Category Archives: News

The Craig Press said goodbye to a longtime employee, though a familiar face is stepping in to the open role. Shannon Moore will be working in the advertising section for the paper. Moffat County is getting a new brand. The logo looks clean, including a circle with a river flowing through a canyon, the words Moffat county, and the date that Moffat county was established, nineteen eleven. Primary turnout has been low in Moffat county this year, with only twenty-three percent of folks turning in ballots. Amanda Tomlinson, the Clerk and Recorders office chief deputy said that twenty-three percent for a primary isn’t a bad number, though they anticipated more with this being the first year that unaffiliated voters could automatically participate. The Memorial Regional Continue reading →

There has been a break-in at the Craig Pool complex. It happened sometime after 10 p.m. Tuesday, before 6 in the morning on Wednesday. Here’s Captain Bill Leonard with Craig Police.

Captain Leonard also says a city vehicle was also damaged. Anyone with information is asked to call Craig Police at 970-824-8111.

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The autopsy report is in on the man who died in Steamboat Lake last Friday. 64-year-old David Bass from Kansas died from drowning. Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg says there weren’t any heart issues and that Bass was a healthy man. He had gone into the water to get a boat that started drifting away. He went under and never came back up.

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Moffat County United Way has received a $15,000 grant from Operation RoundUp. It’s part of a project with Yampa Valley Electric. The money will go to the Community Impact Program and the Bridges Out of Poverty initiative, which means education classes offered to different groups including social services, local law enforcement, elected officials, non-profits, businesses, and school district employees. Those interested in taking some of the classes can email Kristen@UnitedWayMoffat.org One of the ways money is raised in Operation Round Up by Yampa Valley Electric is members have the option to round up their bills to the nearest dollar each month, and that extra money is granted to community organizations each year.

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A suspected water main break in the 1600 block of 7^th Street Sunday afternoon created hazards for drivers, and water backed up on city streets, including at the intersection of Victory Way and Finley Lane.

A 73-year-old Craig woman was taken to a Denver hospital Friday, after a fire in her home at the Rams Horn Mobile Home Park. Delite Klinkhammer was the only one home, and suffered severe smoke inhalation, and some minor cuts from being pulled through the window to get out. Moffat County Sheriff KC Hume says the fire was in a chair in the living room, and caused by unattended smoking materials. The family had been planning to move Klinkhammer to assisted living. Now she’ll go from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility this week.

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A Craig man has been sentenced to 13 years to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections. 39-year-old Johnnie Ellifritz was found guilty by a jury of three felony counts of sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse, two charges of sexual assault on a child under 15 years old, and one misdemeanor count of sexual assault. District Attorney Brett Barkey says the sentence will ensure Elliftiz cannot do this to any other children because Ellifritz will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

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At least seven wildfires are burning throughout Colorado, and at least 3,500 homes have had to be evacuated. The wildfire danger is rated as extreme or very high across most of the state, including Moffat County. Smaller fires have been reported in Moffat County, but nothing in Routt County. Yet. Mo Demorat heads up the Routt County Office of Emergency Management.

Demorat says to register for the local public alert system through the www.MoffatCountySheriff.com website. Look for the Code Red button. The link in Routt County is www.RouttCountyAlerts.com He adds to be aware of your surroundings and the weather conditions. If you see smoke, report it right away to Moffat County dispatch.

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Multiple wildfires are burning across the state, including about 30 miles north of Craig, near milepost 115. Colorado Highway 13 is closed because of it. The fire started in Sagebrush. Moffat County Sheriff’s Officers are there, as are Craig Fire/Rescue, CDot, and Bureau of Land Management.

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A small brush fire was quickly put out Sunday, near the Craig Airport. It happened on the north side of Colorado Highway 394, about four miles south of Craig. The fire burned less than an acre and was under control in about 15 minutes. No one was hurt, and no structures were burned. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office.

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A woman from New Mexico is still in the Moffat County Jail, after allegedly stealing a car. A customer at Stockmen’s Liquor called police saying their car was gone from the parking lot. The caller said the keys had been left in the car, and that a woman apparently got in the car and drove away. Police found the car, and the woman, and she was arrested. 36-year-old Desiray Sanchez was charged with aggravated motor vehicle theft, and criminal trespass, and misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and obstructing a peace officer.

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Northwest Colorado Health will soon be owning, instead of renting, their facility on Russell Street, which is leased from Memorial Regional Health. Northwest Colorado Health is receiving a loan for $682,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make the purchase. It is part of the master plan for Memorial Regional Health to create a standalone urgent care clinic. It’s now open, near Walmart. The USDA loan was also given to Memorial Regional Health to finance the $29 million dollar construction project of the new medical office building next to the hospital, which is under construction. The USDA is investing $243 million in rural community facility improvements in 22 states.

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A big road project starts this Monday. Colorado Department of Transportation and contractor United Companies starts a fog and chip seal project on Colorado Highway 13, between Rifle and Meeker. Work will be done from mile post 20 to 37, from 7 in the morning to 7 at night, Monday through Friday, through the end of July. It’s a $1.25 million project. Traffic will be one lane, and drivers can expect 20-minute delays.

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