| Group mines for history |
RED MOUNTAIN PASS - The weather-worn headframe of the Silver Ledge Mine, visible from U.S. Highway 550 north of Silverton, is a reminder that evidence of San Juan County's mining legacy is in danger.
Thursday, September 09, 2010 |
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| Walkers take strides to fight Alzheimer's |
Some call it the long goodbye.
Thursday, September 09, 2010 |
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| Mancos entities oppose tax ballot |
Three organizations in Mancos have already opposed Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 and 61, while two more are slated to discuss the measures.
Thursday, September 09, 2010 |
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| Cortez sales tax revenue drops |
City sales tax for July were down slightly, 3.7 percent, while year-to-date numbers were down 6.9 percent.
Thursday, September 09, 2010 |
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| Air Force plans SW Colorado training |
DURANGO - The U.S. Air Force wants to know what issues the public thinks should be included in an environmental assessment of a plan to allow low-flying military planes to train over the mountains of Southwest Colorado, including La Plata County, and northern New Mexico.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Salvation Army will close |
The Dolores Salvation Army Thrift Store will close its doors Sept. 17 at 5 p.m., after 13 years in Dolores.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Wall Street Journal features M-CHS grad |
One Montezuma-Cortez High School graduate whose business is making waves in the telecommunications world credits his hometown of Cortez with giving him fundamental business sense.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Monsoons wet Cortez
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Late summer monsoons led to the wettest summer in Cortez in four years.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Fall Color Festival |
Fifteen-month-old Ember Golden sits atop one of the ponies giving rides at the Fall Color Festival in City Park on Saturday.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| CACC picks Guttridge
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The new face of the Cortez Area Chamber of Commerce was announced Friday.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Spencer will head Mesa Verde |
A long-time National Park Service veteran will step to the helm at Mesa Verde National Park, filling the superintendent position left vacant by the retirement of Larry Wiese nearly a year ago.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Tipton train comes home |
Congressional candidate Scott Tipton's campaign trail led directly through Cortez this weekend, with a stop at the Cortez Elks Lodge for a town hall meeting with local supporters.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| College adds program
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Nineteen-month-old Taylor Johnson seems to be preparing for a career in cosmetology as Bethany Blackwell demonstrates her braiding techniques Thursday at the ribbon cutting and open house for the new Cosmetology Program at Southwest Colorado Community College.
Saturday, September 04, 2010 |
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| County wants 'coordination' with feds |
In an effort to take a more active role in management decisions in the county, the Montezuma County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Monday calling on all federal agencies to coordinate with the governing board in planning and policy decisions.
Saturday, September 04, 2010 |
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| Shocking experience
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It was a perfect day for fishing. A cloudless blue sky, a sparkling Colorado river - and yards of extension cords floating on the surface of the water.
Saturday, September 04, 2010 |
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| County ban blows more smoke
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A resolution passed by the Montezuma County Board of Commissioners Monday banning medical marijuana industry in unincorporated parts of the county is putting pressure on the local sheriff's office and existing dispensaries.
Saturday, September 04, 2010 |
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| Outdoor pool plans
call for big splash |
The Cortez Municipal Pool known to area residents for decades will close its doors Tuesday for the season, and if all goes as planned, a new and different pool will open in the spring.
Saturday, September 04, 2010 |
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| Fire burns volunteers efforts
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A fire charred a storage shed at the Cortez BMX bicycle track Friday, resulting in several thousands of dollars worth of damage.
Saturday, September 04, 2010 |
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| Drug Task Force faces money bust
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Local law enforcement officials are scraping together money as grants funding the 22nd Judicial District Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force threaten to dry up.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 |
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| Plewe, Secrist vie for bench vacancy
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Two finalists have been nominated for the position of 22nd District Judge to fill a vacancy on the bench that will be created when District Judge Sharon Hansen retires Oct. 1.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 |
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| Beetles beating tamarisk in county control battle |
Montezuma County residents and property owners met Monday night to discuss continuing efforts in tamarisk control and eradication.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 |
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| Peyote meeting, prayers
prepare ceremonial ground |
Southwest Intertribal Voice will host an open Native American Church prayer ceremony Friday as part of its ongoing Native American Cultural Preservation Project.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 |
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| Good people make up for dog bites, drug deals
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After 25 years of service, it's the people that both retiring Cortez postal workers said they enjoyed the most about their job.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 |
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| Tipton will hold meeting |
Scott Tipton will hold a town hall meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, at the Elks Lodge in Cortez. The public is invited to this free event to listen, ask questions and learn more about Scott Tipton and his position on jobs, the economy, healthcare, immigration and more.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 |
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| Whitehead plans small business forum |
Senator Bruce Whitehead will have a small business forum from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2, at the Cortez Chamber of Commerce, 928 E. Main St.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 |
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| Unemployment dips slightly |
Montezuma County unemployment dipped 0.3 percent, from June's 7.9 percent to 7.6 percent in July.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Wine fest |
Doug Caskey, executive director of the Colorado Wine Development Board, pours a sample of wine from the Guy Drew vineyards Saturday.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| BOCC bans dispensaries |
The Montezuma County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to ban the operation of medical marijuana centers, cultivation sites and infused product industries in unincorporated portions of the county.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Forest roads rankle county |
A U.S. Forest Service plan to close roads on public lands came under fire from county residents and officials at the Montezuma County Board of Commissioners' regular meeting Monday.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Tax plans worry locals |
Local community leaders are concerned about potential ramifications of several tax-cutting items slated for the Nov. 2 general election in Colorado.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Walker will replace Hansen as top judge |
Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey announced Monday that she has appointed District Court Judge Douglas S. Walker as the new chief judge for the 22nd Judicial District, which encompasses Dolores and Montezuma counties.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Elementary students start new school year |
Armed with new supplies, backpacks and first-day jitters, Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 elementary students headed back to class today, a week after their older counterparts.
Monday, August 30, 2010 |
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| Cortez Walmart pulls recalled sandwiches |
Walmart Supercenter in Cortez has pulled all Marketside Grab and Go pre-made sandwiches that were made with Tyson Foods Inc. recalled deli meat, according to Cortez Store Manager Mark Halliday.
Saturday, August 28, 2010 |
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| Term limits go to vote |
The Montezuma County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to place a question on the general election ballot extending commissioner term limits from two four-year terms to three four-year terms.
Saturday, August 28, 2010 |
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| Home sales buck U.S. trend |
Home sales in Montezuma County are holding fairly steady this year, unlike the nation's record lows.
Saturday, August 28, 2010 |
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| Traffic delays expected on Highway 145 during construction |
Travelers between Cortez and Dolores can expect delays as Colorado Department of Transportation crews resurface a 2-mile section of Colorado Highway 145 six miles north of Cortez next week.
Saturday, August 28, 2010 |
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| Developers have street fight with city officials
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Some Cortez residents and developers contend the city's decision to pay for a street through a development when other developers have to pay for their own streets is unfair.
Saturday, August 28, 2010 |
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| Forest travel hits bump
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Officials from the Dolores Public Lands Office will meet with the Montezuma County Board of Commissioners on Monday to discuss public concerns with the Boggy-Glade travel management plan.
Saturday, August 28, 2010 |
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| Voters have option for county |
McElmo Canyon resident Jim Cooper has entered the race for Montezuma County commissioner, filing paperwork Aug. 24 to launch a write-in campaign against incumbent District 1 Commissioner Steve Chappell.
Saturday, August 28, 2010 |
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| Cortez sales tax revenue drops; lodgers tax increases |
The July Cortez sales and lodgers tax report released Monday showed a 4.85 percent drop in sales tax revenue, with a 7 percent increase in lodgers tax revenue.
Friday, August 27, 2010 |
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| Salazar asks FCC to change channels |
Congressman John Salazar, D-Colo., recently sent a request to the Federal Communications Commission for a change in policy to allow residents of Montezuma and La Plata counties to receive television broadcasts from in state as opposed to the New Mexico stations that dominate area programming.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 |
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| Clerk cuffs shot at ballot |
Montezuma County Sheriff Gerald Wallace's name won't appear on the November ballot as the American Constitution Party's candidate for sheriff, according to County Clerk Carol Tullis.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 |
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| Hydro plant sparks city energy |
Workers are installing the final touches on a $2 million micro-hydroelectric facility built by the City of Cortez.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 |
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| Medical marijuana can test businesses |
While many suffering with disease and pain are breathing a sigh of relief from medical marijuana, it's casting a cloud of confusion over employers who operate a drug-free workplace.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 |
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| Dispensary products can vary |
As more medical marijuana dispensaries open throughout Colorado, secondary businesses that deal in marijuana products - from pizza to soda pop - are growing just as fast.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 |
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| Medical marijuana industry buds |
DENVER - Forget about yuppie coffee shops. Colorado's new growth industry is marijuana, with a workforce of at least 1,800 people.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 |
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| Medical marijuana affects youths |
"DARE To Just Say No" is the slogan that uniformed police officers teach to fifth- and seventh-graders in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education's 17-week anti-drug course.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 |
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| Driver in fatal wreck enters plea |
A Texas woman pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts of careless driving stemming from a July 3 accident resulting in the deaths of two New Mexico motorcyclists on U.S. 491 north of Dove Creek.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 |
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| Cortez mayor signs Women's Equality Day proclamation |
Ninety years after the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted women the right to vote, members of the League of Women Voters, a female police officer and city councilwoman gathered to watch Cortez Mayor Dan Porter sign a proclamation declaring Aug. 24 Women's Equality Day in the city.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 |
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| Krazy kontest |
With a face full of sauce, Mia Baker demonstrates her winning style as she slurped up 2 pounds of spaghetti to win the spaghetti eating contest at Mama Ree's for Krazy Daze on Saturday afternoon.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| School doors open |
Bright yellow school buses rolled down Main Steet Monday, signaling the end of summer for students in Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Rucker earns police award |
Cortez Police Officer Vern Rucker was recently named officer of the year by the Colorado Association of School Resource Officers, but he doesn't like to boast about it.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Wallace jumps in sheriff's race
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Montezuma County Sheriff Gerald Wallace has filed the necessary paperwork with the Colorado Secretary of State's office to place his name on the November ballot as the American Constitution Party's candidate for sheriff.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Medical marijuana treats card holders |
David Mullane had never tried cannabis until three months ago, when he read about a new medical marijuana dispensary opening in Cortez.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Medical value stirs debate |
While the limited legalization of medical marijuana has won widespread approval from patients' advocacy groups, a cloud of controversy remains over the efficacy of the medicine itself, which many still view as a recreational drug with potentially dangerous side effects.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Veteran grows own marij |
After two tours in Iraq with the Army, a 30-year-old Montezuma County man has his own reasons for obtaining a medical marijuana card.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Growth sites weigh security |
As the medical marijuana industry continues to grow in Colorado, one question that remains for state and local officials is how to provide effective regulation for cultivation centers that are cropping up throughout the state.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Campaign trail |
A meet and greet was held at Shiloh Steakhouse Aug. 7, where members of the community visited, asked questions and got to know Scott Gessler, Republican candidate for Colorado secretary of state.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 |
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| Marijuana tests law officers |
The legalization of marijuana for medical purposes has opened up a whole new territory for law enforcement to enforce, and the boundaries aren't always clear.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 |
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| Laws don't stop drug trade |
A dual system of legal and illegal marijuana in Colorado could have some unexpected consequences, but there are various points of view on what that will be.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 |
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| CACC will raise fees |
The Cortez Area Chamber of Commerce board will raise annual membership dues by $75 to make up for a funding gap that left the chamber $20,000 to $40,000 in the red for this year's budget.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 |
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| Mobile course helps schools |
The face of education is changing, both for students and teachers, and Southwest Colorado Community College and The Pinon Project are on the front lines of the shift.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 |
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| Governments split authority |
Legislation that Colorado lawmakers passed this year has raised the issue of whether local, state or federal governments should have authority over medical marijuana.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 |
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| Laws prescribe marijuana
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DENVER - State Sen. Chris Romer attempted a little drug humor just before the Senate passed his bill on marijuana dispensaries in May.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 |
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| Medical
Marijuana: Colorado Law
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With six dispensaries in Cortez alone, the number of medical marijuana centers in Montezuma County is growing like a weed.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 |
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| Marijuana affects medical regs |
With the legalization of medical marijuana, Colorado and the other states with similar programs have entered uncharted territory, assuming the responsibility of regulating medicine outside the medical community.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 |
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| Escalante Days |
The Dolores class of 1967 cheers as they march in the Escalante Days parade Saturday.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
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| Durango sets med marij rules |
DURANGO - The Durango City Council took several steps toward conformity with the state's new marijuana law Tuesday.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
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| Lighter than life
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The video on the screen showed a smiling small blond boy playing gently with puppies and his infant sister. Pastor Anthony Maes strummed a guitar and sang a song from one of the boy's favorite bands - "Let it Be," by the Beatles.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
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| School board tests energy |
The Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 Board of Education met with representatives from McKinstry Construction Corp. and the Governor's Energy Office on Tuesday to discuss energy retrofits throughout the district.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
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| Axis Health takes pulse of new facility |
Local nonprofit organization Axis Health System is in the final stages of securing financing to build a $2.4 million integrated mental health facility in Cortez.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
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| Renaissance Faire schedules fun |
| Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
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| Verde Fest will shine green light on sustainable living |
Low-cost, family-scale agricultural systems, solar oven and earth-based plaster demonstrations, and the traveling Solar Roller are just a few of the activities Verde Fest will offer this year.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 |
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| Forest service issues travel plan |
The Dolores Public Lands Office has released the record of decision for the Boggy-Glade travel management plan.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| County adjusts map of roads |
The Montezuma County Board of Commissioners participated in a little light housekeeping Monday, approving the 2010 Official County Road Map.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Prosecutors charge man for standoff with officers |
DENVER - Ute Mountain police officers say a man's erratic behavior led to a cliffside standoff on the reservation two weekends ago.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Renaissance Faire will turn clock back |
This is the sixth year for the Mancos Renaissance Faire, and, even though it's a little later in the summer, it looks like it's going to be another great time.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Friends recall dentist slain in Afghanistan |
DURANGO - The eulogies at a memorial service Sunday for Dr. Thomas Grams, the Durango dentist slain while on a medical mission in Afghanistan, evoke a line from the poet Kahlil Gibran: "It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Dentist leaves legacy of living |
DURANGO - During his life, Dr. Thomas Grams set strict limits on the number of people he would invite to parties.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| DHS team wins space award |
DURANGO - The 14-member Durango High School aerospace design team placed second in the recent International Space Settlement Design Competition at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Cortez senior Christopher Vanik works on NASA's Project M |
At some point during his life, someone must have told Christopher Vanik to "reach for the stars." No one could have possibly guessed the young man would take the advice so literally.
Monday, August 16, 2010 |
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| Learning to cheer |
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Saturday, August 14, 2010 |
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| Airport sets closure
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Residents seeking to fly in or out of Cortez might have to seek service in Durango or Farmington due to a 30-day airport closure beginning 7 a.m. Monday.
Saturday, August 14, 2010 |
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| Summit tackles truancy
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Facing the challenge of how to get youths to go to school and stay in school, more than 60 community members and stakeholders gathered at Koko's Conference Center on Thursday for the area's first Truancy Summit.
Saturday, August 14, 2010 |
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| CSAPs test schools
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Scores from the 2010 Colorado Student Assessment Program offer a murky picture of student achievement in Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1.
Saturday, August 14, 2010 |
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| Teen pedestrian killed while crossing highway gets identified as Rotsaert |
A Cortez teen killed while crossing U.S. Highway 491 on Wednesday has been identified as 15-year-old Brendan Rotsaert.
Friday, August 13, 2010 |
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| Stargazers can watch meteors |
The Perseid meteor shower will be the star attraction at the Hawkins Preserve in Cortez with a meteor-gazing party beginning at 8:45 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| Riding high |
Cody Massey jumps his bike off a homemade ramp by his house on Harrison Street in Cortez on Tuesday afternoon.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| NPS names Intermountain director |
John A. Wessels has been named as the National Park Service's Intermountain Region director, responsible for leading 5,000 employees and 92 national parks visited by more than 42 million people annually.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| Mesa Verde will waive entry fees |
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the National Park Service will waive entrance fees on Aug. 14 and 15 to encourage all Americans to visit their national parks.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| CSP cites driver for trailer wreck |
A local man was cited for a loose-trailer accident that smashed a sport utility vehicle and hospitalized an Oregon woman Aug. 5 on U.S. 491 near Cortez.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| Roberts wins primary bid |
DURANGO - State Rep. Ellen Roberts held off upstart Dean Boehler to win Tuesday's Republican primary for the Colorado's 6th Senate District. Roberts, from Durango, now faces incumbent and Democratic state Sen. Bruce Whitehead in the November general election.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| Republicans pick Spruell
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Dissatisfaction with the status quo ruled the ballot box Tuesday night as Montezuma County Republicans overwhelmingly selected Dennis Spruell as the party's candidate for county sheriff.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| County voters show big interest in primary |
The old adage "all politics are local" proved to be true in Montezuma County on Tuesday night as political discontent and party loyalty resulted in a high return rate in the county's first mail-in ballot primary election.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| Horse friends |
A real horse shakes as he shares a pasture with the fake horse advertising Fox Saddle Shop recently along Colorado Highway 145 between Cortez and Dolores.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Study gauges economy
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An Economic Drivers Study that estimates which industries create the most jobs and foster economic development in Montezuma County will be available online Wednesday.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| River plan gets review
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U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service officials at the Dolores Public Lands Office are reviewing a series of recommendations regarding an updated management plan for the Lower Dolores River.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Park paving nears end of road |
Nearly 10 months after receiving the initial go-ahead for a temporary asphalt plant near Mancos, Ledcor CMI Inc. is on track to finish the paving projects at Mesa Verde National Park by the end of this week, six weeks ahead of schedule.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Police search smoke shop
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A Gallup, N.M., man was issued a criminal summons for possession of illegal weapons after butterfly knives, switchblades and brass knuckles were allegedly located in a Cortez store.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Raven House expands arts community |
If one gallery owner has her way, downtown Mancos will soon be busting at the seams with local art.
Marilyn Kroeker is converting Raven House Gallery into a cooperative for fine artists, hoping to draw as many as 13 for her space, located at 120 East Grand Ave., Mancos.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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