LOCAL NEWS: Park Rangers and a member of the Black Canyon Search and Rescue Team have located human remains in the wilderness area at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The remains are believed to be those of Jordan Marsters. On February 15 family members reported to the Denver Police Department that Marsters was missing. Park Rangers found clues placing Marsters in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and search efforts began.
Efforts are underway to recover the remains for positive identification by the medical examiner's office. Multiple agencies assisted with the Search and Investigation including the Montrose Police Department, Drone Team; Montrose County Sheriff's Office, Investigative Unit and Drone Team and the Denver Police Department. Officials say the death was believed to be unwitnessed and is under investigation.
Postal employees and community members concerned about ongoing changes to the United States Postal Service will gather for a rally on Thursday, March 20th at 4:30 PM outside the Grand Junction Processing Plant at 602 Burkey Street. According to Shane McDonnell, Vice President of Western Colorado Area Local #600 they hope to raise awareness about service reductions that disproportionately affect rural areas.
The meeting on Thursday is a follow-up to the Postal Services’ implementation of its Regional Transportation Optimization. That plan, though temporarily delayed, is scheduled to take place in May. McDonnell, says “critics fear the change will further degrade mail delivery standards for communities that depend heavily on reliable postal services.”
In addition to proposed transportation changes, it has been reported that President Trump is considering an Executive Order firing the Postal Board of Governors and placing the United States Postal Service under the control of the Commerce Department. The WCAL says, if true, the privatization of the Postal Service “ would be an outrageous, unlawful attack on a storied national treasure, enshrined in the Constitution and created by Congress to serve every American home and business equally.”
AGRICULTURE BURN SEASON: Ag producers across our region are busy preparing for the upcoming planting season. During this time many participate in agricultural burning to manage crop residue, weeds, and even pests. However, those useful fires can get out of control. Delta County Emergency Manager Kris Stewart spoke with KVNF on what the community and ag producers need to keep in mind during the ‘burn season.’ Regulations for agricultural burning vary from county to county please check with your Sheriff’s Department or local Municipality for what’s required in your area.
GOVERNMENT: Colorado News Connection's Eric Galatas reports on how children's advocates are crying foul after House Republicans called for 12 billion dollars in cuts to the Community Eligibility Provision that allows high-poverty school districts to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of their ability to pay.
FARM NEWS: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year. Administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), ECAP helps agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.
