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Wilson Avenue near Eisenhower

Wilson Ave near Eisenhower at 6pm

Friday August 25th - Heavy Afternoon Rains Flood Loveland Streets...

A late afternoon thunderstorm brought heavy rains to the area, substantially flooding the streets in some parts of Loveland around 6:00pm on Friday evening.

The storm drifted off the front range foothills around 5:30pm, growing in intensity, and was reported as dropping rain at rates up to 2" per hour by the time it reached Loveland. 

Rush hour commuters battled flood waters in some sections of town where the streets looked more like rivers. Water depths approaching two feet were reported in the area of Wilson and Eisenhower, a major intersection.

A flash flood warning for the area expired at 7:45pm. No injuries as a result of the storm or flooding have been reported.



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Larimer County Sheriff's Department News Release

Baby Faith - 10 years ago today

Thursday August 24th - Baby Faith - God Loves You...

"BABY FAITH - GOD LOVES YOU", is the inscription found on a flat head stone in a quiet corner of a Fort Collins cemetery.  This head stone marks the grave of an unidentified homicide victim, a newborn Caucasian girl, who was born alive on August 22, 1996, and found in the waters of Horsetooth Reservoir on August 24, 1996, 10 years ago today.

Around 5:30 P.M. on August 24, 1996, two young Fort Collins boys who were wading along the shoreline of Horsetooth Reservoir at the north end of Dixon Dam found a plastic bag floating just under the surface.  They soon discovered it contained the body of a newborn baby and authorities were called to the scene.

Because she was born alive, her death is considered a homicide.  The investigation was unsuccessful in determining the identity of the infant or the identity of the mother.  As a result, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office named her Baby Faith and made arrangements for her burial in a local cemetery.  Community members worked with the Sheriff’s Office and donated the gravesite and the head stone and many attended a memorial service held for Baby Faith at Timberline Church here in Fort Collins.

Despite a media supported effort to locate anyone with information about Baby Faith and her death, no one came forward to reveal her identity.  She is still known only as Baby Faith.

At the same time in 1996, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office investigated the recovery of a newborn girl found floating in the Arkansas River below the Pueblo Reservoir.  Larimer County and Pueblo County authorities worked together due to the similarity of the cases which occurred at the same time.  To date, their newborn girl, known as Baby Hope, also remains unidentified.  Recently, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division to make plans to resubmit evidence for DNA analysis.  Their hope is that modern DNA analysis and comparisons with national databases may aid in the identification of both girls.  Early comparisons did not link the two babies.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office again asks the public for help in this sad case.  If anyone has information that may help identify Baby Faith, please contact Lt. Andy Josey of the LCSO Investigations Division at 970-498-5161 or via email at joseyat@larimer.org.  Anonymous information can be shared through Larimer County’s Crimestoppers program at 970-221-6868 or www.stopcriminals.org.  Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at 719-583-6400 if anyone can identify Baby Hope.

For those who wish to visit Baby Faith, she rests in the northeast corner of the Garden of The Christus section of Roselawn Cemetery at 2718 East Mulberry, Fort Collins.



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Abert's Squirrel (Sciurus aberti)

Abert's Squirrel (Sciurus aberti)

Sunday August 20th - Photo Of The Week...

Often seen hopping from branch to branch in the foothills and mountains, this week's photo features the largest of Colorado's three tree squirrels, the Abert's Squirrel.

Commonly seen throughout our area, the Abert's Squirrel (Sciurus aberti) is most easily distinguished by its long, broad ears with conspicuous tufts. These ear tufts, or tassels, sometimes disappear during the warmer summer months.

Abert's Squirrels are large tree dwellers reaching up to 20 inches and length and weighing up to 3 pounds. Their color ranges from grey to salt and pepper to black. Their bushy tails often appear larger than their body.

Dark-colored Abert's SquirrelAbert's Squirrels remain active during the winter and may remain in the nest during very cold weather, venturing out only to retrieve buried seeds, especially at tree bases where there is no snow. 

Seeds and the inner bark of the ponderosa pine, as well as terminal buds, staminate flowers, and pinyon nuts are its chief foods, but Abert’s Squirrels also eat mistletoe and other vegetable items. 

Abert's Squirrels nest on a base of twigs placed in a tree crotch, about 20 to 40 feet high, typically in a ponderosa pine. This squirrel uses its nest throughout the year, as a refuge by day and for sleeping at night. It either constructs a ball-like mass of twigs from pine or builds its nest within "witches’-brooms," growths of small pine twigs infected by dwarf mistletoe. The outside of the nest measures from 1 to 3 feet. in diameter. The animal lines the inside of a 6-inch by 10-inch chamber with dry grass, leaves, shredded bark, or other soft, dry material. The nest is repaired as necessary.

Abert's Squirrels can be found in the mountainous areas of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and parts of Wyoming and north central Mexico. They are non-territorial squirrels and their home ranges often overlap.



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West Nile Meningitis Confirmed In Larimer County

West Nile Meningitis Confirmed

Thursday August 17th - West Nile Meningitis Confirmed In County...

A case of West Nile meningitis in a Fort Collins resident was confirmed today by the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment.  The 52-year-old woman was probably bitten by an infected mosquito around July 20th, and her symptoms appeared July 29th. After spending a week in Poudre Valley Hospital, she is recovering at home.

“Not only is this a reminder that West Nile Virus is still very much with us, but also of its serious consequences,” said Adrienne LeBailly, MD, director of the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. “West Nile Virus illness can be debilitating and its effects last a long time. We all need to continue to be vigilant in using insect repellents and taking other steps to prevent being bitten by an infected mosquito.”

West Nile illness is caused by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus.  Symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, and marked fatigue. Sometimes these symptoms can progress to neurological symptoms.  In the most serious cases, the virus can invade an infected person’s nervous system and result in meningitis or encephalitis.  Symptoms include high fever, neck and eye pain, headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light, tremors, difficulty walking or slurred speech.

“It’s very important to see your physician if you have neurological symptoms,” said LeBailly.  “Though there is no medicine to treat West Nile virus itself, supportive treatment can be critical to recovery.”

The announcement of the meningitis comes during a week when the number of infected mosquitoes in Fort Collins and Loveland suddenly jumped to the highest level so far this year.

People in Loveland and Fort Collins are at a higher risk now of being bitten by an infected Culex mosquito (the kind that carry West Nile virus) than at any time this summer,” said Mike Doyle, West Nile Virus Educator for the department of health and environment.

Doyle notes that last week in Fort Collins there were a total of 10 positive collective mosquito samples in Fort Collins; this week there are an additional 8.  Last week in Loveland there were a total of 5 positive collective samples; this week that number jumped by an additional 16.

“These mosquitoes were collected last week, so the number of infected mosquitoes out there right now might be even higher if the current trend continues,” said Doyle.

According to Doyle, the largest concentrations of positive mosquitoes are within one mile both north and south of the Poudre River, from LaPorte all the way to Windsor.  “This doesn’t mean that the rest of Fort Collins is safe,” he said and added that positive mosquitoes might be found anywhere the city.

“Positive mosquitoes are widespread in Loveland,” said Doyle “especially east of 287 and south of Hwy. 34.”  He also added that positive birds have been found in both Fort Collins and Loveland and positive mosquitoes were found in Berthoud traps last week.

Though summer activities might be coming to a close, the West Nile Virus-carrying mosquitoes will be active for a while yet, according to Doyle. “As the evenings start to get cooler in September, mosquito activity will slow down, but for now, stick with the preventive steps that have been recommended all summer,” he said.  These include the use of an effective insect repellent containing DEET when outside during mosquito-active hours, from dusk until dawn; eliminate standing water around your yard; and water your lawns sparingly.

For more information on West Nile Virus, go to www.larimer.org/health or call the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment at 970-498-6752.


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