Drunk driver seriously injures cyclist near Durango
Last Tuesday, a man driving a pickup truck hit a group of cyclists on a ride south of Durango. According to the Gran Fondo Guide, a website dedicated to cycling, witnesses described the truck’s passenger-side mirror striking several riders before pulling one cyclist beneath the vehicle and its attached trailer. The injured rider was identified by the cycling community as Elliott Saslow, 32, a coach with the youth development program Durango Devo and, more recently, the owner of the longtime local bike shop Mountain Bike Specialists. Saslow suffered multiple fractures, including a fractured pelvis, and was transported to Mercy Hospital in serious condition. The driver was allegedly intoxicated, and witnesses reported that he was aggressive after the crash and told police he “didn’t care about cyclists.” On social media, the cycling community has rallied around Saslow and warned other cyclists to remain vigilant.
Hotchkiss to consider Main Street park
At the Hotchkiss Town Council meeting last week, councilors mulled over the idea of developing a park near the Elk Lodge on Main Street. The idea was presented by resident and KVNF volunteer DJ Donald Foster, who envisioned the park including green space, a community kitchen, daycare facilities, and a hospitality area. He proposed the town form a small working group, including two trustees and community volunteers, to research costs, grants, liability, and governance over a two-month period and report back to the board. The board did not vote on the proposal but informally agreed to place it on the August agenda.
The science behind measuring water evaporating from the Colorado River
The Colorado River loses millions of acre-feet of water each year to evaporation. But scientists say measuring exactly how much has been a challenge. The Mountain West News Bureau's Kaleb Roedel brings us the story of a new effort that aims to improve those estimates using weather stations. The Colorado River Basin's two largest reservoirs have fallen to record-low levels. Federal officials are trying to hammer out new rules for sharing the river's shrinking water supply.
That's why the Desert Research Institute is working to better measure one of the river's biggest sources of water loss: evaporation.
Chris Pearson says that starts with gathering better data: "This project places our monitoring equipment in the middle of the reservoir to provide a cleaner picture of air temperature, humidity, wind speed over the water, as well as the water temperature signal at the center of the water body."
Pearson says combining those measurements with satellite data will improve evaporation estimates at major Upper Basin reservoirs.
That could help water managers make better decisions at a time when the river is under increasing pressure.
Northern Arapaho community of the Wind River reservation work with local government, volunteers to harvest chokecherries
Nonprofits in the Boulder area have joined with members of the Northern Arapaho Tribe to help restore access to chokecherries, a traditional food with deep cultural and ceremonial significance. For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KGNU’s Abby O’Brien brings us the story.
