This is KVNF’s Regional Newscast for Thursday August 4. I’m Stephanie Maltarich.
People traveling east from Montrose on Highway 50 will have to endure more closures and construction than was initially planned. Construction along Little Blue Creek Canyon will extend to next summer, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. The project began in 2020 and was expected to take two years to finish. The delay is attributed to I-70 closures last summer which required cars to re-route to Highway 50 due to flooding in Glenwood Canyon.
The Montrose Press reported that Delta-Montrose Electric Association has appointed an interim CEO. Kent Blackwell, the chief technology officer began August 1, and he has worked at DMEA for four years. Blackwell will work with an executive search firm to perform a national search for the next CEO. Blackwell is stepping into the role of CEO while DMEA waits for a decision about the 80-megawatt Garnet Mesa Solar array.
And The Colorado Sun reports Douglas County, a suburb south of Denver, dropped its controversial proposal to pipe water to the area from the San Luis Valley. The proposal was heavily opposed by other water conservation districts and local environmental groups. Now, it is looking to spend COVID relief funds securing water from the South Platte River from Northeastern Colorado. The cost of the new project is around $828 million.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold says recounts requested by election deniers in two primary races will be done by Thursday. As Capitol Coverage Reporter Scott Franz reports, the early results are verifying Tina Peters’ overwhelming loss in the secretary of state race.
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A new report reveals 43-percent of parents with young children don’t plan to get them vaccinated against COVID-19. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel looks at how that reflects in our region.
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A December wildfire tore through neighborhoods near Boulder, Colorado, destroying hundreds of homes before it was extinguished the next day. But the fire left its fingerprints all over the area. Months later, residents whose homes were unscathed had a smoky taste and smell in their water. And that required an expensive fix… one that could become more common in towns and cities across the West. KUNC’s Alex Hager reports for the Mountain West News Bureau.
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Thanks for tuning into KVNF’s Regional Newscast. If you want to support local news become a member at KVNF.org. I’m Stephanie Maltarich, thanks for listening.