September 17, 2015 VOLUME 120 | ISSUE 33 | 75¢
Plan for 3,379 dwelling units clears first hurdle. Page 5 ElbertCountyNews.net E L B E R T C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Pot stolen in home invasion Staff report The Elbert County Sheriff’s Office is seeking suspects in an armed home invasion it believes is linked to a marijuanagrow operation. In the early morning hours of Sept. 9, three male suspects with handguns entered a home southwest of Elizabeth and bound the residents with zip ties, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. A man and a woman at the residence were assaulted. The suspects likely had prior knowledge of the home’s cultivation of marijuana and targeted the residence to obtain pot and cash, according to the news release. Several pounds of recently harvested marijuana, cell phones and a
The 61 horses taken in by the Denver Dumb Friends League’s Harmony Equine Center in Franktown were among 200 found emaciated at a ranch in Texas. Photo courtesy of the Dumb Friends League
Neglected horses get second chance
Pot continues on Page 9
Harmony Equine Center takes in 61 abused animals from Texas By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@coloradocommunitymedia.com
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PL E ASE RECYCLE
A Franktown shelter is giving 61 neglected horses a new place to call home. Appearing emaciated and exhausted, the horses taken into the Dumb Friends League Harmony Equine Center in early September were among approximately 200 seized from a ranch near Conroe, Texas, in late June. The Franktown facility answered a call for help from the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. With room for more than 100 horses, Harmony Equine Center at 5540 E. Highway 86 was in a position to take in the 61 horses in two separate groups. Now, the animals are in the care of qualified veterinarians and volunteers who will help the horses readjust and find good homes
‘They were a little unsure when they first arrived, a little scared, because they’re not sure what’s going on.’ Megan Rees, public relations manager for the Dumb Friends League
through adoption. The first step after a medical evaluation was giving the horses around-the-clock access to food and water, said Megan Rees, public relations manager for the Dumb Friends League. The horses undergo regular checkups to monitor progress, get their teeth cleaned and get their hooves trimmed. Handling abused horses can be “tricky” because they are skittish, largely because many have never had contact with humans before, Rees said. “Essentially they’re wild horses,” she said,
as the sounds of Harmony Equine Center reverberated in the background. “They were a little unsure when they first arrived, a little scared, because they’re not sure what’s going on.” In addition to protruding ribs, the new arrivals had abscesses and open wounds. Getting the horses into healthy condition can be a long, arduous process, but the reward for handlers is knowing that the animals have Horses continues on Page 9
Another man’s treasure ‘Jazz Up Our Junk’ event to feature repurposed items By Stephanie Dyke sogren@coloradocommunitymedia.com They won’t have to carry everything to another location this time. That’s because Jazz Up Our Junk will be held at the Ecco Thrift Store, 336 Comanche St., Kiowa, this year. The seventh annual fundraiser will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 26. The event will feature the creations of local artists who redesign items from the thrift store into their own special works of art that can be purchased in a silent auction. The fundraiser is moving to the store this year, after being held in past years at the pavilion at Casey Jones Park in Elizabeth. Pam Witucki, executive director of Elbert County Coalition for Outreach, said the event was moved for more room and better facilities to accommodate guests. “It’s a location everybody knows,” she said. Treasure continues on Page 9
ECCO Director Pam Witucki said this year’s “Jazz Up Our Junk” fundraiser will be held in the store, as opposed to Casey Jones Park. She is hoping for a good turnout. File photo