2010: The Year in Review October-December

• Ken Harman began his new duties as CEO of Pioneers Medical Center.
• Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes made an appearance at Colorado Northwestern Community College.
• As the finishing touches were put on the new United Methodist Church in Meeker, the church’s 100-plus-year-old sanctuary was soon be torn down. Despite efforts to find a new home for the old church, there were no takers.
• Seven weeks after the dedication of the new elementary school, the gym was temporarily closed because of safety concerns about the east wall.
• Cindy Garner is the town of Rangely’s new animal control officer. Her husband, Rich, is a Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s deputy. They lived in Granby before moving to Rangely. They have two sons.
• A three-month investigation led to the arrest of Randall Devaney, 52, who cashed a check from the Meeker Cemetery District for more than $25,000 — partial payment on a metal building — but the materials never arrived.
• A 2-year-old girl who was accidentally shot by her 4-year-old brother in Dinosaur was released from the hospital. “She’s been released and is in good condition,” said Lt. K.C. Hume of the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the shooting. “She’s a lucky little girl.”
• Seniors Cole Barlow and Victoria Phelan were crowned homecoming king and queen during halftime at the Rangely vs. Meeker football game.
• Jacob Pelloni was the overall winner in the elk bugling contest, sponsored by the Meeker Police Department and White River Electric Association.
• Striegel Engineering Center dedicated at CNCC Rangely.
• Meeker homecoming queen and king Denee Chintala and Alema Atoafa waved to the crowd at halftime of the football game.
• After eluding its captors for a couple of hours, a young mountain lion was corralled at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds.
• Two cow moose were accidentally shot during the first rifle season. In both situations, it was a case of misidentification by inexperienced hunters, said Bill de Vergie, area wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
• Celena Miner, a 2009 graduate of Rangely High School, visited Meeker High School for an assembly to share her story of being paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident and to encourage teens to drive safely.
• Custodian Stanley Crawford and other workers took down a portion of the fence at the old Meeker Elementary School.
• Seventy-six percent of Rio Blanco County voters cast ballots. In some races, the outcome of local voting followed the statewide results. In other races, RBC voters bucked the statewide trends.
• Investigators completed their scene investigation Friday up Wilson Creek, but it could be months before the cause of last week’s helicopter crash is determined. Pilot Rich Westra was injured and his wife, Kelly, was killed.
• Jeff Burkhead stepped down as editor of the Herald Times at the end of November, while Gutierrez returned to the position he previously held for two years.
• After more than a month, the gym at the new Meeker Elementary School reopened. The gym was closed Oct. 6.
• Harry Watt’s battle with the town of Meeker over a sign he had painted on the side of a truck is over. He can continue to use the truck to advertise the Blue Spruce Inn, for at least half of the year.
• The resignation of Dr. John Boyd, president of Colorado Northwestern Community College, was announced earlier this week by the Colorado Community College System. Dr. Boyd will become the president of Mayland Community College in North Carolina.
• Rio Blanco County Commissioner Joe Collins wore a smile while holding his great-grandson Eli Pakuer. Collins was first elected 20 years ago and will conclude his fourth term in January. “I’m going back to the ranch, feed cows and rest for a while,” Collins said of how he will spend part of his time after his term ends.
• Three new coaches; David Snell, Neil Joy and Mike Dinwiddie will be on the bench during the WREA Cowboy Shootout, as three Meeker teams will compete in the 11th annual event.
• “Between Fences,” a Museum on Main Street exhibit developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, officially opened at the White River Museum.
• The Elks Lodge in Rangely had their final Bingo night of 2010 with a packed room of 144 people.
• Henry Hames was nominated by fellow board members to become the new president of the Rangely Chamber of Commerce at the organization’s December meeting.
• In order to zero-out its account balance by Dec. 31, local Tea Party president Jim Ellis presented a check to Debra Barney, representing White River Roundup (Rio Blanco County Chuckwagon).
• Former Meeker Cowboy and current University of Wyoming Cowboy Joe LeBlanc won the Reno Tournament in Nevada and helped his team win the team championship, a first for the Cowboys.