Rural Electric Help & Anthrax Case Confirmed

Rural Electric Help & Anthrax Case Confirmed. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

A diseased cow in Logan County, Colorado has been confirmed as having anthrax. The Colorado Department of Agriculture currently is investigating. Approximately 50 other dead cattle are suspected of having been exposed to anthrax. This is the first time in 31-years that anthrax has been detected in Colorado. Colorado State Veterinarian Dr. Keith Roehr says the drought may be a cause.

ROEHR: The drought condition changes in soil conditions that produce the perfect bad storm in that the bacteria is in an environment where it is able to change from the spore to a vegetative form that is infective. Fortunately those conditions are not easily created so it is a very sporadic, very rare disease.

Yesterday, USDA Rural Utilities Administrator Jonathan Adelstein announced that rural electric utilities in 18 states will receive loan guarantees to make improvements to electric lines, transmission facilities and to reduce peak electric loads by deploying smart grid technologies. With this funding, USDA Rural Development moves closer to reaching Ag Secretary Vilsack's goal to fund more than $250 million for smart grid technologies. Clearwater Power Company here in the northwest will receive $13,524,000.

Now here’s today’s Washington Grange report.

(Grange)

That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.