*Total COVID-19 Cases: 46,056 (+1,116 from last week)

Total Cases in Berthoud: 2,086 (+39)

Deaths: 382 (+18)

7-day case rate per 100k: 234 (-119)

Hospital Utilization: 85%

ICU Utilization: 108%

7-Day test positivity rate: 8.2%

Risk Score: High

COVID patients in hospital: 74 (-34)

12.47% of the population of Larimer County has been reported to have contracted the virus. Deaths attributed to the virus comprise 0.83% of reported cases. Of reported deaths, 25% were age 75 to 84, 22% were 65-74 and 39% were 85 and older. Eighteen people in the county between the ages of 18-54 have died.

As of Monday, Nov. 29, there have been 521,534 doses of the vaccines administered in Larimer County. 75.7% of county residents over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

*Case data as of Wednesday.

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The front range saw several weather records come to an end this week with unseasonably warm and dry weather.

According to the Colorado Climate Center, Berthoud saw a high temperature of 72 on Monday beating the old record set in 2014 of 68 degrees.

Denver hasn’t had a no-snow November since records have been kept. The previous record for the latest date the city has seen snow was Nov. 21, 1934. With each passing day, the record gets longer.

Winter officially begins Dec. 21 this year but with highs in the 60s and 70s the remainder of the week it won’t feel like it.

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The USDA Forest Service is offering cut-your-own Christmas tree opportunities on the Pike-San Isabel, Arapaho, Roosevelt, White River, Rio Grande, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests this year. A permit is required. The required permit will cost $8.00 to $20.00, depending on individual Forest pricing. These permits are for personal use only and local restrictions may apply. There is a limit of two to five trees per household.

For public safety, entry hours at all tree cutting sites are from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during the cutting dates.

Thinning stands of smaller trees by removing some as Christmas trees reduces competition among all trees, helps reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, and promotes healthier growing conditions for the remaining forest. For more information on Christmas tree cutting, safety, and directions to cutting areas within the Rocky Mountain Region, please check the Forest Service website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r2/recreation/?cid=fseprd562604

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Hospitals in northern Colorado are at or near the capacity of patients they are able to care for which prompted Gov. Jared Polis to request help from the federal government.

There are currently 20 nurses sent through the Department of Defense working at UCHealth Poudre Valley hospital being coordinated through FEMA. The teams will stay as long as their assistance is needed.

In a statement that appears on the UCHealth website, it is stated that due to the high volume of patients during the current wave of Covid-19 which is creating “staffing challenges” that there may be slower response times for non-urgent services at their clinics and hospitals.

During a press conference Nov. 19, Gov. Jared Polis explained that the problem isn’t a shortage of rooms or beds but skilled individuals to care for the patients in them. The state’s staffing fusions center continues to work to find more nurses for the state’s shortage.

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During Tuesday night’s special meeting the Thompson School District swore in its new members and appointed Barb Kruse as the new president.

Incumbents Kruse and Amy Doran as well as newly elected Alexandra Lessem and Nancy Rumfelt were sworn in. Board directors nominated candidates for each position on the board with each receiving a unanimous vote except for the position of vice president.

Doran will act as secretary, Stu Boyd as treasurer and Dawn Kirk was named vice president. Doran nominated Kirk for the post of vice president while Boyd nominated himself. The issue was decided by a secret ballot, with a 4-3 vote for Kirk.

Outgoing president Lori Hvizda Ward chaired the meeting.

The next regular board meeting will be Dec. 15.

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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced Monday the certification of the 2021 Coordinated Election.

“Colorado’s 2021 Coordinated Election again proves that our state’s election system is the nation’s gold standard,” said Secretary Griswold. “Once again I’m proud that we conducted a seamless election and that over 1.5 million Coloradans made their voices heard. Thank you to the Secretary of State’s Election Division and to county clerks across the state for another job well done.”

Last week, bipartisan county audit boards completed the statewide Risk-Limiting Audit (RLA), thus confirming the election outcomes with a high degree of statistical confidence. Bipartisan canvass boards then convened in each county and reconciled the number of ballots counted with the numbers of ballots cast. Each county’s canvass board then signed off on the final results of the Coordinated Election and submitted them to the Secretary of State’s office. There are still a small number of recounts in county and municipal races, which are not conducted by the Secretary of State’s office. Updated totals and official results will be available at the end of the recount process.

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On Saturday, Nov. 20, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a local resident who had discovered what she believed were human remains while hiking east of Rustic Road, a little over 4 miles east of Black Hollow Road. Deputies and Coroner’s Office investigators responded and recovered the remains. The remains were officially identified as those of 57-year-old Diana Brown by the Coroner’s Office. Brown along with 3 family members were killed during the Black Hollow Flood on July 20 this year while staying in the family’s vacation home. All the victims of the Black Hollow Flood have now been located, recovered, and identified.

In a press release the LCSO stated, “…we are relieved the Brown family will be able to put her to rest and have closure to the terrible loss they experienced…” also stating their thanks for all the members of the public and volunteers who spent hundreds of hours searching for the victims, and their partner agencies who helped evacuate and search during the flood which included: Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District, Poudre Fire Authority, LCSO Emergency Services, Larimer County Search and Rescue, Larimer County Dive Rescue Team, Larimer County Regional All Hazards Crisis Response Team, LCSO deputies and investigators, Larimer County Coroner’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Colorado Department of Transportation, UC Health, Diamond Peaks Ski Patrol, Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, Berthoud Fire Department, Estes Valley Fire Protection District, Civil Air Patrol, Search and Rescue Dogs of the US, Arapahoe Rescue Patrol, and the US Forest Service.