Two pilots die fighting Widemouth 2 Fire in Utah
On August 7th, a helicopter assigned to the Widemouth 2 Fire in Utah crashed. The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office announced the following day that the two pilots flying the aircraft were both killed. The crash also ignited vegetation in the area, making it impossible for Search and Rescue to respond immediately. As soon as the scene was deemed safe, crews were able to enter and recover the bodies.
The pilots were Miles Elliott of Porterville, California and Christopher V. Andersen of Greene, Iowa. Officials say the cause of the incident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Montrose School Board schedules executive session to discuss third-party investigation into Superintendent Dr. Carrie Stephenson
The Montrose County School Board has a regular meeting scheduled tonight. An executive session regarding the third-party investigation into Superintendent Dr. Carrie Stephenson is on the agenda. The board may take public action on her employment following the private executive sessions.
The agenda also lists an executive session to receive, quote, “legal advice regarding board response to employee letter of concerns.” It’s unclear if the letter is related to the investigation. The agenda also states that attorney Brad Miller will attend that session, though Bryce Carlson is the district’s lawyer.
Son of Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert facing five felony charges
Court and jail records show 21-year-old Tyler Boebert was arrested last week in Garfield County and released from jail Sunday. Three of the charges are related to sexual exploitation of a child. The other two are for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In a statement, Representative Boebert says she takes the allegations very seriously. Tyler Boebert is scheduled to return to court later this month. Representative Boebert’s original congressional district was Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, which covers the KVNF listening area and most of Western Colorado. She later ran in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, and has represented it since 2025.
KVNF's Lisa Young brings us to the Delta County Fair
Last week kicked off another proud chapter in one of Colorado’s longest‑running traditions— the county fair. Folks from across the area became 4-H and FFA fans, made lifelong memories, and showed what it means to live, work, and celebrate rural life in Delta County. KVNF’s roaming reporter Lisa Young took a trip to Hotchkiss for some Delta County Fair magic.
Ouray couple seeking help after rare pigs escape property due to floods
And speaking of pigs… humans weren’t the only species displaced by the July 29th flooding. According to the Ouray County Plaindealer, the flood ripped out a fence surrounding part of Hank and Betsy Nicholson’s 15-acre property near Dexter Creek. Inside that fence? Over 60 Mangalica pigs– a rare Hungarian breed of domestic pig with thick, curly hair. The Plaindealer reports that it took about 24 hours for some pigs to figure out they were no longer fenced in. Some escaped the property and ran on the highway, leading to social media posts reporting loose pigs. Last week, the Nicholson’s had around 40 of the pigs safely fenced in on the property, but weren’t sure if the rest had been killed or were just on the loose.
The Plaindealer also says that the Nicholsons also need to rehome their pigs or sell them for butchering. There’s no longer a fence to keep them in, and Hank, who has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy and five blood transfusions since he was diagnosed with lymphoma last year, isn’t physically up to the task of caring for them any longer.
The Ouray Chamber of Commerce posted about the situation, and is coordinating with volunteers who can help out the Nicholsons.
