Montrose City Council recently approved over $556,000 for additional work on the Rathbone Hotel. Rathbone owners Clay Bales and Jason Raible received an initial boost of about $500,000 when the project started, but with prices rising, costs have now reached over six and a half million dollars.
Last week, Bales and Raible sought help with asbestos cleanup for the old KP Building on South Cascade Avenue. Councilors agreed that financial assistance for the Rathbone Hotel promotes both cultural preservation and business investment in downtown Montrose.
Mayor Pro Tem J. David Reed expressed concerns about downtown Montrose losing its unique character. The city will be using leftover American Rescue Act Plan (ARPA) funds from the COVID pandemic to pay for this assistance.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Wesier and House 54 State Representative Matt Soper met with local residents last week to gauge concerns over the proposed Kroger/Albertsons grocery store merger. KVNF’s Lisa Young has the details
Six Colorado school districts are suing the state over its universal preschool program. A lawsuit filed last week claims the state’s PreK program is hurting kids with disabilities and breaking financial promises to parents and districts.
Capital Reporter Lucas Brady Woods says the program’s rollout this month has been marked by poor communication, technology issues and last-minute changes. Chalkbeat reports many preschools that started last week were missing a number of the students on their rosters. Over in Montrose County School District, Early Childhood Center Director Penny Harris outlines some recent updates to the state’s new PreK program. In these latest updates, the state adjusted some students' eligibility for full-day funding.
The state now covers only half of the full-day funding for certain students, but this adjustment didn't significantly impact our local community due to other funding sources, says Harris.
Parents can still apply with the state for the preschool program. Harris recommends that parents stay in contact with their provider or the local coordinating organization for more information on funding details. There has been increased interest in enrolling kids in preschool recently, and efforts are being made to accommodate as many funded slots as possible.
Learn more about the state’s new PreK program on this week’s Local Motion. Featured are conversations with local school officials as well as the head of Unify Montrose, on the intersection of the region’s childcare desert and the Universal Preschool Program.
Glenwood Springs resident Cole Buerger has announced he’s running for Colorado’s Senate District 5. The district includes all of the Roaring Fork Valley and parts of the Colorado River Valley. He joins Montrose Mayor Barbara Bynum as the second Democrat to announce their candidacy for 2024. Buerger grew up in Silt, worked in international relations and public policy — and now runs a communications business and an outdoor event space on the banks of the Colorado River.
“Growing up here on a ranch it's really important to me that we are doing all we can to protect our water, to ensure that small businesses and entrepreneurs can launch and grow, to make sure that people who live here and work here can afford to do so and they can do that in a dignified way.”
Buerger turned 40 this year and he says it's an asset to be a younger candidate.
“I think that we need a new crop, a new generation of leaders who is focused on not only solving problems so that people have trust in our government, but also ensuring that we are doing everything we can to reform and strengthen the democratic institutions that we have so that we don't lose them.”
Buerger threw his hat in the ring for House District 57 last year, but lost to Elizabeth Velasco in the democratic primary. The primary for Senate District 5 will take place in June next year ahead of the November election. The district is currently represented by Republican Perry Will of New Castle. Will was appointed to the position after Republican Bob Rankin from Carbondale stepped down last winter.
Editor's Note: At the time of this newscast, Representative Perry Will has not responded to KVNF's request for interview.
