LOCAL NEWS: The trial for the man charged with vehicular homicide in a 2024 crash that killed two women on U.S. 550 South of Montrose, is tentatively set for this coming January, reports the Montrose Daily Press. Isaac Snell allegedly struck a car carrying four women last year, as they were stopped for construction on the highway. His vehicle traveled on top of the back part of the car, killing two backseat passengers and injuring two other women in the vehicle. Snell’s request to move the trial out of the area was denied.
Two Olathe families are picking up the pieces after a fire late last week destroyed their homes. According to reporting in the Montrose Daily Press, a structure fire on August 22nd destroyed two homes on a shared lot on North Wilson Avenue. Information from Olathe Fire Protection District is pending, however, one of the property owners suspects old wiring in a power box between the two homes sparked the fire. More on this story can be found at montrosepress.com
DELTA HEALTH OB CLOSURE: Over a dozen individuals spoke in opposition to the closure of Delta Health’s Labor and Delivery Unit during the August 18th Delta Health Board of Directors meeting. Doctors, nurses, midwives, and community members spoke for over an hour, sharing personal stories, professional insights, and overwhelming concern for how the decision will impact families served by the rural hospital on Colorado’s Western Slope.
Community members expressed both shock and outrage over the decision to close the Delta unit and join with Montrose Regional Hospital for its OB/GYN services. Many speakers including Dr. Matthew Lebsack, Family Practice Obstetrics Provider and West Elk Clinic medical director, expressed deep frustration over the board’s process.
Others echoed Lebsacks’ statements including OB staff and local residents who learned of the closure through the press or secondhand. Multiple speakers warned of the health risks posed by eliminating local obstetric services, especially in emergencies.
KVNF reached out to Delta Health CEO Jonathan Cohee for comment. We’ll have more on this story in tomorrow's newscast.
STATEWIDE HEALTHCARE NEWS: The booming senior population in Colorado will strain the state budget on both sides. Healthcare spending for low-income seniors will rise at the same time that the working-age population decreases resulting in decreased tax revenue to pay for those services for seniors. Those are a couple of the conclusions of a new report on the cost of aging in the state. It comes from the Colorado Fiscal Institute, a nonprofit focused on economic policy. For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, K-G-N-U's Sam Fuqua spoke with Kendall Stevenson, a senior policy analyst and one of the authors of the report.
