The Colorado State Track & Field Championships take place this weekend, May 16-18, at Jefferson County Stadium, Sixth Avenue and Kipling Street in Lakewood.
A variety of athletes from the I-70 Corridor will be in attendance. The area athletes competing and their event(s) schedules are:
DEER TRAIL
• Sophomore Conner Price: 3,200-meter run finals, 5:50 p.m., Thursday, May 16, 5:50 p.m.; 1,600-meter run finals, 12:20 p.m., Saturday, May 18.
BYERS
• Senior Brady Shelley: Triple jump, 2:30 p.m., Thursday, May 16; long jump, 10 a.m., Saturday, May 18.
Arapahoe County District 3 Commissioner Jeff Baker and Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown will host a public meeting for I-70 Corridor residents starting at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 23, at Kelver Library, 404 E. Front St., Byers.
Topics to be discussed include public safety, the county’s aging jail and courthouse, and plans for a new sheriff’s substation and county services satellite office in Byers.
WHAT: First meeting of the Arapahoe County Long Range Planning Committee – an advisory task force guiding the Board of County Commissioners on future county needs.
WHY: The committee will review the fiscal situation of the county along with recommendations on how to meet critical public safety needs posed by aging facilities at the Arapahoe County jail and courthouse. The committee also will review transportation needs.
WHO: 25 residents, business leaders and nonprofit representatives from the county.
WHEN: May 14, 2019, 4:30 – 6 p.m.
WHERE: CenterPoint Plaza, 14980 E. Alameda Drive, Aurora
Members of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office report the arrest of Chad Disher, 30, of Hilltop Drive, Adams County.
On May 9th, 2019 at approximately 10:40 a.m., Deputies responded to a report of a female being forced into a vehicle in the area of East 120th Avenue and Brighton Road. Deputies located the vehicle involved, a beige Toyota SUV that was later determined to be a stolen vehicle, and observed a female seated on the shoulder of the roadway. The Deputy exited his patrol vehicle and approached the vehicle and the vehicle attempted to strike the Deputy. The Deputy returned to his patrol unit to pursue the Toyota SUV. The Toyota SUV then subsequently “rammed” the patrol unit and fled. Deputies pursued the vehicle to the area of East 120th Avenue and Jasmine Street. The pursuit was terminated at this time due to snowy conditions and high speeds. However, Thornton Police observed the vehicle strike a utility pole in the area of 120th Avenue and Northhaven Circle. The suspect, Chad Disher, was observed running from the vehicle. The suspect ran through a residential area and church playground but was intercepted by Deputies and taken into custody. Adams County Sheriff’s Office Detectives responded to the scene and subsequently charged Disher with the following: Chad Disher, 30, Hilltop Drive, Adams County, CO.
The female involved in the incident was secured and interviewed by Detectives. The Deputy operating the patrol unit that was struck was evaluated at the scene by EMS and no injuries are reported at this time. The investigation is ongoing and further charges may be forthcoming. The defendant is being treated for injuries sustained in the accident and will be held at the Adams County Detention Facility pending court proceedings.
[Aguilar, Colorado, MAY 9, 2019] – The family of Jamie Rachel Julian-LaPorte is seeking help from the public in locating an endangered runaway juvenile. In cooperation with local and federal authorities, the family of the 15-year-old girl is seeking any information as to her whereabouts, plans or well-being. The girl is believed to be in serious danger.
Jamie was first reported missing the morning of Wednesday, May 8, 2019. She took her mother’s vehicle – a white Chevy Cobalt, 4-door, license plate 939 PMR, Colorado plates – and left her house. It’s unknown if she is still in possession of the car but it has not yet been located. It is believed she is in the company of an adult male, Joe Eagle, approximately 30 years of age, from the Aguilar, CO area.
Through the course of the ongoing investigation, it is has been discovered that the two have been involved in a relationship for some time. There is reason to believe that this adult male has groomed Jamie in a sexual relationship as well introduced her to drugs and may have lured her from her home. At this time she has not made contact with any of her usual friends and acquaintances, and she has no resources of her own.
Jamie is 15 years old and has gone by the aliases of Jamie Julian, Rachel Julian-LaPorte, and Rachel Leigh. She is 5’6″, roughly 130 pounds, red hair (known to dye it black on occasion), blue eyes.
Her family is very concerned for her safety. Given the statistics that exist for runaway teens, the first two days are critical in finding a runaway teenager.
1 in 3 runaways will be lured into commercial sexual exploitation within 48 hours of being on the streets (shorturl.at/aAEX4)
71% could have been endangered during their runaway episode (shorturl.at/dHPU7)
Jamie’s family is asking for help in spreading this information and sharing her story as far and wide as possible to help bring her home quickly and safely. If you have seen either of these individuals, together or separately, and/or the vehicle, please notify Las Animas County Sheriff’s Department at 719-846-2211.
May 7, 2019 – Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult for many, but restful slumber can be especially hard for stroke survivors. And although various studies have examined the association, doctors continue to overlook the interplay between sleep disorders and stroke, finds a new report on the issue.
More than 50% of stroke survivors are estimated to have some type of sleep problem, yet few get formally tested, in part because of “the lack of awareness” among stroke providers, according to the review published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
In addition to increasing stroke risk, sleep disturbances may worsen after a stroke, the report said. So, remedies to reduce sleep impairments could help prevent a first or subsequent stroke.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing is repeatedly stopped and restarted because of changes in airflow. The report said more than 70% of stroke survivors have a specific condition known as obstructive sleep apnea, in which the tongue or other obstruction blocks airway in the throat.
This can cause a person to snore or to stop breathing entirely for several seconds before gasping for air, disrupting sleep in the process. One study cited in the new report found people with obstructive sleep apnea had a nearly twofold increase in stroke or death.
People with severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea may find their sleep interrupted more than 30 times per hour, said Dr. Sandeep Khot, the report’s senior author and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
“You end up with what we call fragmented sleep. Your sleep is fitful because you never really get into slow-wave sleep or REM sleep, the deeper types of sleep that are associated with feeling refreshed the next day. This may affect your recovery from stroke, along with the physiologic changes that happen with your body, especially blood pressure changes,” Khot said.
It can particularly lead to high blood pressure, or hypertension. That may be a reason why some doctors miss the connection between sleep disorders and stroke, said epidemiologist Donna Arnett, dean of the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.
High blood pressure is the strongest risk factor for stroke, but another big contributor is obesity, and both are strongly associated with sleep apnea, she said.
“Most clinicians caring for stroke patients have probably thought that it’s the hypertension and the obesity that are the causal factors for stroke and they may have missed the association with sleep apnea,” said Arnett, who was not involved in the review.
Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, has been deemed “the gold standard of treatment” for obstructive sleep apnea. But many people consider CPAP treatment, which involves wearing a mask during sleep, challenging and don’t always use it.
While there are other treatments available for sleep apnea, Khot said CPAP is the primary one for stroke survivors. “We really have to have an open mind on who may and may not tolerate the treatment.”
Khot said a large study, called Sleep SMART, is currently recruiting patients and will examine the impact of CPAP treatment for people who have either had a stroke or a high-risk TIA, a transient ischemic attack often called a mini-stroke. The study will look at the treatment’s ability to prevent a second stroke, as well as recovery from the first one.
For now, he’d like to see more health care providers who work with stroke survivors start incorporating questions about sleep patterns into visits.
“We think of the traditional risk factors for having another stroke or vascular event – hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, smoking. But most of us don’t ask about sleep apnea,” Khot said. “Just simple questions about sleep. And if you have someone who has had a stroke, consider a low threshold for sending them to a sleep center for testing.”
Denver, CO– Today, on Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) would like to highlight the importance of wildfire prevention and preparedness. “We want to remind residents of the dangers posed by wildfires and the simple steps that should be followed to prepare for and prevent wildfires,” said DFPC Director Mike Morgan
Despite getting some much-needed snow this winter, we’re not out of the woods yet. Community members can promote wildfire safety by working together on community projects thus reducing the risks of their homes and property becoming fuel for a wildfire.
“Reducing losses from wildfires is a shared responsibility among emergency managers, response agencies and local community members,” said Director Morgan. “Through educational, individual and group activities, residents can learn more about the importance of wildfire preparedness and the power of prevention”.
To learn how you can be a part of the solution, visit our website: https://bit.ly/2vCEg3F
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have closed an investigation looking into reports of illegal possession of wildlife by a university professor.
Dr. Gregory Ebel, professor in Colorado State University’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, was issued a citation for illegal possession of five crows and fined $208. He was also issued a warning on the other 32 crows held in possession that were being used for a study on West Nile Virus.
Dr. Ebel’s scientific collection license he received from the state in 2019 was suspended on April 22, concluding the investigation.
“Upon investigation, this case appears to be one of an administrative oversight, not an intentional violation,” said Area Wildlife Manager Ty Petersburg. “We are supportive of the academic research Colorado State is conducting with this human health and safety project.
“Given the violations that did take place, a citation was issued for the wrongdoing. Rules and regulations must be followed, but we will continue to work with CSU faculty to obtain the proper permit to allow this important research to continue.”
Dr. Ebel, in 2018, did not apply for a scientific collection permit with the state to possess animals. That came in a year when he had collected crows to be used in his study, and where the violation occurred.
“We value our partnership with CSU and have enjoyed working with its research section and many academic departments over the years,” said Northeast Region Manager Mark Leslie. “We will continue to work with them on this project and others in years to come.”
Scientific collection licenses are issued out to an individual, not to a group or research section. Thus, another CSU faculty member could apply for a permit to allow this research project to continue.
Calling a turkey is much different than being called a turkey. In fact, it’s much harder to call a turkey than I ever dreamed because the birds are really smart.
Thanks to what we learned about the wild, upland ground bird in our Rookie Sportsman Program (RSP) classes in April, my daughter, Natalie, and I have a much deeper appreciation for wild turkey and are more excited than ever as we prepare to go seek them out on what will be our first-ever hunt.
And in the future, I will be less likely to call anyone a turkey, unless they are exhibiting the brains and instincts of these large, intelligent birds.
Natalie and I learned all this and more from our Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) instructors in our RSP classes in April. And we are eager to get out of the classroom and into the wild to test our new knowledge.
We are members of CPW’s 2019 RSP class and we’ve been learning everything we must know before actually venturing out with our CPW wildlife officer/mentor.
Our training started with firearm safety and classes on how CPW uses hunting as a wildlife management tool. Finally we were schooled in turkey-hunting strategies to ensure we have a safe, fun and successful first hunt.
An assortment of calls used to lure wild turkeys.
On Friday, April 10, Natalie and I joined other RSP members at CPW’s Southeast Region office in Colorado Springs for the Turkey Hunting 101 class.
Retired Air Force Col. Willie Kalaskie, now chairman of the Pikes Peak Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), led the class, with help from CPW Area Wildlife Manager Frank McGee, who sponsors the RSP class.
Kalaskie noted most hunters come to Colorado to seek big game but there are many other great opportunities to hunt here including wild turkey.
“Colorado is a hooves and horns state,” he said. “(But) we’re trying to grow turkey habitat every year.”
We learned about the NWTF and how it has conserved 15 million acres of habitat in the U.S.
“Hunting and habitat go hand-in-hand,” Kalaskie said. “You can’t have quality hunting without quality wildlife habitat.”
And we were reminded how the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson acts have used sportsmen’s dollars to save our wildlife from extirpation, the wild turkey included.
An assortment of calls used to lure wild turkeys.
There were approximately 10 million wild turkeys in North America before European migration. But that number fell to 30,000 by 1930 as logging and mining destroyed habitat and unregulated harvest decimated turkey populations.
Thanks to wildlife management efforts by CPW’s predecessor agencies, and funding from the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937 (an excise tax on firearms and ammunition), turkey numbers rebounded to 7 million turkeys across the U.S. by 2013.
“Hunters funded this restoration,” Kalaskie told us.
After the history lesson, we got down to biological business. We learned about spurs, snoods and dewlaps. We learned that female turkeys can sometimes have a beard and that many hunters are obsessed with finding one. (It sounded like a circus sideshow: See the bearded female turkey!)
We learned the wild turkey is the largest North American game bird with excellent eyes and hearing, but a poor sense of smell.
“You’ll never successfully stalk a wild turkey,” Kalaskie said. “You have to call them to you.”
That’s why turkey hunters wear camouflage in the field and often use decoys, blinds and bird calls.
Natalie Duncan, 14, examines turkey feathers during a Turkey Hunting 101 class that was part of CPW’s Rookie Sportsman Program which introduces newcomers and novices to Colorado’s outdoor opportunities including hunting, fishing, camping and hiking. Natalie is taking the class with her father, Travis Duncan, who is a CPW public information officer.
Kalaskie brought an array of turkey calls that he demonstrated and allowed us to try. The wooden box call was easiest to operate. He also had slate calls which make sound by drawing a peg or striker across a dry surface. He also had a more sophisticated diaphragm call you position in your mouth to use.
We listened to different types of turkey calls: Clucks, putts, hen yelps, tree calls, cutting, hen assembly calls, fly down cackles, kee kee calls, hen purr calls and, of course, gobbling – the vocalization a male tom turkey uses in the spring.
“The sound we all wait to hear,” Kalaskie said.
He had a gobbler shaker call as well and this proved to be a big hit with my daughter.
“I would have annoyed my parents so much with that call when I was a kid,” DWM Cassidy English said as my daughter shook the call near my ear. “Just like that.”
We also learned that besides our shotguns, we really needed turkey vests to have a good hunt.
“It’s got pockets for calls and strikers and a padded seat,” AWM McGee said. “That can help keep you warm too. If you’re sitting on the cold ground, you’ll have a hard time staying out for very long.”
Contrary to big-game hunting, turkey hunters aim for the head and neck when using a shotgun. Before going out in the field, hunters should “pattern” their shotguns, meaning they should practice shooting targets with the kind of ammunition they intend to hunt with to see how it performs and make adjustments if necessary.
“You might find with a particular gun, your pattern [of shotgun shells] might open up too much and you won’t be effective at a certain distance,” McGee said.
Both Kalaskie and McGee said they were big fans of using blinds, especially with young kids.
“Kids have a hard time sitting still,” McGee said. “It doesn’t take much movement at all for a turkey to bust you.”
Willie Kalaskie, chairman of the Pikes Peak Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, holds a turkey decoy and stands near a hunting blind as he teachers Turkey Hunting 101 class at the CPW Southeast Region office in Colorado Springs.
Turkeys sleep in a roost tree at night to avoid predators, so hunters scouting out an area will often try to set up their blind ahead of time, based on where they think the flock might choose to feed.
We also learned many hunters use decoys, but if you’re using a tom decoy, be mindful of how you place it to avoid potential accidents from other hunters stalking your decoy.
“You want a tom decoy facing your blind,” Kalaskie said. “Chances are a hunter won’t shoot a turkey from the back.”
It was a lot of information to digest, but Natalie and I are excited to see how much we remember when we go turkey hunting in May with our assigned mentor, CPW DWM Logan Wilkins.
You will read all about it in the next installment of “Field Notes of a Rookie Sportsman.”
Travis Duncan is a public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Denver. Travis has lived in Colorado 17 years and loves the outdoors. If you have a question, please email him at
CALENDAR
Here’s a few opportunities to engage the sportsman or sportswoman in you:
Annual Pikes Peak Birding & Nature Festival – Prairie to Peak Colorado Springs (mid-May) Field trips, seminars, tours and events are happening throughout El Paso, Pueblo and Teller counties. Festival field trips will visit migration hot spots such as Bear Creek and Fountain Creek Regional Parks, Lake Pueblo State Park, Manitou Lakes, Chico Basin Ranch, Pinello Ranch and other locations searching for common and unexpected birds alike. Registration is required for some of the events. For more information, see the Pikes Peak Birding and Nature Festival website.
Welcome Back Turkey Vulture Day
Castlewood Canyon State Park, Franktown (mid-May) Nothing heralds the return of spring to Castlewood Canyon State Park more than the sight of turkey vultures circling high above in search of food. To honor this annual natural event, come join us for Welcome Back Turkey Vulture Day. Castlewood Canyon, located five miles south of Franktown, boasts the largest summer roost of turkey vultures in Colorado, with up to 100 birds some seasons.
Enjoy activities for all ages, including: a TV Dinner (hamburgers and hotdogs), face painting and a storyteller. Naturalist-led hikes will take visitors to spots where one can get a better view of these majestic birds. Learn how TV’s employ the 3 P’s to survive and help us humans lead better lives. Curious why they are bald and fly “wobbly?” Come to Welcome Back Turkey Vulture Day to answer this and more.
15th annual Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival
Cortez, May 8-12 The diverse landscape of the Four Corners region is home to more than 180 species of birds. Proceeds from the annual festival support the Cortez Cultural Center.
Saturday, May 18 Learn how to target walleye and crappie at one of Colorado’s top reservoirs. This class will be held at Jumbo Reservoir near Julesburg and give you some basic techniques for targeting warm water fish around the country.
