LOCAL NEWS: The water treatment plant that serves 60 thousand people from the Ridgway reservoir to Delta and Austin, had a weather related incident on Wednesday, September 10th that damaged a building, thankfully water treatment operations remain unaffected. KVNF's Brody Wilson spoke with a site official.
The Colorado State Board of Education has ordered the Montrose County School Board to take another look at a proposed charter school. Back in June, the Montrose board voted to reject Montrose Classical Academy’s application, citing concerns about finances, academics, governance, and readiness to operate. The aspiring charter school then appealed to the state board.
On Thursday of last week, the state board voted 8 to 1 to grant the appeal. Board members adopted a motion that stated: “Because the Montrose County School board’s actions were contrary to the best interests of the pupils, the school district, or the community.”
That means Montrose school officials must re-evaluate the charter application and issue a new decision. If they reject the school again, the applicant has the right to appeal back to the state board. State leaders said their ruling was not about approving the school outright, but about ensuring the local board’s decision reflected the best interests of students, the district, and the community. For now, the future of Montrose Classical Academy remains undecided.
Three Delta County employees and one incumbent have announced their candidacy for elected Delta County offices. Jolene George is seeking re-election as the Delta County assessor, Brittany Kuhn is running for Delta County treasurer, Rene Warner is vying for the seat of Delta County clerk and recorder, and Quinn Archibeque is running for Delta County sheriff. All candidates are from the Republican party. More on this story at deltacountyindependent.com
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS: Colorado Parks and Wildlife have detected adult zebra mussels in the Colorado River and a nearby lake in Grand Junction. According to a press release, microscopic larvae were found at two lakes west of 31 Road within the Wildlife Area section of James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park. The Colorado River from the 32 Road bridge downstream to the Colorado-Utah border is now considered an “infested” body of water. This is the first time adult zebra mussels have been detected in the Colorado River.
The Trump administration says a Biden-era conservation policy blocked access to public lands for energy developers and agriculture……and is now trying to rescind the rule altogether. The public will have roughly 60 days to comment on the rule change online.
