A Craig man accused of holding up a clerk at the east end Kum & Go in May is taking his case to trial.

Richard Thomas Walton, 27, faces a three-day jury trial on a charge of aggravated robbery with possession of a real or simulated weapon. He also faces a two-day jury trial for a charge motor vehicle theft. The back-to-back trials start Oct. 17.

The Craig man was arrested after police matched the description of the alleged robber to a man walking down Yampa Avenue the next morning, May 2. The cashier told police the man was wearing a ski mask at the time of the alleged incident.

Local resource for soil and water issues

The Natural Resources Conservation Service office offers resources and information about soil conditions, water quality, plants and wildlife habitat enhancement. The agency offers help planning and designing irrigation water structures, ditches, ponds, springs and stream bank stabilization structures. Information about cross-fencing, range and pasture seeding, stocking rates, brush control, riparian protection, seedling tree establishment and irrigation water and rangeland management is also available.

All services are offered free of charge. NRCS has been assisting private landowners with conserving resources since 1935. Financial assistance may also be available.

For more information, visit the NRCS field office located at the USDA Service Center, 356 Ranney St. in Craig, or call 824-3476 to schedule an appointment.

Craig club organizes fantasy football league

The Boys & Girls Club of Craig is organizing a fantasy football league this fall.

The winner will receive a copy of Madden 2006, a video game for whichever system the winner chooses.

Teams need to be signed up by Aug. 19. For details or to sign up, call Mike Fraher, AmeriCorps volunteer, at 826-0411, or stop by the club, 1324 E. U.S. Highway 40.

Fire ban at Browns Park National Refuge

Fire restrictions are in effect on the Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge in Moffat County. The dry vegetation combined with the fuel loading (amount of vegetation), which is more than typical, prompted the need for the restrictions.

Suzanne Beauchaine, acting refuge manager, said, “One of our primary concerns regarding unplanned fires is the risk it poses to the existing Cottonwood community on the refuge. When we lose old cottonwoods, they aren’t being replaced by young ones, and their loss impacts the wildlife population and ecosystem in many ways. Naturally we need to reduce the possibility of any unintentional human-caused fires.”