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Berthoud to Johnstown July 12 at 7 a.m. through July 18 at 5 p.m., there will be a full closure of Larimer County Road 14 under the I-25 bridge This will allow crews to safely place new roadway asphalt and pour new curbs where needed. Please follow posted detour signs: Westbound LCR 14 traffic will take the eastern Frontage Road north to Larimer County Road 16, turn left and take County Road 7 south and continue westbound on LCR 14. Eastbound LCR 14 traffic will take CR 7 north to LCR 16, turn right and take the eastern Frontage Road south and continue eastbound on LCR 14 Full Closure: LCR 16 Under I-25 The following full closures will be in place through July 11: Eastbound and westbound Larimer County Road 16 under I-25 Southbound I-25 off-ramp to LCR 16 These closures are required for crews to complete the construction of the new roadway, improved ramps and a new roundabout. Access to local businesses will be maintained. Please follow posted detour signs. Southbound I-25 traffic to eastbound LCR 16 will continue south to Colorado Highway 60, re-enter I-25 northbound to LCR 16, turn north on the SE Frontage Road and turn east onto LCR 16. Southbound I-25 traffic to westbound LCR 16 will exit at Colorado Highway 402, turn west onto CO 402, turn south onto County Road 7, and turn west onto LCR 16. Eastbound LCR 16 traffic to I-25 will travel south on CR 7, turn east onto CO 60 and enter I-25. Eastbound LCR 16 traffic will travel south on CR 7, turn east onto Larimer County Road 14, turn north onto the SE Frontage Road and turn east onto LCR 16. Westbound LCR 16 traffic will travel south on the SE Frontage Road, turn west onto LCR 14, turn north onto CR 7 and turn west onto LCR 16. Due to weather impacts, the full closure of the Western Frontage Road (County Road 5), south of LCR 16, will now be in place through the beginning of August. Detour map showing alternate travel routes around the Larimer County Road 16 closure.  Johnstown to Fort Collins To perform asphalt paving operations on US Highway 34, alternating double right and double left lane closures will take place on eastbound US 34 between Fall River Road and Larimer Parkway and intermittent full closures of the I-25 ramps to and from US 34 will take place nightly, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., July 2-8. Southbound I-25 on-ramp traffic will go north on I-25 to Exit 259/ Crossroads Boulevard and turn left. Continue west to the southbound I-25 on-ramp. Northbound I-25 on-ramp traffic will go south on I-25 to Exit 255 / Colorado Highway 402, turn left and continue onto northbound I-25. Southbound I-25 off-ramp traffic will continue south on I-25 to Exit 255/ CO 402 and turn left. Continue east to the northbound I-25 on-ramp to Exit 257/US 34. Northbound I-25 off-ramp traffic will continue north on I-25 to Exit 259/Crossroads Boulevard. Traffic will exit, turn left, and continue onto southbound I-25 to Exit 257 / US 34. No traffic impacts will be in place over the Fourth of July holiday beginning at noon Monday, July 3 until 6 a.m., Wednesday, July 5. Firestone Mobility Hub Southbound West Frontage Road/I-25 On-Ramp at Exit 240 Left lane is closed 24/7 through August 2023 Construction crews will be working behind the barrier on the left shoulder Flaggers will assist motorists through the construction work zone Caution – Trucks will be entering and exiting the work zone Northbound I-25 Off-Ramp at Exit 240 Construction crews will be working behind the barrier on the right shoulder Caution – Trucks will be entering and exiting the work zone Northbound East I-25 Frontage Road Right turn onto CO 119 will be closed until Summer 2023 Detour – Motorists will continue north on E I-25 Frontage Rd. past Firestone Blvd./CO 119, right onto Union St., right on Arbor St., left on Firestone Blvd./CO 119 Construction crews will be working behind the barrier on the right shoulder Flaggers will assist motorists through the construction Additional Information For specific lane closures and traffic impacts from Sunday, July 2 – Saturday, July 8, please use this interactive map on the project webpage. To display full details on the traffic impacts, please click on any of the color-shaded areas on the map to see the full details. A pop-up on the left side of your screen will outline the details of the lane closures. Construction activities are weather-dependent and subject to change. Please watch for construction vehicles entering and exiting mainline I-25 and obey all posted signage in construction zones. Your safety and the safety of our crews is our highest priority. The I-25 North Express Lanes Project provides a Courtesy Patrol during commute hours (6 to 9 a.m. and 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.) to assist with disabled vehicles within the Project limits from Johnstown to Fort Collins. About the Project Communities along the I-25 North corridor are expanding rapidly, contributing to major economic growth in northern Colorado. The Colorado Department of Transportation is supporting this growth by delivering the expansion of I-25 North. Improvements are currently underway along I-25 between Berthoud and Fort Collins (with more to come from Mead to Berthoud). This project brings economic, environmental and quality of life benefits for northern Coloradans by:  Making safety improvements to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities.  Decreasing travel time and increasing trip reliability.  Reducing emissions and improving freight efficiency.  Improve congestion and safety.  Rebuilding aging and obsolete infrastructure.  Improving bicycle, pedestrian and transit connectivity.

East boat ramp at Cherry Creek State Park will be closed through Tuesday AURORA, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced today the east boat ramp at Cherry Creek State Park will be closed through the extended holiday weekend. Portions of the east ramp are submerged due to recent heavy rains, and higher reservoir levels have not receded to safe operating depth for boats to launch. The east boat ramp will remain closed indefinitely until water levels recede. The west boat ramp is open as the sole option for boaters through at least Tuesday. The parking lot adjacent to the east boat ramp will be open. Hand-launched vessels will be allowed from the shoreline. The Wetlands area is closed due to low-level flooding. As Independence Day is typically one of the highest visitation days for Cherry Creek, CPW expects the park to reach capacity limits early in the day from Saturday to Tuesday. Once park staff have determined capacity has been reached, vehicles will be kept from entering the park on Dayton Street for the west entrance and Parker Road near the east entrance. Capacity closures will be communicated through the region Twitter account and signs at each park entrance. Campers with active reservations will be allowed to enter the park under a capacity closure and should enter through the east entrance. Cherry Creek State Park has experienced historic water levels and inflows this spring. East Lake View Road remains closed after heavy rainfall caused sections of the road to collapse. Visitors should continue to use the Dam Road to cross the park. After the historic number of water-related deaths in Colorado in 2022, CPW is urging all visitors who recreate on the water to wear a life jacket. Children under the age of 13 are required to wear a life jacket at all times on the water. CPW encourages boaters to review safety tips before launching and undergo mandatory safety inspections. Cherry Creek Reservoir is approximately two feet higher than safe operating levels for the park’s east boat ramp. The Wetlands area remains indefinitely closed from heavy spring rainfall.

Family movie night under the stars 

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, CO—June 28, 2023— Arapahoe County Open Spaces hosts Pictures on the Plains, Thursday, June 29 at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds beginning at 5:30 p.m. 

 

The event offers a memorable family movie night. Tickets are $5, kids under the age of 2 are free. Admission includes live entertainment, kid’s activities, and movie-themed fun in partnership with Arapahoe Libraries.  

 

For tickets and more information visit: Pictures on the plains 

 

Who: Arapahoe County Open Spaces 

What: Pictures on the Plains – “Secret Life of Pets”  

When: Thursday, June 29, 5:30-7:30 P.M. pre-movie themed activities. Movie starts 7:30 P.M. 

Where: Arapahoe County Fairgrounds (25690 E. Quincy Ave. Aurora, CO 80016) 

Visuals: Families spending time together watching movies outside 

 

OAL CREEK CANYON, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating a report of a moose attack on a man walking his dogs in Coal Creek Canyon Monday morning.

The man, in his late 50s, told CPW officers he was walking two dogs along Coal Creek near Hummingbird Lane, when he surprised a cow moose and her calf around a hairpin turn in the trail. The moose charged and knocked the man down, stomping him several times.

The man was armed and fired two shots into the ground to startle the moose, hazing it from the area. The moose and calf were not shot and retreated, according to the victim. The man was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The dogs were not injured and off-leash at the time.

CPW officers searched Coal Creek Canyon for the moose and calf, but they were not found.

During late spring and early summer, cow moose can be aggressive while their calves are young, and they can view dogs as predators or threats. Calves are born in a 3-4 week period from the end of May to mid-June.

Colorado’s moose population is healthy and thriving, with an estimated 3,000 statewide. CPW encourages hikers to avoid thick willow habitat in riparian areas, where moose like to eat and rest, to decrease chances of moose interactions. CPW urges dog owners to keep their dogs leashed while hiking, and give moose extra space on trails.

THORNTON, Colo.–June 26, 2023– All Anythink libraries and administrative offices will be closed Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in observance of Independence Day. Anythink locations will return to regularly scheduled hours of operation on Wednesday, July 5. 

 

About Anythink^™ 

Anythink is a new style of library – a place of unlimited imagination, where play inspires creativity and lifelong learning. Anythink serves the residents of Adams County, Colo., with seven libraries and a bookmobile. With a focus on innovation, Anythink’s award-winning approach to library service is recognized by industry leaders and organizations across the globe. For more information, visit anythinklibraries.org.  

Temporary workers play an important role in the U.S. economy. They can help fill in for employees who go on family leave, vacations, and sabbaticals while also allowing employers to evaluate potential employees without the long-term commitment. Temp workers can be employed directly by the company they perform services for, but are more typically employed by a staffing agency and deployed to a client to supplement their workforce for limited periods of time.

Staffing agencies often handle some of the prescreening, logistics, and training that can be expensive and tedious to do in-house. Additionally, employers who use temporary workers can also adjust their headcount quickly and respond to fluctuations in workload, allowing businesses the flexibility to match the ups and downs of the business cycle.

Perhaps more importantly, employment of temporary workers can act as a bellwether for overall employment. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, during periods of economic expansion, employers are able to ramp up quickly using temp workers before permanent hires can be made. Conversely, during economic contractions, firms will typically scale back their temporary workforce before reducing their core staff. Notably, a decline in the temporary workforce preceded both the 2001 recession and the Great Recession that began in late 2007.

In March of 2022, temporary workers made up 2.10% of the workforce, the highest share in decades. But since then, the percentage of temporary workers has fallen steadily, and in April 2023, temporary workers accounted for 1.93% of the workforce. The sustained decline in the current temporary workforce could be a sign that broader job losses and a potential recession are on the horizon.

If the expectations of a pending recession are proven true, the industries and occupations that rely heavily on temporary workers could soon scale back their temporary workforces in anticipation of economic uncertainty. In particular, temporary workers in production occupations—many of which are in the manufacturing industry—and transportation and materials moving occupations each account for over 6% of the overall workforce. Companies often hire temporary production workers and delivery drivers to manage the ebb and flow of demand, and as demand falls, so will temporary labor.

Temporary workers are more common in certain parts of the country, in part due to their overrepresentation in some industries and occupations. The Midwest has historically had the largest share of temp workers, partly because of a large manufacturing presence in the region. However, the West has experienced a 23.4% increase in temp workers since 2014, more than any other region in the country. The tech industry—which is highly concentrated in the western U.S.—has a long history of utilizing temp workers to fuel their operations. Growth in this sector likely contributed to the growing demand for temp workers in the West. Even in 2020 during the pandemic—when widespread layoffs were commonplace across the country—the share of temporary workers in the West was nearly 6% higher than it was in 2014.

Dependence on temporary workers varies at the state level as well. To determine the states with the most temp workers, researchers at Smartest Dollar, a website that compares business insurance, analyzed employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The researchers ranked states according to the share of the workforce that are temporary workers. Researchers also calculated the total number of temporary workers, the percentage of all workers that are full time and part time, and the local unemployment rate for all workers.

Here is a summary of the data for Colorado:

• Share of workforce that are temporary workers: 1.5%
• Total temporary workers: 43,800
• Percentage of all workers that are full time: 81.1%
• Percentage of all workers that are part time: 18.8%
• Unemployment rate for all workers: 3.0%

For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:

• Share of workforce that are temporary workers: 2.1%
• Total temporary workers: 3,168,810
• Percentage of all workers that are full time: 83.3%
• Percentage of all workers that are part time: 16.7%
• Unemployment rate for all workers: 3.6%

For complete data on all 50 states, see States With the Most Temp Workers on Smartest Dollar.

Fort Morgan, CO. 06/26/2023. The Morgan Community College (MCC) Fort Morgan campus and Centers will be closed on Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. No classes are scheduled on July 3 or July 4. All locations will reopen on Wednesday, July 5.

MCC staff and faculty wish everyone a safe and fun holiday.

Ramah State Wildlife Area is one of 120 properties protected by the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program. Wayne D. Lewis/CPW DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is pleased to announce the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program application period is now open until October 10, 2023. The Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP) is a statewide program that offers funding opportunities to landowners who wish to protect wildlife habitat on their property, and/or provide wildlife-related recreation access to the public. The CWHP is an incentive-based program that funds conservation easements, public access easements, and fee title purchases to accomplish strategic wildlife conservation and public access goals.   Approximately $11 million will be made available during the 2023 cycle from revenue provided by the sale of Habitat Stamps, hunting and fishing licenses, and through CPW’s partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado. How to Apply Landowners or a third party representative must complete applications showing their proposal addresses one or more of CPW’s 2023 funding priorities: Public access for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing Big game winter range and migration corridors Riparian areas and wetlands Landscape-scale parcels and parcels that provide connectivity to conserved lands Protecting habitat for species of concern (specifically those Species of Greatest Conservation Need, as identified in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Wildlife Action Plan) Application materials are available at cpw.state.co.us/cwhp. All proposals must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 Applicants should contact the CWHP manager before submitting an application to discuss the Budget Form. Local CPW office contact information can be found here.  Contact Information For additional information about the CWHP or application process, please contact:  CWHP Manager Amanda Nims, 303-291-7269