LOCAL NEWS: The year-long dispute between the United Methodist Church and the City of Montrose over the church’s courtyard encampment for unhoused people appears to have reached an endpoint. According to reporting in the Montrose Daily press, Rev. Kevin Young said the church’s board voted to accept a settlement.
Under the agreement the church will waive its right to appeal four recent code violation convictions. In a separate case, the church pleaded no-contest to violating the nuisance code and a zoning violation for operating overnight services not allowed by the city. The church is under a two year probationary period with a deferred judgment. More on this story is at montrosepress.com
The City of Delta recently announced the addition of a new K-9 to its team, replacing K-9 Raico, who retired in March. The new team member, K-9 Hunter, will serve under Officer Kevan Trujillo, who has completed training in serving as a handler. The duo’s first public appearance will be this Friday night at 6pm for the Delta Parade of Lights on Main Street.
Winter has made its arrival in our listening area. Recent snow fall totals in the region include 5.5 inches of snow in Cedaredge; 4.8 in Paonia and 4.5 in Eckert. With the onset of snow, officials are encouraging drivers to build a winter car travel kit including items such as water, snacks, blankets and vehicle recovery tools.
Nearly a foot of snowfall on the Grand Mesa and cooler temperatures will allow Powderhorn Mountain Resort to open this Friday. The resort had originally planned to open Nov. 21, but that date was pushed back by warm and dry fall weather. Also, cross country skiing is taking place on the mesa at the Skyway Trail Head, trail grooming has been taking place courtesy of the Grand Mesa Nordic Council.
MONTROSE COUNTY EVENT CENTER: Montrose County Commissioners heard a report on the economic impact of the Montrose County Event Center during the last worksession for the month of November.
The report given by Dr. Nathan Perry, economics professor at Colorado Mesa University, analyzed the economic impact of the county maintained event center using information from visitor and promoter surveys.
The year-long surveys captured information on spending patterns, satisfaction, and feedback related to events held at the venue. It showed a high satisfaction rating of 9.6 out of 10 from event promoters. During the reporting period, there were a total of 117 equine events and 177 unspecified meeting events as well as many others.
Perry said gathering information on the overall economic impact for the event center was complex using a number of data sources. He said there were over 38 thousand visitors to the center during a year. While only 45 percent of visitors came from outside the region, they carry the economic weight.
NEW NON-PROFIT IN PAONIA: There's a new non-profit in the North Fork Community centered around Literature. KVNF's Brody Wilson talked with the organizers.
