KSJD News

Will 2026 be the year that a national conservation area is created on the lower Dolores River? Proponents of the long-stalled effort are hoping it will.

The involvement of a Colorado-based airline in immigration enforcement flights prompted a protest south of Cortez on Saturday morning.

After a lengthy discussion during a very lengthy meeting, the Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 school board voted Tuesday night to engage a law firm to review contracts for the district's new and departing superintendents. And GOCO, or Great Outdoors Colorado, has awarded $2.6 million to projects in Southwest Colorado.

Two more people in Montezuma County have come down with the measles, bringing the total number of cases in the county this year to four.

Trustees on the Dolores Library Board agree on some issues but continue to argue about others.

The Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School Board is going to seek outside legal counsel to review the contracts for the outgoing and incoming district superintendents.

Rain in November and snow this month have improved the precipitation situation in Montezuma County. And Montezuma County Commissioner Jim Candelaria has been named as the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the nonprofit group Colorado Counties, Inc.

A young Montezuma County resident has come down with measles. This is the second case of measles in the county this year.

How do you balance outdoor recreation with conservation of landscapes and wildlife? A group called the Montelores Coalition has come up with a draft plan for dealing with that issue.

Despite strong objections from an incumbent board member, the Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 school board on Tuesday night approved paying one-time bonuses of $1,500 each to district staff.

Turner Wyatt discusses Begin Where You Are, a first-of-its-kind anthology featuring all 10 Colorado Poets Laureate, including new unpublished works.

The Dolores Library District Board took the unusual step Tuesday night, Nov. 25, of censuring one of its members.

Because of concerns about a highly contagious and dangerous horse disease, the Montezuma County Fairgrounds remains closed to open riding and equine activities.

A family from Colombia whose arrest by ICE prompted a protest in Durango is reportedly preparing to self-deport.

After a lengthy public hearing Tuesday, the Montezuma County commissioners unanimously passed new regulations concerning renewable energy development, particularly solar.

Measles has come to Montezuma County.A school-aged child who was not vaccinated against the disease reportedly came down with symptoms after traveling to a place outside Colorado where an outbreak is going on.

Four Corners writers launch a second anthology featuring regional fiction, nonfiction, and poetry — with live readings planned at the Sunflower Theatre.

Autumn weather in Cortez and Montezuma County has been lovely so far, but of course there is a down side – a lack of precipitation.

A Republican state senator and a Democratic state representative presented a grim picture of Colorado's budget in Dolores Saturday morning.

The Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 school district will soon have a largely new school board.

A District Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School Superintendent Tom Burris against a local man.

KSJD's Andie Ravensbergen talks with Sarah Burak, Education Director at the Bears Ears Partnership, about Bluff, Utah's recent designation as an International Dark Sky Community and the town's first-ever Dark Sky Festival on November 14th and 15th. Burak — a self-proclaimed “Dark Sky Enthusiast” — shares her passion for astronomy, community collaboration, and preserving the beauty of the region's star-filled skies.

People who protested the detainment of three Colombian asylum-seekers in Durango continue to voice outrage, disbelief, and disappointment at how they were treated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the demonstration earlier this week.

Nearly 5,000 people in Montezuma County may be facing hunger at the beginning of November.

Porchlight Health uses personal stories and community connection to change how DUI offenders think about the impact of impaired driving.

October has been a good month for precipitation in the Four Corners.

After an executive session lasting an hour and forty minutes, the Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School Board on Tuesday unanimously chose Eddie Ramirez as the district's new superintendent.

Joining an estimated 7 million people nationwide, more than 850 people lined Cortez's Main Street on Saturday morning as part of the No Kings Day protests against the Trump administration.

At a forum Thursday for candidates for the Re-1 school board, several called for the current board to hold off on its hasty hiring of a new superintendent.

One of three finalists for superintendent of Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 pulled her name out of contention Monday night after a public interview session.

After an executive session that lasted nearly five hours, the Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School Board in a special meeting Tuesday night came up with a list of three finalists for district superintendent.

Measles, Covid, and influenza remain health concerns nationwide and in the Four Corners area.

The federal government shutdown has reduced local tourism by about 20%, according to Mesa Verde Country CEO Brian Bartlett, though some visitors are still exploring the region's fall colors and outdoor recreation. Mesa Verde National Park and nearby Utah monuments remain open in a limited capacity, while the Ute Mountain Tribal Park continues to offer select tours. Despite fewer visitors overall, Bartlett notes that visitor spending in 2025 is up compared to last year.

The good news is, you can now get into Mesa Verde National Park for free. The bad news is, not much of the park is open.

Colorado's Attorney General — and 2026 gubernatorial candidate — talks rural health care, immigration, gun laws, political violence, water rights, and the future of public radio.

Southwest Health System in Montezuma County is doing well financially, but changes at the federal level will have an impact in coming times.

Visitation at Mesa Verde has been down by a little less than 4 percent this year.

Despite concerns from one member, the Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School Board is moving forward with an aggressively speedy process for hiring a new district superintendent.

Recent rains have provided momentary relief from the drought, but it is still hanging on.

Montezuma-Cortez School Superintendent Tom Burris announced his resignation at Tuesday night's meeting of the District Re-1 board.

A local woman has been indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of her five-year-old daughter in 2022.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser talked with an audience in Cortez on Friday about a number of issues faced by rural communities, including opioids, broadband access, economic development, and water.

Voters in Montezuma County will have several local questions to answer in November's election, depending on where they live.

The Georgia corporation that owns Dollar General stores is again suing the Montezuma County commissioners over their rejection of a store proposed on County Road N at Highway 145.

Two Cortez residents accused of beating a man to death and seriously injuring two other men in Veterans Park the evening of Aug. 20 appeared in District Court Friday.

Some 225 people stood along Cortez's Main Street for an hour Monday evening to express support for workers and criticism of the Trump administration. And during Tuesday's meeting of the Montezuma County Commission, Chair Jim Candelaria spoke out against what he called misinformation on social media.

People who came to Dolores on Wednesday night to see Third District Congressman Jeff Hurd had to make do with asking questions of the Montezuma County commissioners instead.

A local citizen spoke up at Tuesday's meeting of the Montezuma County commissioners to challenge the idea that the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and other sovereign nations don't pay their fair share for public services.

A man who is being sued for defamation by Montezuma-Cortez School District Superintendent Harry (Tom) Burris has filed a motion to have that lawsuit dismissed.

Two Cortez residents are being held in connection with a violent homicide and two assaults that took place in the city's Veterans Park on Wednesday evening.

A 31-year-old Towaoc man has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a woman early on the morning of Aug. 12.