The sprawling, multi-level home commanding a corner lot on Kit Carson’s Main Street had seen better days. A double-whammy of passing time and pervasive asbestos long ago put to rest any thoughts of even a massive remodel. So Amy Johnson, whose relatives once inhabited the stucco home nearly a century ago, resolved to start from […]
Kit Carson
Posted inNews
Colorado’s population grew at twice the national rate between 2010 and 2020. Here’s where the boom was biggest.
Colorado’s population grew at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the nation between 2010 and 2020, putting it among the fastest-growing states, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday. While the nation’s population grew only 7.4% over that period, Colorado saw nearly 15% growth. But the growth was unevenly distributed, with urban centers continuing […]
Posted inEconomy, Housing, News
In rural towns like Kit Carson, a housing and development conundrum born of rising costs, disrepair — and lots of asbestos
KIT CARSON — The hope for rural sustainability in this small, spare town lives in a light-brown, 1,800-square-foot, two-story frame house with four bedrooms and three baths. Her name is LouRae Rady, a single mom and a second-grade teacher at the sparkling new school just a couple blocks away. The hope lies in Rady, whose […]
Posted inCOVID, News
Coronavirus has struck construction sites across Colorado, including a school and off-campus housing project
Coronavirus outbreaks have hit staff working in the close quarters of Colorado nursing homes, prisons and jails, food-manufacturing plants and restaurants. Add construction workers to that list, as the number of job sites with outbreaks continues to rise. A construction crew building a school in Kit Carson fell ill with the virus, sickening 26 workers […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Culture, News, Politics and Government
A cartoonish Native American towering over Durango has divided the city. Should “the chief” stay or go?
He has a wide grin under a big nose. A single feather dangles beside one of his braids. His hand is raised in a howdy-friendly wave. And his bow legs and moccasins are planted atop a commercial sign. He is “the chief,” a two-story-tall metal depiction of a Native American that has been part of […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Nicolais: Protesters should topple legacies, not statues
As my English teacher wife has repeatedly taught me, content without context means almost nothing. As statues across the country tumble, it is time for us to all step back and figure out if we can see the forest through all the big trees obstructing our view. This should be a moment for education and […]
Posted inColoradans, News, Politics and Government
Denver “proactively” removes Kit Carson statue from downtown monument ahead of protests
A statue of American frontiersman Kit Carson that topped Pioneer Monument in downtown Denver was removed by city crews Friday afternoon. It is the third art installation memorializing a controversial figure to be removed from public spaces in Denver in two days. “Denver Parks and Recreation has removed the Kit Carson statue within the Pioneer […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, COVID, News
Coronavirus collapsed America’s food system, but created “a pivotal and magical moment” for locavores
MOSCA — Sheldon Rockey weaves through pallets of potatoes in a long-retired high school gym as a small team of workers wash and package his trademarked fingerlings. “We just weren’t prepared for this, so there will be some livestock that will eat some gourmet potatoes this year,” says Rockey, who saw his innovative and competitive […]
Posted inEducation, Growth, News, Politics and Government
Colorado is near the bottom of states in school funding. That’s why there are nearly 40 bond and mill levy override questions on ballots this fall.
Robert Framel is the superintendent of Kit Carson schools, plus the trigonometry teacher, and the precalculus teacher, and the sixth-grade math teacher. He picked up the math classes after he couldn’t find a qualified teacher willing to move to the eastern Colorado town of 400 people and work for a school system that offers a […]