RBC | Rio Blanco County commissioners started work sessions early Tuesday to accommodate a busy schedule. ERBM Maintenance Manager Rodney Gerloff requested assistance inventorying trees in Meeker’s parks. Gerloff said ERBM could benefit from County Planner Leif Joy’s GIS and drone expertise to map trees in an effective way. With[Read More…]
Tag: County
Yampa Valley Community Foundation launches scholarship season
RBC | It’s scholarship season for students in the region and the Yampa Valley Community Foundation (YVCF) is pleased to offer two scholarships for Meeker High School (MHS) students. The Everett & Benita Bristol Memorial International Scholarship is awarded to students planning to or currently attending CMC’s Steamboat campus full-time[Read More…]
URSA pays $718K in back taxes
RBC | The County Treasurer’s office received a $718,363 check from natural gas operator URSA Resources for 2019 back taxes plus interest owed through Sept. 2, 2020, when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. URSA reported $303,205,987 in total debt in its bankruptcy filings. The funds received from[Read More…]
Shed antler collecting is prohibited through Apr. 30
RBC | To protect wintering big-game animals and sage grouse species, collection of shed antlers on all public lands west of I-25 is prohibited from Jan. 1 through April 30. “The purpose of the closures is to reduce disturbance of wintering wildlife during the time of year they are most[Read More…]
Community spread boosts case counts
RBC | With new case counts remaining high, Rio Blanco County recorded its 401st positive COVID-19 case on Monday, Jan. 25, with some of the highest active case counts since the spike in November. As of Monday, there were 42 active cases in Meeker and 34 in Rangely. Six residents[Read More…]
Commissioners End Morlan’s 17-year Term as County Road and Bridge Director in Unanimous Vote
“All I can say right now is I’m going to do my best to make things right. Our county is too special a place to be ruined by bad decisions,” said Dave Morlan during the Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners regular meeting Tuesday. In his public statement, Morlan responded[Read More…]
CPW Commission approves three-year wolf introduction plan
Conservation Corner: Last week’s Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission) virtual meeting included six hours of presentation, discussion, and comments on the process of wolf introduction. Many eyes and ears were fully focused on them. The voters of Colorado have spoken and forced introduction of wolves will occur in Colorado.[Read More…]
Buffalo Horn decision issued
RBC | It’s been a lengthy process, but the Bureau of Land Management, White River Field Office, has issued a decision to approve a land exchange with Buffalo Horn Properties, LLC. The parcels are in the Strawberry Creek and Smith Gulch areas in Rio Blanco and Moffat counties. In 2011,[Read More…]
County: Sports Mask Requirement, Meeker Airport Project, Regular Business
RBC | In accordance with state recommendations, The Colorado High School Sports Activities Association (CHSAA) has required high school basketball players to wear masks during competition. During a Tuesday work session, former RBC Public Health Director Julie Drake called the rule “ridiculous,” since masks have not also been mandated for[Read More…]
Just Transition action plan released
RBC | Instability in the energy industry comes as no surprise. For decades energy market volatility drove the economic boom and bust cycles that shaped the landscape of northwest Colorado for better or worse. As changing technologies and a shifting focus toward renewable energies begin to take a heavy toll[Read More…]
Rio Blanco County Public Health offering free radon testing kits
RBC | Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas responsible for more than 500 lung cancer deaths in Colorado each year. The colorless, odorless, tasteless gas can enter homes through cracks in the foundation or other openings and can accumulate unless properly mitigated. Long-term radon exposure is the leading cause[Read More…]
Swearing In …
Newly-elected county commissioner Ty Gates (above) and re-elected incumbent Jeff Rector (below) took their oaths of office Tuesday led by Clerk and Recorder Boots Campbell. Gates replaces retiring commissioner Si Woodruff. Commissioner Gary Moyer, who was elected in 2018, will chair the board this year. Tuesday’s swearing in of commissioners,[Read More…]