Fugitive caught

A man wanted by law enforcement for multiple outstanding felony arrest warrants was apprehended in Teller County.

The arrest of Richard Capek, 35 announced July 24 by the United States Marshals Service, occurred after a short standoff at a rural residence near Highway 50 and R Street east of Penrose.

The U.S. Marshal’s news release states that Capek had been sought by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of several crimes, including a residential burglary on July 11 in Rockvale, Colo. (four miles west of Florence) where multiple firearms were believed to have been stolen.

The stolen weapons included one AK-47 style rifle, three AR-15 style rifles, three shotguns and two handguns.

The sheriff’s office sought assistance from the U.S. Marshals’ Colorado Violent Offender Task Force to apprehend Capek beginning on July 5. According to the news release, detectives conducted several days of surveillance to find Capek, and tail him back to the residence where he was hiding

Officials say Capek initially refused to leave the residence, but eventually did exit the home and surrender to law enforcement.

Native scholarship

The First Nations Promise Program announced July 25 is a last-dollar grant that will cover any and all expenses for members of all 574 federally recognized American Indian tribes who live in El Paso, Teller or Elbert counties.

Funding for the grant comes from both The Dakota Foundation and the Daniels Fund, with the former committing $50,000 annually over the next five years and a total $250,000 commitment from the latter.

The scholarship is the result of recent talks with local Native American advocacy and public education groups across the region and state to understand how to best serve the needs of this community while also applying what the college has done in recent years with other scholarship programs.

Toxic algae

The Colorado Department of Health and Environment is urging people to protect themselves and their pets from toxic algae blooms this summer.

If there are toxic algae advisory signs posted near a waterbody, stay out and keep pets out. Otherwise, follow the advice, “When in doubt, stay out.” The algae blooms usually resemble thick pea soup or spilled paint on the water’s surface. They may also look discolored – generally green, red, gold or turquoise – and have foam, scum or algae mats.

People exposed to toxic algae may develop skin irritation, rashes, digestive system issues, low energy, fever, headache, or sore throat. People who might come in contact with toxic algae should shower or rinse with fresh water immediately and contact a healthcare provider.

Pets are more likely to drink the affected water. Symptoms can include drooling, diarrhea and vomiting, low energy, loss of appetite, stumbling and tremors. If your pet is exposed, you should get it out of the water, keep it from licking itself and rinse it immediately.