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Pueblo District Judge Victor Reyes yesterday explained briefly why he chose to declare a mistrial in the case against Paul Wayne Stark, 66, of Pueblo West, rather than to delay it. Public defender Kim Karn suffered a death in her family, the person who essentially raised her from childhood, according to Reyes. That person lived in another state. Reyes said that he felt that giving Karn a week to be gone and then another week to regroup would have put the case two weeks behind and that was too long to have a jury hanging out and waiting. Reyes said that in addition to Karn’s loss, Kristi Martinez, an investigator with the public defender’s office, also lost a family member over the weekend. The mistrial decision doesn’t mean that stark will go free. He remains in the Pueblo County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail. The trial has instead been rescheduled for January. Stark is charged with first-degree murder, sexual assault on a child and child abuse resulting in death for the rape and murder of Ashley Patterson, 14, on March 29th, 2009. Reyes thanked the jurors for their service and willingness to sacrifice their time before dismissing them.

Las Animas County Deputy Administrator Leslee Fresquez said Monday that the Perry Stokes Airport in Las Animas County would use federal funding for the rehabilitation of its primary runway. Fresquez said that the runway is in need of pavement repairs to maintain safety and now with the final decision on federal funding, plans can move forward. Each year, small, general aviation airports across the U.S. receive about $150,000 each in federal entitlement funds to aid with their operations. Perry Stokes Airport has been saving up its share since 2008 for the current runway project, giving the airport a total of $450,000 for pavement maintenance with the latest grant from the FAA. The pavement maintenance will include remarking the runway and the project will extend the useful life of the pavement to preserve the capacity of the airport. The airport also recently received a $120,000 grant to replace its above ground fuel storage tanks with a new code compliant fueling system.

Jonathen Michael Lopez, 20, who is charged with three felony counts following a fatal accident, will be in court for his preliminary hearing on August 5th. Lopez, the driver, and Celso Cesar Ruiz, 22, both of Center and both riding in the front seat, were thrown from the vehicle in the accident. A third passenger, Sarah Rodriguez, 19, was in the back seat and was wearing a seatbelt. All three were taken to the San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center in Alamosa following the accident. Ruiz was declared dead on arrival at the Alamosa hospital. The accident occurred about 2 miles west of Alamosa on U.S. 160 just after midnight on April 11th. It is estimated that Lopez was driving nearly 100 miles per hour just prior to losing control of the car. The three had reportedly been drinking in Center and then at Othelo’s Restaurant in Alamosa prior to the accident. Othelo’s has since had it’s alcohol license revoked and has closed.

A section of the popular Ute Creek Trail has slid off and is now impassable to livestock. The damage occurred about three miles from the trailhead on a narrow, steep section of the trail. The Ute Creek Trail accesses the Weminuche Wilderness from the west end of the Rio Grande Reservoir. The trail is still open to backpackers, but extra caution is advised when hiking through the damaged section of the trail. Currently it is unknown how long it will take to fix the trail. For more information, contact the Divide Ranger District at 719-657-3321.

Make unique works of art, jewelry or small sculptures out of colored glass in a variety of shapes and sizes as part of “Fridays For Fun” fusing glass this Friday. These will be fired off-premises and may be picked up on Saturday, July 24th. Visualize your creation and be surprised at how heat and pressure change the boundaries of your designs. Jill Whitmore will teach the class and suggests that students be 11 years old and up. The class will be held at the La Veta School of the Arts from 1 to 4pm on friday. Ten scholarships will be available on a first-come first-served basis.