BLAGG, page 8A 5B fM High 55, Low 31 Commentary. 4A Sports IB Business 8B Comics 4B Subscriptions: 800-332-5833 Vol.125 Main line: 970-242-5050 No.

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