Tuesday August 14, 2012

MONTROSE PULLS PLUG ON EDC FUNDING
The Montrose Economic Development Corporation will have to look somewhere besides the city for money to pay its rent after the city council has pulled the plug on funding used for that.  According to the Montrose Daily Press, the City Council has decided to spend up to $24,000 on economic development projects in 2013, but says it won't fund the EDC directly. The council says it's been disappointed with progress and meaningful results from the orgainzation.

GJ BELTWAY?
The Grand Junction City Council says it wants to move ahead with a plan to connect 29 Road to I-70 and widen 24 Road between Patterson and the Interstate.  Now they're looking at exactly how to ask voters to fund it. The idea is to use money being used now for the Riverside Parkway debt, once that's paid off.  Using that money will require a vote to contine using taxes already being collected above the limits of TABOR.  If they decide to move ahead, they'll need to have ballot language ready by February for an April vote.

NO PD CAMS
Grand jucntion Police cars don't have video recorders anymore.  They were taken out last week.  According to the Daily Sentinel, the cameras were paid for with a grant and now the warranty has run out.  Police Chief John Camper says the cost to replace the cameras isn't justified by their limited usefulness.


GOLD WING GATHERING
There'll be a lot of motorcycles on the roads in the Grand Valley this week.  The Gold Win Road Riders Association's Colorado District is coming to Grand Junction for their annual convention.  They'll be attending education seminars and having a good time.  The Colorado Chapter is part of a group with more than 72,000 members in North America and 53 foreign countries.

PET HEAT STROKE
Although it hasn't been as hot lately, it's still summer and Mesa County Animal Services and local vets say they're continuing to see cases of heat exhaustion which can lead to heat stroke or even death in dogs. Pet owners should make sure their dogs have plenty of shade and cool water, don't leave a dog in a parked car, or exercise a dog in the heat of the day.

SINKHOLE
C-DOT expects to open one lane of Highway 67 north of Cripple Creek today, after the road was closed Saturday because of a sinkhole over an old mine shaft. C-DOT has posted a video shot from inside the 5 foot wide, 20 foot deep sinkhole on their facebook page.  [www.facebook.com/coloradodot]

US DA DROUGHT HELP
The U-S Department of Agriculture is buying up to $170 million worth of meat and fish to asisst livestock producers affected by the worst drought in decades.  Colorado Senator Michael Bennet says the move will help farmers and ranchers already suffering financial losses from the drought.  Both Bennet and Senator Mark Udall have been pushing the 2012 Farm Bill and say this move underscores that need.  Last month, the USDA declared all of Colorado's counties disaster areas due to losses caused by the drought.

WOUNDED WARRIORS IN GJ
A group of Wounded Warriors from Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC are in Grand Junction, ready for a 3-day 45 mile raft trip on the Colorado River.  Colorado DiscoverAbility river guides are taking the soldiers from the Loma Boat Launch to Cisco landing. The soldiers are coming from Challenge Aspen where they're taking part in a wilderness camp. The river trip begins this morning.