Bee Hive and Paradox Trail fires fully contained
As of 4pm yesterday, both the Bee Hive fire in western Montrose county and the Paradox Trail fire were 100% contained. The Bee Hive fire reached a total of roughly 336 acres, and the Paradox Trail reached about 53.
Ouray police officer sues city
And in Ouray, A legal dispute is escalating between the City of Ouray and the town’s only sworn police officer. Police Sergeant Matt Troxell has filed a lawsuit against the city, accusing officials of broken promises, retaliation and defamation. The suit was filed in district court on May 27 and seeks a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages.
Troxell has accused city leaders of recruiting him from a federal career with the CIA by making promises about training and job conditions that were never fulfilled. He also claims he was placed on administrative duty and stripped of responsibilities after raising concerns about missing personnel records and a lack of training within the police department.
An independent investigator later found the city failed to comply with its own recordkeeping policies and recommended improvements to the department’s training program.
The dispute also involves a complaint against City Councilor Peggy Lindsey Scott. A police department employee reported that the councilor confronted her the day after Troxell publicly criticized city leadership. City Administrator Michelle Metteer concluded the councilor’s comments appeared unprofessional but did not constitute harassment.
Meanwhile, Ouray’s police department remains effectively shut down. Law enforcement services continue to be handled by the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office, while the city continues paying for leased patrol vehicles that currently sit unused.
City officials have declined to comment on the lawsuit itself. The city council recently decided to continue contracting with the sheriff’s office rather than rebuild an independent police department, citing cost concerns.
Parcels of land on the Roan Plateau have been proposed for oil and gas lease sales, undoing protections for iconic western Colorado mesa.
According to the Colorado Sun, The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has proposed leasing more than 126,000 acres across western Colorado for oil and gas development, including six parcels covering about 5,000 acres on the Roan Plateau. The agency has opened a 30-day public comment period ahead of a lease sale planned for December.
The Roan Plateau, which rises more than 3,000 feet above the Colorado River Valley in Garfield County, is known for its wildlife habitat, including large populations of mule deer, elk and black bears. Its streams also support native Colorado River cutthroat trout.
A court ruling in 2012 found the federal government had not followed proper procedures when issuing the original leasing plan. A later settlement canceled most of the leases on top of the plateau and reimbursed the energy company that held them.
Conservation groups are criticizing the latest proposal, arguing it threatens one of western Colorado’s most valued landscapes. The BLM says the lease sale is part of an expanded schedule of quarterly oil and gas lease offerings required under federal legislation passed earlier this year.
Colorado election system secure, but unfounded doubts persist
Colorado's primary election is just weeks away, and election officials say the state's mail voting system remains one of the most secure and widely used in the country. As Kyle McKinnon reports for the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, confidence in the system is high even as questions about election security persist.
Watch Duty app provides residents with timely updates on wildfires
There are currently multiple wildfires burning across our region, including the Bee Hive fire in western Montrose County and the Paradox Trail fire in southern Mesa County.
As fire activity grows, so does the need for timely, reliable information.
During evacuations, road closures and rapidly changing conditions, many residents are turning to a smartphone app called Watch Duty for real-time updates.
For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, K-D-N-K's Amy Hadden Marsh reported on how the app has become an increasingly important tool for people tracking wildfires in the West.
