Ian O’Brien was last seen June 24 and volunteers had met daily, combing over 12,000 acres in the La Plata Mountains northwest of Durango
La Plata County
Posted inEquity
In a rural southwest Colorado town, a new program is transforming summer for local children
Free summer day camp for kids in grades K through 8 creates a sense of well-being for families in Mancos, where resources are sparse when school is out.
Posted inHousing
A Durango homeless encampment’s closure left many with nowhere to go. Now, the ACLU is threatening to sue.
The shutdown of Purple Cliffs in La Plata County illuminates a city and county’s struggle to adequately serve its homeless population.
Posted inOpinion Columns
Opinion: Voters bought the misinformation that I was soft on crime
A Colorado county judge reflects on losing a retention vote in liberal-leaning Durango amid a fog of misunderstanding about restorative justice.
Posted inOutdoors
Two runners have gone missing in remote Colorado mountains, leading to push for more education
Fitness is not enough to stay safe in remote mountains where risks are amplified
Posted inNews, Outdoors
Southwest Colorado is home to one of America’s oldest bicycle races. It takes an army to keep the wheels moving.
DURANGO – After finishing her first bike race during the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic over the weekend, 4-year-old Lexi Cowan was grinning ear to ear. When asked how long she’s been riding bikes, she said, “10 years, I think.” In a town that boasts one of the oldest bicycle races in America, Durango’s next generation […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, News, Wildfire
Durango & Silverton railroad will pay feds $20 million for 416 fire damage, stop using coal to power summer trains
By Aedan Hannon, The Durango Herald The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and its parent company, American Heritage Railways, will pay $20 million to settle a federal lawsuit stemming from the 416 fire. Separately, lawyers for 40 La Plata and San Juan county businesses and landowners that sued the tourist railway to recoup losses […]
Posted inNews
Emergency alerts were a problem long before the Marshall fire, reports show
More than 10,000 calls warning residents to flee failed when the Waldo Canyon fire exploded near Colorado Springs in 2012. Thousands of people were left without warnings as flames destroyed 347 homes and killed two people. That same year, evacuation alerts were sent to the wrong phone numbers during the Lower North Fork fire — […]
Posted inCOVID, News
High case numbers drive southwest Colorado tribes to revive COVID restrictions
The Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes in southwestern Colorado have revived coronavirus restrictions on gatherings, hoping to quell coronavirus case numbers that have risen to the highest point since the pandemic began in 2020, according to tribal spokespeople. The Ute Mountain Ute tribal council Monday imposed its second-most stringent coronavirus precautions — […]
Posted inGrowth, Housing, News
Housing in small Colorado towns is “damn near a crisis.” But the solution isn’t as easy as just building more.
MANCOS — There’s no affordable housing in Mancos. Zero rental units. Nearly no houses on the market. The town’s school district struggles to hire teachers because they can’t find a place to live. It’s the same story with the town government, the hospital and the nursing home. It’s an “overwhelming issue” for the town of […]