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June 17, 2021
ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ElbertCountyNews.net
VOLUME 126 | ISSUE 18
Bag fees on horizon as bill goes to Polis Polystyrene foam would be banned for use as restaurant containers BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
and the cowboys in action. The Jakos family traveled from Aurora to get their first taste of bull riding and rodeo culture. “This was my first time watching live professional bull riding,” said Laura Jakos. “There’s nothing quite like watching a big intense bull dig into the ground and charge after knocking off the rider. I’m so glad no one got
Colorado lawmakers on June 8 sent Gov. Jared Polis House Bill 1162, which would establish a fee for single-use products, like plastic and paper grocery bags, and let retailers keep some of the proceeds. The bill would also ban the use of polystyrene-foam containers by restaurants starting in 2024. The measure has long been a priority of Democrats, but it has taken years to get the policy to the point where it had enough votes to clear the legislature, despite ongoing business opposition. The measure would ban single-use plastic bags in Colorado starting in 2024 — but there are asterisks. Restaurants that prepare or serve food in individual portions for immediate on- or off-premises consumption would be exempt, as would stores that operate solely in Colorado and have three or fewer locations. Businesses that are still allowed to offer plastic bags must collect a fee of at least 10 cents on each bag. The fee may be higher if a city or county
SEE BULLS, P15
SEE BAG FEES, P22
Fans stand for the national anthem and pre-event prayer. The Xtreme Bulls event saw a sold-out crowd on June 4, selling out in a few short days. For the entire weekend’s ticket sales, Marketing Coordinator for the Elizabeth Stampede Lea Anne Russell said, “I think it’s safe to say that we sold out general admission and VIP tickets within three weeks, so we opened up standing PHOTO BY CHANCY GATLIN-ANDERSON room only tickets and those sold out in less than a week.”
Xtreme Bulls event is crowd-pleaser Montana cowboy takes home prize for riding massive Top Shot BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
The stands were packed at Casey Jones Park in Elizabeth on the
night of June 4 as 43 bull riders competed for the title of top cowboy at the Xtreme Bulls Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event. Parker Breding, 28, of Edgar, Montana took the $4,2o2 prize with an impressive score of 88 after taking on the massive Hereford bull Top Shot. Fans of the sport came from around the region to see the bulls
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 11
SUNNY SKIES
How to protect your skin in the sun P14