DENVER – The federal government says 17 Colorado counties affected by drought are eligible for assistance after being designated natural disaster areas.

The Denver Post reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday the designation makes family-sized farm operators in those counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. The counties designated as drought disaster areas are all on the Eastern Plains and southern Colorado. They include Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, El Paso, Kiowa, Lincoln and Pueblo counties.

Farmers must apply for loans and meet certain requirements, such as extent of losses and repayment ability.

The deadline for loan applications is Oct. 5. Those who want to apply need to contact the Farm Service Agency in their county.

Injunction being sought in Aspen trail dispute

ASPEN – A group of trail users called the Friends of the Verena Mallory Trail Association has filed a motion for an injunction to prevent the trail from being closed until a lawsuit is settled.

The group filed a lawsuit against Aspen Valley Land Trust over its plan to close the trail this month.

Fritz and Fabi Benedict donated land to the land trust on Smuggler Mountain after Fritz’s death in 1992. The property included a trail that Fritz built the previous year.

According to the Aspen Times, the land trust said its review of the property deed last year required that no new trails or roads be built and any existing routes be eliminated.

Brockovich to tour Navajo areas damaged by spill

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Environmental activist Erin Brockovich will be touring the Navajo Nation next week to get a firsthand look at the damage caused by the spill of wastewater from a Colorado mine.

President Russell Begaye said Friday that Brockovich will join him in surveying areas devastated by the Gold King Mine spill.

The Aug. 5 spill from the mine near Silverton sent toxic sludge into waterways, including the San Juan River that flows through the reservation.

The tribe has been critical of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s response.

Brockovich says she is “deeply concerned” by the EPA’s actions. She is scheduled to visit Tuesday.

N.M. to get fed funds to combat drug overdoses

SANTA FE – New Mexico health officials say the state will get federal funding for the next four years to stop prescription drug overdoses.

The New Mexico Department of Health announced Friday that the state will be part of the new program that will issue an annual grant of $850,000.

New Mexico is one of 16 states that successfully competed for the grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Retta Ward says officials will also be able to reach communities where there are high rates of overdoses.

N.M. salmonella cases linked to cucumbers

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health is investigating 15 confirmed cases of salmonella that appear to be linked to eating garden-variety cucumbers grown in Mexico.

Authorities say there’s an ongoing investigation of 285 confirmed cases nationally from 27 states.

The cucumbers were sent to grocery stores and restaurants in New Mexico and other states through a non-New Mexico produce distributer.

The 15 cases involve seven residents of Bernalillo County, two residents of Doña Ana County, two residents of Sandoval County and one resident from McKinley, Santa Fe and Valencia counties, plus one case of an unknown residence at this time.

Associated Press