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KVNF Regional Newscast: August 2, 2022

Rico Town Hall
Lucas Brady Woods
/
KSJD
Rico Town Hall

This is KVNF’s Regional Newscast for Tuesday, August 2. I’m Stephanie Maltarich.

The Delta County Health Department reported its first case of West Nile Virus over the weekend. A female in her 80s is currently hospitalized with the disease. Infections of the disease vary from year to year. In 2021 18 people were infected in Delta County resulting in 10 hospitalizations and one death. Environmental health director Greg Rajnowski said the first case serves as a reminder to prevent mosquito bites.

A year-long construction project concluded in Montrose on Friday. The city completed the Woodgate Road realignment. The project was completed behind schedule with a silver lining of coming in under budget, according to the city.

The Grand Junction Sentinel reported foreclosures are on the rise in Mesa County and around the state. At the start of the covid-19 pandemic, the state of Colorado enacted a moratorium on foreclosures as people lost their jobs and adapted to the new normal of a global pandemic. The pause in foreclosures created a backlog. Now, the county is addressing the long list. In 2021, the county saw 27 foreclosure filings. So far in 2022, the county has seen 138 foreclosure filings.

And in statewide news, Colorado Sun reporter Jesse Paul reports on an important ballot issue coming to the state in November. Colorado voters will decide whether or not they want to decriminalize magic mushrooms. Initiative 58 gathered enough signatures to get on the ballot and would allow for possession and use of mushrooms along with the creation of healing centers where people can purchase and use the substances. The sale of mushrooms would be limited to the healing centers.

Luke Runyon from KUNC’s Colorado River Reporting Project says Colorado River water managers need to make sweeping changes to keep the entire watershed in balance.

That’s the finding of a new study from some of the West’s top water researchers. It was published in the journal Science.

The authors argue for changes to how the river’s two biggest reservoirs -- Lakes Mead and Powell -- are managed. The paper also looks at how much water will need to be conserved to keep those reservoirs from declining rapidly over the next few years.

The Colorado River supplies 40 million people with drinking water and supports agriculture production for seven western states.

With the midterm elections coming up, a recent poll asked Mountain Westerners in swing states about land issues and the outdoors. Their answers indicate their votes may follow candidates supporting the environment. Emma Gibson of the Mountain West News Bureau has more.

SPOT (:36)

Mountain towns in Colorado have seen an influx of development in recent years. Much of it has been concentrated in luxury tourism or housing, which has driven up costs and pushed out many locals. One town near Telluride on Colorado’s western slope has largely avoided that fate, and is proud of it. But, as KSJD and Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Lucas Brady Woods reports, a new land sale could change that.

FEATURE (4:30)

And that does it for KVNF’s Tuesday Regional Newscast. If you want to support local news head to KVNF.org to become a member. I’m Stephanie Maltarich, thanks for listening.

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