FEATURE: According to the National Rural Health Organization, Medicaid plays an outsized role in rural America, covering a larger share of children and adults in rural communities than in urban ones. Now, as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill, rural hospitals across the region are bracing for looming cuts to Medicaid and what it means for their institutions. K-H-O-L’s Pete Muldoon spoke with Jeff Sollis, the CEO of St. John’s Health, in Jackson, Wyoming. Sollis says those cuts could result in crowded emergency rooms and higher bills for all.
LOCAL NEWS: The Town of Crawford will begin construction on their spring beginning in September. There will be a 7 to 10 day period in which water flows will cease. Anyone who relies on the Town of Crawford water will have to rely on stored water. Officials are asking the community to work together to conserve water to be sure the water doesn’t run out. They will keep the community informed of the exact dates as it gets closer. To stay informed, sign up for emergency alerts at Delta County.
Paonia has officially adopted its first updated master plan in nearly 30 years. The town’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the long-awaited plan on July 22, following unanimous support from the Paonia Planning Commission just days earlier. Town Administrator Stefen Wynn called it a major accomplishment, noting that previous attempts to adopt a new plan had failed three times. He credited the countless volunteer hours and public input sessions that shaped the inclusive final product. The plan was developed with help from Phoenix Rising, LLC. The next step is to submit the plan to Delta County Commissioners for approval of portions that fall under county jurisdiction. You can get that full story at Delta County Independent
WILDFIRE NEWS: Fire crews continue work across Western Colorado as hot, dry, and windy conditions persist.
The South Rim Fire near Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is reported at 41% contained. A Type 3 incident management team took command over the weekend. Though visible flames have largely died down, steep canyon walls remain inaccessible for firefighters, so some perimeter remains uncontained. Suppression repair is ongoing, and residents may notice increased firefighter activity around Montrose as operations relocate from Johnson Elementary to the county fairgrounds.
The Sowbelly Fire in Escalante Dominguez is nearly wrapped up. It’s held at 2,274 acres and is now 95% contained."
Over the weekend red flag warnings were posted in seven West Slope Counties, and TWO fires ignited in the KVNF Listening area. On Saturday afternoon a fire dubbed “The Logging Fire” ignited near the Northern base of Mount Sneffels in the San Juans West of Ridgway. Emergency Alerts went out informing local residents and Ridgway, Ouray, and Interagency fire crews responded quickly by mid-day Sunday it was reported that the fire was contained.
On Sunday afternoon in the middle of a red flag warning at 1pm a fire just off HWY 50 east of Montrose was reported. The Kinikin Fire quickly spread and prompted an aggressive response mostly from resources from the very nearby South Rim Fire. Montrose County Road and Bridge responded quickly to dig fire lines, and US 50 was closed for some time. This fire was located on the South side of the highway right where Kinkin road meets HWY 50 from the south just east from the turn-off to the Black Canyon. The fire at 24 acres is now listed as inactive.
These fires are a great reminder that we all need to do our part to ensure humans are not the cause of additional fires especially during Red Flag Conditions and remember that Stage 1 fire restrictions are in place across the entire KVNF listening area.
STATE NEWS: The lead attorney in the effort to free former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters from prison says it will take time for her case to get through the courts. For the Colorado Capitol News Alliance Bente Birkeland has more.
