Recognition

Donation to RMS Outdoor Club

Rifle Middle School teacher Jacob Pascoe and the RMS Outdoor Club received a $500 donation from the Rifle Middle School PTA to support the club. PTA Vice President Julie Bjurstrom made the check presentation. Pascoe and fellow teachers Molly Peterson and August Heckenbach started the club to provide supervised, outdoor recreational opportunities for Rifle Middle School students. The club has taken trips to Rifle Falls, and is planning a trip to Hubbard Mesa. The club has turned many of the participants into budding nature photographers.

50th wedding anniversary party

The children of Jerry and Gloria Parker would like you to join us for a celebration of their 50th Wedding Anniversary. We will be hosting an open house at the Community Center in Palisade, 120 W. Eighth St., from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. No gifts please. For more information, call Annette at 876-2414 or 945-3215 at work.

Riverside students win in local National Geographic Bee

Sam Jorgensen, an eighth-grader at Riverside Middle School in New Castle, won the National Geographic Bee at the school level on Friday, Jan. 22. He bested a field of 30 contestants from sixth, seventh and eighth grades in a hard-fought competition, consisting of questions on U.S. cities, continents, world history, U.S. historical geography and cultural geography. Second place was secured by Richie Winkler, eighth grade. Riley Bolitho, a seventh-grader, took third. The competition was very rigorous, and congratulations go out to all the competitors.

Sam now takes a written qualifying test, which goes to the National Geographic Society. If he scores high enough, he will compete at the state level. State finalists will compete in the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C.

Rifle man places in sled dog race

International Sled Dog Racing Association musher Bruce Harper PB of Rifle, took seventh place in the Adult 6 Dog Speed class at the Winter Park Sled Dog Races on Jan. 24. (“PB” means that the team is an all Registered Breed team.) Sanctioned by the ISDRA, the race counts towards the International Championship Series for sled dog racing. Harper PB finished the 12.6 mile course with a total time of 01:03:23 hours: minutes: seconds. To see Harper PB's complete racing record, visit www.isdra.org.

Kudos to New Castle police officer

Thanks to Officer Phil Thompson of the New Castle Police Department, a suspected of an alleged homicide in Wisconsin was recently apprehended by Thompson and a deputy from Garfield County. Thompson heard a report of the suspect's car heading west on I-70 from Eagle and spotted the car at milemarker 105. He followed the suspect, who attempted to elude the officer, before losing control of his vehicle Highway 6 heading eastbound on the snow-packed icy road. The suspect was lodged in the Garfield County Jail and was charged with first degree intentional homicide. Hats off to the men in blue!