Sheriff Expresses Concern About Drug Use in Prowers County

The Prowers County Commissioners heard about the work of the Domestic Safety Resource Center from Lisa Thomas and Lisa Mendenhall and were invited to attend the 10^th Annual Fantasy Tree fundraising event at the Lamar Elks Lodge on November 23.  Thomas is the chairperson of the event and Mendenhall is the director of the Resource Center that serves Baca, Kiowa, Cheyenne and Prowers Counties.  The Center is funded only through grants, Mendenhall explained, and the funds raised by the Fantasy Tree Committee each year, roughly $7,000 to $8,000, are used to help defray expenses for the Center’s safe house for battered spouses and their children.  Thomas said one goal for this year’s event is to have each of the Center’s service counties represented, something that hasn’t been done in previous years.  Funds are raised through the auction of decorated Christmas trees and wreathes as well as through a silent and live auction for other donated items.  The trees and wreathes can be donated either by service groups, businesses or individuals and are usually decorated in an individual theme.  The event features live music, a dance, snacks and beverages and begins at 6pm at the Lamar Elks Lodge.  The public is welcome.  The commissioners said they’d be happy to inform all county employees of the event and would start to work on creating a donation from the employees from the second floor of the County Courthouse.

Prowers County Sheriff Jim Faull expressed his concern about a small, but growing trend of heroin use in Prowers County, especially among young females.  The sheriff said he has been in contact with members of the county’s medical community who told him that detoxification programs for heroin are pretty much beyond the scope of local facilities.  Faull said a community awareness campaign would soon be released to the media and the public at large regarding the influx of the drug into the county.  Sheriff Faull also informed the commissioners that he would prefer to hold off hiring a replacement for the staff at the county jail while those specifically employed to oversee the inmates work on a 12 hour, four day – three day alternating shift for several months.  He said the additional day off would help his employees decompress from the strain of handling inmates.

Fred Sherwood, Lamar Community College Rodeo Coach, secured a fairgrounds facility rental agreement with the county for next year’s Antelope Stampede, hosted by LCC.  The event, which brings over 300 competitors to the county in the fall, will be held October 2-5 in 2014.  The fees paid to the county were approximately $1,600 from the last rodeo with a 50/50 sharing of fees for stalls and RV hookups.  The commissioners also ratified the approval of the bid for the 2014-2015 Colorado State High School Rodeo Association High School and Junior High School Rodeo State Finals.

Darren Glover, Community Resource Service and PATS Operations Director received the go-ahead from the commissioners for a CDOT 2014-2015 Capital Grant Application for two, 12 seat vehicles which will replace two older models.  FASTER federal funds will contribute $20,809 to their purchase and the county’s matching share of the purchase price will be $5,200 for both buses.  Glover said the county should know by January if the grant application is accepted.  The commissioners will continue to hold their meetings at the Lamar SOS Center on East Olive Street until November 21.

By Russ Baldwin