Food Help Could Be Extended in the Valley
It’s been a busy fall for food banks in the Roaring Fork Valley. Coordinated by a nonprofit called Lift Up, volunteers put together holiday baskets for residents in need.
Kim Loving is Executive Director of the Rifle based organization which services communities from Parachute to Aspen. She says more than nine hundred families signed up to have a basket delivered over the last few weeks—or later in the holidays.
“We’ll put things for pumpkin pie, you know some vegetables. Just those traditional items that everybody likes to fix for the holidays.”
But they’ve had to get creative about providing the main dish because they can’t put turkeys in the baskets.
“We purchase meat certificates through city market. So they’ll get a meet certificate in that basket to go purchase their own. The logistics of buying that many turkeys might be a little hard.”
Loving says about the same number of families have been getting help from the food banks this year compared to last fall. But, Lift Up is considering expanding the number of times someone can pick up free food. Right now, the cap is four visits but it may be moved to six next year.
New Funding Formula Considered for Colorado Higher Ed.
Colorado’s state colleges and universities could see a new funding model under a plan receiving unanimous support from the schools. The Denver Post reports the new formula would be based on a school’s performance. The funding would be passed on the school’s raw number of students retained from year to year, the number of degrees awarded, and type. The plan follows the Governor’s push for an additional $15 million for higher education. That would be in addition to over $60 million requested by school officials who say the money is needed to keep tuition increases below the state’s six-percent increase cap. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education will vote on the formula next week. If approved, it will be presented to state lawmakers for their consideration.
Construction Halted for the Holiday
If you are heading I-70 over the next several days there will be fewer construction delays. The Denver Post reports that the Colorado Department of Transportation has suspended work on several projects including a toll lane on eastbound I-70 between Empire Junction and Idaho Springs. Construction work during Christmas and New Year’s will be assessed by C-DOT for possible suspension during high traffic holiday travel times. Construction work goes back to normal on I-70 on Monday.
