All Entries in the "Hot Topics" Category
Domestic Safety Resource Center in Lamar forced to permanently close after 40 years
Only domestic violence shelter for four rural counties in Colorado permanently closes Article by Chelsea Casabona with Rocky Mountain PBS – Chelsea Casabona is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS covering Southern Colorado. more Outside the Prowers County Courthouse in Lamar, Colorado. File photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS LAMAR, Colo. — The Domestic Safety […]
How trapshooting is teaching Colorado high schoolers gun safety
Students and adults take aim at an unseen hat belonging to an athlete on the Sterling High School Trapshooting Team who shot a “25 straight” — 25 clay pigeons in a row. The tradition is a rite of passage for young shooters, who say the sport gives them a sense of belonging. (Cheney Orr, Special […]
Letter to the Editor — “Hartman Deserves Better Than Last‑Minute Governance”
For years, Hartman has lived with the consequences of institutional neglect. Our water system didn’t collapse because of a single mistake — it collapsed because agencies delayed action, withheld information, and treated our town as an afterthought until the crisis became impossible to ignore. That pattern didn’t just break our infrastructure. It broke trust, endangered […]
Low water levels close west boat ramp at John Martin Reservoir State Park; East ramp remains open
The west boat ramp at John Martin Reservoir State Park near Hasty, Colo., is closed to trailer-launched boats due to declining water levels. The west ramp remains open to hand-launched watercraft. The east ramp is open to trailered-boats and park staff recommend higher-clearance tow vehicles at that ramp. CPW Photo/Sami Colvin HASTY, Colo. – Ongoing drought conditions and […]
Aspen Acres fire near Rye explodes in size to 23,000 acres after discovery early in morning of June 29 – high winds hampered any efforts at containing it throughout the day
Photo taken in Pueblo west near Pueblo Reservoir early Monday morning as the fire began expanding A wildfire broke out early Monday morning near the town of Rye. By late afternoon, it had expanded to over 23,000 acres and was growing rapidly with 0% containment. Due to extremely high winds measured at 80-100 mph, […]
Colorado wins federal approval to import prescription drugs from Canada
David J. Phillip/AP, File – The injectable drug Ozempic. Ozempic is one of more than a dozen prescription drugs Colorado can begin importing from Canada. By John Daley – CPRNews The federal Food and Drug Administration has granted Colorado approval to begin importing some prescription drugs from Canada, where they’re often cheaper. The governor’s office announced the […]
Colorado House Bill 25-1135 requires all public and charter school to adopt formal cell phone/electronic devices by July 1, 2026 – how local school districts are complying
An assistant principal at Girls Athletic Leadership School, a Denver charter school where cellphones were already prohibited, takes a phone from a student in September 2025 This fall, all Denver students will have to turn off or tun in their phones at school. Photo credit: Rachel Woolf for Chalkbeat The use of cell […]
Fort Lyon Canal Company Responds To CPW Announcement Regarding Adobe Creek And Thurston Reservoirs
LAMAR, Colo. — The Fort Lyon Canal Company recognizes the importance that Adobe Creek Reservoir and Thurston Reservoir have held for generations of southeastern Colorado anglers and appreciates Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s efforts over the past several decades to provide public recreational access at these facilities. For more than fifty years, Fort Lyon Canal Company […]
CPW concludes lethal removal efforts for uncollared gray wolf in Routt County
DENVER – On June 12, 2026, CPW and its agents lethally removed an uncollared wolf in Routt County. Visual evidence obtained at the scene confirmed the removed wolf is the same one that was depredating in Rio Blanco County in 2025 and early 2026. This wolf was originally a member of Copper Creek Pack but has […]
Prowers County Board of Commissioners work session of June 9, 2026
At the June 9, 2026 morning work session, the Prowers County Board of Commissioners heard an update from Tallie Harmon, Executive Director of Prowers Economic Prosperity. She said PEP’s BEAR committee recently held a roundtable discussion with local financial institutions that was very insightful and helpful. She has been in communication City Administrator Mitch Hammes […]
Colorado’s Arkansas Valley water confronts contamination, climate change and political drama
Article courtesy of High Country News – This article appeared in the May 2026 print edition of the magazine with the headline “The absence of clean water.” This story is part of High Country News’ Conservation Beyond Boundaries project, which is supported by the BAND Foundation and the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation. “If you don’t have clean water, you […]
City of Lamar Launches “WIN LOCAL” Campaign to Promote Community Pride, Economic Growth, and Local Engagement
LAMAR, COLORADO — The City of Lamar is proud to announce the launch of WIN LOCAL, a new community-focused initiative designed to encourage a stronger culture of local engagement, community pride, customer service, and economic support throughout Lamar and Southeast Colorado. Introduced by Mayor Kirk Crespin, the WIN LOCAL campaign represents a shift in mindset […]
Lamar City Council votes against proposed increase in building permit fee, approves moving to Stage 2 water restrictions in meeting on May 11, 2026
Lamar Mayor Kirk Crespin began the May 11, 2026 City Council meeting addressing the audience about the myriad of events coming up within the next week, including the Friday barbeque at the Lamar Chamber to kick off next weekend’s Lamar Days. Also on Friday, he said, was the “No Booze Cruise”, the parade and car […]
VA Secretary Doug Collins Visits Eastern Colorado VA Healthcare System
On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins visited the Eastern Colorado VA Healthcare System in Aurora, Colo., meeting with staff, volunteers and Veterans. Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Congressman Gabe Evans (R-Colo.-08), Congressman Jeff Crank (R-Colo.-05) joined Secretary Collins for a tour of the medical center highlighting the facility’s advancements in […]
Op-Ed by Lauren Garduno, President and CEO of Ports to Plains Alliance
“Now is the Time to Build New Interstates” What an incredible event we witnessed this month with the lunar orbit of the Artemis II and its four-member crew. News coverage spent considerable time comparing the Artemis mission to the Apollo program which was the last time humans had left low- earth orbit in December 1972. […]
