Cassie Knust

Can enemies be friends? The answer may come after a walk in the woods. It's also a question that the cast of "A Walk in the Woods" focuses on in the Magic Circle Player’s newest production, which opened last week in Montrose.Economic reports for the fourth quarter of 2023 are trickling in from Colorado Mesa University’s Dr. Nathan Perry. Montrose County School District is pursuing a potential bond measure on this fall’s ballot. The state Senate’s committee on agriculture held the first bill hearings of Colorado’s 2024 legislative session today.

Grief counseling is being offered to Cedaredge Elementary School students in Delta County following the death of two local children in Routt County on Saturday. Coloradans receiving their Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) refunds will not be taxed this filing season. A heated debate unfolded during a Cedaredge Board of Trustees meeting over approving a liquor license for a new establishment, "The Liquor Vault.” People continue to gather across the region to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Glenda Strong Robinson, an associate minister and historian for the Second Baptist Church in Boulder, has very personal memories of Dr. King. The Colorado Republican Party endorsed Donald Trump for president this past weekend before the Iowa caucus.

On today’s KVNF Farm Friday, Lisa Young speaks with Penelope Powell, Executive Director of Valley Food Partnership and acting Chair for the upcoming Western Colorado Soil Health, Food and Farm Forum.A groundbreaking ceremony took place at Delta High School on Monday, for a bond project approved by voters on last year’s ballot.Governor Jared Polis gave his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the state legislature Thursday. Residents in San Miguel County have the opportunity to provide input regarding community mental and behavioral health needs. The Montrose County historic courthouse is getting a makeover at a guaranteed price of less than $14.8 million. One person was killed in an avalanche this week at Lake Tahoe’s largest ski resort.

Due to legislative changes in the state, several counties, including those in our region, will be delaying tax roll certification until January 24. The Colorado Dept of Education released its high school graduation and drop out statistics on Tuesday. The victim of a homicide that transpired in Delta last week was found buried on his own property. Lawmakers returned to the State Capitol yesterday for Colorado’s 2024 legislative session. The much anticipated co-working space at the Delta Library is now open with plans to open the maker space in the next few months.

On this Local Motion, we join Maeve Conran, the Rocky Mountain Community Radio coalition’s managing editor, for our regional news roundup. We hear today from KVNF’s Taya Jae and her recent conversation with author and naturalist Craig Childs about Chaos Theory, the theme of his latest Dark Night event. We also hear an audio postcard on an American flag that's been flying above Palisade for a century, thanks to a group of volunteers. A Navajo musician is channeling John Cage and his Navajo ancestors to honor those lost in the Long Walk. Finally, we learn about a world record-setting skiing-in-jeans event in Wyoming.

Lawmakers are returning to the State Capitol today for Colorado’s 2024 legislative session. Delta County’s District 3 Commissioner Wendall Koontz announced that he’s running for reelection. A federal judge dismissed former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters' case, where she sought to block District Attorney Dan Rubinstein from prosecuting her in state court. Marisela Ballesteros is the first Cora Indian and Indigenous person elected to the Gunnison City Council.

Denver saw a record number of migrant arrivals from the US-Mexico border last month. Late last week, Delta County law enforcement responded to a reported shooting at a ranch near Austin. A new temporary traffic signal at the Montrose Regional Airport is on the way. The first conventional uranium mining done in the U.S. in eight years is underway at three mines in Utah and Arizona. The new year is getting off to a rocky start for one local mental health care provider due to ongoing Medicaid billing issues with Rocky Mountain Health Plans.

Colorado’s 2024 legislative session starts next week and Democratic party leadership is focused on legislation to address the state’s housing crisis. The Montrose Police Department is asking residents with security cameras to join a voluntary surveillance camera registry. A trio of nonprofits in our region are looking to fill energy workforce gaps. Small nonfarm businesses in 16 Colorado counties are now eligible to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. On today’s Farm Friday, KVNF’s Lisa Young takes us to a unique and somewhat mysterious farm south of Montrose on highway 550.

Coloradans can now get thirty percent off the price of electric lawn and garden equipment. The first benefits will be distributed to Colorado workers next week from the state’s new paid leave initiative. After some months of uncertainty, plans for a bus service linking the Montrose and Ouray communities are back on the table. Megan Sandoval, a Delta County Human Services Child Welfare Caseworker, was recently awarded Colorado's Caseworker of the Year for 2023. December 30 was the two year anniversary of the Marshall Fire, which burned more than a thousand homes in Boulder County.

Our region’s local Audubon society recently wrapped a timeless Christmas tradition…bird counting. Bird counters across the country started the annual tradition on December 14 and have until January 5 to tally their local birds.