Author: Niki Turner

Editor’s Column: What’s your Why?

Of the five W questions — who, what, when, where and why — we should ask when starting a new project or researching a topic or trying to solve a problem, “why” might be the most important question of all. Answering the “why” behind the “what” reveals motive, and knowing[Read More…]

EDITOR’S COLUMN: What we take for granted

The closure of I-70, an internet outage Wednesday morning, and the unexpected death of an old friend from elementary school have all served as a stark reminder: it’s easy to take things for granted. We assume certain things and people will always be there, always be present in our lives,[Read More…]

COUNTY BEAT

RBC I In a special meeting Tuesday the Rio Blanco County Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement with Moffat County for the provision of child welfare and adult protection services. The two counties currently share a director.  Commissioner Ty Gates said he wanted to make it clear the agreement is “on[Read More…]

Meeker School District’s COVID guidelines

MEEKER I The Meeker School District’s Board of Education held a special meeting Monday to approve the verbiage of a letter to be sent to parents next week regarding COVID-19 mitigation for the 2021-22 school year.  A handful of parents were present to take a position against mandatory masking or[Read More…]

Editor’s Column: Here we go again

We’re apparently very slow learners. A year and a half into a global pandemic we’re circling around into another wave of illness thanks to a variant of COVID-19. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. We were warned, and we’ve watched it unfold with heartbreaking devastation around the world. If we[Read More…]

COUNTY BEAT: Changes at DHS questioned by former staff

RBC I In a special meeting last Thursday, July 22, the Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners discussed providing a letter of support for work performed by dual-county Department of Human Services Director Tia Murry. Murry, hired in January 2021, splits her time 60/40 between Moffat and Rio Blanco counties. [Read More…]

‘Open for Business’ grants coming soon

MEEKER I The June water report from Public Works Superintendent Russell Overton wasn’t the highest water usage, but at more than 3 million gallons, is still “a lot of water.” The town has been encouraging residents to conserve water. Mayor Kent Borchard said he has received some comments and concerns[Read More…]

Vaccine van in Meeker TODAY!

MEEKER | Haven’t had time to get your COVID-19 shot yet? The mobile vaccination van from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is in Meeker today at Town Hall at 345 Market St., providing free COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone 12 and up. No appointment is necessary. CDPHE[Read More…]

COUNTY BEAT: July 20th Meeting

RBC I Budget discussions for 2022 will be held in the afternoon/evening hours this year to facilitate opportunities for the public to participate, following a request from Commissioner Jeff Rector. Additional reductions to the budget are anticipated for 2022.  Commissioners discussed combining a grant writing position with a county administrator.[Read More…]

15 new cases of COVID

RBC I There were 15 new cases of COVID-19 and one new hospital admission reported between July 12-19, bringing the total reported cases in the county to 700. It is likely there have been other cases that were not reported in individuals who were not tested or were asymptomatic. According[Read More…]