A missing Hotchkiss Resident was located by Gunnison and Delta County Sheriff's Office Deputies near Somerset. According to the High Country Shopper, the death investigation of 25-year old Hotchkiss resident Omar Merlos is ongoing. Merlos was reported missing on March 11 after he was last seen at his residence the night before. Deputies learned Omar, an employee at the Short Stop in Hotchkiss, would normally arrive early in the morning to open the store but had not shown up for work on Saturday morning, and he and his vehicle were missing. Merlos’ vehicle was discovered abandoned on March 12, just inside Gunnison County on Bear Creek Road near Somerset. It was during a search of the area near the vehicle, that responders located Merlos’ body, near Bear Creek. While responding agencies received multiple calls from citizens concerned about foul play being involved, investigators are continuing to investigate the incident as death by suicide.
The Town of Paonia is struggling to find a town administrator, leaving town trustees discouraged after three of their four administrator finalists dropped out of the ring as candidates. Now only one candidate from Nebraska remains in the running. The Delta County Independent report noted that significant discussion revolved around the board considering using the Hotchkiss town model of government and doing away entirely with the position of a town administrator. Interim Town Administrator Leslie Klusmire said the high-end salary is low for a town the size of Paonia. The board voted to increase the salary range for a to-be-determined amount. It’s also uncertain at this time how long Klusmire is willing to continue her role as interim administrator.
A pool heater in Ouray sparked a fire at the former Fairway Pines clubhouse, reports the Ouray Plaindealer. The fire that destroyed the clubhouse in November started in a pool heater in a maintenance room, investigators determined. A report from the sheriff’s office noted that the fire spread to nearby combustible materials. The ignition source.. was electric heat energy. Investigator Bernie Chism said the investigation’s conclusion was supported by footage from the 25 security cameras on the property. The building at 117 Ponderosa Drive is owned by Bob and Cynthia Peterson, who live in Minnesota and purchased it in 2021. The building has been mostly empty for years, but according to the investigation, the Petersons stayed there from Nov. 9 to Nov. 19, and a caretaker was at the property on Nov. 22, who said “nothing was out of the ordinary.”
As the summer months approach, new polling data shows that many voters are worried about the effects of extreme heat events. Think tank Data For Progress found that 67% of voters are very or somewhat concerned about extreme heat impacting the health of their community. That’s a growing issue in our region – Reno, Las Vegas and Boise are the nation’s three-fastest warming cities, according to Climate Central. A majority of voters also support that state and local governments invest in things like community cooling centers, urban public parks with trees, and reflective cool roofs and cool pavements. Kaleb Roedel reports more for the Mountain West News Bureau.
For the second time last week, Democrats in the state House of Representatives voted to limit debate over three reproductive healthcare bills. Capital Reporter Lucas Brady Woods reports how last Thursday’s action is a response to Republican delay tactics.
As the summer months approach, new polling data shows that many voters are worried about the effects of extreme heat events. Think tank Data For Progress found that 67% of voters are very or somewhat concerned about extreme heat impacting the health of their community. That’s a growing issue in our region – Reno, Las Vegas and Boise are the nation’s three-fastest warming cities, according to Climate Central. A majority of voters also support that state and local governments invest in things like community cooling centers, urban public parks with trees, and reflective cool roofs and cool pavements. Kaleb Roedel reports more for the Mountain West News Bureau.
An organization in our region is examining water quality and access on tribal lands. Emma VandenEinde of the Mountain West News Bureau took a trip to the border of Arizona and New Mexico to see how.
