LONGMONT

City to use drone flight to scout for noxious weeds

Longmont will fly an unmanned aerial vehicle over local wetland vegetation on Monday to scout for hairy willowherb, according to a city news release.

The A-list noxious weed is scheduled for eradication in Colorado due to its status as an invasive species by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Scouting with a drone will make it easier to find in the thick, wetland vegetation than performing the search operation by hand, the release says.

Flights will take place over the waste diversion wetlands behind the Longmont Recycling Center (140 Martin St.), over the Nelson-Flanders Water Treatment Plant (13212 N. 53rd St.) and at Lykins Gulch Greenway. These missions will be performed between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

For assistance in identifying a weed, contact a local CSU extension agent (tinyurl.com/LocalCSUExtension) or county weed official (tinyurl.com/LocalWeedManagement).

WELD COUNTY

Pinnochios founder accused of embezzlement arrested

The 63-year-old founder of a northern Front Range restaurant chain suspected of embezzling more than $3 million from investors is in the Weld County Jail after she was arrested Wednesday afternoon on a warrant for failing to appear at a court date last month.

Annie Vick, who founded the Pinocchios chain of restaurants in 2003, is being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond. Weld County District Judge Vincente Vigil revoked her personal recognizance bond and issued the warrant after Vick failed to appear at a status conference June 17.

She used part of the investments she solicited to repay prior investors, as well as to cover restaurant expenses, make credit card payments and for other personal uses, according to an affidavit for her arrest.

Vick has denied embezzling the money, saying she never used investors’ money for anything other than investments.

Vick founded the Pinocchios chain in Longmont, eventually opening a Loveland location and two in Greeley, Pinocchios Incredible Italian at 905 16th St., and Pinocchios Prime at 804 8th St.

Both Greeley locations remain open, but Vick is no longer involved in the Longmont Pinocchios and the Loveland location has been closed for more than a year.

— Staff reports