MEEKER | Either it was really cold in December or everyone was in the Christmas spirit, based on the number of calls to the Meeker Police Department. Police Chief Phil Stubblefield said the department had 160 calls in December. “That’s probably the lowest we’ve had in years. December was really slow[Read More…]
Author: Niki Turner
Rangely resident publishes first novel
RANGELY | Kandis Dotson, granddaughter to June and Ken Dotson, attended high school in Rangely, but moved to Texas during her junior year. Her grandparents lived in Rangely for more than 50 years, and her father was born and raised in Rangely. “I moved back [to Rangely] in March of 2017[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Got the mid-winter crankies? Please don’t share.
A quote from one of my all-time favorite novels reads: “…while golf and fishing are Scotland’s most popular outdoor sports, gossip is the most popular indoor sport. And when it rains as much as it does in Scotland, people spend a lot of time indoors.” That quote reminds me of[Read More…]
Backcountry avalanche conditions ‘moderate’
RBC | Last weekend’s storms brought significant snowfall to the Flat Tops and Steamboat areas, prompting the Colorado Avalanche Information Center to declare the chance for backcountry avalanche conditions above, near and below treeline as moderate (as of Wednesday, Jan. 9). According to the Center’s website, “Large amounts of snow[Read More…]
CPW employee dies while skiing southwest of Meeker
MEEKER | Brett Smithers, 48, of Meeker, Colo., was found unconscious and not breathing Saturday afternoon approximately 1.5 miles up the Marvine Trail that leads to the yurt, according to a press release from the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office. First responders from the sheriff’s office, Meeker Fire and Rescue,[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Ten easy ways to make our communities even better in 2019
1. Read the newspaper. Informed citizens make better community members. (FYI: an in-county subscription to the print edition will save you almost 25 percent off the single copy price and you get the online edition for free.) 2. Attend public meetings and participate in community events. Hold your elected (and appointed) leaders[Read More…]
Meeker: Project 45 installs new wayfinding signage
MEEKER | They’ve been a long time in coming, but Meeker’s wayfinding signs are finally here. Anyone who has been part of community planning, town board discussions, or attended a “what does Meeker need” meeting in the last 20 years (maybe longer) has heard about the need for wayfinding signs to[Read More…]
DAYS GONE BY …
Montey Franklin and his fellow sixth grade classmates at Barone Middle School visited the residents of the Walbridge Wing—including centenarian Ethel Starbuck—just before Christmas and read aloud from the Days Gone By section of the Herald Times. To see more photos, grab a copy of this week’s newspaper, download the[Read More…]
PAYING IT FORWARD …
Seventh grade teacher Jennifer Turner has a holiday tradition for her classes. “Every year I show the movie, ‘Pay It Forward.’ My goal is to have the kids do for others instead of focusing on their ‘wants’ the month of Christmas and all year. Some years the kids really buy[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: So this is Christmas …
To file under your “ridiculous” column: A popular online and brick-and-mortar store has sold out of a popular item: A bundle of twigs—20 “birchwood” branches tied with brown string—retailing for $42. Every time I see how much government entities pay consultants to come up with “new” ideas I shake my[Read More…]
New faces at the Town of Rangely
RANGELY | Effective Jan. 1, 2019, Rangely will officially have a new town manager, town clerk and town treasurer. Interim Town Manager Lisa Piering introduced Rangely’s new town clerk, Erica Eyer, to the town’s Board of Trustees at the Dec. 11 meeting. Eyre recently relocated from Denver with her husband, who[Read More…]
Sales tax changes may boost Town of Meeker revenue
MEEKER | A change in sales tax regulations could prove beneficial to town coffers. As of Dec. 1, retailers who deliver or ship goods are now required to collect sales tax at the rate effective for the customer’s address. Given the amount of goods ordered online and shipped, that should[Read More…]


