Moffat County is now officially a “Sanctuary County.” It has to do with protecting the rights of the Second Amendment. It came about because a bill has been proposed in Denver that would allow courts to issue temporary extreme risk protection orders and take guns from someone who poses a risk to themselves or others. The Moffat County Board of County Commissioners says no. They’ve passed a resolution saying they won’t support an attempt by Colorado’s Legislature to curb Second Amendment rights in any way.

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A bill is making its way through congress that would help better understand, and hopefully stop the spread of chronic wasting disease in deer, elk, and moose. U.S. Michael Bennet of Colorado says it’s a critical issue, threatening parts of Colorado’s outdoor economy and way of life. Senator Cory Gardner is also backing the bill. Testing for the disease in deer is mandatory in some parts of Colorado.

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A 2.9 million dollar bridge project starts soon in Hayden and Craig. Two bridges are along Highway 40 in Hayden. Another bridge is along Highway 40 in Craig, and then on Highway 394 in Craig. Water has washed away some of the soil that the bridges rely on for support. New waterproof materials will be added to the structures. There will be some single-lane closures and 10-minute delays. Work on the bridges in Craig will start this month, and run through July. The repairs to the bridges in Hayden will be from July to September.

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Watch for wildlife along Colorado roadways this winter, especially wild horses along Colorado Highway 318. The Moffat County Sheriff’s Officers have found a dead mare, while on patrol in mid-February. It was in the Sand Wash Wild Horse Management area, about 45 miles northwest of Craig. The body of the horse, which was named Kitty Norville, and also Nakoma, was moved off of the roadway. They don’t think the horse was shot, and no one reported an accident with a horse on the road, so they aren’t sure how the horse died. The Craig Press reports that CDOT and the Bureau of Land Management are working on a way to keep the area safer, since horses can be on the highway there.

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A bill being debated by Colorado lawmakers would let courts issue a temporary extreme risk protection order. That means guns could be taken from people who pose a risk to themselves or others. It’s called HB 19-1177. Family members or law enforcement could ask the court to take away someone’s guns for up to 14 days, if that person is thought to be a threat. It’s being called the “red flag” bill. Lawmakers say the proposed bill is a way to report risk before people cause harm. Also, suicide is the leading type of gun death in the United States. Colorado lost 1,175 people to suicide in 2017. Routt County Sheriff Garrett Wiggins says it’s a good concept but he worries about how to implement it, and about the burden of proof. Ken Constantine owns Elk River Guns in Routt County. He says he would be concerned about upset family members filing a false protection order.

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The cause of death for Frank Yoast has come back. The longtime resident of Craig died of hypothermia. He had been snowmobiling by himself in the backcountry when his snowmobile broke down near Dunckley Pass west of Yampa.

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An elk sits in the snow in Steamboat Springs. Photo courtesy Shannon Lukens.

Hunters in Colorado and Utah are being asked to watch out for Chronic Wasting Disease in deer, elk and moose. It has spread to 24 states. Infected animals look tired and thin, have droopy ears, have salivate excessively, and eventually die. The Vernal Express reports that confirmed cases have been spotted in Vernal and Moab, Utah. Hunters should not take meat from an animal they think might be sick and infected. Then report that animal immediately. Continue reading →

A man from Craig has died. Routt County Search and Rescue found the body of 64-year-old Frank Yoast near Dunckley Pass, west of Yampa. He had been snowmobiling in the backcountry by himself. Officials think Yoast died of natural causes. Someone from Hayden Road and Bridge saw the man’s trailer and truck, and it had been parked for several days. The search started and Yoast was found, but not his snowmobile. Rescue volunteers kept walking and eventually found it. They think the snowmobile broke down and Yoast started to walk about when he collapsed in the snow and died. Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg is conducting an autopsy today.

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Triple Crown Sports wants to use the baseball diamonds at Emerald Park this summer. They’ll be asking Steamboat Springs City Council for an amendment to Triple Crown’s contract with the city at this Tuesday’s meeting. They are hoping to use the fields in Steamboat because two baseball fields at Hayden Elementary School will be out of commission this summer as the school district there starts building a new school. Triple Crown uses the ball fields in Steamboat, Hayden, and Craig.

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A couple from Moffat County died in a plane crash last Friday in Nevada. 72-year-old Phillip Bethell and 66-year-old Linda Bethell were the only two in the small plane. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash which happened in a place called the “Nevada Triangle.”

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Hayden Tigers. Photo courtesy Shannon Lukens.

Hayden schools are moving to a four-day school week, starting during the upcoming school year. The Hayden School District Board of Education voted unanimously to move to the four-day week. About 58 percent of Colorado’s 178 districts have gone to four-day weeks, the majority of which are in rural areas.

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Be aware of scam phone calls, and robo calls, which are mostly illegal. One of the biggest scams right now is people say they’re calling from the Social Security Administration and you owe money. You don’t. Last year, 35,000 people were scammed and they lost over $10 million dollars. It’s even more convincing because of “neighbor spoofing,” where the callers make it look like a local call. It isn’t. Remember that the IRS will never call you demanding payment of anything. Never give your credit card or debit card number over the phone. Call the police if you have any doubts. And if you do get a strange call, block that number from calling you again.

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