Bee Hive and Paradox Trail fires continue to spread
The Bee Hive Fire in the west end of Montrose county and the Paradox Trail Fire in southern Mesa County are continuing to burn. According to the Bureau of Land Management, the Bee Hive fire experienced continued growth on Wednesday as dry fuels and strong winds persisted across the incident area. Although winds were lighter than forecasted, the fire still displayed periods of increased activity, with flare‑ups and short‑range spotting occurring throughout the afternoon. Fire behavior picked up at times as available fuels ignited under shifting wind conditions.
Crews made meaningful progress improving access to the fire area, completing work to enhance a key road that allows firefighters and equipment to reach the fire more easily. Firefighters were also able to secure edges on both the left and right flanks, while coordinated helicopter support helped at the head of the fire, slowing forward progression.
As of yesterday afternoon, resources continued to remain focused on securing the edges of the fire to ensure it does not push outside of control lines. Air resources remain a critical component of suppression efforts, particularly in more active or inaccessible areas. No structures are currently threatened.
As for the Paradox trail fire, crews made strong progress securing edges and continued securing the western flank of the fire. Containment had increased to 50% as of 5pm yesterday, per Incident Command.
San Juan Mountain Runners hosts race benefiting the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership
On June 27, the Uncompahgre Watership Partnership will host this year’s Ridgway RiverFest. The event is a day-long celebration of the watershed. The San Juan Mountain Runners, a run club that hosts social events and races in the area, is hosting 5-mile and 10-mile races as part of the festivities. A percentage of proceeds from the races will benefit the Watershed Partnership. KVNF sat down with SJMR’s Scott Gleason, and the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership’s Tanya Ishikawa to learn more.
Montrose School Board accepts BEST grant
In education news, the Montrose School Board accepted a significant grant to expand early childhood education. At their June 9 regular meeting, the Montrose County School District Board of Education formally accepted a $6,192,542.48 Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant from the Colorado Department of Education, allowing the district to move forward with plans to renovate the Montrose Field House property at 25 Colorado Avenue into a new early childhood facility.
A press release states that, Combined with a district match of $6,445,299.30, the project represents a total investment of approximately $12.6 million in early childhood education and facilities. The new facility will provide dedicated learning spaces and expanded access to services and resources for preschool-aged children and their families.
Third annual Montrose Pride Festival celebrates acceptance and authenticity
Montrose Pride held its third annual Pride Festival on Saturday. The afternoon featured vendors from a variety of businesses and nonprofits, live music and entertainment, and an atmosphere of celebration and acceptance. The festival was held shortly after the Montrose City Council voted 3-2 to reject this year’s Pride Month Proclamation. June has been nationally recognized as Pride Month since 1999, when President Bill Clinton issued a presidential proclamation declaring it "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month" to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City. Montrose hosted its first pride festival in 2024, and city council read the proclamation that year and again in 2025.
One of the organizers said from the Montrose Amphitheater stage, “You guys, this has been a hard year for us because of what happened with the city. … They would not read the proclamation, but hey, screw them, we're still here. Thank you. And let's have a hell of a time!”
KVNF also caught up with Montrose Pride executive director Evelyn Greenman-Baird. They told us they were excited about how much the event has grown in the last three years, saying, “We get more people showing up, more diversity in vendors and performances. … It's getting bigger, we're bringing in more people.”
At the June 2 Montrose City Council meeting, Greenman-Baird and other Montrose residents addressed the council’s refusal to read this year’s pride proclamation. Greenman-Biard invited the council members who voted against the proclamation to attend pride, telling them, "Come and see what you're afraid of."
We asked them what the members would see if they showed up to Pride. Greenman-Baired told us, “I think that they would see a lot of people being their authentic selves, feeling safe, feeling comfortable to express themselves how they like around a community that they know inherently will support them. I think they'll see a lot of happiness, a lot of joy, a lot of great music, and really cool supportive people.”
Several churches were present at the event. A member of the Grand Junction American Evangelical Lutheran church told us, “We are here to represent that Christianity is not exclusively hostile to, well, all sorts of people, and we want to celebrate God's liberating love for all people everywhere, regardless of identity.”
Another attendee stated that celebrating Pride in Montrose was important, because “We're under attack. We're being made invisible. We are being told we're not good enough to exist. And it's seeping down into our schools, into our children, to the ittiest, bittiest ones, and we've got to keep pride, keep knowing that we are valuable and we do deserve everything. Gay rights are human rights.”
We also ran into Chad Jukes, a veteran who made a moving comment about the importance of being an ally to the LGBTQ community. He told us he was motivated to speak out because he feels that the members of Montrose City Council who voted against the proclamation “truly believe that their radical stance is representative of the vast majority of the city of Montrose, and they are dead wrong. Look around today, plenty of folks out here supporting Montrose Pride.”
One volunteer said that Montrose Pride is a celebration of coming out. When they attended last year, they were in the closet. This year, they’re attending pride as their true self.
