NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE Hotchkiss chamber pays tribute to community leaders, B1
SPORTS
TOP-NOTCH DELIVERY
COMPETITION HEATS UP
Cedaredge postal carrier earns top state honor, C1
Delta, Paonia football teams post convincing wins at home, B5
DELTA COUNTY
NOVEMBER 18, 2015 VOL. 132, NO. 46
75¢
INDEPENDENT
www.deltacountyindependent.com
Overprescribing lands docs in prison BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Dr. Sam Jahani, 52, faces up to four years in prison after pleading guilty to a single charge of conspiracy (controlled substance violations, health care fraud violations and/or money laundering violations). Jahani was initially charged with multiple, individual counts of those numerous violations, and was accused of causing the deaths of three patients through the practice of overprescribing. He will be sentenced in U.S. District Court on Feb. 8. The federal government is recommending two years’ imprisonment. The plea agreement lays out the government’s case: Dr. Jahani opened a medical office in Delta in 2003, and an urgent care clinic in Montrose in 2005. As the patient base grew, Dr. Jahani expanded his business. In November 2007, he hired Dr. Eric Peper. Many patients traveled from Grand Junction to Delta to obtain, and were prescribed, scheduled controlled substances, so Dr. Jahani opened a third clinic in Grand Junction in November 2008. The clinics closed shortly after search warrants were served on the businesses and residences of Drs. Jahani and Peper on Oct. 14, 2009. Prior to obtaining the search warrants, federal agents conducted numerous interviews of health care professionals, former employees, patients and family members. Pharmacists reported that Drs. Jahani and Peper were prescribing large quantities of powerful controlled substances to patients. Some pharmacists indicated they could not keep
controlled drugs such as oxycodone in stock because of the demand by Jahani and Peper patients. In addition, many of these patients were paying cash for their prescriptions. Some pharmacists refused to fill the prescriptions; others called the doctors to question prescriptions. Emergency department personnel and jail doctors reported numerous Jahani and Peper patients on high levels of narcotics, making it difficult to treat them. Members of the community complained to law enforcement that their loved ones were being overprescribed and could not function due to prescriptions obtained from Drs. Jahani and Peper. A Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigation Photo by Pat Sunderland concluded that Dr. Jahani Jerry Allen discusses the unique seed mix used to create a cover crop on a field in the Pea and Dr. Peper’s actions were Green area. Producers are encouraged to mix their own “cocktails” to address specific JAHANI TO A3 issues.
Cover crops build soil health BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
For five years, Ahlberg Farms has been disking under corn stalks and onion tops soon after harvest, then reseeding with a unique blend of seed mixes to produce a cover crop that provides forage for livestock and nourishes the soil. The practice is one that has many benefits, according to the experts on the Uncompahgre Soil Health Team. Last week team members hosted a tour of six farms that are employing cover crops to increase organic matter, increase nutrient cycling, suppress weeds, reduce soil
Cattlemen offer $5,000 reward BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and Delta County Livestock Association are joining forces in search of the individual or individuals who have shot calves to death in the Black Mesa grazing allotment. Since late September, three dead calves have been discovered, two with small caliber bullet holes and one shot by a large caliber rifle. Placement of trail cams nearby led to the speculation that perhaps unscrupulous hunters were killing the calves and leaving their carcasses as bear bait, but that theory appears to be unfounded. Crawford area rancher Danny Todd says the owner of the trail cam has been identified and while he admits placing the camera near the carcasses,
INDEX
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Agriculture .....................C6 Back Page ................... D8 Business ........................ A8 Church ........................... D4 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Health & Fitness .........C4-5 Legals ............................ D3 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ......................B8 School Zone .................. A5 Sports ..........................B5-7 Surface Creek News ...C1-3 TV Listings ................. D5-6
he denies any involvement in their deaths. It is not illegal to place a trail cam on public land near a carcass to capture images of game in the area. Since the calves were located just off roadways, the cattlemen believe the perpetrator may be a malicious individual out to cause trouble. No meat has been taken, as was the case in an incident earlier this summer on Grand Mesa. The $5,000 reward offered by the cattlemen is in addition to the $1,000 offered by CrimeStoppers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators. Anyone with information is asked to call the Delta County Sheriff ’s Office at 874-2000 or CrimeStoppers at 874-8810, if you wish to remain anonymous.
compaction, provide forage for livestock, provide cover for wildlife, and potentially break disease and pest cycles. The team points to the four practices that promote soil health: • Keep the soil covered for as long as possible. • Minimize soil disturbance. • Keep a living plant on/in the soil throughout the year (or as long as possible). • Diversify the types of plants growing on the field through crop rotations and cover crops. Three out of four of those practices involve cover crops, described as annual and semiannual plants grown for seasonal vegetative cover as part of a planned rotation to provide soil health benefits. There are also benefits to the principle cash crop, as evidenced by the higher yields, quicker maturity and larger onions/ears of corn the Ahlbergs have been harvesting since they began the practice of planting cover crops. Zach Ahlberg has refined the seed mixture over the years. His most recent mixture consists of triticale, sorghum, sudangrass, hairy vetch, Austrian pea, purple top turnip and Daikon radishes. As the cover crop matures, cows are let out to graze on the nutrient-rich mixture. Their droppings further add to the organic mix in the soil. Adding organic matter to build carbon is the key to soil health, said Katie Alexander, a soil conservationist with the National Resource Conservation Service. Steve Woodis, NRCS biologist, points to the “cottage cheese” quality of the soil, referring to the loose soil structure that results when deep-rooted plants like radishes, canola and some annual
grasses are planted. These plants can reduce the need for mechanical deep ripping. Another benefit, said Dave Dearstyne, is that the soil holds moisture better than a fallow field. The composition of the cover crop is specific to the individual need, and can change each year to address common issues such as weed control, disease control or nitrogen balance. The cost of the seed is often covered by the grazing value, noted Jerry Allen of the Shavano Conservation District. Increased yields also make
cover crops worthwhile. The goal of the Uncompahgre Soil Health Team is to help producers maximize soil health by increasing organic matter through cover crops, green manure, grazing, compost, entomology and other sustainable practices. The team also helps put on the annual Western Slope Soil Health Conference, which will be held Feb. 11-12 at the Delta Center for the Performing Arts and Education. More information can be found at www.westerncoloradosoil health.com.
Challenges to coal industry persist BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
The coal industry remains in a period of distress due to strict governmental regulations, oversupply in the global coal market, increased competition from natural gas, and low coal demand and prices, among other factors. This management analysis has led Arch Coal to warn that a significant financial restructuring will be required for the publicly traded company to operate as a going concern over the long term. Underscoring the immediacy of action is a reported net loss of $2 billion for the quarter ending Sept. 30. Arch Coal operates coal mines in Colorado, Wyoming, Illinois, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland. It is the owner of West Elk Mine, the only local mine operating at full capacity. It employs about 350 coal miners. A filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission warns that it may be necessary to file a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to restructure debt obligations. On a positive note, Arch delivered an exceptionally strong operational performance during the quarter, according to John W. Eaves, Arch’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Our results reflect the actions we have taken to respond to the challenging market environment, including reducing costs and enhancing efficiency across the company. Thanks to the efforts of our skilled employees, we increased cash margins in each of our three operating regions and continued to build on our industry-leading safety and environmental stewardship records. Despite these efforts, however, the difficult conditions impacting the coal industry persist, and we expect they will continue throughout 2016.”
Meet the finalists
Community dinner
Road work planned
Community members are invited to meet the four finalists for Delta city manager Monday, Nov. 23. A reception will be held at Bill Heddles Recreation Center from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The four finalists are Don Gaeddert of Larned, Kan., Dan Hamsmith of Parker, George Korthauer of Petoskey, Mich., and David Torgler of Hayden. They were selected from a group of 46 applicants. The candidates will be in town Monday and Tuesday for interviews with panels comprised of city council members and city department heads.
A community Thanksgiving dinner will be hosted by Delta Christian Church, 795 1600 Road, on Thursday, Nov. 26. Meals will be served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Deliveries will be made from 10 to 11 a.m., and can be requested by calling Michael Frazier at 270-2524 or Carrie Frazier at 260-1945. Delta Elks Lodge is providing the turkeys and potatoes. The remaining food items are being donated and prepared by members of Delta Christian Church, First Baptist Church of Delta and Calvary Baptist Church.
The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests have contracted for work to occur on the Lands’ End Road from the forest boundary for 9.3 miles, up to the boulder fields. The work will improve the sight distance and reduce brushy vegetation for 20 feet on each side. Weather depending, work will take place Nov. 16-Dec. 15, six days a week. The Lands’ End Road will remain open to the public until the seasonal closure on Dec. 1. Citizens are asked to use caution and slow their speed for contractor and public safety.