The newly configured Montrose Board of County Commissioners addressed several items in their meeting last week.

“There are enough talented people out there,” says Julia Belluz, “but only collaborate with people you really like.” This was the advice the writer followed when deciding to work with scientist Kevin Hall on their new book, Food Intelligence. The resulting book weaves his narrative and evolution as a scientist with her narrative as a patient and journalist. In this episode, we explore what makes a successful collaboration, how to define roles—and why to do this right up front, the importance of trust, and how to communicate throughout the process.

Steve Pearce, President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Bureau of Land Management, is a litmus test for Western senators who say they care about keeping public lands public, writes Aaron Weiss of the Center for Western Priorities.A former New Mexico congressman, Pearce spent 14 years undermining public lands, Weiss says, seeking to gut wildlife protections and sell off huge amounts of public land. Pearce has described public land as so vast that most of it "we do not even need.” Weiss warns that if confirmed, Pearce's role running the BLM would amount to liquidation.

Union Pacific train derailment required coordinated rescue effort

Two Union Pacific locomotives derailed into the Gunnison River during a snowstorm, trapping two engineers in a remote canyon. First responders from multiple agencies pulled off a challenging rescue and launched environmental mitigation efforts. Cleanup along the river is continuing.

Angel Tree provides gifts for families in Surface Creek community

Surface Creek Angel Tree will provide gifts for over 140 families this year

Project partners include the City of Delta, Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (M.E.A.N )and Sandhills Energy of Omaha, Nebraska.