Local News Briefs

Rifle bridge repairs begin Monday

WEST RIFLE, Colorado — Colorado Department of Transportation maintenance crews will make repairs to both westbound lanes of I-70 on a bridge deck west of Rifle, near mile marker 86, CDOT announced Friday.

From Nov. 16, through Nov. 17, and possibly part of Nov. 18, crews will be close a westbound lane of I-70 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and speed limits will be cut from 75 miles per hour down to 55 mph through the work zone.

The repairs were are being done by Concrete Stabilization Technologies, at a cost of $23,852.

Exxon grant helps fund emergency training

MEEKER, Colorado — Approximately 50 participants from Garfield, Rio Blanco, Mesa and Moffat counties are gathering here this weekend for “specialist training on responding to major emergency and disaster situations,” paid for by the ExxonMobil Foundation.

The $75,000 training exercise will feature personnel from the Rifle Fire District, according to David Ludlam of ExxonMobil.

It will be held Nov. 13-15, and will culminate in a disaster drill on Sunday at Meeker High School.

Ludlam said this grant is linked to a grant of $500,000 made last year to the St. Mary's Hospital CareFlight, which was used to relocate the hospital's helipad from ground level to the roof of the building for improved safety and response time.

BOCC to hold second public hearing on budget

The Garfield County Commissioners are once again asking for public input on the proposed county budget for 2010, at their meeting on Nov. 16.

At an earlier hearing, only two citizens showed up to make comments and the commissioners decided to give the public a second opportunity.

The budget hearing is scheduled during the mid-morning portion of the meeting, which begins at 10:15 a.m., in the commissioners' meeting room in the county administration building, 108 8th St., Glenwood Springs.