Archived September 14, 2004
WATER HEARING SET IN COLORADO SUPREME COURT - The Park County water rights case involving the City of Aurora will be heard on appeal at the Colorado Supreme Court on September 14, 2004 at 9 am. This hearing, in the Supreme Court Courtroom at Two East 14th Avenue in Denver, is open to the public and attendees are encouraged to arrive early. (August 22, 2004) Read the Order (PDF Format)

Archived September 12, 2004
BIG CHILI COOKOFF SUNDAY: Non-profit benefit for Colorado Mountain Area Volunteer Firefighters - The Third Annual Big Chili Cook-Off Music and Arts Festival will be held at the Evergreen Lake House, Evergreen, Colorado. (Directions on Big Chili web site.) The fun begins at noon Sunday with an art show, all day Rock 'n Roll, Chili tasting, firefighting skills competitions, judging and awards. Come out and support your local Firefighters!!

Archived September 11, 2004
9TH ANNUAL BOREAS PASS RAILROAD DAY - All A-B-O-A-R-D! - The South Park Ranger District of the Pike National Forest invites the public to participate in a day of history, fun and camaraderie at the 9th Annual Boreas Pass Railroad Day, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004.

FOREST SERVICE SEEKS INPUT ON HARRIS PARK FUELS PROJECT: Meetings scheduled - Sept. 8, 11 - The U.S. Forest Service's South Platte Ranger District is seeking the public's input on a proposal to implement a fuels treatment project to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire to Harris Park (Colo.) area communities and subdivisions, north and northwest of Bailey

RODGERS LEAVING OFFICE EARLY (Link expired) - After almost 16 years as district attorney for the 11th Judicial District, Ed Rodgers is leaving. Rodgers, whose tenure ends January 2005 because of term limitations, announced Thursday he would be resigning, effective Sept. 21. He was appointed in 1989 for the 11th Judicial District, which represents Fremont, Chaffee, Custer and Park counties. (Alexa Hoffman, Cañon City Daily Record, September 3, 2004)
Related: Chilson Endorsed By Sheriffs - All four County Sheriffs in Colorado's Eleventh Judicial District have endorsed Molly Chilson for the position of District Attorney.

RAPID RISE OF TREE-EATING BUG WORRIES WESTERN FIRE OFFICIALS - It’s a tiny creature, but the bark-chewing beetle called piñon ips has devastated 3.1 million pines in several states. (Steve Timko, Reno Gazette-journal, 9/6/2004)

Archived September 7, 2004
D.A. CANDIDATES TALK TOUGH ON CRIME - If they plan to do business in Fremont County, drug dealers and producers better start packing their bags. That's a message both candidates for district attorney of the 11th Judicial District tried to drive home at Thursday's candidate forum sponsored by the Cañon City Chamber of Commerce. (James Bouknight, Cañon City Daily Record, August 26, 2004)

A YEAR MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN WEST NILE FIGHT; Threat still lurks, though (Link expired) - Progress has been made in the struggle against West Nile virus during the past year, but state and county health officials warn the battle is far from over. (Kevin Duggan, Coloradoan Online, August 19, 2004)

BALLOT ISSUES DISAPPOINT - The total number of ballot issues for 2004 is far below the historical highs and, furthermore, the issues presented are not very complex. (Al Knight (Fairplay), Denver Post, August 18, 2004)

HOME OF SIDS DEATH UNDER INVESTIGATION - An investigation is under way in Alma where a couple was found to have allegedly been growing more than 100 marijuana plants in their home. The couple, Erich and Sasha McLean, called Park County officials Aug. 13 to report the death of their infant, Stella. She would have been five months old Aug. 19. (Jane Stebbins, Summit Daily News, August 17, 2004)

PLACER VALLEY UPDATES - The Placer Valley website has been updated with some great photos of summer activities, including the Children's Pack Dog Race, South Park Community Celebration, and Placer Valley Annual Picnic Meeting. (August 12, 2004)

BRUINS BEAR-LY GETTING BY IN TOWNS (Link expired) - Kevin Wright has seen more bear-human encounters this season than at any time in his 20 years in the upper Roaring Fork Valley. (Gary Gerhardt, Rocky Mountain News, August 24, 2004)

LIVING WITH WILDLIFE IN BEAR COUNTRY (Link expired)
Archived August 18, 2004
STAPLES CONCEDES COMMISSIONER RACE - Early Tuesday evening, the available results were enough to convince incumbent Commissioner Don Staples that he would not be running in the November election. With all but one precinct reporting, John Tighe was handily winning the primary race by a 2 to 1 margin. (August 10, 2004) OFFICIAL PARK COUNTY PRIMARY RESULTS BY PRECINCT

BEAR CAMPS OUT AT HARRIS PARK HOME Harris Park resident Rick Martin had plenty of time to catch this bear on film. The bear camped out all day in a tree near their home. (Updated Jul 30, 2004)

RECOVERY EFFORTS AT HAYMAN FIRE AREA SHOWING GREAT SUCCESS - PUEBLO, CO - It has been nearly two years since over one thousand volunteers descended on a charred piece of land in Teller County burned by the Hayman fire. (USFS Release, July 30, 2004 )

MOFFAT COUNTY'S JAIL STRUGGLES TO MAKE MONEY - ...at the Park County Jail in central Colorado, jail administration has found a way to make their facility revenue generating. (Rob Gebhart, Craig Daily Press, July 23, 2004 )

ANGLERS CONCERNED ABOUT ZINC LEVELS - FAIRPLAY - Fishermen are concerned that an effort by a Denver-Brighton developer to raise zinc content in rivers could affect fishing in Mosquito Creek and the Middle Fork of the South Platte River. The developer, THF Realty, wants to obtain a water permit to raise the zinc content in water flowing from the London Mine, located part way up Mosquito Gulch on London Mountain near Alma. (Linda Balough, Summit Daily News, July 18, 2004 )

WELLINGTON LAKE WINDRIDER CLASSIC SAILING REGATTA - 2004 Race Results

Archived July 30, 2004
INSULT TO INJURY: VICTIMS OF FIRE NOW FACE FLOODS - Residents of Turkey Rock Ranch could lose their only way into and out of their homes if a dirt road badly eroded by a 6-foot wall of water July 16 gives way. (Bill Mckeown, The Gazette, July 25, 2004)

INTENSE RAINS SLOW TRAFFIC ALONG FRONT RANGE - Storms have brought severe downpours to areas northwest of Denver today, with as much as 2 inches per hour reported. (9NEWS and DenverPost.com, July 23, 2004)

RAINS COMPLICATE WEST NILE FIGHT - El Paso County has been fighting the West Nile virus by dropping larvicide tablets down storm drains and in wet areas to kill the mosquito larvae. But last week's storms washed all that larvicide away. So on Monday, crews started dropping more tablets. (KKTV 11 News, July 20, 2004)

HISTORY IN THEM THAR HILLS - PARK COUNTY - The story begins 35 million years ago and lays in pieces among the detritus and sage on the hills here. (Reid Williams, Summit Daily News, July 10, 2004)

FIREFIGHTER FUND SPRANG FROM FATAL FIRE - The night of the Storm King fire in 1994, Vicki Minor looked to the sky and asked the 14 firefighters who had died for some guidance to help their families. Their answer came five years later in the form of the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a nonprofit organization... (Christine Dell'Amore, Post Independent, July 6, 2004)

Archived July 23, 2004
RAINS LEAD TO TELLER CRISIS - Relentless rains turned some Teller County roads to ruins over the weekend, forcing commissioners to declare a state of emergency. (Erin Emery, Denver Post Staff Writer, July 20, 2004)

RAINS CLOSE I-70, TELLER COUNTY ROADS - Heavy rain across sections of the state washed out roads and flood-control dams and caused a rock slide on Interstate 70, officials said. (Manny Gonzales, Denver Post, July 18, 2004)

ABOVE-AVERAGE FIRE SEASON NO LONGER EXPECTED - DENVER (AP) - State and federal land managers no longer expect an above-average wildfire season for most of Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas and Wyoming. (Associated Press, July 16, 2004)

Archived July 15, 2004
CREWS BATTLE FLAMES, HEAT ACROSS COLORADO Fire managers today are trying to determine the cause of a 10-acre wildfire that destroyed an old abandoned miner's cabin in northern Colorado. (Associated Press, July 13, 2004)

TERRY LYNN BARTON: 'I LOST, TOO' The woman who two years ago set Colorado’s largest wildfire now pushes a lawn mower for 29 cents an hour in a federal prison in north-central Texas. (Jeremy Meyer, The Gazette, July 4, 2004)

COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER ELIMINATING BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX House Speaker Lola Spradley, R-Beulah, has appointed five representatives to the Interim Committee on Stimulating Economic Development through Business Personal Property Tax Exemptions and Other Methods. (Press Release, July 1, 2004)

NESTLE WATERS AIDS FIRE DISTRICT Nestle Waters of North America has donated 10 cases of Arrowhead water to the firefighters and EMTs of Southern Park County Fire Protection District in Guffey. (June 24, 2004)

Archived July 8, 2004
CHILD DIES IN TARRYALL RIVER - Ten-year-old Deryk Williams of Wichita, KS, died after he apparently fell into the Tarryall River. The victim and his family were camping in the Box Canyon area off County Road 77 on Forest Service Road 204. (June 24, 2004)

TEEN DEAD IN FALL AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN PARK IDENTIFIED- Rocky Mountain National Park - A 13-year-old girl who died after a 100-foot fall was identified today as Abigail Walter of Bailey. (Associated Press, June 24, 2004)

NEW LAWS ON BOOKS JULY 1 - Come July 1, Coloradans are going to have to be a little more careful about their drinking. They can't dawdle in passing lanes either, or walk off with dozens of free newspapers. (John J. Sanko, Rocky Mountain News, June 21, 2004)

---