When a child is stricken with a deadly, little-known disease, the home can suddenly feel like a lost sailboat in a stormy sea. Waves of emotion overwhelm what had been a serene, happy place, and each family member faces challenges of how to move forward.

News of the diagnosis can take everyone off-guard, including the parents. Knowing their role is to always be in control, they find their world turned upside-down. But somehow, they must cope and help the terminally ill child and the siblings do the same.

For the second consecutive year, the Elbert County Sheriff's Office Foundation is holding a fundraising dinner in support of the brave men and women of the Elbert County Sheriff's Office in the event they are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty. 
The evening will include dinner, drinks, live and silent auctions, along with dancing to music provided by John Hillmann. Activities will be taking place March 10 at the Elbert County fairgrounds exhibit building. A cash bar will open at 5:00 p.m., will dinner to follow at 6:00 p.m.

Jeffery Vincent, an Arapahoe County Sheriff’s deputy, was sentenced this week to a year of probation after being found guilty of driving under the influence and prohibited use of a weapon.

“Vincent made a bad decision,” Deputy District Attorney Francisco Martinez told the court. He asked the court to sentence Vincent to probation. 

“Vincent should not allow this case to define him,” Martinez said, “but rather learn from it as he moves forward.”

The incident began January 3, 2017, when a fellow deputy reported that he suspected Vincent, 45, was intoxicated on duty.

The Rocky Mountain Region of the USDA Forest Service has announced the availability of 300 temporary jobs in a variety of occupations for the 2018 field season throughout national forests and grasslands in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Temporary jobs are available for trails, forestry, engineering, wildlife, recreation, fisheries, archaeology and administrative support.

The Bureau of Land Management’s Royal Gorge Field Office is seeking public comments on its draft environmental assessment (EA) on a proposal  to add new motorized and non-motorized trails to the Fourmile Trail System outside Buena Vista.

 “The public lands in the area have fantastic recreation opportunities for locals and visitors alike,” said BLM Royal Gorge Field Manager Keith Berger. “BLM strives to be a good neighbor and we would like to hear from the community about why the proposed trails are important to them, as well as any potential concerns with building them.”

The Federal grazing fee for 2018 will be $1.41 per animal unit month (AUM) for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and $1.41 per head month (HM) for lands managed by the USDA Forest Service.  The 2017 public land grazing fee was $1.87.

ATTENTION

KIOWA COUNTY RESIDENTS

BEFORE CONDUCTING ANY CONTROLLED BURNS YOU MUST APPLY FOR A BURN PERMIT AT THE KIOWA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OFFICE.  FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 719-438-5810.

ONCE A PERMIT IS ACQUIRED AND PRIOR TO EACH PERMITTED BURN YOU MUST NOTIFY THE KIOWA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE AT 719-438-5411.

As the 2018 crop production season begins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season.

Highway underpasses and overpasses built for wildlife are significantly reducing the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions on roadways throughout Colorado. Recent work in southwest Colorado is helping to make even more roads safer in this corner of the state.