Fair board seeks new members
The Montezuma County Fair Board is looking for three community members who are willing to work together to organize county fair events, contests, and exhibits in order to make the fair a community event.
Two of the openings are four-year terms, and one opening is a two-year term. Interested individuals need to submit a letter of interest to the Extension office which is at 109 W. Main, Room 102 in Cortez no later than 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 17, 2014.
Information: Call 970-565-3123.
Colorado approves $5M incentive for film
Colorado on Friday approved a $5 million incentive package to lure production of the upcoming Quentin Tarantino film “The Hateful Eight.”
The Oscar-winning screenwriter’s movie could be filmed on a 900-acre ranch west of the ski town of Telluride, depending on local permit approval, The Denver Post reported.
Colorado’s incentives, approved by the state Economic Development Commission, beat out those of Utah and Wyoming. Budgeted at $44 million, the film would be the most significant production in Colorado since 1969’s “True Grit.” The John Wayne classic was filmed in rural western Colorado.
“The Hateful Eight,” which is slated for a 2015 release, tells the story of post-Civil War bounty hunters who try to find shelter during a blizzard but get entangled in a plot of betrayal and deception, according to IMDB.com. The website lists Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson and Amber Tamblyn among the film’s stars.
Details of “The Hateful Eight” script were leaked in January, and Tarantino sued news and gossip website Gawker after it posted a link to the script. The case was dismissed in April, and the plot was later retooled.
The movie’s budget in the state includes $15.7 million for payroll, including a 168-person crew, and $9.35 million in other spending, including lodging. The $5 million rebate makes up 20 percent of that spending.
Shooting was expected to kick off in early December at Schmid Ranch, a high-mesa ranch 10 miles west of Telluride that was homesteaded in 1882.
Empire to start inspections soon
Empire Electric Association, Inc. will conduct routine inspections on poles and towers to determine their current-state of condition during the first three weeks of October. Corrosion, which reduces structural integrity, is inevitable and these inspections are necessary for the safety of EEA’s crews as well as the general public.
This year, EEA subcontracted with SBS Inspections, Inc., pole testing professionals that will be working in EEA’s service territory for several weeks. Please be aware that the inspectors will be on a four-wheeler and may not have identifiable company markings on their clothing or equipment. They could be on or near your property and will be testing the power pole to determine if it needs to be repaired or replaced. If you have a concern regarding this inspection, please call EEA at 970-565-4444.
CoorsTek gives $27M to School of Mines
Golden-based CoorsTek has given the Colorado School of Mines $26.9 million — the single largest gift in the university’s 140-year history.
The Denver Post reports the technical ceramics firm gave the money Thursday to pay for construction of the school’s new CoorsTek Center for Applied Science and Engineering. About $20 million of the donation will go toward the $45 million construction budget for the center’s new 95,000-square-foot building.
About $6.9 million of the donation will create a research fellowship program and equip the building.
CoorsTek makes high-tech ceramics used in applications that include computer chips, oil and gas equipment, solar panels and body armor. CoorsTek CEO John Coors is a Mines graduate and great-grandson of brewery founder Adolph Coors.
Woman acknowledges cancer scam
An Aurora woman has acknowledged falsely saying her 6-year-old son had cancer in order to collect thousands of dollars in charitable contributions.
The Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office says 29-year-old Sandy Thi Nguyen pleaded guilty Friday to one count of charitable fraud and one count of child abuse. She is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 25.
Various community and school fundraisers raised some $25,000 for the family, and police say Nguyen took at least $16,000 of that money to pay for a trip to Disneyland with her family.
Cortez Journal and Associated Press