'Tis the season for pop-up tents, community gatherings and local foods—farmers’ markets.  The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s 32nd annual Colorado Farm Fresh Directory helps consumers find farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-picks, wineries and agritourism activities.

“When tents start popping up in parking lots, everyone gets excited,” said Wendy White, marketing specialist for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. “We are happy to provide this popular publication to residents and tourists looking to experience Colorado agriculture.”

The Cheyenne-Kiowa-Lincoln Early Childhood Council (CKLECC) has developed the "Fun Tote Program," which was created for children ages 0-8 to provide fun learning tools and activities to support school readiness and the development of important milestones.

There are a variety of tote categories including literacy, social/emotional development, math/science, health, dramatic play, etc. The totes are available to take home and are a great way to increase parent child interaction.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meets at the Pueblo Convention Center, 320 Central Main Street, Pueblo, Colo., June 9 and 10. The meeting is slated to begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, and is scheduled to adjourn at noon, Friday.
Commissioners will receive briefings on a variety of issues, including: updates from CPW Director Bob Broscheid and the Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Lake Pueblo and Mueller State Parks are also slated to present.

Preliminary data indicates that in 2015, cell phones were a contributing factor in 17 fatal Colorado car crashes. With this stat in mind, expect to see law enforcement looking for distracted drivers this weekend. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Colorado State Patrol (CSP) begin a statewide distracted driving enforcement period today, Thursday, June 2, that will run through Sunday, June 5. 

A wildfire is an unplanned, unwanted fire burning in a natural area, such as a forest, grassland, or prairie. There’s a misconception that wildfires only happen in western and the Great Plains states. While wildfires are more common in certain states, they can occur anywhere in the country.

In addition, homes and business are more susceptible to wildfires as building development expands into once forested areas. This is called the wildland urban interface, and this interaction can put individuals at risk for exposure to wildfire.

Playing at a water park, by a lake, or in a pool are all popular summer activities, especially on a hot Colorado day.  Swimming is a great recreational sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, but it’s important to know how to be safe while you’re in the water. The American Red Cross and Safe Kids Worldwide offers these important swimming safety tips you should take into consideration before you head out to the lake or pool:

By Pastor Rich Z

PLANS

“Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.” Proverbs 20:18

By Slim Randles

The real growth of Dewey’s company began after The Weekly Miracle ran that story about his fertilizer empire.

The young reporter might have gone overboard a bit by writing “… with a pure heart, strong arms and a shovel, Dewey Decker pioneered a civilization based on cow manure.”

Maybe just a little…

By Chris Sorensen

Chances of thunderstorms return to Kiowa County for the early part of the week, with the best possibilities occurring Monday afternoon, increasing during the evening up to midnight, and returning with slightly lower risk Tuesday afternoon into the late evening. A slight chance of afternoon and evening showers and continues through Thursday.

Where showers do occur, less than one-tenth of an inch of rain is expected. Higher amounts are possible with thunderstorms.

One of our most popular features from the past 15 years - a full-page color photo on the front of the Kiowa County Press showing various impressions of life in Kiowa County. While a limited number of copies continue to be printed and distributed each week at Kiowa Healthmart, COOP C-Store in Eads, Haswell Propane, and Thunderbird Petroleum, we wanted to bring this feature to our online readers as well.

Shown below - the front page of the June 3, 2016, Kiowa County Press - Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Photo by Jeanne Sorensen.