Uranium Mine on the Horizon?

Western Fremont County might become the site of multiple uranium mines if the price reaches a profitable threshold, according to The Mountain Mail.

Black Range Minerals Colorado owns the mineral rights to 13,500 acres on the Hansen site, which contains one of the largest deposits of triuranium octoxide ore, approximately 90 million pounds. The 13,500-acre site is located northeast of Cotopaxi, along Tallahassee Creek. Officials with Black Range have dubbed the site the Taylor Ranch Uranium Project.

Worldwide demand for uranium is on the increase and if prices reach $70 a pound Black Range hopes to begin borehole mining. Prices are currently $45 a pound. Permitting for the operation through multiple U.S., state and local agencies, could take up to three years. Read the rest of this article

Voters Kind to Kids

Several area school districts hit the jackpot this November when voters passed ballot measures supporting school replacements and improvements.

In Salida, the 3A bond passed, allowing the school district to qualify for a B.E.S.T. (Building Excellent Schools Today) grant to replace the Longfellow Elementary School.

Voters in Buena Vista passed ballot measure 3C which will replace a wing of the Avery Parsons Elementary School by the summer of 2014. They also passed a mill levy to help with book purchases and technology upgrades. Read the rest of this article

Wildfire in Custer County Destroys Homes

WETMORE – A forest fire in Custer County has burned nearly 2,100 acres near Wetmore and was at 65% containment as of press time. Hundreds of nearby residents were forced to flee their homes, of which 14 were destroyed in the Greenwood area.

Among those who sustained the loss of their homes was Custer County deputy Mike Halpin, who discovered his own home in flames while going door to door to alert residents, according to the Wet Mountain Tribune.

An estimated 240 firefighters and support personnel are working the fire. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Read the rest of this article

Ballot ID Simmers, Boils Over

In Chaffee County, the issue of ballot secrecy simmered in the spring and early summer and then finally exploded in mid-August. A Buena Vista man said he cracked the code to identify ballots cast by specific voters in the June primary. County officials had long denied ballots could be traced by barcode, and refused to comply with a subpoena to provide records used to print ballots and record them. Upon learning the barcode cracking news, Secretary of State officials issued an emergency ruling preventing counties from printing ballots with unique numbers and barcodes that could be used to link voters to their ballot. Watermarks may be used instead. This all goes back to an election activist group called Citizen Center and their belief that by using barcodes, six counties have not protected voter secrecy. The group filed a suit in U.S. District Court, which is working its way through the system, although a settlement could be in the works. Read the rest of this article

Wildfire Season Underway

Severe drought conditions, high temperatures and low humidity are a portent of what may shape up to be a dangerous year for forest fires in the West. In Central Colorado the Springer Fire, 3.5 miles southwest of Lake George in Park County, burned more than 1,145 acres forcing the evacuation of several residents. It began on June 17 and investigators believe it may have been started by recreational shooters. Air tankers fighting the fire were grounded for about 90 minutes due to reports of a meteor shower. Read the rest of this article

By Christopher Kolomitz

Molly on the Move

LEADVILLE – Climax Mine shipped its first bag of molybdenum concentrate on May 10 following a restart of the legendary mine atop Fremont Pass in Lake County. It was the first “moly” to be shipped from the mine in 17 years, the Leadville Herald Democrat reported. The mine first opened in 1916 and was a major economic stimulus to the region for decades before finally shutting completely down in 1995. Restart of the mine began in 2010 and has totaled about $700 million with projections that 20 million pounds of moly will be produced by 2013. About 300 people work at the mine which is owned by Freeport-McMoRan. In early May the company foundation awarded more than $550,000 to non profit organizations in Lake, Chaffee and Summit counties. Read the rest of this article

Western May Seek University Designation

GUNNISON – Administrators at Western State College (WSC) in Gunnison are considering changing the title of the school to ‘university.’

The idea was discussed with WSC faculty and staff in late September. College president Jay Helman cited the establishment of a graduate program, capital improvement projects at the college in recent years, and success in private fundraising as several indicators towards the new title, according to the Gunnison Country Times. Read the rest of this article

Trio Caught after Camping Out

WESTCLIFFE – Three siblings from Florida who were subjects of a national manhunt were apprehended after a high-speed chase on I-25 near Colorado City but not before spending a final night of freedom camping at the St. Charles trailhead in the San Isabel National Forest.

Ryan, Dylan and Lee Grace Dougherty had been on the lam since Aug. 2 after being accused of an armed bank robbery in Georgia and the attempted murder of a Florida police officer.

The trio had been spotted purchasing camping gear in Colorado Springs and attempting to buy ammunition at the Cañon City Walmart. A tip led authorities to the campground but they had already decamped. Soon after they were spotted on the interstate where a high-speed chase ensued and the fugitives crashed their car and were apprehended. There are currently 76 charges against the trio pending in Colorado. Read the rest of this article

Over the River EIS Scheduled for May

CANON CITY – The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has indicated that the environmental impact statement for the proposed Christo and Jeanne-Claude art project, “Over the River,” will most likely be released in May. The EIS is required for any project that “significantly affecting the quality of the human environment,” by the National Environmental Policy Act.

Read the rest of this article

Expanded Motorized Routes Challenged

DENVER – Five environmental group are suing the U.S. Forest Service alleging that by approving expanded motor vehicle routes in the forest, it violated several federal laws.

The group would like to remove 500 miles of expanded motor vehicle routes in the Pike and San Isabel National Forests.

The expanded routes are being challenged as “unauthorized and unanalyzed” by the Center for Native Ecosystems of Denver, the Wildlands CPR of Montana, the Wilderness Society, the Quiet Use Coalition and the Great Old Broads for Wilderness, according to a Mountain Mail article.

According to the lawsuit, the expansion allows for “motor vehicle travel on approximately 500 miles of routes that have never been designated” in previous travel management plans. The groups are seeking an injunction to halt the forest service from initiating the expansion on routes that have not been analyzed under the Environmental Policy Act.

A courtroom proceeding and conference on the lawsuit are scheduled for May 4. Read the rest of this article

Student Bottle Bill Defeated

DENVER – Students at the Crest Academy in Salida wanted to do something about the amount of beverage containers that end up on roadsides and in landfills. They decided to approach State Rep. Dan Pabon (D-Denver) and Sen. Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass Village) about introducing a state bill requiring a $.05 deposit on all glass and plastic bottles in the state. Read the rest of this article

Noted Gunnison Sportsman Passes Away

GUNNISON- A former Western State College professor who was also the first-ever recreation director for the City of Gunnison died January 10 after a brief illness.

Ken MacLennan was considered a pioneer of sport in the Gunnison Valley. As a student at WSC in the 1950s he was well known for his talents on the intercollegiate ski teams. In 1961 he became the city’s first recreation director after having trained with the U.S. Olympic biathalon team, according to the Gunnison Country Times.

MacLennan was also involved with the creation of Jorgenson Park and the Cranor Hill Ski Area. Additionally he helped Lake City locate a town ski hill and was a volunteer and organizer with the Gunnison Nordic Club.

He was also a coach at WSC for nearly 18 years and retired in 1996. Read the rest of this article

Some Steamy Issues

NATHROP – The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has decided to issue a lease for geothermal development near Mount Princeton to 3E Geothermal.

The bureau received 16 letters of protest from residents and landowners in the vicinity of the proposed lease whose concerns focused mainly on fears of water contamination. Read the rest of this article

Historic Theater Update

SALIDA – The saga of the old Salida Opera House continues. The structure, which was built in 1889, was deemed unsafe in 2007 and has been the focus of much debate and consternation. Known locally as The Unique Theater, many locals are concerned that the negligence of the current owner will lead to its inevitable demolition and are trying all methods to avoid that scenario. Read the rest of this article

Primary Election Results

Several contested election results occurred in the region in the August 10 primaries.

In Chaffee County, current Sheriff Tim Walker beat his opponent, John Spezze by 12 votes – not enough to justify an automatic recount. Afterwards Spezze questioned the integrity of the ballot boxes but decided not to pursue a recount. Walker will face Democrat Pete Palmer in November. Read the rest of this article

Leadville Women Murdered by Stalker

LEADVILLE -A Leadville woman was shot to death in front of her home by a man against whom she had a restraining order.

Yvonne Flores, 58, who worked as a teaching assistant in Leadville, was shot twice on July 7 by Anthony Medina, 58, who then took his own life, according to the Herald-Democrat. Read the rest of this article

Helicopter Stranded on Mountain

A Colorado Army National Guard helicopter that was diverted from a rescue effort June 15 on Mt. Shavano to another on Little Bear Peak in the Sangre De Cristo Range, made a precautionary landing after striking the mountain and will have to be removed in pieces, according to an AP story.

The CH-47 Chinook was originally dispatched from Ft. Carson to help rescue a 40-year-old Denver man who was suffering from altitude sickness on the ridge between Mt. Shavano and Mt. Tabeguache in Chaffee County. It was then diverted to assist an 18-year-old from Highlands Ranch who suffered a fatal fall from a rock face while attempting to climb Little Bear Peak. Read the rest of this article

Lawsuits Galore in Chaffee County

BUENA VISTA – Former Buena Vista mayor and current candidate for Chaffee County Clerk Cara Russell has filed a lawsuit against the B.V. town government and its board of trustees over an attempt to remove her from office in November 2008.

A notice of removal was prepared against Russell by the trustees after a column appeared in the Chaffee County Times in which she allegedly wrote unfavorably about them and about an upcoming vote on the annexation of the Villages at Cottonwood Meadows subdivision. Read the rest of this article

Leadville Deputy Charged After Jailing Fire Captain

LEADVILLE -A Leadville sheriff’s deputy was charged with three crimes stemming from his earlier arrest of a Leadville fire captain who had been treating a victim of an emergency call.

On March 27 Fire Capt. Dan Dailey responded to an emergency call at the sheriff’s office in regard to a woman there with a neck injury. Deputies Steven James and Arin Hart ordered him and another firefighter to leave and when Dailey refused, he was handcuffed and thrown in jail. Read the rest of this article

WSC Students Die in House Fire

GUNNISON – Two Western State College students perished in a house fire that occurred Jan. 30 in the 100 block of North Colorado Street in Gunnison.

Lucille Causley, 18, and Adam Lockard, 21, died in the blaze which was believed to have started in an unenclosed porch attached to the home that tenants of the home reportedly used for smoking.

Autopsies revealed the victims died from smoke inhalation. The college immediately set up a walk-in counseling center for those impacted by the fire. Read the rest of this article

New VA Tele-Clinic Opens in Salida

SALIDA – The Veteran’s Administration (VA) has opened a new clinic in Salida, which will allow veterans to use special videoconferencing equipment to communicate with doctors at a VA outpatient clinic in Pueblo. There will also be medical personnel on hand to assist veterans at the clinic.

The clinic, one of 10 tele-health clinics the VA plans to open in Colorado, is located the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center campus. Clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. It can be reached at 719-539-8666. Read the rest of this article

Ski Area Expansion Nixed

CRESTED BUTTE – Saying the project isn’t in the interest of the public, a local forest supervisor on Nov. 5 told Crested Butte Mountain Resort officials the agency will not enter an environmental review of proposed expansion to Snodgrass Mountain. The decision just about ends any possible expansion which has created a big rift among locals.

Read the rest of this article

(and other items of interest)

Tanner Found Guilty

SALIDA – Andrew Tanner, 27 of Salida, was found guilty on nine charges including first degree murder and kidnapping Salida resident James Durgan Sept. 3 in 11th Judicial District Court in Cañon City.

The verdict came after 15 hours of deliberation by a seven man, five woman jury. Read the rest of this article

(and other items of interest)

Nestlé Permit Granted

SALIDA – Despite overwhelming public opposition, the Nestlé Corporation of Vevey, Switzerland was given unanimous consent on August 26 by the Chaffee County Commissioners for its application to remove water from a private spring adjacent to the Arkansas River and truck it to Denver to be bottled and sold. Read the rest of this article

Chaffee County attorney requests special prosecutor to investigate 2004 death

SALIDA – A special prosecutor was requested by Chaffee County Attorney Jennifer Davis after 11th Judicial District Attorney Thom LeDoux refused to file charges against two men in connection with the 2004 death of a Highlands Ranch woman at Chalk Creek near Nathrop. Read the rest of this article

Uranium processing company is at it again

CANON CITY – The Cotter Corporation in Cañon City wants to reopen their troubled plant for the chemical leaching and crushing of 500,000 tons of uranium per year for 25 years beginning in 2014.

The plant, which sits above the Arkansas River on the south side of Cañon City, has been operating on a “stand-down basis” allowing Cotter to retain their operating license despite a 25-year old Environmental Protection Agency ruling ordering the plant to do a Superfund cleanup. That cleanup has been stalled and has had repeated violations over the years. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – July 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine

River Runs High, Wide and Muddy

Worries about high water ran almost as high as the Arkansas before Salida’s FIBArk festival, which happened June 12 through 15. But the four-day boating event went swimmingly, especially in attendance. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – March 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine

Weather, Weather and More Weather

Weather has been the biggest headliner this season. Snow has fallen in cumbersome amounts, resulting in huge snowpacks. As of February 13, the Arkansas basin snowpack was 168% of average, the upper Rio Grande, 169% of average; and the Gunnison, 147% of average (and on February 14th, it started snowing again). Heavy snowpacks have heightened avalanche dangers and clogged backcountry roads, inspiring travelers’ advisories: don’t stop, don’t stand, beware of treacherous trails, and double check conditions before x-country skiing or snowmobiling. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – November 2007 – Colorado Central Magazine

What’s It All About?

The Gunnison Country Times ran a front page story exploring why so many commercial properties are for sale there.

The newspaper reported that eight lodging businesses were for sale in Gunnison, as were a notable number of downtown shops and restaurants including “The Bean, Blue Addiction, The Gunnison Brewery, and The Corner Cupboard.” Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – February 2007 – Colorado Central Magazine

Online Schools Not in Line?

On December 12, a front-page Denver Post article reported that a state audit had found Colorado’s online schools wanting. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – December 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Son Accidentally Kills Father

A hunting accident in Gunnison County in late October caused the death of Joseph DiBiasa Jr., 66, of Rankonkoma, New York. Witnesses say his son, Joseph Michael DiBiasa, 41, was carrying his rifle in a sling, when the sling broke. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Regional News – November 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

School security

School security became a major issue in Central Colorado, and across the United States, after 16-year-old Emily Keyes was shot to death in a classroom on Sept. 27 at Platte Canyon High School along U.S. 285 near Bailey. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Regional News – September 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Water from the sky

It’s been raining a lot this summer. The traditional explanation is that the rain comes just after ranchers have cut their hay and have it spread out to dry before baling and stacking it.

To scientists, the summer rains are from the North American Monsoon (also called the Southwest U.S., Mexican or Arizona Monsoon). An area of high atmospheric pressure develops over the Four Corners, changing the wind flow so that moisture arrives from the tropical Pacific Ocean and the Gulfs of Mexico and California. It typically begins in early July in southern Arizona and moves north, with drier weather returning in September. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – August 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Sporting Events Marred By Tragedy

Diane Woolwine, a 65-year-old participant in the annual Ride the Rockies bicycle tour, died in Salida on June 22. According to the police account reported in the Mountain Mail, Woolwine and five other cyclists had stopped on the shoulder of U.S. 50 for the traffic light in front of Wal-Mart. But when the light turned green, Woolwine veered left into the traffic lane, and struck the side of a traveling motorhome; whereupon she went down and under the wheels of the vehicle. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Regional News – April 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine

Leadville Heritage?

There’s nothing like a saloon brawl to evoke images of the Old West. Leadville had one on Feb. 25- 26, which started before midnight, continued into the wee hours, and injured four cops.

It started as a birthday party at the Elks’ Lodge. Brad Palmer, who was serving as a bouncer, saw two people turning a vocal argument into a physical one. He figured that if half the fight was removed, that would end the dispute. So he tried to escort one party out the door, and got knocked down in the process. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Regional News – November 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine

Winter arrives, briefly

October 8 was a fine fall day, sunny and warm. That changed overnight, as a cold front moved south from Wyoming. The Front Range and Eastern Plains got the worst of it on Oct. 9 and 10, but Central Colorado wasn’t spared. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Central Staff

Regional News – October 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine

Katrina Assistance

For the fortnight before our deadline, Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath dominated the national news. On the local front, Central Colorado has been generous, with a few refugees moving here — our high and dry climate, not to mention autumn coolness, must be quite a change from the low, humid, and hot Gulf Coast. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Regional News – September 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine

Feast or Famine

Our weather seems to mimic the Colorado economy: Boom and Bust. We complain about how little rain we get, and then suddenly there’s too much.

That happened on Aug. 5 about 10 miles northeast of Salida, when a thunderstorm dropped 1.6 inches of rain in about 30 minutes. The water from a 35-square-mile drainage roared down Dead Horse Gulch, washing out a private road that served more than a dozen residences. It also washed out Spiral Drive, the road that leads to the top of Tenderfoot Hill. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Regional News – July 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine

Faster Art?

Salida holds an Art Walk every year in June, giving visitors a chance to stroll around and see not just the artists’ work, but often, their workplaces. Generally, it draws such a good crowd that it’s impossible to go at a faster pace than a comfortable strolling walk. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – June 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine

Augusta Leaves for Better Climes

Melva Touchette has been performing her one-woman impression of Baby Doe Tabor locally for 17 years, but The Herald Democrat recently reported that she’s leaving for Kansas “because her health is failing from the altitude.” Under the headline “Touchette takes ‘Baby Doe’ to lower elevations” the Leadville paper explained how Touchette first thought of re-enacting Baby Doe Tabor’s version of historical events for her Masters degree thesis in theater at the University of Arizona. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Regional News – May 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine

Barrage of Break-ins

There seems to be an epidemic of window-smashing hereabouts. The mildest case was at the 21st Amendment Liquor Store in Crestone. In the wee hours of March 9, neighbors heard glass breaking and saw two people running away. They may have been after a shelf of liquor and wine near the window, but an inventory check showed that nothing was taken. The Saguache County Sheriff’s Department said it would increase patrols in Crestone, but also urged merchants to take some precautions – several business doors were found unlocked after the break-in. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Regional News – January 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine

Hard Winter?

For years, some locals have joked that we needed a hard winter to discourage immigration, perhaps even to encourage outward migration by some of the lightweights who have settled here in recent years, and have come to assume that our winters are fairly mild. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – December 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Trail Trials

In November, Gunnison County decided to continue its six-year legal battle over a local trail, which leads to the old Yule Marble Quarry. According to a story in the Gunnison Country Times, “those who’ve visited the site say it’s a mystical place, with giant piles of marble stacked everywhere and massive, square holes carved deep into the mountainside.” Read the rest of this article

Brief by Martha Quillen

Regional News – August 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Lightning Strikes…

Once: In mid June, Kevin Maddaford, a recent CU graduate, was struck by lightning on his way up Mt. Lincoln, near Alma. His clothes were torn; his left eardrum was ruptured; the soles of his boots were blown off; his hair and eyebrows were singed; his pants and socks were melted; and he suffered second degree burns on his chest and third-degree burns on his feet. Read the rest of this article

Brief by Ed Quillen

Regional News – May 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine

Early Fire Season

March in Central Colorado is usually a miserable time of year with soggy snowstorms and cold winds. This year was different, with generally pleasant weather.

However, those warm, dry days didn’t do the snowpack any good, and they allowed for an early start to the wildfire season. A fire west of Fort Collins got the attention from the Denver statewide media, but there were several fires closer to home. Read the rest of this article