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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

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  • Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, April 30

    The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office will once again partner with the Drug Enforcement Agency to collect potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 30. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. This take-back event is an opportunity for residents to help make their homes safer by disposing of their unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

    The Sheriff’s Office is hosting three collection locations:

    Kaiser Permanente – 5555 E. Arapahoe Road

    Centennial Medical Plaza – 14200 E. Arapahoe Road

    Smoky Hill Library – 5430 S. Biscay Circle

    Collection sites will accept any medications, prescription or over-the-counter, brought in for disposal. Collections sites cannot accept needles or sharps of any kind; mercury thermometers; oxygen containers; chemotherapy drugs or radioactive substances; or pressurized canisters. Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative.

    Many people are not aware that unused medications in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many people do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medication, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

    For more details, or to find a collection site near you, visit www.dea.gov. If you are unable to get to a collection site, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has a medication drop box in the lobby of their headquarters at 13101 E. Broncos Parkway in Centennial. The lobby is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

  • 911 Education Open House

    911 Education Open House

     

    If you are trying to plan something fun to do this weekend, join us for our third annual 911 Education Open House from 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2016, at the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, 13101 E. Broncos Parkway.

     

    This is a rare opportunity for the community to tour the Arapahoe County Communications Center and meet 911 operators. Children can learn how to call 911 on the 911 simulator telephone, and adults can register for Everbridge Emergency Notifications. It is the fastest way to get the information you need during an emergency.  Of course, no Sheriff’s Office event would be complete without K9 demonstrations!

     

    Complimentary refreshments will be served.

     
  • Arapahoe County Foundation fund for Southview Apartment Fire Victims established

    Arapahoe County Foundation fund for Southview Apartment Fire Victims established

    LITTLETON —  A fund has been established through the Arapahoe County Foundation to assist victims of the Southview Place Towers Apartments fire that occurred on April 6 in the 5800 block of S. Windermere St. More than 130 senior citizens have been displaced by the fire and although all are now in housing, the crisis is far from over and many of the current housing solutions are temporary.

    Residents were informed this week that their leases will be terminated and they will not be able to return to their apartments due to smoke and asbestos damage. Additionally, some residents were told that they must pack and move all of their furnishings and belongings within the next 10 days, and others were told that they could never retrieve their items due to contamination. Many of these seniors have lived here for years and lack the financial resources to cope with this disaster.

    Arapahoe County Commissioners voted to designate approximately $50,000 in grant funding to assist with security deposits and other rental requirements for eligible residents. Arapahoe County Community Resources staff is also working to locate housing options.

    “Our Arapahoe County community has always been generous and willing to give to those in need.” said Board of County Commissioners, Board Chair, Nancy Doty. “These seniors have lost their homes and most of their possessions, and we hope our citizens will join us in helping them during this time.”

    If you wish to contribute to the Southview Apartment Fire Victims Account through the Arapahoe County Foundation, please visit https://www.razoo.com/story/Southview-Towers-Apartment-Fire-Victims-Fund or you can mail a check payable to “Arapahoe County Foundation” to 5334 S. Prince St., Littleton, CO 80120. Please include “Southview Apartment Fire Victims” on the memo line of your check.

    The Foundation is a Colorado non-profit corporation organized as a 501(c)(3) and donors will receive a donation acknowledgement letter for tax purposes. All funding raised will be used exclusively to support the victims of the fire, through needs such as utility deposits, security deposits, moving expenses, initial supplies of food and necessities and other needs.

    A resource center is open daily at 5804 S. Datura St. in Littleton to assist victims and their families. Landlords are encouraged to contact the resource center through Arapahoe County Community Resources if they have affordable units available at 303-738-8040. Citizens can also contact Community Resources with questions or for more information.

    Photo of Southview Place Towers (credit: CBS)

  • Bennett vs. Machebeuf

    The Bennett Tigers fell to 1-2 on the 2016 baseball season with a 3-1 loss to visiting Bishop Machebeuf in a non-conference contest April 5.
    The game, held on a cold, windy evening, featured a pair of outstanding pitching performances, led by Tiger junior Luke McClanahan, the tough-luck loser.
    Neither squad tallied a run in the first two innings, but matched each other’s one-run third. The 1-1 score remained etched on the scoreboard until the top of the sixth when Machebeuf pulled in front 2-1. The visiting Buffaloes added an insurance run in the seventh.

  • Saturday’s wetter-than-normal snow created havoc along back country roads.

    Moisture estimates from the heavy snowstorm are still wide-ranging from the storm that started late April 15 and lasted through the early morning hours of April 17. The range of reports from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network is from .75 inches to almost 2 inches of moisture with most reports not specifying a snow total because of gauges unable to accurately collect because of accompanying winds. Similar to the March 23 blizzard that hit the area, this weekend’s storm featured wetter-than-normal snow with saturation rates closer to 6-8 inches of snow for an inch of moisture, compared to the more normal 10-12 inches for inch of water. The heavy wet snow was creating havoc along the dirt back roads throughout the area. With the exception of a couple of early morning jackknifed semis and mostly minor slide-offs, the amount of traffic issues throughout the area was still minimal because of the storm mostly occurring on Saturday.

  • Strasburg presents Aladdin Jr.

    The Strasburg Singers, composed of students in grades 4 and 5 at Strasburg Elementary School, presented Disney’s Aladdin Jr. April 1 and 2 at the Bennett High School Auditorium.









  • Indians paced by double event-winner at University

    GREELEY — The Strasburg and Bennett track squads got a good measure of where they stand against some of the top 3A and 4A teams in the state at the annual University Bulldog Invitational April 2.

    On the boys side, Strasburg finished in seventh place with 30 points while Bennett tallied 7 points, good enough for 21st.

    The girls meet saw Strasburg record 32 points for 10th place while Bennett was 12th with 22 points.

  • Strasburg Prom Dress Fashion Show

    The Strasburg High School National Honor Society presented a Prom Dress
    Fashion Show fundraiser March 18. Formal dresses were donated to the
    group, which they prepared for resell at $10 to $30.








  • St. Patricks Day dinner

    Strasburg Presbyterian Church held its annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner March 19. The event is a fundraiser for the church’s Zimbabwe Mission Project.











  •  Use Caution Dealing with Snow-Damaged Trees 

     Use Caution Dealing with Snow-Damaged Trees 

    BROOMFIELD — With Colorado residents facing another major spring snowstorm this weekend, there is a significant possibility for snow damage to trees – especially those that have begun to leaf out. Because homeowners could be faced with having to take actions to protect and repair their trees, Keith Wood, community forestry program manager for the Colorado State Forest Service, wants to convey that although their first impulse may be to start sawing, they should first assess the situation to avoid hurting themselves or further damaging the tree.

    Wood and the CSFS offer the following tips for dealing with snow-damaged trees; the tips were adapted from International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) recommendations:

    Check for hazards. Before approaching a tree, examine your surroundings to avoid making contact with downed utility lines or standing under broken, hanging branches.

    Contact city officials if necessary. Trees between the street and a city sidewalk may be the responsibility of city crews.

    Assess the damage. If a tree is healthy overall and still possesses its leader (the main upward branch), most of its major limbs and 50 percent or more of its crown, the chance is good for a complete recovery.

    Be careful knocking snow off branches. This may cause the branches to break. If you must remove snow, gently push up on branches from below to prevent adding additional stress.

    Remove broken branches. This minimizes the risk of decay and insects or diseases entering the wound. Prune at the branch collar – the point where a branch joins a larger one – and be mindful of potential pent-up energy if the branch is twisted or bent.

    Don’t over-prune. With the loss of some branches, a tree may look unbalanced, but most trees quickly grow new foliage that hides bare areas.

    Don’t try to do it all yourself. If the job requires running a chainsaw overhead, sawing from a ladder or removing large branches or entire trees, contact an insured, certified arborist. Professionals often are listed in the phone book under “tree services.”

    The CSFS offers a guide to dealing with storm-damaged trees at http://static.colostate.edu/client-files/csfs/pdfs/FINAL_Storm_Damage_Quick_Guide.pdf. To find an ISA-certified arborist, visit www.isa-arbor.com.