Be sure to lock up your trash; bears are on the prowl to put on weight for winter hibernation. Be Bear-Aware. This story is sponsored by Keesee Motors and Big-O Tires
Colorado's black bears have been stricken with hyperphagia. Soccer season's a no-go this fall, and substitute teachers will earn more pay this year. You're watching the Local News Roundup brought to you by Keesee Motors and Big O Tires. I'm Wendy Graham Settle. Hyperphagia, that's a fancy way of saying bears are starting their fall feeding frenzy, and they will spend up to 20 hours a day trying to eat more than 20,000 calories a day to fatten up for winter. Colorado Parks and Wildlife warrants that bear activity in urban areas could ramp up over the next several months. as they search for food. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says bears will still be able to find food in the wild, but trash, bird seed, pet food, and barbecue grills will attract bears looking for an easy dinner. To bearproof your home, keep garbage in a secured location and put it out in the morning of collection. Clean garbage cans with ammonia regularly to rid them of food odors, don't leave pet or stock food outside, bring bird feeders inside at night, better yet, don't hang feeders between April and November. Don't attract other wildlife by feeding them, secure compost piles, clean the grill after each use, keep garage shorts closed, and remove fruit from orchards; don't let it rot on the ground. For more information, visit cpw.state.co.us/bears. Tri-City Soccer League games will be canceled this fall because of a lack of volunteers. In a news release issued last week, the city of Cortez said that a single volunteer ran the league in 2020 and 2021 but has declined to continue for 2022. Attempts to fill a board to run the soccer league have been futile, according to the release. The city of Cortez Parks and Recreation Department doesn't have the staff to run the league. In the meantime, Be Elite Kids will offer a small program for a limited number of elementary-aged soccer players. If you're interested in volunteering for a reconstituted soccer league board to plan for the 2023 soccer season, contact Rosa Dimon at rdimon@cortez.co.gov. Substitute teachers in the Montezuma-Cortez School District will earn more pay this fall. Pay raise is part of a strategy to attract more substitute teachers after the school district had a difficult time filling positions when the regular teachers called in sick. The lack of substitutes forced the district to combine classes and place significant burdens on teachers. Pay ranges from $112 a day for a paraprofessional to $200 a day for a certified substitute. Long-term subs will earn about $221 a day. To apply or to learn more, visit cortez.k12.co.us. Thank you for watching this edition of the Local News Roundup. I'm Wendy Graham Settle.
