Author: Faith Mangan

The scene at Denver International Airport (DIA) is business as usual today.  The media relations team for DIA says the security incident last night involving Denver bound United Flight 663 has not impacted operations at here at DIA. “Airport personnel are cooperating with federal law enforcement officials leading the investigation”, according to a statement released last night.

Lines at check-in appear to be normal.  The security screening lines looked a little heavy this morning, but security lines now seem to have normalized for this time of day.  Passengers and people passing through the airport do not seem too concerned now that more is known about the situation.  One woman bluntly described the diplomat’s behavior as “stupid”.  Others say they think it’s wrong to invoke diplomatic immunity, they’re not sure what should be done for handling the man and they’re not afraid to fly.

Wedding planners have found that in their line of work — there’s strength in numbers.

VOWS, a wedding planning collective has recently opened its doors in the Mile High City.  None of the entrepreneurs were laid off from a position before starting VOWS – yet in this challenging economy, the small businesses involved are banding together to share office space, customers, events, media and marketing costs.

Kerri Butler, wedding planner and founder of VOWS, says the collective quickly grew large and now has 20 vendors due to the cost sharing benefits.  The move has made it possible for some partners to drop their own offices space and create more client traffic.

Butler points out some members had previously been working out of their homes, meeting prospective clients in public places. “You can’t meet a million dollar bride in Starbucks,” Butler said.

Banding together also helped wedding planners snag a prime real estate location in Denver’s LODO neighborhood. As a group, these business owners mitigated the landlord’s risk and instead of each individual business being underqualified, the group of businesses together exceed what the landlord needed.

The site brings wedding professionals together to provide future brides and grooms with everything they need to plan their wedding under one roof.  Clients can pick and choose whichever services they want, whether it’s just from one vendor or the whole team.

VOWS will also host special events such as trunk shows, classes and celebrity guest speakers.  Businesses such as other wedding planners who are not a part of VOWS, can arrange to hold meetings in the space because the team wants the foot traffic, similar to realtors showing other realtors’ listings.

For more information, you can visit www.wedovows.com

The 8.8 magnitude megathrust in Chile this past weekend which arrived just weeks after powerful tremors in Japan and Haiti has people wondering what’s going on and if there’s a connection between these earthquakes.  In fact, the earth is constantly on the move:  in the last 8 to 30 days, more than 400 earthquakes have been recorded.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado tells Fox News that the quake this weekend in Chile was actually 500 times more powerful than Haiti, however we didn’t see the kind of destruction as Haiti, because it didn’t hit as close to the surface.  Chile is also better prepared structurally due the fact the country experiences earthquakes more often.

USGS Seismologist Dr. Paul Earle says, “in a given year you get about 18 earthquakes that are magnitude 7 and larger.  Unfortunately, this year we have had these large earthquakes impacting populated areas… There’s potentially more earthquakes however we statistically have not seen an increase in earthquake activity over recent times.”

USGS has a thousand stations tracking earthquakes all over the world.  USGS Seismologist Harley Benz says the quicker his teams can pinpoint location, magnitude and then an impact assessment, the data gives aid agencies what’s needed to quickly assess what they’re going to need to start their whole relief process.

More information about earthquakes can be found at this link:  http://www.earthquake.usgs.gov/

Update as of 11:21 a.m. local time (1:21 p.m. ET):

Court dismissed.  Bond set at $1 million, cash only.  Should he make bond, the usual conditions apply: no alcohol or drugs, GPS monitoring, no possession of firearms/weapons, no contact with victims/witnesses.  He would also have to stay 500 yards away from all schools, including colleges and universities.  The next hearing is set for March 2, 2010 at 10 a.m. (local) in this courtroom.

NOTE: The Fox News Brainroom (researchers), Kirsten Noyes and Denver Bureau Chief Denis King contributed to this report today.

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Update as of 11:16 a.m. local time (1:16 p.m. ET):

He’s facing two charges of criminal attempted 1st degree murder.  The affidavit has been ordered and will remain sealed.

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Update as of 11:09 a.m. local time (1:09 p.m. ET):

Eastwood’s hearing has begun.

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Update as of 11:05 a.m local time (1:05 p.m. ET):

Eastwood has arrived in the jail’s hearing room.  He’s spending a few minutes in private with his defender.  It’s hard to make out on the video monitor, but it looks like he has long hair.  He’s dressed in the typical jail attire, orange scrubs or jumpsuit.

He has a criminal history which includes arrests for: felony menacing in 1996, domestic violence in 1997, obstructing a police officer in 2003, driving while ability impaired in 2003, personal injury in 2003 and driving under suspension in 2004.  The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Booking Details list his height at 5’09” and his weight at 120 pounds.

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Update as of 10:17 a.m. local time:

Eastwood’s defense objected to expanded media coverage (cameras in court).  Judge has denied the request for expanded media coverage on basis it could interfere with right to fair trial.  The suspect will be the last defendant processed at this hearing.

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Update as of 10 a.m. local time (Noon ET):

Court is in session with County Court Judge Thomas Vance presiding.  Numerous people will be processed.  The suspect is expected to appear via video link.  The court is addressing the request for expanded media coverage.

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The alleged shooter in yesterday’s shooting of two students at Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Colorado will have his first court appearance, where he’ll be advised of the charges against him.  It’s scheduled for a few minutes from now, Noon ET, at Jefferson County Court in Golden, approximately 10 miles west of Denver.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says the suspect is identified as Bruco Strongeagle Eastwood.  The 32 year old was tackled by a teacher (see picture at upper left) and held until police arrived on the scene yesterday.  According to the sheriff’s news release, Eastwood was apparently at the school prior to yesterday and “he was also briefly inside the school…shortly before the shootings which took place outside” in the afternoon, as school was letting out.

School is closed today , it remains a crime scene as investigators will be on site.  It’s just 3 miles from the infamous Columbine High massacre which took place 11 years ago.

(Photo of teacher, Courtesy of KDVR)