Latest news with #ElbertCounty
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
3 killed, including 2 children, in crash on I-70 in Elbert County, Colorado State Patrol says
Three people were killed, including two children, in a crash that shut down eastbound Interstate 70 in Elbert County Wednesday afternoon, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Legendary GA high school football coach T. McFerrin dies
The Georgia high school football community is mourning the loss of a legend. Coach T. McFerrin died this week. He was 83. Gov. Brian Kemp sent his condolences to McFerrin's family, friends, fellow coaches and former players. Advertisement [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'Coach McFerrin was a legend, both throughout Georgia and in the field of high school athletics," Kemp said. 'His impact will not only live on through his incredible record, but even more so through the generations of athletes who stepped off of his field as better men because of his influence.' McFerrin coached at eight schools in Georgia and one school in east Tennessee from 1968 until his third and final retirement in 2012, according to Georgia High School Association records. McFerrin was the first coach in state history to lead four different schools to the state finals, five schools to the semifinals and seven schools to regional titles, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Advertisement He won two state titles with Elbert County High School in 1995 and with Jefferson High School in 2012. "Georgia's greatest high school football coach was about far more than just winning games. The life lessons he taught will live on through the thousands of people who had the privilege of knowing and learning from him," the Jefferson football team said in a statement. The AJC reports that a funeral service will take place on July 8 at Lighthouse World Outreach Center in Monroe. It will start at 1 p.m. and a reception will follow. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
CBS News
26-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Elbert County votes to deny Xcel Energy's transmission line application in eastern Colorado
After years of uncertainty, Colorado's Elbert County Board of Commissioners denied Xcel Energy's request to complete Segment 5 of their Power Pathway through the county on June 25. Xcel representatives listened to nearly 100 residents disgracing the project over the course of two days. Xcel's 1041 permit application needed approval for 48 miles of new electric transmission line near much of Colorado Highway 86. That electric service would supply the Denver metro area, but would not benefit Elbert County residents. Xcel Energy's proposed line, Segment 5. CBS Colorado Elbert County District 3 Commissioner Byron McDaniel told the crowd on June 25, "This line serves no purpose here in Elbert County, and frankly, I don't care about Denver and Aurora. I'm looking out for the people in Elbert County." Xcel told CBS Colorado that the project would help through the means of tax revenue, benefiting things like schools and fire districts. Cited reasons for denial Xcel's application was deemed incomplete because of a lack of fire mitigation proposals and considerations to the health of humans and animals, as McDaniel, a cancer survivor, pointed out. Specifically, electric and magnetic fields, or EMFs. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences says EMFs are invisible areas of energy, which are essentially radiation near electrical power. As families would be obligated to give up some property for the project, Xcel said landowners would receive 95% to 100% of fair market value. While Elbert County District 1 Commissioner Mike Buck, who claims he is familiar with real estate, poked holes in the idea that a stretch transmission line wouldn't devalue the area. "The land value in general along the corridor of an economic development zone is not $100,000. It's not $500,000. It's millions and millions of dollars in lost revenue for the county and a development opportunity," said Buck. Moving Forward The Elbert County Environmental Alliance, made up of residents against the plans, gave this statement to CBS Colorado, "Xcel presented the county with an incomplete application -- one that did not meet our county's guidelines and regulations. The Board of County Commissioners had no choice but to deny the requested permits. We are pleased and grateful that our commissioners heard us and stood up to Xcel's bullying tactics, which included using eminent domain to forcibly take our land before the application was even heard by the county." BRUSH, CO - JANUARY 8: Working from the bucket of a boom truck, apprentice lineman Travis Longfellow, left, and lineman Jadon Elliott work on large transmission structures that are part of Xcel Energy's Power Pathway project just south of Brush, Colorado, on Jan. 8, 2024. Workers with GRD Construction are putting in the structures, cables, and lines that are part of the $1.7 billion electric transmission project, which is slated to take three years to complete. Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images The board will formally reconvene on July 2 to approve the resolution to deny the application. Xcel gave CBS Colorado the following statement: The board voted to deny the application and will formally reconvene on July 2nd to approve the resolution to deny the application. We will review the resolution once final and evaluate our options, which may include seeking relief from the District Court or the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Colorado's Power Pathway is a $1.7 billion investment in 550 miles of new transmission lines across twelve counties to enhance the state's electric grid. The project unlocks wind and solar energy development in the Eastern Plains, creating jobs and generating lease and tax revenue for rural communities. Colorado homes and businesses require more power, and the state's current infrastructure is not sufficient to support long-term needs and growth. Projects like the Colorado Pathway are vital to maintain the reliability Coloradans expect from their electrical system. We have secured permit approvals in nine counties and are working on approvals in Arapahoe, El Paso and Elbert counties. We have collaborated with the Elbert County community for four years, addressing questions, concerns and acquiring land rights voluntarily. We adjusted the project's location by 50 miles to accommodate community wishes while keeping project costs low for our customers. While we do not provide electric service to Elbert County residents, the Pathway project will provide important tax revenue benefiting the county, cities, fire and school districts. Our community outreach efforts are documented on our website at Community Engagement - Xcel Energy Colorado Power Pathway, and includes website information, fact sheets, public meetings, newsletters, mailers and advertisements.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
EF-1 tornado uproots trees, leaves behind damage in North Georgia
The Brief An EF-1 tornado with 105 mph winds touched down in Bobby Brown State Park, Elbert County, on June 9. The tornado traveled nearly a mile, causing significant tree damage, including in McCormick County, South Carolina. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado's strength and track; no injuries were reported. ELBERT COUNTY, Ga. - Crews in Elbert County are cleaning up after a tornado tore through part of the area on Monday evening, damaging trees and prompting a weather alert that extended into neighboring South Carolina. What we know The National Weather Service confirmed on Wednesday that an EF-1 tornado with winds reaching 105 mph touched down around 7:10 p.m. on June 9 in Bobby Brown State Park. The tornado remained on the ground for nearly a mile, snapping and uprooting dozens of trees as it approached a cove along the Savannah River. Some tree damage was also reported across the river in McCormick County, South Carolina. The National Weather Service's Greenville-Spartanburg office conducted the storm survey and confirmed the tornado's strength and track. There were no reports of injuries. The Source The National Weather Service's Greenville-Spartanburg provided the details and images for this article.
CBS News
10-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Mysterious deaths of 15 cattle frustrate Colorado rancher, authorities: "They started flopping over and dying"
As much as she would like to forget it, May 8 remains an unforgettable day for Kerri Higgs at the XO Cattle Company in Colorado. She, a self-professed animal lover, and her rancher husband woke to find three of their cattle dead in Elbert County. There was no obvious cause or reason. That afternoon, as the couple brought the animals to an area closer to the house where they could be monitored, another dozen cattle fell. "They started flopping over and dying," Higgs said. "It was pretty bad." Kerri Higgs Fifteen animals were gone within one day. Five weeks later, no one can tell her why they died. "It's beyond frustrating." It's enough to make her question her profession. And also whether her emotional attachment to the animals is a wise one. "We don't want to do it anymore. Those cattle ... we were supposed to have them for 10 years." The dead are from a group of heifers -- first-time mothers who had recently calved or were about to. All of them home grown and raised. Some of their calves died, too. A local veterinarian arrived in time to watch the last animal pass. That was the one on which an on-site necropsy was performed. The vet did not take the whole carcass or the head for further testing. Blood tests have so far been inconclusive. More is being done by the state veterinarian's office, Higgs said. Two inches of rainfall fell in this rather arid area in the days immediately before the deaths. Rain formed pools of water which the animals drank from. So far, nothing has come out of testing. And, again, officials are running low on samples to test, per Higgs. Kerri Higgs Last week, personnel from Colorado Energy and Carbon Management came out out to the XO Cattle Company's property. They flew drones which measured the air for excess carbon emissions or materials from oil and gas production. They also took soil samples. So far, nothing. On Monday, people from Colorado State University's Extension Service planned to walk the pasture for any sign of noxious weeds. The animals that died were from a group of heifers -- first-time mothers who had recently calved or were about to. Some calves were among those that passed away. Thirteen survived but are now orphaned. Mykel Kroll of Fremont County's Office of Emergency Management said three different laboratories are still working on the possible cause or causes. "We're not getting any conclusive results. Everything is close to (acceptable health) limits. We're running out of boxes to check." He said the estimated loss to the operation is $5,000 per head. "We are all scratching our heads. Maybe we don't find out the cause," he empathized. "I like to help people. I like to get results. (But) we don't have anything. Are they're always answers? No." The Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment are also seeking answers, according to a CDA spokesperson. Higgs, however, accepts the possibility she may never know what killed the animals. "At this point, no. I won't be surprised. Somebody's dropped the ball, I don't know who." But she won't give up just yet. "We're going to keep going. It just stinks." An online fundraiser has been set up to help the family financially.
