The Lost Creek Guide December 01, 2021

Volume 14 • Edition 22

December 1, 2021

Delivering to over 23,000 homes & businesses in rural Adams, Morgan, and Weld Counties

“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light” George Washington “If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed” Thomas Jefferson

Colorado Approaches New Pandemic Peak As COVID Hospitalizations Top 1,500 and Only 75 ICU Beds Remain Available Colorado Public Radio

Hart Van Denburg/CPR News Denver Health Paramedics ambulance.

The corona virus pandemic keeps getting worse in Colorado.

COVID-19 hospitalizations hit 1,526 on Wednesday, the highest level Colorado has reached since last December. Four out of five hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated.

That number is poised to exceed the pandemic high of 1,847 from last year’s big wave.

“On our current trajectory we still do seem to be heading very much in that direction,” said Scott Bookman, the state incident commander, who helps lead the state’s pandemic response.

Why is COVID so bad right now in Colorado?

There are plenty of guesses.

With some fluctuations, transmission, cases, hospitalizations and deaths have all been rising since the end of the summer. This fifth wave of the pandemic resembles the largest surge to date, which peaked Dec. 1, 2020.

The week ending Oct. 31, Colorado recorded 213 deaths among COVID-19 cases.

That was the highest number since the last week of December, according to the state’s dashboard.

CPDHE

But a year ago, vaccinations weren’t an option. And this year, the big pinch is coming in part because of staffing shortages. Thirty-eight percent of hospitals said they anticipated a staffing shortage in the next week.

Bookman encouraged those who can to work from home, to limit contact outside of immediate family and to wear masks, especially in crowded indoor spaces.

“Especially with the holidays approaching, we really want to try and minimize infections being spread from person to person, whether that’s COVID or other Colorado Approaches New Pandemic Peak as COVID Hospitalizations Top 1,500 and Only 75 ICU Beds Remain Available Continued on page 5...

Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame 2022 Inductees

The Colorado FFA Foundation is pleased to announce four inductees into the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame for 2022 DENVER — The Colorado FFA Foundation is pleased to announce four inductees into the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame for 2022, representing a wide range of Colorado agriculture. Beth LaShell, Durango, Andy Wick, Austin, Brian Allmer (posthumous) from Briggsdale, and Vernon Cooksey, (posthumous) from Roggen, will all be formally honored and inducted into the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame on March 2, 2022 at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet.

Top (from left to right): Beth LaShell and “It is with the upmost pleasure that we Brian Allmer. Bottom (from left to right): recognize these four individuals for their Andy Wick pictured with his wife and Vernon Cooksey. (Courtesy of Colorado FFA) everlasting impact in agriculture to our state and nation,” said Telbe Storbeck, chair of the Colorado FFA Foundation, “Their accomplishments are second to none, and they are more than deserving of this honor. Congratulations to the HOF class of 2022!”

LaShell is coordinator of the Old Fort for Fort Lewis College, where she manages the cattle and hay production and, as the originator of the Farmer-in-Training program, trains beginning farmers in vegetable and fruit production and financial management.

Cooksey was a wheat farmer and community leader, farming with three generations of his family on a diversified wheat farm near Roggen which includes cattle, corn, beans, millet, sunflowers, hay, pumpkins, watermelon, milo, and barley. Allmer was a pioneering ag broadcaster, whose journalistic endeavors and friendship stretched across a broad swath of Colorado agriculture, as he introduced webcasting and live streaming into the Colorado ag world, and was the voice of many competitions at the National Western Livestock Show and the Colorado State Fair. Andy Wick is a dairyman who is devoted to growth and innovation as well as leadership in agriculture organizations, being an advocate for agriculture, and working with young people to ensure the future of agriculture.

The honorees will join 97 other outstanding Colorado agriculturists who have been similarly honored since 1989. All Agriculture Hall of Fame members’ portraits are displayed in the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame in the CoBank Center for Agricultural Education at Colorado State University.

Hosted by the Colorado FFA Foundation, the induction ceremony is held yearly to induct members into the Agriculture Hall of Fame who have significantly contributed to Colorado’s second largest industry. The induction ceremony will be held simultaneously in Denver and in Montrose, with the events connected virtually through sound and video. A unique, multi-media presentation will highlight the life of each new inductee during the ceremony. More information about the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame is available here: http://coloradoffafoundation.org/farmcredit-colorado-agriculture-hall-of-fame/.

— Colorado FFA Foundation

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WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE

Way of the World What If the Colorado River Dries Up? Colorado Approaches New Pandemic Peak Morgan Community College New RN to BSN Program Page 14: Colorado One of the Fastest Aging States Page 19: Update on Stagecoach Meats in Wiggins Page 20: Deep Dive into Very Competitive New CD 8

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Way of the World

by Bob Grand, Lost Creek Guide Well, are you enjoying the Holiday season? Some of our readers are. Following are several quotes that they sent in via email: A reader sent in a quote from a writer, Maxine about a dozen years ago: “Hell, back in 1990, the government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion, and as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed. Now we are trusting the economy of our country, our banking system, our auto industry and possibly our health plans to the nit-wits who could not make money running a house of ill repute and selling whiskey!” Author: Maxine, a news reporter (unsure of last name).

“You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not take from somebody else. When half the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” Adrian Rogers, 1931.

A little more basic, and certainly does not apply to all politicians, but you get the idea, and I am sure we know, and they know what applies to who. “Politicians and diapers must be changed often and for the same reasons,” Mark Twain.

You get the gist of it. Most of our politicians forget who they are supposed to be working for. The majority of the bureaucracy associated with government also fits that bill. Now not everyone, but far too many do. We spend a lot of money at the federal, state, county, and local levels. Who is supposed to be watching out for us, the voters? I am not talking about whether you are a democrat or republican I am talking about good fiscal management focused on delivering quality services to the electorate. Milton Freedman, the noted economist, said that if you put the government in charge of the beaches we will run out of sand. Not funny. But you have to ask who is responsible and, unfortunately, you can point a finger at a lot of the players but what you have to recognize is that we, the voters, have a responsibility to hold our elected officials, at all levels, accountable. In this last election in Weld County the turnout was a barely over 30%. That means seven out ten voters did not participate. What kind of message does that send? It says you do not care. You have to ask what have our officials at all levels have done to help encourage voter turnout. The answer is not much. You see, it is in their best interest to keep it low.

Too many unaffiliated voters, who are the majority of voters in America, including Weld County, and Democrats who see no hope in Weld County, just do not vote. That allows a very small but very controlling group in both parties, to dictate who runs and who gets elected. How do you expect to get things to change if you do the same thing over and over? Albert Einstein defined that as insanity.

We are a nation of laws. We have a Constitution of the United State that all federally elected officials swear to uphold. Way too many seem to forget that as soon as they are in office. If you do not like the law, change it, but do not ignore it or worse disobey it. That is a path to anarchy. Looking at what is going in California and Oregon where some had the audacity to say do not call it looting it might hurt somebodies’ feelings. Absurd! Our federal government has some specific responsibilities defined in the Constitution; one is to protect our borders. The President has announced he is closing the country to several South African countries because of the Omicron variant of COVID. Well, what about the illegal aliens flooding in along are southern borders who are whisked away to cities in the interior. Where are they checked for COVID and vaccine status? This borders on the theater of the absurd.

If you listened to our United States Senator representing Colorado, Michael Bennett on his telephone talk this week, which I did, you have to be convinced that all the federal government should do is give free things to the citizens. I did not hear much about soaring crime and violence, crazy inflation, the price of gasoline and heating oil and gas, immigration reform, drug overdoses and on and on. We are not on the right path. It is like the folks in Washington live in a bubble, but you know what, they really do. We need to elect people at all levels that are prepared to stand up and say the status quo is not acceptable. What future are we leaving for our families?

Our form of government is the oldest democracy in existence in the world today, over two hundred years. We should not allow loud-mouthed, self-serving opportunists in either party to destroy what our country is based on. Now our country is not perfect, and we need to work on continuous improvement which is why an effective two-party system is necessary, for checks and balances. Most often

The Lost Creek Guide, Llc Bob Grand - Publisher 303-732-4080 publisher@lostcreekguide.com

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Letters to the Editor are encouraged. Letters may be edited for length, libelous, or inappropriate content. All letter submissions should include name, address, & phone number for verification purposes. Letters are published at the editor or publisher’s discretion. Opinions expressed in letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Lost Creek Guide or staff.

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December 1, 2021

at the local level government you just have concerned citizens, not necessarily driven by absolute party loyalty. As you start to go up the food chain at the county, state and federal level that really changes. It is up to all of us to help expose those who speak out of both sides of their mouths. As mentioned earlier in the quote from Mark Twain. They know who they are. We just need to shine a light on them.

As always, your thoughts and comments are appreciated and, increasingly, you are doing that. Keep it up as we will share with our readers. Have a healthy, safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. publisher@lostcreekguide.com

Letter to the Editor:

This article was going around a few years ago. Maybe we need to be reminded of what’s at stake. How Long Do We have?

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburg, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic, some 2,000 years earlier. “ A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.”

A democracy will continue to exist up until the time the voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.”

From that point on, the majority will always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.”

“The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years.”

During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence: 1. From bondage to spiritual faith; 2. From spiritual faith to great courage; 3. From courage to liberty 4. From liberty to abundance; 5. From abundance to complacency; 6. From complacency to apathy; 7. From apathy to dependance; 8. From dependance back into bondage.”

I think we are currently between 6.5 and 7.5 Many years ago, syndicated columnist John Underwood wrote: “Civilizations do not just give out. They give in. They come apart not in a flash, but inch by inch. In a society where everything goes, everything eventually will.”

Founding father Thomas Jefferson wrote: “ A government big enough to give you everything you want is also strong enough to take everything you have.”

A citizen who is very concerned about where we are and where we appear to be going.

If the Colorado River Keeps Drying Up, A CenturyOld Agreement to Share the Water Could Be Threatened. No One is Sure What Happens Next.

By Michael Elizabeth Sakas, Colorado Public Radio

Michael Elizabeth Sakas/CPR News Water and climate scientist Brad Udall stands in the Blue River in Silverthorn, Colo. on November 5, 2021. The snow and rain that makes its way into the Blue River eventually feeds the Colorado River as a tributary.

The West could be facing a water shortage in the Colorado River that threatens a century-old agreement between states that share the dwindling resource.

That possibility once felt far off, but could come earlier than expected. One prominent water and climate scientist is sounding the alarm that the Colorado River system could reach that crossroads in the next five years, possibly triggering an unpredictable chain-reaction of legal wrangling that could lead to some water users being cut off from the river.

Brad Udall, a senior water and climate scientist at Colorado State University’s Colorado Water Institute, sits by the Blue River in Silverthorne, which is filled with the snow and rain that falls in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

SPONSOR MESSAGE Water from the Blue River feeds the Colorado River and the tens of millions of people who rely on it across seven western states, 30 Native American tribes and Mexico.

The flow of the Colorado River has dropped 20 percent since the 1900s. Roughly half of that decline is due to climate change, which has fueled a 20-year megadrought across Colorado and the West. That rapid decline could soon cause problems between the states that share this water, Udall said.

Almost 100 years ago, seven states signed the Colorado River Compact, which lays out how much river water each state gets.

If the Colorado River Keeps Drying Up, a Century-Old Agreement to Share the Water Could Be Threatened. No One is Sure What Happens Next. Continued on page 3...

December 1, 2021

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If the Colorado River Keeps Drying Up, a Century-Old Agreement to Share the Water Could Be Threatened. Continued from Page 2 Udall said the deal contains a fatal flaw: fixed numbers, which were set when climate change wasn’t a concern.

“You can’t have fixed numbers in a declining system,” Udall said. “That’s going to unduly impose pain on [parties] that are completely undeserving and never signed up for that.”

Part of that agreement requires states in the upper Colorado River basin — Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico — to keep a certain amount of water in the river to ensure the flow reaches states in the lower basin, including Arizona, California and Nevada. That agreement was amended in the 1940s to ensure river water also reached Mexico.

If the river keeps drying up, that agreement could soon be broken. That could trigger a formal water delivery shortage and what’s known as a “compact call” for the first time. The result could mean upper-basin states, including Colorado, are forced to cut off some water users to make sure there is enough water in the river to flow downstream.

“That will be a day of reckoning for the upper basin,” Udall said.

Udall’s projections for the Colorado River aren’t a certainty, but if climate, drought and water conditions continue as expected over the next five years, the amount of water delivered from the upper-basin states could drop below the agreed-upon 10year running average amount of about 8.2 million acre-feet per year for the first time.

Michael Elizabeth Sakas/CPR News Brad Udall, a water and climate scientist, shows a before-andafter photo comparison of an overlook of Lake Powell on his iPad on November 5, 2021. The photo on the left was taken in 2000 when Powell was at full pool. The photo on the right was taken in October 2021.

A formal water delivery shortage triggered during that time is much sooner than most expected — and it’s unclear what would follow.

This is where Lakes Powell and Mead come in. The two largest reservoirs in the United States are filled with Colorado River water. Each hit their lowest levels on record this year, which caused the federal government to take emergency action for the first time. The U.S. Department of the Interior cut water use in the lower basin and sent more water downstream from reservoirs in the upper basin.

Lake Powell is the reservoir where upper-basin states store the water they send downstream to the lower basin. Projections from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation suggest it’s unlikely Lake Powell will gain any significant amount of water in the next two years. If that trend continues for just a few more years, Udall said the dropping reservoir levels could trigger a formal water delivery shortage.

“Frankly I think you probably never, ever want to get there,” Udall said. He said states should work now to reduce water use or come to another agreement before there’s a violation of the Colorado River agreement.

Otherwise, he said, “all bets are off on how it gets resolved.”

Other water and legal experts don’t know how a formal water delivery shortage would play out.

Larry MacDonnell is a senior fellow at the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources at CU Boulder who has focused on Colorado River law for more than 20 years. He said Udall’s projections show that it’s time for the states to iron out exactly how they plan to respond to a water delivery shortage.

“It would be ridiculous to get to that point and then start to try to figure out what to do about it,” MacDonnell said.

It’s unclear how Colorado would respond.

Becky Mitchell, the director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, declined an interview request from CPR News. In an emailed statement, she said Colorado is committed to working with the other basin states and water rights holders through current and future water challenges.

MacDonnell said one simple approach to keeping more water in the Colorado River is the priority system, which would favor users who own older water rights and potentially cut off newer water rights-holders. That could hit water utilities along the Front Range particularly hard since they hold many of the junior water rights in the state, MacDonnell said.

“If they have to curtail much of the water that they rely on, that obviously will have great effects on users in the cities,” he said.

MacDonnell said states have considered gentler ways to keep more water in the river since it’s up to each individual state to create a plan on how to come up with the amount of water they’re required to share under the Colorado River agreement. State water officials are still trying to figure out what that plan is, and MacDonnell said there are many different options on how to respond to a delivery shortage.

“It’s just a matter for the affected parties to come together and reach some sort of an agreement about what they think is the best way to go,” he said.

If the Colorado River Keeps Drying Up, a Century-Old Agreement to Share the Water Could Be Threatened. No One is Sure What Happens Next. Continued on page 4...

- Obituary William “Bill” Suan Rivera

United States Army Sergeant First Class William “Bill” Suan Rivera We would like to honor the final salute of United States Army Sergeant First Class William “Bill” Suan Rivera who served 3 tours in Vietnam and was the recipient of 3 Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.

William “Bill” Suan Rivera was born in Hawaii on July 25th, in the year of our Lord 1939, and passed from this life and went into the arms of his loving wife, Ruby, and his Redeeming Saviour, Jesus Christ, on October 14th, in the year of our Lord 2021.

Sergeant First Class Bill Rivera served honorably for 20 years in the U.S. Army, and 20 years for the U.S. Postal Service. Bill Rivera was known as a faithful and loving husband from 1970 to his late wife, Ruby Jonita Rivera, who passed away in 2018 and laid to rest and awaiting Bill at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

The funeral for Bill Rivera was performed at Fort Logan National Cemetery on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, led by the local DAV commander with an opening prayer and benediction by the U.S. Army Chaplain. After the Twenty-One Gun Salute and the folding of the flag, the Bell Guard provided the Seven Solemn Tolls of the Honor Bell as a tribute of dignity and honor as they rang the bell seven times. Grandson, Cammren Cole, sang Amazing Grace followed by a memorial sermon by Bill’s Pastor.

Bill Rivera is survived by his brother Lee Rivera, his two devoted daughters, Marsha Ranee Colcleaser and Jennifer Marie Rivera, and is survived by and affectionately known as “Pe-Pa” by his two grandsons, Cammren James Cole and Dillion Joseph Cole.

We solemnly mourn the loss of Bill Rivera who was not only a loving husband, father, grandfather, but also known as a dependable soldier and comrade. Bill was a close and compassionate friend to those who testified by their presence at his memorial service along with many other souls in and around our communities as he gave generously to all those who needed help, especially those associated with the VA regional conventions.

I believe Bill Rivera exhibited many characteristics of Christ with an emphasis on love and compassion as he was always ready to lay his life down and give of his time for his friends, ”Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And though Bill seemed to always be in good spirits expressing his amusement with a smile and a snicker, it was an amazing occurrence to hear Bill chuckle which was known as a wide-open laugh and his way of expressing hysterics.

Bill River was a beautiful soul who loved God and was a blessing to his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his family, his friends, his comrades, and the many people he met around his community. We dearly loved Bill Rivera, and he will be missed!!!

By Pastor “Mac” Howard B. McClaskey

Christmas Capital

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December 1, 2021

If the Colorado River Keeps Drying Up, a Century-Old Agreement to Share the Water Could Be Threatened. No One is Sure What Happens Next. Continued from Page 3

Michael Elizabeth Sakas/CPR News The snow that collects in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado eventually melts to feed the Colorado River below. Photo taken November 5, 2021.

A formal water delivery shortage in the Colorado River might never happen.

MacDonnell said upper-basin states aren’t using the full amount of water they’re entitled to under the Colorado River agreement, so they might be able to convince a court that climate change is the biggest reason the river’s flow has dropped.

But Jim Lochhead, the CEO of Denver Water, said the utility is drafting a plan to continue operations if it’s ever forced to take a water cut. He said it would have significant economic consequences for the Front Range and western Colorado, where the Colorado River flows.

“I don’t want to predict a doomsday scenario in the event that that happens,” Lochhead said. “Because we would try and figure out ways to mitigate impacts to our customers.”

Lochhead said Denver Water likely wouldn’t activate that emergency plan until there’s a court order that cuts off supplies for Colorado water users.

Rosemary Carroll, an associate research professor of hydrology at the Desert Research Institute who lives in Crested Butte, said many farmers and ranchers would be put out of business if they are forced to reduce their water usage even further due to a delivery shortage.

“That’s a tragedy on the Western Slope,” Carroll said. “I don’t know the solution, but I know that everybody needs to come to the table and try to work this out.”

Carroll confirmed Udall’s projections and agrees there’s a chance a water delivery shortage could hit in the next five years. She said less water is making it into the river and reservoirs because climate change is leading to hotter temperatures, drier soils and thirsty plants that absorb snowmelt before it ever gets to a stream.

She said it would require back-to-back years of above-average snowfall to counteract that warming and produce the same amount of water that used to be generated in a typical year.

“It’s definitely a call to action to come up with new ways to think about how this system is managed and what its future looks like,” Carroll said.

More Colorado Workers are Quitting Their Jobs Right Now Than They Have in the Last 20 Years

By Veronica Penney, Colorado Public Radio

Hart Van Denburg/CPR News A sign outside a Post Office in Denver’s Highlands neighborhood advertises job openings Wednesday, July 22, 2020.

Colorado workers are quitting their jobs at the state’s highest rate in the past two decades, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

More Colorado Workers are Quitting Their Jobs Right Now Than They have in the Last 20 Years continued on page 5...

December 1, 2021

Lost Creek Guide

More Colorado Workers are Quitting Their Jobs Right Now Than They have in the Last 20 Years Continued from Page 4 One in 23 Colorado workers left their jobs during September, according to a preliminary report, pushing the state’s quit rate to the fourth-highest of any state in the nation.

Ryan Gedney, a senior economist at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, said that as the economy improves and unemployment decreases, it makes sense that more people might be quitting their jobs.

“I wouldn’t look at quit rate as a bad thing,” Gedney said. “I think churn and labor dynamics are healthy, and this just reflects people looking for other job opportunities.”

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Colorado Approaches New Pandemic Peak as COVID Hospitalizations Top 1,500 and Only 75 ICU Beds Remain Available Continued from Page 1... infections,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist.

Bookman said there are now just 75 ICU beds available in the state.

“We are still seeing the lowest number of beds available in the state of Colorado than we have seen at any previous point in the pandemic,” he said.

He said the state had about 575 medical surgical beds available but noted both vary significantly day-to-day.

CPDHE

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics quits levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, seasonally adjusted.

The quit rate in Colorado, following nationwide trends, dropped in early 2020 as pandemic-related stay-at-home orders were issued and unemployment soared.

Now, as the economy reopens, Colorado employers are looking to fill a historically high number of job openings, creating opportunities for workers looking for better pay or a change.

Gedney said that many times, the quit rate reflects people who leave their jobs and immediately take a new job, “so it’s really just moving from one job to the next. And sometimes that could actually be good for the economy in terms of matching the right person with the right kind of job.”

Source: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment

It is unusual for so many workers to be quitting their jobs while unemployment is this high, but Gedney said comparing job openings to unemployment is more useful.

“For September, the openings-unemployed ratio for Colorado was one,” Gedney said. “So that means that for every job opening, there’s at least one unemployed person that could theoretically fill that job.”

However, the current labor market still poses challenges for employers.

Lauren Furman, CEO-elect of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, said that difficulty finding childcare and concerns over the virus could be keeping some workers from returning to work, which leaves employers short-staffed.

“If a business can’t continue to operate at its highest capacity and produce certain goods, or can’t get certain goods, then those costs are going to go up for consumers,” Furman said.

Some businesses, most notably restaurants, have also cut their hours due to worker shortages.

Detailed reports on which industries workers are leaving won’t be available until next summer, but nationally, the highest quit rates have been in leisure and hospitality, including food services, and retail. In Colorado, the accommodation and food services workforce increased by about 65,400 workers, composing roughly half of the jobs that were added statewide this year. But the industry still hasn’t fully recovered all of the workers it lost during the pandemic.

October’s employment report left Gedney feeling hopeful about the economy. The share of Coloradans aged 16 years and older who are now employed has increased for two months in a row, for the first time since May. Non-farm payroll jobs increased by 10,000 workers — the largest increase since April.

“I think that certainly, the data reported (last week) was very positive, in terms of Colorado’s path to recovery, and even the nation’s,” Gedney said. “But yes, we may see elevated quit rates for some time. And I do think that’s a reflection of the economy getting better, not necessarily getting worse.”

Colorado is not yet at the point where the state would enact crisis standards of care, a rationing of care, or limiting scheduled elective surgeries, Bookman said. But those options are now regularly discussed with hospitals.

“We’re not there today, but we are in constant communication with our hospitals as we evaluate what the best thing to do is,” he said.

Bookman says the state is working to add 500 additional hospital beds and the staff to treat more patients.

Asked by a reporter if the state health department is prepared to go against the wishes of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to impose tougher public health restrictions, Bookman sidestepped the question.

“We have been one team from the beginning on this response. It has been an allof-state effort to do this together. These are difficult times, the general public has a desire to move on from the pandemic. Unfortunately, the pandemic is not done with us,” he said. “This is something that we’re all going to do together as we move into the next phase of this.”

Colorado Approaches New Pandemic Peak as COVID Hospitalizations Top 1,500 and Only 75 ICU Beds Remain Available Continued on page 6...

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Colorado Approaches New Pandemic Peak as COVID Hospitalizations Top 1,500 and Only 75 ICU Beds Remain Available Continued from page 5...

December 1, 2021

Watch For Wildlife, Avoid Collisions During Daylight Saving Time

To slow hospitalizations, Polis promotes monoclonal antibodies. But doctors say the treatment is hard to find Bookman reiterated his frequent call for Coloradans to get vaccinated, to get a booster shot, if you’re feeling sick stay home, to get tested, and wait for your results.

“We should all be wearing masks right now, regardless of whether there is a mandate in place or not. But this is a way to keep ourselves safe,” Bookman said.

Herlihy spotlighted a graphic showing, with new age-adjusted methodology the state is now using, those who are vaccinated are about 4 times less likely to become a COVID-19 case, 10 times less likely to be hospitalized and 13 times less likely to die from the coronavirus.

A black bear uses the underpass system on Highway 9 between Green Mountain Reservoir and Kremmling.

Ries Electric

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Pasture . Native . Reclamation Small Grains . Annual Forages . Alfalfa

101 East 4th St. Road, Greeley CO 800.421.4234

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DENVER – Changing your clocks with your driving habits during daylight saving time can help prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions. Wildlife experts advise drivers that wildlife is on the move so be aware, drive with caution, and slow down especially at night.

This Sunday, Nov. 7, marks the end of daylight saving time in Colorado. This means drivers will set their clocks back an hour, see dusk earlier, and witness more wild animals migrating to their wintering habitats during rush hour traffic on highways.

As the sunlight fades during high-volume commutes, Colorado Parks and Wildlife asks drivers to stay alert and share roads with wildlife. Autumn is peak seasonal mating and migration for many species, so drivers should watch for wildlife as they begin to experience darker commutes.

The Colorado Department of Transportation also advises motorists to stay vigilant, drive with caution and slow down, as winter storms often push wildlife from the high country into lower elevations.

“We would like to remind everyone that, as the seasons change, deer and elk will be showing up on roadways again,” said CPW Area 18 Wildlife Manager Rachel Sralla.

“Keep an eye out for deer moving across roads and follow speed limits to reduce the possibility of colliding with animals. Deer move across our minor arterial roads all the time, and the best way to protect wildlife on the roads is to keep to the speed limit and keep our eyes up.”

“Big game like deer and elk are making their way to the elevations where they can more easily find food and water,” said CDOT Wildlife Program Manager Jeff Peterson. “In Colorado, approximately 4,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions are reported each year. The seasonal movements of these animals can cause increased wildlifevehicle collisions if drivers are unaware more wildlife is on or near the roadways.”

In an effort to decrease the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions in Colorado, CDOT has collaborated with CPW to develop wildlife prioritization plans for the west slope and the east slope and plains. From these studies, wildlife mitigation projects designed to allow wildlife to safely cross busy highways will be constructed at key segments identified for high risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Associated wildlife infrastructure includes wildlife overpasses, underpasses, and high fences with escape ramps and wildlife guards along highways.

One successful wildlife transportation solution is the Colorado Highway 9 Wildlife Crossing Project. In 2016, CDOT in cooperation with CPW and many other partners completed Colorado’s first-of-its-kind wildlife overpass and underpass system on Highway 9 between Green Mountain Reservoir and Kremmling. This innovative solution to keep wildlife off a busy road resulted in a 90 percent reduction in wildlifevehicle collisions in that area. Check out the final project video.

With the success of the Highway 9 project, even more crossings are being built around Colorado. To learn more about ongoing collaborative efforts, go to Colorado Wildlife Transportation Alliance. See locations of completed crossings around Colorado at the new statewide wildlife crossing web map. Projects recently completed or under construction include: • I-25 Gap Project south of Denver (5 underpasses, high fencing and 1 overpass currently in design) • CO 13 Fortification Creek Project north of Craig (1 underpass and a wildlife radar detection system, high fencing) • U.S. 160 Dry Creek east of Durango (1 underpass, high fencing) • U.S. 160 west of Pagosa Springs (1 underpass, 1 overpass, high fencing) • U.S. 550 south of Durango (2 underpasses, several small mammal underpasses, high fencing) CPW recently hired Wildlife Movement Coordinator Michelle Cowardin to help coordinate the use of wildlife data to identify highway mitigation projects to protect our wildlife and keep Colorado motorists safe.

“Wildlife crossing structures are a win-win for wildlife and for people. These projects allow animals to move safely across the landscape for seasonal and daily movements, while decreasing the risk to motorists of having wildlife collisions. As traffic increases across the state, more roadways will become barriers to wildlife movement, therefore it is important that we work together to develop solutions to maintain healthy wildlife populations in Colorado,” said Cowardin.

Contact Cowardin by email at: michelle.cowardin@cpw.state.co.us.

December 1, 2021

Lost Creek Guide

Morgan Community College Receives Accreditation for RN to BSN Program Fort Morgan, CO 11/16/2021. Morgan Community College (MCC) received notice on November 12, 2021, from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) that its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program was approved for accreditation. The accreditation is effective February 17, 2021, the first day of the program review during CCNE’s virtual site visit. Due to the retroactive accreditation, MCC’s first graduating class of BSN students in May 2021 are considered to have graduated from an accredited program.

About the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education: Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is an autonomous accrediting agency, contributing to the improvement of the public’s health. CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing.

About the Higher Learning Commission: The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation, founded in 1895 that accredits degree-granting post-secondary education institutions in 19 different states. The HLC ensures institutions have the capacity to provide a quality teaching and learning curriculum while meeting current industry standards.www.hlcommission.org

Republican Women of Weld Hosting Colorado Gubernatorial Forum in Fort Lupton

James Carwin, MCC Graduate, May 2021, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Morgan Community College

The RN to BSN program is the first baccalaureate degree offered by MCC. The college obtained approval from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), MCC’s regional accreditation agency, to offer the BSN program in June of 2019. The CCNE accreditation is an additional layer of accreditation offered specifically for nursing programs. The program was created to provide a pathway for Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students with a Registered Nurse (RN) license to complete their BSN degree locally. MCC started its first cohort of BSN students in January 2020. In May of 2021, the college proudly presented ten students with their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

“The creation of a BSN program is a heavy lift, and this third-party accreditation by CCNE assures students that the program is high quality and meets recognized standards of similar programs offered by other colleges or universities,” said Dr. Curt Freed, MCC President. “Congratulations to the MCC faculty and staff who worked hard for this accreditation and thank you to the Williams Family Foundation for their significant support of the program.”

“East Morgan County Hospital (EMCH) has received great benefit from MCC’s RN to BSN program,” said Linda Roan, EMCH Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and MCC Advisory Council member. “We have had four nurses that completed their BSN through this program. Two of the nurses assumed a leadership position and one of the RNs would not have been able assume the leadership position without the BSN. In addition, the program assists nurses to get a greater understanding of nursing and healthcare, which is of great benefit to nurses in any position within the profession. I would highly encourage any nurse to attend this program!”

The BSN completion program ultimately provides students the opportunity to advance in their workplace, prepared by the program’s focus of research, community health, and leadership, as well as addresses the nurse shortage crisis. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), which represents over 4 million nurses across the U.S., the shortage of nurses was created by an increase of retiring nurses and patients of Baby Boomer age. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this crisis.

“The RN to BSN Completion Program at Morgan Community College has many advantages, including affordable tuition rates,” stated MCC Nursing Faculty, Kimberly Senn, DNP, RN, FNP-BS. “Students feel comfortable earning their degree while working and living in their own community and beyond. It’s online and flexible so students can take courses from anywhere.”

“Getting my BSN was important for me in advancing my knowledge and career in nursing,” said James Corwin, MCC alumnus. “The field of nursing has a wide range of opportunities and having my BSN makes my career goals more attainable. I was hesitant to continue my nursing education after completing the rigorous ADN program, yet I’m glad that I continued while I was still in study mode. My familiarity with MCC staff, the close proximity of the college, and the affordability of the program were paramount in my decision to choose MCC.” In 2018, the Williams Family Foundation created an $2,275,000 endowment through the MCC Foundation to support the college’s BSN program. The endowment funds the BSN Endowed Chair position in perpetuity. The college chose to pass this cost savings along to students, making MCC’s RN to BSN program one of the most affordable programs in the state.

“The Williams Family Foundation has always been an enthusiastic supporter of Morgan Community College,” stated Dr. Shaun Thompson, Williams Family Foundation Trustee.

“We are excited and proud of the work MCC is doing in health care education and support them whole heartedly. This RN to BSN program is innovative and goes a long way toward training nurses locally and meeting needs of Morgan County and beyond.”

“The RN to BSN program allows dedicated, and often long-term nurses of Morgan County and beyond the opportunity to further their education with a BSN, and profoundly impact the counties they live in and serve,” stated MCC Director of Nursing, Jennifer Thistle, MSN, RN. “Program graduates can move into management positions, continue their education to become practitioners, or serve patients at the bedside with additional educational expertise.”

For additional information about the program, contact Gwen Steffen, Student Success Advisor for health programs at Gwen.Steffen@MorganCC.edu or (970) 542-3224, or visit www.morgancc.edu/bsn.

Fort additional information about Morgan Community College, visit www.morgancc. edu.

7

In the past, The Republican Women of Weld forums, SELL OUT QUICKLY This is the night to meet & mingle with the Colorado Republican Gubernatorial candidates. Let your voice be heard!

Enjoy the Dinner Buffet, available from 5:30-6:30pm (eat at your leisure) Forum starts promptly at 7pm Moderator- Former Colorado Republican Party Chairman & veteran political strategist Dick Wadhams.

Time Keeper- Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams Your ticket includes-Admission into event, dinner buffet, non alcoholic beverages, (2) tickets for alcoholic beverage, taxes & ticket processing fees. (Free Parking) **Limited Tickets Available & will NOT be sold at the door** All ANNOUNCED Republican candidates have been invited. We will update the following list, as they confirm. (***Confirmed) ***Heidi Ganahl ***Greg Lopez ***Danielle Neauschwanger ***Jack Dillender ***Darryl Gibbs ***Jeff Fry ***Jason Lopez ***Jim Rundberg ***Jon Gray-Ginsberg Questions or media- contact Tammy Klein 720-290-3289 The link for tickets can be found at Republican Women of Weld Facebook page, or www.womenofweld.com. LIMITED TICKETS & NO TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR Sponsored by Weld Strong & Roche Constructors

8

Lost Creek Guide

CDOT Launches New “Winter Driving in the Wild” Video Series

Educational videos serve as entertaining reminders for safe winter driving Si quiere recibir información y actualizaciones en español de CDOT, por favor comuníquese con Andrew Hogle en andrew.hogle@state.co.us.

STATEWIDE — Today, CDOT’s Winter Wise campaign is launching “Winter Driving in the Wild,” an educational video series that will raise awareness of the laws, preparations and resources for safe and efficient winter driving. The series features the do’s and don’ts of Colorado winter driving through wildlife documentary-style mini-movies. “Winter Driving in the Wild” launches as CDOT prepares for winter travel, and the department hopes the series serves as a humorous and educational reminder of how to stay safe throughout winter.

The series includes videos about the Passenger Vehicle Traction Law, tire and snowplow safety, winter preparedness tips and a guide for winter driving resources.

CDOT will release new editions of the series through winter.

“Motorists who are unprepared for winter road conditions create dangerous situations for themselves and everyone on the road, not to mention the extended delays we see from spinouts, slideoffs and crashes,” said Andrew Hogle, CDOT public information officer. “We’re excited to launch the ‘Winter Driving in the Wild” series to share these crucial messages and have some fun with Colorado drivers at the same time.”

Having adequate tires with proper tread depth is the first step motorists should take before choosing to drive on winter roads. Between October 2020 and April 2021, 262 passenger vehicle crashes were reported on the I-70 mountain corridor in addition to 91 non-crash emergency responses (mechanical issues, fires, spinouts/slideoffs).

Many of these crashes, spinouts and slideoffs were due to poor quality tires.

Having adequate tires is not only safe; it’s also the law. Last winter, CDOT activated the Passenger Vehicle Traction Law 166 times on the I-70 mountain corridor alone.

CDOT can implement the Passenger Vehicle Traction and Chain Laws on any state highway.

During a Passenger Vehicle Traction Law, all motorists are required to have one of the following: • A 4WD or AWD vehicle and 3/16” tread depth • Tires with a mud and snow designation (M+S icon) and 3/16” tread depth

December 1, 2021

• Winter tires (mountain-snowflake icon) and 3/16” tread depth • Tires with an all-weather rating by the manufacturer and 3/16” tread depth • Chains or an approved alternative traction device CDOT conducted a Passenger Vehicle Traction Law survey in January 2020 that found that rental vehicles were the most compliant vehicle type at 95%, and out-ofstate vehicles were the least compliant at 86%. The primary reason for noncompliance: insufficient tread.

“The Traction Law is activated for safety and efficiency purposes,” said Hogle. “If everyone on the road has adequate tires and tread, then we’ll see fewer crashes and reduce delay times. That’s the goal — we want every Colorado motorist to get home safely without causing closures or extended delays. These laws and guidelines help us ensure that.”

For the most up-to-date winter driving resources, information and tips, visit winter. codot.gov.

Whether you’re a native, a new resident or a tourist, driving in Colorado winter weather can be dangerous if you’re not prepared. As we enter the winter months, CDOT wants to remind all Colorado roadway users of the following tips to stay safe.

BEFORE YOU TRAVEL THIS WINTER: • Have a plan. Prepare a winterized emergency vehicle kit. Always plan your route in advance and be sure to let someone know your route and ETA. Check road conditions at COtrip.org.

• Check your tires. It’s tire buying season! Make sure to check the air pressure in all tires, including your spare, and that your tires have good tread — at least 3/16”.

• Perform a safety check. Give your vehicle a tune-up before long trips. This includes getting an oil change if necessary, inspecting the battery, brakes and pads and wiper blades. Ensure you have a full tank of gas, and lastly, check your headlights, brake lights, turn signals, emergency flashers and interior lights.

• Know the laws. When weather conditions warrant, CDOT implements Passenger Vehicle Traction and Chain Laws. Head over to CDOT’s Traction & Chain Laws page for the most up-to-date laws.

WHILE YOU’RE ON THE ROAD: • Drive for the conditions. Don’t drive faster than you can see ahead and don’t forget to turn on your headlights! If you’re stuck in a serious storm, do not leave your vehicle. Run the engine periodically and wait for help.

• Bow to the plow. It is illegal to pass a snowplow when it is operating its lights and operating in a tandem formation with one or more snowplows. Don’t crowd the plow, be sure to remain three to four car lengths behind snowplows.

STAY INFORMED: Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include: • Road conditions and travel information: www.COtrip.org • Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COalerts • See scheduled lane closures: codot.gov/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html • Connect with us on social media: Twitter @coloradodot and Facebook facebook. com/coloradodot ABOUT WINTER WISE CDOT’s Winter Wise campaign focuses on education, tools and resources to help keep drivers safe on Colorado’s winter roads. To learn more and view helpful tips for winter driving, visit winter.codot.gov. For specific information about I-70 and other highway travel conditions, motorists can call 511 or check COtrip.org. Additionally, drivers can check Twitter for up-to-date travel information via @ColoradoDOT. For more detailed information about the Traction and Passenger Vehicle Safety Laws, snowplow laws, safety stats and frequently asked questions, visit winter.codot.gov.

Farm and Ranch Succession and Estate Planning Workshops to be held in Yuma and Brush, CO November 12, 2021 – Colorado State University’s Agricultural and Business Management Economist Jeff Tranel will be leading two workshops to help local agricultural producers learn how to work through the transfer of their farms and ranches to the next generation and begin planning their estates.

The Yuma workshop will be held on December 8, 2021 from 1:30 - 5:30 pm at the Yuma Community Center, 421 E. 2nd Ave., Yuma, CO. The Brush session will be held on December 9, 2021 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at the Riverview Event Center, 19201 CR 24, Brush, CO. These workshops are hosted by Premier Farm Credit and all area producers are invited to attend. Please RSVP to secure your spot to 970-522-5295 or online at premieraca.com/event-rsvp.

“I understand the difficulties of talking with one’s family about such sensitive issues, selecting who takes over the farm or ranch business, and even thinking about one’s own mortality,” Tranel said. “But if we don’t plan for our families and businesses, someone else will do it for us – and it most likely won’t be what we would have wanted.”

This workshop will cover a variety of topics, including: strategies for keeping the farm or ranch in the family; the Four Pillars of a Lasting Legacy (values and life lessons, personal possessions of emotional value, final wishes and instructions, and real estate and finances); and family communications - parents talking and working with their children and children talking to their parents to understand Mom and Dad’s financial situation and desires for retirement and the future of the farm/ranch.

Jeff Tranel was raised on a purebred and commercial cow-calf operation in south central Wyoming and northwestern Colorado. He writes extensively about estate planning and succession planning, conducts numerous workshops, and facilitates farm and ranch families in their efforts to have agricultural business that spans several generations. Jeff has addressed more than 10,000 producers throughout the U.S. and in five countries.

For more information, contact Premier Farm Credit at 970-522-5295.

December 1, 2021

9

Lost Creek Guide

Aims Community College Offering Scholarships to In-District Residents for Spring 2022

GREELEY, CO – November 17, 2021 – Aims Community College is offering scholarships for both current and new students for the Spring 2022 semester.

Based on the success of previous offerings designed to support students in the wake of COVID-19, the scholarships are available to Colorado residents who live within the Aims tax district.

“These new scholarships were created to assist our current students so they can finish their programs, and for new students to get assistance to be able to start their educational journey,” said Chris Peterson, executive director of Financial Aid at Aims. “The amount covers over six credits of tuition for indistrict students in most liberal arts degrees. We hope these scholarships will help students succeed in their educational goals,” he said.

Aims Persisting Scholarship - For Continuing Students The Aims Persisting Scholarship is a $500 one-time scholarship award for students who are continuing their education at Aims. No application is required for the scholarship, but to qualify, students must meet four criteria. First, students must meet in-district requirements for classification tuition purposes, meaning they must be a Colorado resident for a minimum of one year and live in the Aims tax district. Second, they must be enrolled at Aims full-time (earning 12 or more credits). Third, students must be pursuing a degree or certificate, and finally, they must have a minimum cumulative GPA or 2.0 or higher.

Aims Now Scholarship - For New Students The Aims Now Scholarship is a $500 one-time scholarship award for new and transfer students, as well as previous high school concurrently enrolled students.

The qualification requirements are the same as those for the Aims Persisting Scholarship, minus the GPA specification. Students must be classified as indistrict for classification tuition purposes (Colorado residency for a minimum of one year and live within the Aims tax district), enrolled full-time (12 or more credits) and be seeking a degree or certificate.

To learn more about the Aims scholarship opportunities, contact scholarships@ aims.edu or call 970-339-6548. To enroll in spring courses, visit the Aims Community College website.

About Aims Community College Aims Community College is one of the most progressive two-year colleges in Colorado. Founded more than 50 years ago in Greeley, Aims has since established locations in Fort Lupton, Loveland and Windsor. Curriculum now includes 4,000 day, evening, weekend and online courses annually in more than 200 degree and certificate programs. Aims Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Aims Community College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution. www.aims.edu

WHEN YOU’RE READY, WE ARE TOO.

APPLY TODAY! LEARN MORE AT

aims.edu

FO RT LUPTO N CA MP US | 260 CO L LEGE AVE.

|

3 0 3 .8 5 7 .4 0 2 2 X4 3 0 0

FO RT LUPTO N | LOV EL A ND | GREE LE Y | WINDS OR | ONLINE

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Lost Creek Guide

December 1, 2021

Fort Lupton Police Report Through October 2021

Submitted by Fort Lupton Council Member Carlos Barron Year To Date Statistics Category

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Calls For Service

12151

8889

9433

10584

9850

Cases

1186

1072

1198

1214

1209

E-Ticket

1640

1330

1576

1222

990

Arrests

270

270

349

485

395

Summons (Report cases closed by)

329

243

320

292

268

Total Enforcement Actions

2239

1843

2245

1999

1653

DUI

108

73

70

164

130

Monthly Statistics Calls Resulting in Reports**

With Traffic Fatalities Surging, MADD Colorado and Law Enforcement Strive to Save Lives This Holiday Season Holiday DUI Enforcement in Effect with 88 DUI Arrests Ahead of Thanksgiving Denver, CO (November 24, 2021) – Last weekend, 59 law enforcement agencies and troop offices from across Colorado participated in an enforcement event to kickoff MADD Colorado’s 2021 Tie One On For Safety campaign. This coordinated effort sought to raise awareness ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday—one of the deadliest times on our roads. Heightened DUI enforcement will continue through at least the end of the year.

During the November 19-21 enforcement effort, 88 drunk and drugged drivers were arrested by participating agencies. The Colorado Springs Police Department made the most arrests of any agency or troop office during this time, arresting 11 impaired drivers. The full list of participating agencies and troop offices is below.

According to CDOT, our state is on pace for the highest number of fatal traffic crashes in over 15 years. With five weeks left in the year, suspected drunk and drugged driving fatalities have already exceeded the 2020 total. So far in 2021, 214 people have been killed in suspected drunk and drugged driving crashes on Colorado roads.

Since the pandemic started, suspected impairment fatalities are up 19% over last year through October (1/1-10/31) and up 39% over the same time period in 2019 (CDOT Fatal Crash Data).

“With so many deaths and injuries on our roads, we’re grateful for the increased efforts by our law enforcement partners to ensure our roads are safe from drunk and drugged drivers,” said Fran Lanzer, MADD Colorado Executive Director. “We’re asking all Colorado drivers to be a part of the solution too. Everyone can help keep our holiday season happy and safe by planning ahead when celebrations include alcohol or cannabis.”

As part of its efforts to make our roads safer, MADD Colorado also worked with legislators to secure $2 million in the Colorado state budget for DUI enforcement efforts to save lives, prevent injuries, and take impaired drivers off our roads. These funds are used by CDOT’s Highway Safety Office and local law enforcement agencies for 12 high-visibility impaired driving enforcement campaigns throughout the year— including Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. Even before this year’s tragic surge in deaths on our Colorado roads, the holidays are among the most dangerous times on our nation’s roadways, with more people traveling, an increased number of events where alcohol is served, and an increase in impaired driving. Between 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Eve through New Year’s Eve in 2019, there were 926 lives lost to drunk driving across the country, accounting for 29 percent of all traffic deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In 1986, MADD began promoting the designated driver and its longest-running annual public awareness red ribbon campaign, Tie One On for Safety. With so many options today such as Uber, taxis, public transportation and alcohol-free friends or family members, there is no excuse to drink and drive. The annual campaign runs from mid-November to New Year’s Day to remind the public to plan ahead for a safe ride home before celebrations that involve alcohol.

To launch the 2021 campaign, MADD Colorado invited law enforcement agencies across the state to designate one car to patrol for impaired drivers in honor of victims and survivors of drunk and drugged driving. These designated patrol cars displayed a MADD red ribbon magnet to show support for victims and survivors while doing their patrolling activities from 12pm on Friday, November 19 and to 12pm on Sunday, November 21.

The 2021 Tie One On For Safety Campaign is presented locally by the law firm of Bachus & Schanker, MADD Colorado’s Statewide Sponsor.

“As a personal injury law firm, we work every day with victims and families that have experienced tragedy because someone else made the selfish choice to drive impaired,” said Darin Schanker, founding partner of Bachus & Schanker. “Our firm is grateful for our Colorado law enforcement heroes who are saving lives by preventing these 100% preventable tragedies from happening.”

Colorado sponsors also include the Colorado State Patrol Association and Walmart.

MADD is also grateful for the partnership of its National Tie One On for Safety presenting sponsor, Waymo.

Colorado Drivers can show their commitment to designating a non-drinking driver and support of law enforcement’s efforts to protect the roads by displaying a MADD Tie One On for Safety red ribbon or decal on their vehicles. Please contact the MADD Colorado State Office at co.state@madd.org to get your red ribbon. For digital red ribbon icons to share on social media, visit madd.org/toofs.

Animal Complaints

2

Protection Order Violation

3

Assault

2

Sex Crimes

2

Assist Other Agency

9

Sex Offender Registrations

5

Burglary

1

Theft

9

Criminal Mischief

3

Traffic Accidents

20

Child/Elder Abuse

2

Traffic Offenses

1

Domestic Violence

9

Trespass

2

Drug Cases

1

Warrant Arrest

12

DUI & DUI/Drug Cases

14

Weapons Violations

1

False Reporting

0

Found/Lost Property

3

Harassment

5

Person

27 (20.9%)

Identity Theft

3

Property

18 (14%)

Information

14

Society

16 (12.4%)

Kidnapping

0

Traffic

35 (27.1%)

Marijuana Possession/Minor

3

N/C

33 (25.6%)

Mental Health/Detox

0

Motor Vehicle Theft

3 E-Citations

158

Total Calls For Service

1,151

Total Reports

129

Cases Closed By Arrest

35 Cases Closed By Summons Calls by Sector

27

Northeast - 37

Southeast - 13

OOT - 3

Northwest - 18

Southwest - 31

Hwy 85 & 52 - 27

** This does not reflect all the charges that may occur/charged during an incident, just the primary offense noted.

MONTHLY SNAPSHOT OCTOBER EVENTS AND TRAINING 1. October’s Monthly Training was Less Lethal Training.

2. Office Buttry has been deployed and will not return until August 2022.

Monthly Training Statistics Training Topic

Officers/Staff Attending

Less Lethal

Session Hours

19/1

Total Hours

10

200

3. How is the Police Fleet used? UPDATED 1001- Chev Pick Up

Gamez

2001 - Ford Explorer

Turney

1201 - Chev Yukon

Investigation Palissa

2002 - Ford Explorer

English/Vacancy

1303 - Chev Yukon/ SRO- Miraglia Silver

2003 - Ford Explorer

Gallegos

1304- Chev Yukon

2004 - Ford Explorer 2005 - Chev Yukon

Walker Whyard, Toves

1501 - Ford Explorer Vandeberg

2006 - Chev Yukon

Carnes, Sagner

1601 - Chev Yukon

Chief Fryar

2007 - Chev Yukon

Geerdes, Hackett

1701 - Chev Yukon

SRO Grossman

2008 - Chev Yukon

Hart, Goddard

2009 - Chev Yukon

Vacancy

2010 - Chev Yukon

Buttry/Vacancy

1305 - Chev Yukon

Investigation Palissa Lt. Hempel

Staffing (Vacancies) Police Officer

2

Thomas Nouragas, Anthony Smith

Code Enforcement

0

Lisa Vandeberg

Records Technician

0

N/A

December 1, 2021

Lost Creek Guide

Buckle Up The Little Ones

By Master Trooper Gary Cutler I talk a lot about seat belts and how they save lives, and that is true. Using your seat belt is quite simple, you grab the strap, pull it over you and click the buckle. It makes sure you survive in a crash. But when it comes to securing your little ones in car seats, they are often installed improperly.

It’s really no fault of parents that child safety seats are not as secure as they should be. Today’s car seats are complicated. That is why there is help out there for any parents, grandparents, or guardians that have young ones that need car seats or booster installation assistance. If you are unsure that the car seat is secured properly you can call any of our State Patrol offices located throughout the state. We have trained Troopers available to assist you. There are also firemen that are trained in instillation as well.

There are several ways the seats may be secured in your car. To secure the base of the car seat you may use the seat belt to secure it to the vehicle or there are metal hooks that work the same way. There are also top tethers to help the stability of the seat from being moved forward during a crash. You want the seat so it doesn’t move around during a crash or hard braking. If any part of the installation confuses you, don’t hesitate to call one of the experts to help.

Now that you have it installed here are the requirements for your children as to which seat will be best for them. Which car seat you use and how to use it depends on 2 primary factors: how old the child is and how much the child weighs.

When your child is less than 1 years old and less than 20 lbs., they should be in a rear-facing seat in the back seat only.

Ages 1-3 and less than 20 lbs. they should be in a rear facing seat. 20-40 lbs. can be in a rear or forward-facing seat. Experts now want the child to be in a rear facing seat as long as possible.

Ages 4-7 and 20-40 lbs. the child can be in a forward-facing seat or booster.

Forty lbs. or more is the same rule.

Once your children are ages 8-15 and 40 lbs. or more they can move to a booster seat.

When looking at booster seats, make sure the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder and chest, not the neck. The lap belt must lie flat across the upper thighs, not the stomach.

As always, safe travels!

Colorado Will Begin Requiring that People Get Vaccinated to Attend Large Indoor Events in Denver Area

A large, indoor event is defined as one attended by 500 or more people. The order applies to concerts, bars, receptions, auctions and dance halls.

By Jesse Paul

The Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche take the ice for the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Monday, April 16, 2018, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

People will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend large, indoor events in the Denver area starting Friday.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced a new public health order Sunday night putting the mandate in place. The order applies to Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver and Jefferson counties.

A large, indoor event is defined as one attended by 500 or more people. The order applies to concerts, bars, receptions, auctions and dance halls where people are unseated. People 12 and older are subject to the mandate.

The requirement doesn’t apply to houses of worship.

The order is Colorado’s latest response to a surge of COVID cases that’s threatening to overwhelm the state’s hospitals. About 1,500 people were hospitalized with coronavirus heading into the weekend. A limited number of hospital beds were open across the state.

Gov. Jared Polis said last week that he is preparing to expand the state’s hospital bed capacity and speed up the distribution of coronavirus vaccine boosters to combat the disease’s spike.

Polis has, so far, resisted the idea of implementing a mask mandate or shutting

11

down indoor dining at restaurants, two measures he used to battle the state’s last coronavirus spike, which happened in November and December 2020.

“Large venues and local governments are part of the solution to ending the pandemic,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of CDPHE, said in a written statement Sunday. “We also need all Coloradans to do their part by getting vaccinated if they haven’t already.”

Some venues in Denver — including Ball Arena — have already enacted a vaccine requirement, though they allow people to attend if they have proof of a recent, negative COVID test.

Under the order issued Sunday, indoor event venues may continue to allow unvaccinated people who have a verified negative COVID-19 test to attend their large events, but only until Dec. 1.

“Indoor event venues may submit a variance request to CDPHE if they have disease mitigation measures that will similarly protect individuals from further disease spread,” the state’s order says.

CDPHE is encouraging all counties and municipalities in the state to adopt a similar mandate.

“All county and municipal governments and venues are strongly encouraged to implement a vaccine requirement for indoor public events,” the order says.

The order will be in effect until at least Dec. 31.

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Lost Creek Guide

USDA Begins Accepting Applications for $1.15 Billion in Loans and Grants to Help People Living in Rural Communities Get Access to High-Speed Internet Includes up to $350 Million for Grants in Tribal and Socially Vulnerable Communities WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2021 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Department has begun accepting applications for up to $1.15 billion in loans and grants to help people in rural areas get access to high-speed internet. This announcement comes on the heels of the recently enacted Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides another nearly $2 billion in additional funding for the ReConnect program. USDA anticipates issuing a new Notice of Funding Opportunity to make the additional funds in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law available in 2022.

“High-speed internet is the new electricity,” Vilsack said. “It must be reliable, affordable and available to everyone. The funding USDA is making available – through the current application process and through the nearly $2 billion in additional funding that will be provided for this program by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – will go a long way toward reaching this goal in rural America. These are just two of the latest of many historic infrastructure investments the Biden-Harris Administration is making.

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Expanding broadband availability in rural areas will help create jobs, help farmers use precision agriculture technologies, expand access to health care and educational services, and create economic opportunities for millions of rural Americans across the country.”

Background: ReConnect Program USDA is making $1.15 billion in funding available through the ReConnect Program starting today. Eligible applicants are state, local or territory governments; corporations; Native American Tribes; limited liability companies and cooperative organizations.

This funding, which does not include the nearly $2 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is available for projects that serve rural areas where at least 90 percent of the households lack broadband service at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) (download) and 20 Mbps (upload). USDA will give funding priority to projects that will serve people in low-density rural areas and areas lacking internet access services at speeds of at least 25 Mbps (download) and 3 Mbps (upload).

Applicants must commit to building facilities capable of providing broadband service at speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in a proposed service area at the same time. In making funding decisions, USDA will also consider the economic needs of the community to be served; the extent to which a provider will offer affordable service options; a project’s commitment to strong labor standards; and whether a project is serving Tribal lands or is submitted by a local government, Tribal government, non-profit or cooperative.

Applications for funding must be submitted through USDA Rural Development’s online application system on the ReConnect webpage: https://www.usda.gov/ reconnect. For additional information, see the Oct. 25, 2021: https://www.govinfo. gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-10-25/pdf/2021-23128.pdf Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and highpoverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climatesmart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

USDA Announces $90.2 Million in Grants Awarded to Strengthen Local and Regional Markets for U.S. Agricultural Products WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a $90.2 million investment in 203 projects to strengthen and explore new market opportunities for local and regional food businesses. The funding is made possible through grant programs administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) as part of the Local Agriculture Marketing Program (LAMP): the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs (FMLFPP) and the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP).

• FMLFPP awarded a total of $75.4 million to 172 projects across 41 states to support the development, coordination, and expansion of direct producer to consumer markets and local and regional food business enterprises. FMLFPP is implemented through two components, the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP). FMPP awarded $37.5 million to 84 projects to support direct producer-to-consumer marketing projects such as farmers markets, community-supported agriculture programs, roadside stands, and agritourism.

LFPP awarded $37.7 million to 85 projects to develop, improve, and expand local and regional food business intermediary supply chain activities, including processing, distribution, aggregation, and storage of locally or regionally produced food products.

• RFSP awarded $14.8 million to 30 projects across 24 states to support partnerships that connect public and private resources to plan and develop local or regional food systems. The projects focus on strengthening the viability and resilience of regional food economies through collaboration and coordination.

“These grants will help maximize opportunities for economic growth and ingenuity in local and regional food systems to kickstart this transformation. The Local Agriculture Marketing Program grants have a history of generating new income sources for small, beginning, veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers and creating new market opportunities for value-added and niche products,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack “The new Regional Food System Partnerships grants will help build a fairer, more transparent food system rooted in local and regional production where businesses can compete fairly, because a greater share of the profit will go to those growing, harvesting, and preparing our food.”

“The strength of America’s agricultural economy is our creativity and resilience.

Whether it’s a farmers market in Lansing or a food business in Kalamazoo, local and regional food systems expand economic opportunities for farmers and secure healthy food supply chains for families,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

LAMP recipients include: • A Kentucky-based project that will help strengthen and stabilize participating farmers markets by creating marketing space, adapting a training program, and developing a peer-to-peer learning network. The project will strengthen Kentucky’s local and regional food system infrastructure and increased vendor sales and on-farm revenue.

• The Western Treasure Valley Food Systems Partnership project, focusing on the Western Treasure Valley region that spans southeastern Oregon and western Idaho, will develop a food hub and shared use kitchen feasibility study and business plan USDA Announces $90.2 Million in Grants Awarded to Strengthen Local and Regional Markets for U.S. Agricultural Products Continued on page 13...

December 1, 2021

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USDA Announces $90.2 Million in Grants Awarded to Strengthen Local and Regional Markets for U.S. Agricultural Products Continued from Page 12 to increase regional capacity for processing, food distribution and storage, small to mid-scale value chain market development, coordination and delivery of nutrition education, and food access solutions.

AMS supports U.S. food and agricultural products market opportunities, while increasing consumer access to fresh, healthy foods through applied research, technical services, and Congressionally funded grants. These projects will support the development, coordination and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets and enterprises and value-added agricultural products.

“Small and medium size farmers, ranchers and processors have an important role in strengthening our food supply chain. These USDA local and regional food grants will help these agricultural businesses build, expand and sustain the processing, distribution and storage systems that will help move food from the farm to the table,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt.

LAMP was established in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) (Pub. L. No. 115—334) and received a supplemental appropriation through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 116—260).

For a list of grant recipients and to learn more about AMS’ investments in enhancing and strengthening agricultural systems, visit www.ams.usda.gov/grants.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

United Power Energy Efficiency Rebates Changing in 2022

2021 Rebate Applications Must Be Received by December 15 Brighton, CO - United Power offers its members exclusive rebate opportunities on home efficiency installations and energy efficient appliances. Rebate availability and product eligibility may change slightly each year depending on a variety of factors, such as whether the rebate is renewed by Tri-State, the cooperative’s wholesale power provider. Changes to United Power’s rebates are coming at the beginning of next year, and to ensure your recent purchase qualifies for current rebate amounts, the cooperative must receive applications no later than December 15.

Applications that are received after the December deadline may be honored at the new 2022 rates, but some rebates have been discontinued for the upcoming year.

Beginning in January, United Power will no longer offer rebates for EnergyStar dishwashers, electric thermal storage or new air conditioning installations. If you have purchased or plan to purchase one of these products within 120 days of the deadline, you are encouraged to submit the application as soon as possible.

The timeframe to submit applications for rebates will also be changing in 2022.

Currently, members may submit a rebate application within 120 days of purchasing any qualifying item. That window will be changing to 90 days beginning in January.

Over the next few weeks, United Power will be finalizing its 2022 rebate catalog, including the potential addition of new rebate opportunities and changes to existing rebates. Members are advised to check the website frequently to ensure they have the most current and up-to-date rebate information. For more information, go to www.unitedpower.com/rebates.

If you have questions about application deadlines, extensions or rebate expirations, call the cooperative’s energy management specialists at 303-637-1311.

Governor Polis Takes Action in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

DENVER - Governor Polis took action today in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Governor signed an Executive Order pertaining to hospital transfers.

This authorizes the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to order hospitals and freestanding emergency departments to transfer or cease the admission of (and redirect) patients to respond to the current COVID-19 Disaster Emergency in Colorado Governor Polis also amended and extended the Executive Order pertaining to Disaster Recovery. The order removes CDLE Jumpstart program provisions, which are no longer necessary; clarifies that Crisis Standards of Care can be activated; and directs DOI to do emergency rulemaking for prior authorization, which will help address the staffing shortages in hospitals.

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Can You Find the Elf on the Store Shelf?

City of Fort Morgan launches annual holiday promotion Spot the elf on the store shelf while doing your shopping this holiday season for your chance to win a prize valued at $150.

The City of Fort Morgan is hosting its annual shop local tradition and has collaborated with 16 Fort Morgan small businesses to get into the Christmas spirit. Beginning Monday, November 29, four Fort Morgan elves will frequent a participating store each week. Shoppers are encouraged to visit stores; find the elf; take a photo of the elf in the store; and submit the photo along with his or her name, phone number, and email address to elf.shelf@cityoffortmorgan.com for a chance to be entered into a weekly drawing.

There is no purchase required to participate. An individual has up to four chances to enter each week – one entry per found elf. Each week, City staff will also publish a “clue” as to the possible whereabouts the elves are located on the City of Fort Morgan’s Facebook page. Clues will also be mentioned on B106 and KFTM radio stations and published once a week in the Fort Morgan Times.

The elves will stay in the participating business for one week before finding a new store shelf to sit on. A wide variety of businesses both in the downtown area as well as on other popular commercial areas in the city are part of the holiday promotion.

This is something the whole family can enjoy as they do their Christmas shopping,” notes Fort Morgan City Manager, Steve Glammeyer. “By spending your money in Fort Morgan, you’re supporting local people as well as our entire community, and you have the chance to win a prize, too.”

The final day of the promotion is December 24 at midnight.

“We hope this season will be one in which priceless memories are created. In addition to having fun trying to locate the elves, we encourage our residents and visitors to discover the wide array of merchandise available in the various stores.

They can also catch a free Christmas movie, participate in the chili cook-off, ride our holiday train at City Park, or enjoy a number of different activities our city has planned for Christmas Capital on the Plains” adds Sandy Schneider-Engle, Economic Development Specialist at the City of Fort Morgan.

For more information about the elf on a store shelf promotion, contact Engle at 970-542-3924 or visit the city’s website at www.cityoffortmorgan.com.

December 1, 2021

In Colorado, One of the Fastest Aging States, One County had No Home Health or Hospice Provider for Eight Months Surveys show most Americans would prefer to age and die at home, but home-based care can be hard to find in some remote regions.

By Shannon Najmabadi, Colorado Sun

Alta Sue, 85, takes a moment to rest her eyes at Cliffview Assisted Living on Oct. 27 in Kremmling. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun)

KREMMLING — Alta Sue Hawkins’ room is filled with what she calls her most important things. The sewing machine she likes to make aprons on. Dozens of books.

A wall of family photos.

It’s been her home for the last three years, tucked inside Grand County’s only assisted living facility. And it’s the place where she wants to die.

With her cancer metastasizing, Hawkins, 85, decided last summer she didn’t want to go back to the hospital. She entered hospice, where just palliative care is delivered to those with six months or less to live.

She is among just a few dozen residents in this 15,700-person county that receive home health or hospice care, making her a bright spot in an often bleak health care landscape in rural Colorado.

As recently as June, Grand County had no home health or hospice provider.

Surveys show most Americans would prefer to age and die at home, but homebased care can be vanishingly hard to find in remote regions. A majority of Colorado’s 800 home care and hospice agencies are concentrated along the urban Front Range, a state association said, and demand for the services is only expected to increase as the baby boomer generation ages.

Colorado is projected to have 1.2 million residents aged 65 and over by 2030, up 50% from 2018. It’s one of the fastest aging states in the nation.

“Our long-term care support system in Colorado is not where it needs to be to meet this really fast growing population,” said Chrissy Esposito, policy analyst at the Colorado Health Institute.

Home health is often substantially cheaper than staying in a long-term care facility, and lets patients remain close to loved ones and live more independently. Thanks to disability rights activists and a series of pilot and waiver programs, Colorado has been a leader in helping people stay in a more comfortable home setting whenever possible.

But advocates for the industry say home-based services are difficult to sustain in rural areas due in part to the low number of patients, the long distances between their homes and a chronic shortage of workers, who often receive low pay for intimate, hands-on care.

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Alta Sue Hawkins’ room is seen on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, at Cliffview Assisted Living Center in Kremmling. Hawkins has spent three years at the facility. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun) Alta Sue Hawkins’ room is seen on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, at Cliffview Assisted Living Center in Kremmling. Hawkins has spent three years at the facility. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun)

The difficulty is already evident in communities like Grand County, which for eight months had no hospice or home health provider. A nonprofit that had been providing those services, Northwest Colorado Health, left last November due to a shortage of workers.

Community members tried to fill in gaps. Primary care physicians made home visits to change dressings and manage medications. Sheriff’s deputies were sent out for wellness checks.

In Colorado, One of the Fastest Aging States, One County had no Home Health or Hospice Provider for Eight Months continued on page 15...

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In Colorado, One of the Fastest Aging States, One County had No Home Health or Hospice Provider for Eight Months Continued from Page 14 “It’s hard to recruit people into a field where you’re like, ‘I can go work at Amazon and make $20 an hour,’ versus this backbreaking work where you probably don’t have a lot of benefits,” said Esposito, with the Colorado Health Institute.

She described a “push and pull” between the need to raise worker wages and the cost of home health care for older adults. It can cost an annual $50,000 to $60,000 to hire a home health aide, compared to about $100,000 for a nursing home, she said.

Patients needing home health or hospice stayed in hospitals or moved to nearby counties. Some traveled to clinics, requiring help with transportation. Many went without care.

“It was really, really hard to watch,” said Jennifer Fanning, executive director of the Grand County Rural Health Network.

Lingering in hospitals can be costly and keep patients away from their families, as advanced care is often available only at larger urban hospitals, she said. The county also has no nursing homes, so residents must move out of the county to stay in one.

(The assisted living facility Hawkins lives in, which has a waiting list, provides only nonmedical care, along with help managing medications.)

Fanning spent months scrambling to get another home health or hospice provider to come to Grand County. She called agencies in Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Boulder, Colorado Springs and around Denver. She was turned down again and again.

“Pretty much the answer was ‘No, we can’t afford to come there,’” she said.

Alta Sue Hawkins with four year old corgi Henry Butters on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, at Cliffview Assisted Living Center in Kremmling. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun)

In Colorado, One of the Fastest Aging States, One County had no Home Health or Hospice Provider for Eight Months continued on page 16...

RE[ EVENT FOR T NTIRE FA IL

Alta Sue Hawkins, 85, in her room on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, at Cliffview Assisted Living Center in Kremmling. Hawkins has spent three years at the facility. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun)

After several months, a for-profit provider working in the Denver-area, Namaste Home Health + Hospice, agreed to expand into Grand County starting last summer. It currently has 40 home health and hospice patients in the county, including Hawkins. The agency is expected to be operating at full capacity by 2022, Fanning said.

Without Namaste, “we didn’t have a solution, because there was none,” she said.

It’s unclear how many older adults want home-based care but are unable to get it.

Fanning said around 80 to 90 people in her region received home health care each year between 2017 and 2019. Twenty received hospice, suggesting about 70 residents may currently be unserved.

Namaste is part of a network of health care agencies across the country, and is associated with a nonprofit that pays for services not covered by public or private insurance, said Katie Sue Van Valkenburg, a medical social worker who works with Hawkins. It also funds perks meant to increase comfort, like air conditioning units, massage therapy and celebratory events, she said.

Hospice isn’t meant to hasten or prolong death but to provide “comfort and love,” she said.

Local health care officials believe Namaste’s scale will help it overcome challenges that plague many providers of home-based care in rural areas.

Among those is the heavily regulated home health industry generates a large amount of billing, certification and payment processing work that can be a “huge lift for rural communities,” Fanning said.

Rural providers must also traverse long distances between patients’ homes but are not reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid for the time they spend traveling. A provider in metropolitan Denver could visit several patients in quick succession. In Grand County, they may drive 100 miles round trip to get from a home in Winter Park to Gore Range, Fanning said.

“What (Medicaid and Medicare) pay for the visit is barely enough to cover the costs of the professional, let alone the cost of the travel and the admin,” she said. “For rural communities, it’s not a profitable business.”

Finding staff is among the steepest barriers.

Often women of color, home health workers take on physically and emotionally taxing work that requires specific credentials but sometimes pays little more than minimum wage. Even those who work multiple jobs might struggle to make rent in Colorado’s pricey mountain communities, some experts said.

Employee shortages have grown more dire during the pandemic, as some home health workers faced increased exposure to the virus, burnout and vaccine mandates, or could receive unemployment pay.

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December 1, 2021

In Colorado, One of the Fastest Aging States, One County had No Home Health or Hospice Provider for Eight Months Continued from Page 15

“If you just don’t have that money put away… it just drains your retirement funds,” Esposito said.

Stephanie Einfeld, chief executive officer of Northwest Colorado Health — the home health and hospice provider that left Grand County last fall — said the organization departed due to a shortage of workers. For a time, the nonprofit relied on employees driving over from nearby counties but decided to pull the plug before winter 2020.

They were concerned poor weather could make commuting more dangerous and timeconsuming for staff, and put patients too far away from their health care providers.

Grand County faces unique difficulties in recruiting health care workers because prospective employees often commute to the Front Range, where they can earn higher wages, Einfeld said.

State and federal payment programs also don’t compensate staffing agencies for the full cost of providing care, forcing them to rely on foundations, grants or other benefactors, Einfeld said.

She thinks “drastic changes to the payment model” are needed.

A five-county survey sponsored by Northwest Colorado Health found about 28% of Grand County’s residents were age 60 and older as of 2019, and 57% of older adults in Grand, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt counties were living alone. Fifteen percent of Colorado residents are age 65 and over.

Erin Fisher, director of Vintage, a northwest Colorado aging agency, said homebased care has long been undervalued because there’s an “antiquated idea” that family members will provide it.

But family members often live scattered in different towns or states. Parents have fewer children than in past decades. People live longer.

Family members that do provide that care may struggle financially, especially if their employers have inflexible caregiving policies.

Residents have called Fisher’s organization in “crisis mode” because they or a loved one were recently discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facility and still need help caring for a wound or other malady. Sometimes, they require nonmedical care, like help bathing, dressing or doing laundry.

There’s a shortage of providers in the five counties Fisher serves, including Grand County, she said.

Just under half the state’s counties don’t have a home health or hospice provider based there, according to the database. Residents in some counties receive care from hospice or home health agencies in neighboring counties.

Namaste, the new home health and hospice provider in Grand County, is still looking for staff.

Workers from Namaste’s other locations in Colorado have been driving over to help. The chaplain comes from Aurora. The lead social worker comes from the Front Range.

For a time, Namaste had one nurse serving the 1,870 square mile county. They now have five nurses working there.

One Wednesday in October, medical social worker Van Valkenburg came from Arvada to visit Hawkins’ assisted living facility, accompanied by a service dog named Henry Butters.

“How are you feeling physically today?” Van Valkenburg asked, after the 4-year-old corgi rushed over to lick Hawkins.

“I’m feeling pretty good except I’ve got some pain in my leg,” she responded.

A few weeks earlier, she had felt despondent, like she was “gone, going.”

But her sister had come to visit her and she now felt like she still had “lots of kick.”

“We love that,” Van Valkenburg said. A crocheted blanket from Van Valkenburg’s mom laid across Hawkins’ bed.

Alta Sue Hawkins and her sister, Carol, are pictured in a recent photo. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun)

Medical social worker Katie Sue Van Valkenburg and Alta Sue Hawkins, 85, on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, at Cliffview Assisted Living Center in Kremmling. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun)

Elizabeth Kosar, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jared Polis’ office, said in an email that there are a few licensed agencies that provide out-of-hospital services in residents’ homes to “fill gaps” in some counties “due to barriers to access (rural, resources, etc.).” She also provided a link to a database of health care facilities in Colorado.

Hawkins, who spent 23 years working for the postal service before retiring, sees several benefits to home hospice. She receives companionship, visits from a chaplain, nurse, certified nursing assistant and social worker, and she can stay in the room where she’s lived for years.

She’s close with the residents of the assisted living facility and its staff, one of whom helped her apply makeup and recently painted her nails a vivid shade of pink. (The staff member, a certified nursing assistant, also works for Namaste.)

Her adult children visit her on the weekends. She’s grateful to know Namaste will provide 13-months of bereavement support to her three adult children after she passes away.

“We’re so lucky,” she said.

Namaste also brought medical equipment, including a hospital bed, bedside table and oxygen.

In the months before Namaste arrived, residents of the assisted living facility were transferred to a hospital or skilled nursing facility in Denver — some 100 miles away — if they needed hospice services.

Don Knox, a Grand County resident and executive director of the Home Care and Hospice Association of Colorado, said he didn’t know of another county that had lost all of its providers. He cited other issues that bar access to home-based care, like prospective patients being placed on waiting lists or only being able to receive services on certain days.

Officials in the industry and in government need to help find people who see the value in pursuing a healthcare career, provide more training, and increase funding so that “agencies can pay a livable wage,” he said. Colorado’s Joint Budget Committee recently approved a $15-an-hour minimum wage for direct care workers funded with state dollars.

“I often think that if I’m ever homebound, how would I care for myself in Grand County?” he said.

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December 1, 2021

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See How Colorado’s Population is Getting Older – Forecast for 2050 Colorado was for years one of the youngest states in the U.S. Now it’s among the fastest aging. As birthrates slow, there may not be enough people growing up to replace retiring workers.

The state demography office shared its forecast of how the population will change by 2050 and related data. Sorted by the largest number of people, the bars are split by age groups with colors indicating:

Children (yellow) Working-age Adults (blue) Retiring Age (red)

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Jefferson, Arapahoe and other Front Range Counties are Bringing Back Indoor Mask Mandates as the COVID Surge Continues

By John Daley, Colorado Sun

Hart Van Denburg/CPR News Masks may soon be required in public indoor spaces in Denver.

Adams, Arapahoe and Jefferson County plan to reinstate a mask mandate and a Denver official hinted that the city would do the same.

With the holidays ahead and the super-infectious delta variant looming, Denverarea public health officials looked at the crisis-level numbers of hospitalizations and decided to do what the governor has not: reinstate a public indoor mask mandate, despite residents’ outcries against it.

Within a few minutes of each other, first Jefferson County’s board of health, then Tri-County’s, voted Monday evening to require masks indoors starting Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Denver announced it would also reinstitute a mask mandate requiring all residents to wear a face covering indoors starting Wednesday and lasting until at least Jan. 3, 2022.

Boulder and Larimer counties enacted mask requirements in response to high levels of transmission and endangered hospital capacity earlier this fall.

The local mandates come after Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, has refused to implement a statewide mask order, despite growing calls for weeks to do so. Hospitals, frontline providers and local public health officials, including from Jeffco just last week, have urged him to act. It also comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations hit their highest levels in nearly a year and are on pace to eclipse the pandemic peak soon.

Research has shown masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and are a key element of an effective multi-layered strategy.

The Jeffco vote was 4-1; the tally in Tri-County, which includes Arapahoe and Adams counties, was 5-1. Douglas County pulled out of the agency earlier this year,

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and the coming public health order won’t include it.

Nearly two-thirds of the state’s population are fully vaccinated with two doses, and many getting booster shots. But the pandemic is still raging among the unvaccinated: 83 percent of those currently hospitalized with the virus are unvaccinated.

No signs of surge slowing Updated numbers from the state health department on Monday gave no signs of any break from the latest surge.

COVID-19 hospitalizations hit 1,565, up 46 from the day before and the most since hitting that same number Dec. 9. The total figure is now less than 300 hospitalizations away from the pandemic peak of 1,847 last Dec. 1. Colorado gained roughly that number of coronavirus hospitalizations in the last two and a half weeks.

Why is COVID so bad right now in Colorado? There are plenty of guesses.

Mask orders have proven valuable in working to turn the corner of the emergency, a couple of public health officials told the Jeffco board. But they’ve been controversial with a vocal part of the community. Jeffco’s vote was preceded by a protest in front of the county’s offices.

Larimer County adopted a mask order when its hospitals got overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases along with a surge on other medical needs. It’s had an impact, Jefferson County public health director Dawn Comstock told Jeffco’s board.

“Hospital admissions are now down approximately 33 percent since the beginning of the mask mandate in Larimer County,” she said.

“Public health orders in Boulder and Larimer counties have led to increased maskwearing and kept hospitalizations lower,” said Lexi Nolen, Boulder County Public Health’s deputy director. “We see that our towns on county borders are experiencing higher case rates.”

The head of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment spoke to Jeffco’s board about steps to fight the virus Denver has taken in recent weeks and hinted, without saying directly, that the city was preparing its own order.

“I will say that when we did have a face-covering mandate in place in Denver, we had a high level of compliance,” said Bob McDonald. “I’m hoping, if we move in that direction, to help our hospital partners out, that we’ll still have a high level of compliance. I believe people are going to do the right thing.”

Often heated, emotional debate about masks Before the votes came, many residents spoke out against them, citing a number of worries, from the impact on businesses to the difficulty of enforcement to concerns about government overreach. The discussion mirrored the often heated and emotional civic debate that’s swirled for nearly two years of the pandemic.

How can businesses expect young employees to enforce a mask mandate, Jefferson County business owner Parker Brown asked, worried about turning customers away.

“It’s gonna kill business.”

Fitness club owners and employees pushed for some flexibility, citing a drop in customers because of earlier mask measures and questioning the rationale for the decision.

“To be lumped in with bars and restaurants is incredibly disappointing,” said Jason Jost of Littleton.

“What happens when a customer snaps,” if they don’t want to comply, asked Hilary Taylor, a mom from Evergreen with a daughter who works in a public-facing service job.

Others expressed doubts about the science behind masks, accusing local public health officials of cherry picking data. A few decried what they see as heavy-handed government interference in business and individual lives. Several speakers heralded approaches that haven’t been endorsed by federal health agencies: hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, vitamin D. In Mesa County, COVID surge is met with conservative distrust Josh Schlossberg, with the group Colorado COVID Watch, spoke in favor, saying hospitals are filling up, in part because public health authorities hadn’t done enough to stem the tide.

“Jeffco has not done what’s right. It’s barely done anything at all,” he said, urging the board to approve the proposal before the numbers get worse. “Otherwise why do we have a board of health,” he said.

‘Our health care system is in crisis’ Ultimately, the dire shape of the state’s hospitals proved convincing.

“Our health care system is in crisis,’’ said Jeffco board member Lane Drager. “We have to look at preventing the spread.”

Officials on Tri-County’s echoed the concern.

“We’re all eager for the COVID pandemic to be over. Unfortunately, the COVID virus is still an enemy that we need to defeat and I’ve been concerned that our hospitals are overflowing,” said Kaia Gallagher, a Tri-County health board member representing Arapahoe County, after the board voted on the mask requirement.

She said a rationing of care is already happening, noting that she has a terminally ill Jefferson, Arapahoe and other Front Range Counties are Bringing Back Indoor Mask Mandates as the COVID Surge Continued on page 19...

Merry Christmas to All!

December 1, 2021

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Jefferson, Arapahoe and Other Front Range Counties are Bringing Back Indoor Mask Mandates as the COVID Surge Continued from Page 18

neighbor who waited five hours for an ambulance that never arrived, only for a friend to drive her to the hospital.

“People are already suffering in terms of being able to get access to the hospital care that they need,” she said.

“We recognize that our tools are not perfect, masks do not provide perfect protection, but from my opinion, we need to use all of the protection tools that we have,” Gallagher said.

She noted the county’s order will have a time limit and allows for some exemptions to businesses.

Jeffco’s order will remain while the county is in substantial or high transmission. TriCounty’s order will stay in effect through Jan. 2 and until staffed ICU bed availability is above 10 percent. Currently, staffed ICU bed availability in the north-central region that covers Adams and Arapahoe counties is 5.8 percent, Tri-County said.

Hospitals feeling the crunch The coronavirus pandemic is roaring on in Colorado, with elevated levels of transmission, cases, hospitalizations and deaths, both in the state and in virtually every county in the state.

The crunch is being most acutely felt in staffing and bed capacity. Forty-six percent of hospitals reported they anticipated a staffing shortage in the next week; 41 percent anticipated ICU bed shortages in the next week, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard. Just 81 of the state’s 1,508 total ICU beds were available on Monday. The 7-day average of ICU beds in use is 94 percent.

“Hospital volumes were very high before this whole delta wave started. And now we’re really arriving at this crisis,” said Dr. Adit Ginde, an emergency doctor at University Hospital on the CU Anschutz campus in Aurora. “The challenge is that we don’t believe that we’re at the peak of this wave of the pandemic.”

In the last week of October and the first week of November, more than 200 people died each week in consecutive weeks for the first time since the end of last year.

Transmission remains high, with the 7-day positivity rate at 9.26 percent, well above the 5 percent rate that signals trouble. Dr. Eric Poeschla worries the numbers will only grow over the holidays.

“Everyone’s not only getting together, but the sort of mixing nationwide and this vast shuffling thing we do every Thanksgiving and Christmas (increases the likelihood of more spread of the virus),” said Poeschla, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, “And so there’s almost certainly going to be a further jump.”

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com

Stagecoach Meat Company Opens New Retail Location in Wiggins

by Geoff Baumgartner It was standing room only on Saturday morning, November 13 for the grand opening of Stagecoach Meat Company’s retail store at 224 Main Street in Wiggins.

Travis and Stacey Cowan, and Kris and Jessica Musgrave are the co-owners of Stagecoach Meat Company. All the owners expressed gratitude with the turnout for the grand opening event. As a matter of fact, Travis, Stacey and Jessica were all too busy at the grand opening to take a moment for an interview.

However, Kris found a few minutes to talk about Stagecoach Meat Company co-owners Stacey Cowan (left) and Jessica Musgrave help a customer at the grand opening of their the business and its retail location in Wiggins on November 13. (Geoff Baumgartner recent expansion.

The Musgrave’s and / The Lost Creek Guide) Cowan’s purchased Stagecoach Meat Company in July 2020. “Our customers are the greatest,” Musgrave said. “Our producers have also been really good with the transition.”

They also retained all employees when they took the reins. “We’ve seen some turnover, but all the key employees are still with us,” Musgrave explained.

Stagecoach Meat Company offers a wide variety of beef and pork products, from brisket to ground beef to pork shoulder and much more. They also feature a large selection of sausage. In addition to the usual German, bratwurst and breakfast sausage, they also offer special varieties like Cajun spiced and Val Loose makes her selection from the wide variety of meats andouille sausage, to available at Stagecoach Meat Company in Wiggins. (Geoff name a few.

Baumgartner / The Lost Creek Guide)

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“We now have over forty different flavors of sausage,” Musgrave explained. “We’ve also expanded some of our pork and beef lines on a regular basis as well.” Their retail meat selection is listed on a large television at their new retail location.

“Our biggest reason for buying Stagecoach is because of the quality products it has always been known for,” Musgrave said. “Our promise to our customers is that the quality of product will not change.”

Musgrave also explained that the reason to open a second location was to expand the retail meat business and to have a more visible presence.

“We saw an opportunity for increased retail production,” Musgrave said. “On the custom processing side, we’re running at capacity pretty much all the time right now.

So really, our only avenue for expansion was the retail side of the business.”

Prior to opening their retail store, Stagecoach offered retail purchases at their processing plant located at 600 West 3rd Avenue in Wiggins.

The decision to open the retail location was also to have a more visible presence in town, according to Musgrave. “We were getting customers into our processing plant on a regular basis telling us they had lived in Wiggins for two years and didn’t know they could buy meat locally. So, it was about getting that exposure locally, to help promote ourselves locally. That was a big driver to open the retail store,” he said.

Stagecoach Meat Company’s retail store at 224 Main Street in Wiggins is open Monday through Friday from 10 am – 5 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 11 am. They can also be reached by calling 970-483-7285.

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A Deep Dive into the Electorate in Colorado’s Super Competitive New 8th Congressional District The race to represent the district will likely draw national attention and millions of dollars as Democrats try to defend their slim majority in the U.S. House and Republicans gear up for a big push to win back the chamber

By Jesse Paul, Colorado Sun Colorado’s new 8th Congressional District, which stretches from the northern Denver suburbs along U.S. 85 into Greeley, could be the most competitive U.S. House district in the nation next year.

The race to represent the 8th will likely draw national attention and millions of dollars

December 1, 2021

as Democrats try to defend their slim majority in Congress and Republicans gear up for a big push to take back power.

J. Miles Coleman, associate editor at Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan election prognosticator at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said the 8th District is the only U.S. House district in Colorado that his organization rates as a toss up.

“If this type of national environment persists (with President Joe Biden’s approval in the low 40s), it could be closer to ‘leans Republican,’” he said.

Given the district’s national importance next year, we decided to take a deeper look at its electorate: Sign up here to get The Unaffiliated, our twice-weekly newsletter on Colorado politics and policy.

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A small share of active, registered voters The 8th District has the smallest share of active registered voters of any of Colorado’s congressional districts, at 428,307.

Districts are drawn based on population, not registered voters, meaning that the 8th District has a large number of children or people not interested in getting involved in the political process. There also may be people in the district who are ineligible to vote, such as those living in the U.S. unlawfully.

By comparison, the Colorado district with the most voters is the 7th District, with 526,424 active registered voters.

The 8th District has the largest percentage of Hispanic people of any of Colorado’s U.S. House districts at 39%.

In terms of voter registration, 44% of the active registered voters in the 8th District are unaffiliated, 28% are Democrats and 25% are Republicans.

“This is a more working-class part of the Denver metro,” Coleman said. “So I don’t think, longer term, it’ll rocket leftward, like (the 6th District) did last decade.”

Alvina Vasquez, a Democratic political consultant, said the district is filled with a lot of families who have been pushed out of Denver as the cost of living in the capital has risen.

Those voters are focused on kitchen-table issues like jobs, the cost of housing and education. The oil and gas industry is a big issue in the district, both in terms of its environmental impacts and the number of people it employs.

Tyler Sandberg, a Republican political strategist who has worked in the district, said the 8th District’s Democrats are different from Democrats in Denver and Boulder. They’re less progressive.

“CD8 is the Dems’ worst nightmare because, yes, it’s a swing district, but it’s blue collar,” he said. “They are not dyed-in-the-wool, limousine liberals.”

Colorado Treasurer Dave Young, a Democrat who used to hold a competitive state House seat in Greeley that’s within the 8th District, said a moderate candidate will fare best in the district. “I don’t think extreme approaches are going to work — on either side of the aisle,” he said.

Young is confident a Democrat can win.

“I do think that is a very winnable race for Democrats,” he said.

A map of Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.

Past election results reveal a mixed bag.

An analysis by nonpartisan redistricting staff of the results of eight statewide races between 2016 and 2020 found that the 8th District leans 1.3 percentage points in Democrats’ favor. But a closer look at the results from those three election cycles reveals some interesting numbers.

A Deep Dive into the Electorate in Colorado’s Super Competitive New 8th Congressional District Continued on page 21

December 1, 2021

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A Deep Dive into the Electorate in Colorado’s Super Competitive New 8th Congressional District Continued from Page 20 In 2016, voters in the district backed the reelection of U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, by a margin of 2.3 percentage points, but they also voted for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by a margin of 1.7 percentage points.

In 2018, voters in the 8th District backed Republican attorney general candidate George Brauchler by a margin of 1.7 percentage points, but voted in favor of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis by 1.9 percentage points and backed the Democrats running for treasurer and secretary of state by slightly wider margins.

In 2020, the district backed Democrat John Hickenlooper in the U.S. Senate race by a margin of 1.7 percentage points. Hickenlooper beat incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner by 10 percentage points statewide.

The bottom line is that 8th District voters appear to be fickle.

how that vote breaks down next year. Probably more importantly, it could be a test ground for both parties’ outreach to minorities.”

He thinks state Sen. Kevin Priola, a Henderson Republican, would give the GOP the best chance of winning the seat. Priola hasn’t announced a bid for the seat but is rumored to be considering one.

“But even if he doesn’t run, with the area’s blue-collar demographics, I wouldn’t rule out a strident conservative — like Lori Saine — getting elected in a favorable national climate,” Coleman said, referencing a Republican former state representative who recently announced a bid in the district.

Young, the state treasurer, thinks unaffiliated voters in the district won’t vote the same way ones in Denver and Boulder do, which is to say they often vote for Democrats.

“My guess is they are truly up for grabs,” he said.

Who are the candidates so far?

On the Democratic side, running are: • State Rep. Yadira Caraveo, who also works as a pediatrician • Adams County Commissioner Chaz Tedesco, a former union organizer The Republican side of the race is getting crowded. Already in the contest are: • Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine, a former state representative • State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a former Weld County commissioner • Giuliana “Jewels” Gray, a wedding photographer • Ryan Gonzalez, whose LinkedIn profile says he is a banker The primary election will be held June 28.

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to a crowd of about 3,000 supporters during a rally in Grand Junction Colo., Tuesday Oct. 18, 2016. Trump was supported by voters in the 8th Congressional District in 2016, who also backed Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet that year. (William Woody, Special to The Colorado Sun)

Sandberg drew parallels between voters in the 8th District and voters in Pueblo, who in 2016 backed Trump but voted for Biden in 2020. “Culturally, it’s a very different battleground than Democrats have been operating in,” he said of the 8th.

Vasquez thinks the Pueblo comparison is a fair one. But the 8th District has a population about seven times greater than Pueblo’s.

“Obviously the population is a lot bigger so it’s going to be a lot more diverse than Pueblo,” she said.

The takeaway for Coleman, who works at Sabato’s Crystal Ball, is that that district will remain competitive well into the future.

“I can see this being a swing seat for several more cycles,” he said.

Where are the district’s population centers?

The district is spread across Adams, Weld and Larimer counties. Adams County has the largest share of the population in the district, at 456,000, followed by Weld at 248,000 and Larimer at 17,000.

Thornton is the city with the largest population in the 8th District, at 141,000, followed

by Greeley at 108,000. Then there’s Westminster, at 71,000, Commerce City, 62,000, Brighton, at 39,000, and Northglenn at 38,000.

What are the pundits saying?

Let’s start with Coleman, the national elections prognosticator.

“The race could end up a tug of war between Democrats in Adams and Republicans in Weld,” Coleman said. “Given the district’s large Hispanic population, I’m interested to see

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Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer Launches Campaign for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District Seat

The former Weld County commissioner and current state senator says she plans to unveil a “renew America” plan in the coming months that will be the cornerstone of her bid

By Jesse Paul

Freshman Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Weld County, works at her desk before a session of the Colorado Senate on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP)

State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Weld County Republican, launched a campaign Monday to represent Colorado’s new, highly competitive 8th Congressional District.

“I believe America is an exceptional country currently plagued by a temporary bout of poor leadership and decision-making,” Kirkmeyer said in a written statement. “With fresh, new leadership and thinking, we can enjoy a new era of peace and prosperity. … My campaign will be about offering common-sense, conservative solutions to the challenges facing America: inflation, deficit spending, open borders, and increasing crime and lawlessness.”

The Republican says she plans to unveil a “renew America” plan in the coming months that will be the cornerstone of her bid.

December 1, 2021

Kirkmeyer is the second Republican with a background in politics to announce a bid in the district, which spans from the northeast Denver suburbs of Thornton, Northglenn and Brighton into Greeley.

Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine jumped into the race earlier this month.

Democrats would have a 1.3 percentage point advantage in the district, based on the results of eight statewide races between 2016 and 2020. The outcome of the race for the district could determine whether Democrats retain control of the U.S. House or if the GOP wins back the majority.

Before being elected to the statehouse in 2020, Kirkmeyer spent two decades as a Weld County commissioner. She is a strong supporter of Colorado’s oil and gas industry and has lived in southern Weld County for more than 35 years.

During her first legislative session, Kirkmeyer was a prime sponsor of several bipartisan bills that became law, including ones reorganizing sales and use tax exemptions for agriculture, livestock and special fuels, and creating a license plate to support foster families.

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Some of her measures, however, didn’t pass and only had GOP support, including a bill that would have required emergency rules issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment follow the State Administrative Procedures act and be subject to legal opinion and a hearing.

Kirkmeyer, speaking to The Colorado Sun in a brief interview, said she thinks her bipartisan work at the Capitol this year will make her attractive to voters in the competitive 8th District. Much of Kirmeyer’s state Senate district overlaps with the 8th District.

As a county commissioner, Kirkmeyer was known for more hard-line views.

She supported an unsuccessful 2013 push for 11 counties in northeast Colorado, including Weld County, to break off from Colorado and form a 51st state. Recently, she has been a fierce critic of the governor.

One issue that’s likely to arise in the Republican primary for the 8th District is the 2020 election, which some in the GOP have claimed was stolen from former President Donald Trump. In her last days at the statehouse, Saine convened a December 2020 hearing on election integrity that one Democratic leader called a “dangerous stunt.” The hearing resulted in no evidence of fraud.

TODAY’S UNDERWRITER Kirkmeyer said that President Joe Biden was fairly elected president in 2020.

“I believe that it was a legitimate election,” she said of last year’s contest. “I was in that election. A lot of people, not just Republicans, lost some faith in the election process and I think we have to figure out a way to build that back.”

Kirkmeyer, speaking on The George Brauchler Show on Monday morning, said she doesn’t support Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandates. “It’s about personal responsibility and people taking care of themselves and their children,” she said.

“This president doesn’t need to be putting in mandates.”

Kirkmeyer said that she was vaccinated against COVID-19.

This won’t be Kirkmeyer’s first congressional bid. She ran to represent Colorado’s 4th Congressional District in 2014, but lost in the Republican primary to Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, who has held the seat ever since.

Kirkmeyer’s term in the Colorado Senate ends in 2025, meaning that if she loses her 8th District bid she will still have her seat in the legislature.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee slammed Kirkmeyer and Saine as being too extreme for the 8th District.

“Secessionist Barbara Kirkmeyer and Lori Saine are two extremist peas in a pod whose radical views completely disqualify them from representing Colorado’s 8th District in Congress,” DCCC spokeswoman Helen Kalla said in a written statement.

“Coloradans deserve better than the out-of-touch candidates Republicans are offering.”

On the Democratic side of the 8th District race, state Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a Thornton Democrat, is running to represent the district. As is Chaz Tedesco, an Adams County commissioner.

Two political newcomers also have filed to run in the Republican primary: Giuliana “Jewels” Gray, a wedding photographer, and Ryan Gonzales, whose LinkedIn profile says he is a banker.

December 1, 2021

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December 1, 2021

3rd Annual 2K/5K Run for Veterans Hosted

by Adamson-Warmuth VFW Post 6624 & Auxiliary On November 13, 2021, Adamson-Warmuth Post 6624 – Post and Auxiliary held the 3rd Annual 2K/5K Run for Veterans at Evans City Park and Riverside Park. The weather couldn’t have been better as the sun was shining, but, yet a chilly morning to start and then later in the morning it warmed up into a beautify day. It was exciting this year as the race entries had expanded to the following cities: Evan’s, Hudson, Keenesburg, Greeley, and Eaton. The walkers and racers that joined us, showed a lot of enthusiasm and they were full of laughter and fun as they crossed the finish line for their event. We want to thank all our sponsors: Lost Creek Guide, Kinnear Insurance, Eagle Electric Service LLC, High Plains Engineering & Design, LLC, Eaton Family Dental, Bob Devoe, Vern Schimier, Auxiliary 6624 Past Presidents, Evans Chamber of Commerce and Dollar General. Thanks to Photos by Phyllis Britton and all the volunteers who helped in making this a successful 2K/5K Run for Veterans event. The Committee.