San Luis Valley News
News and information from around the San Luis Valley
July 22, 2010 Costilla County Sheriff to Provide
San Luis Police Services
Due to a city budget deficit, the town of San Luis,
population 739, has laid off its police force of 5 part-time officers, police
chief and maintenance staff. Sales tax revenue and property tax revenue
are both down due to the slow economy. The town's board of trustees has
signed an agreement giving the Costilla County Sheriff the authority to provide
police coverage to the town, including patrol services and criminal
investigations. Another decision to rehire the police force will be made
once the budget deficit is cleared, hopefully by the end of the year.
March 2010 Weather Spotters Wanted in
Southern Colorado
The National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office
(WFO) is looking for additional weather spotters in southern Colorado. During winter season, these citizen volunteers are asked to primarily report snow depth and occurrences of ice, wind, and fog, and during the warm season, severe weather conditions such as
severe thunderstorms, large hail, heavy rain, flash floods, high winds and tornados, etc. and directly report them to the weather service in Pueblo via their toll-free number.
No special skills are needed. SKYWARN training is available. Useful
equipment includes a ruler or yardstick to measure snow depth and hail diameter,
wind gauge, rain gauge, weather log book, weather radio, and a good observation
point. If you are interested in being a weather spotter please call NWS at
719-948-3371 (Pueblo) or 719-589-3232 (Alamosa). For more information
visit www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/?n=/wcm/spotters.php.
Free Weather
Spotter Field Guide.
January 2, 2010 Colorado "Regulate
Medical Marijuana" Act
State Senator Chris Romer is working on a "Regulate
Medical Marijuana" Act, to be proposed to the Colorado legislature.
Licenses are proposed for medical marijuana clinics that dispense marijuana to
patients with doctor approval, and to medical marijuana grower operations.
Medical marijuana would be required to be grown in Colorado. One estimate
is that Colorado farmers could grow the medicine crop, with 5,000 plants per
acre, yielding 1 pound per plant, at $3,000 per pound, valued at $15 million
per acre! The current draft of the act prohibits growing the crop
within 20 miles of the state border. This would exclude a large portion of
the San Luis Valley near New Mexico. Years ago, marijuana was a legal
crop, with crop advice provided by the US Department of Agriculture.
December 30, 2009 Colorado Resources to
Help You Quit Smoking
Make a resolution to quit smoking and there are some free and low
cost resources to help you save money, save your health and save your
life. The Colorado Tobacco Education and Prevention Alliance (CTEPA) and
the Latino Statewide Tobacco Prevention and Education Network (LSTPEN) want you
to know about the resources available to Colorado residents that use
tobacco. Programs include the free Colorado Quit Line (1-800-QUIT-NOW)
with coaching support in English and Spanish and nicotine patches.
Medicaid also offers low cost stop-smoking medications. An estimated 18%
of Colorado residents are smokers, costing the state more than $1.3 billion per
year in health care expenses. Stop smoking. Call for help.
Read
the full press release
December 2009 Family Dollar Store Grand Opening
on January 14th in San Luis
Low priced national retailer, Family Dollar, plans to open
their new 8,000 square foot store on Main Street in San Luis on January 14th. Started in 1959,
the chain currently is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It has over 6,600
stores in 44 states. (See FamilyDollar
website)
October 7, 2009 Western Wild Horses May Be Moved
East
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is proposing to move wild horses
– for many an iconic image of the wildness of the West – to controlled
preserves in the East or Midwest. More than 33,000 wild horses live in 10
Western states, where they have no natural predators.
Article
Link from NewWest.net online news source
September 4, 2009 Viaero Wireless to Install 3
Cell Phone Towers Near La Veta
Huerfano County Commissioners approved 3 new cell phone towers
near La Veta that will improve cell phone service in
Huerfano, Custer and Las Animas counties, and the San Luis Valley. The La
Veta guy wired tower will be 120 feet high, northwest of La Veta airstrip, .4
miles from Highway 160. The Sangre guy-wired tower, near Old La Veta Pass,
will be 185 feet high, off Highway 160 (see map for tower
site). A "strong" tower,
without guy wires, will be 185 feet high, along Highway 69, near Badito,
northwest of Walsenburg. The towers may each hold up to 6 microwave dish
antennas, each 6 feet in diameter. Construction is planned to be completed
before winter. Viaero is a roaming service partner for AT&T and
T-Mobile. Broadband Internet service is also being considered by the Fort Morgan based
company that provides wireless services to rural areas. www.viaero.com
September 2, 2009 Family Dollar Store Coming to
San Luis
Low priced national retailer, Family Dollar, plans to build a
new 8,000 square foot store on one acre on Main Street in San Luis.
Construction should start soon and take about 120 days. Started in 1959,
the chain currently is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It has over 6,600
stores in 44 states. (See FamilyDollar
website)
September 1, 2009 Valley-Wide Health Systems
Closes Old Health Clinic in San Luis
The old San Luis health clinic, built in 1957, has closed.
A new health clinic was built last year, but will not be operational for months
until Medicare licensing is approved. Meanwhile patients will need to
travel to Alamosa or elsewhere for medical services. Valley-Wide may bring
in a mobile health clinic, if funds and staff are available.
August 17, 2009 UnitedHealthcare Launches Rural Telehealth Program
Connected Care Telehealth uses
advanced two-way audio, video and medical equipment technology to connect
patients in rural areas with physicians and specialists located many miles
away. Equipment will be installed initially in early 2010 at 4 rural
health clinics to be selected. Eventually may be available for in-home use for a
high-tech "house call". Read Connected
Care article (See video
section for Connected Care demonstration)
Follow-up: November 28, 2009 Buena
Vista, Del Norte, Lamar and Leadville chosen as pilot Telehealth sites.
August 12, 2009 Excellent 2009 Potato Harvest for
San Luis Valley
Near ideal weather this season has helped to produce an excellent potato crop
that will be harvested soon from 56,000 acres. Peak shipments should occur
in mid-September. Recent USDA reported prices were $14 per 50-lb carton
for Idaho russet 40-70s, down from $22 last year.
Article
Link The Packer
July 20, 2009 Colorado accepting grant
applications for rural broadband internet
The state will accept the applications
until August 14. The applications will help Colorado get its share of
more than $7 billion in federal stimulus money designed to improve the
nation’s high-speed internet infrastructure. The announcement last week
is only one of several efforts that the state is making to attract as much money
as it can from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA).
The state is promising to give priority to applications that provide internet
services to community anchor institutions such as schools, libraries and medical
providers, use existing infrastructure, enhance internet services to underserved
areas, and show long-term sustainability.
Press
Release Announcing Federal Grant Applications for Broadband Internet in Colorado
Broadband
Internet Grant Public Meetings, streaming videos from Denver
Connect
Colorado, non-profit working to bring broadband Internet service to
all areas of Colorado
July 1, 2009 Colorado Water Laws Permit Rain Water Collection in Rural Areas-
New water laws effective on July 1, 2009 now
permit limited rain water collection on residential properties in rural areas.
See Colorado
Rain Water Collection Laws. (So far, 2009 has been a very good
year for spring run off, precipitation and recharging of well levels, lakes,
reservoirs and the aquifer in the Rio Grande Water Conservation District.)
July 2009 US Highway 160 Resurfacing, east of Alamosa-
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) started a 7-mile long
resurfacing project on US 160, east of Alamosa, on July 13, with a
scheduled completion date of September 21. The section runs from
mile point 233, just west of SH 17, to mile point 240. Motorists will
encounter single-lane, alternating traffic from 8 am to 7 pm, Monday through
Thursday, (and some Friday work). 20 minute delays possible.
Funding is from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). For
more information, visit www.cotrip.org.
Please drive safely and "slow for the cone zone".
July 2009 Second Runway Under Study at Taos Regional Airport-
www.taosairport.org
A draft version of an environmental impact report is being written in July 2009
to study construction of a second runway at Taos Regional Airport. A new
east-west runway would reduce safety concerns of crosswinds. Winds
frequently blow perpendicular to the existing north-south runway, sometimes
making landings challenging. Hearings and comment periods will follow
before the FAA makes a final decision.
July 2009 Four Solar Energy Study Areas in San Luis Valley-
The US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are
studying four areas on BLM lands in southern Colorado for utility-scale solar
energy development. Some of the study areas may become solar energy zones
in the future. The public comment period ends on July 30,
2009. Map of Colorado
solar energy study areas.
WildHorseMesaColorado.com