This is a developing story and will be updated. Update Monday, July 27. Key Message: The fire is now 95% contained. Command will be transferred to a local Type 4 organization tonight at 7:00 p.m. Update Friday, July 24. The fire is now 69% contained. Update Thursday, July 23, 12:45[Read More…]
County
Growth and teamwork define 8-10 rec softball season
MEEKER | Last week the Meeker 8–10 softball recreation center 8-10 softball team’s season came to an end Wednesday night with a 2-0 loss to Carbondale at Paintbrush Park, falling just short of advancing to the end-of-season tournament in Glenwood. The low-scoring playoff game capped a season of growth for[Read More…]
DAYS GONE BY – July 23rd, 2026
Meeker Herald ~ 125 years ago Most of the first cutting of hay is over and it can rain now. In response to a call issued by Mayor Walbridge, a goodly number of property owners and taxpayers assembled at the courthouse last Monday evening. Mayor Walbridge called the meeting to[Read More…]
Update: PL Gulch Fire containment lines holding, no new growth for 48 hours
This is a developing story ad will be updated. Update Sunday, July 19: Containment on the 1,580-acre PL Gulch Fire increased to 45% Sunday morning as firefighters continued making progress along the fire’s perimeter. Personnel assigned to the fire increased to 204. According to the Colorado Incident Management Team, crews[Read More…]
Type 3 Incident Team assumes management of PL Gulch Fire
By Caitlin Walker | [email protected] The Colorado Type 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) assumed management of the 1,580-acre PL Gulch Fire burning in the Piceance Basin at 6 a.m. Friday, July 17. Operations are currently staged at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds. Why a Type 3 Team: IMTs are assigned[Read More…]
Days Gone By: July 16, 2026
Meeker Herald ~ 125 years ago Three fires in the last few weeks have led the people of Meeker to a sense of insecurity in the matter of fires. About half past 6 o’clock Thursday evening fire was seen issuing from the windows of one of Gates Kersburg’s by the[Read More…]
Community Calendar: July 16, 2026
Fire Preparedness Day at Meekerpalooza MEEKER | The Conservation Districts and Forest Health Partners invite the community to a free Fire Preparedness Bootcamp for Landowners on Friday, July 17, from 5-7 p.m. on the Courthouse lawn. Topics include defensible space, home hardening, chainsaw and fire extinguisher safety, slash management and[Read More…]
RIO HAPPENINGS: July 5-11, 2026
ARRESTS No arrests to report CALL SUMMARIES 7/7/2026 @ 7:38 pm. Vehicle vs. elk collision on Highway 13. 7/7/2026 @ 8:25pm. A call for service was received by dispatch reporting that a husband and wife had not returned from a Razor ride with friends. Following coordination and planning, I am[Read More…]
Commissioners review finances, adopt hazard mitigation plan
By JARED HENDERSON | [email protected] RBC | The Rio Blanco County Board of County Commissioners covered a wide range of business during its regular meeting July 7 at the Rio Blanco County Historic Courthouse, including recognizing local scholarship efforts, reviewing the county’s financial position, approving the assessor’s review of taxable[Read More…]
Search efforts suspended for missing Rifle man last seen along Highway 13
By CAITLIN WALKER | [email protected] RBC | Organized search efforts have been temporarily suspended for 20-year-old Samuel Bower, an at-risk Rifle man who has been missing since Wednesday, July 8. Bower was last seen near Edelweiss Court and Dogwood Drive in Rifle. The last confirmed sighting placed him near mile[Read More…]
Day, Mobley secure nominations in RBC primary
RBC | Rio Blanco County voters narrowed the field for several local and statewide races during the June 30 primary election, with Republican nominees now set to compete in the Nov. 3 general election. According to unofficial results from the Rio Blanco County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, 2,291 ballots were[Read More…]
County Beat – Commissioners cite housing costs, uncertainty in wildfire code debate
RBC | The Rio Blanco County Board of County Commissioners spent much of its June 30 work session discussing the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC), signaling they are not prepared to adopt the state code because of concerns about housing affordability, uncertainty surrounding future state requirements and opposition to what[Read More…]