(:05) This is KVNF’s Regional Newscast for Thursday, July 21st. I’m Stephanie Maltarich.
(:18) Last week The Montrose Press reported Cedaredge resident Gene Barker was formally charged with second-degree murder. Barker reportedly stabbed Mike Hege outside the men’s shared home in June. Barker remains in jail on a $1 million bond and his preliminary hearing is set for September 15.
(:30) Dennis Webb of the Daily Sentinel reported on a new set of wildlife cameras that were recently set up in Grand Junction. The 11 cameras were installed by the nonprofit Grasslands Unlimited and will track bison that are reportedly migrating from Utah into Colorado. Although there is a lot of speculation about how many bison migrate across state lines each year, Grasslands Unlimited hopes to find the answer. Bison are not protected as a big game species in Colorado, and some believe many are unlawfully hunted when they cross state lines.
(:30) And the Montrose Press reported the Colorado River District’s Community Funding Partnership recently awarded its first accelerator grant to The Big Blue Ditch Diversion Rehabilitation and Piping Project Feasibility Study. The project is located in Cimarron and the area is at extreme risk for landslides. The new grant program aims to help Western Slope water users apply for federal water funding through the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which is often time-consuming and expensive.
(:10) A fire broke out at Hoover Dam on Tuesday morning. KUNC’s Alex Hager reports for the Mountain West News Bureau.
SPOT (:36)(:13) Republican Heidi Ganahl has picked a running mate in her campaign for governor. As Capitol Coverage Reporter Scott Franz reports, Ganahl’s choice stoked controversy last year by questioning the results of the 2020 election.
SPOT (:38)
(:15) There's been a widespread focus on the legal system amid a recent spate of consequential U.S. Supreme Court rulings. KOTO's Matt Hoisch spoke with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser about some of those recent rulings and his approach to issues facing many Coloradans.
FEATURE (4:42)
(:05) And that wraps up Thursday’s KVNF Regional Newscast. Thanks for tuning in.