Localities

Stuff (and complementary nonsense) from around Colorado.

No surprise: Swift fires Muslim workers:

At least 130 Muslim workers at the north Greeley JBS Swift & Co. plant were fired Wednesday afternoon, apparently over a dispute involving breaks during Ramadan.

About 15 Greeley police officers were called to the scene by a Swift security guard as part of the termination. A security guard told police one terminated Swift worker had tried to hit him.

No arrests were made. The worker was escorted off the premises and police remained on the scene for peacekeeping purposes.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 spokesman Manny Gonzales said that between 130 to 150 workers from JBS Swift & Co. had been fired.

The firings came a day after representatives from the union met with Swift officials to discuss workers’ concerns.

But many of the workers who gathered at a Greeley park Tuesday expressed their dissatisfaction with negotiations by saying, “No prayer, no work.”

And that, apparently, was that. Your free market at work. The union, of course, says it will file grievances. In the meantime, though, where will the fired workers go?

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: Dog bags four on the lam:

Bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman is starting to make good on his promise to round up a dozen Mesa County fugitives wanted on a variety of methamphetamine-related charges.

Four Mesa County residents, all wanted on meth- or fraud-related warrants, are enjoying the hospitality of two Front Range jails as of Tuesday thanks to Chapman, star of A&E’s “Dog the Bounty Hunter” television show. . . .

Chapman said he and his team’s work, capturing the suspected forgers, likely saved hundreds of Coloradans from having their identities stolen. . . .

“It’s good versus evil, and good always wins,” he said.

I was wondering.

Chapman’s big target, however — suspected drug dealer Marco Padilla — has eluded the bounty hunter and his crew.

Chapman said Padilla has two days to turn himself in, “or else.”

“We would rather have Padilla turn himself in to local authorities, wherever he is, or turn himself into myself,” Chapman said.

Turn himself into myself. Weird. Dog, by the way, is from Denver, and, like a majority of Denveronians, has served time and keeps a pet mullet.

Oil execs have inappropriate sex!

Federal officials in Lakewood used illicit drugs, had inappropriate sex, and took ski and golf vacations from oil and gas executives who paid billions in royalties to the government office, an investigator said Wednesday.

Earl E. Devaney, the Interior Department's inspector general, detailed in three reports released Wednesday how 13 former and current employees worked in a
party-like atmosphere inside the Lakewood headquarters of the department's Minerals Management Service.

The employees rigged contracts, worked part time as private oil consultants, accepted trips and dinners from oil and gas executives in addition to having sexual relationships with them, the reports allege.

We can't get off fossil fuels fast enough.

Which is a good lead-in to CSU's plan to become carbon-neutral by 2020:

Colorado State University is aiming to become carbon neutral by 2020, meaning that tons of greenhouse gases emitted by its faculty and students will be offset by energy conservation and the use of renewable energy technologies.

"Gases emitted by its faculty and students." That has to be intentional, doesn't it? Anyway, CSU's prexy gets in a shot of his own:

But CSU President Larry Penley said the university would not resort to the use of controversial carbon credits to reach its sustainability goals. "Let me state directly that this plan cannot and will not be one that relies on purchasing carbon credits from others as a PR gimmick. Our goal is energy independence."

Carbon credits, a PR gimmick? Who'd a' (as they say) thunk it?

Falsehood of the day from an LTTE in the News:

Not everyone who disagrees with local conservative talk show host Dan Caplis is immoral or ignorant.

Police blotter!

Police were dispatched to the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd., on a report of a stabbing Sept. 3. Police said a mother and daughter were in an argument and during the dispute, the mother cut her daughter's torso and allegedly threatened to "slit her from ear to ear." Police said the mother tried to flee, but was arrested a short distance later.

Another argument over what the first word in the dictionary is nearly ends in tragedy. When will the madness stop?

Update: Can distance be later?

Update II: Greeley reax to Muslim brouhaha are more or less sane.