Superior mayor diagnosed with terminal illness

Superior's mayor said this week that he was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Bruce Hagen — who announced last fall that he was stepping down in the middle of his term due to health issues and a lack of passion for the job — said Thursday that he was diagnosed with the lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis about six weeks ago.

"I was having very difficult and elongated coughing spells where you can't control them and lose your ability to function," he said.

Hagen, 70, has struggled with health issues in the past, including a minor stroke in 2015. He said the diagnosis came as a shock, and he's examining medications to slow the progression of the disease.

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