Friday September 28, 2012

Grand Junction Firefighters will be sporting something a little different all month long in October.  Pink uniform t-shirts.  They're joining firefighters from over 900 emergency agencies across the country wearing pink in awareness of cancer.  The shirts have a special logo and will also be on sale throughout the month.  Proceeds will help support a local child's fight against cancer.

The Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce is starting up it's Blue Band Shop Local campaign again with a few more incentives to buy local.  Anyone who wears a blue bland is eligible for discounts at participating merchants. 30 of those merchants are putting up prizes for residents who buy local and submit receipts between October 1st and 16th.  The Chamber says every dollar spent locally has a multiplier effect of $3 in the community.

More than 60 Colorado Coroners Association investigators are in Montrose for some training.  The gathering put together by Montrose County coroner Dr. Thomas Canfield. The investigators are learning what to look for when investigating death scenes, and about not jumping to conclusions.  The Montrose Daily Press says one case brought up yesterday appeared initially to be a gunshot wound to the abdomen, but turned out to be a cigarette burn in the stomach and a spilled glass of wine.  the conference wraps up today.

There's a campaign battle brewing in Montrose, over campaign signs.  Candidates for just about every office up for election say they've had signs stolen or defaced.  The Montrose Daily Press says police are keeping an eye out for the vandals since tampering with the signs is a crime.  Conviction can bring fines of up to $300 and up to 90-days in jail.

Using plant material to generate power? It's happening at a $46 million biomass facility under construction in Gypsum.  When it's up and running, the power generated would make up 24% of energy used in several central Colorado communities.  A team of U-S Forest Service scientists is looking at the feasibility of biomass for power generation on the Uncompahgre Plateau.  The Montrose Daily Press says folks gathered in Montrose yesterday left with a positive perspective about future possibilities in the area.

Plans are underway in Denver for the first in a series of presidential debates.  The debate is at DU Wednesday.  Mitt Romney is planning a rally Monday evening at Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver.  President Obama's campaign says the President will stay in Colorado for a campaign event Thursday in the Denver area.

School District 51's first community meeting is in the books, Superintendent Steve Schultz pledging to approach the Fruita City council and businesses about funding solutions to ease overcrowding in elementary schools there.  The District has been fighting budget cuts and has set up quarterly meetings across the valley. The Daily Senintel says last night's meeting focused on creative solutions for the Fruita area.  Future meetings will broaden the focus.

Tourism spending in the Grand Junction area is looking up.  The Daily Sentinel says the Visitor and Convention Bureau is reporting lodging tax revenues up more than 7% year to date compared with last year.  Officials at the VCB says spring was especially good for the valley and they expect another good showing through the 3rd quarter ending this weekend.