2 Elk Resuced, 1 Dies in Icy Pond
Law enforcement and firefighters responded to a call Monday morning, of three elk trapped in a frigid pond near Aspen.
Rescue crews in wetsuits worked for over two hours using chainsaws to cut a wide escape route in the ice. The elk were trapped in a pond on private property off of McLain Flats Road. Eventually two elk, a bull and a cow, were able to escape. The third elk drowned.
Kevin Wright with Colorado Parks and Wildlife says he’s concerned about the health of the bull elk that didn’t scamper off, but rather sat along the pond once he was freed.
“They expended so much energy just swimming around in circles and trying to get out - just basically pure exhaustion. He looks awfully “shocky” to me. We’ll see if he’s able to get up, move off and make it.”
Parks and Wildlife will continue to monitor the two elk. Meanwhile the property owner was fined for placing two bales of hay next to the pond where the elk were feeding before they broke through the ice.
Tougher Fines for Oil & Gas Violations Coming
Starting in March, oil and gas operators face much larger fines if they don’t follow the law. Now companies can be fined far more than they could be in the past and there’s no longer a cap to how much they can pay. The decision comes from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission which oversees drilling in Colorado. Oil and gas companies now can be fined up to $15,000 a day. That’s up from a $1,000 a day and it used to be that companies paid a maximum of $10,000 total for not following a drilling rule. The cap has been removed. The commission says fines have gone up to convince companies to follow the law.
The commission reviewed enforcement as required by Governor John Hickenlooper in 2013, and a new law gives the COGCC more authority to assess fines against companies not following the rules. In recent months the Commission has also boosted staff keeping an eye on the industry.
CO Has More Women in Office than National Average
Colorado again is tops in the country for the proportion of women serving in the state legislature. 42 of the 100 seats in are held by women. That’s nearly double the national average. Senate Minority Leader Morgan Carroll is a Democrat from Aurora. She says, given the demographics, women should hold half the seats.
“So we tend to celebrate that Colorado, in relative terms, is doing very well, but it is a little weird that in 2015 that we still don’t have a legislature that isn’t representative of the body at large.”
Carroll partly credits strict campaign finance laws which she says have made it easier for anyone, women included, to win a seat.
The Roaring Fork Valley has three state lawmakers who are women. Kerry Donovan represents Senate District Five. Millie Hamner leads House District 61 and Diane Mitsch Bush represents District 26 in the House, which covers all of Eagle County.
This is the 6th straight year Colorado’s state legislature has topped rankings for gender diversity.
Snowmass to Consider Krabloonik Transfer Tonight
Tonight the Snowmass Village Town Council is considering whether to officially move a long time sledding operation into new ownership. A couple purchased Krabloonik Fine Dining and Dogsledding late last year, but Snowmass Village must now decide on the lease.
Town Council members will consider a presentation by the new owners tonight about how they’re operating the business. Then, the elected leaders will decide whether to officially change the lease to the names of the new owners. This comes after the original owner was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
Town Council could also amend the lease tonight, as has been requested by the advocacy group Voices for the Krabloonik Dogs. Depending on how the meeting goes, the issue may be considered at later Town Council meetings this month.
Aspen Seeks Affordable Housing Input
To provide more rentals or not to provide more rentals? That’s the question before the City of Aspen regarding the future of affordable housing. The Aspen Daily News reports the city is seeking input on where to put the affordable housing funds. Right now, there could be 60 new units by 2017. Recent feedback from the Housing Authority board and Aspen-area employers indicates a rental housing shortage is happening and that is making it harder to retain employees. The Aspen City Council will hold at work session on the issue tomorrow.
