Thursday September 13, 2012

Mesa County Sheriff's investigators are still trying to identify a man found dead in a Fruita irrigation ditch.  The body was discovered by a nearby resident in 1200 block of of 17 1/2 Road around 3:30 yesterday. Deputies say the man appears to be in his early 20s, with brown hair and not identifying marks or tattoos.

The City of Grand Junction's upgrading its waterline system and a project starting today will affect motorists on Grand Avenue between 5th and 2nd Streets.  The pipes being replaced were installed in 1957 and have outlived their estimated 50 years of  service.  Today's project follows waterline replacement already underway on Ouray Avenue between 19th and 22nd Streets and on 20th Street between Ouray and Chipeta.  At least three more replacment projects are on tap this fall.

If you travel State Highway 133 over McClure Pass, get ready for some delays starting Monday.  C-DOT is doing some rockfall mitigation with delays up to 20 minutes or longer while traffic is narrowed to  a single lane.  The McClure area is ranked at the top of the C-DOT's Rockfall hazard Rating System, with the amount of rockfall higher than other sites in the state.  Crews will be scaling rock on the north side of the pass, not with explosives, but by inflating airbags behind the rock to cause it to fall. They'll also install rock reinforcement and installing wire mesh to contain smaller rocks.

Veterans in Garfield County who need flu shots can get them at a clinic Saturday at the Glenwood Springs Veterans Clinic.  There will also be Hepatitis-C, and HIV testing.  Any vet with proof of service can get a flu shot.  Free testing is available for vets who are enrolled for care at the Glenwood Springs or Grand Junction VAs.

Governor John Hickenlooper has come out in opposition to Amendment 64 which would legalize some recreational marijuana use in Colorado.  Backers of the bill call the governor's stance hypocritical.  They say the amendment is a health issue, their campaign starting in 2004 after the deaths of two college students from alcohol overdoses.

The Democratic candidate for House District 58 in Montrose has been cited for shoplifting.  According to the Montrose Daily Press, Tammy Theis was cited last week after a loss prevention team at City Market said she left the store without paying for some items.  Theis called it an honest mistake.  She's running against incumbent Republican Don Coram.

Montrose and Olathe have been named in the 100 Best Communities for Young People.  It's the second year in a row both have received the recognition.  The Montrose Daily Press says Montrose and Olathe were singled out by the America's Promise Alliance for the various ways community organizations serve and mentol their youth.  The award comes with a $2,500 grant.

The sale of Mesa County Library-owned land in downtown Grand Junction is getting mixed reviews.  Right now, part of the acreage is being used as a community garden many say they'd hate to see go.  But the garden has been hit hard by vandals and thieves.  The Daily Sentinel says some who pay for a plot in the garden are fed up with it.  The property between Ouray and Chipeta and 5th and 6th streets is listed for $1.2 million.

A Grand Jucntion man is dead in a crash on Highway 550 north of Silverton.  The State Patrol says 55 year old Donald Inskeep was killed after losing control of his truck on a curve and crashed.  The Durango Herald says Inskeep was talking and seemed to be ok after the crash Monday morning, but later died after medics were unable to revive him.