Colorado rancher loses appeal in pesticides case

The state Court of Appeals has ruled that a Colorado rancher who sprayed pesticides that wafted onto his neighbors’ farm must serve his two-day jail sentence. The Denver Post reports the Thursday decision comes after James Hopper challenged his conviction and the jail time handed down last year. Hopper’s neighbors, vegetable growers Rosemary Bilchak and Gordon MacAlpine, who has leukemia, took him to court over his use of pesticides to combat mosquitoes. They claimed the pesticides were harmful to MacAlpine’s health and prevented them from expanding into organic vegetable production. A judge in 2012 ruled the neighbors have a right for their property to be protected and ordered Hopper to control his use of pesticides. But records show he continued spraying through 2015. Hopper could not be reached for comment.