The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Category: Local News

Franktown man attacked by deer that was suspected to be hand-raised by people

FRANKTOWN, Colo. – A 56-year-old man was gored by a deer and received medical treatment at a hospital Wednesday evening. Wildlife officers suspect the aggressive deer was hand-raised by people.

The man was released from the hospital Wednesday evening. The deer was dispatched by a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy after responding to a 911 call from the homeowners. The deer had displayed aggressive behavior towards the officer.

The man and his wife told Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers they saw what was a “friendly deer” fitted with a fluorescent orange dog collar on the other side of their fence around 4:50 p.m. The wife reached over the fence and the deer approached touching her finger with its nose, then the buck came through a break in the fence line. It approached the woman and knocked her back, pinning her into the barb-wire fence.

The husband tried to intervene and the deer attacked, knocking him to the ground and dragging him around the yard. He sustained wounds to his lower body from the buck’s antlers.

The wife ran inside and called 911. She was able to shoot a pellet gun towards the buck, distracting the deer long enough so the man could get up and get behind a boat in the yard to separate himself from the buck.

Wildlife officers believe this deer, a two-year old buck, was one that was domesticated and set-free in the area recently. Prior to Wednesday, CPW had no previous reports of a collared deer in the area.

“Every indication we see points to this deer being raised by people, one from its collar and two from its behavior,” said Wildlife Officer Casey Westbrook. “We suspect somebody was raising it and released it after they couldn’t handle it anymore.

“These are some of the dangers that come when you try to domesticate, or even just feed wildlife, which is a major issue we start to see this time of year. These animals learn to expect something from humans and when they don’t get it, they become dangerous and encounters like what we saw here can happen. Mix in the fact that deer are now in the breeding season, and this all contributed to something that could have been prevented.”

A concerned resident notified CPW Wednesday around 2 p.m. of a picture from a Facebook post that showed a man interacting with this deer on Saturday.

Wildlife officers contacted the man in the Facebook post, who said the buck had approached him on Saturday while he was doing yard work at his home in Elizabeth. The man stated the deer had attempted to push him around with its antlers and showed the officers several pictures of him fending off the animal.

CPW received another report at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday of the same deer that had chased a 10-year-old boy near Tomichi Drive and Caribou Drive in Franktown before a man pulled his car in between the child and the deer to prevent an attack. The incident involving the 10-year-old was just down the road from where the man was gored by the deer minutes later.

“If this was reported to CPW on Saturday instead of being posted on Facebook, we might have been able to prevent this,” Westbrook said. “The behavior of any wild animal can be unpredictable, and the behavior of wildlife that get domesticated can be demanding and aggressive.”

It is illegal to own or possess wildlife in Colorado. You cannot remove a wild animal from the woods and take it home. As a public resource, wildlife belongs to the state of Colorado, to all citizens.

“Colorado’s wild animals should stay wild,” Westbrook said.

If anyone has information of people raising or attempting to domesticate wildlife, it should be reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife by calling 303-291-7227. It can also be done anonymously through Operation Game Thief at 1-877-265-6648 or sending an email to .

CPW is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 41 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW’s work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.

FOOTER BOX W/O Related News

SPREAD THE NEWS

COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

CURRENT EDITION

WEATHER & TRAFFIC PUZZLES RECENT NEWS ADVERTISE WITH US

November 15, 2019
Rain may be on the horizon in the West as a pattern change raises hope for wet weather

As firefighters continue their efforts to control blazes across California, there is hope on the horizon for some assistance from Mother Nature early next week.

A stagnant ridge of high pressure has sat comfortably over the state through much of November, bringing about a delayed start to the wet season across the West.

There will be a pair of incoming storm systems that will bring wet weather to the West Coast this week, but coverage will be limited to the Pacific Northwest and Montana. The unsettled weather will be welcome across this area too, as it will help to wash out stagnant air that has led poor air quality in recent days.

The first of those two storm systems to track into the Northwest moved inland on Tuesday and produced rain in places like Seattle and Spokane, Washington. Snow was primarily limited to the mountains and along the Canadian border.

Dry, settled and slightly warmer conditions will return across the Northwest Wednesday and Thursday as high pressure over California expands northward in the wake of the departed storm system.

Unsettled weather will return into the forecast Friday and into the weekend, but once again, wet weather will be generally limited to the Northwest.

Looking ahead to next week, there is a glimmer of hope in the forecast as AccuWeather Meteorologists will be tracking a storm system capable of breaking down the ridge of high pressure over California. Although the breakdown of the ridge may be brief, it could provide a chance for wet weather along a wider swath of the West Coast. The current forecast would bring the threat of rain and mountain snow to Northern California early next week as a storm system dives in from the Pacific. Unfortunately, moisture may not get down into Southern California, prolonging the fire threat.

Although the rain would be welcome with open arms across California, the forecast comes with a silver lining next week. As the storm system comes ashore, gusty winds will likely accompany the system as it tracks inland, elevating the fire threat for areas that do not get any rain.After a well above-average water year across much of the West last year, this year is starting off on a much drier note. With the exception being the Northwest, much of the West Coast and Four Corners region will continue to remain dry in the coming week.

Download the free AccuWeather app to get the latest updates on the forecast and how it will affect your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

SPREAD THE NEWS

COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

CURRENT EDITION

WEATHER & TRAFFIC PUZZLES RECENT NEWS ADVERTISE WITH US

November 12, 2019
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to meet November 14 – 15 in Wray
DENVER, Colo. – The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission will discuss an annual review of “General Provisions” regulations (adjusting license fees and license agent commission rates according to adjustments to the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Consumer Price Index), annual review of “Fishing” regulations, annual review of “Furbearers and Small Game” (turkey hunting season dates and license numbers), as well as regulations pertaining to “Wildlife Properties,” “Damage Caused by Wildlife,” and “Passes, Permits and Registrations” at its November meeting.

The Commission will also discuss the Department of Interior Wildlife Officials Exchange Program, Colorado Wildlife Council Campaign Report, Strategic Plan Progress Report and Future Generations Act Report, Commission Resolution Supporting the Executive Order for Conserving Colorado’s Big Game Habitat and Winter Range, Recovering America’s Wildlife Act Update and Commission Resolution Supporting House Bill, Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program, and the acquisition of the Crazy French Ranch as fee title acquisition.

The Commission will also discuss multiple Citizen Petitions for Rulemaking to:
- make Game Management Unit 83 limited for elk hunting during the second and third regular rifle seasons
- create a reduced price senior small game and fishing combination license
- allow the use of stone broadheads/projectiles for archery hunting
- allow the use of an atlatl for big game hunting during archery and other big game seasons
- allow the sale of all returned big game licenses at all licensing vendors and online, even after the season has started.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. and adjourn at 5 p.m. on November 14 at Elks Lodge #2409, 36355 US-385, in Wray. The meeting will resume at 8:30 a.m. at the same location on November 15 and adjourn at 3:15 p.m.

Additional agenda items include:
- Department of Agriculture Update
- Department of Natural Resources Update
- Financial Update
- GOCO Update
- Annual Capital Program Update
- Pathways Workshop Update
A complete agenda for this meeting can be found on the CPW website.

The commission meets regularly and travels to communities around the state to facilitate public participation. Anyone can listen to commission meetings through the CPW website. This opportunity keeps constituents informed about the development of regulations and how the commission works with Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff to manage the parks, wildlife and outdoor recreation programs administered by the agency. Find out more about the commission on the CPW website.

If needed, a final 2019 commission meeting is tentatively scheduled for December 11 – 12 in Frisco.

SPREAD THE NEWS

COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

CURRENT EDITION

WEATHER & TRAFFIC PUZZLES RECENT NEWS ADVERTISE WITH US
November 9, 2019
Governor Polis to Break Ground for Colorado Fallen Heroes Memorial Nov. 11

DENVER – Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Fallen Heroes Memorial Fund, along with Colorado Gold Star Families will participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Fallen Heroes Memorial on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019 in Lincoln Park at 3:00 p.m.

The ceremony will be led by Gov. Polis and Larry A. Mizel, chairman and CEO of the MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation, which is underwriting the construction of the memorial. Following the groundbreaking, Gov. Polis and others will read the names of fallen soldiers during the annual Colorado Fallen Heroes Memorial remembrance ceremony.

“This memorial will serve as one of the most moving monuments in Lincoln Park, an enduring symbol of the sacrifice and service of so many Coloradans,” said Gov. Polis.

“It is a privilege to help honor those who have fought to protect our freedoms and values by creating a space to reflect, remember and pay tribute,” said Larry A. Mizel.

The Colorado Fallen Heroes Memorial will serve as a place of reflection, honor, tribute and communal gathering for family members, friends and fellow Colorado citizens of the fallen. It is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend 2020.

Active military, veterans and elected officials also will be in attendance. Liberty Middle School’s 8^th grade choir, The Liberty Belles, will perform the National Anthem.

RSVP Required for ALL ATTENDING PRESS:

Members of the media are required to register and obtain press credentials upon arrival. If you know you will be in attendance, please email by Monday, Nov. 11 at noon.

SPREAD THE NEWS

COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

CURRENT EDITION

WEATHER & TRAFFIC PUZZLES RECENT NEWS ADVERTISE WITH US

November 8, 2019
CPW Honors Veterans, Active-Duty Military With Free State Park Entry on Nov. 11
DENVER — On Nov. 11, Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers veterans and active-duty military members free admission to any of Colorado’s 41 state parks.

“It’s our small but sincere gesture of appreciation for those who have selflessly protected our country,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Dan Prenzlow. “We want to recognize our brave military members for safeguarding our way of life.”

“To make Veterans Day extra special, we are providing the opportunity for those who have served, or who currently serve, in our armed forces to enjoy our parks free of charge with friends and family.”

The park entrance fee is waived for any individuals sharing vehicles with qualified service members. Military members or veterans must present proof of military service at the park gate to receive free entry. All other park fees, such as camping or fishing fees, still apply.

Military identification methods include:
- Military ID card
- Applicable DD Form
- Veterans Affairs health identification card
- A current Colorado Driver’s License or state-issued identification card with the veteran seal printed on it
Hiking, biking, picnicking and wildlife viewing are just some of the activities enjoyed in Colorado’s state parks in November. Use our park finde r to locate a park near you and plan your Veterans Day visit.

To learn more about other military benefits offered by CPW year-round, visit cpw.state.co.us.

SPREAD THE NEWS

COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

CURRENT EDITION

WEATHER & TRAFFIC PUZZLES RECENT NEWS ADVERTISE WITH US
November 8, 2019
Bennett football & volleyball travel to Greeley area for playoffs this weekend

by Steven Vetter, Managing Editor

The Bennett Lady Tigers qualified for the 36-team postseason bracket in 3A volleyball and will travel for a three-team regional round-robin tournament at University in Greeley on Friday, Nov. 8. The host school University will take on Jefferson Academy at 4 p.m. with Bennett slated to take on Jefferson Academy following about a half-hour later. The last game of the evening, tentatively around 7 p.m., will pit University against Bennett. The winner of the regional tournament advances to the 12-team state tournament Nov. 14-16 at the Denver Coliseum.

The Bennett Tigers football team also qualified for the 2A football playoffs and the 11the-seeded orange-and-black will travel to Platte Valley in Kersey for a 1 p.m. kickoff, Saturday, Nov. 9. Bennett enters the game 6-3 overall and second place from the Flatirons Conference while the sixth-seeded Broncos concluded the regular season 7-2.

If Bennett wins it would advance to the following weekend’s quarterfinals against either third-seeded Resurrection Christian or No. 14 La Junta.

November 4, 2019
Strasburg to host 1A football playoff first-round game Saturday

by Steven Vetter, Managing Editor

The Strasburg Indians concluded its football regular season undefeated in nine contests and are the No. 1 seed for this year’s 1A state bracket. The red-and-black will host a first-round game against Manual at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 9, at Winter Field.

Manual comes into the playoffs the No. 16 seed with an overall record of 4-5 but is the Colorado Conference champion.

With a win, the red-and-black would advance to the quarterfinals against the winner between No. 8 Highland and ninth-seeded Hotchkiss.

The 1A football bracket is below:

November 4, 2019
Gardner, Peters Introduce Legislation to Encourage Rural & Urban Investment

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Gary Peters (D-MI) reintroduced the Philanthropic Facilitation Act (PFA) to reform the approval process for charitable investments, so organizations can more easily invest in community improvement and job creation, boosting economic growth in both rural and urban areas.

“Encouraging investment in both rural and urban settings is vital to growing our economy and creating jobs. The Philanthropic Facilitation Act benefits rural economies in particular by cutting red tape and removing barriers between philanthropists and small businesses, ultimately leading to more job creation,” said Senator Gardner. “Private charities are more than willing to invest in and grow the economy but are too often deterred by government bureaucracy. Simply put, it’s often too hard for philanthropists to identify qualified recipients for their charitable dollars. This legislation is a common-sense solution that gets government out of the way and encourages more investment across Colorado where it’s needed most.”

“Charitable foundations across Michigan are playing critical roles in supporting local economic development,” said Senator Peters. “I am pleased to partner with Senator Gardner on this bipartisan legislation that would encourage further investment in underserved rural and urban communities by streamlining the process for charitable organizations to grow, create jobs and continue to give back to these communities.”

Current law stipulates that private foundations must make a certain amount of charitable distributions in order to keep their tax-preferred status. Commonly, those distributions come in the form of grants to not-for-profit organizations. Program-Related Investments (PRIs), which are investments in for-profit companies undertaking a charitable activity, can also count towards a private foundation’s annual charitable distributions, but are often ignored due to a confusing certification process.

This legislation introduced by Gardner and Peters streamlines the process for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rulings on whether a loan or an investment by a philanthropic organization can be considered a PRI, and therefore count towards yearly charitable distributions. This legislation makes it easier for organizations to invest in a given entity by simplifying the process and forcing the IRS to make a decision within 120 days.

SPREAD THE NEWS

COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

CURRENT EDITION

WEATHER & TRAFFIC PUZZLES RECENT NEWS ADVERTISE WITH US

November 1, 2019
Denver contractors cited for not following lead-safe requirements on home renovation projects

DENVER (October 24, 2019) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a summary of enforcement actions to Denver-area contractors completed over the last year to address noncompliance with the lead-based paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule. The RRP Rule protects the public from toxic lead hazards created by renovation activities involving lead-based paint and requires the certification of individuals and firms involved in these activities. Contractors working on homes built prior to 1978 must test for lead in paint, or presume lead is present, and apply applicable lead-safe work practices to minimize the risk of toxic lead exposure.

This past year, EPA reached agreements with five Denver-area contractors to settle violations of the RRP Rule: Metro Construction, Inc., Colorado Western Construction, Pappas Painting & Repair, Inc., Kelly Custom Painting LLC, and Coggeshall Construction, Inc. These cases resulted in more than $17,000 in penalties. Violations included failure to obtain EPA lead-safe firm certification, failure to maintain records documenting compliance, and failure to employ lead-safe work practices when conducting renovations on pre-1978 homes. In cases where violations resulted in contamination at a jobsite, EPA staff worked with contractors, and state and local environmental agencies, to facilitate cleanup measures to protect the public from lead exposure.

“Infants and children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead, and the disturbance of lead-based paint in older homes and buildings is one of the most common exposure pathways,” said Suzanne Bohan, director of EPA’s regional enforcement program. “EPA is taking a close look at neighborhoods where lead-based paint is present by providing residents with information on managing risks and making sure contractors follow the requirements that reduce exposure in homes.”

Lead exposure, even at low levels, can cause lifelong impacts, including developmental impairment, learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity and behavioral problems. EPA estimates that lead-based paint is still present in more than 30 million homes across the nation.

Many Denver-area homes were built before lead was banned from use in paint products in 1978 and there is a high potential these homes contain lead paint. EPA conducts inspections and provides compliance assistance to contractors to ensure renovations of these homes are done in a lead-safe manner in accordance with the RRP Rule. Cases often result from referrals, tips and complaints from consumers, state and local authorities, as well as from random inspections of residential renovations.

In addition to the five cases settled this year, EPA also issued 27 Notices of Noncompliance to contractors and provided educational materials to many others to promote compliance with the RRP Rule in the Denver area. These notices identify specific actions that contractors must take to ensure future compliance. The agency will continue to assess compliance associated with recent inspections and pursue enforcement action when appropriate.

For more information on the RRP Rule and its requirements: http://www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program

Violations of the lead based paint RRP Rule regulations can be reported to EPA online: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/report-environmental-violations

SPREAD THE NEWS

COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

CURRENT EDITION

WEATHER & TRAFFIC PUZZLES RECENT NEWS ADVERTISE WITH US

October 27, 2019
Colorado Secretary of State, in Partnership with University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, Launches Online Data Workshop

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Business Intelligence Center, in partnership with the Business Research Division of the University of Colorado, has launched a Data Tools eLearning course to teach Coloradans how to access, interpret, and analyze public data via a step-by-step tutorial. Knowing how to access and utilize public data can help businesses with strategic planning and decision-making.

The Secretary of State’s Business Intelligence Center (BIC) seeks to aggregate public data and make it available to the widest audience in the most useful format. BIC and the Business Research Division of the University of Colorado have developed this online course after hosting several in-person data workshops across the state. These workshops, that connect business decision makers, economic development leaders, and entrepreneurs with public data from government agencies have been successful.

“Government should help Coloradans achieve their own American Dream. We are excited to collaborate with the University of Colorado to bring new and innovative tools to the business community,” said Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

By the end of the new online course, participants will be able to access federal and state public data sources, and work with and analyze public data to make informed business decisions.

Colorado government agencies collect volumes of public business and economic data. This data could help businesses with strategic planning, but historically it has been in many different places and formats, making it difficult for most businesses to use. The Secretary of State’s office works with local, state and federal government agencies to aggregate and publish data publicly, and develops tools to make this data more useful to business decision-makers.

The course is available and free to use on the Secretary of State’s Tutorials and Training site: https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/training.html#bic.

SPREAD THE NEWS

COMMENT, Like, Follow & SHARE @I70Scout

CURRENT EDITION

WEATHER & TRAFFIC PUZZLES RECENT NEWS ADVERTISE WITH US

October 25, 2019