 |
| The Board of Mesa County Commissioners proclaimed Saturday, June 23, as St. Baldrick's Day in Mesa County and calls upon residents to recognize the seriousness of childhood cancers and the exemplary work of the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Read more at https://bit.ly/2KfL9ki. |
 |
| Each year, more than 160,000 children are diagnosed with cancer worldwide, many of whom live in our community. Enlisting the support of community members at events such as the 7th annual Grand Junction Head Shaving Event will help to raise awareness and move closer to finding cures and better treatment options for children battling this disease. Pictured here: 3-year-old Grand Junction resident, and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) survivor, Hadlee C. To learn more about the Grand Junction event, or to get involved, visit: https://www.facebook.com/StB.GJ/ Join St. Baldrick's at the 7th Annual Grand Junction Head Shaving Event on Saturday, June 23, at Charlie Dwellington's, 103 N. 1st St. |
 |
| Mesa County Public Works crews clean up after a flash flood on V.2 Road west of De Beque. |
 |
| Flash flood clean up gets underway west of De Beque on V.2 Road. |
 |
| The Mesa County overlay and chip seal program is well underway. We appreciate your attention around our crews, please slow down and drive safely. |
 |
| Mesa County crews continue road work in the Fruita Area. Short road delays should be expected. |
 |
| County crews chip seal a road. Chip seal can be completed over existing gravel surfaces, chip sealed surfaces, or unsealed asphalt. |
 |
| A dump truck full of chips (gravel) locks on to the chip spreader and is pulled backward. A thin layer of liquid asphalt is sprayed down in front of the chip spreader. |
 |
| The chip seal process is completed by a distributor truck spraying oil over the surface at an even rate followed by a chip spreader evenly distributing the rock over the oil. Then, a rubber-tired roller is used to set the aggregate into the oil. |
 |
| Left to right: Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Educator Marissa Alvarado, Child Care Nurse Consultant Heidi Belatti and WIC Educator Cristal Chavez learned a lot at a three-day Lactation Management Specialist training in Denver. The training will come in handy, as WIC offers lactation consulting for moms in Mesa County! |
 |
| Mesa County Public Health Executive Director Jeff Kuhr presents to the Inside Mesa County class, Wednesday evening. The class gives residents a chance to learn more about their local government. |
 |
| Mesa County Department of Human Services Executive Director Tracey Garchar tells the IMC class that DHS currently serves approximately 40 percent of the county's population. |
 |
| Executive Director Tracey Garchar talks to the class about the goals of the Mesa County Workforce Center, which is to help customers find meaningful employment and match local talent to local employers. |
 |
| Mesa County Animal Services Officer Rebecca Dillon gives Pepe a little extra attention while taking inbound calls. |
 |
| Delilah, a current resident at Mesa County Animal Services, climbs on top of the table to see what is happening on the other side of the door. |
 |
| Mesa County Animal Services Officer Kevin Bozarth checks in a stray dog. |
 |
| Noxious Weed & Pest Management employees joined new members at Western Colorado Conservation Corps for herbicide application technical training, including how to properly calibrate the backpack sprayers. |
 |
| Alan Barbee and Willie Wilkins with Noxious Weed & Pest Management give pointers to a new WCCC member. |
 |
| Mesa County Noxious Weed & Pest Management employees tour the orchards at the Western Colorado Research Center to learn more about horticultural pest management and fruit tree health. |
 |
| Dr. Ioannis Minas, the Pomologist with the Western Colorado Research Center, leads the workshop and field tour, and shares findings from cytospora management studies. Cytospora is a common fungus that affects fruit trees in the valley and was recently added to the list of regulated pests in the Upper Grand Valley Pest Control District which has contributed funding to increase the awareness and management capacity by commercial fruit growers. |
 |
| Beau Schmalz and Matthew Younger stock the shelves at the Mesa County Hazardous Waste Collection Facility. The facility, located at 3071 Highway 50, is the first building on the left as you enter the Mesa County Solid Waste campus. Stop by Thursdays or Fridays, at any time between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Hazardous waste includes cleaning products, automotive cleaners, garden chemicals, aerosol cans, antifreeze, old gasoline, paints, motor oil and more. Proper disposal helps prevent accidental poisonings and fire hazards in the home. |
 |
| Hazardous Materials Manager Hope Petrie gives IMC class members a tour of the electronic waste holding unit. As of July 1, 2013, electronic waste was banned from all Colorado landfills. Electronics contain mercury, lead, cadmium and hexavalent chromium which are hazardous to people and the environment when not properly recycled. In addition to hazardous materials, electronics contain large amounts of glass, metal and plastic that can be recycled. The Hazardous Waste Collection Facility accepts electronics from residents and businesses of Mesa County for a fee of $.42 per pound. |
 |
| Hazardous Material Manager Hope Petrie explains how latex paint is processed for recycling purposes. Waste latex paint, collected at the Hazardous Household Waste facility, mixed with commercial spray slurry, is used as an alternative daily cover at the landfill instead of shipping the paint off-site for recycling or disposal. The daily cover is applied atop a day's accumulation of trash to prevent the interaction between the waste and the air, reducing odors. The innovative process turns waste paint into a useable material that saves money. |
 |
| Mesa County Solid Waste Director Barrett Jensen explains to IMC class participants that the Mesa County Landfill accepts 175,000 tons of waste annually, which equates to approximately 7 pounds of garbage per person, per day. However, between 65 to 75 percent of what is thrown away can be composted, recycled or reused. |
 |
| Mesa County Animal Services Manager Doug Frye welcomes the 2018 IMC class to the newly remodeled Animal Services facility. Animal Services enforces animal ordinances that protect the safety and welfare of the people and pets of Mesa County. Additionally, they collaborate with animal welfare agencies to rehome pets and to provide community education promoting responsible pet ownership |
 |
| A tiny, 2-week-old kitten peaks out of his kennel at the Mesa County Animal Services facility. |
 |
| Happy birthday, Mesa County Administrator Frank Whidden! |