The Lost Creek Guide January 18, 2023

Murrey: Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights Refunds in Democrats’ Crosshairs

by Ben Murrey, The Colorado Sun

Last year, Colorado Democrats championed TABOR refunds as they campaigned for reelection. Yet not a week into the 2023 legislative session, they announced plans to try and halt those refunds indefinitely.

A forthcoming bill by Rep. Cathy Kipp (D) and Sen. Rachel Zenzinger (D), if passed by the legislature and approved by voters, would allow the state to retain future tax refund dollars mandated under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) in Colorado’s Constitution. Kipp says the money would go to fund public schools.

Proponents of this idea have failed in the past to gather the 120,000 signatures required to put the question on the November ballot. The legislature can circumvent this requirement by passing the measure as a bill first.

Every time voters speak on key issues related to TABOR, they send the same unambiguous message: “Leave TABOR alone and let us keep our money!”

Democratic legislators either didn’t get the message, or they just don’t care what voters think.

In 2019 after voters gave Democrats unified control over state government, legislators thanked them by sending Proposition CC–which would have permanently ended TABOR refunds–to the November ballot, where Coloradans soundly rejected it.

Coloradans spoke loud and clear: “Leave TABOR alone and let us keep our money!”

In 2020, voters had the choice between two competing citizen-led ballot initiatives. One would have raised taxes and repealed TABOR’s requirement that Colorado maintains the same income tax rate for all taxpayers. The other, put on the ballot by my organization, Independence Institute, reduced the state’s income tax rate from 4.63 to 4.55 percent. The latter passed with a wide margin. The former failed even to gather enough signatures to appear on the ballot.

Once again, Coloradans spoke loud and clear: “Leave TABOR alone and let us keep our money!”

Fast forward to 2022. If the people of Colorado had not made their will clear enough already, last year left no ambiguity.

First, progressives launched a citizen initiative nearly identical to the pending legislative measure. Initiative 63 would have taken TABOR refunds from taxpayers and given the money back to the state to spend on public education. Like the tax increase measure from 2020, the initiative failed even to make the ballot.

Conversely, Independence Institute worked to put Proposition 121 on the ballot. The measure won with more than a 30-point margin and lowered the state income tax rate from 4.55 to 4.4 percent, saving taxpayers over $400 million per year.

Meanwhile, TABOR required the legislature to choose a method for refunding $3.85 billion in state revenue surpluses to taxpayers. Lawmakers elected to send out $750 checks to individual filers and $1,500 checks to joint filers to fill their constitutional obligation.

Governor Jared Polis and his colleagues in the legislature announced last year’s refund mechanism at a press conference on the steps of the capitol. There they publicly celebrated TABOR as they faced reelection last November—a sharp departure from their 2019 attempt to eliminate TABOR refunds. They evidently got the message Coloradans had been sending them.

In response to the announcement, then Colorado GOP Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown said, “I’m happy that Jared Polis and the Democrats in the state legislature have publicly reversed course and are now joining Republicans in touting the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.”

Colorado Democrats campaigned as fiscal conservatives and TABOR advocates and won. Now, with their power over state government secure, they are wasting no time in once again reversing course on TABOR and stabbing taxpayers in the back.

Despite their rhetoric on the campaign trail in 2022, the TABOR refund repeal bill comes as no surprise. After Sen. Zenzinger discussed options for abolishing TABOR refunds with Joint Budget Committee (JBC) staff in a November hearing, I sounded the alarm that Democrats would attempt this money grab again in 2023. They proved me right on day three of the legislative session.

Only a handful of bills introduced each session ever receive a floor vote. The fact that JBC Chair Zenzinger is the prime senate sponsor of this bill, however, suggests it may be a key priority of Democratic leadership, greatly increasing its chance of passage.

Rep. Kipp argues that the legislature must take refunds away from taxpayers to “properly fund our public schools.” When petitioners presumably explained this to everyday Coloradans as they gathered signatures for Initiative 63 last year, the argument clearly fell flat.

While the legislature has the authority to sidestep signature gathering and put the

Denver Announces 14-day Shelter Limit for Migrants as Colorado Governor Stops Busing Them to Other States

A small busload of people arrives at an emergency shelter for migrants from the southern U.S. border set up at a Denver recreation center on Dec. 13, 2022. (Kevin J. Beaty, Denverite)

Denver officials said Monday they are warning migrants arriving by the busload from the U.S. southern border that they can stay in emergency shelters for no more than 14 days, another sign that the city’s capacity to help is waning.

Gov. Jared Polis, meanwhile, ended a state-funded operation that was sending migrants who came to Denver from Central and South America via charter buses to other cities. The program ended just four days after it began and after Polis said he had a “productive conversation” with the mayors of Chicago and New York, fellow Democrats who were peeved that Colorado was sending migrants to their cities.

In a joint letter to Colorado’s governor, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and New York City Mayor Eric Adams said they “respectfully demand that you cease and desist sending migrants” to their cities. The mayors said they had received hundreds of migrants from Colorado since December. That’s in addition to thousands of migrants who have been “inhumanely bused” to those two cities from Texas since spring 2022, the letter said.

“Before the first bus arrived in either of our cities, we informed a Colorado official directly that neither city had any additional room to accommodate any more migrants,” they wrote.

“We have seen your statements in the media that you are simply accommodating the wishes of migrants to come to cities like New York City and Chicago. However, you are sending migrants and families to New York City and Chicago that do not have any ties, family members or community networks to welcome them, and at a time where

“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light” George Washington “If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed” Thomas Jefferson

Jared Polis was criticized by fellow Democratic mayors of Chicago and New York City for sending migrants on chartered buses by Jennifer Brown, The Colorado Sun

Denver Announces 14-day Shelter Limit for Migrants as Colorado Governor Stops Busing Them to Other States continued on page 4...

We pray for both of you.

Way of the World

by Bob Grand, Lost Creek Guide

Putting things in perspective. The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24th, 2022. As of today, January 18th, that is 328 days ago. In the Vietnam war United States casualties were 58,220, and depending on how you count, lasted between ten and twenty years. Russian casualties range from the United States government’s estimates of between 60,000 – 80,000 to Ukrainian government estimates approaching 120,000. In either case, looking back at the U.S. losses in Vietnam, a range of from equal to over twice as many fatalities in less than one year for the Russian government than the United States experienced in the entire Vietnam conflict. That is not sustainable. Putin now is facing a competitive situation between his mercenaries, the Wagner group, and its leader, Yeugeny Prigozhin, and the newly appointed head of all the war effort in Ukraine, Valery Gerasimov. Gerasimov was the previous Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, so I do not quite understand how being given direct control of the operating war effort in the Ukraine is a promotion, but whatever. Belarus support for Putin’s war in Ukraine is showing signs of wavering. Belarus’s President Lukashenko, a long-time Putin supporter, is beginning to recognize tough opposition in his home country to participation in a Ukrainian invasion. Putin cannot be enjoying his ride on the back of the tiger he unleashed. The political picture in Russia must be coming close to a boiling point. How many of the regional areas within Russia are watching the failures of the Russian Army and are wondering is it time for them to do something about their independence? I am not a supporter of President Biden’s policies in general, but I do believe his support of the Ukrainian people and their government is the right thing to do. That has bolstered the NATO support of the Ukrainian efforts. We will watch as this continues to evolve and pray that it results in a peaceful resolution. My concern is the picture continues to get more complicated for Putin.

We now have President Biden’s document fiasco. Everybody jumped on President Trump. I believe the President, from whatever party, has certain prerogatives. I think petty politicians and petty government officials should not be the almighty judge of everyone. Do any of these people have a lick of common sense?

Speaking of common sense, did you hear the latest? There are those in the government who question whether we should have gas stoves in our homes? They think it is important that the government regulate the quality of air in our homes. Given President Biden reinstating the EPA regulations on the Waters of the United States ruling, where does government intrusion stop? We have far too many bureaucrats who went to college, obtained their degrees, and honestly believe, we, the masses are just ignorant sheep, who have to be protected from ourselves because we do not know any better. America has reached this point because we, as citizens, have abdicated our oversight to political parties who for the most part are only interested in their reelection and control, and do not care about the basic principles that made America what it is. We need federally elected officials who focus on the basic responsibilities of elected officials, as defined by our Constitution. Not what they think we need.

The states and cities supporting President Biden’s lack of enforcement of border integrity on the southern border have complained about the numbers of illegal immigrants that have been sent from Texas, a small fraction of what Texas has had to deal with. Governor Polis, bowing to requests from the Mayors of Chicago and New York City has stopped sending busloads of illegal migrants to them. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock bemoaned the overwhelming issue it has been in Denver. Wake up Mr. Mayor. The illegal immigration issue must be addressed. No one denies many of these folks, for the most part just want a better place for themselves and their families. There has to be an organized, legal effort, to deal with this. There are many NGO’s and religious associated organizations who facilitate the movement of these illegal migrants. Some consider this effort similar to the underground railroad efforts to help escaping slaves to freedom. What these people do not consider is the total cost to our government and our citizens. They do not have the right to make that decision by themselves. If so, let them pay for it. There is a lot of money involved. Make no mistake there are many in both political parties that benefit by the free money philosophy that the federal government has adopted. The piper has to be paid at some point. Our future generations will have that problem to solve. Is that the right thing to do? We need to work on solving our problems now. Contact your federal elected officials now. Tell them to start a balanced budget amendment, similar to what many of the states have to face. Tell them it is time to shrink the federal payroll, maybe by 25%. The hew and cry will be awfully loud. They will say who will protect the people? Maybe the people need to step up and protect themselves. Might be a whole lot better and certainly a whole lot cheaper.

Congratulations to Molly Sampson, the nine year old, who found the fossilized tooth of a megalodon shark at Calvert City Cliffs State Park, in Maryland, on Chesapeake Bay. She was out fossil hunting. She will remember that day!

As always, your comments are appreciated publisher@lostcreekguide.com

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The Power of Prayer

by Ambassador Callista L. Gingrich

On Monday, January 2, two formidable NFL teams – the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals – took the field. Thousands of fans cheered for their teams in the stands until tragedy struck in the first quarter, when Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field.

While Hamlin received treatment from the doctors and specialists at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, he continued to receive an outpouring of prayer, love, and support from Americans across the country.

On the night of Monday, January 2, Bills and Bengals fans linked arms in prayer and held a candlelight vigil outside of the hospital where Hamlin was being treated. Clips circulated online of Bengal’s fans reciting the Lord’s Prayer and all 32 NFL teams changed their Twitter profile photo to an image that read “Pray for Damar.”

And, during an NFL Live broadcast, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky interrupted the program to say, “I heard the Buffalo Bills organization say that we believe in prayer, and maybe this is not the right thing to do, but it’s just on my heart, and I want to pray for Damar Hamlin right now.”

In a prayer that has since been viewed by millions, Orlovsky concluded by saying, “I believe in prayer. We believe in prayer. We lift up Damar Hamlin’s name in your name. Amen.”

Thankfully, Hamlin significantly improved throughout the week. He was transported to Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute to continue his treatment and on Wednesday, was discharged.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, head coach Sean McDermott gave glory and praise to God for His guidance both on and off the field. “I hope this is a great example and reminder to people,” McDermott said, “of the power of prayer and the power of love.”

Coach McDermott is exactly right – prayer is powerful. Throughout our nation’s history, the power of prayer has been evident as America’s leaders turned to God in times of thanksgiving and turmoil.

In President George Washington’s first inaugural address, he attributed America’s victory in the Revolutionary War over the most powerful empire in the world to divine providence.

When President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation at the height of the Civil War, he evoked the “gracious favor of Almighty God.”

And during World War II, as Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked the American people to join him in prayer. However, amidst a wave of secularization across America, it takes courage to publicly proclaim one’s faith in God.

A recent study found that 33 percent of Americans never attend religious services – up from 25 percent before the pandemic. Within the last year, we’ve seen churches and synagogues attacked, a high school football coach defend his right to pray during school events in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, and an incoming U.S. Congressman pledge to swear his oath of office on a Superman comic book.

America was born based on the assertion that our rights come from God. But there have been times when, as a nation, we have ignored the truth proclaimed by our Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence 246 years ago – that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.

In his proclamation Appointing a Day of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer, President Abraham Lincoln said on March 30, 1863, during the deadliest conflict in American history, “We have forgotten God…We have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become…too proud to pray to the God that made us!”

It is therefore clear that removing God from the equation is a dangerous feat that leads to devastation and the collapse of freedom.

However, as we witness faith in action as Americans unite in prayer for Damar Hamlin, we are reminded that it is our shared, fundamental belief that our freedoms come from God that forms who we are as a people and a nation. It is this belief in God that has sustained our country through times of prosperity and turmoil.

These past two weeks have humbled and united sports fans and others as they put their trust in God for Damar Hamlin’s recovery and healing. As Hamlin tweeted from his hospital bed, “Nothing I want more than to be running out [of] that tunnel with my brothers. God [is] using me in a different way today.”

The outpouring of faith, love, and support in the aftermath of Damar Hamlin’s tragedy is a testament to the grace of God and the power of prayer.

Keenesburg Housing Authority Press Release

The Keenesburg Housing Authority entered into an agreement with the Ft Lupton Housing Authority in July of 2022 to share the employment of the Keenesburg Housing Authority Director, Adriane Roskop. The housing authorities are not combining and the Ft Lupton Housing Authority is not assuming authority over the Keenesburg Housing Authority. The Keenesburg Housing Authority will continue to be governed under its own Board of Directors and operating separately from the Ft Lupton Housing Authority. Adriane Roskop will remain as the Director of the Keenesburg Housing Authority and will split her time between each office during the week. While she may not be present in the Keenesburg Housing Authority office every day, residents are still able to contact her via phone. Residents are also able to drop off their rent payments in a secure drop box in the Keenesburg Housing Authority office. Residents were made aware of this change, when it occurred in July of 2022, via a letter sent directly to each resident. This agreement was entered into on a one-year contract, at the end of the contract each Housing Authority can evaluate the agreement and determine if the agreement should be renewed. This agreement has been beneficial to allow Adriane to receive additional benefits as well as providing an alternate resource for duties or issues when Adriane is on vacation or out ill. It will also allow the potential of a shared maintenance person for each Housing Authority. If anyone is interested in learning more about this agreement, they are welcome to attend a Keenesburg Housing Authority board meeting, the board meets the second Monday of each month, unless that day is a holiday and then another mutual date is selected depending on the availability of the board members.”

Deadline Nears for Correcting Colorado Locations with Terrible Broadband Service

Accuracy in the new national broadband map is key in determining how much of the $42.5 billion in broadband infrastructure funds Colorado could receive.

by Tamara Chuang, The Colorado Sun

Barry Goldberg, who lives in Bayfield, jumped at the opportunity to tell the federal government how terribly slow his internet was, at 10 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up. But after searching for his home address on the new preliminary national broadband map, his southwestern Colorado neighborhood didn’t even show up. Instead, a virtual pin stuck in an empty gray area showed “No location data.”

Other Colorado residents shared their confusion with challenging the map devised by the Federal Communications Commission because it showed some technologies that weren’t actually available, providers who denied them service or services that were just too expensive for their budgets. One man said the site didn’t recognize his email so he couldn’t challenge the accuracy of the map.

It took Karen Tourian several more steps to challenge the map’s accuracy that has her home at 100% mobile internet coverage.

“I’d have to walk about an eighth of a mile from my house where there’s a spot that on good days, I can get service on my cellphone,” said Tourian, who lives 8 miles west of Boulder surrounded by hills, likely the cause of what’s making it difficult for faster internet to manifest. “Apparently without service, the app doesn’t work other than showing me the speed test failed.”

There are just days left for people to submit challenges to the proposed new map, which will determine how much of a $42.5 billion pot of federal money each state will receive to invest in broadband infrastructure. The Colorado Broadband Office, which had challenged 13,000 locations last month, plans to submit more by the Jan. 13 deadline. A request to extend the deadline was denied.

“We hope to submit more availability challenges before the 13th, but we are still gathering data and evidence,” Brandy Reitter, the broadband office’s executive director, said in an email. “We have sent several communications to our partners around the state. This includes leaders of counties, cities, school districts, community anchor institutions (libraries, etc.), broadband nonprofit and advocacy groups and other state agencies. We asked them to spread the word about the importance of challenging the map and how to do so.”

Colorado, like all states, wants the data to be as accurate as possible to maximize their share. Estimates show Colorado could receive $400 million to $700 million that would go pretty far in connecting the households where distance, terrain or lack of financial viability caused internet companies to bypass them. Unserved households are defined as those with no access to 100/20 Mbps internet service, which is different from the past. The old FCC guideline was 25/3 Mbps.

The new funding was made possible by last year’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which set aside $65 billion for broadband programs. The largest program — the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, or BEAD — is what the current frenzy is about. BEAD will provide every state $100 million. The rest of the billions will be allocated based on the unserved locations in the broadband map.

And if people can’t challenge inaccuracies in the map, that’s a problem. Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet joined 25 U.S. senators just before Christmas in a letter urging FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to make sure the broadband map reliably shows who has service and who does not.

“We recognize that these steps will require more work now in ensuring all serviceable locations are represented,” reads the letter. “But these processes must not be shortcut or millions of Americans in need of broadband risk being short-changed.”

Bennet has a special interest in BEAD. In 2021, he authored the Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy Act, aka the BRIDGE Act, which is what BEAD is based on. It encouraged gigabit technology and faster speeds of at least 100 Mbps. It required internet providers to offer at least one affordable option. And it gave the authority to states and local governments to choose where their money should go.

“The BEAD program is an iteration of the BRIDGE Act (in that) it gives money to states,” said Vivek Chilukuri, Bennet’s Deputy Chief of Staff. “It’s not being run out of Washington in the sense that FCC or the NTIA are deciding which projects go where. States are deciding that. And they have a lot of flexibility on how to use the funding — do they want to build networks, do they want to focus on affordability programs? Communities have a stronger incentive to spend the money well.”

Chilukuri said that the FCC hasn’t communicated some of the information very well, including deadlines. So Bennet’s office is doing what it can to make sure state broadband offices are able to get their questions answered and get all their challenges in.

“I think there’s a balance between getting the money out as soon as possible and making sure that the funding is as accurate as possible in terms of reflecting the number of actual unserved homes and locations in a state,” Chilukuri said. “You could, in theory, perfect this map for another five years but communities also don’t want to wait five years for the affordable, high-speed broadband they require in the 21st century.”

At this point though, affordability can’t be challenged. That’s what Goldberg, who lives near Bayfield, discovered.

His home actually was on the map — but about one-third mile north of where the map had pinned the address he typed in. It also showed his neighborhood as served, thanks to 100 Mbps service from Starlink, the satellite broadband service founded by celebrity entrepreneur Elon Musk. But service from Starlink, which charges $110 a month plus $599 for installation, isn’t available at his location yet.

The map also showed another local internet provider, the locally owned AlignTec, which offers speeds up to 50/25 Mbps for $130 a month. Goldberg can still challenge the map, both because the location is inaccurate and because the service is not yet available.

But the competition is too costly for him. He said he pays about $45 a month for the 10/1 Mbps from CenturyLink.

“We were really disappointed when the local company put in lines at the local tower

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Bryce Lange, New Town Manager in Hudson, Colorado

The Town of Hudson had a new Town Manager as of December 5th, 2022. Bryce Lange was previously the Town Manager in the City of Dodge Center, Minnesota. Bryce is married to Becca and has two children, Arden, age six, and Ada, age two. Bryce has undergraduate degree in Public Administration, a Master’s in political science and is a Certified Public Manager. He served in the Minnesota national guard for five years in an infantry battalion and also served as an economic development consultant for a private firm serving rural cities in Minnesota.

He and his family are excited about being in Colorado. His biggest surprise was the water situation in Colorado. Coming from the land of 10,000 lakes, Minnesota, he admits he knows he has a lot to learn about Colorado water and is hard at it. He and the family have been very pleased with the warmness shown by the many people in Hudson that he has met with.

Bryce plans to do an awful lot of listening over the next few months. He believes there is a lot of institutional knowledge to be learned. He is committed to working towards accomplishing the goals outlined by the town council, to make Hudson a great place to live, work and play. It is refreshing to listen to someone who expresses a positive attitude, a person willing to listen and a person who is committed to the people of Hudson and a person who has the necessary skill base to get things accomplished.

Bryce reminded me that if any citizen has any questions, they can reach him at: manager@hudsoncolorado.org

Business Startup Workshop to be held Fort Morgan

Thought about starting a business but don’t know where to begin? Have you gotten bogged down trying to write a business plan? Do you need financing to start your business? You can get these questions answered by attending the “Startup Strong” Workshop in Fort Morgan. You will be able to launch your business in one day!

Dr. Merle Rhoades and Jenn Negley of East Colorado SBDC will start the day by introducing you to Business Model Canva and how to forecast your cash flow for your business plan. According to Rhoades, “One of the questions often asked is how do I project my revenues and expenses when I have not been in business.” Rhoades has helped potential business owners for over twenty years in writing business plans. Negley, program manager for East Colorado SBDC in Greeley, has taught business owners and prospective owners how to use a business model to establish their mission, goals, objectives, targeted market, and more.

The two will be joined by presentations from CPA Roger Schaefer of Schaefer, Lapp & Samples CPAS, Attorney Andy McClary of McClary P.C., Bank Lender Jacob Beydier of Bank of Colorado in Brush, non-traditional lender Robert Anderson of Colorado Enterprise Fund, City Clerk John Brennan of Fort Morgan, Economic Development Specialists Sandy Engle of Fort Morgan, and Kristin Clifford-Basil who is the Executive Director of Morgan County Economic Development Corporation.

According to Lisa Hudson, Executive Director of East Colorado SBDC, “you can expect at this workshop to register your business name with the Colorado Secretary of State, set up your Employers Identification Number with the Internal Revenue Service, obtain your sales tax license if you are selling a product as well as starting a business plan.” Participants will be able to work one-on-one with business consultants from SBDC, including one who speaks Spanish. The event is co-sponsored by the Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF). CEF offers loans that vary in size from a few thousand dollars to $1,000,000 and has assisted more than 2,900 Colorado small businesses.

Register for the workshop at bit.ly/eastcoevent. The event will be held at The Block in Fort Morgan from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The registration of $30 will cover lunch and a tour of the commissary kitchen at The Block. For more information, you can contact email Info@EastColoradoSBDC.com.

East Colorado SBDC, located at the University of Northern Colorado, has satellite offices in 20 counties in Eastern Colorado. SBDC offers no-cost business consulting and low-cost training. “We are an integral center of the Colorado SBDC Network. Together, our mission is to help existing and new businesses grow and prosper,” according to Hudson. To request a consulting session, go to www.eastcoloradosbdc. com. You can also register for Startup Strong through the website.

Apply for Morgan County REA’s 2023 Scholarships

As your rural electric cooperative, Morgan County REA holds true to the seven cooperative principles—which include concern for community. One of the ways that MCREA continues its longstanding commitment to the communities it serves is by offering numerous scholarships to local students.

MCREA is happy to once again partner with Tri-State G&T and Basin Electric Power Cooperative in sponsoring a total of nine college or vocational scholarships for students who reside within the outer boundaries of MCREA’s service territory, and whose family (parents or grandparents) receives electric service from Morgan County REA.

For the 2022-2023 school year, Morgan County REA will award five (5) $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors and one (1) $1,000 scholarship to a current post-secondary student that will be returning to college or trade school, Tri-State will award two (2) $500 scholarships to graduating seniors, and Basin Electric Power Cooperative will award one (1) $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior.

Only one set of application materials is necessary to apply for scholarships from all three cooperatives. This year, MCREA’s college scholarship application can be completed and submitted online at www.mcrea.org/college-scholarships. The deadline to apply for college scholarships is Friday, February 17.

College scholarships are not the only opportunities offered by Morgan County REA. The MCREA lineworker scholarship aims to encourage, promote and educate electric lineworkers for enduring and rewarding careers. This $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to applicants selected by MCREA’s lineworker scholarship committee.

Qualified applicants must reside within the outer boundaries of MCREA’s service area and be enrolled or currently attending an approved lineworker training program as a full-time student. Assuming applicant has met the age requirements for enrollment in a lineworker training program, there are no age restrictions to apply for the lineworker scholarship.

MCREA’s lineworker scholarship application is available online at www.mcrea. org/lineworker-scholarships. Based on application, scholarship applicants may be selected to participate in an interview with the lineworker scholarship committee, and recipients are not guaranteed or required to work at MCREA after completing their program. Lineworker scholarship applications are due Friday, February 24.

If you have questions about Morgan County REA’s scholarship programs, please call MCREA’s member services department at (970) 867-5688. Morgan County REA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Murrey: Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights Refunds in Democrats’ Crosshairs continued

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measure directly on the ballot, doing so demonstrates how out-of-touch Democratic legislators are on TABOR and taxes.

Rather than wasting time and taxpayer dollars to put a request on the ballot which Coloradans have repeatedly refused, lawmakers should focus their efforts on issues that matter to voters—like putting the state on a path to zero income tax.

Ben Murrey is fiscal policy director at the Independence Institute, a free market think tank in Denver.

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com

Denver Announces 14-day Shelter Limit for Migrants as Colorado Governor Stops Busing Them to Other States

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both cities are at maximum capacity in shelter space and available services.”

Polis told The Sun last week that his busing program was humane, set up after extreme winter storms and the Southwest Airlines meltdown that left travelers stranded across the country created a backlog of migrant travelers trying to reach relatives and friends in other cities. The governor estimated about 70% of migrants, many from politically unstable Venezuela, were trying to reach final destinations other than Colorado.

Denver was one stop in a three- or four-month journey, but people were stranded here because there were no available bus tickets, Polis said. At first, when migrants began arriving at the pace of more than 100 per day in December, the city was funding the purchase of individual bus tickets to their final destination.

The state stepped in Jan. 3, saying Colorado would pay for charter buses to other cities. Polis announced Saturday that the program was ending. The governor said he had told the mayor of Chicago that no more buses were scheduled to go there, and that the last bus would head toward New York on Sunday.

Denver and nonprofits will resume helping migrants get individual bus tickets, he said.

“Now that nationwide travel has returned to the status quo because the holidays and the impact of weather have normalized transportation pathways, Colorado has been in the process of scaling back this transportation,” the governor said in an emailed news release. “People fleeing violence and oppression in search of a better life for themselves and their families deserve our respect not political games and we are grateful we have been able to assist migrants to reach their final destination. We refuse to keep people against their will if they desire to travel elsewhere.”

Polis again called for federal immigration reform, including increased border security.

The governor’s spokesman, Conor Cahill, told The Sun on Monday that the governor was continuing to “monitor this evolving situation.”

“We will not prevent anyone who wants to leave from going to their preferred destination,” he said.

More than 4,000 migrants from the southern border have arrived in Denver since Dec. 9, prompting the city to set up three emergency shelters by lining recreation centers with mats and cots and bringing in catered meals.

About 560 migrants slept in city shelters Sunday night, and 582 slept in shelters set up by churches and nonprofits.

From Sunday to Monday, 73 more migrants arrived in Denver, according to the city’s daily update. The city has spent more than $1.44 million so far, including on hotel rooms, cots, cot covers, blankets, food, staffing, cleaning supplies and toiletries. Polis announced $5 million in state funds is available to cities and nonprofits to help care for the migrants.

City officials said they began informing migrants at the end of December that, beginning Jan. 9, the 14-day shelter limit would go into effect. Two weeks is considered the right amount of time to rest up from traveling and continue on their journeys or connect with other, non-emergency shelters or housing, they said.

“Living in an emergency shelter should be a very temporary way for folks who’ve made a long journey to get here to stay warm in winter, get connected to resources, and develop a plan to either remain here long-term or travel to their next U.S. destination,” the city said. “This is an opportunity for nonprofits and faith organizations to step up by providing humanitarian aid to these very vulnerable neighbors as well.”

Since last spring, politicians have accused governors of dumping unwanted migrants in other cities, but the controversy has centered on Republicans.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, sent thousands of migrants to Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York during the spring and summer. And on Christmas Eve, two buses dropped off about 100 migrants outside the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington. The White House blamed the Texas governor, who said he was fed up with federal immigration policy. In September, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, spent state funds to round up about 50 migrants in Texas and fly them to the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, calling it a relocation program.

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com

WIGGINS SCHOOL DISTRICT 50J JANUARY NEWS

GOOD PEOPLE OF TIGER NATION: Happy New Year!

Universal Preschool: Enrollment for universal preschool will begin January 17. If you have a child who will be 4 before October 1, 2023 your child is eligible for enrollment. Please visit http://upk.colorado.gov to apply through the Universal Preschool Colorado web page. Once you have applied you will be eligible to enroll at Wiggins Preschool. To complete the enrollment package visit www.wiggins50.k12. co.us. Use the preschool link and fill out the enrollment packet.

Construction: The preschool addition is nearing completion. All of the new classroom areas are ready for flooring to be laid and ceilings to be hung. Once the ground thaws this spring a newly designed playground will be installed. A huge thank you to Mrs. Trautwein who applied for a $150,000 grant and to Temple Hoyne Buell for choosing us as a recipient. This grant funding will be put toward the new preschool playground.

The new 3-6 Elementary School is completely closed in, allowing drywall to be hung. Nearly all of the materials to complete the building have been ordered or are on school grounds. This milestone means the district is not expecting any delays in construction. If everything continues to go as planned the building will be complete and ready for the start of the 2023-2024 school year.

Grants: A huge thank you to Mrs. Trautwein who applied for a $150,000 grant and to the Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation for choosing us as a recipient of that grant. This grant funding will be put toward the new preschool playground that will have two different play areas to accommodate our growing population.

The district is seeking the BEST grant to replace aging HVAC systems on the current elementary school and the Event Center. The HVAC on these two buildings has met or exceeded its life span and is beginning to fail. If awarded, the BEST grant could cover up to or more than half of the $1.6 million price tag.

Congratulations:

• It is School Board Recognition Month! Thank you to Eric Gonzales, Val Loose, Mike Miller, Kris Musgrave, and Derek Pope.

• Boys Basketball team for winning the Inaugural NJC Basketball Tournament.

• Mrs. Donaghy, Mr. Gilbert, and all of the students who participated in the music concerts and play. Well done everyone!

Financials:

Five Fiscal Policy Issues to Watch in the 2023 Legislative Session

by Ben Murrey, Complete Colorado

Voters gave Colorado Democrats a decisive victory in this year’s state races, yet they also passed Independence Institute’s income tax cut by approving Proposition 121. While they elect left-of-center candidates, they continue to expect low taxes and fiscal restraint by their government.

As recently as 2018, Republicans controlled the Colorado senate and served as a roadblock to progressives’ tax-and-spend agenda. After Democrats won unified control over state government in 2019, they increased state taxes and fees by billions of dollars and worked to undermine taxpayer protections under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) at every opportunity.

After three years of these policies, consumer prices began rising faster in Colorado than in any other state, thanks in large part to costs imposed by state lawmakers. Against this backdrop, Colorado Democrats had the political savvy to distance themselves from their own destructive fiscal and economic policies going into the 2022 election cycle.

At the start of the 2022 legislative session, Colorado Democrats rebranded themselves as the party of affordability, TABOR refunds, tax cuts, and saving Coloradans money. Given this year’s election results, it worked. Their party won every major state race and gained seats in both state houses.

Democrats, however, should not misinterpret these results as evidence that Coloradans have moved left when it comes to fiscal policy. While voters marked their bubbles for D candidates, they also happily voted to slash taxes. Proposition 121 won with a 30-point margin, making it more popular amongst voters than Gov. Polis and more popular than most Democratic legislators in their own districts.

There’s an important message here for the Left in Colorado—and it’s not a new one. When voters speak on fiscal issues directly via the ballot, they reject high taxes and unfettered government growth. They defend TABOR and their right to vote on new taxes.

Through the ballot, voters rejected billions of dollars in new transportation taxes in 2018. They rejected the abolition of TABOR refunds in 2019. They cut income taxes and required voter approval for new fees in 2020. This year they cut the income tax via the ballot again. Voters have allowed Democrats to stay in power, but they have also repeatedly indicated they want low taxes and a fiscally restrained state government.

Democratic lawmakers in Colorado understand the tightrope they are walking between progressive policies and voters’ desire for fiscal responsibility. The fact that they ran away from their record on fiscal issues rather than running on their record this election cycle shows they know what their constituents want.

How the expanded Democratic majorities in both state chambers handle these five fiscal policy issues in the upcoming 2023 legislative session will test whether their 2022 pivot was a reelection ploy or a true change of heart.

1. TABOR

When Democrats took full control of state government in 2019, they immediately moved to abolish TABOR refunds. Under TABOR, if the state collects surplus revenue above the Referendum C limit, it must refund the excess to voters. When the legislature asked voters whether the state can keep all future surpluses to increase government spending with Proposition CC, voters answered with a resounding “No.”

TABOR remains incredibly popular with voters, and politicians from both parties have demonstrated by their actions that they understand this. Since the defeat of Proposition CC in 2019, the legislature has not attempted another repeal of TABOR refunds. In fact, earlier this year, Polis and his allies celebrated and took credit for the refunds they recently tried to abolish. What politicians lack in honesty toward voters they make up for in cunning.

While Democrats know from their recent experience that winning reelection is not a mandate to undermine or abolish TABOR, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. In a recent briefing on the general fund reserve, Joint Budget Committee (JBC) Chief Legislative Budget & Policy Analyst, Eric Kurtz, said:

“[A]s we were doing this analysis, we thought, ‘Wow, this would be really cool if some change could be made to the way that the TABOR surplus works.’ I don’t know how politically popular this would be to go to the taxpayers and say, ‘Let us retain some of the money so that we don’t spend it [chuckle], but we keep it for a future purpose.’ Something we wanted to throw out as an idea that you all could consider if and when the General Assembly is thinking about making changes to the way that TABOR operates and trying to send something to the voters about that.”

He knows exactly how politically unpopular this idea is. Voters told the legislature just three years ago when they rejected Proposition CC that they have no interest in what he proposes—abolishing TABOR refunds. Yet, JBC staff is already recommending the legislature consider options for the same. Committee Chair Julie McCluskie responded with interest, inquiring about the technical mechanics for accomplishing it.

Voters have made it clear to the legislature that they like TABOR. It would be foolish to ignore them.

2. Our Flat Tax

Progressive politicians hate that the state constitution guarantees the same flat income tax rate for all Coloradans. They prefer to use the tax code to pick winners and losers in the economy and to pit different groups of taxpayers against one another for votes. A flat tax helps to prevent that.

In 1987, Colorado moved from a graduated progressive income tax system to a single flat income tax rate. Under a flat tax, people who earn more pay more in proportion to what they earn. The same tax rate applies to all taxable income. In 1992 citizens adopted TABOR, which among other things, requires a single, flat income tax rate in Colorado.

For years, both lawmakers and interest groups on the Left have been advocating for the state to go back to a progressive income tax system. Rather than treating all taxpayers equally, such a system forces those who earn more to pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes. In 2020, a citizen initiative backed by the progressive Bell Policy Center aimed to abolish the flat tax and begin punishing Coloradans for earning more money. It failed to gather enough signatures to appear on the ballot.

The Left has had a difficult time passing sweeping tax increases in the state because TABOR requires voter approval of tax hikes. Colorado applies the same tax rate to every taxpayer, so raising the income tax rate on anyone means raising it on everyone. To win on the ballot, advocates of big government understand that they need the ability to ask 51 percent of voters whether they can raise taxes on the other 49 percent. A graduated progressive income tax would give them that ability.

While Democrats alone do not have the votes this session to refer a constitutional amendment to voters, they have other ways to move the ball forward. They can introduce legislation, put on committee hearings, and force a vote on the chamber floors. That would allow them to begin making the case for a graduated progressive income tax, paving the ground for a future ballot initiative. Keep an eye out for this tax hike approach.

3. Tax Loopholes and Giveaways

When Governor Polis first ran for governor in 2018, he promised voters he would reduce special interest tax giveaways and lower taxes for everyone. A report I published earlier this year investigated every change to special tax benefits—what the government calls “tax expenditures”—that Polis signed into law during his first term. It found he increased these kinds of tax giveaways and loopholes during his first term by a net total of about $640 million over 10 years.

The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that the legislature can increase tax revenues without a vote of the people by reducing tax expenditures. In practice, whether the legislature chooses to use this TABOR loophole depends on the status of another part of TABOR: its cap on state revenue—otherwise known as the Referendum C limit.

If revenue comes in under the Referendum C limit in a particular year, the state can increase taxes by reducing tax expenditures—without the need to ask voters. But when revenue exceeds the limit, cutting tax benefits does not give the government any more money to spend. In surplus years, any added revenue simply increases TABOR refunds. Likewise, a reduction in revenue does not affect the state budget either in such years; it simply reduces TABOR refunds.

That means in surplus years the legislature can redistribute TABOR refunds from all taxpayers to politicians’ favored interest groups via special benefits in the tax code. It doesn’t cost them a dime, and it buys them favor with special interests.

In Polis’s first year as governor, state revenue came in under the Referendum C limit, so he cut tax benefits to increase revenue. That incidentally comported with his campaign pledge. In the final three years of his first term, however, revenue exceeded the cap. So, he changed his approach. He—together with the legislature—created billions of dollars in new tax giveaways, effectively using your TABOR refund to buy votes from special interests.

State economists at Legislative Council Staff project a $2.2 billion surplus (i.e., TABOR refund) for FY2023-24. If the legislature again redistributes your refund to special interests through tax giveaways, that’s a good indication that they have chosen to thumb their nose at voters rather than listen to them.

4. Government Fees

Since the passage of TABOR in 1992 put restrictions on tax increases, the legislature has notoriously created billions of dollars in new fees. Colorado’s activist supreme court has ruled that if the legislature calls new taxes “fees,” they are not subject to the voter-approval requirement under TABOR. If those fees fund state enterprises, they are also exempt from TABOR’s revenue limit. Consequently, from FY1993-94 through FY2020-21, enterprise revenue has increased by 3,652 percent, rising from just $742 million to an astonishing $27.1 billion.

The state legislature has a long record of using fees to sidestep the democratic process and the taxpayer protections in the state constitution. Over the last four years of oneparty rule in Colorado, the state has created countless new fees—the road usage fee, the ride-sharing fee, the retail delivery fee, the disaster mitigation fee, the environmental justice fee, and the climate change mitigation fee, just to name a few.

Weary of the legislature bypassing voter consent by calling taxes “fees,” voters adopted Proposition 117 in 2020. The measure requires the legislature to seek voter approval for large new fees totaling over $100 million. Just a few months after voters spoke, the legislature found legal loopholes that allowed them to circumvent the will of the people and create $5.4 billion in new fees with Senate Bill 21-260.

Then, in an effort to rebrand themselves during an election year as a party committed to saving Coloradans money, Democrats passed a number of measures in the 2022 session to provide relief by delaying some of the fees they created. This included a “gas fee” established under SB21-260. Now, with his reelection secured, Polis’s budget proposal for the coming year would reinstate this and other fees.

In addition to moving forward with the fees they passed previously, watch out for new efforts by the legislature to increase state revenue without voter consent by creating more taxes disguised as fees.

5. State Spending

Last year, the legislature passed the largest budget in state history—$39.28 billion. That represents a 28 percent increase in the state budget over Polis’s first term as governor. At $40.68 billion, the 2023 governor’s budget request, would usurp 2022’s budget as the largest in state history. In practice, of course, the governor’s request serves as nothing more than a suggestion; the legislature does what it wants.

Earlier this year—at a time when inflation continued making new record highs each month—the legislature went on a spending spree. The Long Bill and legislative appropriation bill accounted for about $37.8 billion of the FY2022-23 budget, which the legislature adopted in April of this year. In addition, the legislature passed over 200 other bills that together spent an additional $1.5 billion.

This nearly $40 billion in spending only accounts for the current fiscal year, however, legislation can authorize spending for multiple years. Based on Legislative Council Staff fiscal note documents, the legislature approved about $4 billion dollars in new spending in the 2022 session altogether. Next year’s budget will serve as a leading indicator of whether legislators got voters’ message regarding fiscal restraint.

Conclusion

Democrats maintained and even increased their majorities in state government this year while running a PR campaign branding themselves as fiscal conservatives and the party of affordability. To their credit, in the latest session before this year’s election, the legislature paused some of the worst of their economic and tax policies. Their sudden

Five Fiscal Policy Issues to Watch in the 2023 Legislative Session continued from page 6...

fidelity—at least in rhetoric—to more right-leaning tax and economic policies broke from their record of out-of-control taxes and spending from the previous three years under one-party rule in the state.

Voters have consistently shown by their positions on ballot issues for decades that they want to live in a relatively low-tax state under a government that exercises fiscal responsibility and asks voters before imposing new taxes and fees. Their votes this November have also indicated that they trust the Democratic party to listen to them on these issues. The 2023 legislative session will reveal whether that trust was wellpaced and how much Democrats care about the democratic will of the people when it comes to fiscal and economic issues.

This editorial first appeared in Complete Colorado on December 1, 2022.

Economists: Guaranteed Income Programs Should Replace, Not Supplement, Other Welfare Subsidies

by Tom Gantert, The Center Square

(The Center Square) – In Hudson, New York, participants in the city’s guaranteed income program that started in 2020 were counseled on how the $500 a month they were set to receive over a 5-year-period would impact other government subsidies for which they are eligible.

“Will participants lose other public benefits that they might currently be receiving?” the program’s website asked on the Frequently Asked Question section. “This question can only be answered on a case-by-case basis. Prior to committing to participating, all recipients will be offered benefits’ counseling to decide if participation is best for their specific situation.”

Universal basic income programs provide recurring, direct payments to qualified (generally, lower-income) individuals with no strings attached. They are usually paid for by taxpayers, but some private foundations also provide funding. The concern among many participants in guaranteed income programs is that the new revenue could cancel out other social subsidy programs, such as food stamps. But many economists say the best way for guaranteed income programs to work is if they consolidate all government aid programs, creating one subsidy with less bureaucracy and thereby reducing administrative expenses paid for by taxpayers.

According to USGovernmentSpending.com, the cost of the 13 largest federal safety net programs that include Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), Earned Income Tax Credits, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development subsidies, job training and school lunch programs increased from $772 billion in 2019 to $1.06 trillion in 2021.

Antony Davies, an associate professor of economics at Duquesne University, said universal income programs that consolidate the more than 100 taxpayer-funded federal welfare programs would be welcomed.

Davies said the administrative costs of all those welfare programs could be consolidated into a universal basic income program and it could be beneficial.

Hudson’s program is open to “20 randomly-selected” residents “who are above the age of 18 and earn less than $35,153 each year,” according to the city. “Participants may be single, married, with children or without. Selection will be conducted via a random lottery weighted by equity factors and overseen by independent researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Tennessee Knoxville.”

Cities, states and private foundations across the country have launched similar pilot guaranteed income programs. For example, the city of Los Angeles started its own guaranteed income program and Los Angeles County has launched two in 2022. San Francisco launched one specifically for the transgender community.

Chicago also launched a guaranteed income program in 2022. Its pilot program provides 5,000 households in Chicago $500 a month in taxpayer money for 12 months. Denver, Shreveport (La.), Durham (N.C.), Gainesville (Fla.) and the state of Georgia all announced universal basic income types of programs in 2022. Minneapolis, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids tapped into COVID-19 tax dollars to start their own pilot programs.

The Shriver Center on Poverty Law released a report in April that stated that the current social safety net is insufficient “given the economic situation we face.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to support for policies that give additional cash to struggling Americans, the report stated.

“Federal policies such as increased unemployment insurance, an expanded and fully refundable Child Tax Credit (CTC), and stimulus checks have led to burgeoning support for permanent cash transfer programs like a guaranteed income,” the report concluded.

“Guaranteed income helps families by giving them direct cash to meet their needs –whether for housing, childcare or other household essentials,” Audra Wilson, CEO and president of The Shriver Center on Poverty Law, said in a statement to The Center Square. “While expanding these programs is a step in the right direction, we have more work to do to end poverty. We must continue to fight for paying living wages to reduce inequity and improve quality of life for everyone.”

Veronique de Rugy, the George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy and Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, agrees with Davies. “While cash programs are better than paternalistic welfare programs, cash programs shouldn’t be implemented unless they replace current welfare programs,” de Rugy said in an email to The Center Square.

Colorado Pork Producers to Hold Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the Colorado Pork Producers Council will be held February 13, 2023, 9:00 am at Island Grove Regional Park (Gold Buckle Building) Greeley, Colorado. All pork producers, veterinarians, Extension Agents, leaders who work with swine projects, students, educators youth and other allied members and interested parties are invited to attend.

The highlight of the meeting will be a presentation highlighting resources to help producers with their reproductive success on farms, as well as updates and challenges to the industry in coming year.

The Colorado State Vets office, National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council and US Meat Export Federation will be updating industry leaders on challenges, successes and looking ahead.

Youth and youth workers are encouraged to attend as a discussion from participants in the state pork production cost share program will be presenting their projects successes and challenges.

There will be an election of members for the Colorado Pork Producers Council board of directors, and anyone interested in running for the board and are current pork producers within the state of Colorado are asked to contact the CPPC office for information.

The election of Pork Act Delegates for the 2024 Pork Forum will also be conducted. Proof of payment of check off fees is required to run and vote in this election. More information can be found by contacting the office.

RSVP is requested by February 9, 2023 at 5:00 pm.

For more information, contact Colorado Pork Producers Council, PO Box 116, Lucerne, CO 80631, (970) 356-4964, jkelly@copork.org.

Deadline Nears for Correcting Colorado Locations with Terrible Broadband Service continued from page 3...

but they wanted more money than what we were paying for CenturyLink,” Goldberg said. “They’re private and local. They’re good people from what our neighbors say. But we can’t pay that much.”

Challenging the map

The Colorado Broadband Office eagerly accepted the challenge to challenge the national map and by early December, just weeks after the map was released, it had submitted 13,000 challenges.

Most were bulk challenges, where internet service to underserved or unserved areas was suspect. The office also reached out to several communities — from Gypsum and Eagle along the Interstate 70 corridor to Crestone in the south and Peetz and Wray in the northeast.

But to really get at every unserved household, Coloradans should submit the challenge themselves, either online or on a mobile device.

“The high level of evidence required at the individual level makes it difficult for entities like the CBO to submit effective bulk challenges, so we rely on consumers to submit challenges for their homes and businesses,” Reitter said.

Not everything can be challenged and this isn’t a tool to file random complaints against an internet service provider.

But challenges can be made for a number of reasons, including if a listed provider denied service to the household, the technology reported wasn’t available or the speeds were slower than reported. Mobile broadband service can also be challenged using the FCC speed test app.

A resident from Granby Ranch who questioned the process said he’s a Starlink user but only because his local cable provider wanted to charge $30,000 to install service to his home. That can be challenged on availability and by picking the “Provider requested more than the standard installation fee to connect this location” option in the map submission.

Here is the list of what can be challenged.

Also, check the accuracy of the email and street address before pressing submit. Typing in “Street” when the FCC database has “St.” means it may not find the address.

While the broadband office plans to continue submitting challenges to correct the national map, it won’t earn the state additional BEAD funds for challenges made after Jan. 13.

As of Dec. 30, 42,000 locations in Colorado were challenged, Reitter said. The state should know the outcomes of those challenges around mid-May. The FCC will announce the BEAD allocations on June. 30.

“However, we are still showing significant discrepancies between our data and the FCC,” she said. “We don’t know what the outcome is yet for the broadband availability challenge process or any changes to the deadlines. We are tracking the conversations at the national level.”

How to challenge the broadband map: Two challenges can be made: location and availability. If the home or business is not on the map, the location should be challenged. If service details are incorrect, challenge the availability.

1. To make a challenge, visit broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home and type in your address before Jan. 13.

2. If there is no dot on your address, drop a pin on the map, click Location Challenge, fill out the form with the correct information, and click submit. (Watch video)

3. If the information about the broadband service available needs to be corrected, click Availability Challenge, fill out the form, and click submit. (Watch video)

After the submission is received, the FCC sends a confirmation email with an ID number and notes that the challenged location will have a blue circle around it. To view the challenged location, turn on the “Challenges” layer in the map.

Internet providers have 60 days to provide counter evidence about speed accuracy and service availability.

Provided by the Colorado Broadband Office

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com

Public Attitudes Survey Shows Near Unanimous Support for Colorado Agriculture

Nearly all Coloradans want to support our state’s agricultural industry, according to a new public opinion survey conducted by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) and Colorado State University (CSU). The survey shows 98 percent of respondents agreed that Colorado’s food and ag industry is important to the state’s future economic development; that the presence of ranches, farms, and agriculture is important to the quality of life in Colorado; and that it is important to maintain land and water in Colorado for agricultural purposes.

Beginning in 1996 and approximately every five years since, CDA and CSU have partnered to conduct the Public Attitudes About Colorado Agriculture survey. This year’s findings found public support for Colorado’s agriculture industry continues to be exceptionally strong.

“This survey shows Coloradans want to buy local products and that they care about where their food comes from. This is an incredible opportunity for Colorado agriculture to showcase the diversity of production and people who grow and raise our food and to highlight Colorado ag’s commitment to soil, water and climate stewardship and economic resilience,” said Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg. “Favorable public attitude toward agriculture is crucial to the longer-term sustainability of Colorado’s food and ag industry and consumer awareness will help us build new local and regional markets for Colorado producers looking to reach their neighbors.”

According to the survey, more than 90 percent of Coloradans put agriculture in their top three most important ways Colorado can use its water and 98 percent believe Colorado’s land and water resources should be used to support efforts to increase food

security.

“Colorado agriculture is remarkable in its grit and effectiveness when cultivating innovation and wisely stewarding our natural resources. The implications of the survey results are clear – Coloradans support agriculture,” said James Pritchett, Dean of CSU College of Agricultural Sciences. “Investing in agricultural sciences and education catalyzes farmer and rancher prosperity and ensures a robust food system for the security of Colorado’s citizens. We need an agriculture that is consumerresponsive and climate-resilient. Colorado State University is proud to partner in this survey and excited to invest in the future of Colorado agriculture.”

The 2022 survey, completed this fall by independent researcher ETC Institute, surveyed more than 1,100 Coloradans. Findings show Coloradans overwhelmingly support developing strong local food systems (96 percent) and using public funding to protect soil and water resources (84 percent). Additionally, 83 percent of Coloradans reported that knowing a food product was grown or raised in Colorado was likely to influence their purchasing decision when shopping or dining out.

“We understand the importance of agriculture in the state and to all our communities,” said Kathay Rennels, CSU’s Vice President for Engagement and Extension. “Understanding public attitudes, CSU Extension can identify ways we can better support individuals locally including topics like food safety, nutrition and land use, as well as connecting to CSU’s latest research and resources.”

Equally important, 95 percent of respondents indicated that food produced by Colorado’s farmers and ranchers is almost always or usually safe and two of every three respondents believed agriculture is an industry that can help mitigate the impacts of climate change.

“Public support for agriculture is more important than ever, especially as agriculture comes under pressure on water use issues all across the West and at the same time is being challenged to provide solutions to climate change,” said Tom Lipetzky, CDA’s Markets Division Director. “Our farmers and ranchers have led efforts to protect the land and resources they manage and the survey shows Coloradans are supportive of those efforts.”

Where possible, the survey results also include a trend analysis of 2022 answers compared with the 2016 responses. For instance, more respondents in 2022 raise or grow their own food than did in 2016.

The findings from the survey help CDA and other agricultural stakeholders understand public perceptions of agriculture in Colorado and provide insights into new and emerging topics. The survey is also intended to help the State and its partners identify topics where increased public engagement could be beneficial to the agricultural industry.

The full report can be found at ag.colorado.gov/markets.

National Corn Growers Association Expresses Disappointment in EPA WOTUS Rule

by Bryan Goodman

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers released a final rule on December 30 that determines what constitutes Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, under the Clean Water Act.

The rule was released as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to decide a case, Sackett vs. EPA, which will provide more clarity on the issue.

“We are disappointed that EPA moved ahead with its final rule when the Supreme Court will soon render a decision on this matter,” said National Corn Growers Association President Tom Haag. “The Court’s ruling could negate major elements of this WOTUS rule and will create even more uncertainty for farmers.”

This year, NCGA submitted comments to EPA and encouraged corn growers to do the same as the rule was being considered. The group also participated in regional hearings held by EPA.

NCGA has made it clear that farmers are committed to the objectives of the Clean Water Act and the protection of water quality around agricultural operations and downstream. But, the organization has argued, achieving these objectives does not require drainage and water features, which are distant from relatively permanent flowing tributaries, be made subject to EPA’s regulations.

“As farmers, we are the ones who will feel the impact of this rule,” said Haag. “Yet, it appears that our comments fell on deaf ears.”

Colorado Graduation Rates Went Up. So did the Number of Dropouts.

by Yesenia Robles, Chalkbeat Cam Rodgriguez and Thomas Wilburn contributed data analysis and visualization

risk factors for students starting in middle school. It started five years ago, but kicked into more intensive use three years ago at the start of the pandemic.

“We knew kids’ focus was going to shift away so we knew that we had to be the ongoing support and really figure out what’s happening,” Birhanzel said.

Administrators meet quarterly to discuss what supports students who are flagged as high risk are getting and who is reaching out to them.

Birhanzel also credits the Harrison district’s implementation of graduation coaches at each high school to help students navigate their new requirements.

Colorado’s new graduation requirements were pushed back a year because of the disruptions of the beginning of the pandemic including the pause in state testing. But for the state’s 2022 graduating class the new requirements went into effect, meaning students had to show competency in English and math, in addition to credits they may need to earn based on district guidelines.

The state approved a long list of ways students can show that competency, and each district was to establish its own guidance for students using that list.

Johann Liljengren, the state’s director of dropout prevention and student reengagement office, said officials saw the most popular way for students to meet the requirement was through the SAT test, which is a required test 11th graders take already.

Colorado’s class of 2022 posted gains in graduation rates. Lauren Miller for Chalkbeat Colorado and many school districts in the state saw higher graduation rates for the class of 2022 than before the pandemic, even as students had to meet new graduation requirements.

But the dropout rate also increased to its highest level in four years — a sign that schools are still struggling to engage students and still dealing with the fallout from pandemic-era schooling.

State leaders say districts need to dig into their data to understand their own patterns, since the trend isn’t typical. In at least one district, Harrison, leaders say they are seeing some payoff for programs started before the pandemic.

The Colorado Department of Education published graduation and dropout rates for the 2021-22 school year on Tuesday. Statewide, 82.3% of the class of 2022 graduated on time last spring, up from 81.7% in 2021 when the rate dipped for the first time in a decade.

The graduation rate changes this year also meant a reduction in some gaps for marginalized groups. Students with disabilities who are on an Individualized Education Program, for instance, have had big jumps in their graduation rates since the spring of 2020 when the pandemic started. Statewide, these students had a graduation rate of 67.9%, up from 59.2% for the class of 2019.

Looking at district-level rates, about half of all Colorado districts had graduation rates above what they had in 2019, while another half had still not bounced back since dipping during the pandemic. That trend held true among metro-area districts and districts with high numbers of students of color.

Among districts in the metro area, the ones with the largest graduation rate increases, of about 6 percentage points compared to their 2019 rates, were the 27J school district in Brighton, Mapleton, Adams 14, and Englewood. Denver’s graduation rate went up in 2022 to 76.5%, a 5.6 percentage point increase from 2019.

The state’s dropout rate, meanwhile, which counts how many seventh through 12th grade students disenroll from schools, went up to 2.2%. The rate had been decreasing steadily for years, and had held steady during the pandemic so far. It was last this high in the 2017-18 school year.

Steve Dobo, founder of Zero Dropouts, a consultant that works with various school districts, said that although he hadn’t seen the numbers, he wasn’t surprised to know dropout rates increased.

“We hope that we’re going to figure this out, but it is still happening,” Dobo said of this fall semester. “We have kids that come to school three times a week.”

When the pandemic began, students in the class of 2022 were in 10th grade and had to finish the year remotely after sudden school closures. But they had already had the chance to start high school and learn the routines in-person, leaders say. Schools have had a bigger challenge getting them to re-engage now that schools are open full time.

Tracking students may help reduce dropout rates

In the Harrison school district, where about 75% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, a measure of poverty, the graduation rate increased, but hasn’t recovered to what it was pre-pandemic. Dropout rates have only slightly increased to 1.6%, still below the state average.

Graduation rate and dropout rate in Harrison

2022: 80% graduation rate, 1.6% dropout rate

2021: 79.9% graduation rate, 1.2% dropout rate

2020: 82.7% graduation rate, .9% dropout rate

2019: 83.3% graduation rate, 1.9% dropout rate

2018: 79.8% graduation rate, .8% dropout rate

Superintendent Wendy Birhanzel said that dropout rates have been kept low in Harrison in part because of work that had just started prior to the pandemic such as an early warning system that tracks multiple

In 2021, when the class of 2022 was in 11th grade, about 36% of students who took the SAT met or exceeded expectations in math and 60% met or exceeded the expectations for the English test, though the score needed to show proficiency for graduation can be lower.

Students relying on that test score to meet the graduation requirements and who didn’t meet the minimum necessary scores had a limited time frame to show mastery through another way in their final year of high school. It might have included taking an Advanced Placement course and earning at least a 2 out of 5 on the exam, passing a college level course, or creating a capstone project.

So far, the majority of students who struggled to graduate were missing credits after failing classes, Birhanzel said, not because they struggled to meet new requirements.

Students need to pay attention to whether they’re on track to graduate starting in ninth grade. It might be a lot to expect 14-year-olds to think about how they’ll show mastery to meet graduation requirements, but Birhanzel said the district is going to work to help students learn about their options and keep themselves on track.

As Dobo of Zero Dropouts talks to districts about how to improve engagement to reduce dropout rates and increase graduation rates, he also believes things need to change.

Everyone is still figuring out what will work best, said Dobo, noting that students need to be motivated to be in school in person.

Schools may need to tweak work to make the most of the learning for students on any given day, Dobo says. When teachers might have assigned a multiple-day team project before, he now suggests only one-day team projects, because it’s likely the same students won’t be there consistently.

Liljengren said he tells district officials that they need to look closely at their data because patterns are changing — such as how the graduation rate and dropout rate are going up at the same time — and there’s more variability, meaning more districts have unique patterns to the state trend. It’s likely districts and schools will be identifying needs they may not have had in the past, he said.

“COVID hit us hard and we’re going to see the implications for a while still,” Birhanzel said. “We have the most important job ahead of us. We will need the support of our community. This has got to be a community effort.”

Look up your school or district’s four-year rate below:

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Zero Dropouts is not a nonprofit organization. It is a for-profit social enterprise.

Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.

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Worried About Inflation? Consider These Moves

As you know, inflation was big news throughout 2022. But will it continue in 2023? And looking even further ahead, how should you account for inflation in your long-term plans?

In regard to the first question, many experts predict that inflation will cool off this year, though there are no guarantees. The high inflation of last year is thought to have been caused by some unusual factors, such as a spike in the demand for consumer goods as the world came out of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to supply chain issues. Also, the war in Ukraine drove up oil prices, increasing the cost of manufacturing and shipping and driving up the price of wheat and other commodities.

In any case, last year reminded us that inflation needs to be reckoned with as you work toward your financial goals. But how you respond to inflation

will depend somewhat on your stage of life. So, here are some suggestions to consider:

If you’re still working …

• Contribute more to your retirement plans. If you can afford to put more money away in your IRA and 401(k), you may want to do so. The more resources you’ll eventually have available in retirement, the better protected you are against the rising cost of living.

• Adjust your portfolio objectives with your financial professional. Using tools such as “hypothetical” illustrations, a financial professional can show you some different paths you might take with your investments, given different rates of inflation. So, for example, if you feel that inflation may be higher for a longer period than you once thought, you could request a hypothetical showing how you might need to adjust your investment

mix to achieve your long-term goals, given your risk tolerance and time horizon.

If you’re already retired …

• Consider part-time work or consulting. Once you retire from your career, it doesn’t mean you can never do any paid work again. If you’ve accumulated years of experience and expertise, you could use your skills as a consultant. Also, many part-time jobs are available for retirees. With the added income from employment, you may be able to delay taking withdrawals from your retirement accounts and other investments, possibly extending their longevity. (Once you turn 72, though, you will need to begin taking money from your 401(k) and traditional IRA.)

• Delay taking Social Security. You can begin taking Social Security when you’re 62, but your monthly checks

will be substantially bigger if you wait until your full retirement age, which will likely be between 66 and 67. (You could even wait until 70, at which point your monthly benefits will max out.) Of course, the ability to delay taking Social Security depends on whether you can afford it, but it may be possible if you work longer than you once planned or if you work part time in retirement. But even if you do need to take Social Security before your full retirement age, your payments will be adjusted annually for inflation — in fact, for 2023, benefit checks will rise 8.7% over 2022.

We’ll always have to deal with some level of inflation — so it’s a good idea to be prepared.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Premier Farm Credit to Return $6.5 Million to Member-Owners in Early 2023

January 10, 2022, Sterling, Colorado – Local ag-lending cooperative Premier Farm Credit will pay a record $6.5 million in cash patronage to its customer-owners in early 2023. The financial services cooperative has returned more than $26 million through its Patronage Program since 2019 and 2023 makes the 26th year a patronage has been paid.

As a customer-owned cooperative, Premier Farm Credit understands that extra capital can make a big difference in a customer’s operation. About 900 checks are going out across Premier’s 6-county territory in northeast Colorado. This year’s patronage represents a cash return of over one-third of the cooperatives’ 2022 earnings.

“Our customers share in the Association’s success through our patronage dividends,” President and CEO Michael Grauberger said. “It’s important to us that we return a meaningful amount while remaining financially sound and focused on serving agriculture and rural communities in northeast Colorado.”

In addition to receiving patronage, customer-owners of Premier are encouraged to participate in the Association in a variety of ways. These include participation in annual Board of Director and Nominating Committee Elections which ensures maintaining a strong Board of Directors who have the ability to vote on issues that influence the operations of the Association, and members also have the opportunity to serve on the Advisory Committee.

“Receiving a Cash Patronage Dividend check demonstrates that the borrowers of Premier Farm Credit are part-owners of a business that’s working for them,” said Becky Lenz, Board Chair. “$6.5 million dollars is a significant payout that goes back into our borrower’s pockets and reduces their average interest rate by over 1%. This also has a positive impact in the communities where our members live and work.”

As part of the Farm Credit System (established in 1916), Premier Farm Credit is a mission-driven lending cooperative owned entirely by its borrowers/memberowners. Sometimes referred to as an Association, Premier Farm Credit serves Northeast Colorado and the surrounding areas with loans, leases, insurance and appraisals for agriculture and ag-related businesses. They also provide rural home loans for residences in small towns and on small acreages. Premier Farm Credit has aggregate loan volume of over $900 million and has offices in Sterling, Fort Morgan, Yuma and Holyoke. You can learn more about them at premieraca.com, or

CDA Hires Two Regional Assistant Commissioners To Help Strengthen Relationships with Rural Communities Across Colorado

Broomfield, Colo. — The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is announcing the hiring of Jo Stanko and George Whitten as Regional Assistant Commissioners of Agriculture. In their new positions, they will serve as liaisons between CDA, their communities, and agricultural communities across the state.

In late 2022, Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg created these new, parttime, remote positions to make it more feasible for working farmers and ranchers to be part of the CDA team. These new team members will further the Department’s efforts in cultivating relationships with local agricultural communities by sharing the Department’s priorities and available resources, helping guide CDA’s work to advance and support agriculture based on direct community input, and by creating a direct connection between rural communities and CDA.

“Agriculture, at its core, is about bringing people together to share our food and culture. Both Jo and George are respected community leaders who care deeply about preserving Colorado’s agricultural heritages while working proactively for the future,” said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. “As the first two Regional Assistant Commissioners, Jo and George will lead the way to ensuring there is a direct line of communication between CDA and agricultural communities across the state as we face great challenges but also great opportunities to build resilience, drive profitability, and advance stewardship on behalf of Colorado agriculture.”

CDA is looking to hire up to four Regional Assistant Commissioners to represent geographic diversity as well as diversity in production type, background, and expertise in a wide range of areas and emerging agricultural issues in Colorado. In the first round, Ms. Stanko and Mr. Whitten went through a competitive application process and were selected as the finalists for the first two positions. Ms. Stanko, a rancher from Routt County, resides in Northwest Colorado and Mr. Whitten, who ranches in Saguache County, resides in the San Luis Valley.

The Department is taking into consideration the makeup of the Agricultural Commission when hiring the Regional Assistant Commissioner positions to gain a greater diversity in representation across the state. CDA will assess the remaining Regional Assistant Commissioner positions with the help of Ms. Stanko and Mr. Whitten and post for the remaining two positions later this year.

The positions are part time and remote, to allow the Regional Assistant Commissioners to continue their work in agriculture and remain in their communities. They will work closely with the Commissioner of Agriculture and CDA’s senior team to help develop agricultural policy direction for the Department on a state and national level.

Jo Stanko was born and raised in Colorado and married into a ranching family in 1966. She was a teacher for most of her career, learning about ranching and agriculture along the way. Upon her retirement from teaching, she used her skills to advocate for agriculture at local, state, and national levels.

Ms. Stanko has held positions on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, the Colorado Agricultural Commission, and was the Chairperson of the state committee for the Farm Services Agency. She is also an active member in many other local, state, and national organizations. Her ranch near Steamboat Springs was started by her husband’s grandfather in 1907, with the fourth generation now taking the lead on running the cattle operation.

George Whitten was born into ranching in Saguache, Colorado. His Grandfather W.E. Whitten established a sheep, cattle and farming operation in the Northern end of the San Luis Valley in 1893. Mr. Whitten has been actively involved in managing this ranching operation since 1973. He is knowledgeable in all phases of sheep and cattle production and specializes in grass finishing techniques, genetics, soil health, organic production and certification, restorative ranching practices and marketing.

For more than three decades, Mr. Whitten has been using holistic management principles on his ranch and is an advocate for regenerative soil practices across Colorado. Mr. Whitten has served on the Board of Directors of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District for more than 25 years. He is also a founding member and current president of Sweet Grass Co-op and together with his wife is a founding mentor of the Quivira Coalition New Agrarian Ranch agriculture apprentice program. He has served one term on the Colorado Agricultural Commission, which expires in February 2023. He will resign his post as a member of the Agricultural Commission and begin as Regional Assistant Commissioner, effective February 6, 2023.

Avian Flu Wreaks More Havoc in Colorado

Egg Layers and Wild Birds

Worst-ever outbreak leads to slaughter of 6 million-plus chickens and has killed enough eagles and other raptors to raise wildlife fears by Michael Booth, Tamara Chuang and Joshua Perry, The Colorado Sun

the company just raised its members-only minimum price by $1 to $2.99 per dozen, starting Jan. 10.

“Freight and shipping costs have tripled, in many cases from $300 per pallet to $1,000 per pallet, making shipping anything other than a full truckload impossible,” said Christie Pettys, Natural Grocers’ product standards manager. “(And) packaging costs have skyrocketed as well with a more than 55% increase in the last 18 months. Add in the recent weather, and wow.”

Coolers that are typically stocked with fresh eggs were empty on Dec. 26, 2022, at the King Soopers store in Lafayette. A few cartons of egg products and packages of hard-boiled eggs still were available. (Dana Coffield, The Colorado Sun)

High Plains Eggs farms weren’t impacted by avian flu. They’re actually expanding. But that means they’re competing to buy pullets, or young female chickens that need about another 10 weeks to get to full-size egg production. There’s a shortage of baby chicks because of high demand to replace slaughtered flocks.

“The avian flu not only knocked out production layers but the pullets, the baby chicks. We put an order in September and you can’t get any until July,” he said. “It’s like with the trucks. If you want to get a refrigerated truck now, you’ve got to wait a year or two. That doesn’t work. This makes me wonder every day what’s going to happen? What’s going to break? What are we going to have to deal with?”

Raptor rescues trying to “play the long game”

A female adult northern harrier feeds on one of at least five dead birds found on the ice at Stearns Lake near Broomfield on Jan. 4, 2023. It’s not clear if these dead birds had avian flu, but scenes like these and the potential for spreading the devastating virus are playing out across Colorado, wildlife officials and raptor watchers warn. (Dana Bove, Front Range Eagle Studies, Special to the Colorado Sun)

Colorado’s worst-ever avian flu outbreak has now resulted in nearly 6.4 million poultry deaths and is increasingly crossing over into wild birds and killing bald eagles and other precious raptors in what wildlife watchers call “the stuff of bad dreams.”

The mass slaughter of egg-laying flocks has decimated the commercial egg market in the state, with every large producer now affected after a spread of the outbreak in December. Wildlife officials say they are overwhelmed by reports of carcasses in the wild and have limited testing of dead birds in order to concentrate efforts in the most impacted areas.

Colorado agriculture and wildlife officials say they have no way to stop the flu’s spread among migratory birds, and expect waves of deaths to continue through early winter until birds settle into winter grounds. Mass die-offs are likely to pick up again in the spring as flocks of snow geese, Canada geese and other common birds head back north.

Wildlife officials mourned the first death of a tagged and tracked bald eagle last month, from among Colorado’s resurgent but still tenuous population of nesting bald eagles totaling 250 to 300 pairs statewide.

“It’s definitely somewhat demoralizing, especially to be losing these numbers of birds and in so many locations,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife avian researcher Reesa Conrey said. “I know our wildlife officers and our wildlife health staff are overwhelmed, quite frankly, with just the sheer number of reports and in all the cases that they would like to respond to.”

Bird watchers and volunteer trackers are watching their favorite nesting pairs with dread, in fear of what rare raptors are ingesting every time they land on an animal carcass to feed. Dana Bove, founder of Front Range Nesting Bald Eagle Studies, said recent news of eagle deaths from avian flu in Colorado are literally “the stuff of my bad dreams.”

The Colorado Department of Agriculture has mapped out all the locations of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, outbreaks in Colorado on its site.

Domestic bird slaughter hits egg market hard

Consumers continue to see the impact of the bird flu’s spread in Colorado grocery stores.

Egg supplies have been supplemented by shipments from other states, but recent outbreaks have hit producers in Kansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, California and Oregon, Colorado Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Olga Robak said.

Egg production in Colorado plummeted to a meager 41.1 million eggs in October — or about one-third the number of eggs from earlier months. The loss of production tracked the mass slaughter of laying flocks in a spring spike in the flu outbreak, and then again in the fall as waterfowl migration accelerated the spread.

Colorado’s 6 million egg-laying chickens typically produce about 1.56 billion eggs per year. In 2022, that number fell to less than 1 billion eggs. After slaughters of 260,000 and 1.35 million birds in Weld County in December, Colorado has now seen essentially its entire commercial egg flock wiped out in less than a year.

A Flourish chart

Nationwide, 57.8 million birds in 47 states have either died or been culled due to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The previous record was set in 2015 when the avian flu outbreak killed off 50.5 million birds in 21 states.

Meanwhile, the price of eggs continued to rise in the fall. According to the Consumer Price Index, a dozen large Grade A eggs cost $3.59 a dozen in November, more than double the price a year ago.

A Flourish chart

The devastating virus overshadowed other factors that caused a spike in egg prices in recent years. For some local farmers, chicken feed costs are up 75% since before the pandemic, said Chris Sramek, with High Plains Eggs, a co-op that includes farms in Colorado and Kansas. The war in Ukraine has meant farmers can’t buy Ukrainian peas and soybeans to feed animals and have had to scramble for alternatives.

There’s also higher transportation and delivery costs, limited supply of egg cartons and cold weather, which impacts egg production. That’s all caused farmers to raise prices just to cover the additional costs.

“This year cuts the cake,” Sramek said. “That $6 a dozen for a local egg farm is probably right on for the cost of a small producer. We’ve got a little more scale so we can make the numbers a little better. My spreadsheet is showing around $5.21 to $5.50. But that’s at cost.”

There are other costs to get eggs to consumers. A dozen eggs are likely more expensive in the store. At Natural Grocers, which has a customer loyalty program that subsidizes its free-range eggs, there’s now a limit of two dozen per customer and

Wildlife officials and observers are more and more concerned about the crossover of flu into limited populations of raptors and other wild birds. Snow goose and Canada goose flocks are robust, and can likely recover the loss of a few thousand birds at a time, like those recorded in Eastern Plains counties. But an additional threat to species like bald eagles, which number only in the hundreds statewide, strains conservation efforts.

Rocky Mountain Raptor Program rehabilitation coordinator Mike Tincher said the raptors most affected by the outbreak appear to be red-tailed hawks and great horned owls, two species that have been doing well in the state. The injured birds that Rocky Mountain Raptor Program picks up all get swabbed and tested for avian flu infection, but with limited resources and personnel, they can’t cover every case, Tincher said.

The full scope of the outbreak in wild birds might be worse.

“With the amount of birds that we’re seeing, we know that’s only the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “Because there’s birds that are probably being impacted — raptors that are being impacted — that are dying, that nobody’s seeing.”

Wildlife agencies will continue to publish updates on the situation online for anyone concerned, Tincher said. Colorado Parks and Wildlife asks residents who find more than three dead larger-sized birds, such as waterfowl or raptors, to report them, but not handle the carcasses. They also warn bird watchers to not go out on the ice to investigate or handle any carcasses, complicating bird rescue with human rescues.

Transmission of avian flu to humans is almost nonexistent, but remains possible, wildlife officials say. But humans can transmit the virus to birds or animals. Tincher said he’s been able to keep his backyard chicken coop healthy by taking proper safety precautions and changing clothing after he returns home from work with the raptors.

Rehabilitators like himself are helping as many birds as they can, Tincher said, but since this disease isn’t treatable the outbreak will likely have to run its course. Time will tell how well wild bird populations will manage.

“Any good virus won’t kill everything that comes in contact with it because it loses its ability to propagate,” he said. “Will this change, and temper, and not be as lethal to raptors? We don’t know yet. Right now, we’re playing the long game.”

Wildlife watchers would like more testing

Overrun by calls about carcasses, state wildlife researchers are now limiting testing for their winter season. Once they have a positive test in a species in one county, they will assume that species is in danger and not test more of those birds until the spring migration season begins, Conrey said.

Bove, the volunteer researcher, worries that sharply limited state counting and testing will miss important information about where infected waterfowl are mixing with raptor populations, and how the virus spreads around Colorado.

“While there are volunteer groups in the Front Range that do regular winter raptor survey routes, there is no currently organized effort to count dead waterfowl, what type, where and the date,” Bove said. “This type of information could go into an organized database, but to my knowledge, nobody has organized such an effort.”

Even though the state can’t promise all carcasses will be tested, Conrey said, researchers still want reports from the public.

“We’re still interested in logging all those reports because it gives us a better sense of the scope of the disease, where it is, and how much of an issue it is, and what species are being reported,” she said.

Bove, for his group’s part, wishes for a clearer focus on the threat to wild birds.

“I think on the research end, a lot more could be done in our state,” he said.

Bird lovers carry on with celebrations

Some of the more organized celebrants of wild birds in Colorado are moving forward with plans while keeping one eye on state updates.

Jessica Medina is the director of the High Plains Snow Goose Festival in Lamar, a celebration of local heritage and wildlife — specifically the snow geese stopping in Colorado on their southern migration — that will mark its 20th anniversary in February. She said that although the avian flu outbreak is on her radar, she isn’t worried about it being a problem.

“It’s not something that we’re going to cancel a festival over,” she said.

While there have been large die-offs in the thousands for snow geese in the latest spread of the outbreak, the migratory flocks of the birds that Colorado is famous for are so large they should not be impacted.

And even if they were affected, festival attendees would be able to have fun no matter how much of the flock makes an appearance, Medina said.

“If there’s 1,000 to 10,000 geese less than what they’re expecting, it’s still a sight to behold, and it’s still entertaining for them, and it’s still educational,” she said. “And there’s a lot of great things to do.”

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com

Colorado may Bolster Liability Protections for Private Landowners who let the Public Recreate on their Lands

By Jason Blevins, The Colorado Sun

Athearn’s outfit is more than a group advocating for sustainable trails on the state’s busiest peaks. It owns a bunch of mining claims flanking Mount Shavano and its own lawyers worked hard to script warning signs that help hikers recognize the dangers on the trail.

“It’s all about finding a good balance. How do we adequately inform the recreating public of the hazards involved? Landowners can’t be up there at 14,000 feet every single day of the year so let’s fine tune our obligation to inform,” said Athearn, who is working with Baisley and landowners to help craft the new legislation. “Landowners should feel protected when people go through their land to access some of the state’s recreational attractions. We all benefit when the landowner is protected.”

Kendall Chastain, the conservation manager for the Colorado Mountain Club who works with landowners to allow recreational access, hopes the legislation will spur more property owners to open their acres to the public.

There may be owners out there who have never considered welcoming visitors, she said.

“There’s a woman we have been working with who has a little pond on her property and she told us if this goes through she will have much less concern with people visiting her pond and crossing through her property to reach public lands,” Chastain said. “I bet there are more people out there like her.”

One sticking point in the current recreational use statute is that it lumps almost all forms of recreation into the same group. That means landowners have limited ability to restrict certain types of recreation that may not work on their property, like, say, motorized users or people panning for gold. Proposed changes in the law would give property owners greater leeway in choosing which type of recreation best fits on their land, Chastain said.

“It does not make sense for some of these properties that everything goes,” she said. There are many little discrepancies that are being addressed in the proposed legislative adjustment to the recreational use statute.

“There are a lot more voices being heard and concerns are being expressed more clearly and more urgently than in years past,” Chastain said. “We have a lot of strong support for this across many communities.”

Ever since a federal appeals court in 2019 sided with a mountain biker who sued the federal government after crashing on an Air Force Academy trail, recreational access on private property in Colorado has been under threat.

Landowners have closed trails, and even entire mountains, fearing an injured hiker could sue them for millions. The appeals court decision left landowners unsure that protections in the venerable Colorado Recreational Use Statute are enough to allow people to recreate on their land.

There’s an exception in that decades-old statute that didn’t mean a lot before the Air Force Academy decision: Landowners could be liable if an injured recreational user can prove a landowner’s “willful or malicious failure to guard or warn against a known dangerous condition.”

Can a trail be a dangerous condition? How about an old mine? Or a bunch of wet rocks next to rapids? How many signs are needed to warn visitors? How often do landowners need to check those signs?

A Colorado lawmaker is stepping up with a plan to amend the Colorado Recreational Use Statute with added protections for landowners whose attorneys are telling them to lock the gates or get ready to be sued.

And this time, maybe, recreational access won’t be such a political football, with partisan squabbling delaying a possible fix for a problem haunting landowners as growing numbers of visitors flock to Colorado outdoors.

“I have a high degree of confidence that this will enjoy widespread support from both chambers and both sides of the aisle,” said state Sen. Mark Baisley, a Republican from Woodland Park who is crafting a bill to update recreational access laws with increased protections for landowners who allow recreational visitors to traverse their property. “I really think everyone is pulling in the same direction here.”

Baisley has been meeting with landowners who host recreational visitors and are worried about liability. Like John Reiber, who in 2021 closed access to mining claims he owns on popular 14ers Mount Lincoln, Mount Democrat and Mount Bross.

Reiber has since restored access, thanks to support from trail advocacy groups like the Colorado Mountain Club and the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative and the Town of Alma. But he still worries. What if someone removes a sign warning visitors about the dangers of the old mines on his property? His lawyers and insurers are worried, too.

“A lot of carriers won’t even touch me,” Reiber said of his search for property insurance for his mining claims. “They want nothing to do with property that can be accessed by the public. I mean I really want people to enjoy the 14ers … just how can we make it work for the recreating public and still provide landowners with a little better protection so we don’t have to go out and buy all this additional, incredibly expensive insurance? I’m hoping we can find common ground here.”

David Hersh was the lawyer who represented the cyclist, Jim Nelson, who sued the Air Force Academy after he was injured on a washed-out section of trail in 2008. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2019 ruled the Air Force Academy knew about the damaged trail and failed to give proper warning, affirming a $7.3 million judgment for the cyclist. Hersh said the decision supported the Colorado Recreational Use Statute protection for landowners unless they act willfully or maliciously in failing to guard or warn of known hazards that are likely to cause harm. Hersh calls the willful and malicious exception for landowners “really very narrow.”

“And we have a whole bunch of case law that talks about what constitutes willful or malicious … so Colorado landowners have real good guidance on what is within that exception. The Nelson case fell pretty far out on that willful spectrum but there are many cases where the court said it was not willful,” said Hersh, an attorney with the Burg Simpson law firm. “If we go rewrite the act we will have a blank slate and we will have to wait 20 years for the law to develop to figure out what the new provisions really mean.”

Colorado lawmakers in the late 1970s crafted protections for Colorado ski areas that made it very difficult for skiers to sue a resort operator. The Colorado Ski Safety Act, which outlines the responsibilities of both resort operators and skiers, was born of concerns over skyrocketing insurance costs paid by ski areas that could face businessdestroying lawsuits.

The Ski Safety Act has been amended several times as resorts identify new issues and skier behavior changes. Recreational access laws should be updated, too, said Lloyd Athearn, the director of the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative.

In 2019, legislation proposed by then-Rep. Perry Will, a Republican from New Castle, and then-Rep. Donald Valdez, a La Jara Democrat, would have removed the willful and malicious exception from the state’s recreational use statute. It died in the House Judiciary Committee mere days after it was introduced.

Most advocates for reform of the recreational use statute expect trial lawyers to lobby against any changes. Colorado state Sen. Dylan Roberts, an Avon Democrat, said amending the statute “would definitely still be a very controversial topic at the legislature.”

Baisley said he’s held meetings with local communities, trail groups and landowners and sees growing consensus. He expects many lawmakers will step forward to cosponsor his bill.

“We look at each other and wonder who will oppose this,” he said. “And all we see are the trial lawyers. I understand this may be a source of business for them and we will consider their objections. But I’m feeling hopeful. This is the bill I’m most proud of right now.”

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com

The Apathy Factor

by Bill O’Reilly

We all know people who don’t know much about history or anything else for that matter. And don’t care to know. If they cared, they would google—the easiest way to get information on the planet.

Because so many folks are apathetic about the world around them, they make bad decisions. Two things drive faulty outcomes: emotion and stupidity.

If you don’t know anything, you are stupid. However, emotion can cripple even the most astute person.

President Biden is a historically bad Chief Executive rivaled only by the incredibly incompetent, apathetic James Buchanan and the hapless, apathetic Herbert Hoover - who thought the Great Depression was an apparition or something.

Fellow traveler Joe Biden is many things in his senior life, few of them good. But his apathy is beyond comprehension.

A record amount of drugs are being smuggled across the Mexican border. Hundreds of thousands dead because of it. Heard anything from Joe about that?

Millions of poor migrants have been abused by Mexican cartels in terrible ways as they try to get to open-border America. Does Biden care? No evidence that he does.

The financial burden on working Americans has increased tenfold since Joe took office. Higher prices for almost everything, “real wages” down about four percent - a seven-point swing for the worse since Trump’s last year in office.

The airlines have fallen apart on Biden’s watch. Millions of passengers have suffered. Has Joe addressed it? No, he has not.

In fact, I don’t know of one problem that President Biden has dealt with in an effective way. Not one.

That leads me to believe that Joe is largely apathetic about the state of the union. He pretty much does what his far-left masters tell him to do and then takes a nap. His daily schedule, released to the public, shows plenty of nothing. I post it every night on the No Spin News.

Back in the late 1850s, radical separatists in the south routinely defied the federal government in Washington, stealing weapons, ignoring taxes, even attacking federal workers. President Buchanan did nothing. Apathetic and lazy, Buchanan sat in the Executive Mansion while the Civil War fuse was lighted and pretty much ignored it.

For that, James Buchanan will always be the worst President of all time. The WOAT, if you will.

Joe B. has much in common with Jim B. and the biggest shared trait is apathy.

Sadly, many Americans, including much of the media, are in that camp as well.

Apathy often leads to calamity. We are surely seeing that in the USA right now. Somebody tell the President.

A state lawmaker is working with trail groups and property owners on legislation that would reform Colorado’s recreational use statute.

Colorado Mountain Club conservation coordinator Kendall Chastain packs her bag after installing a “No Trespassing” sign along the DeCaliBron loop trail on July 12, 2022, near Alma. In partnerships with landowners, municipalities and trail groups, the signs help protect hiker access on 14ers without crossing closed private properties. (Hugh Carey, The Colorado Sun)

- ObituaryCarl Dean Patton

Carl

house, until the 8th grade.

Carl was a mechanic, and spent his days farming and running heavy equipment. He also enjoyed driving truck, and purchased his own semi to start his own business, C&F Custom Hauling. Carl finally retired at the age of 84 and spent his last year turning wrenches with his son Tommy. He knew a little about everything when it came to fixing things, and was as tough as they come. He loved fishing and boating with his family and friends, telling jokes, and a tall glass of whiskey.

Carl was preceded in death by his parents; and two sisters, Dorothy Ley and Betty Burnett.

He is survived by three children, Don (Luann) Patton of Ft. Lupton, Carlene Patton of Ft. Lupton and Tommy (Connie) Patton of Fort Morgan; six grandchildren, Misty Coursey, Nicole Engbarth, Sandy Fry, Craig Patton, Autumn and Britney Remirez, 12 great grandchildren; four brothers, Jim Patton of Greeley, Ira and Clyde Patton of Roggen, and Roy Patton of Fredrick; and three sisters, Carol Rice of Bridgeport, NE, Toby Schwindt of Wheatland WY, and Ruth Collins of Crested Butte.

A memorial services will be held at Life Fellowship Church Friday January 20, 2023 at 2:00 PM, followed by a time of fellowship and refreshments.

Donations are being accepted to help offset funeral expenses at fundafamily.com. Deceased’s Funeral Arrangements: A memorial services will be held at Life Fellowship Church Friday January 20, 2023 at 2:00 PM, followed by a time of fellowship and refreshments.

SHAPPS News Update 2022

WHOO HA - 2022 was indeed a busy, interesting and great year for SHAPPS. The organization is growing slow and steady with many new members. We are so grateful to the many volunteers that helped with numerous activities at Sunrise - it would not have been possible without them. Our annual tour was successful - the 2023 tour is scheduled for June 24. We also did a tour for the Wyoming History Society and a tour and campout for the Casper Science Zone. John V did several private tours as were requested. The street dance was a hoot and raised a good sum to pay for the old CF&I fire truck, but Dennis says we still owe $1,200 for the truck. We need to do that event again just for fun - so the next dance will be on Labor Day Weekend Sept. 2. Kay Sebring-Roberts Kuhlmann and Linda Fabian wrote and presented a theater production at the Sunrise Theater with a cast of local people. Geri, Kathy and Ann did several interviews (oral histories) with folks that worked at or have other ties to Sunrise and the iron mine. They are searching for more people to interview - contact them if you know of someone. Jody Shields brought a dozen people from the Wyoming Align program that volunteered to cleanup in and around the YMCA for a day. Geri did a Dig For A Day educational event with Tri County Parks and the public for preschoolers and one for kids up to grade 12. Geri is also working on numerous grant opportunities for a heating system and other kinds of renovation needed for the YMCA building. We can’t get water into the Y until we have heat. Kent Hargraves and Ken Owens worked on sealing the vault to stop water leaks. They are also renovating the vault (walls, ceiling, electric etc) so we can safely secure the artifacts in the vault and use it for research purposes. Thanks Dennis, Mark and Ray for all your work on the fire truck. We also need to thank John for letting us hold all these events on his property.

We have projectile points from the Powars II red ochre mine that are similar to, but not quite like, other Paleoindian points such as Clovis, Goshen, Midland, Folsom and Plainview types. We have named this unique point as the Sunrise point type. This point type has been found in other places, Colorado and especially to the north in Montana and Canada, but there are no dates for it. There is good possibility that we can obtain some good dates by working the site deposits adjacent to the ochre mine on the hillside. or in the old terrace deposits in the valley floor below the mine. In that regard, we did a test excavation west of the ochre mine trench and two excavations in

the terrace last summer. The ochre mine test proved to be mixed slope deposits and did produce one Folsom point but not in good context. One test in the terrace was entirely negative, but the other was quite productive. At a depth of 2.8m (roughly 9ft) we encountered a level with numerous flakes and a small pit feature, but no culturally diagnostic artifacts such as projectile points. We got a radiocarbon date from that level that may be older than Clovis. We have submitted other samples and are waiting on dating results. That area has excited us and we will extend the area of that test next summer. We were assisted in the test excavations by numerous volunteers and by two professional archeologists from Brazil and one from Uruguay that Bruce brought to the site last summer. Bruce also arranged for a knapp-in last summer where some of the top flint knappers in the country participated. Purpose of that event was to experiment with the JV toolstone, and to study the lithic technology that prehistoric folks used to manufacture the unique Sunrise point type. Also, it was an opportunity for the public to learn how beautiful and exquisite stone tool artifacts were made.

The Troy Reichert Youth Skills program kids did some good work on windows and the porch for the Y last summer. Troy will have two sessions with both boys and girls during this coming summer. Thanks Troy for using the Y for your training program.

We have monthly meetings and programs on the 4th Thurs of the month - board meeting at 4:00 and public programs at 6:00pm. We were holding the meetings and program in the YMCA but after it got cold we moved to the Episcopal Parish Hall in Hartville - thanks Bill Walker for arranging for use of that building. The program for the meeting this month will be on Jan 26, and is about Sunrise Mine Memories presented by Ray Mansoldo, Bob Honholt and Marlin King

Sad News - Good members Joe Zavorka, Larry Adams, Carl Fronapfel, Wayne Smith and Sally Welte passed away. They were all good people, good friends. We will miss them and extend our condolences to their families.

Now the bad news - 2023 membership dues R Due. They are $30 for an individual and $50 for a family. Dues can be mailed to the address at the top of this letter. We are recognized as a nonprofit and all membership dues and donations are tax deductible. You do not have to be a member to attend programs and events but dues go a long way towards sustaining this organization and we appreciate your help.

NEEDS - We need help in arranging and properly displaying the exhibits in the museum. We need help in dusting and maintaining the displays and rooms in the YMCA and mowing the grass at the Y and the two kitchen and bunk houses. We will also need volunteers to assist with digging and screening during archeological investigations next summer. And, we could save a lot on postage for our newsletter if more folks had email addresses that we could use.

Mr. Bill Woodcock was raised on a ranch in southern Montana, a good place to find arrowheads. Bill became an avid collector and acquired a large collection. In later years he worked for Academic Press and assisted George Frison with several of George’s books. Bill died a few years ago. His wife Charlene auctioned Bill’s collection which brought roughly $24,000. Charlene and her children donated the proceeds to SHAPPS to be used for research at the Powars site. Much thanks Charlene, and we know that Bill would be pleased to know how his collection will benefit the study of Paleoindian Archeology.

George is busy trying to get the book together that Frison wanted. His goal is to have a manuscript ready for the publisher (University of Utah Press) by mid to late spring. Contributors to the book include: George Z and George F introduction and archeology of the Hartville Uplift, Julie Morrow red ochre, Bruce Bradley and Greg Nunn projectile points, Neil Hauser GMM projectile point study, Wayne Sutherland geology of the mine and red ochre, Mark Russ history of the historic Sunrise mine, Steve Bolen the Dr. Riser cache, Marcia Murdock and Harold Hudson erosion abatement, Elmer Guiere financial support for research from the collecting community. The book was Frison’s last request (more like a command) and it is good that so many are working to make it a reality.

This is at the Meyers site and shows a stratified series fire pits the oldest dated at 2200 BP and was associated with two tang knives. (the pictograph at the top of the first page is at the Sommers site located near Guernsey is done in red ochre and is 300ca years old)

Dean Patton, 85, passed away December 11, 2022 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Fort Morgan. He was born January 1, 1937 to Thomas and Blanche (Henderson) Patton in Fort Morgan. He was the oldest of ten children, raised on the family farm in Roggen. He attended Kiowa school, a one room school

Larry French Accounting

Fort Morgan Boys Drop One to Severance, 59-55

by Paul Dineen, Get The Picture Sports LLC

The chart shows the lead by Severance over Fort Morgan throughout the game. The lead changed hands seven times in the first 6:40 of the first quarter. Fort Morgan’s last lead would be at 9-8.

That seventh lead change would be the final one of the game. After that, the Severance advantage would grow to as much as nineteen points (on three occasions). That included a run of seventeen straight points, featuring four 3-pointers, to open up a 30-11 lead.

The Mustangs opened the second half with a 19-3 run, narrowing the Silver Knight margin to 41-39. But, a ten point Severance advantage by 2:14 left in the game was too much for Fort Morgan to overcome, for the 59-55 final.

Ryan Ewoniuk and Ty Adam led Severance with sixteen points each. Adam also pulled down ten boards. For the Mustangs, Wesley Carnes scored twenty-six.

Combined with a subsequent win over Skyline, Severance is now first in the 5A/4A Longs Peak league at 5-0 (7-3 overall). They play at Roosevelt next, on the nineteenth. They then host second-place Frederick (4-0 league) on the twenty-first.

Fort Morgan is in ninth in the 5A/4A Longs Peak at 0-4 (2-5 overall). The Mustangs next play at Niwot on the nineteenth and are next at home versus Thompson Valley on the twenty-fourth, both league opponents.

Severance girls win easily over Fort Morgan, 76-13

by

twenty-six points for Severance.

The Severance Silver Knights had an easy time in their defeat of the Fort Morgan Mustangs on January sixth, 76-13. It was relatively close after one period at 21-9, Severance. But, the Silver Knights pulled away for good with a 24-1 second period. That was followed by 22-3 in the third and 9-0 in the fourth.

The chart shows the lead by Severance over Fort Morgan throughout the game (beginning at 12-3). Severance scored the final twenty-six points of the game along with forty-four of the final forty-seven.

Attley Helzer led Severance with twenty-six points. Reece Yahn added twenty points plus eleven rebounds and seven steals.

For the Mustangs, Rachael Daniels scored six. Ivanna Ordaz and Bella Phillips each snagged ten rebounds.

Severance is currently tied for third place in the 5A/4A Longs Peak league at 3-2 (4-6 overall). They play at second-place Roosevelt (5-0) next, on the nineteenth. They then host Frederick on the twenty-first.

Fort Morgan is tied for ninth in the 5A/4A Longs Peak at 0-4 (0-8 overall). The Mustangs next play at Niwot on the nineteenth and are next at home versus Mountain View on the thirty-first, both league opponents.

The Severance Silver Knights traveled to Fort Morgan on January sixth to claim a road boys basketball win over the Mustangs, 59-55. Severance carried the first two quarters, outscoring the Mustangs 15-11 and 23-11, for a 38-22 halftime lead. Fort Morgan would take the remaining quarters, 17-9 and 16-12, but it was not enough.

Wesley Carnes led Fort Morgan with twenty-four points.

Attie Helzer (#11) scored

Reece Yahn (#10) added twenty points plus eleven rebounds and seven steals for the Silver Knights.

Ivanna Ordaz snagged ten rebounds for Fort Morgan.

Bella Phillips pulled down ten rebounds for Fort Morgan.

Parker Gazdik (#1, Blue) scored eight points for Severance.

Nathan Gerken scored eight points for Fort Morgan.

Ty Adam (#21) scored sixteen and rebounded ten for Severance.

Brady Varney (#34) had nine points and five rebounds for Severance.

Paul Dineen, Get The Picture Sports LLC