Chaffee County Fair and Rodeo guide inside TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
Vol. 135, No. 44
The Voice of Salida and the Upper Arkansas Valley
50 cents
July precipitation surpasses annual average by 1.5 inches by D.J. DeJong
Mail Copy Assistant
Photo by J.D. Thomas
A white Chevrolet Blazer with extensive damage sits in the eastbound lane of U.S. 50 Aug. 4. The blazer, driven by Salidan Herbert Taylor Jr., 90, struck the side of a trailer towed by a Ford truck driven by Bryan Segur, Pueblo.
90-year old Salida man involved in U.S. 50 wreck by J.D. Thomas Mail Staff Writer
A two-vehicle incident on U.S. 50 in Salida involving a Chevrolet Blazer and a Ford truck towing an RV trailer and boat occurred at approximately 11:31 a.m. Monday, said Salida Police Sgt. Russ Johnson. The white Blazer, driven by Salidan Herbert Taylor Jr., 90, was pulling out of the High’s Liquor parking lot, attempting to go west,
when his vehicle struck the trailer towed by Bryan Segur, 37, Pueblo, said Johnson. Segur was heading eastbound, back to Pueblo. The Blazer “got a little jacked up,” said Johnson and had to be towed from the side of the highway. The trailer being towed by Segur received cosmetic damage, Johnson said. The truck will be able to tow the RV trailer and boat home, he added.
Precipitation levels in Salida surpassed the annual average for the month of July, according to statistics compiled by the Colorado Climate Center Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Salida’s historical monthly average for July, taken from measurements recorded from 1897-2012, is 1.60 inches. Total precipitation for July, as measured at The Mountain Mail, was 3.10 inches. Despite the increase, Peggy Perales of the National Weather Service said the Salida area is seeing a typical weather pattern for this time of year and we should see evi-
dence of normal precipitation for most of August, going into September. Salida’s total precipitation for the year remains lower than average, with 5.47 inches measured from JanuaryJuly, compared to a historic average of 6.27 inches. Salida remains in drought conditions as “more rain falls to the south and outside of our watershed,” Perales said. July’s temperatures were higher than the historic average, with an average high of 85.6 and low of 53.4, compared to the historic averages of 84.3 and 47.6. Perales noted that although we had some atypically hotter days in July, we should slip back down into normal temperature ranges heading into fall.
The eastbound lanes of U.S. 50 were closed for about 10 minutes for cleanup, said Johnson. There were no injuries. Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be involved, he said. Taylor was given a citation for careless driving. Salida Police Department, Salida Fire Department and Chaffee Count Emergency Medical Services responded to the incident.
Sheriff arrests man accused of threatening people with a shotgun by J.D. Thomas Mail Staff Writer
Members of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office tactical team and deputies were sent to investigate a man threatening people with a shotgun on the Colorado Trail near CR 240 on Thursday, said Sheriff Pete Palmer. Palmer said the man, David Robert Pratt, 59, Richfield, N.Y., was found by law enforcement on a trail near Angel of Shavano Campground, apprehended and charged with menacing, which is a misdemeanor,
Pratt Palmer said. He said it was a misdemean-
or because Pratt didn’t simulate using a weapon or reach into his pocket. Palmer said Pratt was searched, but no weapons or anything resembling a shotgun were found. He said the incident happened around 10:30 a.m. and was reported by a couple on the trail, who said they were threatened by Pratt when their dog barked at him. Pratt is currently being held at the Chaffee County Detention Center on $2,500 bond.
Photo by Allison Dyer Bluemel
Navigating the poles Lily Moser navigates her horse around the poles during the Open Equine Gymkhana Thursday at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. Moser was one of eight competitors in the adult pole division of the gymkhana, but did not receive a recorded time. Lauren Flower won the division with a time of 26.71 seconds, second place went to Jessica Phillips at 27.73 seconds, and Sandi Collins took third at 29.82 seconds.