LOCAL NEWS: The identities of individuals involved in a fatal accident on U.S. 50 and Pioneer Road in Delta County are slow to surface. According to information from the Colorado State Patrol, a 52 year old woman from Delta pulled her Jeep Cherokee in front of an oncoming Ford F-350 headed toward Delta around 6 pm last Wednesday evening. The Ford pickup struck the Jeep on the driver's side door sending the vehicle across the highway, and off the road. The pickup, driven by a Cedaredge resident, then traveled into the median. Authorities say the Jeep's driver was killed by the impact while her passenger and the Ford's driver sustained minor injuries. Officials say all three were wearing seat belts and that drugs, alcohol and the weather were not suspected factors.
Last Tuesday December 2nd while our region was experiencing its first major snow storm of the season a loaded coal train running along the Gunnison River hit a large boulder and derailed into frigid waters. The trains' front two locomotives derailed and tipped over into the Gunnison River, approximately 7 miles upstream from Whitewater, within the Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area. Two Union Pacific employees were rescued from the toppled locomotives and were transported to the hospital in Grand Junction, cold, but uninjured. In a special report, KVNF's Brody Wilson will bring us more detail on the derailment, and the environmental impact in tomorrow's newscast.
MONTROSE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Last week's Montrose Board of County Commissioners was an eventful one including the swearing in of Kirstin Copeland and the return of Sue Hansen to the board chair.
SURFACE CREEK ANGEL TREE: Peggy Bathie, along with her daughter Heather McGovern, run the Surface Creek Angel Tree. The hope giving program has been providing holiday joy to Surface Creek families for over 40 years. For the past ten years Bathie and McGovern have been helping to provide gifts at Christmas time for families in need.
The annual project operates under non-profit Cedar Harbor and was honored recently with a grant from the Surface Creek Community Fund to keep hope flowing to families during the holidays. Angel Tree also relies on individual donations and community participation.
