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MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES FILED IN THE DEATH OF JAMES “Jeb”  BERTHELSON

Criminal charges have been filed in the shooting death of James Berthelson of Meeker.  30 year old Neil James Joy turned himself in and was arrested Tuesday night and charged with manslaughter.  According to the District Attorney’s office in Glenwood Springs an autopsy concluded that Berthelson was not killed by a bullet which had ricocheted.  It also showed that Berthelson was shot in the back.  Both facts contradict the account of the shooting given to them by Joy.  The shooting occurred in a rural area about 40 miles northeast of Meeker late Friday night. Medical personnel responded to a ranch house where Berthelson had been taken by Joy. They were unsuccessful in their attempts to save the victim, who had lost a large amount of blood.  Joy was released on $10,000 bond.  He is scheduled to appear in the district court in Meeker later this month.

CEDAR MOUNTAIN FIRE

One building was burned in the fire on Cedar Mountain north of Craig yesterday.  The structure was an out building and no one was injured.  The fire required Yampa Valley Electric to de-energize the power lines on Cedar Mountain, taking the 93-7 102-3 KRAI transmitter off the air for most of the afternoon. The cause of the blaze has not been determined.  The blaze, which now is believed to have started on BLM property, burned over 75 acres. The biggest threat was to communication towers and buildings on the mountain, but crews were able to keep the fire away from those areas and no communication sites were damaged.  Air tankers responded and dropped fire retardant to support the fire fighters from Craig Fire/Rescue, Moffat County, and the BLM. Full containment is expected by tonight.   Pictures of the fire and the aftermath can be seen in the photo gallery above this story.

CAR CRASH

More details are developing about last night’s car crash on Barclay Street in Craig.  Police say a stolen Lexus, driven by 25-year old Jarod Bays, hit two parked cars at a high rate of speed, totaling the Lexus, and causing serious damage to the other two vehicles.  They estimate the damage at 25-thousand dollars.  The car was stolen from a house on 7th and Taylor.  There were two other peole in the car; 31-year old Alicia Colvin and 20-year old Joseph Galvan.  Police say all three fled the accident scene on foot.  All three are being held in the Moffat County Jail on charges of Aggravated Motor vehicle theft, Criminal Mischief, and First Degree Criminal Trespass.  Bays, is also charged with DUI, Reckless Driving, and reckless Endangerment.

MEEKER DELAYS SCHOOL OPENING

Meeker Schools will get a late start this year.  The District’s web site says engineers have discovered structural concerns with the new Elementary School, and a team is working on fixing the problem.  The district says they want to make sure the school is safe for students.  This will set the start of school back by about two weeks.  The new start date is September 6th.  That also pushes the final day of school back to May 25th, with high school graduation being May 26th.  Questions can be directed to the Meeker School District.

SKI AREA LOGGING

Ski Area officials in Steamboat are getting ready to begin the Big Spark Logging Project.  The project’s objective is to remove about 100 dead lodgepole pines from across Thunderhead Peak.  The project starts tomorrow and is scheduled to last for two months.  Daily trail closures, detours and updates will be available online at http://www.steamboat.com/pdfs/SummerTrails_status.pdf

ADOBE TOWN WELLS

Two can be too many.  Conservation groups have filed a legal challenge against a plan for a couple of exploratory wells in the Desolation Road area of Adobe Town, Wyoming, about 50 miles southwest of Wamsutter, on the grounds that the area is in the heart of the citizen’s proposed wilderness area. Vernon Lovejoy was the B-L-M outdoor recreation planner who conducted the original wilderness inventories for Adobe Town in the early 1980s. He says the area met the criteria for wilderness from the “get-go.” And there are other reasons the area is special – with fossil records scattered throughout, along with cultural sites.

MOFFAT COUNTY FAIR

The Moffat County Fair continues today. The The first livestock show is tonight, with the market lamb show at 5. Tomorrow, kids can enjoy inflatable activities on the grassy area starting at 10. There willl also be live entertainment and games. There’ll be a goat show, a breeding sheep show and the market swine show. The Craig Roping Club performs in the arena at 6. For a complete fair schedule click on the Moffat County Fair Logo.