Local News https://www.the-journal.com/feeds/local-news/ 2026-07-19 05:02:27 -0700 en-us https://www.the-journal.com/articles/dolores-board-backs-small-scale-housing-project/ Town now applies for $900K grant through state pilot program The Dolores Board of Trustees approved a major step for the Ice House project, a small-scale affordable housing development proposed for 31... 2026-07-19 05:00:00 -0700 6e0adab5-87f0-45e8-ad70-3c95ff9f8385 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/karen-pilcher-named-2026-mancos-days-pioneer-queen/ Lifelong Mancos resident Karen Pilcher has been selected as the 2026 Mancos Days Pioneer Queen by the Mancos Colorado Days Association for her commitment to family, hard work and service to the commun... 2026-07-18 03:14:15 -0700 981488a4-a115-4e5f-904f-6325319b07f9 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/polis-offers-tax-extension-to-individuals-and-businesses-impacted-by-ferris-fire/ Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced Monday that individuals and businesses impacted by wildfires throughout the state can apply for a state tax extension on sales and income tax and other fees. “Taxpa... 2026-07-18 03:00:00 -0700 9ca1322c-d597-4227-93d2-cecfbe5af3a8 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/2026-montezuma-county-fair-set-to-begin-next-weekend-horse-show-kicks-off-this-saturday/ Montezuma County 4-H is gearing up for one of its biggest weeks of the year with the start of the 2026 Montezuma County Fair, which officially starts July 25 and also has two contests slated for Satur... 2026-07-18 05:00:00 -0700 e12262b2-a03c-4a64-ac47-d903fa304833 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/cpw-implements-daily-furbearer-bag-limit-at-ignacio-meeting/ IGNACIO – After decades of unlimited bagging of furbearing species, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission limited daily bagging to two of each species per day Thursday at its meeting at the Sky U... 2026-07-17 05:01:21 -0700 66d4820c-f80a-4b45-9ea2-e956c0b6264c https://www.the-journal.com/articles/cdot-road-work-beginning-monday-on-red-mountain-pass-to-cause-travel-delays/ The Colorado Department of Transportation will begin two months of road work expected to cause travel delays beginning Monday on Red Mountain Pass between Silverton and Ouray. A CDOT travel advisory s... 2026-07-17 04:16:57 -0700 40eeedf7-ba17-46e3-9c9c-f09b5531fde4 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/southwest-colorado-tourism-down-as-drought-and-fire-deter-visitors/ Halfway through the summer tourism season, Southwest Colorado’s economic and tourism officials are seeing visitors turn away from the region due to concerns about the ongoing drought and fires. Mesa V... 2026-07-17 05:00:00 -0700 935c5692-168b-4f8c-893a-7f915e5ebc6e https://www.the-journal.com/articles/food-insecurity-impacts-la-plata-countys-residents-in-range-of-ways/ Manna soup kitchen’s campus is bustling at 10 a.m. on a weekday. A group of women, each with a shock of orange hair that suggests familial relation, energetically loads groceries into bags at the comm... 2026-07-17 05:00:00 -0700 822ed9e5-2ec0-40ec-8d4c-2bf69be9c0ac https://www.the-journal.com/articles/patron-nightclub-denied-liquor-license-renewal/ Cortez City Council denied the renewal of Patron Nightclub’s liquor license after a public hearing Tuesday night. Councilors cited a repeated pattern of tax delinquency and law enforcement activity at... 2026-07-16 04:43:18 -0700 015ef652-5958-41ed-aae9-d9e5640f15fc https://www.the-journal.com/articles/a-letter-to-readers-from-the-new-publisher-at-bci/ At Ballantine Communications, we are fortunate to serve a community as wide-ranging and diverse as ours in a landscape composed of high deserts and jetting mountains. I, myself, have been fortunate to... 2026-07-16 04:06:43 -0700 f395d010-db3c-4377-98ab-3614f1d9167e https://www.the-journal.com/articles/growth-on-ferris-fire-halts-containment-reaches-53/ The Ferris Fire about 15 miles northwest of Dolores has not grown in the last few days since it reached 64,870 acres. The slowdown is credited to ground crews, aerial drops and moisture moving into th... 2026-07-16 03:20:09 -0700 fc03f483-c1da-44a3-b812-b1e0265ef1b1 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/city-of-cortez-adopts-ai-policy/ Cortez City Council this week adopted an artificial intelligence policy applicable to city staff. “This is all new territory for us,” said Councilor Bill Lewis, reviewing the eight-page document built... 2026-07-16 02:51:37 -0700 26000ce6-ce01-4e06-b7fd-4eb84b857cb9 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/dollar-store-ruling-prompts-montezuma-county-to-consider-land-use-code-revisions/ A Dollar General lawsuit may have broader implications for Montezuma County policy after a judge poked holes in a 85-page land-use code, saying it has weaknesses and is riddled with contradictions. Th... 2026-07-16 01:14:21 -0700 72efa274-f72c-49bd-84e8-2fe2aa37a580 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/montezuma-county-commissioners-seek-audit-of-sheriffs-office-after-disputing-budget-cuts-claims/ Montezuma County Commissioners approved a forensic audit into the sheriff’s office and detention center at a Board of County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday. An internal investigation is also underwa... 2026-07-15 08:08:05 -0700 26f413b8-e688-45ce-aed7-6a1a2cbc3aec https://www.the-journal.com/articles/chris-ballantine-named-ceo-publisher-of-ballantine-communications/ Chris Ballantine on Wednesday was named CEO and publisher of Ballantine Communications, which owns and operates three newspapers in Southwest Colorado and northwest New Mexico – including The Journal.... 2026-07-15 12:27:01 -0700 ca3a1e47-2253-456c-a7ba-d8affbb7bc90 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/southwest-colorado-ranchers-face-triple-whammy-amid-fires-drought-and-high-costs/ On June 27 after lunchtime, rancher Alyssa Wilcox observed a large plume of smoke looming southwest of the U.S. Forest Service land on the San Juan National Forest where her cows grazed. She recalled ... 2026-07-15 05:00:00 -0700 88c53986-46c1-45d6-b3de-bbb572b9b320 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/daily-thunderstorms-return-to-montezuma-county/ Upon weeks of heat and exceptional dryness, Montezuma County is seeing a familiar midsummer swing as moisture returns with daily chances for rain. Social media: Daily thunderstorms return to Mont... 2026-07-14 06:26:45 -0700 c38989c9-fd94-47d6-8a70-090f110af032 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/colorado-hasnt-seen-elevated-cases-of-cyclosporiasis-despite-outbreaks-elsewhere/ Outbreaks of cyclosporiasis – also known as the “explosive diarrhea parasite” – have been reported in some areas of the United States. But Colorado numbers have not been any higher than usual in recen... 2026-07-14 03:39:29 -0700 6549ff23-7d25-4cef-8b1d-6d4a319299c3 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/inside-the-camp-supporting-1000-personnel-on-ferris-fire/ Fire crews at the Dolores County Fairgrounds began to stir early Saturday in preparation for a day battling heavy smoke and extreme dryness. Trucks skirted along the dusty expanse, while larger engine... 2026-07-14 05:00:00 -0700 a840a6d7-a087-4681-81ba-7be69ca059a8 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/hesperus-farmer-and-veteran-gifted-a-kubota-tractor-through-geared-to-give-program/ Hesperus farmer and veteran Hudson Grigg was one of only five recipients across the country last week to receive a Kubota MX5400 utility tractor through Kubota Tractor Corp.’s Geared to Give program i... 2026-07-14 05:00:00 -0700 0c032868-b7d4-4110-a2d8-86e59299e270 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/cpw-enacts-voluntary-fishing-closure-on-animas-san-juan-and-dolores-rivers/ Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking anglers to voluntarily refrain from fishing along the Animas River through Durango, the San Juan River through Dolores and the Dolores River below McPhee Dam in t... 2026-07-13 09:44:08 -0700 65d540e1-77b4-4bcc-926f-ef6ce2b814fa https://www.the-journal.com/articles/incident-meteorologists-keep-firefighters-safe-by-tracking-complex-weather-patterns-that-fuel-wildfi/ Sometimes fires create their own weather When wildfire tears through the landscape and teams are called in, firefighters are the first response team that comes to mind. While firefighters may be the o... 2026-07-12 05:00:00 -0700 28b5c535-0fdb-4d46-9531-71331181f3e0 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/judge-upholds-montezuma-county-commissioners-denial-of-dollar-general-permit/ 22nd Judicial District Court Judge Todd Plewe ruled in favor of the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners in the latest court battle involving a long-standing Dollar General civil case. Plew ... 2026-07-12 05:00:00 -0700 3a2b7351-c806-46ed-ab38-ceacca912c0c https://www.the-journal.com/articles/sheriff-blames-budget-cuts-for-disbanding-narcotics-team-montezuma-county-disputes-claim/ The Board of County Commissioners and Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin will address the Montezuma-Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team’s disbanding at a BOCC meeting on Tuesday, July 14, with both... 2026-07-11 05:00:00 -0700 a09082e6-9f1c-4fa8-a3be-d1b6265cae8e https://www.the-journal.com/articles/dolores-public-library-celebrates-70-years/ The Dolores Public Library celebrated 70 years on Friday with live music, cupcakes and a display of the library’s history. From its humble origins as an all volunteer, part time organization tucked in... 2026-07-11 05:00:00 -0700 027a3481-3106-4fe9-ae56-6c707d39a408 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/pizza-for-producers-event-invites-southwest-colorado-farmers-ranchers-to-build-community/ As drought cuts water allotments for Southwestern Colorado farmers and the 60,000 acre Ferris Fire threatens agricultural lands, Emily Lockard, Colorado State University Extension director for Montezu... 2026-07-10 07:24:38 -0700 81ea2b3c-3fa6-4066-9952-84f52830fb8b https://www.the-journal.com/articles/could-this-be-the-final-summer-for-the-winery-at-holy-cross-abbey-in-canon-city/ After 25 years of winemaking in Cañon City, the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey may soon close. Since it opened to the public a quarter century ago, the wine-making operation at the historic monastery has ... 2026-07-10 11:23:06 -0700 36b57360-d726-40bb-baaa-577fd566a881 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/mancos-moves-to-add-sales-tax-increase-to-november-ballot/ The Mancos Board of Trustees approved an ordinance Tuesday to present voters with a sales tax increase question on the November ballot. Later this year, registered voters within town limits will decid... 2026-07-10 10:00:00 -0700 bea4ae4f-0644-4422-a0da-278e820c91c5 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/72nd-annual-four-corners-gem-mineral-show-opens-today-at-la-plata-county-fairgrounds/ The Four Corners Gem & Mineral Show returns to La Plata County Fairgrounds today for its 72nd weekend gathering, featuring vendors and artists who share a love for things of the earth. The show, hoste... 2026-07-10 05:00:00 -0700 7814ea49-9a96-479d-8f81-d5c9a9f72f3e https://www.the-journal.com/articles/ferris-fires-current-cost-estimated-to-be-13-4-million/ Fighting the Ferris Fire has cost an estimated $13.4 million, as up to 658 personnel continue full suppression efforts across the more than 60,105-acre wildfire raging northwest of Dolores. Expenses a... 2026-07-09 07:26:48 -0700 6fa3bf05-4cb2-4219-b30b-cd2d6e7b82de