By Shannon Lukens.

 

The Routt County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that the body of 76-year-old Michael George Cannon has been found on the Cannon Ranch Property. Cannon went missing on May 12 and was found May 21. An autopsy has been scheduled and the case will remain open pending the outcome of the medical examination.

 

A former paraprofessional at Steamboat Springs High School was sentenced in Routt County District Court Monday to 18 months of supervised probation. It was from incident that happened in the gym at Steamboat Springs High School in January, where Sylvia Rawlings was a paraprofessional. It involved a non-verbal, disabled student. Rawlings pleaded guilty to repeatedly spinning the student out of control in their wheelchair, and then pushing the student across the gym floor and the student fell out of their chair and hit their head. Her family took her to the hospital. Rawlings was given 18 months of supervised probation, 20 hours of community service, and she has to do a mental health evaluation and any treatment that is recommended. The victim’s mother saw the six videos of what happened and called them “horrific.”

“I honestly feel more justified knowing that the judge has set an example. I wish the punishment was much more harder and harsher for her not to work around disabled kids and disabled people.”

Moya says her family has had to have therapy because of what happened.

In a statement from the Steamboat Springs School District, they said when they heard the report of inappropriate conduct involving a student, they put Rawlings on administrative leave, initiated an investigation, and reported the incident to law enforcement. Rawlings resigned from her job as a paraprofessional in the district the next day.

RAWLINGS SENTENCED TO INCIDENT WHEN SHE WAS A PARAPROFESSIONAL AT SSHS

 

Dogs are not being deliberately poisoned at Rita Valentine Dog Park. The Steamboat Digs Dogs group posted about potential poisonings over the weekend, and put up signs at the park. But Steamboat Springs interim Police Chief Mark Beckett says it’s an accidental poisoning from a house in the neighborhood.

“Our current belief is that there was a homeowner in the adjacent neighborhood who had put some rat poison or rat bait out and we know that that person went out the next day and the rat bait was all gone. And we know that it was consistent with some of the poison blocks that someone found in one of the dog’s mouth.”

Chief Beckett says to be safe, the city’s Parks and Rec department employees went out and searched the dog park, and didn’t see any rat poison. Kathy Connell with Steamboat Digs Dogs says four to eight dogs were poisoned. And they have taken down all of the warning signs they put up at the park.

SSPD SAYS DOGS AREN’T BEING POISONED ON PURPOSE AT DOG PARK

 

 

The next Brown Ranch Annexation Committee meeting is Wednesday. It’s from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Centennial Hall. The discussion will be focused on the Post Annexation Land Use Process, the Draft Annexation Agreement and the Draft Fiscal Impact Analysis.

 

Yampa River Botanic Park opens for the season Wednesday. There is a ribbon cutting for the new entrances at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 24. Money was raised for the new entrance because the old gates were too narrow for wheelchairs and strollers.

Also, for those wanting to make a fairy house at the park, entries are due June 7 for the Annual Fair Garden House Contest. It’s for kids under 12 years old.

YAMPA RIVER BOTANIC PARK ENTRANCE IS CELEBRATED WEDNESDAY MORNING

 

The Routt County United Way Day of Caring is from 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, May 24. Thank you to all of the volunteers helping with cleanup and repairs of the various nonprofits and groups in the community.

 

More Steamboat Springs skiers have made the U.S. Ski Team. Those on the U.S. Ski Jumping National Team are Annika Belshaw, Erik Belshaw, and Decker Dean. Those making the Nordic Combined National Team are Alexa Brabec and Annika Malacinski, also Grant Andrews and Niklas Malacinski.

  

 

Check out what’s happening in the Yampa Valley on the Community Calendar on our website.

 

 

For the KRAI Time, Temp, and Weather Hotline, call 970-824-1918.