Delta County Independent, July 4, 2018

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NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

TOWN WEIGHS PRIORITIES Voter-approved sales tax increase takes effect in Paonia, B1

SPORTS

CELEBRATE INDEPENDENTS Shop locally-owned businesses the week of July 1-7, C2

DELTA COUNTY

4TH OF JULY FESTIVITIES Softball, 5k, rodeo kick off Cherry Days in Paonia, B6

JULY 4, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 27

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INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Admitted murderer held on $10M bond on June 27, investigators received a call from MaciasEdgar Macias-Moreno, 24, Moreno and his family, advisis being held on $10 million ing he wanted to talk to an bond after being charged with investigator. According to the arrest first degree murder in connection with the death of Mad- affidavit, Macias-Moreno said he and Loh had been datelaine Loh, 27, of Hotchkiss. According to an arrest ing for about a year, but had affidavit filed in Delta Dis- recently been having issues. trict Court, Loh was living The evening of June 19, they with Macias-Moreno, her boy- got into a verbal argument friend, on a farm on L Road in which escalated into a physiHotchkiss. Her mother, who cal exchange between the lives out of state, contacted two. Macias-Moreno admitted the Delta County Sheriff ’s strangling Loh to death, then Office on June 24, saying she driving her body to a remote had not talked to her daughter area in Utah, using her car since June 19. Helen Loh said and taking her dog. Along the way, he it was very unusual said he pulled over for her to not have to the side of the contact with Madroad, took the colelaine for that long. lar off Loh’s dog and A missing perthen left the dog on sons report was the side of the highfiled, and sheriff ’s way. The dog was investigators deterlater recovered on mined the couple Highway 50 near was last seen at Bridgeport Road. about 5 p.m. June He told investi19. Eight days later, DCSO/Facebook photo gators he continued shortly after 5 a.m. Madelaine Loh MURDER TO A3

BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Candlelight vigil planned for Loh Hilltop’s Domestic Violence Services will hold a candlelight vigil for Madelaine Loh on Thursday, July 5, at 6 p.m. The service will be held at Hotchkiss K-8 School gymnasium, 465 Lorah Lane. The community is invited to help shine a light in remembrance of Madelaine. Hilltop’s Domestic Violence

Services provide safe house shelter, support groups, safety planning, advocacy, children’s services and a 24-hour crisis lines for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. They serve women, children and men in Mesa, Delta, Montrose and Ouray counties. For more information visit www.htop.org.

Lane defeats Nelson in primary election BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

The stage is set for the November election — Republican Mike Lane will face Democrat Dick Gilmore for District 1 Delta County commissioner. That seat is currently held by Doug Atchley, who is term limited. Lane fended off challenger Teresa Nelson, garnering 63 percent of the votes cast in the June 26 primary election. With the exception of clerk and recorder, the remainder of the county offices are uncontested. The only candidates are the incumbents, who are all Republicans. For clerk and recorder, Democrat Stacy Lowe is challenging the current office holder, Teri Stephenson, a Republican. Lane expressed his appreciation for all who supported his candidacy. “I enjoyed meeting new people and seeing old friends who came out to the meet-and-greets and getting

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Agriculture ................... B5 Back Page ................... D6 Business ........................ A8 Church ............................C6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A6 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports .............................B6 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................C3-4

their perspective on the issues that face our county.” He asks for continued support in November, promising to represent Delta County in an “aggressive, polite, business manner.” From the field of four Democrat and four Republican candidates for governor, Jared Polis (D) and Walker Stapleton (R) emerged as winners. Delta County also favored Polis and Walker, but to a lesser degree. State percentages are followed by county results: Democrats — Jared Polis, 44.43 (40.85); Cary Kennedy, 24.72 (27.17); Donna Lynne, 7.28 (9.29); Mike Johnston, 23.57 (22.69). Republicans — Walker Stapleton, 47.67 (41.48); Greg Lopez, 13.19 (11.48); Doug Robinson, 9.00 (7.27); Victor Mitchell, 30.14 (39.77). Matt Soper (State Representative District 54), Mike Mason (State Representative PRIMARY TO A3

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Turning up the heat

Kelly Cowan turned up the heat Thursday, June 28, stirring up a batch of kettle corn for Downtown DeltaFest. Cowan, better known as a teacher and coach, becomes a kettle master during the summer. His assistant, Hannah Hatheway, packages bags of KC’s Kettle Corn for downtown visitors.

Alvey: Drought is as bad as Delta County has seen BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer

Tom Alvey, the Delta County representative on the Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD) board, provided an update on CRWCD activities and waterrelated issues in Delta County to county commissioners Doug Atchley, Mark Roeber and Don Suppes at the commissioners July 2 meeting. Alvey said the drought situation is very bad, as bad as Delta County has ever seen it. Some areas around Paonia are already running out of water. The Paonia reservoir started on June 13 and should run until August. Minnesota Creek drainage is very short of water. Overland will be out of water by July 6, and Fruitland also is mostly out of water. Systems off Grand Mesa are between 30 and 60 percent of normal. “There will be severe consequences for ag production,” Alvey said, “resulting in high hay prices and potential impact on fruit production. “Uncompaghre Valley Water Users Association is in better shape with 80 percent plus, and no call on Uncompaghre yet.” Commissioner Atchley noted the sweet corn harvest begins next week. Alvey said later plantings of corn will be shoulder high by July 4. Alvey said some ag producers will lease water and stretch it as far as possible. Those with sprinkler systems are in better shape. The river district provided

grants for three Delta County projects: $50,000 for the Fruitland Project, $10,000 for Minnesota Ditch and $10,000 for on-farm improvements for the McPherson project in Paonia. “In addition,” Alvey said, “the salinity/RCPP projects are moving forward with Fire Mountain Ditch piping in design review, Fruitland starting design, and Crawford working on designs. “The Paonia outlet works improvement, funded through Bureau of Reclamation, is undergoing modeling/testing and aiming for a fall 2019 start.” Alvey said the CRWCD had some issues with the Army Corps of Engineers, which requires five days of flushing to clean sediment released during last fall’s work on the reservoir. The Bureau of Reclamation and NFWCD would release water for only three days because of low runoff and fears the reservoir would not fill. “We used as much water as we could have released to us,” Alvey said. The CRWCD board is supporting the Northern Conservation District NISP (Northern Integrated Supply Project) following modifications to the project to safeguard West Slope water. This project will construct a new Front Range reservoir using Front Range water to provide water to several municipalities. CRWCD is moving forward with repairs to the Wofford Reservoir and is continuing discussions with Xcel regarding Shoshone water rights. The CRWCD board had pushed for and coordinated efforts to perform risk analy-

ses of the water supply in the Colorado Basin, with emphasis on dangers of curtailment — a call on the river — under the Colorado River Compact. There was political push back from the Front Range, so the study was broken into parts. Phase I showed that demand management would be occasionally needed under all different hydrology and demand scenarios. Without corrective action implementing drought contingency plans, the risk that Lake Powell would be drained below critical levels is real. This means that, as a practical matter, demand management will have to be designed as a water bank or reserve account. Phase II worked to combine Bureau of Reclamation and state water models, which showed that the concept of water banks works, provided dedicated reservoir space is available and there is water in the bank when the drought begins. Alvey said, “The task results were successful and we have the ability to look at the basin-specific questions related to demand management options.” On April 25 representatives of four basin roundtables met in Grand Junction to discuss the need for and format of a Phase III risk study. The four basins are in favor of moving Phase III forward. A month later, May 23, the CRWCD and the Southwestern Conservation District agreed to fund the study and leave open the invitation to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to participate, but DROUGHT TO A3

Fire restrictions implemented on Grand Mesa

Tourism appointment

Grand Mesa National Forest, which previously was not affected by the fire restrictions in place on the rest of the GMUG, is now under Stage 1 restrictions. The remainder of GMUG is in Stage 2. Fire managers base decisions about fire restrictions on specific fuel moisture measurements in vegetation and other risk factors such as predicted weather and amount of current fire activity. Fire danger is increasing and these restrictions will be implemented to protect public health and safety due to the current and anticipated elevated risk of wildfire. Fire restrictions on these lands will be in place until further notice. Under Stage 1, the following are prohibited on Grand Mesa: Fires, campfires or stove fires, including but not limited to charcoal grills, hibachis, or coal or wood-burning stoves. The exception is campfires in grates and grills within Forest Service developed campgrounds and picnic grounds, and petroleum-fueled stoves or lanterns. Smoking, welding, explosives and the use of chainsaws are also restricted. See the details at http://bit.ly/GMUGFireRestrictions.

The Delta County commissioners appointed Kami Collins to the Delta County Tourism Cabinet to represent Surface Creek at their June 25 meeting. Commissioner Don Suppes said he had been trying to find the right person to represent Surface Creek on this cabinet for three years and finds Collins to be highly qualified. Collins has a varied background in communications/media and nonprofit management. She currently serves as town clerk and economic development coordinator for the Town of Cedaredge.


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