A guest columnist mistakenly wrote Sunday that former Roncalli High School teacher William Mueller reportedly is the most prolific child molester in the country. A nationwide, nonprofit organization that supports survivors has said he is one of the 10 most prolific. The column also incorrectly noted that Mueller reportedly abused 24 students at the school. The exact number is not known because an undisclosed number of alleged victims did not sue. Twenty-three did and a settlement was reached this past fall between those alleged victims and the Pueblo Catholic Diocese and the Marianists of St. Louis, the administrators of the school, which now is a Pueblo City Schools middle school.

A 17-year-old Pueblo youth was arrested Monday in City Park after allegedly stealing a motorscooter at gunpoint from two teenagers riding their scooters along the Arkansas River Trail.

A Pueblo police officer accidently shot his wife early Sunday at their Pueblo West home, with the bullet passing through a bedroom wall to strike her as she was in the bathroom, according to a preliminary investigation by the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

Two bicyclists repair a flat tire on one of their bicycles while out on an afternoon ride Monday. A number of Puebloans were out on their bikes, taking advantage of pleasant weather conditions as temperatures climbed into the 60s. A snow-covered Pikes Peak looms in the background.

Colleen West takes her gift seriously, and she's careful to point out that her clairvoyance should not be mistaken for any kind of dark magic. Rather, she said, it's a divine blessing.

Don't say you weren't warned, Pueblo.

Pueblo County Commissioners and staff Monday asked tough questions about the impacts of the Southern Delivery System on the county’s environment, economy, property and roads.

On Christmas Eve, the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency finished the destruction of its stockpile of nerve agent weapons, with the exception of one stockpile whose destruction is not an Army responsibility and some smaller amounts still stored in Utah.

<p>Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler (right) is sacked by San Diego Chargers defensive end Igor Olshansky in the first quarter of their game Sunday in San Diego. The Chargers won, 52-21, taking a spot in the AFC playoffs away from Denver.

No one matched all six numbers to win the $1.6 million jackpot in Saturday’s Lotto drawing.

I would like to share a gift my parents gave me when I was growing up that I still hold dear to my heart decades later.

One of the realities of life in rural Southern Colorado is limited access to specialty medical care.

SPRINGFIELD - The Baca County Sheriff's Office is investigating what deputies are calling a possible homicide following the discovery of a body southwest of town Friday morning.

CANON CITY - In an effort to promote a healthier environment, St. Thomas More Hospital will implement a smoke-free campus policy, effective Thursday.

TRINIDAD - Residents of Las Animas County recognize the need for improvements and more access to health care in their region.

SALIDA - “Dr. Dave” is the quintessential country doctor right out of the good old days who is willing to travel far and wide to see patients.

LAMAR - A Holly teenager and a Texas man were killed Saturday night in a single car, rollover crash east of Lamar on U.S. 186.

ALAMOSA - Imagine a day when the water that came out of the tap couldn’t be used for drinking, bathing or cooking.

FOWLER - A staunch proponent of keeping water in the Lower Arkansas Valley died Thursday.

ALAMOSA - Like many people, Julie Campbell has allergies. She is allergic to scents.

COSTILLA COUNTY - Two people are believed dead following the discovery of a plane crash in a remote section of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Costilla County.

DENVER - The Colorado Health Foundation, a statewide grant-making organization, launched a program a few years ago to address the shortage of physicians in the state.

DENVER - A Mexican national with a crime history in Pueblo was sentenced Monday to 10 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after being convicted of a felony.

DENVER - State lawmakers are hoping the federal government will increase the amount of money it gives states for Medicaid and Medicare.

DENVER - District attorneys will receive the money they need to prosecute inmate crimes, but the Colorado Department of Corrections should find a better way to budget for it, state lawmakers said Monday.

DENVER (AP) - Former Denver Mayor Federico Pena says he’s not interested in filling the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Ken Salazar.

Acosta - Born to Jeny Lirasema Portillo and Jesus Rodolfo Acosta, Pueblo, a daughter, Dec. 29 at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center.

Clark - Born to Celena and Eli Clark, Pueblo West, a daughter, Dec. 24 at Parkview Medical Center.

Johnson - Born to Brittany Johnson, Pueblo, a son, Dec. 19 at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center.

Campbell - Born to Kaci Campbell, Pueblo, a daughter, Dec. 19 at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center.

Vigil - Tony "12" Vigil Jr., 44,Pueblo, Dec. 23. Romero.

Garbiso - Julia Ramona Garbiso, 80, Pueblo, Dec. 23. Angelus.

Sabala - Macario Sabala, 82, Pueblo, Dec. 18. Romero.

Bishop - Aimee Nicole (Stringer) Bishop, 34, Pueblo, Dec. 19. Imperial.

Aragon - Marie S. Aragon, 64, Pueblo, Dec. 17. Romero.

DETROIT (AP) - Utilities in Michigan scrambled Monday to restore power knocked out by a gusty weekend storm as rain and melting snow caused flooding there and in other parts of the Midwest.

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia’s president resigned Monday after a four-year term in which his Western-backed government failed to extend its power throughout a country crippled by infighting and a strengthening Islamic insurgency.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Kim Jong Il attended a concert by North Korea’s state orchestra, state media said, the latest official report to portray the reclusive leader as healthy amid speculation he suffered a stroke in August.

FERNIE, British Columbia - Search teams recovered the bodies of seven snowmobilers Monday, a day after they were swept away by avalanches in western Canada’s backcountry, police said. An eighth man was missing and believed dead.

CRAWFORD, Texas - The White House, calling Monday for a lasting cease-fire in the Mideast, backed Israel’s deadly air attacks on the Gaza Strip and said the Islamic militant group ruling there had shown its ‘‘true colors as a terrorist organization.’’

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Palestinian militants sent a deadly barrage of missiles flying deep into Israel on Monday, demonstrating that Hamas still had firepower three days into Israel’s punishing air offensive in Gaza.

HAVANA - More than 400 Cubans of Spanish ancestry mobbed that country’s stately embassy in Havana on Monday, waiting to apply for citizenship under the newly enacted ‘‘law of grandchildren.’’

KABUL, Afghanistan - A single-file line of school children walked past a military checkpoint Sunday as a bomb-loaded truck veered toward them and exploded, ending the lives of 14 young Afghans in a heartbreaking flash captured by a U.S. military security camera.

WASHINGTON - The two most influential women in President George W. Bush’s White House - first lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - are strongly defending the president’s legacy against critics who are calling his administration one of the worst in history.

CHICAGO - A little more than a century ago, Chicago boasted 11 daily English-language newspapers.

MIAMI (AP) - Alvah H. Chapman Jr., former president and chief executive officer of The Miami Herald, chairman of Knight Ridder Corp. and a champion of philanthropic causes in South Florida, has died. He was 87.

WASHINGTON - Fewer police officers died in the line of duty in 2008 compared to last year, reflecting better training and tactics, two law enforcement support groups reported Sunday.

Meanwhile, 19 die in fighting.
By M.O. HASSAN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A suicide bomber pretending to need help with his car killed 34 people in northwest Pakistan on Sunday while the target of another recent attack, the Marriott in Islamabad, partially reopened three months after a brazen truck bombing at the luxury hotel left 54 dead.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israel widened its deadliest-ever air offensive against Gaza’s Hamas rulers Sunday, pounding smuggling tunnels and government strongholds, sending more tanks and artillery toward the Gaza border and activating thousands of reservists for a possible ground invasion.

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb killed a U.S. soldier in Baghdad’s Shiite slum of Sadr City on Sunday while an Iraqi died when a bicycle-riding suicide bomber blew himself up amid a mass rally against Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza.

GRAND LAKE, Colo. (AP) - Authorities say a firefighter and a teenager were killed in an avalanche while snowmobiling near Grand Lake.

Calling her West Point experience thus far "unique", Jamie Clark has her future paved.

ATLANTA - Mike Woodson couldn’t remember another homestand in his 26 years as an NBA player and coach as long as the eight-game stretch his Atlanta Hawks just completed.

ENGLEWOOD - Despite a broken backfield, the worst injury epidemic in franchise history and a dreadful defense, the Denver Broncos never once trailed in the AFC West in 2008.

GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Detroit Lions own a distinction no team wants: worst in NFL history.

SAN DIEGO - The mild, mild AFC West belongs to LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers and the rest of the San Diego Chargers.

From the ugliness of 1-15 to the beauty of an AFC East title. That’s the Miami Dolphins’ story this season.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Mike Teel passed for 319 yards and Rutgers capped its comeback season with another rally, defeating North Carolina State 29-23 in the Papajohns.com Bowl Monday.

Lofty expectations did in Eric Mangini and Romeo Crennel, as their teams’ seasons crumbled from high hopes to demoralizing finishes.

SAN ANTONIO - Chase Daniel threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin in overtime and Missouri rallied to beat Northwestern 30-23 in the Alamo Bowl on Monday night.

The Indianapolis Colts ended the regular season on a nine-game winning streak, earning the designation as a team no one would want to meet in the playoffs.

DENVER - Cody McLeod had the first two-goal game of his career and John-Michael Liles added a goal and an assist in the Colorado Avalanche’s 5-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday night.

A number of Pueblo retailers sounded in good cheer Monday.

NEW YORK - The fallout from the horrific holiday season for retailers has begun, with the operator of an online toy seller filing for bankruptcy protection and more stores are expected to do the same - meaning more empty storefronts and fewer brands on store shelves.

MONARCH - In these uncertain economic times, Monarch Mountain is in a strong financial position for its 69th year of doing business, thanks to some good fortune and wise financial dealings.

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Banks that have their hands out in Washington this year were handing out multimillion-dollar rewards to their executives last year.

WASHINGTON - Think you could borrow money from a bank without saying what you were going to do with it? Well, apparently when banks borrow from you they don’t feel the same need to say how the money is spent.

NEW YORK - Crisscrossing the country in corporate jets may no longer fly in Detroit after car executives received a dressing down from Congress.

NEW YORK - Wall Street retreated Monday as continuing violence in the Middle East and a resulting jump in oil prices reminded investors that the market could face problems beyond the recession. The collapse of a Dow Chemical Co. joint venture, meanwhile, intensified Wall Street’s economic worries.

WASHINGTON - Commercial banks and investment firms borrowed less from the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending program last week, the government said Monday, although demand for the loans remains high amid a global credit crunch.

LOS ANGELES - Hollywood loves breaking box-office records, yet studio executives aren’t griping that their 2008 lineup will fall a bit shy of the all-time high set a year earlier.

WASHINGTON - Lucy and Ethel lose their struggle with a chocolate assembly line. Joe Friday demands ‘‘just the facts’’ with a penetrating gaze. A secret word brings Groucho a visit from a duck.

Oil prices tumbled below $40 a barrel Monday as reports from manufacturers like Toyota and Caterpillar pointed to a worsening global economic climate and serious deterioration in energy demand.

NAGOYA, Japan - Toyota Motor Corp. projected its first-ever operating loss since it began such reports, acknowledging Monday that its nine-year stretch of global vehicle-sales growth had stalled.

NEW YORK - Wall Street began a holiday-shortened week with a moderate pullback Monday as investors recoiled at bleak news from Toyota Motor Corp. and drugstore operator Walgreen Co.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - It is a sunny winter afternoon, and Simond Raymond has a problem.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - We were expecting to see plenty of wildlife on a winter outing to Yellowstone National Park, but - silly us - we thought we might have to get through the entrance first.

As 2008 comes to a close, we here at Special Enterprises like to reflect on the bounty of the past year.

CHICAGO - Most people would not appreciate their home being characterized as ‘‘a zoo.’’ Not so Marty and Marcy Dunne.

Whether you’re overwhelmed by the thought of planning a large-scale wedding or you’re on a tight budget, eloping is the route to ‘‘I do’’ that many couples are taking these days. It can take the pressure away from the planning and allow the couple to better enjoy the sentiment of the ceremony. Not only does it ease responsibilities, it can also cost a whole lot less. Here’s our simple guide to the ins and outs of eloping.

Robert Mulligan, the Academy Award-nominated director of ‘‘To Kill a Mockingbird’’ who later helped launch the career of Reese Witherspoon, has died at 83.

In the tradition of Madonna and Janet Jackson, Rihanna has become the video vixen of the ’00s. Beyonce may have more big-budget glamour, but Rihanna has perfected the pout, the long-legged strut and trend-setting hairdos that keep women and men alike checking her out on YouTube.

THE REVIEW of the bidding process for a new Department of Corrections headquarters has been stalled at the agency where the review was assigned. There was initial uncertainty of what exactly the Ritter administration wanted reviewed by the Department of Personnel and Administration.

IT'S "TAPS" for the 2008 version of the Denver Broncos, who stunk up the joint in San Diego on Sunday night.

NOW THAT Sen. Ken Salazar has accepted President-elect Barack Obama’s invitation to be Interior Secretary, Gov. Bill Ritter must choose the senator’s successor.

PRESIDENT BUSH, in a transparent effort to burnish his legacy, punted last week, offering $17.4 billion in bridge loans to General Motors and Chrysler. Ford Motor Co., which has fairly substantial cash reserves, was not seeking government largesse - at least not yet.

Charisma. A commanding presence. Leadership.

In Colorado, you are guilty until proven innocent.

COLORADO’S HIGHWAYS are in definite need of improvement, motorists who travel them agree. But how to pay for those improvements is the stickler.

BE CAREFUL what you ask for. That’s a wise admonition, one we would proffer to Pueblo Democratic Chairman Terry Hart.

Two years ago, freshman legislator Don Marostica introduced the Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act. Believing everyone would embrace the simple concept that taxpayers have a right to know how and where their money is being spent, Rep. Marostica, a Loveland Republican, thought his legislation to create an online, searchable database for all state revenues and expenditures - information that is already a matter of public record - would pass easily.

In today’s society, things never are what they seem to be. We have lots of charlatans and false prophets trying to represent Christianity for their own selfish purposes. To name a few, we have Ted Haggard, Jimmy Swaggart and the Marianist Brother William Mueller, reputedly the most prolific child molester in the country.

During 11 months of 1968, Jan. 23 to Dec. 23, I was an "unwelcome visitor to North Korea" aboard the USS Pueblo AGER-2.

No, my friends, this is no "Christmas Carol" tale of woe. I'm no Charles Dickens' Ebenezer Scrooge whose miserly qualities or characters come to haunt me. It's just Charles Riccillo musing again, about a way out of a holiday, depressive funk.

What would you like to see in 2009? Asked at the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library.

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