Blackhat Humane Society will have its first adoption day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Durango Petsense Store south of Walmart, sponsored by Verizon Wireless. Five adult dogs, one 3-month-old puppy and one cat will be available for adoption. All animals have been spayed or neutered and are current on their vaccinations. A $75 adoption fee helps Blackhat continue to rescue homeless animals in this region. To donate or learn more, call (725) 355-9053. Blackhat Humane Society also has a Facebook page.

Internship group seeks partners, students

The Internship Initiative of La Plata County seeks businesses, community partners and students to participate in internship programs. The initiative offers an easy-to-use, comprehensive resource for students, and connects businesses and community partners with students, including assistance in starting internship programs at businesses. The Initiative began in 2012 as a project of the Southwest Region Workforce Board Youth Council’s La Plata Chapter.

One of the participating organizations in the initiative, The STEM Internship Program, is a local nonprofit that also connects students with businesses in the form of paid internships. One of STEM’s interns, Katie Dudley, who worked for the Durango Discovery Museum, won a $100,000 scholarship to the Colorado college of her choice.

Resources and internship postings can be found at www.swconnect.org/internship_initiative.

Kiwanis Club to meet Thursday

The Kiwanis Club of Durango will meet at noon Thursday at the Durango Community Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave. Denise Rue Pattin from the local water board will talk about the State Water Plan for the future. Guests are welcome.

For more information, call Lisa at 247-5011.

Stillwater to hold fundraising concert

The Stillwater Foundation will present Winter Wonder Bands, a fundraiser showcasing Stillwater Foundation’s 13 youth bands and ensembles. The concert will feature music from a variety of genres.

The event will be held from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Durango Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 1533 Main Ave. Tickets are $5 at the door, and attendees may come and go as they please. Food will be available, and there will be a silent auction. Proceeds will go directly toward providing after-school music and athletic programs for youths in La Plata County.

The event is sponsored by Comprehensive Financial Planning and Alpine Bank.

For more information, visit www.stillwaterfoundation.org or call 769-2469 or 247-5095.

DUI enforcement to be held through Monday

The Colorado Department of Transportation is teaming up with the Colorado State Patrol and law-enforcement agencies across the state to boost DUI enforcement.

The enforcement period surrounding holiday parties runs through Monday and is part of CDOT’s ongoing The Heat Is On impaired-driving prevention campaign. For more information, visit HeatIsOnColorado.com.

Connect for Health to visit Durango

Connect for Health Colorado will visit Durango from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today in an RV on Main Avenue between Eighth and Ninth streets and from 2 to 5 p.m. today in the north City Market parking lot at 3130 Main Ave., as part of a statewide Holiday Connect to Coverage campaign to inform and support Coloradans seeking new health-insurance options.

Connect for Health Colorado staff, Certified Health Coverage Guides and partners will meet with the public to answer questions and discuss new health-insurance options offered by the new statewide health-insurance marketplace. Participants will be eligible to receive King Soopers gift cards, hats and other items. They also will have access to tablets and laptop computers to explore the shopping website.

Commissioners create water advisory panel

The La Plata County commissioners recently created a Water Advisory Commission to make recommendations to the board about important water issues in the county. These issues include analysis of local water resources, operating a county water dock, potential purchase of water from the Animas-La Plata Project, concerns with proof of water for central water systems and a possible countywide water hydrological study.

The new commission will have seven members, including the division engineer of Division 7 of the Colorado Division of Water Resources. The board will also seek one representative of a small water system; one representative of a large water system; one hydrologist, engineer or other knowledgeable water consultant; one representative of the environmental and/or conservation community; and two members of the community at large who have knowledge and experience in water issues and/or water rights.

Positions are advisory only and are not monetarily compensated. For an application and board description, visit www.co.laplata.co.us, or go to the Information Desk at the La Plata County Courthouse, 1060 East Second Ave, Durango. Applications are due by Dec. 31. For more information, call 382-6219.

herald staff