House District 58 Representative Marc Catlin is backing a bill to codify the Rural Opportunity Office, reports the Montrose Daily Press. If passed, the bill would fund the office through the state’s general fund.
Catlin said of the proposal, ““Rural Colorado needs help, All the attention is on Denver and Boulder. This gives us opportunity. We have a lot to offer.” The office helps coordinate rural resources and maintains key information relevant to rural areas and also maintains rural and state partnerships.
Stacie’s Apothecary Shoppe, the only pharmacy in Ouray County, closed Jan. 31 due to staffing challenges, reports the Ouray Plaindealer. Owners Stacie and Jacob Veatch will continue operating The Apothecary Shoppe in Montrose. They announced their plans to close the Ridgeway store in December, by notifying customers that the pharmacist quit without notice. Under state law, a licensed pharmacist must be present in order to do business.
Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction was fined 50 thousand dollars for raising student tuition by more than the state allowed last year, reported the Daily Sentinel. The fine shone a spotlight on the annual tuition-increase debate between the Capitol and public institutions of higher education. Legislators last year told state colleges and universities that they couldn’t raise tuition for in-state undergraduate students by more than two percent. According to the legislature, around 80 percent of CMU students saw more than a three percent increase in tuition.
