Based on September 1 conditions, corn production in Colorado is forecast at 174.20 million bushels, according to the September 1 Agricultural Yield Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. This forecast is down 2 percent from the August 1 forecast and down 6 percent from the 185.90 million bushels produced last year. The 1.34 million acres expected to be harvested for grain this year are unchanged from the August 1 forecast and 40,000 acres above the 1.30 million acres harvested a year ago.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has ordered that flags be lowered to half-staff September 17 to honor U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Diobanjo Sanagustin, was died September 4 in Afghanistan supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

Sanagustin, 32, is survived by his wife, son, and parents. He was assigned to B Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson.

Hunting the American Black Bear in Colorado is an experience that’s both thrilling and rewarding. Due to the state’s abundant black bear population, there are plenty of opportunities to secure a trophy or two.

About Colorado’s 2018 Black Bear Hunting Season

The timeline for the 2018 Colorado bear hunting season is as follows:

•      Rifle Limited (by draw): September 2-30 

•      Archery (over-the-counter with caps): September 2-30

My last two roommates have complained about me having an annoying habit: walking around our apartment in my socks, not making a sound, and scaring the… let’s say “daylights” out of them when I enter a shared room like the kitchen. There’s no good reason for them to be scared – it’s just little ol’ me - and I’m in no way trying to time my entrance so that it scares them, but it’s just human nature to jump a mile in their air when something pops up unexpectedly.

Though summer doesn’t officially end until September 22, fall colors are already beginning to appear across the State of Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife invites you to plan your fall excursions, making the most of those fleeting fall colors. Whether you are looking for wildlife viewing, picturesque hiking trails or a scenic foliage drives, Colorado has got it all.

Threatening weather didn't deter a team of six Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists as they fanned out last week across 850 acres of Gary and Georgia Walker's cattle ranch in Pueblo County to distribute plague vaccine hidden inside peanut butter pellets.

Several of the biologists walked miles of transects across active prairie dog colonies where black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced, hand-tossing a pellet every eight yards, while a couple rode ATVs equipped with mechanical pellet shooters.

Conditions for fieldwork were mixed last week, but planting and harvesting activities continued around scattered moisture events early in the week, according to the Mountain Region Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that the Monarch Butterfly is on the brink of extinction? How did we let that happen? -- Alex Degeneres, Cincinnati, OH

Well, the Kiowa County Fair has come and gone for another year. It was a good fair and there were more exhibits than last year. The weather was ideal - not too hot and not too cold. A large crowd was in attendance Friday and Saturday. The parade was great, and the car show was well attended. The Plainview student council members along with a couple of helpers from Eads ran the game booths both days and they were a big hit with the kids.

The first match was a too-close-for-comfort win, and the second was a tense almost-but-not-quite loss. Together, they may have unlocked the potential of a team in need of an awakening.

The Lamar Community College volleyball team played its most impressive and consistent volleyball of the young season during a 4-1 showing at the Blue Mountain Inn & Suites Invitational at Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely, Colorado, over the weekend.