across Colorado

As Coloradans prepare for Fourth of July barbecues, parties and festivities, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies are teaming up to keep impaired drivers off the road. Law enforcement from 88 agencies across the state will be out with increased patrols, saturation patrols or checkpoints for the Fourth of July DUI enforcement period, which runs from Friday, June 29, through Thursday, July 5 as part of CDOT's The Heat Is On campaign. 

Lack of rain and increasing summer temperatures contributed to worsening drought conditions in central and southwest Colorado over the past week.

Severe drought expanded north across northern Fremont and southern Chaffee, Park and Teller counties, while extreme conditions also advanced to cover Custer and Pueblo counties, along with southern Fremont and El Paso counties. Extreme drought also spread in Delta and Mesa counties.

Beginning this weekend, people living the Gunnison Valley and in southwestern Colorado will have a new way to travel to Denver, Grand Junction and other locations, including areas along the Front Range beginning next week. 

Saturday, June 30, the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) existing Bustang service is expanding to serve the communities along U.S. 160, Colorado 145, U.S. 550 and U.S 50 between Durango and Grand Junction. 

Anglers can vie for $5,000 in cash prizes and actively participate in an important wildlife-management activity at this year's Fourth Annual Smallmouth Bass Tournament at Ridgway State Park, July 7-28. The tournament is sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

No tournament entry fee is required, and the more smallmouth bass anglers catch and keep the better their chances of winning prizes. Anyone 16 years and older must have a Colorado fishing license to participate.

• USDA Update - June 23, 2018
• Cooking at Home - Farmers Market Gazpacho
• Birthdays & Anniversaries
• Obituary - Lola "Bambi" Conner

Note: Week-long Elkhead Reservoir fishing tournament begins June 23.

Conditions Report - Statewide

Rivers and Creeks

Southeast Colorado counties along the border with Kansas saw some improvement in drought conditions over the past week.

Eastern Baca, Prowers and Kiowa counties saw extreme drought pull away from the border, dropping to severe conditions. A narrow portion of north central Kiowa County along with parts of southern Cheyenne County moved to moderate drought from severe conditions. A similar improvement was also noted in central Lincoln County.

The fee for a driver license is set to increase by $1 to $28 July 1, 2018, in accordance with Colorado law.

The fee increase is intended to offset the cost of providing driver services and is the last of three increases under the current law. Fees have increased by $1 each year since 2015 according to the Colorado Department of Revenue. 

Eligible Coloradans are encouraged to "Skip the Trip" and renew their licenses online, which is one of 19 services available at mydmv.colorado.gov

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has ordered flags be lowered to half-staff statewide on all public buildings from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, June 24, 2018, in honor of West Metro Fire Protection District Engineer Aaron Lybarger.  

Lybarger, 47, served with the West Metro Fire Protection District since 1992. He died on June 2, 2018, of esophageal and stomach cancer caused by on-the-job exposures.

The Governor's Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) has released its quarterly economic and revenue forecast.