September 16, 2020
Jacqueline Kahlich-Romero Joins Premier Farm Credit in Fort Morgan
Lost Creek Guide
September 3, 2020, Fort Morgan, Colorado – The Fort Morgan branch of Premier Farm Credit is excited to announce the addition of Jacqueline Kahlich-Romero as a Loan Officer on their team. “I’m excited to have Jacqueline on board,” Chris Dollerschell, Vice President of Lending at Premier Farm Credit, said. “She has experience in both credit and agriculture, and will be an asset to our team and Premier Farm Credit.” Kahlich-Romero comes to Fort Morgan with over 6 years of Farm Credit experience, the most recent with Farm Credit West in California. She grew up on a cotton farm near Lubbock, Texas, and she and her husband have two children. “I’m delighted to join the Fort Morgan branch,” Kahlich-Romero said. “I look forward to getting to know our customers and being able to assist their families’ operations.” The Fort Morgan branch of Premier Farm Credit is open from 8-5, Monday through Friday. Customers are welcome to stop by, call or email anytime. As a part of the Farm Credit System, Premier Farm Credit offers reliable and consistent credit to agriculture and rural communities, today and tomorrow. Premier Farm Credit is wholly owned by its borrowers and has aggregate loan volume of over $750 million. You can find them on the web at premieraca.com, or on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.
Caring for Our First Responder Agencies
By Shaley Dehner, Weld County Communications Specialist We’ve all been there – at the big-box membership warehouse looking to stock up on a few supplies. But do you really need 100 AA batteries? I mean, sure, you might eventually go through all those batteries…someday, but for the initial cost and the storage needs, does it make sense both practically and financially? That’s the same conundrum Weld County’s first responder and medical agencies have run into during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only for them, it’s not batteries they need, it’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). “Our smaller medical and first responder agencies in Weld County haven’t been able to obtain needed PPE because certain national suppliers have set a quantity limit for orders,” said Roy Rudisill, Weld County Office of Emergency Management Director. “Nitrile gloves and masks are needing to be ordered in bulk — sometimes 1 million items at a time — which costs more. These agencies can’t afford that expense.” So, while 11 cents per nitrile glove doesn’t sound bad, if you have to purchase a minimum of 1 million for a total of $110,000, it’s easy to see how this can become a big issue for small agencies. The Board of County Commissioners, through the Weld County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), is helping solve this problem by purchasing the needed PPE in bulk with county dollars then providing it to the local agencies in the quantities they need. Now, funding has become available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which makes it easier for the county to continue to assist smaller agencies with their PPE needs. “We’re providing vital personal protective equipment to these agencies at no cost to them,” said Denise Bradshaw, EOC Logistics Section Chief. “This further ensures these agencies have not only the security of PPE supplies but also peace of mind in knowing they have interim avenues to get what they need to safely do their jobs.” Keeping track and storing of large quantities of PPE is challenging though. Early on, PPE supplies were recorded one by one and logged in an Excel spreadsheet. With more than 260 resource requests for PPE coming in from March–May, updating the spreadsheet became cumbersome. A streamlined and automated solution was needed, according to Bradshaw. The logistics team – responsible for receiving order requests and filling them – implemented Salamander, an inventory software used by many agencies to track supplies. The result? An efficient system that better meets the needs of our first responder agencies in the county. “Salamander allows us to track current inventory in real time, set alerts when certain inventory becomes low (much like a retail store) and process reports specific to type of equipment or agency,” explained Bradshaw. “The application assigns each agency an identifier number and a QR code on the PPE item is scanned via a mobile app. Product is then distributed on-site to each agency. Salamander also automatically adjusts inventory levels after receival and distribution of items.” Another benefit of the system - it allows each agency to track how much PPE it has used and what those items would have cost for use in their future budget planning. “Utilizing the Salamander system allows the county to continue providing PPE efficiently and securely to agencies who need it most,” said Bradshaw. It also allows the logistics team to move back into their day-to-day normal operations as the hands-on process is now less labor intensive and resource requests from outside agencies are dropping. In fact, resource requests from April to August are down approximately 72 percent. “Now that we have good supplies of PPE on hand, are in the position to purchase more for our first responder agencies with CARES Act funds, and we have an efficient way to manage our inventory, we no longer need to dedicate the time we once had to for this task,” said Rudisill.
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Weld Clerk and Recorder Look to the Future by Adding a Kiosk for South Weld County Motor Vehicle Services
WELD COUNTY, CO – Weld County residents in the southern area of the county now can renew their vehicle registration at a self-service kiosk, thanks to a new kiosk installed at the King Soopers located at 6110 Firestone Blvd Longmont. The touch-screen terminal allows a citizen to walk up, scan the barcode on their vehicle renewal notice, pay fees by cash, check, credit, or debit card, and receive their printed registration and license plate tabs on the spot, without waiting at a county office. “This is another way that we can continue to better serve the people of Weld County, I am very pleased and excited to keep pushing for new ways to improve government services. It’s time to recognize the potential of kiosk technology and the advancements we can continue to make in government services. I for one love the ability to continue to add technology,” said Weld County Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes. “We were successful in the pilot of this program for the state and we are happy this is now a guaranteed service we can provide for everyone in Weld County, adding a kiosk for the southern part of the county has been one of my long term goals and I am pleased to be able to do so.” Weld County’s Motor Vehicle Division is one of the busiest in Colorado, ranking 6th out of 64. Only Arapahoe, Denver, El Paso, Jefferson, and Adams Counties process more transactions than Weld County. In an effort to reduce wait times, the Clerk and Recorder’s Office encourages citizens to “skip the trip” and renew their license plates by mail, online at www.colorado. gov/renewplates, or a drop-box at any County branch office. These alternatives save you time and fuel and help to conserve taxpayer resources. For more information about Weld County Motor Vehicle services, please call 970304-6520 or visit www.weldmotorvehicle.com
Keene Craft Mercantile
A Special Place Where Talented People Bring Their Home-made Crafts to Sell Booths are $25 and Tables are $20 We are open Monday through Saturday from 10 am until 5 pm 65 Main Street, Keenesburg, Colorado 303-910-0640
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