By Rep. Megan Lukens When Congressional Republicans passed a budget last month that handed out massive tax cutsto corporations, it created a billion-dollar hole in Colorado’s state budget. H.R. 1 threatensMedicaid services, cuts SNAP food assistance for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans, andcauses health insurance premiums to spike by nearly[Read More…]
Opinion
GUEST COLUMN: CNCC September update
RANGELY | CNCC Fall classes are in full swing, and students welcome and success activities areunderway. Our fall enrollment is up compared to this time last year, and our incoming students are excited to begin both their academic journey and out-of-class experiences.The first home soccer game took place on Aug.[Read More…]
GUEST COLUMN: Colorado special session recap
By Sen. Dylan Roberts Normally, late August is a time for enjoying the last weeks of summer and getting the kids backto school. However, for the second year in a row, the Colorado legislature found itself spendinglate August inside the Capitol in Denver.Last year it was to lower property tax[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – You can believe whatever you want, and so can ‘they’
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” ~ John F. Kennedy At least at this point in time, we have the right to believe whatever we want to believe about literally anything. We can believe the moon is[Read More…]
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR – August 28th, 2025
Water engineer disagrees with findings of return flow study Dear Editor: Please accept these comments correcting misinformation published on page 9 of the July 17th edition under “…Return flow study indicates flood irrigation benefits river flows”. The article cites Liz Chandler as referring to results of a groundwater modeling study[Read More…]
LOOSE ENDS: Non-random acts of kindness
One dark night when we were all in bed, Old Lady lit the lantern in the shed, and when the cow kicked it over she blinked her eyes and said, “It’s gonna be a hot time in the old town tonight.” A hot time would certainly be an understatement about[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – Can we hold on to the good as we return to normal?
“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” ~ Abraham Lincoln I am[Read More…]
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR – August 21st, 2025
Fire recovery update and thanks from the commissioners Dear Editor: As we write this, more evacuation zones on the Lee Fire are being downgraded. Firefighters have contained 60% of the fire’s perimeter and Highway 13 has reopened. A new Incident Management Team will continue work on the Lee Fire, and[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – Resetting our assumptive world
“Life is mostly froth and bubble;/ Two things stand like stone:/Kindness in another’s trouble,/ Courage in your own.” ~ Adam Lindsay Gordon Smoke from the Lee Fire rolled back into the valley on Tuesday, Aug. 12 after a day of relatively clear skies. The instant jolt of anxiety it triggered[Read More…]
LETTER TO THE EDITOR – August 14th, 2025
Letter to the citizens of Rio Blanco County from the Board of Rio Blanco County Commissioners Dear Editor: We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the firefighters, emergency responders, and citizens who have worked tirelessly to protect our community during the Elk and Lee Fires. We’d particularly like to[Read More…]
LOOSE ENDS: Meeker Strong
Thank you, firefighters, firefighting support staff, as well as all the Meeker families and friends who are continuing to make sure Meeker, as well as the surrounding countryside, is on its way to recovery. The MEEKER STRONG support system remains. It is so great to see those caring acts of[Read More…]
EDITOR’S COLUMN – Take care of yourselves and each other
“When you face a crisis, you know who your true friends are.” ~ Magic Johnson As I write this on Wednesday morning, many of our friends and neighbors have either been evacuated due to the fires or are waiting to be told to evacuate. The skies are a little more[Read More…]