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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Category: Colorado News

  • March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary

    March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary

    On March 3, 2020, Arapahoe County will hold a Presidential Primary election, which will determine the presidential nominees for each political party. All active voters will receive a ballot the week of Feb. 10, 2020. There are recent changes to Colorado’s presidential primary process, so read on to make sure you’re ready for the election on March 3. 

    The most comprehensive voter information for Arapahoe County can be found at arapahoevotes.com.

    Update your voter registration 

    Make sure your voter registration is active and your mailing address is current by visiting www.govotecolorado.gov. The County uses this information to mail your ballot to you. Please note that ballots are not forwarded even if you have submitted a Change of Address form to the U.S. Postal Service. 

    Watch your mailbox

    Ballots will be mailed to active registered voters the week of Feb. 10, 2020. Please allow one full week for your ballot to arrive. 

    If you do not receive your mail ballot, please visit www.govotecolorado.gov and verify your voter registration address is correct. Update your address, if necessary, and a replacement ballot will be mailed to your new address. Ballots cannot be forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service. If you have any other issues, please contact our office at 303-795-4511. 

    After Feb. 24, we can no longer send ballots by mail. Instead, you must go to a Voter Service and Polling Center to update your registration and request a ballot.  

    Who is on the ballot?

    The Colorado Secretary of State maintains candidate information. Please visit the Secretary of State website for a list of candidates who have been certified to their respective Democratic and Republican party ballots.  

    Which ballot will I receive?

    Colorado has not held a presidential primary election since the year 2000. In 2016, Proposition 107 recreated and reenacted state laws allowing for presidential primaries. As noted above, all active voters will receive a mail ballot for the Presidential Primary to be held on March 3. The ballot you receive is based upon your party affiliation. In brief: 

    • If you are registered with a major party, you will get that party’s ballot. 
    • If you are unaffiliated and have elected to receive a specific party ballot, you will get that party’s ballot. Visit www.govotecolorado.gov to declare a major party ballot preference. 
    • If you are unaffiliated and have no preference, you will get both major party ballots. Please note: you may only return a ballot for one party. If two voted ballots are returned, neither will count.  
    • There are no minor party candidates for the March 3 Presidential Primary. So, if you are unaffiliated and have indicated a preference of a minor party, you will get both major party ballots. Please note: you may only return a ballot for one party. If two voted ballots are returned, neither will count.  
    • If you are affiliated with a minor party, you will not get a ballot.

    To check your affiliation status, or to declare an affiliation or party preference, please visit www.govotecolorado.gov or visit a Voter Service and Polling Center.  

    I’m 17. Can I vote in the Presidential Primary?

    Perhaps! The Colorado Votes Act (HB 19-1278), which took effect in August 2019, allows 17-year-olds to vote in state and presidential primary elections as long as they’ll turn 18 by the general election, Nov. 3. Seventeen year olds who turn 18 after Nov. 3 cannot vote in this year’s primary elections.  

    How to vote

    There are two ways you can vote: 

    • Complete your mail ballot and return to a 24-hour drop box, Voter Service Polling Center or U.S. Postal Service. You can find available Voter Service Polling Center locations near you on our website. Ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m. on March 3, 2020. 
    • You can vote in person at a Voter Service Polling Center. Be sure to check VSPC open hours before you go. VSPCs will be open on Tuesday, March 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

    How to return your mail ballot

    Once you’ve made your selections and sealed and signed your envelope, it’s time to return your ballot to Arapahoe County Elections. You have three options: 

    • You can return your sealed ballot to any of our drop-off locations by 7 p.m. on March 3. No postage is required to use a 24-hour ballot box. Ballot boxes are open Feb. 10–March 3, 2020 at 7 p.m. MST. 
    • You can return your sealed ballot to any of our Voter Service and Polling Centers by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3.  
    • Send your sealed ballot back by mail. You’ll need to include postage, which should cost .55 cents.  

    Want to track your ballot?

    You can now track your ballot through the counting process by visiting our website. Ballot Track gives you the status of your mail ballot in any election. The system uses the barcode on the outside of your ballot envelope, so your actual ballot and voting selections remain anonymous. You can also sign up to receive free messages by text, email or phone when your ballot is: 

    • Mailed to you 
    • Received by the Postal Service 
    • Received by Arapahoe County Elections

    You would also receive a message if your ballot is returned as undeliverable by the Postal Service.  

    Privacy of voter information

    Arapahoe County and the State of Colorado are required by law to maintain a variety of information about registered voters. Some of this information is considered public record and must be provided to people who ask for it. Voter registration records are public records, although some personal information contained in voter registration records remains private. To learn more about your privacy selections, visit our website.  

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  • Colorado Declares Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Week January 20-26

     Lakewood, CO: In the Fire Service, we often speak of the 5 E’s of Community Risk Reduction. The 5 E’s are Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Economic Incentives, and Emergency Response.

    These 5 E’s form the foundation by which we plan, establish, and measure our CRR activities and programs. Each of them is valuable and essential to a successful program.

    The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) declares January 20-26th, 2020 as Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Week. Fire departments are encouraged to promote fire and life safety interventions.

    This week, DFPC will publish daily videos teaching the public about the 5 E’s that make up Community Risk Reduction. Visit our CRR 2020 page by clicking here! 

    CRR is a process to identify and prioritize local risks, followed by the integrated and strategic investment of resources to reduce their occurrence and impact. In other words, it is a process to help communities find out what their risks are and develop a plan to reduce the risks viewed as high priority.

    Thank you Governor Polis and our partners for your continued support!

    More information about National CRR Week can be found at http://crrweek.org 

     

     

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  • Field Notes of a Rookie Sportsperson

    Field Notes of a Rookie Sportsperson

    ‘Taking my gun for a walk’ plus learning to butcher and prepare deer like a gourmet

    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Ten months of classroom study, days of target practice at the shooting range and hours of immersing myself in the ethics and strategies of hunting all built to a climax on the weekend after Christmas: my first big game hunt.

    The anticipation was almost overwhelming as, on Dec. 28, my daughter, Natalie, and I embarked on our first big game hunt as members of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Rookie Sportsperson Program (RSP).

    The RSP is a free program offered by CPW’s Southeast Region headquartered in Colorado Springs. It takes novice outdoors enthusiasts like Natalie and me and teaches them outdoor skills. Hopefully, attendees are inspired to get outside and sample all the adventures available in Colorado’s great outdoors.

    We are learning about hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and much more. We became certified in the safe handling of firearms through a Hunter Education course and have been out on a couple small-game hunts with our mentor, District Wildlife Manager Logan Wilkins.

    Along the way, Natalie and I began to understand why people hunt. We learned how hunting provides perhaps the most organic, natural protein one can find. And we learned how CPW uses hunting to protect big game animals from starvation and disease that result when herds grow too large, leaving no food for them on over-grazed habitat. 

    Way back on March 30, in anticipation of my hunt, Wilkins helped me decide which hunting license to buy so I could join him on a mentored pronghorn hunt near his district in Limon. Ever since, I’ve had the license in my wallet, just waiting to use it. 

    Every once in a while, I would take it out and read it: “Resident Pronghorn License. Doe Late Rifle. For Units 110, 111, 118, 119, 123, 124. Season Dates: 12/01/19 – 12/31/19.”

    On the big day, Natalie and I met Wilkins at 6:30 a.m. in Limon. It was a cold Saturday morning, but I was burning with the Big Game Fever. Wilkins had gotten permission from a landowner in the area to let a couple novice hunters come try their luck at pronghorn hunting.

    As we stepped out of the truck, the wind blew bitter cold in our faces and would continue to blow throughout the day. I was proud of my daughter: she never complained.  

    My first good chance to get a pronghorn came early in the day. We found a position in a field around 150 yards away from a group of pronghorn and sat down to keep from drawing attention to ourselves. 

    I positioned my lefty Savage Rifle, loaded with .243 Winchester ammunition, on a set of shooting sticks and tried to aim as the wind whipped us. Out in the field were two does and one antlerless buck, “all legal” with my license, Wilkins told me. 

    I took a deep breath and found them in my scope. But I couldn’t get the crosshairs to hold still long enough to feel comfortable taking a shot. We had practiced on targets at 100 yards and these pronghorn, at 150 yards, were just out of my range. 

    As I struggled to calm my sights, I sat back on my butt and we adjusted the shooting sticks. But I still couldn’t get the scope to remain still long enough to feel comfortable taking a shot. We decided to get up to try to get cover behind a nearby hay bale. 

    “We’ll see what they’ll tolerate,” Wilkins said. 

    Turns out they didn’t tolerate much from us. As soon as we got up and began walking, the three pronghorn took off, moving so quickly out of range that their speed seemed almost supernatural.

    “They say they evolved alongside big cheetah-like cats,” Wilkins said. “Myself, I like to say God was just showing off.”

    He told me pronghorn will stand facing into the wind so that the scent of predators is blowing toward them. And I read online later that windy days on the plains can dry a pronghorn’s eyes, impairing their sight and making them skittish.

    They certainly were jumpy the day we were hunting them. We spent the rest of the morning trying to spot and stalk them. Many times we saw a herd and crossed freezing fields hoping to sneak up only to pop up over a small hill and find the herd had disappeared.

    We broke for a late lunch around 1 p.m. Wilkins offered to get a hunting blind – essentially a camouflage tent – that we would sit in until dark. But bad weather was moving in and news of cars sliding off nearby Interstate 70 convinced me to call it a day.

    When we got home, I fell asleep sitting on the couch while my girlfriend was talking to me about how our hunt went. The next week, when people asked me how my hunt went, I told them what I’d heard others say: I ended up just taking my gun for a walk.

    But the day was much more than just a cold hike with my gun. As with my small-game hunts, I got to experience with my daughter an adventure we will never forget. Sure we didn’t even get off a shot. But we enjoyed the preparation, the anticipation, the quest, the shared experience of trying to feed ourselves the way our ancestors did a century ago. 

    Like many things, it’s more about the journey than the actual destination.  

    A week later, I was back in class, learning more about how to cook wild game from professional wild game chef Jason Nauert. 

    Wearing a black Prosper Meats hoodie and a hat with a Colorado logo and a forearm loaded with tattoos (are you even a chef without them?), Nauert told us about his background.

    He attended the Rocky Mountain Institute of Meat after leaving a career in law enforcement due to an ankle injury. In 2014, he began working with Special Forces units to develop a program teaching soldiers how to harvest, field dress and prepare animals in the field. Now, when he’s not traveling around the country teaching these skills at U.S. military bases, Nauert imparts his knowledge at classes like this one.

    Nauert showed us how to process a deer, demonstrating different cuts and explaining his techniques as he went.

    It was incredibly helpful to see how a professional breaks down an animal into its different cuts of meat. He had great tips for cutting and preparing every part of the animal, such as the deer’s legs or “shanks.” 

    “With shank meat, a lot of people waste their time cutting all that connective tissue, the silver skin, apart,” Nauert said. “Don’t waste your time. If you braise these in tomato sauce, or something with acidity, they’re fantastic. And you’re not wasting your time trying to cut all that silver skin off. You can tie butcher’s twine around a shank, then let it braise for six to eight hours. The meat falls off, you’ve got a beautiful dish.”

    Nauert also dispelled the myth that some cuts of meat have to be tough.

    “Some of the biggest reasons people end up with tough cuts of meat are, one, they cook it too long,” he said. “Two, they don’t use the right marinade if they’re trying to marinate it. And three, they cut it wrong.“

    Another trick is cutting across the grain of the meat.

    “If you cut with the grain, you’re screwed,” he warned. “If you cut against the grain, it’s going to be beautiful. Try not to cut super thick cuts either. It’s wild game. It’s not a cow. You can’t get away with three-inch pork chops or something like that. You want it thin.”

    Nauert had prepared a few dishes ahead of time to show the class what the results of cutting and cooking wild game could be. The delicious smell of venison carne asada and venison chili wafted around us and we all dug in to the delicious dishes.  

    At the end, Nauert wrapped up the different cuts of meat from the deer and everyone was able to take home a cut of their choosing. My girlfriend, Jamey, and I chose a roast.

    For dinner the next evening, we took chopped carrots, potatoes and onions and put them in a slow cooker with salt, pepper and garlic. Then we added broth and water to the pot and cooked it on high for about eight hours. The result was a delicious dinner for our family for the next two evenings.  

    For our final month of RSP, we’ll be participating in an ice fishing class and then have a final banquet consisting of wild game prepared by participants in the program. You’ll be able to read all about it in the next installment of Field Notes of a Rookie Sportsperson. 

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Logan Wilkins, district wildlife manager in Limon area, scans for pronghorn as Travis Duncan aims his rifle.

     

    Professional wild game chef Jason Nauert teaches members of CPW’s Rookie Sportsperson Program how to properly butcher and prepare wild game.

     

    Deer steaks cook in a class to teach members of CPW’s Rookie Sportsperson Program how to properly prepare wild game.

     

     

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  • Nutrien announces $10 million long-term investment in CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences

    Nutrien announces $10 million long-term investment in CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences

    Colorado State University and Nutrien, the world’s largest provider of crop nutrients, inputs and services, have entered into a strategic partnership with a primary goal: feeding the world in the most sustainable, inclusive and innovative way.

    Nutrien is providing CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences $1 million each year over the next 10 years. This $10 million gift will fund state-of-the-art research and teaching initiatives on campus and provide scholarship support to students, elevating CSU into a position of leadership in developing a diverse, highly skilled agricultural workforce and boosting Nutrien’s ability to deliver industry-leading products.

    “We are grateful for this incredible support from Nutrien,” CSU President Joyce McConnell said. “Both Nutrien and CSU share a vision of using high-tech agriculture to help sustainably feed the world. We face immense challenges to accomplish this task, and it is through improved research capabilities and training more students to bring their innovative ideas forward that CSU will make a bigger impact on the future.”

    Nutrien, a global company with offices not far from campus in Loveland, Colorado, has been providing crop inputs and expert agronomic services for more than 50 years. The company has operations and investments in 14 countries and 20,000 employees, including more than 600 CSU alumni.

    Mike Frank, Executive Vice President and CEO of Retail at Nutrien, said studying strategic plans put together by CSU and the College of Agricultural Sciences that look 10 years into the future inspired his company to seek a partnership with the University. He said CSU’s commitment to sustainability, diversity and inclusion, global research, and high-tech agriculture perfectly fit with Nutrien’s vision.

    “We’re extremely excited about our partnership with CSU – the University itself and in particular the College of Agricultural Sciences,” Frank said. “When we talk to CSU and the folks in the ag school about their strategic vision, it really aligns with what we’re doing.

    “We have an incredible responsibility and opportunity in agriculture to feed a growing population around the world. The American farmers have embraced that, and the programs and research at CSU and the tools and knowledge that CSU imparts to its students really fits with where agriculture is going.”

    Numerous impacts

    Nutrien’s gift – the largest in the College of Agricultural Sciences’ history – will impact the college in numerous areas:

    • Scholarships for students in the college, focusing on education and success of women and students from diverse backgrounds.
    • Program enhancements to help students become career-ready in the field of agriculture, and ensuring they persist in their studies through graduation and placement in the industry.
    • Funding to attract top talent in the application of technology to agricultural problems including food safety, security and sustainability.
    • Sponsorship of high-impact engagement and educational events at the nexus of technology, innovation and agriculture, such as CSU’s AgInnovation Summit.
    • Sponsorship of the Nutrien Ag Day BBQ each fall, held annually to coincide with a home football game.

    In recognition of this transformational gift, the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Shepardson Building will be renamed the Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building. This building is undergoing a radical remodel of its 1938 structure and a 41,000-square-foot expansion with funds from the State of Colorado and CSU. The Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building will house the impactful programs and people supported by the Nutrien gift, and the building will become a home for Colorado agriculture, student aspirations and agricultural innovation for a global impact.

    A rendering of the proposed Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building

    “We have a long-term vision in mind and a partner (Nutrien) who wants to be part of that, which is tremendously exciting,” said James Pritchett, interim dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. “I’m especially excited for our students. Nutrien’s gift is transformational for attracting, retaining and placing talent in agriculture. Students respond with enthusiasm and boundless energy when we show our confidence in their future, and that is exactly what this gift does. Our students will be working in state-of-the-art facilities, and that means we will be teaching and they will be learning better. We invite all to come to the table and be partners in this future vision.”

    The college has more than 120 faculty and more than 2,200 undergraduate student majors and minors – 65 percent of them female – plus 298 graduate students. Nearly 30% of agricultural sciences students are the first in their family to attend college.

    About Nutrien

    Nutrien is the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services, playing a critical role in helping growers increase food production in a sustainable manner. Nutrien produces and distributes 27 million tons of potash, nitrogen and phosphate products worldwide. With this capability and the leading agriculture retail network, Nutrien is well positioned to supply the needs of its customers. Nutrien operates with a long-term view and is committed to working with stakeholders to address economic, environmental and social priorities. The scale and diversity of Nutrien’s integrated portfolio provides a stable earnings base, multiple avenues for growth and the opportunity to return capital to shareholders.

    About State Your Purpose

    The Campaign for Colorado State University: The University’s first $1 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign has attracted transformative philanthropic support for people, programs and places at CSU. The campaign surpassed its original goal 21 months ahead of schedule and continues through June 2020, coinciding with the conclusion of a yearlong celebration of CSU’s 150th anniversary. Read more about the campaign’s impact at giving.colostate.edu.

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  • Statement From Colorado, Ohio, and West Virginia Chief Elections Officers On Increased Information Sharing From FBI

    Statement From Colorado, Ohio, and West Virginia Chief Elections Officers On Increased Information Sharing From FBI

    Over the past year, Colorado, Ohio, and West Virginia have been leaders in information sharing and cooperation on election security issues.  The following is a joint statement from Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner in response to news today that the FBI will immediately begin to share information about cyber-intrusions/attacks with state election officials:

    “Today’s announcement from the FBI is a good step forward in protecting state election systems from our enemies, both foreign and domestic. Federal, state, and local governments must work together to better detect and protect against cyber-attack.  We’ve already seen positive results from the partnership between our states, which strengthens our resilience from attacks and ensure voters across this nation will have the confidence they deserve as they cast their ballot this year.”

     

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  • Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Supports Coloradans Protecting Wildlife

    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Supports Coloradans Protecting Wildlife

    DENVER, Colo. —The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) has joined Coloradans Protecting Wildlife (CPW), a coalition formed to fight a ballot measure that will be decided in the November 2020 general election. The measure would force the introduction of wolves along Colorado’s Western Slope.

     “This initiative is a reckless and dangerous approach that circumvents Colorado’s wildlife management authorities at Colorado Parks and Wildlife who have affirmed multiple times over the years that we should listen to the science and not force wolves into Colorado,” says Blake Henning, Chief Conservation Officer at RMEF. “Outdoor enthusiasts, sportsmen, farmers and ranchers, and many residents will be negatively impacted if this proposal is successful. Not to mention the millions of taxpayer dollars it will cost to implement.” 

     The 2020 initiative would ignore long-standing scientific processes, research, and expert guidance by forcing the introduction of wolves into Colorado without any analysis of the potential negative impacts on Colorado’s environment, ecosystems, or its citizens. 

     “Anyone who appreciates Colorado’s quality of life and natural beauty should be concerned by this proposal,” warns Henning. “Colorado is nationally and internationally renowned for its successful wildlife management. Introducing a new apex predator like the wolf will dramatically impact the state’s ungulate populations. Fifty-four of the state’s 64 elk and deer units that are under objective are in western or southwestern Colorado.” 

     As responsible stewards of the land, various stakeholders have previously worked with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to develop a “free-ranging” wolf plan, including necessary management strategies to ensure gray wolves that enter Colorado from other states are protected yet do not endanger animals or people that they may come in contact with. This plan is working as evidenced by the recent confirmation of a wolf pack living in northwest Colorado that migrated here without human intervention.

     By supporting CPW, RMEF joins a growing, robust coalition of stakeholders educating voters about the pitfalls of introducing wolves to Colorado’s landscapes. Trade organizations opposed to the initiative include the Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Cattleman’s Association, Colorado Wool Growers Association, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Outdoor Channel, Colorado Mule Deer Society, Hunter Nation, Big Game Forever, Colorado Traditional Archers Society, Colorado Bowhunters Association, Four Corners Chapter of SCI, Colorado Outfitters Association, Bull Basin Guides and Outfitters, Code of the West Outfitters, Hunt 360, Colorado Independent Cattle Growers, Southwestern Colorado Livestock Association, La Plata-Archuleta Cattleman’s Association, Gunnison, Eagle, Garfield, and La Plata Colorado Farm Bureau boards, as well as Alamosa, Archuleta, Cheyenne, Crowley, Douglas, Fremont, Garfield, Hinsdale, Jackson, Kit Carson, Las Animas, Lincoln, Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Otero, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, and Weld counties.

     Together, these groups are urging voters to vote no on forced wolf introduction and leave species management up to wildlife biologists and the relevant state and federal agencies.

     For additional information about Coloradans Protecting Wildlife, please visit: www.RethinkWolves.com.

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  • Go Code Colorado To Kick Off Its Seventh Year of Competition

    Go Code Colorado is a state-wide competition that challenges multidisciplinary teams to turn public data into useful business insights, analyses, and tools. Now in its 7th cycle, Go Code Colorado kicks off next month and features two tracks to compete in, (Business Application track and Business Analytics track) with $15,000 in available prize money for four winning teams.

    “Go Code Colorado is the nation’s only state-wide data competition, bringing entrepreneurs from every corner of our state together to help turn public data into useful tools for businesses throughout Colorado,” said Secretary of State Jena Griswold.  “I’m looking forward to seeing what the talented teams come up with in the 2020 competition!” 

    Apostrophe CTO and Co-Founder Kathy Keating, who was also a finalist judge in 2019, said, “Go Code Colorado inspires participants to solve problems to real issues. The missions, the social impacts these teams have is awesome. It’s incredibly inspiring to see the way they take raw public data and turn it into something meaningful to the world.”

    This event is an initiative of the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office’s Business Intelligence Center (BIC). BIC promotes economic growth across the state by making business-relevant data accessible and useable for informed decision-making. To date, BIC has published over 292 datasets for convenient public use.

    Over the past seven years, Go Code Colorado competitions have included over 900 team participants and almost 5,000 individuals from across the state including entrepreneurs, big thinkers, analysts, marketers, coders, and developers.

    The Competition will host kick-off events in Grand Junction and Denver where participants can find teammates, learn about the Challenge Statement and network with a community of people who believe in the power of public data.

    Kick Off #1

    Thursday, February 6th, 2020

    From 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at FACTORY at Maverick Innovation Center (CMU), 730 Mesa Ave, Grand Junction, CO 81501

    Kick Off #2

    Thursday, February 13th, 2020

    From 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Great Divide Brewery, Bottling Hall, 3403 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216.

    For a full schedule of events for Go Code Colorado, please visit www.gocodecolorado.com.

     

     

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  • Colorado Office of Early Childhood Awarded $33.5 Million Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Renewal

    Colorado Office of Early Childhood Awarded $33.5 Million Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Renewal

    DENVER — The Colorado Office of Early Childhood is pleased to announce it has received a Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Renewal from the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the US Department of Education.

    The grant provides $33.5 million over three years. Funds will support Colorado’s vision that all children are ready for school when entering kindergarten.

    Colorado Shines Brighter, the state’s PDG B-5 initiative, builds on initial grant activities to maximize the number of high-quality early care and education options available to families, especially families identified as vulnerable and underserved such as those living in rural areas, families of infants and toddlers, and families of children with special needs. 

    “Investing in early childhood education is a smart, responsible move for Colorado and young children across our state will benefit from this grant,” said Governor Jared Polis. “These important resources will help support my budget proposals to expand pre-school in Colorado and improve the quality of early childhood education. This grant will also support providers’ effective practices, better connect families to needed services, and prepare our children for the classroom and the future.”

    “We are incredibly excited to announce receipt of this award,” said Mary Anne Snyder, Director of the Office of Early Childhood. “This funding allows Colorado to build on what is working well for young children, their families, and their caregivers. Colorado Shines Brighter will help to make sure each community has the high-quality services and resources families need to make sure all children are healthy, valued and thriving, and ready for school when entering kindergarten.”

    Colorado Shines Brighter will provide significant support to children, parents and caregivers. This includes more support for early childhood providers to expand and enhance affordable services for infants and toddlers. The grant will also support the creation of tools and resources to help parents choose the right high-quality care and learning environment for their child and access additional supports for their child and family. Additionally, the number of professional development opportunities for the early childhood workforce will increase, including free and on-demand trainings and scholarships for learning opportunities. Finally, the award will allow for greater coordination and alignment among state and local organizations supporting children, families and early childhood professionals, and enhance information technology work to better facilitate data collection and reporting across the early childhood landscape in Colorado.

    About the Preschool Development Grant

    The Preschool Development Grant (PDG) program is a $275 million discretionary grant competition jointly administered by the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Education. The PDG is designed to strengthen state and local efforts to build, develop and expand high-quality preschool programs so that more children from low- and moderate-income families enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school. 

    About the Colorado Office of Early Childhood 

    The Office of Early Childhood provides resources for children, families and early care professionals to best prepare Coloradans for future success through access to collaborative, coordinated, quality early childhood programs and supports. The Office’s mission is to provide access to necessary supports to get all Colorado children ready for Kindergarten and reading by 3rd grade; to provide community and family access to services for optimal early childhood development; to create a coordinated system of early identification and intervention; to increase access to quality early learning for all children; to collaborate with partners to create a coordinated system; and to support continuous quality improvement.

     

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  • Gardner Announces Nearly $32M to Address Homelessness in Colorado

    Gardner Announces Nearly $32M to Address Homelessness in Colorado

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) announced today Colorado is receiving $31.8 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and HUD is designating a fourth Continuum of Care (CoC) in Colorado for Larimer and Weld counties.

    “Today I’m excited to announce that Colorado is receiving nearly $32 million in grant funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Continuum of Care Program, and I’m thrilled that HUD is establishing a fourth Continuum of Care, which will help us address the specific needs for Weld and Larimer counties,” said Senator Gardner. “Last July, I was honored to host Secretary Carson in Aurora to discuss Colorado’s affordable housing needs. I commend him for listening to us in Colorado, for hearing our unique needs, and for his willingness to help. This roughly $32 million in funding will go a long way to help the homeless population in our state, and I look forward to continuing our work together to address Colorado’s housing challenges and make it more affordable for everyone to call Colorado home.”

     “United Way of Weld County is thrilled that HUD is formally recognizing Larimer and Weld counties as a fourth Continuum of Care in the state of Colorado,” said Jeannine Truswell, President and CEO at United Way of Weld County. “We are grateful for the support of Senator Gardner and his team, whose efforts made this possible. This fourth Continuum of Care will allow us to better serve the specific needs of our communities in Larimer and Weld counties.”

     “The CoC will help to provide increased permanent housing resources to those most vulnerable across Larimer and Weld counties,” said Melanie Woolman, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Weld County. “All agencies involved in the CoC, and their clients will greatly benefit. This would not have happened without the support of Senator Gardner and the many nonprofit partners that have worked to achieve this accomplishment over the last several years.

     According to the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care, a Continuum of Care (CoC) is a local or regional planning body that is responsible for coordinating the funding and delivery of housing and services for people experiencing homelessness in its service area. CoCs maintain the local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database, which is used to collect and report data on the characteristics of people experiencing homelessness and their service use patterns. Individual CoCs receive funding through HUD’s Continuum of Care Program, which is designed to promote a community-wide response to ending homelessness.

     There are more than 400 CoCs in the United States, and now four CoCs designated by HUD in Colorado:

     

    1. Pikes Peak CoC, which covers all of Colorado Springs and El Paso County,
    2. Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), which covers the seven-county metropolitan area surrounding Denver (including Boulder County),
    3. Northern Colorado Continuum of Care, which covers Larimer and Weld Counties, and, 
    4. Balance of State (BoS) CoC, which covers the remaining 54 counties outside of the three other CoCs.
    NOTE: Click the picture above to view Senator Gardner’s remarks.

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  • 2020 Ag Outlook and Strategy Forum for Producers

    2020 Ag Outlook and Strategy Forum for Producers

    (Burlington, Colo.) Producers know their costs of producing crops and livestock continue to be high while market prices are going down. As profits decrease or there are losses, producers may have difficulty securing operating loans or have to take money from the savings they accumulated over the past few years of good prices. What are they to do?

    Colorado State University Extension will host an Agriculture Outlook and Strategy Forum in Burlington on January 22nd. Producers participating in the forum will learn about the outlook for commodity prices, production costs for each area, and various strategies for being profitable when prices are low.

    Dr. Brent Young, CSU Agricultural and Business Management Economist will present current outlook information for commodities common to northeastern Colorado as well as the costs and returns for various commodities. He will also explore strategies, including developing marketing plans and utilizing crop insurance.

    The program is scheduled for Wednesday, January 22nd at the Community Center at 340 S. 14th Street and will be held from 9 am to noon. Lunch will be provided.

    Registration is required and the fee is $15. To register online go to https://2020agoutlook.eventbrite.com . Space is limited and the registration deadline is Friday, January 17th.

    For more information about the forum, please contact Brent Young at 970-522-7207 or by email at .

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