DENVER – The Capitol dome’s $17 million renovation is nearly complete.

On Wednesday morning, gilders rappelled down the dome to begin touching up gold leaf that was damaged when the dome was surrounded by scaffolding earlier during the project. The work is expected to take a week.

It’s one of several remaining “punch list” items that need to be checked off before the dome and the observation deck is scheduled to reopen to the public Oct. 2.

The renovation was necessary because the exterior metal surfaces of the dome deteriorated and the cast iron that supported the dome rusted. The observation deck has been closed to the public since 2006, when a piece of iron fell.

Greeley police kill gun-wielding man

GREELEY – Greeley police say officers shot and killed a man who pointed a long gun at one of them.

The shooting happened as they responded to a report of a man outside a home with several guns, including an AR-15 rifle, around 3 a.m. Wednesday.

The Greeley Tribune reported that police said the 911 caller said he was a former member of the military suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Soon after that, police say the man talked to a police dispatcher about having a “shootout.”

The man hasn’t been identified.

The Weld County District Attorney’s office is leading the investigation into the shooting.

Rifle Powerball winner claims $90M prize

GRAND JUNCTION – A tow truck driver from a small western Colorado city claimed his $90 million Powerball jackpot and told reporters he has been waking up and feeling like his win wasn’t real.

The Denver Post reported Wednesday that the winner, who identified himself only as Claude G. at a news conference, said he woke up Sunday as his wife screamed in joy.

The drawing was Saturday night. The prize is the largest Powerball jackpot ever won in Colorado.

Previous Colorado lottery winners also have identified themselves only by their first name and an initial.

Claude G. says he is from Rifle, where he bought his ticket. The city along Interstate 70 has struggled to recover from the recession and a drop in natural gas drilling.

Sterling prison killing prompts review

STERLING – The head of Colorado’s prison system wants an in-depth review of the Sterling Correctional Facility after the killing of an inmate there this week.

KUSA-TV reports that Cody Gray’s death was the sixth homicide in the prison, the state’s largest, since 2010. He was serving a life sentence for convictions in Mesa County on charges including sexual assault, drug abuse and burglary.

The executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, Rick Raemisch, told the station that he wants to look beyond who did what to Gray in this case and look at how the prison operates, including how prisoners are classified. His predecessor, Tom Clements, also ordered a review of the prison in 2011.

Associated Press