Author Archives: KRAI

The City of Craig is supporting the “Home Grown” local shopping rebate program. City Council voted unanimously to approve $15,000 to support the Chamber’s program. The city will provide the money to give incentives for spending on goods and products that would generate sales tax. It is similar to a program in Rangely that started in 2010 that has encouraged local shoppers to change their habits. Here’s how it works:

• Shop at a city sales tax-licensed business in Craig between November 23 and 30^th, on qualifying purchases.
• Keep your receipts.
• Submit your receipts to the Craig Chamber of Commerce by Dec. 7.
• Earn $5 in Shop Local Spree Dollars, up to $30 on every $50 spent.
• Spend those dollars by Dec. 22.
• Tobacco, pharmaceuticals, gas, or utilities don’t count with the program.

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The new medical office building at Memorial Regional Health has received another $1,000 contribution. This time, it’s from Bob Meckley who owns Tunies & Such. The goal is to raise $1 million dollars, and so far, the foundation has raised $869,000.

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The man charged with assaulting a deputy at the Moffat County Jail may have been trying to initiate himself into a white supremacist prison gang. It’s done by assaulting a deputy. Geoffrey Duzik  is charged with first-degree criminal attempted murder, first-degree assault, and second-degree assault — all felonies— and obstructing a peace officer, which is a misdemeanor. Duzik is still in custody in lieu of a $100,000 bond. He’ll be in court at 11 a.m. this Tuesday morning.

The body that was found up at Steamboat Lake has been identified as 66-year-old Ron Sellers of Broomfield. Foul play isn’t suspected. Routt County coroner Rob Ryg will perform an autopsy next week to determine how Sellers died.

Craig City Council has voted, 4-3, to move forward with the 2019 city budget, and include a new department of economic development at a cost of about $82,000 to the city. A second reading and adoption will be at the next council meeting. Also at the meeting, Craig Middle School students made a presentation called, “Solving the World’s Plastic Problem.”

Council members were also shown a survey of the salaries and benefits of staff in the City of Craig. It shows wages are as good or better than municipalities of the same size. City staff recommends Craig City Council keep wages the same in 2019. The Craig Press reports council has not approved any cost of living increases since 2014.

A woman from Ohio got stopped on I-80 in Wyoming Tuesday for a traffic violation. The canine team was called in. Sheriff’s deputies found 80 pounds of marijuana in individually sealed plastic packages, and arrested the woman. 34-year-old Rikki Ludwig faces two counts of felony charges. She has been released from the Sweetwater County Detention Center on bond. The sheriff’s office does not give the names of the K9 teams involved in drug cases because they say threats have been made against other K9s in other parts of the country, so they just don’t do it.

In Walsenburg, someone took a baby mountain lion kitten home after they found it in a snowbank. Then they fed it bratwurst. It got sick. Colorado Parks and Wildlife found out and got the little kitten. They’ve taken it to a rehab center because it was kept too long by humans to return it to where it was found. Parks and Wildlife officers say never take wildlife home because the mother is probably close by. Leave the area right away and call a wildlife officer.

Firefighters could start burning about 50 slash piles full of lodgepole pine, south of Steamboat Lake today. The piles are near County Road 129, near the Willow Creek Subdivision.

A sewer line broke at Summit Middle School. All activities, and the orchestra concert had to be canceled Thursday night and school might be out today.

The slopes at Steamboat open Wednesday. Eighty-seven percent of the staff has been hired. Each winter, Steamboat Resort hires about 1,600 people to keep the resort running, from checking tickets, to serving pizza, flipping burgers, and patrolling the 2,965 acres of skiable terrain. The staff this year will include 60 international workers who will use the J-1 visa program.

In Sports…

The Craig Middle School boys basketball team heads to Steamboat Saturday. The Craig Youth Hockey peewees host West Elk, which is a team from Gunnison, at Moffat County Ice Arena Sunday morning.

And in Steamboat Springs, the Steamboat Wranglers Junior Hockey team plays the Cheyenne Stampede tonight and tomorrow night at 8 o’clock, and then again Sunday at noon. The teams are in the prestigious Western States Hockey League. Those games are at Howelsen Ice Arena.

For the weather, don’t forget to call the KRAI Time, Temp, and Weather Hotline at 970-824-1918.

A Craig man is facing first-degree attempted murder charges. The Craig Press reports that Geoffrey Duzik of Craig allegedly assaulted a deputy while in the Moffat County Jail for parole violations. Duzik will be in court next Tuesday at 11.

Geoffrey Duzik Mug Shot

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Two longtime Moffat County residents are recovering at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, after an 800-pound hay bale fell on them last Thursday. It hit Diane Calim in the head, and then crushed her husband, Tom McCurdy, underneath it. McCurdy happened to have his cell phone and was able to call for help. It has affected the memories of the retired couple, who have been moved into a rehabilitation unit. They’ll be there at least through the week, and maybe longer.

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Several Craig residents have reported to police about phone calls where someone threatens to be a deputy, and they threaten the person with a restraining order unless they pay a certain amount of money. These calls are fraudulent and fake, no matter which police or sheriff’s agency they say they are calling from. Craig Police Chief Jerry DeLong says to call Craig Police if you get such a call and do not provide personal information over the phone. The number to call for Craig Police is 970-826-2360.

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Silver Creek Fire. Photo by Shannon Lukens.

The 2018 wildfire season broke records in Northwest Colorado. The first fire started June 20^th, and they lasted through October. 229 fires burned more than 108,000 acres across Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt, Jackson and Grand Counties. That’s according to Colt Mortenson, the fire management officer for the northwest region of the Bureau of Land Management. That amount is nearly double the acres that burned last year, and more than any fire season in the last 20 years. In Moffat County, more than 23,000 acres burned. Most of them were in the Divide Fire north of Craig. Moffat County Road & Bridge provided nearly 2,500 man-hours of firefighting support on 13 fires this summer. 840 of those hours were overtime.

A 66-year-old man from the Front Range is believed to be in the Steamboat Lake area. He was last heard from on Nov. 4. Family members contacted Routt County Search and Rescue on Nov. 10 to look for the man. They have not been able to find him and they had to call off the search Sunday night because of the weather. The family says they’ll keep looking and they’ve been told to report any clues to the man’s location to law enforcement.

The Lighthouse of Craig hosted veterans for an early Thanksgiving Day dinner Sunday. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Craig Post 4265 presented a color guard before the festivities.

The tire shredding facility just west of Meeker was discussed at a special meeting recently, by the Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners. The site, which is owned by Lee Overton, has been called an “eyesore” and a potential health hazard by residents. The Rio Blanco Herald Times also reports it has been the subject of multiple complaints to the commissioners.  One County Building Official (Jeff Kummer) says the list of potential violations and fire hazards are unverified because he has not been allowed access to the site. Overton says almost all of the violations have been addressed. The paper reports the board will revisit the issue in a couple of weeks, after inspections have been made.

The Colorado State Patrol is introducing a new video series tomorrow. It’s called #HiddenScars, and it’s through social media, in conjunction with National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week. The videos feature different responders each week, and they explore how the incidents and tragedies that they deal with go far beyond the victims that are involved. Another aspect is keeping public safety professionals safe, by reminding drivers to be careful when approaching and driving near a crash scene.

The Girls on the Run 5K was Saturday morning in Steamboat Springs, with 16 teams from Routt, Moffat, and Garfield counties.  About 350 girls ran with 80 coaches, and other family and community members. 12-year-old Abigail DuFon from Glenwood Springs Middle School finished in 23 minutes and 13 seconds.

And in rugby, the Summit County High School girls rugby team won the state championships this weekend. It was the 11^th consecutive state championship for the Summit Tigers.

For the weather, don’t forget to call the KRAI Time, Temp, and Weather Hotline at 970-824-1918.

The mission and vision for Colorado Northwestern Community College has been announced. The mission is, “To enhance people’s lives by providing an accessible, affordable, quality education. The vision: Colorado Northwestern Community College will be the college of choice for students seeking a unique education grounded in the Colorado experience.” The Craig Press reports that CNCC President Ron Granger says the school is centered on the experience the students get in rural Colorado, and especially rural Northwest Colorado.

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You may see smoke, as slash piles will be burned soon, in Medicine Bow and Routt National Forests. The local Ranger District offices will be letting people know when those prescribed burns get going. And they will only do it when the weather allows for safe burning.

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Taking a look at unofficial election results…

Moffat County voters went against ballot Measure 1A which proposed a mill levy increase to raise money to fund operations of Moffat County Libraries and the Museum of Northwest Colorado. Both groups face drastic cuts in the 2019 Moffat County budget.

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Today is the day to get those ballots in. The county clerk has to have them by 7 o’clock tonight. Postmarks do not count. The Craig Press is reporting that early voter turnout in Moffat County is strong. As of Monday, 3,238 people had voted in Moffat County, with a few more men (1,633) than women (1,603) voting so far. Drop off those ballots at the Moffat County Courthouse. There is a secure ballot drop box on the east side of the building.

In Routt County, 47 percent of voters have sent in their ballots. That’s 8,289 out of 17,415 active voters. Secure ballot drop boxes are at the Routt County Courthouse, and Hayden and Oak Creek Town Halls. Ballots will be picked up by 5 o’clock tonight at the Clark Store and Yampa Town Hall.

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Three people have been arrested on multiple methamphetamine charges in Rio Blanco County. Amanda Lucero, Kate Lloyd, and Dawon Tripplett are at the Detention Center in Meeker. The arrest was made with the help of the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office, Rangely Police and their K-9 unit, and the Meeker Police department. All three face time in prison, and fines.

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