CDOT

• Congressman Lamborn re-introduces bill to defund public broadcasting
• All Points Transit offering free rides to Montrose youth
• CDOT opens Hwy 50 all weekend
• Teacher David Hamilton fired for alleged sexual misconduct
• CPW closes fishing in Yampa River earlier than ever
• Congressional bill would ban slaughter of wild horses
• Colorado House approves bill to stop HOAs from banning signs based on content
• Bill would add regs to potent medical marijuana
• Paige Pierce's mother & attorney talk about her killing by DCSD

• Jerry Greene, co-founder of KOTO radio in Telluride has died
• Amber McReynolds, ex-director of Denver elections, nominated to USPS board of governors
• BLM Uncompahgre Field Office's controlled burn on Simms Mesa successful
• 'Delta Dips' construction begins next week on US 50 between Delta & Grand Junction
• Paonia Trustees enact voluntary water restrictions
• Riverside location preferred to cut costs on new Paonia skate park
• Media literacy bill on Governor's desk gives new tools to schools to help students analyze news

• Governor launching new Colorado Department of Early Childhood
• Redistricting in Colorado may be further delayed by proposed legistation
• Montrose City Councilman Dave Bowman has resigned
• CDOT senior historian Lisa Schoch explains what makes Gunnison River Bridge historic
• Laura Palmisano interviews Republican State Senator Don Coram of Montrose about bills he has co-sponsored that have been signed into law by the Governor

Lisa Schoch, environmental protection specialist and senior historian for CDOT's environmental programs branch, explains it is the design that makes the Gunnison River Bridge on Highway 92 near Delta historic.

• Delta County Commissioners oppose forthcoming 'Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering & Exploitation' ballot initiative 
• CDOT has a bridge to sell you
• CDC: Coloradans suffered dizziness from anxiety, not Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine
• Lawmakers unveil transportation bill that adds fees to ride shares & deliveries
• Cops face discipline on Eastern Plains, in Denver
• Lawmakers vote on new gun control bills this week
• Archaeologist Don Montoya talks to KZMU about vandalism at Birthing Rock petroglyphs near Moab

Road work on a four-mile stretch of U.S. 50 between Gunnison and Montrose starts in mid-April. The Little Blue Creek Canyon Project will cause partial and complete road closures over the next two years, impacting travel from Lake City or Gunnison to Montrose or Delta, and surrounding areas. For KVNF News, Laura Palmisano speaks with project official Kathleen Wanatowicz and project manager Travis Madsen.

• Governor Polis not publicly supporting assault weapon ban sought by Boulder Democrats
• East Portal Road will be closed for 2021
• Paonia and Cedaredge make progress on marijuana legalization
• Supply of affordable housing not keeping up with demand in Colorado
• Laura Palmisano speaks to project officials about Little Blue Creek Canyon Project road closures on Highway 50 between Gunnison and Montrose

A picturesque 117-mile stretch of highway in Southwest Colorado known as the Silver Thread Scenic Byway is now a National Scenic Byway.

• Cedaredge Trustees refine application process for marijuana shops
• CDOT unveils new Bustang route from Telluride to Grand Junction
• Avalanche claims 3 lives of backcountry skiers near Ophir Pass
• Center for Western Priorities policy director Jesse Prentice-Dunn says the sky is not falling for the oil & gas industry
• KVNF's Kate Redmond hears from Hotchkiss Trustee Mary Hockenberry about revitalization plans including a vision for the Public Works building

• Grand Junction City Council working on marijuana ballot measures for April election
• CDOT will spend some of $150M relief funds to improve Hwy 50 between Delta & Grand Junction
• Teachers not expected to start receiving vaccines until March, state providing rapid testing kits
• Governor says residents age 70+ will soon have easier time scheduling COVID vaccinations
• KOTO's Matt Hoisch explores what it means for local governments and public services when oil and gas revenues become more uncertain

• Congressional candidate Lauren Boebert deletes several social media accounts 
• Paonia will use new CDOT grant for Grand Ave projects
• Yellow-billed cuckoo not losing Endangered Species Act protection
• Mask mandate extended another 30 days
• Judge rejects lawsuit delaying blue book voting guide distribution 
• KSUT: New projects hope to close 'water gap' for Navajo Nation

• I-70 reopened through Glenwood Canyon, traffic doubled on U.S. 50 near Gunnison during the closure
• Grand Junction has felt record temperatures this month
• Western Slope voters will have more official ballot drop boxes to choose from
• Gov. Polis now allowing bars to stay open until 11pm
• Two lawsuits seek ouster of William Perry Pendley at BLM
• KSJD's Daniel Rayzel reports on hilarious 'Subpar Parks' posters by Amber Share

In this edition, we talk about public transit. Here on the Western Slope, distances between towns are long, and we end up mostly driving our own cars to get where we need to go. But the state of Colorado is working to make it easier to leave the car at home for trips between towns, and even to the Front Range, with its Bustang bus service. KVNF's Jodi Peterson interviews a public transit expert, the head of CDOT's Bustang service, and several passengers and drivers.