Colorado continues to battle multiple fires on the Western Slope and in Northern Colorado. Please find updates below:
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Cameron Peak Fire: Near Fort Collins. 104,791 acres and increased to 27% contained. Cameron Peak is the third largest fire in the history of our state.
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Pine Gulch Fire: North of Grand Junction. 139,007 acres and 100% contained as of yesterday. Pine Gulch is the largest fire in Colorado’s history.
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Grizzly Creek Fire: Near Glenwood Springs. 91% contained and 32,431 acres.
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Williams Fork Fire: In Grand County. 25% contained and 12,320 acres.
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Middle Fork Fire: North of Steamboat Springs. 6,760 acres with no containment.
Colorado still has a fire ban in place, so please refrain from lighting fires.
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COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY VISIT |
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Today, Governor Polis was joined by State Senator Kerry Donovan and State Representative Janice Rich at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) for a guest lecture called “Leadership in a Time of Pandemic," during a COVID response and economic resiliency tour through Mesa, Delta, and Montrose counties. The course is a seminar format that addresses the wide-ranging aspects and implications of the pandemic, composed of a diverse group of student leaders who are actively helping the university mitigate the impact of coronavirus. The Governor enjoyed guest lecturing and spending time with local students, and the state applauds CMU’s leadership and creativity in developing instruction that’s rooted in practical applications.
The Governor is also grateful to CMU for their response and innovative adaptation to COVID-19. They have set a high standard for how higher education institutions can reopen safely. CMU’s President, Tim Foster, recognized early on that because CMU serves low-income and first-generation students, remaining closed or holding classes virtually, would have a disproportionately negative impact on many students. That’s why CMU was among the first to commit to returning to in-person learning. This early decisiveness played a critical role in having a comprehensive, integrated approach which has allowed CMU to navigate this crisis successfully. CMU has gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure their entire community is informed, supported and safe, and the school has created an incredible culture of responsibility and accountability.
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DELTA MIDDLE SCHOOL VISIT |
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The Governor visited Delta Middle School today, where middle school students are attending school in-person five days per week. He also had an opportunity to talk with local public health leaders who were involved with the schools’ reopening planning. The school is adopting best practices like cohorting, mask wearing, and social distancing.
As we announced earlier this summer, the state is providing every school district with medical-grade K-95 masks for staff who work directly with students. This is part of our broader effort to provide schools with the resources they need to reopen safely.
In total, more than 47,000 masks have been delivered to schools on the Western Slope. This includes:
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Delta County: 800 masks per week for a total of 6,400 in the last 7 weeks.
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Mesa County: 3,950 masks per week, for a total of 31,600 masks in the last 7 weeks.
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Montrose County: 1,150 masks per week, for a total of 9,200 in the last 7 weeks.
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ADAPTIVE BUSINESSES AND COVID RELIEF VISITS |
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The Governor visited several small businesses today. Supporting the success of our small businesses is key to our state’s recovery efforts.
Main Street Revitalization Projects: The Governor toured two projects that have been approved as part of Grand Junction’s CanDo Revitalizing Main Streets initiative. One is an outdoor seating project from the Grand Junction Downtown Development Association. The other is an informational signage project led by the City of Grand Junction. Both efforts are designed to help expand the amount of available retail and dining space for local restaurants and storefronts in downtown Grand Junction. Colorado's Department of Transportation has made funding available that Grand Junction will utilize to support restaurants and businesses with grants to expand these options. These projects are examples of how local communities are using creativity to keep people safe, while supporting small, local businesses.
The Governor also visited the Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club, which received $40,000 from our COVID-19 Relief Fund. Immediately, these funds helped the club provide food for kids during spring break, right when the pandemic hit. Later, after the local middle school moved to a hybrid model, the Boys and Girls Club was able to receive another round of funding to keep their doors open during the school day, something they had never done before, to help serve kids who would otherwise be left at home alone. Kids received academic support, help with getting online for their classes, and healthy meals--all in a safe, supportive environment.
So far, the state has provided roughly $1.5 million ($1,473,060) to more than 60 (63) organizations serving Delta, Mesa, and Montrose counties.
Coloradans continue to help each other surmount public health obstacles. Another example of that is LivWell Enlightened Health, a vertically integrated cannabis company headquartered here in Colorado, which turned a national coin shortage—a significant challenge for a cash-only business—into a substantial donation to the fund. Starting in August, LivWell provided the opportunity for its customers to round up their purchase totals to the nearest dollar amount with the difference to go to the state’s COVID relief fund. As of today, LivWell Enlightened Health customers choosing to round up for COVID relief, have raised $29,319 representing 68,575 transactions and donations. Fellow marijuana companies will be following suit, inviting their customers to round up for COVID relief. The marijuana industry and the generosity of its customers will help make significant contributions to assist our fellow Coloradans.
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DELTA COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL VISIT |
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At Delta County Memorial Hospital, the Governor had the opportunity to meet with some of the frontline workers who have continued to show up to work each and every day to protect their communities and save lives. We owe these everyday heroes a tremendous amount of gratitude for their selfless service.
Throughout this public health crisis, Delta County Memorial Hospital has continued to adapt to better serve residents on the Western Slope. Their collaborative efforts with local organizations have helped slow the spread of the virus and keep patients, staff, and community members safe and healthy.
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Today, the Governor recognized Montrose for advancing to Level 1. This means that the county has done an effective and sustained job of containing the virus according to our three key metrics and, as a result, they can take that next step of reopening their community.
Testing is free, quick, and easy, and you can check the status of results online. Colorado has several, large-scale testing sites across the state, including Mesa County Fairgrounds, Aurora Sports Park, Water World in Adams County, Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs, Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, and more than 40 smaller, community testing sites across the state. An appointment is not required, and you do not need an ID.
We are hopeful Coloradans will continue to take advantage of these testing sites across the state, as testing is key to our efforts to manage the virus spread. So, if you are feeling symptoms, make a plan to get tested by visiting covid19.colorado.gov to locate your nearest testing site.
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