Tuesday February 26, 2013

If you see a lot of fire engines from Grand Junction and Lower Valley Fire Departments at the old Mesa County courthouse tonight, not to worry.  They're doing some practical training inside.  Grand Junction Fire spokesman Mike Page says it's a chance for firefighters from the different departments to work together in a simulated training exercise.  They plan to head inside around 6:30 and finish up about 9:00 tonight.

The BLM is starting work on its Roan Plateau Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement with public meetings in Silt tomorrow and in Grand Junction Thursday. The BLM is looking to identify issues to be address in the SEIS. A US District judge ordered the agency to address deficiencies in the BLM's earlier environmental analysis and Resource Management Plan Amendment.  Details are available from the BLM's Silt office.

Grand Junction city voters can meet candidates for city council at a forum hosted by the Association Student Government of CMU.  The forum is open to the public next Wednesday morning at 10:30 on the 2nd floor of the University Center.

Mesa County's Chief Deputy DA is out with a warning for recreational pot users.  Don't light up in public or you could be prosecuted. The Daily Sentinel says Dan Rubinstein has been advising the task force set up to study implementing Colorado's voter approved Amendment 64 which is designed to regulate marijuana like alcohol.  Rubinstein says there are a lot of gray areas in the law which he says could lead to marijuana becoming a cash-industry, avoiding taxation which was used as a selling point for the amendment.

The District 51 Save Our Schools committee is weighing in again on the possibility of having armed volunteers on campuses or teachers armed with concealed carry permits.  According to the Daily Sentinel some committee members say too much time is being spent on placing more armed people in schools, but little is being said about other alternatives.

A 37 year old Grand Junction woman has been jailed, accused of having a sexual affair with a 15 year old boy.  Wendy Crowell was arrested Friday and is being held on $10,000 bond.  According to the Daily Sentinel, police began their investigation after the victim's mother found a series of text messages between her son and Crowell.

Mesa County is going ahead with applications for Great Outdoors Colorado grants for improvements to the fairgrounds.  Over $400,000 is being eyed for upgrades on the east end of the facility, including RV hookups, a covered arena, and engineering costs for a new traffic signal and entrance on the west end.  The Daily Sentinel says the cost of the livestock and equestrian facilities makeover is about $2 million  and construction could begin as early as next fall.

The task force working on implementing Colorado's new Marijuana law  says pot should be sold in child-proof packaging and not contain any logos or ingredients designed to appeal to children.  The Denver Post says the panel also wants pot-infused edibles to come with labels detailing the items' potency and disclose pesticides or fertilizers used in cultivation.  The measures designed to give consumers information to make the right decisions. The task force findings will be used to craft a bill legislators will have to pass by the end of the session May 8th.

Cantaloupe farmers and packers are being told to be ready for inspections and testing of melons for pathogens after two years of illness and recalls. The Denver Post says farmers got a letter from the FDA Monday informing them of the increased inspections.  The action comes following a listeria outbreak traced to a Colorado farm in 2011.  33 people died in that outbreak.