DENVER — The Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) today released the June forecast showing stronger than expected revenue growth. Strong wage growth is driving continued consumer spending, sustaining our economic expansion. However, trade conflicts pose a risk to Colorado’s economy, as recently proposed escalations could result in higher prices for domestic consumers and fewer export markets for farmers and manufacturers.
“Colorado has one of the strongest economies in the country and we want every Coloradan to share in that success. By saving families money on education and health care, investing in priority areas and growing our reserves, we can set our state up for long-term prosperity and ensure that our economy works for all Coloradans,” said Governor Jared Polis. “Even though this forecast shows strong growth in revenue, Washington’s misguided tariffs and trade wars could negatively impact key Colorado industries like agriculture and manufacturing. We must continue to stand against policies that threaten our state’s economic growth.”
General Fund revenue is projected to grow 7.1 percent in FY 2018-19 and 4.7 percent in FY 2019-20. The General Fund revenue forecast for FY 2018-19 was revised up from the March forecast by $270.7 million, or 2.2 percent. The forecast for FY 2019-20 was increased by $114.4 million, or 0.9 percent. The General Fund reserve is projected to be $274.8 million above the required statutory reserve amount of 7.25 percent of appropriations in FY 2019-20.
FY 2018-19 cash fund revenue is projected to grow 6.0 percent from the prior fiscal year, while FY 2019-20 cash fund revenue is forecast to decrease by 1.9 percent. Forecasted cash fund revenue for FY 2018-19 is $11.4 million, or 0.5 percent, lower than March projections. Cash fund revenue collections for FY 2019-20 are $29.8 million, or 1.2 percent, lower than March projections.
Revenue subject to TABOR is projected to be above the Referendum C cap by $295.6 million in FY 2018-19 and $412.2 million in FY 2019-20. TABOR refunds totaling $39.8 million will be paid out in FY 2018-19. This amount includes the $18.5 million in excess of the Referendum C cap in FY 2017-18, plus a net $21.3 million remaining from the FY 2014-15 TABOR refund.
Denver, CO — FASTER* Colorado — an organization committed to making our school children as safe as possible— announces its latest training class for armed school staff members. The class will be held June 21, 22, and 23 and will be held in Adams County, CO. The training is organized in partnership with Independence Institute.
FASTER Colorado launched its first training class in 2017, and is currently in its third year of training. FASTER Colorado curriculum includes skills to stop an active killer, as well as tactical medical training to deal with related injuries such as gunshot wounds.
“Colorado law already allows K-12 school staff to carry a concealed firearm on campus, provided they are designated by their school board, or charter school board, as a school security officer. They are also required to obtain proper training,” said Laura Carno, Founder of FASTER Colorado. “Over 150 school staff in Colorado are already so designated. We provide them world-class training in stopping active killers and saving lives.”
The tuition is $1,000 per class member, and scholarships are available. FASTER Colorado is a project of Independence Institute. According to Amy Cooke, Independence Institute’s Executive VP, “We raise scholarship money, because we never want lack of training budget to keep any school personnel from having access to this lifesaving training. We are honored to partner with FASTER Colorado to help save the lives of Colorado’s school children.”
Members of the media may attend portions of the class, and conduct interviews with: FASTER Colorado Founder, Laura Carno, FASTER Colorado’s instructors (all active-duty law enforcement), and Evan Todd (Columbine survivor). At class time, there may be class attendees who are open to interviews. We ask that media not report the names, schools, or images of class attendees without that individual’s express consent.
For more information, please go to FasterColorado.com. For media questions, or to schedule an interview, please contact Laura Carno at either 719-492-0211. Details of the daily schedule and location will be provided to those media with interest in attending.
*Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response
ARAPAHOE COUNTY — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will close eastbound Interstate 70 on Thursday, June 20, from Peoria Road (Exit 322) to Deer Trail (Exit 328) while Colorado State Patrol conducts an investigation into the crash involving fallen State Trooper Moden. The closure will begin at 8 p.m. and is estimated to last until 11:30 p.m.
Alternate route:
Drivers will be rerouted from eastbound I-70 south to Highway 40 to detour around the closure. Drivers can take Highway 40 east to Cedar Street, go north on Cedar Street and can return to I-70 eastbound from there.
ORCHARD, Colo. – As part of the annual Operation Dry Water campaign, Jackson Lake State Park and Colorado Parks and Wildlife will join in the nationally coordinated effort to educate boaters about the dangers of boating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The mission of Operation Dry Water is to reduce the number of alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities on the water.
Operation Dry Water weekend, July 5-7, is the national weekend of amplified recreational boater outreach, education and coordinated enforcement surrounding boating under the influence. Alcohol use continues to be the leading known contributing factor in recreational boater deaths and a leading contributor in boating accidents. Jackson Lake State Park and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are reaching out to our community to encourage those who will be spending time on the water to engage in safe boating practices, which includes keeping alcohol off the boat for both operators and passengers.
“Recreational boating is an activity enjoyed by people and families nationwide. Our goal is to not only educate boaters on the dangers of drinking alcohol and boating, but also to remind them of other safe boating practices, such as enrolling in a boater education course and always wearing a life jacket,” said Jackson Lake Senior Ranger Luke Stucker. “Alcohol impairs judgment and reaction time on the water even more so than it does in a car because of the added stressors of sun, heat, wind, noise and the vibrations of the boat. Jackson Lake State Park and Colorado Parks and Wildlife want everyone to have a great summer on the water, and to do that boaters must remain sober and alert while underway.
As part of Operation Dry Water weekend recreational boating safety volunteers, in collaboration with law enforcement in every U.S. state and territory, will be out at marinas and on the water educating boaters about safe boating practices and removing impaired operators from our waterways.
Jackson Lake State Park and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are asking boaters to enjoy this boating season and help keep everyone safe by not drinking alcohol while on the water, or operating a boat after you have consumed alcohol. Use of both legal and illegal drugs also impairs judgment and reaction time and makes it dangerous to operate a boat. In 2018, 494 impaired operators were removed by law enforcement across the country during the Operation Dry Water three-day weekend.
Boaters can learn more about boating under the influence by visiting https://cpw.state.co.us/ or operationdrywater.org. Operation Dry Water is coordinated nationally by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.
As part of the largest interventional canine clinical trial ever conducted, veterinarians leading the Vaccine Against Canine Cancer Study seek to enroll 800 healthy, middle-aged pet dogs to evaluate the effectiveness of a new cancer prevention vaccine.
The clinical trials portion of the study is led by Colorado State University’s Dr. Douglas Thamm, director of clinical research at the Flint Animal Cancer Center at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
“As one of the top animal cancer centers in the world, CSU and our team is in an excellent position to lead this new clinical trial,” Thamm said. “We look forward to contributing to this groundbreaking research study.”
Stephanie Foster, who is from Highlands Ranch, decided to see if her dog, Fraser, would qualify for the study. After a physical exam, bloodwork, ultrasound and X-rays, Fraser was cleared for enrollment in the trial in mid-May and was among the first dogs to receive a vaccination at CSU.
“One year after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, my dog Maple, was diagnosed with lymphoma. She died nine months later,” Foster said. “I hate cancer and if there’s a chance that this vaccine will prevent cancer in Fraser and we can find a way to prevent cancer all together in dogs and maybe even people, that would be a dream come true.”
Study qualifications
Owners must live within 150 miles of one of the participating trial sites.
To qualify, dogs must:
Be between 6 and 10 years of age
Weigh at least 12 pounds (5 kilograms)
Have no history of previous cancer or autoimmune disease
Have no significant illnesses that could result in a life span fewer than five years
Not be on a current treatment with oral or injectable immunosuppressive medications
In addition, dogs must be among the following breeds: boxers, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers and a variety of mixed-breed dogs. See the complete list of breeds, 45 in total, on our website.
Danielle Biggs, clinical trials technician, and Dr. Doug Thamm examine a dog at the Flint Animal Cancer Center at CSU. Photo: Bill Cotton/CSU Photography
Companion dogs that meet the screening criteria will be randomly chosen to receive either the vaccine or a placebo version on a routine schedule. Study participants will live at home and visit the study site for semiannual check-ups for five years.
Patients that receive the placebo vaccine are expected to develop cancer at normal rates. The trial will determine whether the vaccine can delay or prevent cancer development in the vaccinated group.
Any owner whose dog develops cancer during the trial, on either the test or control arm, will be given a hospital credit that can be used for the diagnosis and treatment of their cancer.
For decades, conventional wisdom has suggested that a universal, preventive cancer vaccine would not be possible because all cancers are unique. However, Stephen Johnston, a professor and director of the Center for Innovations in Medicine, part of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, and his team recently discovered a way to identify commonalities among cancerous tumors. Using that information, they developed what they believe is a potential one-size-fits-all cancer prevention vaccine.
The new vaccine, called a multivalent frameshift peptide vaccine, was effective in mice and has been shown to be safe for use in companion animals.
The road to clinical trial
After developing and testing the vaccine in the lab, Johnston needed to identify a veterinarian to move the vaccine into a clinical trial in dogs. He chose Thamm, a trusted colleague who has collaborated with him for more than a decade.
“When Stephen brought up the idea of a universal cancer preventative vaccine, I was skeptical,” Thamm said. “However, the data he has shared has convinced me that the vaccine is worth testing.”
The project is supported by a multiyear grant of $6.4 million from the Open Philanthropy Project, which granted the award to Johnston in 2018.
If successful, this trial would provide strong support for the concept of using vaccines to prevent cancer in its earliest stages and could eventually justify human clinical trials.
“This is a critical study in the evaluation of this vaccine,” Thamm said. “While effectiveness has been shown in the lab, moving immediately to a very large, expensive and time-consuming human study is a leap that is hard to justify. Testing this approach in dogs will serve as the perfect bridge to human studies. Additionally, if it is successful, we will have a new tool for cancer prevention in our pets, potentially decades before it is available for humans.”
CRAIG, Colo. (AP) — Colorado wildlife officials say a mother mule deer will be killed after it attacked and injured an 85-year-old woman.
The Craig Press newspaper reports the woman was walking her dog in the town of Craig on Wednesday when authorities say they surprised a doe with two fawns.
State Parks and Wildlife officials say the deer responded aggressively, inflicting serious injuries on the woman. She was taken to a hospital.
Wildlife officers responded and captured the deer.
The agency says the animal will be put down because of her “extremely aggressive behavior.” Her young will be taken to an animal rehabilitation facility.
A necropsy will be performed on the doe’s carcass.
Agency public information officer Mike Porras says mule deer are usually docile around people but that behavior is not guaranteed.
The Arapahoe County Long Range Planning Committee is assessing how the County can best meet increasing demands on public safety and transportation infrastructure. At its June 17 meeting, the Committee will have in-depth discussions with County staff on current and future needs.
WHAT: Third meeting of the Arapahoe County Long Range Planning Committee – a citizen-based advisory task force guiding the Board of County Commissioners.
WHY: The committee is in the process of reviewing the fiscal situation of the county along with making recommendations on how to meet critical public safety issues, especially those posed by aging facilities at the Arapahoe County jail and court house. The committee is also reviewing transportation needs.
WHO: 25 residents, business leaders and nonprofit representatives from the county.
WHEN: 4 p.m. June 17, 2019
WHERE: CenterPoint Plaza, 14980 E. Alameda Drive, Aurora
NEDERLAND — A 69-year-old man was attacked by a cow moose while working on a ranch Thursday morning and was transported by ambulance to Boulder Community Hospital for examination of his injuries.
The incident occurred on private property outside of the town of Nederland. The man was doing property work near thick willow brush when the cow (female) moose attacked him.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers surveyed the property and found a cow moose still in the area and witnesses report seeing her with a calf recently, likely prompting the defensive and aggressive behavior. A dog was also present at the scene of the attack.
No action will be taken against the moose because this incident occurred outside of town on private property, the moose was in its natural habitat and likely a result of seasonal behavior being very protective of its young.
Although this incident was not believed to be sparked by irresponsible behavior, it does serve as an example that wildlife are just that, wild, and they can act in unpredictable ways. CPW reminds the public to respect wildlife and their space.
“It serves as a good reminder that not only moose, but elk and deer are also having babies right now, and does and cows can be aggressive when their fawns and calves are newborn and very vulnerable to predation,” said Area Wildlife Manager Kristin Cannon. “They may be aggressive towards people, but especially people with dogs, and especially if those dogs are off leash.”
Many birds and mammals give birth this time of the year. Now through the end of the month, newborn wildlife will be found across the landscape and it is important that when they are observed, that people do so from a distance and never try to interact with them.
Having dogs off leash often escalates run-ins with wildlife from just a sighting into what could be a dangerous situation.
“As people are recreating for the next three or four weeks, they should be keeping their dogs on a leash or leaving them at home,” Cannon said. “They should be aware of their surroundings and should give all wildlife plenty of space.”
One way to avoid an unnecessary run-in with a moose is to steer clear of thick willow habitat in riparian areas where they are likely to be found eating or resting. Their calves, who are born at the end of May and early June, are often lying in the willows while their mother is off grazing. Calves are usually weaned off a mothers milk after a couple months.
Last fall in response to a growing concern over an increase in moose and human interactions, CPW released a new video illustrating how people can be safe and responsible around these giant mammals.
DENVER — With warmer weather and melting snowpack, outdoor enthusiasts are enjoying camping and hiking trips in Colorado’s many scenic locations. Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff are frequently asked what someone should do if they encounter a bear while out camping or hiking. Whether you are visiting Colorado for a vacation or are a long-time resident, it’s important to be aware of how to discourage human-bear encounters and how to avoid potential issues before heading out to live life outside.
First and foremost, when recreating in bear country you should remember that bears are not naturally aggressive toward humans; in fact, most bears are inherently wary of people. Physical encounters between humans and bears remain exceptionally rare.
“Bears are incredibly smart animals, and are more likely than not to just leave the area when they hear humans nearby,” says J Wenum, Area Wildlife Manager for CPW in Gunnison. “However, if a bear is accidentally cornered or surprised, or has lost their normal fear of humans, it may react differently.”
Interactions generally occur when bears become too comfortable around humans, often because of an easy or reliable food source, such as improperly stored camping supplies. When bears lose their fear of people, it may lead to them causing damage to property such as cars or RVs, or creating conflict with people at campsites or on the trails.
Bear sows are also very protective of their young and may react negatively to people if they believe that their cubs may be in danger.
“People need to understand how to be bear aware while camping and hiking in order to help prevent any issues,” said Wenum. “Bears are part of the wild places that make Colorado special, so we ask people to take some steps to keep them wild. That means keeping a clean campsite and vehicle, using bear boxes or canisters, respecting trail signage and considering carrying an air horn or bear spray in the backcountry.”
CAMPING
When camping in bear country, the easiest way to avoid bears is to ensure you have no attractants at your campsite. Whether car camping or hiking into the backcountry, there are actions you can take to minimize your chances of an encounter.
Safely store food: If it smells good enough to eat, a bear will try to eat it. Store food, beverages and toiletries in airtight containers and place in provided campsite lockers, lock in your trunk or use bear-proof containers stored away from your tent.
Stash your trash: If a campground provides bear-proof trash receptacles, use them often to keep your campsite clean. If no trash receptacles are available, double bag your trash and lock it in your vehicle, or use a bear-proof container when backpacking.
Keep it clean: Scrape grill grates after use, clean all dishes and utensils, and ensure you have cleaned up any waste near your site. Never bring food or anything that smells like food – which includes toiletries, sunscreen and even clothes you wear when cooking – into your tent.
Lock it up: Be sure your car or RV windows are closed and your vehicles are locked whenever you leave your site or before going to sleep at night.
Follow signs (and instincts): Whether printed signs or natural signs such as tracks or scat, if you have evidence that a bear has been in the area recently, leave and choose another campsite.
If a bear is seen in your camp, try your best to haze it away with loud noises such as yelling, banging pots and pans together or using your car horn or an air horn. Be sure to notify the campground host and other campers.
HIKING
With their tremendous senses of smell and hearing, bears will usually be aware of your presence well before you are aware of theirs. Their natural instinct will be to leave before you realize they are in the area. However, understanding bear behaviors and being aware of your surroundings will help you avoid unwanted encounters on the trails.
Hike with friends: Conversation and extra noise will alert bears to your presence and make them more likely to retreat. If your group includes furry friends, keep dogs leashed at all times. Not only will an unleashed dog be more likely to be injured, the instinct to return to its owner may bring an aggravated bear right back to you.
Stay alert at all times: Leave your headphones back at your campsite, be extra cautious at dawn and dusk, and pay closer attention to visuals when hiking in an area with noise from running water or heavy winds.
NEVER feed a bear: Never approach a bear of any size for any reason, especially to feed it. Double bag food and pack out all food waste to avoid encouraging bears to see trails as a food source. Do not think “natural” waste like apple cores or banana peels are okay to leave behind – they are certainly not natural treats for bears.
Respect forage areas: If your usual trail runs through berry patches, oak brush or other known food sources, be extra vigilant. Make extra noise by periodically clapping or calling out to alert bears to your presence.
If you’ve done everything above and still manage to surprise a bear on the trail? Stay calm, stand still and speak to it in a firm tone of voice. The bear will most likely identify you and leave. Never run from a bear!
If the bear does not leave, slowly wave your arms over your head trying to make yourself look big and continue speaking to encourage the bear’s exit. If the bear huffs, stomps or pops its jaws, that is a sign that it needs space. Continue facing the bear, slowly back away and keep moving away slowly until the bear is out of sight.
If the bear approaches before you have a chance to try to force its exit, stand your ground. Yell or throw smaller rocks in the direction of the bear. If the bear gets within 40 feet, utilize bear spray. If a bear attacks, do not play dead – fight back with anything available, including trekking poles, small knives, or even your bare hands.
If you’re heading out to enjoy the Colorado outdoors, remember that most human-bear interactions are relatively benign; bear sightings and watching normal bear behaviors from a safe distance are an incredible sight for most outdoor enthusiasts. Staying bear aware on the trails or at your campsite, and keeping respectful distances for photos and viewing, keeps these interactions safe for humans and bears alike. For more information on camping and hiking in bear country, visit cpw.state.co.us.
Community members are invited to attend Arapahoe County’s Backyard Bees and Chickens Workshop – a free community event for residents to explore how to get started, understand the zoning regulations and learn best practices in keeping hives and poultry. The workshop is provided by the County’s CSU Extension and public works and development departments.
In early 2019, Arapahoe County adopted new regulations for backyard bee and chicken keeping in unincorporated residentially zoned areas as a result of a two-year, community-driven process to balance the needs and concerns of residents.
“Although there are no special license requirements, backyard bee and chicken keeping should not be taken lightly,” said Lisa Mason, horticulture agent for CSU Extension. “Returning to agricultural roots in an urban setting requires research, education and a strong commitment to safe practices that ensure healthy animals and communities.”
WHAT: Backyard Bees and Chickens Workshop
WHEN: 6 – 8 p.m., Thursday June 13, 2019
WHERE: Arapahoe County Lima Plaza
Arapahoe Board Room
6954 S Lima Street, Centennial, CO 80112
FREE
WORKSHOP: Experts to discuss zoning regulations including set backs and allowed quantities of hives and chickens. Learn from CSU staff about how to get started with both bees and chickens, best practices and helpful resources.
