Wishing everyone a healthy, safe Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Volume 14 • Edition 23
December 15, 2021
Delivering to over 19,000 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
Gov. Polis Provides Update on State’s COVID-19 Response & Efforts to Scale Vaccine Clinics for Booster Doses
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021 More than 41% of eligible Colorado adults have received booster DENVER - Today, Governor Jared Polis provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 response and efforts to scale clinics to make more first and second and booster doses available to Coloradans. Governor Polis was joined by State Epidemiologist Dr. Herlihy who discussed the omicron variant of concern (B.1.1.529) and the latest case trends. Among those hospitalized with COVID-19, 16.4% (233) are vaccinated individuals and 83% (1,186) are unvaccinated. More than 41% of eligible adults have received their booster in Colorado. Last week, thanks to the diligent team of scientists and epidemiologists at CDPHE, Tri-County and Boulder County Health, Colorado became the third state to detect its first case of omicron. Since then, at least nineteen states have detected the variant. Gov. Polis noted today that though omicron is being identified in more states every day, the Delta variant continues to be the dominant form of COVID-19, and potentially the more deadly form. Gov. Polis applauded the work of teams at the state and local public health agencies to quickly sequence COVID cases for omicron detection with methods including wastewater surveillance to deliver results and Dr. Herlihy announced today that CDPHE had detected the omicron variant in Boulder municipal wastewater. “Our administration has built up robust testing capacity and we’re grateful to all of the team members at our state lab and local partners for discovering variants of concern quickly. As we approach the holiday season and New Year, it’s still the Delta variant that is taking Coloradans from us before their time so we urge Coloradans to get vaccinated,” said Gov. Polis. “Get vaccinated and boosted at one of the many community vaccination sites across our state because no one wants to bring COVID-19 with them into 2022.” While researchers are still investigating the extent to which the omicron strain has spread in the U.S. as well as the severity of disease, it is likely that the omicron is more easily spread than previous variants that have emerged including the Delta variant (B.1.617.2). Dr. Herlihy discussed the data behind the health impacts of COVID-19 in populations who have received a booster dose versus fully vaccinated people who have not yet received their booster, demonstrating that vaccines and boosters decrease the likelihood of catching COVID-19 and being hospitalized. “As we learn more about omicron’s ability to spread and the severity of disease it causes, the highly transmissible and potentially more deadly Delta variant continues to be the dominant form of COVID-19 in Colorado,” said Dr. Herlihy. “We are seeing the clear impact of getting a booster dose. If boosted, you are 9.7 times less likely to become a COVID case and 47.5 times less likely to be hospitalized than if you have no protection at all. We must continue leveraging the effective tools we have at our disposal and move forward with getting eligible people in Colorado their booster doses.”
Fort Morgan Mustangs Win First 3A Football Championship Since 1999 by Paul Dineen / Get The Picture Sports LLC
Ferrnando Marquez intercepts a pass in the Mustangs 21-14 quarterfinal win over Frederick, November 20, 2021. (Paul Dineen / Get The Picture Sports LLC)
Number nine. That was the CHSAA pre-season coaches poll’s opinion of the prospects for the Fort Morgan Mustangs in 3A football. Number three. That was the state tournament seed committee’s opinion of their prospects. Number two. That was where they finished in the 3A North Central 3 league and CHSAA’s 3A RPI ranking. Number one. That was the Mustangs’ opinion of themselves. That final number became real when they beat the Mead Mavericks to win the Colorado 3A football championship on December 4 in Pueblo. It was their first title appearance since 2008 and their first title win since 1999. Their other championships came in 1992 and 1952. Despite their 12-1 record, the Mustangs had to battle harder as the season went along. In winning their first six games, Fort Morgan outscored their opponents by 230 to 95. Over their last seven games: 165 to 109. Their only loss: 14-7 to Roosevelt. Two wins to finish the regular season gave them that number three seed for the playoffs. That meant the opportunity to host playoff wins against Green Mountain (score 14-0) and Frederick (score 21-14). The feeling after the first playoff game against Green Mountain was that they’d need to score more than fourteen points to compete against the remaining teams, which included several offensive powerhouses. That, they would do. But, true to the adage “Offense wins games -- defense wins championships”, it was their tough Fort Morgan Mustangs Win First 3A Football Championship Since 1999 Continued on page 6...
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE PAGE 2: WAY OF THE WORLD PAGES 4 & 5: FORT MORGAN PARADE OF LIGHTS PAGES 7 & 8: OLD FASHION CHRISTMAS IN WIGGINS PAGES 10 & 11: FORT MORGAN TRAIN DECORATING Governor Polis acknowledged that many people have faced challenges in booking a booster appointment at their local pharmacy. In response, the state has and will continue Gov. Polis Provides Update on State’s COVID-19 Response & Efforts to Scale Vaccine Clinics for Booster Doses Continued on page 10...
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