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KRAI AND 55 COUNTRY LISTENERS PITCH IN TO SUPPORT FUNDRAISING EVENT WHICH NETS OVER $220,000
KRAI and 55 Country and broadcasters across Colorado joined together to raise over $220,000 for the American Red Cross and the Colorado Professional Fire Fighters Foundation during yesterday’s fundraiser. The Colorado Broadcasters Association organized radio and television stations across the state to raise the funds during a 4 hour period last night. The Red Cross will use the funds to help victims of the the state’s turbulent wildfire season. The Colorado Professional Fire Fighters Foundation provides assistance to the families of injured or fallen fire fighters. The CBA donated $5,000, but the night was highlighted by an anonymous donor who gave $40,000.
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING SEVERAL BLAZES IN N.W. COLORADO
While fire fighters are starting to get the upper hand on Front Range blazes, the fire season is just heating up in the northwest part of the state. The Cold Fire, near where the Colorado, Utah and Wyoming borders meet, is 8 acres and 90% contained. It’s burning through heavy timber on private land. The Cedar Knob Fire is 1,150 acres and 25% contained. Ground crews, the Moffat County Sheriff’s office and Road and Bridge Crew, and the BLM are all working that blaze, and a helicopter has been making water drops along the perimeter. They hope to have that fire contained sometime today. The Twin Butte Fire is 10 miles east of the Utah border in Rio Blanco County, east of Oil Spring Mountain. It’s burning on about 1/4 acre of BLM land. Several other fires were started in Northwest Colorado over the last couple of days, all believed to have been started by lightning. Fire managers remind people that the fire danger is still high in Northwest Colorado, and that fire restrictions are in place.
ORGANIZERS SAY CRAIG BARBECUE EVENT IS BACK ON
The Colorado State Barbecue Championships are back on. That’s according to organizers, who met yesterday to determine whether the event could be saved. The Championships are held in conjunction with the Moffat County Hot Air Balloon Festival. Moffat County Sheriff Tim Jantz had earlier canceled the event due to the statewide fire ban, which has since been lifted. Without the Barbecue event, organizers were worried their weekend wouldn’t quite have the same draw. They held out hope that the decision could be reversed, and after last night’s meeting, it was. There will be extra fire protection on hand, but organizers say it appears the only thing that would prevent them from holding the event is another statewide fire ban. At that point, both events would be canceled.
BLM TO SELL COAL LEASE FOR TRACT NEXT TO TWENTYMILE
The Bureau of Land Management is planning a competitive coal lease sale for a 400 acre tract of coal next to Twentymile Coal Mine next month. The agency says the competitive leasing process awards the lease to the high bidder who successfully meets or exceeds the fair market value of the coal, which is determined by the BLM. The minimum bid is $100 per acre. The parcel is believed to contain about 3.2 million tons of recoverable coal, worth about $5 million in royalties, half of which would be returned tot he state. The land is held by Sage Creek Holdings, and is expected to operate as Sage Creek Mine, eventually replacing Twentymile Mine. Twentymile is expected to be depleted in four to five years. If you’d like more information on the lease sale, call 303-239-3714.
ROUTT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE INVESTIGATING APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE
Investigators with the Routt County Sheriff’s Office are treating the deaths of Larry and Chris Appel as a murder-suicide. Deputies say they believe Larry shot his wife Chris before taking his own life at their home southwest of Steamboat. Family members found them yesterday morning. Investigators aren’t saying what led to the shootings, however reports indicate they may have been having financial difficulties.
FORMER MOFFAT COUNTY SWIMMER TO COMPETE IN OLYMPICS
Blake Worsley is a former Moffat County swimmer, a 2005SteamboatHigh School graduate, and now, an Olympic swimmer. Worsley was born in Vancouver, Canada and has dual citizenship. He grew up in Steamboat, but because the school didn’t have it’s own swim team, Worsley followed the path of other Steamboat swimmers, by swimming for Moffat County High School. Worsley swam for the University of Denver in college. He will swim for Canada in the Olympics. He is now in Italy, training for the 200 meter freestyle event. He placed first in the same event at the Olympic Trials.
