TOP STORY: Montrose United Methodist Church will be back in municipal court tomorrow morning for another hearing. The church has been racking up fines from the City for a homeless encampment on private property.
Church congregant Paul Zaenger told KVNF that the church has a history of helping folks in crisis. He says the colder weather became a challenge for those without proper shelter or a place to camp safely, so the church made space in the back of their sanctuary by the alley.
"We're not turning people away. That are in great need. Um, that's, that's, that's a provision that's in the Bible. It's in the book of Matthew, and you can look that up at the latter half of chapter twenty-five When people come to you and they're in need, this is a responsibility from a religious standpoint, from a faith-based standpoint," said Zaenger.
In continuation with the city fines, the Montrose County Public Health recently sent a cease and desist letter to the church calling for an end to the encampment immediately. The health department cited ‘sanitation’ concerns on the property. Despite the urgency of the health department’s order Zaenger says the church will allow individuals in need to remain on the campus for now.
"The church has behaved as a backstop. For people in need, sometimes people in crisis. So this isn't a particularly unusual thing for the church, although this has been a little more challenging," said Zaenger.
He says the church will re-evaluate its position after Wednesday’s hearing.
"We believe we have a strong defense. Um, we believe that, that, uh, we believe in the position that we have that. That, that God has directed the church to meet people in their greatest of needs, that's hunger, that's thirst, that's shelter."
REGIONAL NEWS: Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Caroline Llanes reports that during Donald Trump’s first term, he moved the Bureau of Land Management’s headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado. Joe Biden moved them back to Washington, D.C. during his time in office. Now, a Colorado Republican wants them back in Grand Junction, saying westerners deserve access to the people overseeing their public lands.
We’re hearing more about how federal funding cuts are affecting families in our listening area including but not limited to employees at the Gunnison National Forests, Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Agriculture Department Service Centers. If you or your family are being affected by layoffs in the KVNF listening area, we’d like to hear from you. Email us at news@kvnf.org.
MENTAL HEALTH NEWS: Eric Galatas reports that according to a recent American Psychiatric Association study nearly four in ten Americans say they feel gloomy during colder, darker months, but there are ways to shake these winter blues.
Our own Morning Edition Host Brody Wilson, is taking a nice sunny vacation for the next two weeks…but, never fear…Morning Edition is in good hands with veteran broadcaster Ken Brot at the helm so join us for Morning Edition Monday thru Friday from 6:30 am to 8:00 am.
FEATURE: The last time the U.S. Constitution was amended was a generation ago, and it was done by Congress. But there’s another way to change the founding document that’s never been tested: state legislatures can call for a convention. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Hanna Merzbach takes us inside the CONVENTION OF STATES movement gaining steam in our region.
