Montrose County School District gets major boost for early childhood education.
The district has been awarded nearly $6.2 million dollars in BEST grant funding through the Colorado Department of Education. With the district contributing an additional $6.4 million, the total investment comes to about $12.6 million.
The funding will help create a new Early Childhood Center in Montrose. The center will be a centrally located facility designed specifically for young learners and their families. District leaders say the project will improve access to services and provide learning environments tailored to early childhood education.
MCSD plans to renovate the recently acquired Field House property on Colorado Avenue to serve as the future home of the new center. The location is near existing district facilities and is expected to improve accessibility for families.
Superintendent Dr. Carrie Stephenson says the project has been five years in the making and was identified through the district’s community-driven Master Capital Plan. She says the grant represents an investment in children, families, and the future of the community.
The district will continue offering existing early childhood programs in Olathe while expanding support and resources across Montrose County.
The BEST grant program provides competitive statewide funding for school construction and facility improvement projects through partnerships between the state and local districts. Following formal acceptance of the grant by the Board of Education, the district will move into the next phase of planning and design, with more updates expected as the project moves forward.
The League of Women Voters of Colorado rescinds invitation for Governor Jared Polis to receive the organization’s 2026 Leaders of Democracy Award
In a letter to members, the League says the decision follows Governor Polis’s commutation of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters’ sentence. Peters was convicted on multiple felony charges related to a breach of Mesa County election equipment tied to efforts challenging the 2020 presidential election results.
The League says Governor Polis had originally been selected for the award because of his record on civil rights, civic participation, and expanding opportunities for Coloradans. However, the organization says commuting Peters’ sentence conflicts with the values the award is meant to represent.
The League emphasized that the decision is not partisan and not a rejection of Polis’s overall record. Instead, leaders say it reflects the group’s longstanding commitment to secure elections and accountability for actions that undermine democratic institutions.
The organization says it informed the governor of its decision directly and remains focused on voter registration, ballot access, and civic engagement efforts across Colorado.
The League’s Leaders of Democracy event is still scheduled for June 18 at History Colorado, where two remaining honorees will be recognized.
Second Chance reminds Western Slope residents to leave wildlife alone
This time of year is baby season, not just for dogs and cats, but for wildlife as well. Second Chance Humane Society posted a reminder on social media that many species nest or give birth during the spring, so you may encounter young wildlife on trails or even in your backyard. Though they may be cute, these animals are not pets, and touching, feeding, or attempting to rescue baby animals can cause unintended harm. If you think a young animal is injured or in danger, contact a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer or local wildlife rehabber for assistance. Otherwise, the best way to help wildlife thrive is to keep a respectful distance.
The Bureau of Reclamation will release 40 million dollars for a Western Slope conservation district to purchase one of Colorado’s most senior water rights
The Colorado River District will pay almost 100 million dollars in total for the Shoshone water right, which powers a hydroelectric plant in Glenwood Canyon.
The feds initially committed money for the purchase in 2024 under Joe Biden, but because the funds were part of the Inflation Refuction Act, they were frozen when Donald Trump took office.
The Shoshone water right is over a century old, and requires upstream users—including powerful Front Range utilities—to keep enough water flowing in the Colorado River to meet its full allotment.
The River District says the Shoshone purchase will keep historic flows in place for the Western Slope, and prevent other water users from buying the right and diverting the water.
Poetry box in Placerville creates opportunity for creativity and connection
An opportunity for creativity and community connection recently popped up outside Telluride in southwest Colorado. Driving into San Miguel Canyon, about one mile from the intersection with Highway 62, travelers may spot a box at a roadside pullout.
“I had it in my head, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have a place on the highway where people could take poems,’” said local poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.
“People pull over here all the time to talk on the phone or rummage around in their backseat for something,” Trommer said. “I thought, ‘Well, maybe they would stop and get a poem.’”
So Trommer had her husband build a box — more like a notice board seen at a trailhead — for poems.
A poetry box.
For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KOTO's Julia Caulfield brings us the story.
