Steamboat Pilot & Today

Topping the news this morning, members of the Steamboat Springs City Council said Wednesday that while they feel Ken Brenner's decision to step down as council president is "healthy" and "the right thing," they did not try to influence Brenner's decision before it was made.

Brenner, who will remain a City Council member, announced Tuesday night that he was giving up his role as council president. In addition to physical and mental strains from recent shoulder and back surgeries and an arduous schedule of council-related events, Brenner said maintaining neutrality while facilitating council meetings was his biggest challenge as president.

Council members said they did not discuss neutrality issues with Brenner before his decision.

Susan Dellinger will be the new council president.

Routt County Sheriff Gary Wall and Undersheriff David Bustos have at least a year to renew their inactive Peace Officer Standards and Training certifications. The men said they will not have a problem meeting the deadline.

Both attended an optional 2007 County Sheriffs of Colorado Conference and Vendor Show in Westminster last week where they attended sessions led by state and federal law enforcement agencies and participated in sheriff and undersheriff training courses. Wall attended a mandatory Sheriff's Institute from Dec. 4 to 15 in Denver.

Wall and Bustos took office Tuesday.

Backcountry skiers and snowmobilers on Rabbit Ears Pass may have noticed new, brightly colored signs at trailheads in the past month.

The large maps and trail guides that provide updated labels for recreation areas including Fox Curve, Dumont and West Summit are the work of Friends of the Routt Backcountry, a local nonprofit organization with about 70 members that is affiliated with the Backcountry Snowsports Alliance of Eldorado Springs. Both groups work to preserve and manage non-motorized areas on public lands. Steamboat Springs resident and Routt Backcountry member Leslie Lovejoy said the signs are part of a project that began in 1998, when the group began working to identify non-motorized and motorized portions of local recreation areas including Rabbit Ears, Buffalo Pass and Hahn's Peak.

The signs are funded by a $10,000 grant from the city of Steamboat Springs, as an allocation of city funds donated by American Skiing Co., currently the parent company of Steamboat Ski Area.

In sports, Steamboat Springs wrestling coach Sean McCarthy said the stakes has been raised.

Returning from the winter break, his wrestlers must now gauge themselves against the best wrestlers in their region with one primary goal - state qualification. To achieve the goal they will have to wrestle well at the Feb. 9 and 10 regional match at Ralston Valley.

Steamboat's best wrestlers got a taste of some of the top competition last Saturday at the Eagle Valley High School Invitational.

Houston Mader's win in the 135-pound class highlighted the Sailors' performance.

After barely winning his first-round match - 9-7, in overtime - Mader defeated Buena Vista's Josh Saar, 4-1, in the championship match.

Here is your first look at weather. It was 32 degrees at 8 a.m. and that should be our high for today. Another storm is making its way toward colorado. Significant snowfall is expected. The winter weather will move into the area Thursday tonight.