instruction:
Given a paragraph, generate a claim that is supported by the given paragraph. 1) The claim must contain information from within the paragraph. 2) A sentence within the paragraph can be used as a claim. 3) The claim should not have contradictions within the paragraph. 4) The claim should be at most one sentence long.
question:
A lawsuit filed this week in Eagle County District Court contends Vail town officials violated local rules when they approved a Triumph Development project to build high-density worker housing along Interstate 70 where the bighorns forage during winter. The residents also argue that a Vail Resorts employee on the local Planning and Environmental Commission, which approved the project on a 4-3 vote, should have recused himself due to a conflict of interest. Their lawsuit asks Judge Russell Granger to send the case back to town officials with instructions for proper decision-making. “Developers tried to come up with mitigation. But it doesn’t seem the mitigation measures are sufficient to comply with the code,” which requires the implementation of “all necessary mitigating measures,” attorney Kim Perdue said Thursday. “My understanding is that there are other sites … that would be better for residents and also not have catastrophic impacts on this herd,” Perdue said. This battle pits the mountain resort’s economic demands against the needs of wildlife, in this case Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, Colorado’s state animal. Bighorns once numbering more than 2 million around the west have been declining, hammered by disease — including sickness spread by domestic sheep — as development eclipses bighorn habitat. The Colorado bighorn population has dwindled to about 6,800, down from about 7,600 in 2012 and 8,000 in 2001, state data shows. Vail Valley bighorns have decreased to about 5% of their historic numbers, along with other species, and the herd that forages east of Vail has been reduced by 40% over the past 12 years to around 50 bighorns. Meanwhile, mountain resort operators around the state have been developing properties and struggling to ensure enough housing for workers as tourism and recreation industries expand. Triumph Development has proposed to construct the housing for Vail on 5.4 acres at one end of a 23.3-acre parcel that Vail obtained from the Colorado Department of Transportation. Local governments have broad discretion. The lawsuit targets town decision-making on narrow grounds, alleging that proposed “mitigation” measures are not sufficient to comply with town rules aimed at protecting the natural environment and wildlife. The developers’ proposals included the construction of a berm between the housing complex and a meadow where bighorns forage, limited lighting and restricted dog ownership. Residents walking to town would have to use an underpass designed for vehicles to cross I-70. The lawsuit also alleges town officials gave improper guidance to planning and environmental commission members by asserting they had no choice but to allow the development of the property, owned by Vail, because otherwise their action would amount to an illegal “regulatory taking” of the property. Vail officials declined to comment on the lawsuit. “We received the complaint, and we have forwarded it to our insurance carrier for review,” assistant town manager Patty McKenny said. Former Mayor Rob Ford, a longtime resident opposing the construction, said even people who recognize a need for affordable worker housing have been questioning Vail leaders’ decision-making. “It was not transparent. Residents were lied to. It is a poorly planned project, a crummy project,” Ford said. The conflict has escalated over the past two years. Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists have provided guidance, warning that bighorns likely would suffer harm and questioning whether mitigation is possible. Vail officials have countered that the resort needs housing for service workers, in part to create a sense of community and reduce worker driving. Only 20% of Vail’s 8,500 workers live in town. Others commute as far as 75 miles. Houses in Vail cost $1.3 million on average. Renting an apartment typically costs around $1,200 a month. The Vail Homeowners Association has opposed the development. A 40-member group called Citizens to Protect Our Wildlife asked Gov. Jared Polis for help. The local chamber of commerce asked Polis to stay out of the matter unless he planned to support the construction. ___ Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com
answer:
Lawsuit challenges Vail development in bighorn sheep habitat.


question:
Collins, a Republican, introduced the proposal with Democratic Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith. It’s also designed to beef up prevention, diagnostics and treatment for tick-borne diseases, and it’s headed to the full Senate next. The proposal’s named the Kay Hagan Tick Act in honor of former Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina who died in October of complications from Powassan virus, a tick-borne infection. Cases of Lyme disease nearly doubled in Maine from 2010 to 2018. Collins describes the surge of tick-borne diseases as a “burgeoning public health crisis.” The proposal would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop a national strategy about the diseases.
answer:
Collins bill to combat Lyme and other tick diseases moves on.


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The county’s juvenile court will collaborate with Valparaiso-based Great Lakes Labs to offer self-styled pharmacogenetic tests to youths in the criminal justice system, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported. “Mental health for our kids is really, really important for us, because they grow up,” Porter County Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper said. “We need to help them, and we need to help our community, by helping our kids come out as healthy as possible.” Pharmacogenetic tests analyze patients’ genetic codes to decide which medications are more likely to be ineffective or cause damaging side effects. The testing is also done on drugs to treat conditions such as heart disease, pain and erectile dysfunction, but Porter County intends to use the psychiatric screening to address the high rate of mental health disorders among its juvenile offenders. Officials estimate that 70-80% of youths who enter the court system struggle with mental illness. Amy Beier, executive director of the county’s juvenile services, said the testing could be a “game-changer.” The county hopes to start offering the testing Nov. 1. Some in the medical community consider the tests unsubstantiated because of a lack of a research. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cautioned the public that the agency has not evaluated many of these tests and therefore they “may not be supported by clinical evidence.” But Great Lakes Labs officials noted that America’s largest private insurer, United Healthcare, recently announced its plans to begin covering the testing for psychiatric medications. Michelle Volk, president and CEO of Great Lakes Labs, called pharmacogenetics one of the most significant developments she’s seen in her four decades in the testing field. Juvenile justice officials are still deciding how to fund the program. They have secured some county money and are looking into possible state and federal subsidy opportunities. The tests cost roughly $300 apiece, but the price should be deemed an investment, Cox said. Jim Biggs, business development director of Great Lakes Labs and also a Porter County commissioner, said he believes the test results could be profound and receive national attention. “We think we’re onto something here, and we think we’re going to make a difference in some of these kids’ lives,” he said. ___ Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com
answer:

Porter County to offer genetic tests for juvenile offenders.