Hurricane Irma, which earlier this week battered U.S. territories Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is expected to hit Florida’s west coast later tonight.

Irma is currently a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds of 125 miles per hour, and is located along the northern coast of Cuba. As it begins to turn northward toward Florida, the storm is expected to re-strengthen. Earlier this week, the storm fluctuated between categories 4 and 5.

This week, Colorado sent nearly 50 people to Florida and Georgia to help with the potential impacts of Hurricane Irma, which is making its way toward the west coast of the state.

Saturday morning, 24 emergency managers departed for Florida in response to a request for assistance from the state ahead of the storm. They will form four teams and head to county emergency operations centers to help oversee the response to expected damage.

UPDATE: Just a few days remain to buy a ticket in the Prairie Pines Assisted Living Center Raffle for your chance to win up to $30,000. Contact any board member or Prairie Pines to purchase your tickets.

The parade has ended. This is a recording previously broadcast. Parade footage starts at 2:43:08 in the video.

A street-level view of parade is also available. Photos from the parade are available on our Facebook page.

One of our most popular features for nearly 17 years - a full-page color photo on the front of the Kiowa County Press showing various impressions of life in Kiowa County and across Colorado.

Copies of the print version of the Kiowa County Press can be purchased each week at Kiowa Healthmart, COOP C-Store in Eads, Haswell Propane, and Thunderbird Petroleum, our at our business office at 1208 Maine Street, Eads.

Shown below - the front page of the September 8, 2017, Kiowa County Press - smokey sunset over the Kiowa County Fairgrounds. Photo by Chris Sorensen.

15 Years Ago

September 6, 2002

Fri Sep 8 
7 pm HS Football Genoa-Hugo @ Eads
Mon Sep 11 
3 pm JH Volleyball @ Granada
HS Volleyball to follow jh
Tues Sep 12 
2:30 pm JH Volleyball @ Alta Vista
Thurs Sep 14
 3 pm JH Volleyball @ Karval

Fri Sep 15 
7 pm HS Football Eads @ Cheraw
Sat Sep 16 
TBA JH Vball Tourney @ Cheyenne Wells
Mon Sep 18 
3 pm JH & HS Vball @ Wiley

Clear Creek Reservoir

Colorado now has three fires burning in the northwest part of the state, with nearly 6,000 acres consumed. The latest fire is in Garfield county, while the remaining fires are located in Routt County.

The latest fire, known as the Himes Peak Fire, is burning inside 2002’s Big Fish Fire perimeter 46 miles east of Meeker.

The blaze was started September 1 by lightning in steep terrain that has a large number of dead and down trees.