Town of Paonia

On this edition of Local Motion host Lisa Young interviews special guests are Paul Kimpling and Kristen O'Brien, volunteers with The Learning Council in Paonia, on the building of a 40 foot long rainbow trout puppet named "Bubbles."

Following a decision last November by the town of Paonia to not allow Pride Flags to be displayed on its light poles along Grand Avenue, numerous volunteers from The Learning Council stepped up with the Color the Town With Us Campaign.

The Town of Paonia will close its search for a new town administrator next Monday, reports the Delta County Independent. Olathe High School heavyweight wrestler Lynessia Duran was the second-highest placer among all Western Slope teams, reports the Montrose Daily Press. Tuesday was the last day for the public to submit comments on Colorado's plan to reintroduce wolves. Many ranchers and others in rural areas say they fear for their jobs, livestock, and even personal safety.

Some of the best snow in the nation is right in our backyard according to Spencer Christensen owner of Grand Mesa Lodge. Christensen says the snow began in November and just keeps coming. Mesa County officials forced two private property owners to clear what they call “unsightly debris and trash” from their land, according to the Daily Sentinel. Paonia trustees debated adding two more paid holidays to the town’s handbook without added expense, reported Frank Witowski for the Delta County Independent. Delta Health unveiled the Western Slope’s first digitally combined PET and CT scanner earlier this month, according to the Montrose Daily Press.

Residents within the town of Paonia will see an increase in water, trash and sewer rates in the new year, reports the Delta County Independent. Water base rates are increasing across the board at $3 per month. The State of Colorado has hired a director for its new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. Colorado wildlife managers are looking to reverse a decline of elk in the southwestern quarter of the state, reports the Denver Post. It’s been some 80 years since thousands of Japanese Americans were sent to live in internment camps in our region. Now the National Park Service is developing plans to restore one of those sites, in southeast Colorado.

The Delta County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management, and Delta County 911 Dispatch, are launching a new emergency and community alert system for Delta County. The Paonia Town Planning Commission met last week with Beecher Development to discuss potential plans for the Paonia Energy Tech Building. Those visiting public lands have become increasingly familiar with the website recreation.gov. Some are claiming the company managing that site is pulling a Ticketmaster with public lands access.

The Town of Paonia will bring on a new company to draw up plans for an overhaul of the town’s water system. Kate Redmond reports. Plus, with Colorado candidates making unfounded voter fraud allegations the central theme of campaigns, election workers are worried. As Scott Franz reports, county clerks are embracing new tools to assure residents about the integrity of the vote.

Tonight at 6:30 at Horsefly Brewing in Montrose, Dave Bowman hosts a Montrose Summer Music Series Lineup release party. Meanwhile, Kate Redmond reports Paonia Town Trustees heard from the North Fork Valley's most prolific concert promoter Rob Miller at their meeting last Thursday. Plus, Ben Katz is public lands program director for the Western Slope Conservation Center, based in the North Fork Valley. He’s headed to the state capitol tomorrow and I asked him to tell us more about two bills he’s fired up about, related to oil and gas accountability.

Colorado has been collecting more taxes than it can legally spend in recent years. As Scott Franz reports, Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic lawmakers are planning to send out $400 refunds this summer. Then, trails around Paonia and other recreational amenities are coming to fruition. Kate Redmond shares an update on the Paonia In Motion initiative. Plus, spending on dietary supplements has jumped dramatically during the pandemic. The Mountain West News Bureau looks into what’s driving the demand, and what concerns it raises for healthcare providers.

Colorado has been collecting more taxes than it can legally spend in recent years. As Scott Franz reports, Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic lawmakers are planning to send out $400 refunds this summer. Then, trails around Paonia and other recreational amenities are coming to fruition. Kate Redmond shares an update on the Paonia In Motion initiative. Plus, spending on dietary supplements has jumped dramatically during the pandemic. The Mountain West News Bureau looks into what’s driving the demand, and what concerns it raises for healthcare providers.