News briefs

Scholarships available for local high school and college students

Grand River Hospital District is offering seven $1,000 scholarships to local students

Any person who lives in Grand River Hospital District or is a full time student in one of the three in-district high schools (Rifle, Grand Valley or Coal Ridge) may apply. You must be pursuing a career in the medical field, and planning to attend or are currently attending a college, university, or technical school in the fall of 2012. Both graduating high school seniors and individuals who have previously graduated high school may apply. Awards will be given only to those who have not previously received a scholarship from Grand River Hospital District.

Applicable health care related fields include nursing, radiology, pathology, pre-med, physical therapy or other medically related vocations. Scholarships must be used in the fall of 2012 and are exclusively for payments of tuition, books, and other fees necessary for attendance. Awards will be paid to the institution of the student's choice, not to the recipient of the scholarship.

Applications are due April 4, 2012 and are available at Grand Valley, Rifle, and Coal Ridge High Schools and online at www.grhd.org. Applicants are asked to include a written essay, letters of recommendation, high school or college transcripts, and information about the student applying.

For more information about the scholarship program, please call (970) 625-6423.

CMC offers personal care attendant training

To help meet training needs in one of the fastest-growing career fields in the country, Colorado Mountain College in Rifle, Glenwood Springs and Edwards will offer Personal Care Attendant Training classes starting in January.

The class provides hands-on training for those wanting to become a home care aide, patient care provider, family caregiver or volunteer for elderly, chronically ill or disabled individuals. The class also can provide a starting point for anyone interested in a health care career.

The minimum age for enrollment in this continuing education class is 16. No GED or high school diploma is necessary to take this course.

The class at Colorado Mountain College in Rifle runs Thursdays, Jan. 19 through March 29, from 1 to 5 p.m. To register, call 970-625-1871.

The class at Colorado Mountain College in Edwards runs Saturdays, Jan. 28 through March 24, from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. To register, call 970-569-2900.

The class at Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs runs Tuesdays, Jan. 31 through May 1, from 6 to 9 p.m. To register, call 970-945-7486.

Spring registration underway at CMC from Rifle to Aspen

Registration for Colorado Mountain College's spring semester is underway. Many classes, including those taught online, start the week of Jan. 16. Other classes start throughout the semester.

Students new to the college can apply online or where they wish to attend. New students are encouraged to see an advisor before registering. Returning students who have not taken classes within the past 12 months need to reapply before they register for a class.

Once your application has been received, you can register for specific classes in person or online. Registration forms can be either faxed or mailed. Current students who have taken classes within the past 12 months can register by mail, phone or fax, or online.

This semester only, the college is offering a $25 discount on lower-division credit classes to in-district residents who have never taken a credit class from Colorado Mountain College. To take advantage of this great recession-buster, you must register in person at a campus.

Holiday gift certificates can also be purchased and applied to tuition or class fees. Please note that Colorado Mountain College will be closed for winter break Dec. 23 through Jan. 2.

In Aspen, look for a class schedule in the mail, at the college or in boxes near grocery stores, post offices, libraries and other locations in Aspen, Snowmass, Basalt and El Jebel. More information is also available at the Aspen campus, 0255 Sage Way.

Class schedules for the Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and Glenwood Springs-Spring Valley locations are no longer mailed out. Instead, paper copies of the schedule are at college centers at 690 Colorado Ave. in Carbondale, 1402 Blake Ave. in Glenwood Springs or 3000 County Road 114 in Spring Valley (south of Glenwood Springs). Continuing education schedules of noncredit classes will be mailed to residents in Glenwood Springs and Carbondale in early January.

In Rifle, each household should receive a course schedule in the mail. More information is available at the Rifle campus, 3695 Airport Road.

To register, browse for classes or get information on associate or bachelor's degrees, go online to coloradomtn.edu. Visit your local campus or call 925-7740 in Aspen, 963-2172 in Carbondale, 945-7486 in Glenwood Springs, 945-7481 at Spring Valley or 625-1871 in Rifle.

Perform energy-efficient home improvements now, save on taxes later

DENVER — If you're thinking of making energy-saving home improvements, do them now before the end of the year, and you might be able to save on your 2011 federal income tax bill next April. The $500 federal tax credit for energy-efficient home remodeling expires Dec. 31.

The credit (called the Nonbusiness Energy Property Credit reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar. There's a list of basic home improvement projects that will get you a credit: adding insulation, new windows, air conditioning and heating equipment, hot water boilers, storm doors, even special-insulating window blinds.

Here are the particulars: The home improvements have to be “green” under various definitions of energy efficiency. For details on what counts, the Internal Revenue Service recommends you check the manufacturer's website or product packaging.

For 2011, the maximum credit is $500, calculated as a 10 percent credit on the first $5,000 you spend. There are other limits too for 2011 – for example, you can only take a $200 credit for windows. In 2009 and 2010, there was an enhanced credit; the potential savings tripled to a maximum $1,500, calculated as a 30 percent credit on the first $5,000 you spent.

Another provision of the credit: you cannot take the 2011 $500 credit if you've already claimed $500 under the prior 2006-2007 or 2009-2010 versions of the home improvement credits. If the earlier claim was for less than $500, you can still claim the difference between the amount previously claimed and $500. You will need to file IRS Form 5695 (Residential Energy Credits) with your taxes, and keep receipts for the improvements.

Whether the credit will be extended beyond 2011 is uncertain. So for now, spruce up your home for the holidays and enjoy energy savings in the New Year. Your home improvements must be placed into service by Jan. 1, 2012, to take advantage of the credit.