The Mesa County Coroner’s Office has released the identity of a body found in the Colorado River Sunday. The coroner says the body is that of 43-year-old Miriam Galvez of Clifton. The cause and manner of her death have not been determined. The Coroner’s Office says the investigation is ongoing, but foul play is not suspected at this time.
Source: Press Release   (Posted 6:02a)

U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff will continue his tour revisiting more than 100 communities in Colorado within ten weeks. Andrew is attending community gatherings in Walsenburg, Alamosa, Salida, Crestone, Crested Butte, Gunnison, Montrose, Ridgway, Telluride, and Durango.

Thursday, July 15th

8:30AM – Alpine Rose: 522 Main Street, Walsenburg.
9:30AM – Spanish Peaks Regional Health Care Center: 23500 U.S. Highway 160, Walsenburg.
12:00PM – 12 Cottonwood Place, Alamosa.
3:00PM – Jillian’s Studio: 393 West Golden Street, Crestone.
5:00PM – 131 West U.S. Highway 50, Salida.

Friday, July 16th

8:00AM – 325 Teocalli Avenue, Crested Butte.
10:00AM – IOOF Park: (on the east at the corner of Main and Virginia) Downtown Gunnison.
12:15PM – 17253 Chipeta Drive, Montrose. (Ute Indian Museum)
3:00PM – Cimarron Books: 380 Sherman Street, Ridgway.
6:00PM – 3 Old Brewery Road, Telluride.

Saturday, July 17th

10:00AM – Durango Recreation Center, Sunlight Community Room: 2700 Main Avenue, Durango.
Source: Press Release   (Posted 6:02a)

The prognosis for plastic bags in Telluride does not look good. During a work session yesterday the Telluride Town Council instructed their staff to put together an ordinance that would ban retailers within town limits from distributing plastic bags. According to the The Watch, this unanimous decision came as the seven councilmen reviewed a draft ordinance that would impose a 25 cent, “Advanced Recovery Fee” on each paper and single-use plastic bag handed out to consumers at local grocery stores.
Source: The Watch (Posted 6:03a)

The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) announced yesterday a new major educational and traffic safety enforcement campaign targeted to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries between cars and trucks.

“The TACT program of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ‘Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks,’ has been adapted for a high-visibility campaign by the CSP over the next three months designed to communicate with our Colorado motorists and truckers,” said Colonel James Wolfinbarger, Chief of the CSP.

“Our campaign features such messages as ‘Tailgating Is For Sports, Not for Trucks,’  ‘Ride Halfpipes, Not Tailpipes,’ and ‘Give Trucks Room, It’s The Law’ which are featured on nearly 20 trucks traveling on the  two targeted corridors on I-70 and I-25 in the Denver metro area,” Colonel Wolfinbarger continued.”

In Colorado during 2009, crashes between trucks and passenger vehicles accounted for 31 fatalities and 161 injuries.  The crash was the fault of the passenger vehicle 56 percent of the time.  And, 78 percent of the reported fatalities were the occupants of the car.

Additionally, the CSP has several billboards on I-25 between 6^th Ave. North to Highway 7 and on I-70 from I-25 West to the Lookout Mt. Exit at Mile Post 259.

Filling out the CSP campaign are radio spots on Denver stations which will air during their three-month campaign which reinforce the “Don’t Tailgate’ and “Give Trucks Room” messages, as well as an informational brochure and news releases.

Based on current crash and enforcement data (CY 2007, 2008 & 2009), the top three driving behaviors which account for 52% of all commercial vehicles involved crashes are:

• Speeding,
• Following Too  Close, and
• Unsafe Lane violations.

“The TACT program is the first high-visibility traffic enforcement campaign to concentrate solely on passenger vehicles driving aggressively around commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to educate car and truck drivers on the importance of leaving more space when merging, changing lanes, following behind trucks, or passing other motorists when driving,” said Colonel Wolfinbarger.

“Trucks need extra time and extra space to change lanes or come to a complete stop,” said Colonel Wolfinbarger.  “By giving trucks the room they need, we can prevent crashes and save lives. Sharing the road safely is every driver’s responsibility.  And, always remember to buckle up yourself and your passengers.”

Background:
Enforcement will consist of three waves the first beginning this month, and will continuing through September—

• 1^st Wave – July 19^th – July 23^rd
• 2^nd Wave – Aug 23^rd – Aug 27^th
• 3^rd Wave – Sept. 20^th – Sept. 24^th

Motorists should remember the following safety tips when driving near a big truck:

Stay visible! Large trucks need a much longer breaking distance than a car. Don’t cut into a trucks’ space; if this happens it reduces a trucks’ much needed breaking distance and restricts evasive action.

Don’t tailgate a truck. The further you are away from a truck the less likely you will be involved in a collision.

Don’t speed. Obey all speed limits.

Allow plenty of room. Large trucks are almost as wide as your lane of travel. Pacing too close behind one prevents you from reacting to changing traffic conditions and patterns.

Buckle Up. Wearing your safety belt is the single most important thing you can do to save your life and your passengers in a crash.

Stay out of the No-Zone. No-Zones are actual blind spots where the car “disappears” from the view of the truck driver.
Source: Press Release   (Posted 6:05a)