Montrose timber mill likely to close in November
Almost 400 Montrose workers are potentially losing their jobs in the coming weeks, as Montrose Forest Products plans to wind down operations. The Montrose Daily Press reports that the lumber mill is the largest in the state, and has 90 on-site employees. The mill also employs roughly 150 haulers and loggers, and supplies other businesses that use the mill’s byproducts. The Montrose County Economic Development corporation says the mill contributes an estimated $106 million to the local economy each year.
Jim Neiman of Neiman Enterprises, the company that owns the mill, said in a news release that the mill has been searching for a buyer to continue operating the mill, but hasn’t yet found one. The company says they’re continuing to evaluate all available options, but needed to provide formal notice to employees since they can’t ensure that the mill will remain open. The Montrose Daily Press reports that the mill’s log supply is estimated to run out within the next month, so even if the facility is purchased, it would likely temporarily lie idle. As things currently stand, the mill will likely close on November 6th.
Marx-Weiser debate called off
The gubernatorial debate between Victor Marx and Phil Weiser has been called off, after a long saga of negotiations and miscommunications.
Marx has made it very clear that he will not debate Weiser with a moderator present.
It seemed that Weiser agreed to his terms, and the two would debate, unmoderated, on Aaron Harber’s nonpartisan talk show.
Then, last week, Colorado Public Radio reported that Marx had changed his mind, and agreed for the debate to be moderated. Turns out, that isn’t the case.
Marx then told CPR that he was under the impression that Harber had gotten Weiser to agree to Marx’s terms for the debate. But when Marx sat down with the talk show host, he realized that wasn’t the case. On social media, Marx said, quote, “Aaron attempted to insert himself as a moderator and change the format of the challenge I had already made to Phil. I did not agree to that change, nor did I agree to another debate format.
So, respectfully, any suggestion that I agreed to something different is simply incorrect.”
They are still scheduled to take the stage together and speak at a forum on Oct. 8 hosted by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, but it’s not a debate.
Fight continues over Trump's mail-in ballot executive order
Attorneys general in several states including Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico are calling this week’s U.S. Supreme Court verdict rejecting President Donald Trump’s efforts to restrict mail-in ballots a win for voters. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Yvette Fernandez brings us the story.
Montrose's very first punk festival (that we know of)
The Western Slope is bluegrass country, but on Saturday KVNF threw it a punk festival. Brody Wilson went to River Bottom Park to find out who would come, and what it meant to them.
