Student forum, emergency fuels reduction plan and local business report among key discussions MEEKER | A student-led discussion on wildfire policy and an update on a nearby underground coal mine fire drew attention during the Meeker Board of Trustees’ latest meeting, where officials also approved steps toward wildfire mitigation near[Read More…]
Author: Niki Turner
EDITOR’S COLUMN – April 16th, 2026
“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you insane your whole life.” ~ Anne Lamott I’ve long told myself that the week we have a “perfect” paper will be the week I quit, and just about every week I think I’ve nailed[Read More…]
Letter to the Editor: Attention all voters!
Editor’s Note: This letter didn’t make it into this week’s edition. Because it references next Tuesday’s April 14 commissioners’ meeting, we’re posting it online now. Dear Editor: The sky is falling! The sky is falling! OK, it’s not falling. But if the right hallucinogenic drug is taken, you might believe[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – April 9th, 2026
“It takes a village to convince one person to prepare their property for fire season — and sometimes that one person is all it takes to put the whole village at risk.” ~ The Hotshot Wake Up Back when the evening news was the news, I remember watching stories about[Read More…]
AGNC to host community strategic planning sessions in Rio Blanco County
RBC | The Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC) is inviting residents and stakeholders to participate in upcoming community strategic planning sessions as part of its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for Northwest Colorado. The CEDS process helps guide funding, partnerships and long-term economic resilience across the region. Community members[Read More…]
Trustees approve trail funding, review town projects
MEEKER | The Meeker Board of Trustees approved a letter of support for a regional nuclear energy initiative and committed funding to local trail improvements during its latest meeting. Trustees voted unanimously to support a regional response to a Request for Information (RFI) from the U.S. Department of Energy seeking[Read More…]
Library board tables minutes, reviews policies and finances
MEEKER | The Meeker Regional Library District board tabled approval of meeting minutes following a discussion about how those records should be written and what level of detail they should include. Board President John Moffitt referenced Robert’s Rules of Order, emphasizing that minutes should reflect board actions, decisions and votes[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN: Motive tells its own tale
Do you ever look at someone and just think, “Why?” Why did they make that decision? Why are they acting that way? There’s a reason we ask those questions. Motive matters. Motive, by definition, is “a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious.” In murder[Read More…]
Clean out the paperwork clutter: What to shred and what to save
Free cleanup event includes secure document shredding in Meeker on April 10 MEEKER | The word “paperwork” brings to mind a lot of things — balancing the checkbook, filling out tax forms, job or school applications, and the never-ending task of sorting receipts, medical bills and financial records. From the[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – On taxes
“Income tax returns are the most imaginative fiction being written today.”~ Herman Wouk I can’t think of a single positive statement I’ve ever heard about taxes. It doesn’t matter if it’s sales taxes or income taxes or property taxes, the consensus has always been that taxes suck and we collectively[Read More…]
Rio Blanco County seeking public comment on wildland-urban interface code this week
RBC | Rio Blanco County is requesting public comment on the proposed adoption of the Colorado Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code, with implementation scheduled to begin April 1, 2026. A public meeting will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, at the Rio Blanco County Courthouse to provide an[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – It’s Sunshine Week, our annual reminder that freedom of information is essential to a free country
Laws governing public meetings, public records and open government emerged in the 1970s after the exposure of vast amounts of concealed government information and corruption — think Watergate and the Pentagon Papers. The idea was simple: government works better when the public can see how decisions are made. You would[Read More…]
