O’Reilly Auto Parts plans Cortez opening
O’Reilly Auto Parts plans a grand opening for its Cortez store at 1853 East Main St. on June 11-24.
The store plans a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, June 20 at 10 a.m., when store manager Don McClellan will present a $200 check to the Alzheimer’s Association. Visitors may join the Grand Opening Sweepstakes and use the game cart to register online for a $200 gift card. Every entry will receive a coupon for $5 off a $5 purchase.
Oil and gas petition drive gets approval
One of the most contentious of 11 oil and gas local control ballot initiatives seeking to get on the November ballot in Colorado has received judicial approval to begin gathering petition signatures.
Initiative 75 would give local governments the power to limit or eliminate the rights of companies to prevent them from interfering with local government control.
Backers and opponents say the measure would have sweeping implications over many industries.
Other initiatives seeking to get on the ballot would tighten state regulations on energy development or give more control to local governments.
Court rejects challenge to FCC broadband plan
A federal appeals court is rejecting challenges to the FCC’s plan to expand broadband Internet service to rural areas.
The expansion is funded partly by fees paid by telecommunications companies. Many of those companies contended the FCC did not have the authority to use the money for Internet service.
In a 297-page ruling, a three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver dismissed the challenges as either unpersuasive or not issues the court could address. The FCC in 2011 estimated the expansion would provide high-speed Internet service to about 7 million people.
Denver symphony’s pot fundraisers open
The Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s bring-your-own-cannabis fundraising concerts kicked off Friday.
Plans had hit a snag when the Denver city attorney questioned whether concert-goers would consume marijuana in public, which is banned even though sale and possession of the drug are legal under a state law that went into effect at the start of the year.
The city attorney withdrew his objections after the symphony took steps to ensure the events are strictly private. Three invitation-only concerts are being held at a private gallery across town from the symphony’s usual home, a city-owned concert hall.
Fairgrounds reopen for horses
With no new cases of equine herpes virus reported since Sunday, the La Plata County Fairgrounds has reopened for horses.
The fairgrounds had been closed to all horse-related activities since May 16 because of an outbreak of the virus. While the only reported case was in Rio Grande County, the fairgrounds was closed as a precaution because horses from La Plata County might have been exposed at National High School and Colorado Junior Rodeo Association events.
The county consulted with the state of Colorado Veterinarian’s Office before making the decision to reopen.
“We will, of course, keep a close eye on the situation,” said Mark McKibben, general services director for the county.,
EV-1, as the equine herpes virus is called, is not a danger to humans but can be quite dangerous to horses. Several events were rescheduled because of the closure. The 4-H Gymkhana will take place at 4 p.m. June 14, and a 4-H Horse Show will be held at 9 a.m. June 29.