Listen to interviews from Rio Blanco County commissioner candidates Mona Avey and Ty Gates.

Budget, economic development, transparency and more.

Listen to interviews from Rio Blanco County commissioner candidates Mona Avey and Ty Gates.

Budget, economic development, transparency and more.

This week's cover photo by Sophia Goedert.

Transcript:

Here’s your weekly update for the June 4 edition of the Rio Blanco Herald Times

Weather this weekend will follow the usual Colorado pattern with a mix of conditions including rain Saturday with quite a bit of wind to follow on Sunday.

Here’s hoping the sun shines for several events planned, including Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District’s annual fishing derby at Kenney Reservoir and the Canyon Pintado Hill Climb Race outside of Rangely. Both events will take place Saturday and Sunday. More details on Page 1A.

In Meeker, the Class of 2020 will be celebrated for their accomplishments at Ute Park in a socially distanced drive-in ceremony Saturday night. You must have a ticket to attend the ceremony in person, but the HT will be streaming it live on Meeker High School’s Facebook page. Events will begin at 8:15 p.m.

Rio Blanco County’s mountain passes are now open, including Ripple Creek Pass, South Fork and Marvine roads. If you can’t get away to the mountains, check out a short video of the Trappers Lake area on page 1B using the free Zappar app, or watch it on our YouTube channel.

The Meeker Summer Rodeo Series begins June 11. Admission is free. Physical distancing and other restrictions are in place to help prevent community transmission of COVID-19

Colorado Northwestern Community College is now part of the Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree program created by the Colorado Community College System. This means students who pursue an associate’s degree at CNCC could be guaranteed admission to several Colorado universities. More info. On Page 7A.

Plan for delays on Highways 64 and 13 this summer as extended road work projects begin. Details on Page 2A.

And finally, the Meeker Mustang Makeover will return to the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds September 11. Trainers from Meeker, Rangely and surrounding areas will have 100 days to train their wild mustangs. The Wood family of Meeker is back for a second year of competition and Joe Wood had this to say:

*sound bite*

You can find our story and access a full video with the trainers through the zapcode on Page 1A.

The HT will be hosting one more coronavirus Q&A this Friday on Facebook with Public Health Director Alice Harvey. We will begin the broadcast at 7 p.m.

Here’s a little piece of wisdom from the past, widely attributed to Aristotle on the internet, but actually from American writer Elbert Hubbard:

“To avoid criticism: do nothing, be nothing, say nothing.”

There’s our highlights for the week of June 4, 2020. Find the rest of the stories in print and online at ht1885.com, and subscribe to this podcast in your favorite app.

Thank you for supporting community journalism.

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This week’s music:

Moodswing by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Based on a work at http://soundofpicture.com

Transcript:

Hello and thanks for listening to Rio Blanco County News. Here are highlights for the week of May 28, 2020.

First up, your weekend weather. Toasty temps are expected this weekend, up into the 80s with partly cloudy skies.

The pop-up driver’s license office will be open June 11 and 12 in Meeker, but you must make an appointment in advance. Call 720-295-2965 to schedule.

Heads up, Mesa residents and Meeker golfers. The 10th Street Bridge will be temporarily closed Monday, June 1 and possibly Tuesday, June 2 while the Town of Meeker completes a water line replacement project. The alternate route via County Road 8 is about 15 minutes longer, so plan accordingly.

Hummingbirds have returned to Rio Blanco County and are looking for their sugar fix. Did you know these sassy birds consume half their weight in sugar every day? (Kind of like how we’re all doing during shutdown.)

Maybe all that sugar contributes to their heart rate, which is 1,200 beats per minute, 20 times faster than a human heart at rest. This allows them to zoom through the air at speeds up to 30 miles per hour, forwards and backwards. They are the only birds who can fly backwards.

Make your own hummingbird food at home by bringing four cups of water and one cup of granulated sugar to a boil. Once the sugar dissolves, remove from heat and let cool, then fill your feeders. Red food dye isn’t necessary.

Commissioners have approved event plans for the Meeker Summer Rodeo Series, Rangely Hill Climb Races and Range Call, with restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. Details are still in the works, including safety guidelines for concessions and the number of spectators allowed. More county business on page 2A.

2020 has not been anyone’s year thus far. Pandemics, murder hornets, and now … aliens?

You may have seen a mysterious flying object over Meeker Tuesday, but fear not. The item, captured on film by local photographer Kim Ekstrom, turned out to be a rogue tent, which came in for a landing near Gofer Foods on Market Street. Check out the photo on page 1A.

Rangely graduates were launched into adulthood Saturday, May 23, with a socially distanced ceremony at Rangely Junior Senior High School, followed by a parade through town. Congratulations, class of 2020! Find photos on PAGE 7A.

It’s no secret mental health help is hard to come by in rural areas, but Colorado Crisis Services is offering a lifeline if you or someone you know is struggling. Call or text for free, confidential counseling support 24/7. The phone number is 1-844-493-8255, or you can text TALK to 38255. More information is available on page 1A.

That’s it for the May 28 edition. CHeck out the rest of the stories in print and online at ht1885.com

Thank you for supporting community journalism.

Community news from the May 21st edition of the Rio Blanco Herald Times.

This is your weekly update from the Rio Blanco Herald Times.

Weekend weather is supposed to be cloudy, but warm, up into the 70s and maybe even 80s on Sunday.

Industrious honeybees and other pollinators are enjoying the warmer weather. They are hard at work, ensuring not only food for themselves but a healthy ecosystem for us. Local beekeeper Carrie Swails told the HT, “the best way to be a friend to bees in the spring is to not use weed killers with pesticides in them. One tiny bit of pollen with pesticides on it can be brought back to a hive and can kill the entire hive in less than 24 hours.”

So let those dandelions brighten up your yard this spring, instead of spraying them. It’s for the bees.

Matt Scoggins shares his story after a serious bike accident left him with a laundry list of injuries, including 11 rib fractures, three broken vertebrae and a collapsed lung. Scoggins credits his helmet with saving his life. That story on Page 1A.

A trio of baby bears have gained a bit of celebrity after residents reported sighting them with their mother up County Road 8. It’s a great idea to give bears their distance all the time, but especially during this time of year. Photos of the triplets, courtesy of Justin Davis, are on page 1B.

A mill levy increase for the Douglas Creek Conservation District brought out 53% of voters, and results were so close it triggered a recount. The increase fell by just two votes, with 62 in favor and 64 opposed.

The State of Colorado approved nearly all of Rio Blanco County’s variance requests to the safer at home orders currently in place, however, commissioners are still looking to “get out ahead” of coming health orders when the state safer at home mandates expire on May 26. Of specific concern to the commissioners is whether the county will be able to host Range Call over the Fourth of July. More on Page 1A

RBC Public Health is offering free testing if you think you may have COVID-19. You can call 970-878-9520 in Meeker and 970-620-3969 in Rangely to see if testing is indicated by your symptoms. No insurance is required.

The prevalence of chronic wasting disease is increasing in Colorado herds. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 33 of 54 deer herds, 14 of 43 elk herds and 2 of 9 moose herds have all had positive test results. More on page 1B.

The HT is honored to have received ten awards in the Colorado Press Association’s statewide contest, as well as receiving the Service to the First award, considered to be one of the most prestigious in the state. We’ll be publishing a recap of the award-winning pieces on our website soon, so stay tuned.

This week’s fun fact: the average person will scroll through up to 300 feet per day on their smartphone.

In 100 days, you’ll have scrolled approximately the height of Mount Everest, with just your thumbs.

You decide if that’s awesome or terrifying.

That’s it for this week. Be sure to check out the rest of the stories in the May 14 edition, in print and online at ht1885.com.

Thank you for supporting community journalism.

The sounds, sights and smells of agriculture are always present in our rural area, but never more so than when the sheep drive comes around.

More than 3,000 pregnant merino sheep from the Theos Swallow Fork Ranch made their way down the main drag in Meeker Tuesday, on the way to summer pasture upriver.

You can watch a video of the full procession on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Two young Rangely residents were heralded as heroes last week after discovering and reporting a stash of stolen guns. Logan Popham and Warren Peterson were out hiking with family when they found the weapons in a cave near Dragon Trail Road. Rangely Police confirmed the guns are those stolen from Rangely True Value last fall.

Adrienne Wix, a sixth generation White River Valley local, profiles her long journey to an Ehlers’ Danlos diagnosis, and how she is still able to find the bright side. Our story on Page 1A.

A main water line break in Rangely left some residents without water during the first part of this week. Town Manager Lisa Piering reports the line has been repaired as of Wednesday, May 6, but if you received a door hanger asking you to boil Town water, please continue to do so until instructed otherwise.

Police Chief Phil Stubblefield, known locally as “Officer Friendly,” has officially retired. Filling his position will be former sheriff’s deputy Edward Thompson. Find that story on PAGE 7A

Rangely voters passed a new mill levy for the local fire protection district Tuesday. The increase will go into effect in 2021. More election news on page 2A.

Graduation celebrations will look different this year, but the HT is moving ahead with special sections to honor the RHS and MHS Classes of 2020. The sections will be publishing a little later than usual to accommodate adjusted commencement exercises. You can find details on placing a special message in these sections on page 1A.

Weather-wise, here’s your weekend forecast, but don’t expect Colorado weather to cooperate. Last week, we expected partly cloudy skies and temps in the seventies, and ended up with scattered thunderstorms that included dime-sized hail and 40 mile per hour winds.

This week, temperatures should be in the 60s and 70s, with no precipitation in the forecast. Here’s hoping Mother Nature is listening to this podcast.

Speaking of mothers, what are you doing to celebrate your mom this weekend? We’ve included a customizable “Mother’s Day Press” article on page 5B.

All that and more in this week’s May 7 edition, in print and online at ht1885.com

Thank you for supporting community journalism.

This is your weekly update from the Rio Blanco Herald Times.

It will be a beautiful weekend to play outside in Rio Blanco County, with partly cloudy skies and temps in the 70s. Share your best recreation photos with us on Instagram with the hashtag #htsnaps

Confused by the safer-at-home orders? You are not alone. County Public Health Director Alice Harvey has been fielding almost nonstop questions since the new measures were released.

We asked her about the best place to obtain information and recommendations. Here’s what she said.

“Right now what we’re planning to do is continually keep the most recent public health orders posted right at the top at our website, the most recent one. So we’ve got a new tab that says ‘Reopening Guidelines.’ Underneath that is the graphic we created which matches that public health order, so for now, that’s going to be the simplest way for people to get that information. There’s another tab that says specific recommendations by sector so we will continually keep this live so that the most recent recommendations are on our website.”

Read our story on PAGE 1A, and head over to rbc.us for real time updates on the public health orders and what they mean for you or your business.

Rangely Police Department announced the recovery of firearms stolen from Rangely True Value last September. The weapons were discovered by hikers near County Road 23, or Dragon Trail Road. A $10,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest. Call the ATF hotline to place anonymous tips at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (283-4867) or the Rangely Police Department. 970-675-8466.

3D printers in Meeker are being used to create personal protective equipment for health care workers with the help of students Ethan and Joshua Quinn, supervised by their dad Ben, Meeker High School’s art teacher. Both the high school printer and Meeker Library’s MakerBot are printing PPE.

Former Rangely trustee and mayor protem Andy Key was presented with an award for his service at the April 28 town meeting. Rich Garner was appointed to fill Key’s seat.

Meeker resident Pattie Terp has made more than 500 cloth face coverings for residents in the past month. Terp and other super sewers are working hard to provide the community with cloth face masks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Our story is on page 1A.

Rangely resident and blacksmith Jerrod Fiscus will appear in the History Channel’s Forged in Fire series next week. More details, and when to watch, on PAGE 7A.

Westlands has changed hands for about 44 million dollars, according to legal records obtained by the HT. The new managing firms out of New York have ties to former democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.

Enjoy the sunshine this weekend, but hold off on the marshmallow roasting if you head to the mountains. Commissioners have followed the state’s lead in implementing a ban on open fires.

You can now subscribe to Rio Blanco County news on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Google Podcasts and Spotify. Search Rio Blanco Herald Times or Rio Blanco County News.

That’s all for the week of April 30, 2020. More in this week’s edition, in print and online at ht1885.com

Thank you for supporting community journalism.

Your community news update from the Rio Blanco Herald Times for the week of April 23, 2020.

Transcript below:

Weather-wise, expect low sixties and high thirties this weekend with moderate cloud cover. Looking ahead tmps are expected to rise to nearly 80 degrees by next Thursday.

Events planned this weekend include Cruisin’ Main put on by the Rangely Human Resource Council. Come out and cruise Main in your vehicle or OHV this Friday between 7 and 8 p.m. You’ll receive Chamber Bucks to spend at local businesses.

The Meeker Food Bank at Meeker Methodist Church has plenty of supplies available for those in need. The Food Bank is preparing boxes for pick up by appointment only. Call the Methodist Church at 878-5904 to schedule a pick up.

CHSAA, the Colorado High School Activities Association, has canceled all spring sports and events through June 1. It’s a tough blow for senior athletes, but according to a press release, it’s a necessary step for the health and safety of the sports community.

Rio Blanco County is still more than 20 percentage points behind the national and state average for US Census reporting. 40.5 percent of Rangely households have taken the survey and 25.5 percent of households in Meeker have responded. You can complete the census by telephone, 844-330-2020, or online at my2020census.gov. The survey takes about 10 minutes.

In this week’s edition, details on the lifting of the stay-at-home order next week April 26. Restrictions will still be in place.

County Human Services Director Barb Bofinger reports less child abuse and neglect calls have been received during the coronavirus pandemic. This could signal underreporting, as teachers and child care providers are not able to watch over kids who are at risk.

You can report child abuse 24/7 through the Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline. That number is 1-844-CO-4-KIDS.

The stay-at-home order is set to lift next week, but it won’t be business as usual for quite some time. New mandates will highlight individual choices as Colorado enters the next phase of the pandemic response. Our story on PAGE 1A.

Rangely mayor Andy Shaffer will be sworn in for another term April 28, along with trustee incumbents Tyson Hacking and Trey Robie.

In Meeker, mayor of 14 years Regas Halandras passed the torch to Kent Borchard Tuesday. Incumbents Wendy Gutierrez, Travis Day and Melissa Kindall with continue to serve on the board after winning this year’s election.

First responders in Rio Blanco County put on a Sirens of Appreciation Parade over the weekend. The events were meant to honor frontline essential workers and cheer up the community. Find our coverage on page 4B.

Speaking of Rio Blanco County, do you say “Blahnco” or “Blaynco”? We asked Facebookers how they pronounce the county’s name, and results are mixed. Some respondents have stated RBC natives say “Blaynco”. Do you agree? Weigh in on our Facebook page @heraldtimes1885

That’s all for the week of April 23, 2020. More in this week’s edition, in print and online at ht1885.com

Thank you for supporting community journalism.