Acidic mine drainage haunts Western rivers

It was summer 2015 when the Animas River in southern Colorado turned such a garish orange-gold that it made national news. The metallic color came from the Gold King Mine, near the town of S...

Comet’s appearance illuminates Durango’s dark sky policy

Dear Action Line: Recently, we were gifted with the return of a once-every-80,000-years comet. From the college mesa, as I scanned the horizon, my eyes were constantly assaulted by some ...

The seduction of scapegoating

Immigration has risen to the top of the issue list for a clear majority of Americans. For many voters, it is now more important than the economy, inequality, health care, education, housing,...

Disinformation threatens our democracy; we need stronger defenses

The American voter is under siege by disinformation. This means you and me. We need stronger defenses. Politicians and their supporters have always exaggerated, always offered misinformation...

Wyoming shoots itself in the foot

This summer, the Biden administration offered Wyoming $35 million to help the state plug and clean up abandoned oil and gas wells. When Wyoming turned down the cash, it seemed hard to believ...

Mill levy override will support strategic goals of school district

The Dolores School District Board of Education is asking voters to approve a $360,000 mill levy override at this November’s election to support the strategic goals of the school district. Th...

Mill levy override would increase teachers’ salaries 25%

Many of us have favorite teachers who not only got through to us, but changed the trajectory of our lives. For me, that was Mr. Cain, my geometry and algebra II teacher at Del Norte High Sch...

Mountain lions: Truth not myth

When scientists become advocates during an election and tell you “just the facts,” you can be certain they are only telling you part of the facts. As Colorado’s carnivore biologist with Colo...

‘Yes’ to proposed Montezuma County sales tax

It’s been said that “the only certainties in this life are death and taxes,” and the general consensus is that neither is desirable. Why have people come to hate taxes? Partly because the U....

‘Yes’ to Proposition 127: It’s well past time to stop maligning lions

We want to thank the editor for apologizing to proponents of Proposition 127 for failing to interview us before abruptly issuing an opinion. We are 27 locals, including seasoned wildlife bio...

Channel your inner cowboy (and cowgirl)

It’s hard to be friends with your neighbor if you never meet them. In a world of growth and digital communication, communities can struggle to maintain meaningful, face-to-face relationships...

This November, our pets depend on us to reject Proposition 129

As a veterinarian serving equine patients and their owners across Colorado, I have a unique perspective on the dangers posed by Proposition 129, and I feel compelled to speak out about the s...