HAZMAT Teams Prepare for Possible Grand Valley Disaster

By Matt Kroschel
 

Grand Junction - With thousands of tons of dangerous chemicals passing through the Grand Valley every year over the open road and on the rails, a specialized unit of firefighters is preparing for the worst case scenario.

At the Grand Junction Fire Department's station three, firefighters with specialized gear and training to deal with an assortment of hazardous materials are stationed and ready at a moment's notice to respond to a hazmat incident.

Regular training exercises keep the first responders up to speed with the latest hazardous materials and tactics they can use if they do have to respond to a hazmat incident.

The Mesa County emergency manager's office oversees the entire response operations for any emergency incident in the county, and that includes hazmat situations.

Grand Junction Man Survives fall From Cliff Thanks to Teen Rescuer

"Next thing I knew there was nothing below me. I was falling off the cliff."

By Matt Kroschel

Mesa County - December 26, 2011, started like any other day on the trail.

John Mallow will admit that by no means does he consider himself an expert mountain bike rider, but like many outdoor lovers in Colorado, he welcomes the challenge of a single track.

As he pedaled along Mary’s Loop that afternoon, one split-second choice changed his life forever.

“I thought I could go on the other path--it would shoot me across to the other ledge--but the next thing I knew, there was nothing below me, and I knew I was falling off the cliff,” Mallow recounted.

Alone, badly hurt, and shivering, he called out for help.

“The pain was immense. My entire body was aching, and I was getting cold,” Mallow said.

As the sunlight began to fade over the Western Slope, so did hope. The situation was looking grim, when all at once, out of silence, Mallow heard voices from the cliffs towering over his crumpled and broken body.

“We heard some moans coming from down below us and we looked down and saw a man in a weird position,” 17-year-old Central High School senior Shawn Votruba told NewsChannel 5. “I could tell he was in pretty bad shape, and my instincts just kind of took over,” Votruba said.

Call it luck or fate or maybe even a higher power stepping in, but Votruba happened to have taken emergency medical training courses through Western Colorado Community College weeks before.

For several hours, as Lower Valley Fire and rescue teams and Mesa County Search and Rescue crews hiked into the accident scene, Votruba stayed by Mallow’s side, giving him lifesaving medical care.

Mallow was flown to Saint Mary’s hours later, but doctors were still not sure he would make it through the night. He had broken several ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken shoulder bone, broken back, and a head wound.

The damage from that cold December day is far from being erased, but Mallow has made a remarkable recovery in a relatively short time.

As for this near-death experience, Mallow said his gratitude for Shawn and the other rescuers cannot be put in words.

Mallow broke down in tears during the course of recounting he accident and incredible luck that Shawn happened to be on the trail that day.

In the last month the word "hero" has been tossed several times in Shawn's direction. “I think I’m just a normal guy who had to do what needed to be done,” said Votruba.

Mallow will present Shawn an award during a presentation at Central High School. Shawn plans on graduating high school and joining the army as a medic.

January People You Can Count On Recipient Has One Big Heart

 by Matt Kroschel

Grand Junction - They say home is where the heart is. If that is true, then Sue Edson is home everywhere in the Grand Valley. Edson founded ARVD Heart for Hope nonprofit to help raise awareness about heart disease in young people.

She has embarked in a project to get Automated External Defibrillators installed in all Mesa County schools. For her work to raise awareness and get the AEDs in local schools, she has been selected for our NewsChannel 5 People You Can Count On January winner.

Edson was nominated by people in the community by using the nomination form on homepage of www.krextv.com. She will receive a wonderful prize package from our friends at Sky Ute Casino Resort.

For more information about ARVD Heart for Hope, click here.

Helicopter Flight School Is Counting on University Partnership

by Matt Kroschel

Grand Junction - The owners of a local flight school are hoping a partnership they say is in the works with Colorado Mesa University will be a win-win for students in the Grand Valley.

Suncrest Aviation has been operating the only helicopter flight school on the Western Slope from the Grand Junction Regional Airport since 2009. Now, owners are confirming they are close to reaching a deal with CMU to give helicopter certificates as part of a new aviation program that is allegedly going to be offered through the Western Colorado Community College branch of CMU.

“This will be huge for us, and will give our students a big advantage over other students in flight programs because they will also have a degree when the graduate,” flight school instructor Julia Thaxton told NewsChannel 5 Sunday from the cockpit of a training helicopter hovering over Grand Junction.

The flight school has another location in Utah, and right now at the Grand Junction school, has a class size of about six students.

“We are hoping this partnership will be good for us and bring in a lot more students, and good for the students who will be able to get a college degree along with the needed Federal Aviation Administration certification,” Thaxton added.

The flight school training includes five different certifications, including private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, certified flight instructor (CFI ), and certified flight instructor instrument (CFII).

CMU media spokeswoman Dana Nunn said the school is working on an aviation program, but would not elaborate on if a deal is in the works with any specific company.

“Before any new degree can begin it first has to get approval from the board of trustees,” Nunn said.

For more information about the flight school, click here.

Rare Sport, Hawking Grows in Popularity

By Matt Kroschel
Fruita - The number of people hunting is on the decline across the country, but for one ancient hunting sport, the future looks bright. It is called hawking. In the sport, hunters use birds of prey like hawks and eagles to hunt down live prey.

It's a sport that takes patience and lots of dedication, but for select few that master it, the rewards can be life-long and very well worth the wait.

For more information about how you can get involved in the sport, click here.         

Ouray Ice Festival Draws Big Crowds

By Matt Kroschel

OURAY, CO -- The small mountain town of Ouray is home to some of the best ice climbing terrain in the world, and this weekend thousands of people are packing into the small mountain town in southwestern Colorado for the annual Ouray Ice Festival.         

Western Slope Community Fighting Energy Development in Its Backyard

By Matt Kroschel


Paonia, CO - There was a shortage of chairs in the Paonia Junior High School gymnasium Wednesday evening as hundreds of residents packed inside to learn more about the possibility of their rural community turning into an oil and gas drilling hub. The Bureau of Land Management is considering leasing 30,000 acres to oil and natural gas development. The proposal surrounds towns in the North Fork Valley.

Two separate local environmental groups have teamed up to get information about the proposal in Delta County. Their work seems to be paying off. At several meetings, there have been hundreds of people showing up, signing petitions and writing letters to the BLM asking them to deny the lease proposal.

Under regulations, the oil and natural gas company who nominated the area does not have be identified, and the BLM has extended the public comment period until February 9th.

“This could spell disaster for my organic farm. I am not going to let this happen. Our water comes from these hills, and that is exactly where they want to develop,” organic farmer Michael McCarthy told NewsChannel 5 from his farm Wednesday.

For Paonia mayor Neal Schwiterman, the concerns over water do not stop with local farmers. “One of the parcels comes right up next to city limits. Two of our drinking water wells are inside the area. We are concerned,” Schwiterman said.

For more information about specific parcels, click here.

To email your comments directly to the BLM at co_ufo_leasing@blm.gov.

There will be another community meeting Thursday evening Crawford Town Hall.