LOCAL NEWS: As students head back to school, officials are urging the community to be aware of increased traffic as students head to and from school. To watch out for students walking or biking along roadsides and to talk to students about bullying prevention, internet safety, and emergency preparedness.
FIRE UPDATE: The Lee Fire near the town of Meeker in Rio Blanco County has grown to be the fifth-largest wildfire in state history. . Dry weather and strong winds have pushed the Lee Fire south toward Garfield County. The fire has burned more than 113,000 acres. Officials believe the fire was started by lightning on Aug. 2. Over the weekend, all 179 inmates in the Rifle Correctional Center were evacuated, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections. The evacuees were relocated to the state prison in Buena Vista.
COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE: The Colorado Attorney General’s Office released the Safe2Tell monthly report for July 2025 with 716 reports submitted during the month. The 2024–2025 school year closed with a total of over 31,000 reports, the most in the program’s history and a 10.5% increase over the previous school year. Safe2Tell is a successful violence intervention and prevention program for students to anonymously report threats to their own and others’ safety. Safe2Tell is not an emergency response unit nor mental health counseling service provider; it is an information pathway for distributing anonymous reports to local law enforcement and school officials required by state law.
WESTERN COLORADO ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY ACTION: The Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action is formally known as the Western Colorado Congress. They are celebrating 45 years of community action on the Western Slope at their annual conference this weekend. KVNF's Brody Wilson talked with their executive director.
TOWN OF CRAWFORD WATER INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS: With state and federal grants and loans secured, Crawford will begin a long-awaited water infrastructure project, starting with the rehabilitation of Wiley Springs. The project means water restrictions for Crawford residents and other town water users, starting in September. Marty Durlin reports. Following the latest town meeting, Durlin says the project may be pushed back to October as the town is waiting for materials.
