News
ELBERT 3/14/13
Elbert County
March 14, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourelbertcountynews.com
Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 118, Issue 7
Dead llama prompts charges Couple face felony accusations of animal abuse By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com
Three-year-old Eliza Linford poses next to an Easter basket almost a tall as she is. Linford shows off just one of the thousands of plastics eggs up for grabs at the annual ECCO Easter egg hunt, to be held March 23 at the Elbert County Fairgrounds in Kiowa. Photos by Deborah Grigsby
Thrill of the egg hunt beckons Annual event marks arrival of spring By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com Elbert County families who are ready for spring can mark March 23 on their calendars. That’s the day the Easter Bunny will make his way to the fairgrounds for the Elbert County Coalition for Outreach Easter Egg Hunt. Now in its fifth year, the annual children’s eggs-pedition attracts more than 300 kids for a morning of games, face painting and of course, egg hunting. “We really don’t know where all the kids come from,” said Laurie Blanchette of ECCO. “We don’t card anybody. We just want them to come and have a good time.” Each year, ECCO stuffs approximately 3,000 plastic eggs for the event. “Kids are released by age group,” explained Blanchette. `That way the little ones have a fair chance of finding a few eggs on their own.” Plastic eggs are then recycled at end of the event and stored for next year. Blanchette said ECCO is still in need of
IF YOU GO What: ECCO Easter Egg Hunt When: 10 a.m. to noon, March 23 Where: Elbert County Fairgrounds, 95 Ute Ave., Kiowa Need to know: Get there early. Egg hunts are grouped by age. Bring your own Easter basket or bag. Donations of plastic eggs stuffed with individually wrapped candies are appreciated. No chocolate. more plastic eggs, preferably already stuffed with individually wrapped candy. “We are running out of time and I still have more than a thousand eggs to stuff by next week, so anything that comes with the candy already in it is greatly appreciated,” she said. The event is collaboration between ECCO, the Kiowa Merchant Association, and the Town of Kiowa. The hunt begins at 10a.m. and will run through noon. There will be other activities and games for the kids, as well as a silent auction to benefit ECCO. The event is free and open to the public. Founded in 2006, ECCO is a nonprofit organization that coordinates services and resources for families in need and provides emergency support services for victims of crime. According to Blanchette, the event will
Approximately 3,000 plastic eggs filled with candy will be hidden in and around the Elbert County Fairgrounds in Kiowa for the annual ECCO Easter egg hunt. run rain or shine. In the event of inclement weather, the hunt will be moved inside the agriculture building at the fairgrounds. “However, we’re really hoping more for the shine,” she said.
Bond reduced for Elbert arson suspect Noted Denver lawyer represents ex-volunteer By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com An Elbert County judge reduced bond for the 19-year-old volunteer firefighter accused of starting a wildfire last summer near the town of Elbert.
Alex J. Averett, of Elbert, had his bond cut from $50,000 to $25,000 by Judge Palmer Boyette. That’s still far from the $10,000 the defense was seeking. According to authorities, Averett confessed to starting the County Road 102 fire that scorched more than 600 acres and forced the evacuation of the town of Elbert last June. Averett appeared in court March 8 with new counsel Thomas Dunn, the noted
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Denver attorney who represented Fort Collins police Lt. James Broderick in the perjury case connected to the wrongful murder conviction of Timothy Masters. Dunn argued Averett’s deep roots in the community, along with his continued cooperation with authorities, put him at minimal risk for flight. The prosecution dis- Averett agreed, saying it wasn’t until the third interview, when authorities cornered him, that he confessed. Averett’s sister and wife sat quietly in the back of the court as Dunn laid out a case for his client’s plea, demonstrating what he called a “strong support network” that would assume responsibility for ensuring the defendant met all court appearances. Boyette essentially split bond down the
Averett continues on Page 7
An Elbert County couple sentenced in November for animal cruelty has been charged with abuse after a llama in their care recently was found dead. The couple had more than 65 animals in their care, resulting in a reported animal hoarding situation that the sheriff’s office aims to stop. Christine O’Rourke, 54, and David Stantoine, 58, were cited for the second time in five months on Feb. 15, following a report of a dead llama on the couple’s Elbert property. In the first case against them, investigators retrieved the carcasses of a dog and a cat. The couple face 19 O’Rourke counts of felony animal abuse for cruelty to animals. In November 2012, the couple pleaded guilty to 20 counts of misdemeanor animal abuse when authorities seized 50 animals in their care. They were sentenced to 24 months Stantoine of unsupervised probation, restitution, and unannounced inspections of the remaining animals on the property. When authorities received word about the dead llama, deputies allegedly found O’Rourke and Stantoine in violation of their plea agreement. Investigators seized 15 animals in various stages of neglect and euthanized two goats on the spot. With the help of the Colorado Bureau of Animal Protection, Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, Littleton Large Animal Clinic and Dumb Friends League, the sheriff’s office seized two miniature horses, three donkeys, eight horses, a puppy and a kitten. Authorities left an unknown number of animals in the couple’s care, said Amie Cavarra, public relations manager, Colorado Humane Society & SPCA. O’Rourke and Stantoine own all of the animals involved in the investigations; none is being boarded by the couple, Cavarra said. “They still have a variety of animals,” Cavarra said. “They are all across the board, lots of different kinds of animals.” According to the sheriff’s office, the equines had formerly shown signs of improvement but were exhibiting signs of distress and dehydration, with depleting body conditions. They were reportedly kept in a hazardous environment without access to water or food. “(O’Rourke and Stantoine) are animal hoarders,” said Elbert County Sheriff Shayne Heap. “This situation continues to be disappointing. We have visited the property numerous times and were very discouraged to see several animals deteriorating. It quickly became clear that more animals needed removed from the property.” The sheriff’s office says the couple remains in possession of 32 animals, including dogs, cats and goats. Sheriff’s officials and the SPCA have asked the district attorney to remove all animals from the couple’s care and ensure they are not allowed to obtain any new animals, said Deputy Kevin Pope.