Rare horse hit by vehicle in downtown Montrose, euthanized by responding veterinarian
On Saturday afternoon, a scary scene unfolded in downtown Montrose. The owner of Y Bar Hitch Suffolk Punch Horses was giving residents free horse-drawn carriage rides during Saturday’s farmer’s market, in partnership with Montrose DART.
But just after 1pm, a single horse hitched to the unoccupied carriage was startled while waiting to be loaded into a trailer. The horse ran eastbound on North 2nd Street, with the carriage still hitched, and ran into a car traveling southbound at the intersection with North Park Avenue. The impact seriously injured the horse, and it had to be euthanized by responding veterinarians. The driver of the vehicle did not sustain any injuries.
Suffolk Punch horses are a rare breed of drought horse, developed in England for farm work in the early 16th century. Suffolk horses were first imported to the US and Canada in the late 1800s, but were never as popular as the Clydesdale. The breed’s numbers increased in the 1930s, but declined after World War II as agriculture became increasingly mechanised. Rare Breeds Survival Trust, a British livestock conservation group, have classified Suffolk Punches as a critically endangered breed, but numbers are increasing. Today there are about 600 Suffolks in the US and around 200 in England.
Condolences to the horse’s owner have flooded in on social media. The Montrose Police Department says that there were no criminal actions involved with this incident.
Montrose County announces new public health director
Montrose County has announced the selection of a new public health director, Jaqueline Davis. Davis holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Colorado Mesa University. She is a board-certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She’s a Montrose native with more than 18 years of experience in the field. Davis was most recently the Public Health Director for Delta County Public Health, where she worked closely with Montrose County through regional partnerships.
Health officials warn of difficult West Nile Virus season
The announcement of Davis’ arrival comes on the heels of three confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in Montrose County.
The risk isn’t localized – health officials are warning of this year’s West Nile virus season. As the Mountain West News Bureau’s Kinsey reports, the West Nile season could last longer as the climate warms.
Colorado voter registration tool briefly made confidential voter informationsearchable
The Colorado Secretary of State’s office says an update to an online voter registration tool allowed information about confidential voters to be temporarily searchable. Bente Birkeland has more for the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.
What proposed Paramount Skydance and Warner Brothers Discovery merger could mean for Colorado theaters
The proposed multi-billion dollar merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Brothers Discovery is on hold.
People across the film industry are watching closely to see what comes next.
This includes independent filmmakers and small movie theaters.
In Carbondale, the Crystal Theatre has been showing movies to the community for nearly eight decades.
Over the years, the independent theater has adapted to changes in the industry, from new technology to the growing popularity of streaming services.
As KDNK's Katalina Villarreal reports for Rocky Mountain Community Radio, the Crystal is once again preparing for change in the face of a new industry merger.
