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  • Marketplace Signalization and Intersection Improvements

    Construction has begun for the State-Highway 79 and Marketplace Intersection improvements and signalization.

    Work will continue on October 3, 2022 and crews will be in the area to start lane widening and right of way modifications. Signals will not be installed until the Town receives further approvals from the Colorado Department of Transportation.

    Some of the improvements include creating a dedicated right-hand turn lane that will allow trucks and other vehicles to turn towards I-70.

    During this time there will be some impacts to traffic, please use extra caution when traveling through the area.

    If you have additional questions regarding the work in the area, please contact the Town of Bennett at 303-644-3249.

  • Colorado is the No. 15 Best State for UFO Fans

    Colorado’s Rank in Some Key Metrics (1st = Best)

    • Number of UFO/UAP Sightings – 13th
    • Number of UFO/Extraterrestrial Clubs and Groups – 6th
    • Number of U.S. Air Force Bases – 6th
    • Number of UFO/Alien Attractions – 5th

    To come up with the ranking, Lawn Love pored over countless X-files — sightings data, communication tower registrations, Air Force base listings — to determine which of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are hotbeds of extraterrestrial activity. We also searched for UFO clubs, conventions, and other factors that indulge the most avid UFO enthusiasts.

    The full ranking and analysis are available here: https://lawnlove.com/blog/best-states-ufo-fans/

  • Keep Colorado Wild Pass refund options are announced for resident annual pass

    Keep Colorado Wild Pass refund options are announced for resident annual pass

    To learn more about the Keep Colorado Wild Pass and how it benefits Colorado, visit cpw.info/keepcoloradowild and cpw.info/keepcoloradowildpassspanish 

    DENVER – At its September meeting, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission approved a refund policy for Colorado residents that purchase a Keep Colorado Wild Pass.

    Beginning in 2023, Colorado residents will see a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass added to their annual vehicle registration through the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This new annual pass gives all Coloradans easy access to all state parks and the added benefit of investing in our great outdoors and wildlife in a meaningful way.

    Because vehicle registrations happen throughout the year, there will be situations where current Colorado Parks and Wildlife annual park pass customers will have overlapping annual passes. To address these issues, CPW has approved refund options that will cover the time between when a current annual pass expires and when a vehicle registration is due. To read the full proposed refund policy, visit cpw.state.co.us.

    For annual passes, the refunded amount will be based on a flat prorated refund structure. The prorated amount will be based on the price of the original pass divided by 12 months and rounded up to the nearest dollar. The prorated amount per month will range between $3 – $10, depending on the originally purchased pass type for that vehicle. The refund amount is based on the number of remaining months with no refund for passes that had been used for nine months or more. Residents will have 60 days after the Keep Colorado Wild Pass purchase date to file for a refund.

    Qualifying tax-exempt military plates will receive the Keep Colorado Wild Pass free of charge during the registration process. All currently free and reduced-price CPW passes (Blue Spruce, Independence, Columbine and Centennial) will continue to be available to customers through application and authorization from CPW.

    Annual pass refunds may be requested on an online platform managed by CPW which will require creating or updating an account in the agency’s integrated purchasing system. Customers will then be refunded to the card on file in the system used for online or phone purchases. All other pass refunds will be paid in the form of a CPW Shop gift certificate or a check if purchased at a park, office or agent, based on the customer’s preference. Checks could take up to 90 days for customers to receive, so a CPW Shop gift certificate may be a more desirable option for some customers.

    These refund programs will only be available for the first two calendar years after the Keep Colorado Wild Pass implementation (2023 and 2024). This time period should cover all of the gaps and overlaps that could potentially exist before all noncommercial Colorado-plated vehicles have the option to purchase the Keep Colorado Wild Pass.

    “While we hope all Coloradans want to take advantage of the Keep Colorado Wild Pass and support the outdoor spaces we all cherish, we understand that our residents need purchasing options to make the best decision for their household,” said CPW Acting Director Heather Dugan. “This newly developed refund policy aligns with our agency’s dedication to provide quality customer service for our parks system.”

    Every purchase of a Keep Colorado Wild Pass contributes to keeping our landscapes healthy and shows our state’s passion to protect the natural resources that enrich our lives. Money raised will go towards state park maintenance, better support for the volunteers and equipment needs of the Colorado Backcountry Search and Rescue system, benefit avalanche safety programs, wildlife and habitat conservation work and outdoor educational programs for local communities.

    Keep Colorado Wild Pass takeaways:

    • ​The pass is only offered to Colorado residents during the Colorado vehicle registration process.​
    • The $29 pass fee is included in your vehicle registration price total unless you choose to decline (opt out).
    • The pass is not transferable between vehicles and is linked to your license plate and registration card.
    • A Colorado Parks and Wildlife logo will be printed on your vehicle registration card which will give you access to state parks.
    • You can decline or subtract (opt out) the cost of the pass when you register your vehicle with the Division of Motor Vehicles online, through a kiosk, through mail-in options or with a customer service representative in-office.
    • All regularly priced Colorado state park passes are still available.

    To learn more about the Keep Colorado Wild Pass and how it benefits Colorado, visit cpw.info/keepcoloradowild and cpw.info/keepcoloradowildpassspanish

  • Human Remains Located in La Plata County

    CBI – La Plata County, CO – At the request of the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sent investigative agents to the area of Middle Mountain Road (near the Vallecito Reservoir) on the discovery of human skeletal remains.

    CBI agents went to the area to process the scene on Monday morning (September 26). The remains are unidentified, but appear to be those of an adult. The La Plata County Coroner will make official identification and notify next of kin.

    Hikers in the area discovered the remains and contacted law enforcement officials.

    This is an active investigation with few details available at this time.

  • Colorado Deploys Emergency Operations Center Support Team to Florida

    Colorado Deploys Emergency Operations Center Support Team to Florida

    entennial, Colo. – Sept. 29, 2022 – Tuesday morning the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) deployed 13 public safety professionals from our state’s incident management teams and DHSEM to Florida.  The 13 individuals will provide emergency operations center (EOC) support to the state of Florida as part of an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request for Hurricane Ian. On Monday, DHSEM also deployed a logistics specialist to the Florida State EOC to assist with EMAC resource requests.  The 13-member team is assigned to a logistics staging area in Ocala, Florida where they will be responsible for receiving and distributing supplies.  They will support Florida for the next 14 days.

    EMAC, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact is an all hazards – all disciplines mutual aid compact that serves as the cornerstone of the nation’s mutual aid system.  EMAC is the first national disaster–relief compact since the Civil Defense and Disaster Compact of 1950 to be ratified by the U.S. Congress. Since ratification and signing into law in 1996 (Public Law 104-321), 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted legislation to become EMAC members.

    DHSEM coordinates EMAC deployments on behalf of the State of Colorado.  DHSEM maintains a map of current and past EMAC deployment on our DHSEM website.  DHSEM also deployed a voluntary agency liaison to the State of Alaska following the impacts of a tropical storm.  Last month three DHSEM staff members deployed under EMAC to Kentucky following their flooding and assisted New Mexico with their wildfires and flash flooding disaster.

    Members of the 13-member team deployed from Colorado through the EMAC program to assist the State of Florida.

  • History Comes Alive For Boggsville Days

    History Comes Alive For Boggsville Days

    Come join us for Boggsville Days this Saturday, Oct 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. where living history characters bring the 1860s to life.  It’s fun for the whole family and admission is free.

    Visit with mountain men, fur traders and army scouts, but beware of the snake oil salesman.  Watch civil war experts, Fords Independence Company, demonstrate civil war ammunition and infantry maneuvers. See traditional Mexican and Native American dancers. Learn to make tortillas over an open fire and churn butter the old fashioned way. You can take a horse-drawn wagon ride and learn the history of Boggsville from one of our expert historians.

    Kids can earn points for free popcorn by playing historic games and making old fashioned toys, visiting a one-room schoolhouse or attending any of the historic demonstrations. They can partake in face painting, a pie-eating contest and have fun taking turns whacking a piñata.

    Enjoy a lunch of pulled-pork, cowboy beans, coleslaw and dessert. Lunch tickets come with a souvenir cup that is re-fillable all day. Concession treats and home- baked goods are also for sale. All proceeds go toward the preservation of Boggsville Historic Site. 

    If you haven’t been to Boggsville lately, you’ll be amazed at the recent preservation progress. Come out and have some fun while learning about Bent County in the 1860s. The Boggsville Historic Site is located in Las Animas, Colorado, about 2 miles south of the courthouse on Hwy 101. See you Saturday! 

  • Deputies searching for two car thieves; armed and dangerous

    Deputies searching for two car thieves; armed and dangerous

    CENTENNIAL – Arapahoe Sheriff Investigators are looking for two car thieves who they believe are armed and dangerous. The victim, a 23-year-old male, interrupted a man and woman stealing his blue Dodge Ram pick-up truck from the driveway of his home. It happened on September 25 at 2:30 a.m. in the 18000 block of E. Caley Pl. in Centennial.

    The suspects arrived in a white sedan and parked in front of the victim’s home. The victim confronted the suspects at which time they pointed a weapon at him. The victim then fired at the suspects with his own weapon potentially hitting one of them. The suspects fled the scene.

    Investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying the two suspects and locating the 2017 white Hyundai Sonata 4-door sedan, License #LLDOLPH. If you have information that can help them, please contact our Investigations Tipline at 720-874-8477. All information can be confidential, and you can remain anonymous.

    Watch surveillance video HERE.

  • ‘The Native 3’ film highlights CPW efforts to conserve native fish in Colorado River Basin

    A Colorado Parks and Wildlife aquatic researcher holds a Bluehead Sucker, one of the three native fish species CPW is working to conserve in the Colorado River Basin.

    MONTROSE, Colo. – Aquatic research scientists on Colorado’s Western Slope have embarked on multiple projects to protect three native fish species endemic to the Upper Colorado River Basin and its tributaries. A new documentary film titled ‘The Native 3’ helps tell that story.

    The film, released Friday on CPW’s YouTube and Facebook pages, captures the work of researcher Zachary Hooley-Underwood as he works in critical spawning streams for roundtail chub, flannelmouth sucker and bluehead sucker with the goal of preventing further hybridization with non-native species such as the white sucker. The film was produced by Sean Ender of Peak to Creek films.

    “We are really happy to give these three native fish species some exposure to Coloradans and the general population,” Hooley-Underwood said. “They are such a large component of our aquatic ecosystems in the West and perform a lot of essential functions, but not many people know they exist. When you have something unique like this in your ecosystem, you want it to stick around to preserve that natural heritage of the place you live in.”

    Ender, owner of Peak to Creek films, said it was impressive to see the work from Hooley-Underwood and the research team and was blown away by the sheer volume of fish they had to process.

    “You are never 100% sure what imagery you’ll be able to capture for wildlife projects, and filming fish underwater certainly presents some challenges,” Ender said.  “When the tributaries cleared up later in the season, we came back to film fish making their way back to the main stems. It took some figuring out, but once we started seeing fish swim past the camera, I was really excited because I knew we were going to be able to give viewers a glimpse into their world. I hope this film captures the passion of the biologists because they are absolutely dedicated to the conservation of these native fish and the spectacular migrations they undertake.”

    The three species (Flannelmouth Sucker, Bluehead Sucker and Roundtail Chub), perform critical duties within a stream’s ecosystem. Because they are highly migratory members of a fairly small native fish community in the Colorado River, they are critical in the transportation of nutrients throughout the system.

    In the spring, these fish travel far up intermittent and small perennial streams to spawn. Their larvae then drift back downstream. Some suckers have been tracked partaking in journeys of more than 500 miles as they travel to spawning tributaries and back through the Colorado River.

    “These fish are taking nutrients converted through consumption into headwater streams that otherwise would be nutrient poor,” Hooley-Underwood said. “The effect we see is that they support the plant community and wildlife all along these stream corridors. That’s everything from invertebrates to bears, herons and eagles. They all make use of these fish either through direct consumption or by consuming eggs. It is a cycle unfulfilled by any other aquatic organism that cannot be replaced by non-native or hybridized fish that don’t have that same migratory tendency.”

    The rivers and streams of western Colorado below 8,500 feet in elevation comprise the historic native range for the three-species. Evidence suggests the three-species only occupy about 50% of their historic native range in the upper Colorado River basin.

    CPW has conducted rigorous research on the three-species’ distribution in Colorado’s rivers and smaller streams to determine their distribution across their native ranges. Each of the species have been lost from at least some of the historically identified sites. Roundtail chub have been the most affected, occupying only 12.5% of sites where they were present before 1980.

    Hooley-Underwood credited the work of recently retired aquatic research scientist Kevin Thompson for his breakthroughs in helping CPW understand three-species and developing the study presented in the film back in 2015.

    In an effort to enhance the survival of native fish, Hooley-Underwood has taken on a project to protect tributary-spawning native suckers from hybridization with non-native suckers through mechanical exclusion.

    “The native fish are so specialized for the conditions they face in the Colorado River Basin where there are drastically different flows in all four seasons,” Hooley-Underwood said. “White suckers don’t do as well in those conditions and, most importantly, they don’t migrate as far. The native suckers will out-migrate white or hybridized suckers, and some river segments just don’t support the invaders as well.

    “We’ve undergone this large project throughout western Colorado’s waterways where these invasions from non-native fish have occurred. What we have found is that native suckers really like to spawn in the same tributary year after year. We’ve been able to pick a few of these tributaries that meet all of our conditions where we can control spawning and affect a large component of the population. By ensuring that even a few spawning tributaries are insulated from hybridization, we can help keep pure fish on the landscape in large numbers, even if the Colorado River Basin as a whole goes more toward hybridized fish.”

    If the results from Hooley-Underwood’s research on Roubideau Creek on the Gunnison River show success in achieving that goal, Hooley-Underwood said CPW can replicate his project as a management tool on similar streams, including the White and Yampa Rivers.

    “I hope the public enjoys learning more about these incredible animals,” Hooley-Underwood said. “A lot of people don’t think of non-game fish like suckers and chub as being pretty fish, but they’ve got this vivid coloration and are such an important component to what we have out here in the West. I’d hate to lose them.”

    To learn more about CPW aquatic research projects visit the Aquatics Research Page.

  • Deer hunters can keep an eye on their mailbox for chronic wasting disease mandatory testing letter

    Credit Wayne D. Lewis/CPW

    DENVER –  Colorado Parks and Wildlife has selected specific deer hunts for mandatory chronic wasting disease testing in 2022 to inform how and where to fight the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease.

    Beginning in early October, CPW will be sending letters to Colorado rifle season deer hunters who have been selected for mandatory CWD testing. CPW will require mandatory submission of CWD test samples (heads) from all deer harvested during rifle seasons from specific game management units to better evaluate the infection levels of CWD in herds. There will be no charge for mandatory testing. Find the hunt codes selected for mandatory testing of deer on pages 21-31 of the 2022 Colorado Big Game Brochure.
     
    CWD testing locations
    A complete list of CWD testing submission sites along with hours and locations can be found here: CWD Testing and Submission Information. CPW is continuing the use of temporary CWD submission sites to assist those who are hunting in remote locations.

    Where has CWD been found?
    The results of annual mandatory testing are yielding new insights into varying infection levels in deer herds throughout Colorado. As of April 2022, CWD has been detected in 40 of 54 deer herds, 17 of 42 elk herds, and 2 of 9 moose herds. The estimated proportion of sampled animals that are infected (or disease “prevalence”) appears to be rising in many Colorado herds. Click here to read the 2021 Chronic Wasting Disease Commission Update.

    Testing in 2021

    • Over 7,000 samples tested statewide (includes all species)
    • None of the 14 elk herds targeted for mandatory testing had prevalence above 5%
    • CWD prevalence in harvested elk appears to track prevalence in mule deer bucks harvested in the same Game Management Units
    • Six mule deer herds were included in mandatory testing for a second consecutive year and the results confirmed the 2020 prevalence estimates

    What is CPW doing to address CWD?
    CPW is working to ensure long-term health of deer, elk and moose herds. Over time, this means minimizing the number of animals that get infected and die from this disease. To date, management actions have been prescribed for half of Colorado’s 54 deer herds with the goal of reducing infection levels to below 5%. More information about our plan to manage CWD is available in the Colorado Chronic Wasting Disease Response Plan.
     
    What are the health risks to humans?
    CWD is a prion disease that affects Colorado’s deer, elk and moose. The disease course generally lasts 2 – 3 years and is always fatal. Although there has been no evidence that CWD has yet been transmitted to humans, the Center for Disease Control, along with CPW, recommend that hunters not eat the meat of a CWD-infected animal.

    More information about CWD is available on CPW’s website.

    More information on prion diseases is available on CDPHE’s website.

  • REVEALED: The Most Popular Gaming Consoles by State

    • A new report ranks the most popular gaming console in each state
    • PlayStation 5 dominates the gaming market as the most popular gaming console
    • The X box Series X didn’t sit in the number one spot in any of the states in the US

    With the two-year anniversary of the PS5 coming up in November, you’d expect it to be easy to get your hands on the popular next-generation console. However, even with restocks – it’s still impossible to get your hands on them in certain countries.

    The experts at CasinosCrypto.com have analyzed Google search trends data to determine which console is the most popular in each US state.

    PlayStation 5 dominates the gaming market

    For most, it won’t come as a surprise that the PS5 has dominated the gaming market throughout the last two years, taking the number one spot in 34 states across the US including Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and New York.

    A close second, the five-year-old Nintendo Switch ranked as the favourite console in 16 states and wasn’t far behind the PS5 across many parts of the US.

    Eleven states shared the same ranking as New York with PlayStation 5 ranking as the favourite console followed by Switch, PC and then X box.

    In the states where the X box ranked as the second most popular console, the PS5 took a massive hit, moving down the list into third place. The X Box ranked second in 11 states, including New Hampshire, Utah, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

    Below is a complete list of the ranking most popular gaming consoles across each state:

      Ranking
    States Xbox series x Ps5 PC Switch
    California 4 1 3 2
    Texas 4 1 3 2
    Pennsylvania 3 1 4 2
    New York 4 1 3 2
    Georgia 4 1 3 2
    Florida 4 1 3 2
    Wisconsin 3 2 4 1
    New Jersey 3 1 4 2
    Indiana 4 1 3 2
    Washington 3 1 4 2
    Virginia 4 1 3 2
    Oregon 3 1 4 2
    Arizona 3 1 4 2
    Illinois 4 1 3 2
    Nevada 3 1 4 2
    Minnesota 3 1 4 2
    Ohio 3 1 4 2
    Michigan 3 1 4 2
    Louisiana 3 1 4 2
    Delaware 4 1 3 2
    Missouri 4 1 3 2
    Oklahoma 4 1 3 2
    Kentucky 3 1 4 2
    Arkansas 3 1 4 2
    Maryland 3 1 4 2
    Nebraska 3 1 4 2
    North Carolina 3 1 4 2
    Connecticut 3 1 4 2
    South Carolina 3 1 4 2
    Massachusetts 3 1 4 2
    Tennessee 3 2 4 1
    Rhode Island 3 1 4 2
    North Dakota 3 2 4 1
    Kansas 3 1 4 2
    Hawaii 3 2 4 1
    Colorado 3 1 4 2
    New Mexico 2 3 4 1
    Alabama 3 2 4 1
    Mississippi 3 2 4 1
    West Virginia 2 3 4 1
    Idaho 2 3 4 1
    South Dakota 2 3 4 1
    Utah 2 3 4 1
    Iowa 3 1 4 2
    Maine 2 3 4 1
    Vermont 2 3 4 1
    Wyoming 2 3 4 1
    Montana 2 3 4 1
    Alaska 2 1 4 3
    New Hampshire 2 3 4 1