The Home Front: Western Slope case raises questions about marijuana vs. hemp

Your morning roundup of stories from the front pages of newspapers across Colorado

“Complications in the criminal case of a Palisade hemp farmer are highlighting the reality for law enforcement agencies that prosecuting marijuana crimes in Colorado can be a bit sticky,” reports the The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “David Cox, a well-known Palisade peach grower, was charged with high-level drug felonies last year after a raid on his property resulted in the seizure of dozens of cannabis plants. In the months since, however, Cox’s attorneys have raised legal issues with investigators’ search warrants. The crux of Cox’s case is whether he was growing hemp rather than marijuana and if so, whether investigators should have known that.”

“Fort Collins’ Latino residents haven’t always felt safe or protected, but thanks to a collaboration that started last year between Fort Collins Police Services and nonprofit The Family Center/La Familia, that’s changing,” reports The Fort Collins Coloradoan.

“It’s not every small-town business that needs to post a warning about mountain lions’ presence in the neighborhood. That’s not the only detail that makes the Gold Hill Store & Pub unusual; there are plenty of things that make this mountain town cafe a little different, including the fact that the rustic structure — which dates back to 1889 and boasts a berth on the National Register of Historic Places — has been on the market for several years without being matched to a buyer. That appears to have finally changed,” reports The Boulder Daily Camera.

The Canon City Daily Record covered Small Business Saturday over the weekend and placed photos from the event on both the paper’s Monday front page and home page online.

A former nurse trains dogs to detect low blood sugar, The Durango Herald wrote in a feature story on Monday’s front page.

“Known for being staid and secretive, Air Force Space Command is now looking for help from a crowd best known for ‘man buns’ and YouTube channels,” reports The Colorado Springs Gazette. “The command is offering $100,000 in prize money to programming wizards who can use video game technology to replace satellite tracking methods that would be familiar to mission controllers from the Apollo program.”
“For boundless reasons, Coloradans are having fewer children, contributing to a decades-long, steep decline in fertility,” reports The Denver Post. “The Centennial State ranks eighth in the nation for the largest fertility rate decline, according to the Colorado State Demography Office. The baby slump coincided with a national trend, but it happened faster here than in the rest of the country, leaving the state with a general fertility rate — the total live births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 — that fell nearly 21 percent between 2006 and 2017, according to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment data.”

An Eaton native is pushing through her MS diagnosis to create pastel landscape paintings, The Greeley Tribune reports: “Her husband and children are avid fishermen and frequent the Platte River and other creeks and streams near their home. In the past, Henneck would often join them and paint while they fished. With a recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis her outdoor excursions are limited, and she relies more upon her vast storage of photos she collected over the years for reference to paint the alluring landscapes she loves so much with complimentary colors that dance and vibrate.”

“As the holiday traffic on Interstate 70 came to a standstill on Saturday in Summit County, officials turned (a) school into a makeshift shelter,” reports The Summit Daily News. “Well over 100 stranded travelers sought refuge at the school, said Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons, adding that about 80 ended up staying the night there.”

“Longmont City Council on Tuesday night is set to consider joining a Colorado coalition of local governments that advocate adoption of state and federal policies and regulations addressing climate change,” reports The Longmont Times-Call. “Belonging to Colorado Communities for Climate Action — an organization whose members already include 21 municipalities and counties, including Boulder, Lafayette, Louisville, Nederland and Boulder County — would cost Longmont $10,000 annually. In a Friday interview, Longmont Board of Environmental Affairs chairman Kai Abelkis called it “a remarkable opportunity for Longmont to join other communities in adding its voice to the choir that we need to take responsibility for our actions and work toward a healthier tomorrow.”

“United States Postal Service facilities staff is currently in negotiations to secure an ’emergency alternative quarter’ for the Drake post office,” reports The Loveland Reporter-Herald. “That post office, which is located along U.S. 34 and serves around 300 customers, has been closed since the spring after investigators discovered rotting in the office’s flooring that they determined made the building unsafe for use. That rotting was the result of damage sustained from the 2013 flood.”

 

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