Archive for 2026
Thomas Dunagan, Prowers County Coroner and Las Animas Police Officer, facing felony charges following CBI investigation
The following is a September 11, 2026 press release from the Bent County Sheriff’s Office On September 9, 2026, formal charges were filed in Bent County District Court against Las Animas Police Department Officer Thomas Dunagan following an investigation conducted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). (EDITOR’S NOTE: Dunagan is also the Prowers County […]
Kennis Elmer Bentley – November 26, 1938 – September 4, 2026
Kennis E. Bentley, 87, of Lamar Colorado passed away peacefully September 4th, 2026, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was born November 26th, 1938, in Greasy Creek, Pike County, Kentucky to parents Willie D. Bentley & Martha Caroline (Damron) Bentley. He was born the sixth child of eleven children. Ken was a graduate of Virgie, Kentucky, High School. After graduation, […]
Kenneth Minor Florea – March 20, 1993 – August 30, 2026
A Memorial Service for Kenny Florea will be held at 10:00 a.m., September 19, 2026 at First Baptist Church in Las Animas, Colorado with Pastor Jonathan Busenitz officiating. Kenneth Minor Florea, known fondly as Kenny, passed away on August 30, 2026 in Trinidad, Colorado at the age of 33. He was born on March 20, […]
Senator John Hickenlooper visits Prowers Medical Center to discuss rural health care challenges with representatives from area hospitals
Pictured, left to right (back row): Roger Stagner, Dr. Richard Book, Dr. Anthony Brocato, Senator Hickenlooper, Karen Bryant, Beth Bell, and Joe Spitz. In front row are, from left, Tina Sandoval,Rita Bastian, and Kirk Crespin Rural health care is facing a financial crisis in 2027. New federal legislation will significantly alter Medicaid financing, administrative requirements, […]
Lamar Police Department executes search warrant, arrests Richard Wayne Jones on 15 criminal charges
On 09/06/2026 Officers of the Lamar Police Department executed a search warrant at a location in the 500 Blk of E. Oak St. The location has had prior search warrants executed regarding narcotics distribution. During the search warrant, numerous narcotics and evidence of narcotics distribution were located along with firearms and defaced firearms. Illegal narcotics […]
Clean energy driving good jobs, growth on Eastern Plains, study says
Wind turbines loom large over property and farmland driving north on CO-61 from Otis, CO toward Sterling. (Photo By Kathryn Scott) Article by Michael Booth/TheColoradoSun Clean energy jobs have propelled growth on the Eastern Plains with high-paying work in some of the state’s smallest counties, according to a new report by the Colorado solar industry […]
Colorado Announces New myColoradoⓇ Mobile Driver License (mDL), Offering a Secure, Convenient Way to Get Through TSA
Governor Polis recently announced the launch of the myColorado® Mobile Driver License (mDL). Coloradans with a state-issued driver license or identification card can add their mDL to their myColorado app and use it to provide proof of identity at Denver International Airport TSA security checkpoints and more than 250 participating airports when traveling outside of Colorado. The myColorado […]
New 2027 Colorado driving laws targeting teen safety
Starting January 1, 2027, getting a learner’s permit in Colorado will require more comprehensive training for young motorists. Under House Bill 24-1021, the state is rolling out updated education standards for all permit applicants under the age of 21. Passed to enhance public safety and lower traffic fatalities among young drivers, these changes ensure every […]
Xcel Energy loses battle over wind tower land dispute
Xcel Energy’s Goose Creek substation near Cheyenne Wells on June 10, 2026. Xcel Energy is fighting in court to condemn a strip of land to connect two wind farms to the substation, which is part of the Xcel’s Power Pathway. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun) Article by Mark Jaffe/The Colorado Sun – […]
Carol Sue Fugett Roseberry – October 3, 1936 – August 12, 2026
Carol Sue Fugett Roseberry, 89, of Moore, Oklahoma, passed away on August 12, 2026, following a fall that resulted in a broken hip and surgery. She was born on October 3, 1936, in Wanette, Oklahoma, and lived a life marked by faith, family, teaching, service, and love for others. Sue was a devoted Christian woman […]
Judith Elaine Brown Rasmussen – October 1, 1945 – September 2, 2026
Judith Elaine Brown Rasmussen, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away on September 2, 2026 in Castle Rock, Colorado, surrounded by the love of her family. She was 80 years old. Judy was born October 1, 1945, in Las Animas, Colorado, to Humphrey Adelbert “Del” Brown and Mary Augusta “Gussie” (Mason) Brown. […]
Janet Lawrence – September 10, 1943 – September 3, 2026
A memorial service for longtime Lamar resident, Janet Lawrence will be held at 11:00AM on Monday, September 14, 2026 at the Lamar Christian Church with Ray Matteson officiating. A private family inurnment will be held at a later date. Per Janet’s wishes cremation will take place and there will be no viewing. Janet was born […]
From Prowers County Public Health and Environment: Update regarding the recent Pueblo wastewater spill
Arkansas River Advisory (Hwy 50 Area in Lamar) Water samples collected on September 1, 2026, from the Arkansas River near the Highway 50 area in Lamar revealed E. coli levels of 613.1 CFU/100mL. This significantly exceeds the public safety threshold of 235 CFU/100mL. The public is strictly advised to avoid all contact with the […]
CPW expands water contact advisory along Arkansas River after Pueblo sewage spill
PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is expanding its water contact advisory to 10 state wildlife areas and the Las Animas Fish Hatchery along the Arkansas River, asking visitors to avoid direct contact with the river and fisheries on those properties. The expansion comes as water affected by a 4.2-million-gallon untreated sewage spill continues moving downstream from Pueblo. The advisory issued […]
