Local News https://www.the-journal.com/feeds/local-news/ 2026-04-17 12:13:06 -0700 en-us https://www.the-journal.com/articles/fastest-skier-in-american-history-who-grew-up-skiing-at-purgatory-resort-to-be-honored/ The fastest skier in American history is not from the resorts hugging the shores of Lake Tahoe or the steeps of Jackson Hole, but right here in Durango. And now, that hometown hero will be celebrated ... 2026-04-17 05:00:00 -0700 7055e52c-488f-44c5-bcc0-1b013dbb98fe https://www.the-journal.com/articles/lake-nighthorse-opens-for-2026-season/ Lake Nighthorse has opened to recreational use for the 2026 season – though only for three days per week. According to a city of Durango news release, the lake opened April 10 to nonmotorized boaters ... 2026-04-16 03:36:50 -0700 ff31aa97-dd0d-4551-9f48-b35316ab2ce4 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/city-council-appoints-two-youth-members-to-arts-committee-applauds-engagement/ During Tuesday’s meeting, the Cortez City Council voted to approve both candidates for to replace one youth seat on the Public Arts Advisory Committee, appointing Will Blair as a youth member and Ava ... 2026-04-16 02:48:34 -0700 0cf5261f-ceb1-4dc6-80bf-8529fecd02b5 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/sunnyside-parent-teachers-oppose-proposed-school-merger/ Parents and teachers say Durango School District’s proposed consolidation of Sunnyside Elementary School with Florida Mesa Elementary School would disrupt student stability, impact staff jobs and coul... 2026-04-15 11:01:07 -0700 d2346950-4456-42a4-8688-5871c1a7c50a https://www.the-journal.com/articles/hillcrest-golf-club-follows-durango-parks-and-recreations-lead-in-water-management/ The city of Durango is bracing for a dry spring and summer despite recent rains, enacting residential water restrictions last week and asking water users to be mindful of their consumption. Michael Mc... 2026-04-15 08:25:14 -0700 5036c699-a042-4c68-8f89-06915d22e860 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/county-cleanup-event-announced-as-talks-on-blight-ordinance-continue/ The Planning and Zoning Commission for Montezuma County isn’t opposed to a rubbish ordinance – but commissioners say they are not inclined toward strict overreach. Planning Director Don Haley said Tue... 2026-04-15 06:02:40 -0700 ed25b8a7-4051-4878-b9f1-7bacae112611 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/fifty-years-after-reintroduction-officials-seek-help-to-document-river-otters/ River otters, once eradicated from Colorado by trapping and polluted waterways, have spent the past 50 years making a comeback. That recovery began in 1976, when wildlife officials released roughly 12... 2026-04-15 05:48:34 -0700 8a2bb219-ee1f-4df2-892a-2995ee805c65 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/departing-cortez-city-council-members-say-their-goodbyes/ As the swearing in of newly elected City Council members approaches April 28, council members with expiring terms expressed gratitude for their time in office during Tuesday’s meeting. “I would just l... 2026-04-15 05:32:32 -0700 1b28d3f5-23f6-4f39-9af9-5d104e899031 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/mancos-town-board-swears-in-new-trustees-reappoints-mayor-pro-tem-and-other-positions/ The Mancos Town Board of Trustees on April 8 swore in three new members and reappointed several officials. The meeting opened with the swearing in of new trustees Ed Hallam, Corey Jabour and Max Lovin... 2026-04-15 04:01:14 -0700 af94e04b-4b4d-4773-bcf3-c70985de8a82 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/vendor-applications-open-for-2026-third-thursdays-series-in-cortez/ Vendor applications are now open for the 2026 Third Thursdays series in Montezuma Park, with the markets scheduled for four Thursdays – June 18, July 17, Aug. 20 and Sept. 17. The free community event... 2026-04-15 03:53:10 -0700 2cc8e233-4ea4-4f80-9c14-a4f4f6bdf2d7 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/preliminary-hearing-set-for-cortez-woman-charged-in-fatal-motorcycle-crash/ A Cortez woman charged in a fatal crash that killed a motorcyclist in March appeared in court Tuesday, when a district court judge set a preliminary hearing and deferred action in a separate DUI case ... 2026-04-15 02:56:40 -0700 3759be8a-c10c-4d32-8df7-dabbe6ff2385 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/for-cortez-born-kekoa-zwicker-mma-fighting-is-a-family-affair/ As he prepares to step into the competitive ring for the first time, Cortez-born Kekoa Zwicker needs none of the flashy nicknames typical of mixed martial arts fighters. “People will go and ask me, wh... 2026-04-15 02:29:05 -0700 84255503-1542-4f9a-9dde-2f3330f6e702 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/cold-front-moves-into-southwest-colorado-this-week-freeze-watch-activated/ Mild temperatures and light, scattered rain gave Cortez a break Tuesday, but a cold front later this week is expected to bring freezing temperatures that could damage crops, sensitive vegetation and o... 2026-04-14 04:17:08 -0700 2943c3d6-0e3c-4322-8ca6-3fa6d5feef5e https://www.the-journal.com/articles/la-plata-county-upgrades-emergency-notification-system/ La Plata County has switched its emergency notification system from CodeRED to LPC Alerts following a nationwide data breach that prompted many CodeRED customers to change providers. CodeRED, the publ... 2026-04-14 04:04:53 -0700 e13c5100-06f1-4cde-b908-9606b9b071c6 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/colorado-expands-red-flag-law-as-local-use-remains-rare/ A bill expanding Colorado’s red flag law to allow more institutions to petition for temporary firearm restrictions was signed earlier this month by Gov. Jared Polis. Senate Bill 26-004, signed April 6... 2026-04-14 11:57:48 -0700 e2fe99f2-f65c-4052-a5ed-93b63bacc927 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/rural-coloradans-will-not-receive-federal-aid-after-last-years-historic-wildfires-floods/ The Trump administration has denied Colorado’s two appeals for major disaster declarations, blocking millions in federal aid for communities recovering from historic floods and wildfires in rural part... 2026-04-14 11:29:40 -0700 c39fd683-4e84-4eea-98f2-386a62bdf8d5 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/durango-residents-request-city-support-for-license-plate-reader-ordinance/ Durango residents are taking a diplomatic approach to passing regulations of Flock Safety surveillance cameras and similar automated license plate reader technology (ALPR). Residents filled Smith Coun... 2026-04-14 11:00:00 -0700 0c1557ce-7714-4648-9d73-1d667d65f42a https://www.the-journal.com/articles/colorado-state-patrol-to-lead-dui-operation-in-douglas-and-arapahoe-counties/ The Colorado State Patrol announced Tuesday that it will lead a task force of law enforcement agencies to crack down on DUI cases in Douglas and Arapahoe counties Saturday through Sunday morning, Apri... 2026-04-14 09:59:34 -0700 73c66a93-0531-4dbc-b28e-8652daa91950 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/a-legacy-of-bipartisan-cooperation/ A fiscally conservative Democrat, a pro-choice Republican and, above all, an advocate for Colorado and tribal interests: Ben Nighthorse Campbell left behind a political legacy that many say transcende... 2026-04-13 10:23:01 -0700 495758bb-f39c-4245-b1bd-7f6a87327211 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/memorial-service-for-ben-nighthorse-campbell-draws-diverse-crowd/ SOUTHERN UTE INDIAN TRIBE ‒ As about 740 people gathered Monday at the Sky Ute Casino Event Center in Ignacio for Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s memorial service, one theme became abundantly clear: He impa... 2026-04-13 10:09:13 -0700 a4eb459e-4adf-4bb9-bd5e-a3c43b2badbe https://www.the-journal.com/articles/montezuma-county-courts-see-surge-in-jury-trials-this-year/ Jury trials in Montezuma County have nearly doubled this year, officials say, bringing heavier traffic, longer lines and increased strain on courthouse parking and security. During their annual update... 2026-04-13 06:16:45 -0700 e47d27cf-2e3b-4221-ac7b-2af509eb40d9 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/cortez-airport-advisory-committee-to-open-to-interested-residents/ As a new airport director takes the helm at Cortez Municipal Airport, renewed citizen interest in aviation has prompted the city to reestablish a long-dormant advisory board. On Tuesday, the City Coun... 2026-04-13 04:28:05 -0700 12686f75-47ad-4c9c-9fc9-48b45a2780ae https://www.the-journal.com/articles/seventh-mancos-burrofest-to-honor-colorado-anniversary-with-burros-and-art/ An eclectic crowd of artists and donkeys returns to Mancos for the seventh annual BurroFest on Saturday, June 20, to honor the 150th anniversary of Colorado and the relationship between art and its eq... 2026-04-13 03:40:48 -0700 023c7be6-258f-495b-b258-d6ded25d7c93 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/ska-brewing-sale-breathes-new-life-into-30-year-old-business/ Ska Brewing Co. in Durango has survived more than 30 years of shifting economic landscapes, a pandemic, a multiyear decline for craft breweries on the whole and a recent change of ownership after deca... 2026-04-13 05:00:00 -0700 11f1a2a6-f845-483f-a8d5-a5068f3f683e https://www.the-journal.com/articles/state-rep-scott-bottoms-secures-top-spot-on-republican-primary-ballot-for-colorado-governor/ PUEBLO – State Rep. Scott Bottoms clinched the top spot on the Republican primary ballot for Colorado governor Saturday at the party’s state assembly in Pueblo with more support from party activists t... 2026-04-12 08:23:08 -0700 af0d55d9-1567-499a-992f-77d61b034245 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/a-third-of-colorado-voters-have-still-never-heard-of-phil-weiser-poll-shows/ Nearly a third of likely 2026 voters in Colorado have never heard of Attorney General Phil Weiser, according to a new poll, a statistic that underscores the Democratic gubernatorial candidate’s bigges... 2026-04-12 08:18:57 -0700 a1baec35-08f0-40c6-a19c-d76dfec2ae67 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/the-federal-government-is-scrutinizing-colorados-wolf-program-again/ The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to know how Colorado Parks and Wildlife is implementing the rule that allowed them to bring wolves to Colorado, and this time they’re asking the public for ans... 2026-04-12 08:10:25 -0700 fcdd34f7-64cb-45a9-87ec-1200687f418a https://www.the-journal.com/articles/phil-weiser-takes-aim-at-competition-at-durango-event/ Colorado gubernatorial candidate and sitting Attorney General Phil Weiser fielded a wide range of questions Friday night at an event hosted by Indivisible Durango, touching on nearly every major issue... 2026-04-12 02:02:33 -0700 cb7fcdd2-e442-4226-b6aa-0885bcdff1c8 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/a-fraction-of-what-it-once-was-mancos-valley-historical-society-seek-volunteers-and-funds/ On a flyer advertising a community meeting next week to discuss the future of the Mancos Valley Historical Society, one question stands out: “Can we continue?” On Wednesday, the society will host a co... 2026-04-11 07:43:40 -0700 090da3fb-6639-4918-9ebc-505819959f78 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/county-approves-dotty-wampus-expansion-with-bed-and-breakfast-micro-distillery/ Dotty Wampus, a quirky, immersive chocolate tasting and entertainment experience just outside Cortez, plans to expand by adding bedrooms to the existing house for a bed and breakfast, along with a mic... 2026-04-11 07:34:28 -0700 2d541052-10fb-4f61-9b48-8f6c8e869254