FEATURE: Last month Bob Downs, a physician assistant from Lake City, Colorado returned from Ukraine. This was his fifth medical mission with nonprofit Global Care Force to the war-torn country. In an interview with KVNF’s Laura Palmisano, Downs talks about why he keeps going back to volunteer in a country at war and what changes he's seen on the ground.
LOCAL NEWS: US Representative Jeff Hurd toured the South Rim Fire on Monday, according to reporting in the Montrose Daily Press. On his official Facebook page, the Congressman issued a statement saying, “he was making sure that federal and state fire crews would get the support and resources they need, now and in the future." Also, joining the tour was Montrose County Commissioner Sue Hansen. The South Rim Fire has burned 4,232 acres since it erupted in dry fuels during a July 10 lightning storm that moved through the region; the storm also ignited several other significant wildfires in our listening area.
As a new school year begins, so do new restrictions on cell phone usage. Students in Ouray and Ridgway will face tighter restrictions on cellphone use when they return to school this fall.
In Ouray, phones are now off-limits during class unless a teacher gives permission. Students can still use phones between classes, but school leaders hope to encourage more face-to-face interaction. In Ridgway, the rules currently proposed to the school board go further. High schoolers will now store their phones away for the entire school day — from the first bell to the last. Both policies respond to a new state law requiring all school districts to adopt phone use guidelines by next summer 2026.
Montrose County School District already requires each campus to have its own phone use policy. Superintendent Carrie Stephenson said at the end of last school year that the district will create a unified policy to meet the state law, but that current campus-specific rules — tailored to each school’s size and culture — are working well without the need for a top-down, punitive approach. In Delta County, students in grades PreK through 8 are prohibited from using devices during the entire school day. High schoolers may use phones at lunch or between classes, but not during instruction.
ENERGY NEWS: Lawmakers across the political spectrum agree that the energy grid is not ready for the increased demand brought by data centers that power artificial intelligence. A new study from nonprofit Western Resource Advocates looks at how that demand could impact Western states. Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Caroline Llanes reports.
According to the company Data Center Map, there are 58 data centers currently operating in Colorado, though it’s not clear how many of those power A-I. One data center known as the Fibernet Mercury Delta Campus is operating south of Delta.
