DENVER (AP) — Colorado is setting up a testing network to identify coronavirus cases, officials said March 3.
Samples from patients at 12 hospitals around the state that were negative for the flu will be tested for coronavirus to help officials determine if there is possible transmission of the new virus that causes the COVID-19 disease.
The number of tests to be conducted is still being evaluated, Rachel Herlihy, Colorado’s communicable disease epidemiologist, told reporters.
Colorado was relying on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to conduct tests, but the state health department announced March 2 that the state now has the ability to test up to 160 samples a day at its laboratory. Results are expected within 24 hours.
Colorado is also testing specimens from patients referred by doctors and county health officials who have symptoms and have either been in contact with someone else confirmed to have the virus or have traveled to parts of the world where infection rates are high or community spread is happening. Colorado’s testing criteria is more lenient than the CDC’s because it allows people who have traveled to virus affected areas but who have not been hospitalized to still be tested, Herlihy said.
Ten state agencies are in contact with Colorado’s incident command center set up to deal with any impact from the virus outbreak, said Gov. Jared Polis.
State officials have about 650,000 face masks that will be given to caregivers and others deemed at risk of being infected with the virus, Polis said.
The 2020 Ogallala Aquifer Summit will take place in Amarillo, Texas, from March 31 to April 1, bringing together water management leaders from all eight Ogallala region states: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, South Dakota and Wyoming. The dynamic, interactive event will focus on encouraging exchange among participants about innovative programs and effective approaches to addressing the region’s significant water-related challenges.
“Tackling Tough Question” is the theme of the event. Workshops and speakers will share and compare responses to questions such as: “What is the value of groundwater to current and future generations?” and “How do locally led actions aimed at addressing water challenges have larger-scale impact?”
“The summit provides a unique opportunity to strengthen collaborations among a diverse range of water-focused stakeholders,” said summit co-chair Meagan Schipanski, an associate professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at CSU. “Exploring where we have common vision and identifying innovative concepts or practices already being implemented can catalyze additional actions with potential to benefit the aquifer and Ogallala region communities over the short and long term.”
Schipanski co-directs the Ogallala Water Coordinated Agriculture Project (CAP) with Colorado Water Center director and summit co-chair Reagan Waskom, who is also a faculty member in Soil and Crop Sciences. The Ogallala Water CAP, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, has a multi-disciplinary team of 70 people based at 10 institutions in six Ogallala-region states. They are all engaged in collaborative research and outreach for sustaining agriculture and ecosystems in the region.
Some Ogallala Water CAP research and outreach results will be shared at the 2020 Ogallala Summit. The Ogallala Water CAP has led the coordination of the event, in partnership with colleagues at Texas A&M AgriLife, the Kansas Water Office, and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service-funded Ogallala Aquifer Program, with additional support provided by many individuals and organizations from the eight Ogallala states.
The 2020 Summit will highlight several activities and outcomes inspired by or expanded as a result of the 2018 Ogallala Summit. Participants will include producers; irrigation company and commodity group representatives; students and academics; local and state policy makers; groundwater management district leaders; crop consultants; agricultural lenders; state and federal agency staff; and others, including new and returning summit participants.
“Water conservation technologies are helpful, and we need more of them, but human decision-making is the real key to conserving the Ogallala,” said Brent Auvermann, center director at Texas A&M AgriLife Research – Amarillo. “The emergence of voluntary associations among agricultural water users to reduce groundwater use is an encouraging step, and we need to learn from those associations’ experiences with regard to what works, and what doesn’t, and what possibilities exist that don’t require expanding the regulatory state.”
The summit will take place over two half-days, starting at 11 a.m. Central Time (10 a.m. MDT) on Tuesday, March 31 and concluding the next day on Wednesday, April 1 at 2:30 p.m. The event includes a casual evening social on the evening of March 31 that will feature screening of a portion of the film “Rising Water,” by Nebraska filmmaker Becky McMillen, followed by a panel discussion on effective agricultural water-related communications.
Visit the 2020 Ogallala summit webpage to see a detailed agenda, lodging info, and to access online registration. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. The registration deadline is Saturday, March 21 at midnight Central Time (11 p.m. MDT).
This event is open to credentialed members of the media. Please RSVP to or
Over the past year, Colorado, Ohio, and West Virginia have been leaders in information sharing and cooperation on election security issues. The following is a joint statement from Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner in response to news today that the FBI will immediately begin to share information about cyber-intrusions/attacks with state election officials:
“Today’s announcement from the FBI is a good step forward in protecting state election systems from our enemies, both foreign and domestic. Federal, state, and local governments must work together to better detect and protect against cyber-attack. We’ve already seen positive results from the partnership between our states, which strengthens our resilience from attacks and ensure voters across this nation will have the confidence they deserve as they cast their ballot this year.”
DENVER — The Colorado Office of Early Childhood is pleased to announce it has received a Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Renewal from the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the US Department of Education.
The grant provides $33.5 million over three years. Funds will support Colorado’s vision that all children are ready for school when entering kindergarten.
Colorado Shines Brighter, the state’s PDG B-5 initiative, builds on initial grant activities to maximize the number of high-quality early care and education options available to families, especially families identified as vulnerable and underserved such as those living in rural areas, families of infants and toddlers, and families of children with special needs.
“Investing in early childhood education is a smart, responsible move for Colorado and young children across our state will benefit from this grant,” said Governor Jared Polis. “These important resources will help support my budget proposals to expand pre-school in Colorado and improve the quality of early childhood education. This grant will also support providers’ effective practices, better connect families to needed services, and prepare our children for the classroom and the future.”
“We are incredibly excited to announce receipt of this award,” said Mary Anne Snyder, Director of the Office of Early Childhood. “This funding allows Colorado to build on what is working well for young children, their families, and their caregivers. Colorado Shines Brighter will help to make sure each community has the high-quality services and resources families need to make sure all children are healthy, valued and thriving, and ready for school when entering kindergarten.”
Colorado Shines Brighter will provide significant support to children, parents and caregivers. This includes more support for early childhood providers to expand and enhance affordable services for infants and toddlers. The grant will also support the creation of tools and resources to help parents choose the right high-quality care and learning environment for their child and access additional supports for their child and family. Additionally, the number of professional development opportunities for the early childhood workforce will increase, including free and on-demand trainings and scholarships for learning opportunities. Finally, the award will allow for greater coordination and alignment among state and local organizations supporting children, families and early childhood professionals, and enhance information technology work to better facilitate data collection and reporting across the early childhood landscape in Colorado.
About the Preschool Development Grant
The Preschool Development Grant (PDG) program is a $275 million discretionary grant competition jointly administered by the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Education. The PDG is designed to strengthen state and local efforts to build, develop and expand high-quality preschool programs so that more children from low- and moderate-income families enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school.
About the Colorado Office of Early Childhood
The Office of Early Childhood provides resources for children, families and early care professionals to best prepare Coloradans for future success through access to collaborative, coordinated, quality early childhood programs and supports. The Office’s mission is to provide access to necessary supports to get all Colorado children ready for Kindergarten and reading by 3rd grade; to provide community and family access to services for optimal early childhood development; to create a coordinated system of early identification and intervention; to increase access to quality early learning for all children; to collaborate with partners to create a coordinated system; and to support continuous quality improvement.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – Colorado National Guard Soldiers from Company A, Company D and Headquarters-Headquarters Company, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion 135th Aviation Regiment will be honored at a departure ceremony on Buckley Air Force Base Jan. 2, 2020, at 3 p.m.
Family, friends and dignitaries will gather at the at the Chief Warrant Officer 5 David R. Carter Army Aviation Support Facility on Buckley AFB, in Aurora, Colorado, to bid a farewell to approximately 130 Soldiers as they prepare to depart for a yearlong deployment to Southwest Asia.
“These warriors are trained and ready to provide support to troops on the ground and will excel at any mission that comes their way,” the Adjutant General of Colorado U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mike Loh said. “The commitment of these Soldiers, as well as their families and employers, should make all Coloradans proud.”
Based out of Buckley AFB, in Aurora, the 2-135th GSAB will conduct air movement, air assault, casualty evacuation, combat support and combat service support for aviation operations throughout the designated area of responsibility to employ and sustain combat power.
Civic Leaders from throughout Colorado, hosted by the Adjutant General of Colorado U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Loh, depart for Public Affairs travel to observe F-16 training at the CONG’s Airburst Range, near Fort Carson, Colorado. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Maj. Darin Overstreet)
The units also support civil authorities annually during wildfire response efforts and save an average to 20 lives annually through mountain search and rescue missions.
One year ago today, Company B, Detachment 1, 2-135th GSAB, the CONG’s heavy lift aviation unit operating CH-47 Chinook helicopters, deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
DENVER, Colo. – Visitors from throughout the western states will get a first hand view of every fly-fishing tool from factory-fresh rods and reels to boots, waders, clothing and accessories at the 2020 Denver Fly Fishing Show® this weekend (Jan. 3-5) in the Denver Mart Pavilion Building, 451 E. 58th Ave.
More than $50,000 in national door prizes including fishing trips, tackle and accessories are up for grabs. The Grand Prize – chosen from all seven 2020 Fly Fishing Shows – is an $11,000 fly-fishing vacation to the Seychelles off the coast of Africa. Additionally, there are regional show door prizes.
Premiere of the 2020 International Fly Fishing Film Festival is Fri. (1/3) at 6:30 p.m.
Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri.; 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sat.; and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sun. Admission is $15 for one day, $25 for two days and $35 for three days. Children under age 5 are free as are Boy and Girl Scouts under age 16 in uniform. Children 6-12 are $5. Active military with an ID are $10.
Parking at the Denver Mart is free.
Visit www.flyfishingshow.com for a list of door prizes, demonstrations, seminars, films and classes.
DOVE CREEK, Colo. – Good habitat is the key for maintaining wildlife populations. So Colorado Parks and Wildlife is working in western Colorado to restore abandoned farmland and other areas back to a natural condition.
On a freezing November morning on the western edge of Colorado, Ryan Lane, a CPW wildlife technician, drove an open tractor back and forth across a 400-acre expanse of the Coalbed Canyon State Wildlife Area. The tractor pulled a specialized planter, known as a no-till drill that pushed seeds from 30 different native plants into the dry soil. Late fall is a good time for planting these types of seeds ‒ with snow and rain usually reliable at this time of year getting the seed down ahead of moisture is ideal.
Since 2014, CPW has been working aggressively in several areas throughout western Colorado to plant native seeds on: old farmland, state wildlife areas, state trust lands and areas burned in fires. Since 2015, the agency has planted on about 7,500 acres for restoration and on another 10,000 acres of areas burned in forest fires, explained Trevor Balzer, CPW’s sagebrush and mountain-shrub habitat coordinator.
One of those areas is the 2,800-acre Coalbed Canyon State Wildlife Area in southwest Colorado. In the areas level enough to plant, the parcel produced beans and wheat for decades. To accommodate agricultural crops, however, the land was stripped of sagebrush and other native plants that supported multiple species of wildlife, including the Gunnison Sage-grouse, mule deer, elk, multiple species of birds and small mammals.
Before CPW’s ownership, the fields were abandoned and planted with a fast-growing non-native grass that does not provide much value to wildlife. So in 2016, CPW started the long restoration process. The area was treated to kill the non-native grass and the planting process started. Planting in areas like Coalbed Canyon, however, can be frustrating because of dry weather conditions.
Seeds planted in the fall of 2015 and 2016 received adequate moisture, sprouted and became established. But extremely dry and hot weather followed the fall planting of 2017 and seeds did not do well in 2018. Consequently, those areas are being seeded again.
Wet conditions last spring were favorable for getting seeds to take hold, Balzer said.
CPW plants native seeds using the “no-till” method. The land is not plowed so the roots of the native existing grasses hold soil in place. New seeds are planted among the remaining vegetation.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife technician Ryan Lane holds a mixture of 30 different native seeds used to replant former farm land to benefit wildlife.
A key to reclamation efforts is CPW’s native seed warehouse in Delta that was completed in 2012. CPW and other agencies collect seeds of native plants, mostly on the Uncompahgre Plateau west of Montrose, and ship them to commercial growers in the northwest U.S. Those businesses specialize in native plant propagation and then harvest thousands of pounds of seed in amounts that cannot be collected in the wild. The seed is shipped to CPW’s climate-controlled warehouse where it is stored and distributed as needed.
“With large amounts of seed available we can take on large-scale seeding projects,” said Jim Garner, manager of the warehouse. “The warehouse allows us to provide locally adapted plant varieties to Western Slope land managers who are conducting habitat improvement projects.”
A mixture of seed from the warehouse was dropped by airplane last spring over more than 5,000 acres of the Bull Draw fire area near Nucla. That fire burned during the summer of 2018. An inspection of the area in the fall showed that native plants have started to grow.
Balzer explained that the availability of seeds of native forbs – broad-leafed flowering plants – and shrubs are especially important for reclamation efforts.
“Those weren’t readily available on the market before we had the warehouse,” he said. “They’re critical because they provide diverse food sources for all wildlife in the area. When these plants flower they attract a wide variety of insects which help to spread the plants over large areas of the landscape and restore broader habitat function.”
The planting on the 400-acre plot at Coalbed Canyon has been difficult because of wet and cold weather that hit in mid-November. That planting should be completed early in 2020 and plans are already in place to plant a 200-acre parcel next year.
Across the Western Slope, Balzer wants to stay the course of reclaiming about 1,500 acres per year. Even though that’s a small amount of acreage in a vast landscape, biologists know that their work will impact areas far beyond the individual plots.
“Getting native plants established in these areas is not easy,” Balzer said. “The process is slow and native
shrubs take many years to mature. But revisiting a successfully restored site is extremely rewarding.”
OAK CREEK, Colo. – With up to $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes on the line, ice anglers can make big money at Stagecoach State Park‘s 9th Annual Steamboat Great Outdoors Ice Fishing Tournament, Jan. 4 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Adults and youth 16 years and older can register the morning of the event for $40, cash only, or pre-register in person at the following locations up to Jan.3:
PRE-REGISTRATION LOCATIONS:
STAGECOACH STATE PARK OFFICE
25500 RCR 14, Oak Creek, CO 80467 / (970) 736-2436
YAMPA RIVER STATE PARK HEADQUARTERS
6185 W Hwy 40, Hayden, CO 81639 / (970) 276-2061
CPW STEAMBOAT SPRINGS OFFICE
925 Weiss Dr. Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 / (970) 870-2197
Youths under 15 can register free of charge and receive non-cash prizes. Optionally, youth may enter the paid tournament for $40.00 and be eligible for cash prizes. All youth entries under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult contestant.
New for 2020, due to a mandatory harvest at Stagecoach, anglers catching the most northern pike will be awarded a non-cash prize valued at approximately $400.00. There is no entry fee for this category but all pike must be presented at the measuring table for eligibility.
For an additional $20 buy-in, anglers can participate in the optional pike category. This pot will be awarded to the angler(s) that turns in the biggest individual pike by length.
For the rainbow trout category, cash prizes are awarded for first through tenth place based on the total combined measurement of two trout.
Happy participants during a previous ice fishing contest at Stagecoach State Park (PHOTO/CPW)
Anglers are reminded that all current fishing regulations will apply and will be enforced. A current fishing brochure is available at cpw.state.co.us, or at the park’s Visitor Center or at any CPW office or CPW license vendor.
Registered snowmobiles and OHVs are permitted on the reservoir below the high-water mark only for the purpose of commuting to ice-fishing destinations. Contestants can use motorized vehicles to bring fish up to the Marina measuring table to enter fish as soon as they are caught. This will help avoid congestion at the end of the day.
Pets are welcome but must be kept on a six-foot leash at all times.
For questions and additional information, contact Steamboat Fishing Adventures at 970-819-3561, or by email at , or Stagecoach State Park at 970-736-2436 or by email at .
A serial rapist was sentenced Friday to 90 years to life in prison for an attack on a woman on a Littleton trail.
Arapahoe County District Court Judge Michael Spear sentenced Johnny Dewayne Harris Jr, 49, to an indeterminate sentence of 90 years to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections for sexually assaulting the 28-year-old woman who was walking her dog on July 25, 2018. This sentence will begin after he serves his sentence for a sex assault in Denver.
“This defendant is why we need strong laws regarding rapists,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “Monsters like him will continue to terrorize innocent victims whenever they get the chance. This offender will no longer be a threat to our community.
“I am in awe at the strength of the survivor in this case, who fought him off, spoke out about the attack and took the stand to help convict him.”
The survivor and several supporters spoke at sentencing. She thanked her family, friends and strangers who have rallied to her, calling them “her tribe.”
She asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence.
“What he did to me is not something you move on from or just get over,” she said. “But I’m smart and strong – a warrior woman. “
The jury reached its verdict Sept. 18, 2019. Harris was found guilty of:
one count of first-degree kidnapping
one count of attempted sexual assault
one count of first-degree assault
one count of unlawful sexual contact
When he attacked the woman in Littleton, Harris had also committed two sexual assaults in Denver in March 2018. He was sentenced in July 2019 to 25 years in prison for the Denver assaults.
One of his Denver victims spoke at his sentencing on Friday.
“He deserves the longest sentence possible – the public is not safe when he is outside prison,” she told the judge.
“This is the thing that all good people fear – this is the stuff of nightmares,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Gallo told the judge Friday in asking for the maximum sentence. “Keeping this defendant in prison is the way the nightmare ends and the court can guarantee the safety of this community.”
Harris had been convicted in 1999 in Texas after he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl. He was released from prison in 2014 but failed to register as a sex offender.
He pleaded guilty to failure to register in Colorado in December 2016 and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo prosecuted the case with Gallo.
“Nothing can make right what this defendant has done, but I hope this sentence brings a measure of security to the survivors knowing he will not be able to hurt them or anyone else ever again,” she said. “This painful chapter in their recovery is now closed.”
DENVER — Colorado Parks & Wildlife is ringing in the new year by again participating in America’s State Parks First Day Hikes on Wednesday, Jan. 1.
More than 30 events have been slated at state parks across Colorado, with opportunities for people of all ages.
Dan Prenzlow, director of Parks & Wildlife, said the First Day Hikes have become increasingly popular as a way to spend time in nature with friends and family.
“What better way to celebrate than with a nice park stroll and a hot cup of cocoa?” he said. “We’ll see you out there!”
Coloradans can find First Day Hikes of varying distances and levels of difficulty by visiting cpw.state.co.us. The choices include organized hikes with experienced naturalists as well as self-led walks. Bikers and horseback riders can also participate, and visitors can also anticipate sledding, snowshoeing, ice skating and cross-country skiing opportunities. Snowshoes, fat bikes and ice fishing equipment are available at certain parks.
Locally, hikes are planned at both Cherry Creek and Barr Lake state parks. Barr Lake will offer an easy, three-mile hike from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Many species of birds including bald eagles can be observed on the hike and spotting scopes will be available. Dogs are welcome.
Participants should meet at the Barr Lake Nature Center, 13401 Picadilly Road, Brighton. For more information, call (303)659-6005 or e-mail to .
Cherry Creek State Park will host a guided hike from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. starting at the Campground Office, 4201 S. Parker Road, Aurora. No dogs are allowed at Cherry Creek.
For more information, call (303)766-6562.
All hikes are free of charge but a valid park pass is required.
First Day Hikes is a national program created more than 25 years ago to encourage healthy lifestyles and stewardship of natural resources through outdoor recreation. According to the National Association of State Park Directors, more than 72,700 people across the nation joined guided First Day Hikes in 2019, collectively hiking more than 150,000 miles.
