FEATURE: KVNF’s James Barrs interviews writer Chris La Tray a Métis storyteller and an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. He’s the author of Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home.
NEWS: A community meeting addressing Delta’s homeless population last week found plenty of opposition from locals. The meeting conducted by the City of Delta aimed to educate the community on the city’s plans to operate a day center on the west side of town. According to City Manager Elyse Ackerman Casselberry and Delta Police Commander Jarrod Lang, there are an average of 60 homeless people in town at any given time, with roughly 20-25 being native to Delta. Community members voiced opposition citing loitering, drug usage and at least on break in. More on this story can be found at https://www.deltacountyindependent.com/
A man who drove recklessly through a construction site on U.S. 50 during a 2024 mental health crisis has been sentenced to three years of supervised probation, according to the Montrose Daily Press. Thirty-five-year-old Zachary Schneider reportedly believed he was Jesus and fled police in Gunnison and Montrose counties, nearly hitting bridge workers. He later sought inpatient treatment and is now under medication and monitoring. As part of a plea deal, Schneider must also complete 96 hours of public service and continue treatment to avoid a felony conviction. You can get that full story at montrosepress.com
Delta Health earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety for the second consecutive time. Leapfrog assigns an “A,” to “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. To explore Delta Health’s full grade details visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
Newly awarded opioid settlement money will create a program to pay for substance abuse treatment and expand juvenile services in our region. The $385,000 in grant money came from $1.5 million in opioid settlement dollars designated for prevention and recovery efforts in Ouray, San Miguel, Montrose, Gunnison, Delta and Hinsdale counties. Complete story is at ouraynews.com
WATER NEWS: Top negotiators from states that use the Colorado River are pulling back from the public eye. KUNC’s Alex Hager reports, they won’t speak at a conference in Colorado amid tense talks about sharing water.
