Phase III completion finalizes multi-year riverfront improvement effort PRESS RELEASE MEEKER | Eastern Rio Blanco Metropolitan Recreation & Park District (ERBM), in partnership with the Town of Meeker, is pleased to announce the reopening of Circle Park following completion of Phase III construction. This marks the capstone of a decades-long[Read More…]
Meeker
Fire recovery information for businesses, ag producers
MEEKER | Since the Lee and Elk Fires do not have a FEMA Public Assistance declaration yet, the Fire Recovery Team is working to request a Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan (SBA EIDL) declaration. The deadline for requesting the SBA EIDL may expire before FEMA and the President[Read More…]
Meeker trustees review draft 2026 budget, approve easement and security upgrades
MEEKER | The Meeker Board of Trustees held a regular meeting last week, covering the town’s draft 2026 budget, a water easement agreement, and security system upgrades at Town Hall. Trustees Charles Day, Jessica Browning, Jeff Madison, Kathleen Sizemore, and Mayor Pro Tem Christopher Lockwood attended the meeting. Trustee Amanda[Read More…]
HISTORY LESSONS: Hugus, Part 1
John William Hugus was a Meeker Townsite shareholder. The importance of his mercantile company and bank to the development of Meeker can not be overstated. However, J.W. Hugus himself was not deeply involved with the formation of the town. By the time the soldiers had pulled out in 1883, John[Read More…]
October Photo Page 2025
The Mustang Mingle, part of the Meeker Mustang Makeover event, brought out nearly 300 people, including (above left) Teresia and Scott Reed, (above center) Christy and Kent Borchard, and ((above right) Gus and Christine Halandras. Deirdre Macnab Photos (Above left) Butch and Karin Theos at the Pioneers Association annual dinner and[Read More…]
A day of golf, giving, and gratitude at Meeker Golf Course
MEEKER | The Meeker community showed its strong support for local recreation on September 14, 2025, during the first annual “For the Love of the Course” golf tournament, raising $19,725 to benefit the Meeker Golf Course. A total of 92 golfers took to the fairways on a perfect late-summer day,[Read More…]
‘Burned, not broken’: Smoking River Brewery’s Oktoberfest takes a new direction post-fire
MEEKER | The annual Oktoberfest celebration at Smoking River Brewery has become a community tradition in a few short years. The Lee and Elk fires nearly squelched it. “We were going to cancel this year,” said co-owner Kristofer Borchard, noting that after the fire it didn’t seem right to have[Read More…]
What’s missing?
It’s easy to overlook things we’re accustomed to seeing everyday, even when those things disappear. The iconic blinking red light at the intersection of 6th and Main, the last remaining stoplight in the county, was quietly removed by the town’s public works department in the last month. The light had[Read More…]
Captain Jack
Meeker High School art students Joshua Quinn and Brooklyn Kirkpatrick are installing the second mural in the Pioneers in Paint project, featuring Captain Jack. Both students are juniors and returning Colorado Scholastic Gold Key recipients. This mural is part of Uplift Meeker’s effort to celebrate local history through public art,[Read More…]
PMC board reviews finances, housing, staffing and compliance matters
MEEKER | The Eastern Rio Blanco County Health Service District (Pioneers Medical Center) Board of Directors held its regular monthly meeting for September last week. Chief Financial Officer John Nadone provided updates on the facility’s operations and outlook. He noted a minor downturn in August due to wildfire-related postponements, but[Read More…]
HISTORY LESSONS: Rio Blanco Store, Part 2
Occasionally, I get feedback that fills in a gap to my story. It is important to me to get these things in print before that knowledge disappears forever. When the Herald Times published the story of the Rio Blanco Store, several people came to us with their memories. One of[Read More…]
For the Rafellos, the Lee Fire was one more struggle that has left them in need of help
RBC | Everyone experienced the Elk and Lee fires from their own perspective. For some it meant the inconvenience and discomfort of having to evacuate, for others it brought damage and destruction to property and livelihood. The impacts continue to ripple through the community, and will likely be felt for[Read More…]