Grand Junction Media buys Delta County Independent and Montrose Daily Press
Grand Junction Media has announced the purchase of the Delta County Independent and the Montrose Daily Press. The Montrose Daily Press is the oldest business in Montrose, beginning as a weekly in 1882. The Delta County Independent also has historic roots, tracing its origins back to 1883. The previous owner, Wick Communications, is an Arizona-based, family-owned media company with 18 newspapers in 5 states. Grand Junction Media is also an independent media company and family-owned business based in Grand Junction. The company currently owns the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, The Nickel and four radio stations. Jay Seaton, President of Grand Junction Media and Publisher of the Daily Sentinel, told The Independent "We intend to respect the independence of those two newspapers that have been covering those communities for over 140 years. You can make the argument that the Western Slope is one unified economy, but those are unique and independent communities, and those newspapers need to remain independent and a mirror to those communities and not some reflection of Grand Junction."
Trump signs executive order restricting mail-in ballots
President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that sets out a list of new mandates for states to follow for mail-in ballots. If they don’t follow the new regulations, they may face a loss of federal funds. The executive order sets new requirements for envelopes, and requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to compile lists of citizens eligible to vote, and send them to the state’s chief election officer to compare with voter roles. When Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper was governor, he signed the state’s all-mail voting law, which requires ballots to be automatically mailed to registered voters to their mailing address of record. Hickenlooper referred to Trump’s executive order as “an illegal attempt at voter suppression.” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement that nearly all Colorado voters, including Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated, use mail ballots. He also stated that Colorado’s voting system is secure and fair, and that legal action will be taken to protect Colorado’s elections. This order follows years of Trump routinely attacking mail-in voting, with no evidence that the practice allowed for fraud. Trump himself has also cast votes via mail ballots in the past.
Police respond to false threat at North Fork High School
On Wednesday morning, the Hotchkiss Police Department, along with the Delta County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a reported threat involving North Fork High School. The school was placed into a shelter-in-place status while officers conducted a thorough search of the building and the surrounding area. The department confirmed later in the day there was no active threat, and all students and staff were safe. This incident remains under active investigation, and authorities are working to determine the origin of the report. Out of an abundance of caution, officers will maintain an increased presence at both North Fork High School and Hotchkiss K-8 for the remainder of the week. If you'd like to learn what school districts in our listening area are doing to keep our schools safe check out KVNF's Local Motion on this topic.
Despite increasing ridership, Bustang struggles financially
Bustang has been successfully connecting cities in Colorado with since 2015. Its Durango-Grand Junction route provides an important service in the KVNF listening area, offering stops in Grand Junction, Delta, Olathe, Montrose, Ridgway, Placerville, and Telluride. But the Colorado Sun reports that the bus costs $10 for every $1 it takes in fares. Ridership has been increasing, with a 21% jump from 2024 to 2025. The projected Bustang deficit for 2027 is $25.3 million, rising to $34.6 million in 2030, if current route and schedule levels stay the same. The Colorado Department of Transportation is looking for alternative sources of revenue, but may end up making cuts to the system. State Senator Marc Catlin a Republican representing Montrose and a member of the Senate transportation committee, told the Colorado Sun he doesn’t know where transportation department is going to find the money, and questioned if Bustang is growing fast enough to justify the investment that the state continues to make
Legislation improving EMS in rural areas advances in Colorado House
Today, the State Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed bipartisan legislation to increase access to Emergency Medical Services in rural areas. The bill, cosponsored by Senator Mark Baisley of Montrose, would designate EMS, including ambulance and air ambulance services, as essential to protecting public health and safety. Once designated as an essential service, EMS would see reduced barriers to performing their duties, similar to law enforcement and fire departments. This bill aims to improve planning and coordination across agencies, which will foster more reliable emergency response.
Federal judge blocks Trump order to end funding for NPR and PBS
A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that President Trump violated free speech with an executive order he issued last May to defund NPR and PBS. He claimed the news outlets were biased and directed all federal agencies to stop funding the organizations. NPR and three Colorado stations, including Aspen Public Radio and KSUT argued in a lawsuit that the order violated their First Amendment rights. The judge agreed, and now federal agencies are prohibited from following the executive order. In his ruling yesterday, the judge said it was NPR and PBS’ critical coverage of the President that prompted the order, rather than a “yet-to-be-attained platonic ideal of ‘unbiased’ journalism.” The decision doesn’t change the fact that Congress canceled the lion’s share of federal funding for public media — roughly $1.1 billion over a two-year period.
Delta County School District recently announced two finalists for the district superintendent position after current superintendent Karen Gibson retires this summer. Lisa Young brings us the details.
Supreme Court rules against ban on conversion therapy for minors
On Tuesday, the U-S Supreme Court ruled in favor of therapist Kaley Chiles, who challenged a Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors – a process counselors use to try to change a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Eric Galatas speaks with Angela Dallara from the advocacy group GLAAD about the harms of the practice.
