Delta County reports that above average snow levels are expected to keep forest roads, gates and campgrounds closed longer. With winter snow receding and newly sprung spring fever, many forest users are excited to get outside and explore the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Though snow may have thawed from some areas of the GMUG, forest officials are warning that some campgrounds will experience delayed openings and most forest roads are still not accessible and could be impassable for some time due to ice, mud or snow. Forest travel on wet, muddy or snow-covered roads can cause serious resource damage and safety concerns especially if visitors are unprepared. Even a few inches of snow can obscure icy roads and soft shoulders where vehicles can become stuck.
A temporary fix is slated for the sinkhole on CO 133 as North Fork agriculture and businesses worry, reports the Montrose Daily Press. When high water overwhelmed a culvert on Colorado 133 last week, it collapsed the road above, cutting off access between Somerset and Paonia. Although help is on the way in the form of a temporary bridge, the loss of access is affecting agriculture, industry and potentially tourism in the North Fork Valley, not just delaying daily travel. Mine workers are crossing Colorado 133 by foot to waiting shuttles and at least one cattle rancher plans to move his cow-calf operation on foot as well, using the Fire Mountain Canal access road — that will take days, but would spare him the significant cost of hauling them by truck via a 200-mile detour. This is the time of year when cattle and sheep producers move their herds from lower valleys to summer range.
Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was held in contempt of court last Friday for being dishonest to a Mesa County judge about recording in his courtroom. The Daily Sentinel report notes that rather than putting Peters in jail, which could have been up to 6 months, the judge assigned to the case fined her $1,500. The case stemmed from a court hearing last February for her former chief deputy, Belinda Knisley, who at the time was facing burglary and cybercrime charges. At that hearing, Knisley had asked Peters to record the proceedings. During the hearing, the judge overseeing the case heard from three witnesses, including Knisley and her sister, Patty Weaver, who also was in the courtroom that February day and saw Peters recording it. Peters has 45 days to pay the fine.
Last Friday night the City of Delta held its first annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. The night was filled with fun, authentic food, entertainment and live music. KVNF’s Lisa Young was there for this story.
AI Technology is moving at a pace many of us can’t keep up with. The question is not if but when we will start to see large impacts on society. The first annual Artificial Intelligence Film Festival seeks to understand how AI will impact our lives. For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KRCL’s Lara Jones in Salt Lake City recently spoke with two organizers of the Film Festival on Radioactive. Here’s an excerpt from that interview.
