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Craig briefs: Senior Social Center to host exercise, movie

The Senior Social Center will start offering exercise from noon to 12:30 p.m. Thursdays. Exercises might take place outside depending on the weather. After the exercise, seniors will have BYOL — bring your own lunch — before starting a movie at 1:30 p.m. This week’s movie is “Hidalgo” with Viggo Mortensen.

Flags lowered Wednesday to honor Abraham Lincoln

Gov. John Hickenlooper has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff on all public buildings statewide Wednesday in recognition of a Day of Remembrance for President Abraham Lincoln, and as proclaimed by President Barack Obama. Flags should be lowered from sunrise to sunset.

CDOT prepares drivers for more winter driving

STATEWIDE – A spring storm is on its way, and the Colorado Department of Transportation maintenance personnel are scheduled to go on snow shifts that started Tuesday night, according to a CDOT press release.



Temperatures were expected to drop rapidly after midnight as a cold front moved eastward across the mountains, according to the outlook from Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecasters. Snowfall into this morning should be modest but could intensify and also be accompanied by very strong southwesterly winds.

“Typically, these late spring storms are fast-moving and can ice quickly, catching motorists unprepared,” CDOT Highway Maintenance Director Kyle Lester said in statement. “We’re reminding travelers to check the conditions before heading out, slow down and drive for the conditions.”



Northwest Colorado is expecting high winds with snow concentrated in the mountains and on the mountain passes on and off through the rest of the week. A lot of uncertainty exists with the weather forecast this week, so be alert for changing conditions.

Craig Police Department warns residents of scam

The Craig Police Department was made aware of an unethical practice involving a company out of California called Record Transfer Services, according to a press release.

The company’s mailings appear as an official “Recorded Deed Notice” concerning property owned by a resident of Moffat County. The paperwork advises that for a fee of $83, to be sent by a certain date, residents will obtain a “Current Grand Deed and Property Profile” for the recipient, however, these are public records and can be obtained by property owners themselves at no cost for a nominal fee much lower than the $83.

Although the paperwork sent by this company states that it is “Not a bill,” it does look official in its appearance but is deceptive in nature. The company is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has been the subject of several civil actions in other states. Those receiving such mailings are advised against responding.

Kokanee salmon will be evaluated by CPW

GUNNISON — Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists are keeping a close eye on the fishery at Blue Mesa Reservoir and continue work to rebuild the kokanee salmon population, according to a press release.

On April 2, CPW made the annual release of about 3 million fingerling kokanee from the Roaring Judy Hatchery. Those fish that reach maturity will return to spawn in two to five years. Kokanee at Blue Mesa Reservoir are critically important for CPW’s fishery program statewide. Of any reservoir in Colorado, Blue Mesa produces the largest number of kokanee eggs annually. These eggs are essential for stocking kokanee in 26 waters throughout the state.

The kokanee population has been on a steady decline for the past decade. In the early 2000s, the population was estimated at more than 1 million fish. In 2013, the last time biologists conducted a sonar survey, they found fewer than 200,000 kokanee in the reservoir. Predation by lake trout on kokanee is the major factor in the population decline. Kokanee are the primary prey for lake trout, providing the food source that allows the lake trout to grow to trophy size. And while the kokanee population has declined, the lake trout population has grown significantly.

“Managing the fishery in Blue Mesa is a challenging task because of a variety of factors, Dan Brauch, aquatic biologist in Gunnison, said in a statement. “CPW is working to restore a balance in the fishery.”


Predation of kokanee by lake trout continues to be a major concern for CPW. To encourage harvest of lake trout, CPW regulations allow anglers to keep all of the fish caught that are shorter than 38 inches; anglers can keep one fish longer than 38 inches.
CPW also removes some lake trout in the fall; in 2014, about 2,000 were removed. The vast majority of the fish removed were shorter than than 26 inches in length.

Gas prices jump 3 cents in the state of Colorado

Average retail gasoline prices in Colorado have risen 3.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.24 per gallon Sunday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 2,158 gas outlets in Colorado.

That compares with the national average that has increased 0.5 cents per gallon in the past week to $2.39 per gallon, according to gasoline price gasbuddy.com.

USDA to issue disaster assistance to applicants

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency announced that nearly 2,700 applicants will begin receiving disaster assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program for losses experienced from Oct. 1, 2013, through Sept. 30, 2014, according to a press release.

The program, re-authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, provides disaster relief to livestock, honeybee and farm-raised fish producers not covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs. Eligible losses may include excessive heat or winds, flooding, blizzards, hail, wildfires, lightning strikes, volcanic eruptions and diseases, or in the case of honeybees, losses due to colony collapse disorder. Beekeepers, most of whom suffered honeybee colony losses, represent more than half of ELAP recipients.

To learn more about ELAP, visit fsa.usda.gov/elap.  For more information about USDA Farm Service Agency disaster assistance programs, visit disaster.usda.fsa.gov or contact your local FSA office at offices.usda.gov.


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