Gold Mountain Fire grows slightly, but still remains near full containment
The Gold Mountain Fire grew in the Cimarron Ridge area on Monday, resulting in a slight decrease in containment. A crew is working in that area to reestablish containment lines. A Type 1 helicopter was also used to deliver 30,000 gallons of water.
Crews have also been working hard to repair the containment lines and other suppression efforts along the fire perimeter, and officials say that work has been completed along most of the perimeter, though some road maintenance, removal of logs, and other efforts are still required.
Suppression repair has been completed along most of the Gold Mountain Fire perimeter, with the exception of some road maintenance needs in Divisions A-D, F/H/K, P/R and U, and some remaining suppression repair and removal of log decks in P/R, and U.
A continued gradual increase in atmospheric moisture is predicted over the next several days, which will bring increasing chances of precipitation through the week.
Sean Pond threatens to sue Kyle Clark
Montrose County Commissioner Sean Pond has threatened to sue journalist Kyle Clark and the media company he works for, and has started a GoFundMe to cover the cost.
The dispute stems from Sean Pond’s post of an AI-generated image showing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Weiser with devil horns. Denver-based journalist Kyle Clark correctly pointed out that depicting Jewish people with horns is a centuries-old antisemitic trope. Pond stated that he had no idea Weiser was Jewish, but doubled down and shared additional images of Weiser and other Democratic politicians, some of whom are also Jewish. He also facetiously posted a photo of himself with horns.
Pond and his wife, Danielle Pond, have since announced that they plan to investigate and potentially sue Kyle Clark and his employer, 9NEWS. In a GoFundMe established to cover the cost, Danielle Pond said that her husband has faced harassment and death threats since Kyle Clark’s accusation of antisemitism. She also stated, quote, “We intend to hire experienced counsel to investigate and pursue every person and corporate entity the evidence shows is legally responsible. That includes Kyle Clark personally, KUSA/9NEWS, Multimedia Holdings Corporation, TEGNA, Nexstar Media Group, any other responsible affiliated entity, and identifiable individuals who made death threats or unlawfully harassed our family.” She also says they hope to raise $100,000 to, quote, “hire counsel, preserve the evidence, identify those responsible, and begin this fight.”
Sean Pond asked for support in a video on social media.
Kyle Clark asked the Ponds where the funds will go if they don’t pursue legal action. They told him, “Every dollar will be handled lawfully and transparently. If any money remains unused, donors will be told exactly how it is handled.”
Montrose School Board extends superintendent’s paid leave, dismisses grievance
The Montrose County School Board continued Superintendent Dr. Carrie Stephenson’s paid leave and dismissed a grievance she filed against the board during its meeting Tuesday night.
Stephenson was placed on leave in May following the resignation of Olathe Elementary Principal Jennifer Hesse. Board members who voted to place Stephenson on leave said the move was intended to protect district employees from potential retaliation while a third-party investigator examined Hesse’s conduct and Stephenson’s response.
Stephenson subsequently filed a grievance alleging governance violations, problems with the superintendent evaluation process and retaliation. She specifically pointed to Board President Neisha Balleck in her explanation of the grievance.
Following a lengthy executive session Tuesday night, Vice President Ted Valerio moved to adopt the board’s response to the grievance.
The statement acknowledged that the 2025 and 2026 written goal step was not separately documented and that some communications described in the grievance could have been handled more clearly and constructively.
However, the board said it did not find evidence supporting allegations of unlawful individual board action, retaliation, open meetings law violations, interference with the superintendent’s contractual authority or a hostile and retaliatory employment relationship.
The board denied Stephenson’s grievance and requested relief, with the exception of prospective governance commitments outlined in its response. The board said its statement constituted its final response and closed the grievance process.
The motion passed, with board members Jody Hovde and Tom West voting against it. The board then unanimously voted to extend Stephenson’s paid leave.
Attorney Brad Miller was also present at Tuesday’s meeting. It was unclear why Bryce Carlson, a partner at Miller’s firm and the board’s usual legal representative, was not present. Balleck later acknowledged the difficulties faced by staff at Olathe Elementary.
Nuclear roots run deep in Atomic City, Idaho, next to hub for new reactor testing
President Trump’s fast-tracking of nuclear energy projects in the U.S. made a big leap this year. Now, a new generation of small reactors is poised to come online in the next few years. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Hanna Merzbach takes us to a small town in Idaho at the center of it.
