Headlines – July 13, 2023

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Colorado Lawmakers Propose U.S. Bill For Farmer, Rancher Mental Health

Colorado lawmakers introduced a federal bill to help farmers and ranchers have easier access to mental health care.

Democratic Representatives Joe Neguse and Brittany Pettersen co-sponsored the legislation, which is modeled after a successful Colorado program.

In a press release, the representatives said the volatility of extreme weather events–and its effects on the financial stability of weather dependent operations–has led to depression, anxiety and substance use disorders in farmers and ranchers throughout the nation.

They added that the proposed Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Program is designed to break through the stigma of mental health care.

If passed, the bill would include a feasibility study to connect mental health care providers with agricultural families for a series of reimbursable sessions.

Mayor Michael Hancock Gives Farewell Address 

Three term Denver mayor Michael Hancock delivered his farewell address yesterday.

In his speech, outgoing mayor Michael Hancock addressed Denverites and reminisced on several accomplishments his administration has had in his 12 years in office.

Mayor Hancock trumpeted progress made towards affordable housing, law enforcement reform, and climate change legislation, among other highlights of his tenure.

Stressing hope for the future, Mayor Hancock said he looked forward to Mayor-elect Mike Johnston’s term, and that he believed Denver was heading in the right direction.

“And I have full confidence that Mayor-elect Mike Johnston will achieve great things with all of you, with all of us, for our beloved city,” said Mayor Hancock. 

Mayor Michael Hancock’s term comes to an end with Mike Johnston’s inauguration on July 17.

Woman Dies After Falling Into Boulder Creek

First responders searched Boulder Creek early Wednesday morning after receiving a call that a woman camping nearby had fallen into the water.

After a police officer spotted the woman in the creek, firefighters helped pull her out from the north bank, near 6th and Canyon. First responders administered CPR and transported her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The Boulder County coroner has not yet publicly identified the woman. 

Three Bodies Found Near Gunnison Campsite

Three bodies were found around a campsite in Gunnison County this weekend. 

A hiker found the first body near Gold Creek Campground in Gunnison County on Sunday evening. Investigators discovered two more Monday morning.

The Gunnison County sheriff’s department said that all three bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition.

Undersheriff Josh Ashe said the three people appeared to have been living in a tent at the site for a prolonged period of time and that the bodies may have wintered there, but he believes the people died within the year. 

Ashe said autopsies are pending, but no evidence suggests foul play.

CPW Officers Euthanize Boulder Bear

On Wednesday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials killed a bear in Boulder that had repeatedly shown little fear of people and a high interest in trash. 

Officials began receiving reports about the bear in June, when it was getting into garbage in south Boulder. Colorado and Boulder authorities ear-tagged and relocated the bear into a remote habitat, but it returned a few weeks later. 

Multiple attempts by officials to haze the bear with pepper spray and tasers did not work. The bear charged at officers after a taser deployment and ran away only after being shot at by a rubber bullet.

On Wednesday morning, the tagged bear was spotted in a tree near 16th Street and Baseline Road. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers decided to euthanize the bear, noting that its daytime foraging in the city was unusual and a threat to human safety. They said the bear, an 18-month-old female, was too young to have had cubs.

DIA Extends Pilot TSA Scheduling System 

Denver International Airport is continuing a pilot program that began last month that’s making TSA lines go a little faster.

The DEN Reserve program is a partnership between the airport and CLEAR that allows passengers to schedule a checkpoint time with TSA before their flight.

The service is free. It requires passengers to enter flight information and the number of people in their traveling party in advance online. Travelers then scan a QR code at the Bridge Security Checkpoint when they arrive for their flight.

DIA officials say the program exceeded their expectations since it began in June. Close to 5,000 people booked through CLEAR in the first few days. 

Seventeen other airports in the U.S., Canada, and Europe also use the reservation system.

Rescheduled Erie Balloon Festival To Start Friday

The 27th annual Erie Hot Air Balloon Festival will start bright and early at 6 a.m. on Friday morning. Organizers rescheduled the weekend-long event from its original June dates because of rain. 

Weather-permitting, some two dozen balloons are expected for the festival, which usually attracts about 3,000 attendees per day.

More information can be found on Erie’s Chamber of Commerce website.

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