LOCAL NEWS: One of the best coaches in Colorado high school football history is coming out of retirement to lead the Delta Panthers. The school announced last week that Todd Casebier, the longtime Montrose coach who also had successful stops at Palisade, Fruita Monument, Durango and Castle View, will lead the Panthers in the 2026 season. The longtime coach has a track record of turning around struggling programs and making strong programs into championship contenders. Casebier has a career record of 221-78 and won state championships at Palisade and Rifle, with his teams appearing in the title game four times. He’s led teams to 23 playoff appearances in 26 seasons and won 11 league championships. More on the hiring of Casebier can be found online at deltacountyindependent.com
The North Fork Valley Creative Coalition located in Paonia will receive financial support from the state. According to a press release from the Governor’s Office, the Colorado Economic Development Commission has approved $75,000 for the North Fork Valley Creative Coalition. The non-profit which manages the Paonia Creative District is certified by Colorado Creative Industries. The grant will help fund a full time executive director position over three years to increase the North Fork Valley Creative Coalition’s capacity to support the development of the region’s creative economy. The coalition is a member-based organization representing over 150 artists, small businesses and nonprofits. The North Fork Valley Creative Coalition champions arts, culture and the creative industries on the Western Slope across the towns of Crawford, Hotchkiss and Paonia. This support will play a key role in promoting rural economic vitality through year-round programming, artist and vendor support, public events, and business development services.
For the first time since its completion in 1966, the Bureau of Reclamation is replacing all four original valves at Blue Mesa Dam. The dam is the largest of three dams that make up the Aspinall Unit on the Gunnison River. This multi-year, $32 million federally funded project is considered a major milestone in ensuring the reliability and safety of one of Colorado’s most important water and power facilities. At 390 feet tall, Blue Mesa Dam creates Blue Mesa Reservoir, the largest body of water in Colorado, with a capacity of nearly 941,000 acre-feet. Together with Morrow Point and Crystal dams, the Aspinall Unit provides water storage, flood control and hydropower generation.
STATE NEWS: The Colorado Department of Corrections is launching an app to help incarcerated people prepare for release. It’s part of a new partnership with the nonprofit tech group Recidiviz The app, called Opportunities, is available on inmates’ tablets in Colorado prisons and jails. It lists available reentry programs, eligibility requirements and ways people can earn sentence reductions. Corrections officials say the app was developed with input from more than a thousand incarcerated people.
The Colorado legislature held a memorial last week for the late State Senator Faith Winter. For several hours, current and former lawmakers spoke in front of a joint session of the House and Senate. Many of them honored Winter’s work in the legislature, especially on women's rights and the environment. Others reflected on their personal friendships with her. Members of Winter’s family also attended. Winter died in a car crash in November.
ENERGY NEWS: With the increasing need to conserve energy, developers are working on a new technology that will relieve demand on power grids by shifting EV charging to off-peak hours. Eric Galatas has more
ICE ENFORCEMENT: As immigration enforcement actions escalate across the country, Indigenous communities are increasingly concerned they are being targeted by ICE. And, some have been detained. For the Mountain West News Bureau, Daniel Spaulding has more.
