There were fewer than 8,000 ballots cast out of over 22,000 active Delta County voters in Tuesday’s special district election. 6A, Delta Health’s new 0.8 percent sales tax, passed with 58 percent of the vote. Bruce Mixter, Douglas Speedie and Tammy Smith, were re-elected to the Hospital Board. Voters chose three new North Fork Pool, Park and Recreation District Board members, Rebecca Ela, Michelle Lee Pagone, and Daniel Ihnot. The winners of the Fire Protection Board election were Daniel Cano Jr., Fay Matthews, and R. Todd Queen. Next up, primaries on June 28th.
Somerset will receive more than 90 thousand dollars from the Colorado River District to modernize the town’s water supply. Residents there have historically relied on the owners of the Oxbow Coal mine to provide drinking water, with management by a locally elected water board. That’s led to disputes with mine operators going back to the early 90s. The Oxbow mine closed in 2013 and mine operators have since been putting pressure on Somerset to assume full control of the water system. Modernizing water treatment operations will mean fixing an aging and leaking raw water storage tank, installing filters, and launching a new computer system for monitoring and automation.
The Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest body of water in the state of Colorado. But hydrologists say this years’ spring runoff will only fill the reservoir halfway, according to Crested Butte News. Water Conservancy District board member Kathleen Curry told Gunnison County Commissioners last week she estimates the Blue Mesa Reservoir might fill to a peak of just 400-thousand acre-feet instead of the target 800 thousand.
The Montrose County Fair and Rodeo board has decided to cancel the in-person poultry show this year to curb the spread of bird flu. The Board, along with the Junior Livestock Committee, and the Fair’s Poultry Superintendent decided members have the option to showcase their project as a poster board about their poultry, and have an opportunity to interview with a judge, reports the Montrose Press. A Delta Correctional facility inmate tested positive for influenza A, linked to his work at a poultry facility.
An auction of old Montrose High School Indians memorabilia and uniforms raised over $22,000 dollars. The red totem pole adjacent to the football field was the priciest item. Montrose Press reports all items with the former logos will be removed by June 1 to comply with the new state law banning Native American mascots.
When’s the last time you sent a fax? Medical facilities routinely use antiquated technology to send medical records. Kate Redmond spoke with a CEO who seeks to change that.
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For many years Colorado social service agencies have been desperately seeking foster parents. We simply don’t have enough certified foster families to care for all the kids who need a home. Ariel Clinical Services is one of the groups working to solve this problem. They have offices in Delta and Grand Junction as well as on the Front Range. Kathy McCoy handles marketing, recruitment and retention on the western slope and I spoke to her via Zoom in Grand Junction to learn more.
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