By the end of the first five hours of compensation negotiations representatives bargaining on behalf of teachers and support staff in Durango schools were weary but content with their progress They made quaint jokes as they prepared to close the meeting Thursday – after another five-hour negotiation now five minutes behind schedule – the union’s representatives were feeling “deeply angry,” “pretty upset” and “disrespected.” The Durango Education Association and the Durango Education Support Professionals Association which represent a combined 743 licensed teachers and support staff in Durango School District 9-R will enter day three of compensation negotiations with the district on Monday But progress has been trudging as they venture from vastly disparate positions the union brought their request for a 15% cost-of-living increase to the natural movement pay scale that accounts for experience and merit Suspending natural movement is “a nonstarter,” the union says and they are seeking a cost-of-living increase atop it The administrators had offered several options including the natural movement with no adjustment a $1,000 bonus to all staff and an increase in wages to starting salaries The latter two would include the caveat that natural movement be suspended district administrators appear intent on reexamining the pay scales unofficially led by Executive Director of Human Capital Laura Galido has offered numerous options that include freezing the step plans and forming a focus group to examine them going forward “We cannot sustain natural movement with the revenue that we are receiving,” said Director of Finance Kira Horenn every year our natural movement exceeds revenue.” as the facilitator Dennis Carlson refers to them given the interest-based negotiating model they use in the hopes to keeping bargaining copacetic is composed of 10 teachers and staff members and one representative from the Colorado Education Association forming one side; on the other sit Board of Education Treasurer Rick Petersen the district’s fiscal reality on Wednesday Although revenues will be up modestly next year – somewhere along the lines of $730,000 – the district’s expenses will increase by much more than that rising insurance costs and other inflating costs 9-R will face a deficit ranging from $2.2 million to $3.5 million next year in its operating budget depending on whether the federal government releases education funding to Colorado it has said it will withhold over diversity That would deprive Durango schools of $1.3 million next year which occur in jumps of generally just over 4% (but sometimes as much as 7%) over the course of a few years The main contention during negotiations was the use of the district’s unrestricted budget reserve of about $7.1 million The district also has $11.4 million in reserves per state law and the board of education Teachers and support staff members say they need cost-of-living relief now given that the district’s coffers have swelled over the last five years The proposed 6% adjustment would cost the district about $3.5 million next year Future school financing is always uncertain but “the need is immediate for our constituents,” DEA negotiator Ameryn Maestas said But administrators are deeply uncomfortable with the idea of using a non-replenishing cash reserve to pay for salaries “It would be irresponsible to tap into an unassigned fund balance for recurring costs,” COO Coleman said parties on both sides agreed on one thing: They were looking at the same financial information and drawing different conclusions Statistics presented by the administrators – the district spends 87% of its budget on compensation; the 577 students lost to charter schools short the district $6.6 million in per-pupil funding; insurance premiums are expected to rise 16.5% which will cost the district between $561,000 and $808,000 depending on how much it saddles upon employees – painted a clear picture of the district’s financial stress Union negotiators wove tales of their own financial stress and that of their members One DESPA member received a late paycheck and came home to an eviction notice on her door Durango High School Building Tech Erin Carlson said a high school physics and computer science teacher said he knew teachers in their first four years of work – meaning they get automatic raises each year – who now net less savings today than in their first year because of increased cost of living One teacher told a negotiator that they wait until the last possible moment to buy groceries “Budgets are a list of priorities,” said Jake Richmond a special education paraeducator at Riverview Elementary School “Employees like me are reminded every month on payday that we are close to the bottom of that priority list.” Durango’s starting teacher salary of $51,500 is above state and national median levels But compensation does not remain so buoyant “We are lagging behind in state benchmarks when it comes to career-long pay,” Richmond said As each side left to caucus among themselves the room filled with teachers munching pizza and chattering which crescendoed into cheers of appreciation each time the bargaining team returned to the table The interest-based negotiation style is written into the master contract it involves a series of steps designed to ensure that all parties get to share their thoughts feelings and priorities and can hear out one another It resolves only with consensus of the entire team and is intended to better preserve relationships between parties going forward the parties can at times struggle to avoid getting positional “I have an interest that 9-R staff don’t go two years in a row without a cost-of-living increase,” Cody Dreher who works with the state education association said during a section of the negotiation dedicated to sharing interests “I have an interest in creating a compensation system that results in staff truly understanding the increases they are receiving in compensation each year,” Galido said shortly after “We continue to increase salaries each year “I have an issue with this,” a DEA member observing from the audience interrupted because I’m having a problem with the fact that some people their stories are about food and food sensitivity and we have a speaker who’s controlling our money saying that .. Another DEA member cut the man off and ushered him out of the room Thursday’s negotiations made the administration’s priority clear: suspend the scheduled steps that some were scheduled to take this year and create a focus group to examine the structure going forward they have repeatedly offered stipends that would equally (although not equitably the union says) provide some relief to all staff disproportionately benefiting the lowest paid among them Anything that suspends natural movement is “a nonstarter for our members,” Fogg said on the basis that the step system had been hard-won in previous negotiations nor should we have to,” Maestas said in an interview with The Durango Herald on Friday “I think that has been incredibly frustrating Natural movement is something that’s expected by the district They have data about how and when people will move It’s something that people work for years to amass enough points to make a move.” whose often affectless demeanor was received “I’m tired of being spoken to like I’m stupid,” said Erin Carlson “I’m tired of being spoken to like I don’t understand.” Although the union said that a 6% offer was its final one the parties will bring in a mediator for arbitration If that doesn’t produce a contract acceptable to DEA and DESPA the teachers and staff members could conceivably strike although that threat has not yet been made Board Treasurer Petersen said he still has faith in the process to which everyone is seemingly still committed “We’re open and willing to hear further options from the district,” Maestas said “We are not willing to accept a freeze in natural movement or stipend We are negotiating for a (cost-of-living adjustment) Choose from several print and digital subscription packages Sign up for our daily email newsletter or to receive breaking news delivered to your inbox: The email "' + userEmail + '" could not be added Please try again or email Shane at shane@durangoherald.com for assistance We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to our policies Several live fish were accidentally ejected from a Colorado Parks and Wildlife truck transporting them earlier this week from Durango to the Front Range The driver was hauling rainbow and cutthroat trout hybrids from the Durango Fish Hatchery to Trinidad Reservoir someone called the Durango Police Department to report fish falling from a vehicle onto the southbound lanes of Sawyer Drive and South Camino del Rio in the Bodo Industrial Park area the incident occurred after the driver made an abrupt stop The sudden shift in water pressure caused a latch on one of the transport tanks to pop open the driver had managed to return some of the fish to the tank A video shot by a driver and shared with The Durango Herald showed at least a dozen fish flopping about on South Camino del Rio the CPW spokesperson said four fish fell onto the road and died after they could not be returned to the tank 2,260 arrived safely at the reservoir later that day Durango Fish Hatchery Manager Toby Mourning said and it is the first time in the 20 years I have been at Durango that I have heard of this.” I’ve always wondered what the concrete dam-like structure is on Junction creek by the river trail where Junction Creek comes into the Animas River Is it some type of device to stop fish from swimming up Junction Creek from the Animas River The dam indeed has to do with keeping fish out of Junction Creek We won’t judge those who enjoy the scenic attributes of concrete in the middle of a stream but we were pretty certain the dam-like structure isn’t there just for show It turns out that the “roller dam” as it’s called belongs to Colorado Parks and Wildlife CPW’s Southwest Region public information officer said the dam does have a use other than a hangout spot for high school students who want to ditch class and enjoy the soothing sounds of flowing water while they’re doing .. Junction Creek is home to naturally reproducing rainbow trout The dam – which used to provide surface water to the Durango Fish Hatchery – now acts as a fish barrier to stop whirling disease-positive fish from swimming up Junction Creek and infecting the rainbow trout “We actually recently tested those (Junction Creek) fish for whirling disease Action Line also recently received a question about the electric vehicle chargers at Durango-La Plata County Airport: Why are there EV chargers in the long term parking lot at the Durango airport What’s stopping someone from plugging in and then flying away for three weeks We reached out to Aviation Director Tony Vicari at the airport for insight who said the six EV charger parking spaces were installed as a trial last year “As adoption of electric vehicles continues to increase we saw this as a low-cost way to provide a viable charging option for a subset of our parking lot users who may otherwise be reluctant to utilize our parking facilities,” he said Most vehicles need six to 20 hours for a full charge Vicari said the average long-term trip out of the airport is three to five days and “there is nothing stopping someone from plugging in a vehicle and leaving it for multiple days.” He recognizes that extra long-term chargers could be a problem but that’s part of what the airport is hoping to test with the trial run it may add more chargers to meet the demand Submit questions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail questions to Action Line Senior day couldn’t have gone better for the Durango High School girls soccer team as the Demons won 3-0 over Fruita Monument It was a beautiful spring afternoon for a soccer game and the Demons played a beautiful brand of soccer Durango moved the ball through the midfield and up the middle for some fantastic scoring chances Fruita couldn’t get anything going offensively against the stout Durango defense kicking long balls and praying a Wildcat would be on the other end The Demons played plenty of players as they cruised to victory for their 12th consecutive win and a perfect 10-0 league record “I’m extremely proud about the performance both the whole season and this game in general,” Durango head coach Zac Keeler said “They worked hard this week trying to make sure Fruita didn’t have a chance with us and they played the game plan perfectly.” Durango improved to 12-3 overall and 10-0 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League The Demons won the league for the first time since 2021 and have the most wins in a season since 2022 Durango scored 43 goals in league play and only gave up three Seniors Bella Saren and Emma Hyder scored for the Demons and sophomore Annika Lundquist also had a goal Fruita fell to 8-4-3 overall and 5-2-3 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League “We’ve been playing together for so long that it all came together It was really good to win as a team with all of us out there.” The Demons struck four minutes into the game Scott played a pass to Lundquist on the right side Lundquist dribbled the ball toward the keeper and slotted the goal home for the first goal Durango did a great job limiting Fruita’s attempts early on with strong tackles in the middle of the field and intercepting passes Fruita and Durango mostly battled in the middle third of the field with neither team able to connect on the final pass into the attacking third The Wildcats’ main source of offense was playing long balls from the defense or the midfield to the Wildcats’ speedy center forward Brook Cox She threatened to break away but Scott did a good job of using her body to either shield Cox from the ball or go in with a strong tackle Junior goalkeeper Ryne Neiman got off her line with about 15 minutes left in the half to clear the ball away to keep the clean sheet Durango had some fantastic passing in the final 15 minutes in the midfield and its excellent passing paid off Emma Hyder played a beautiful through ball down the center from the middle of the field to Saren She split the two center backs and ran onto the ball Saren dribbled in a perfectly placed her shot in the lower right corner for a 2-0 lead with 5:49 left in the half “We were testing out how they wanted to hold their (defensive) line and we practiced it a bit on Thursday,” Keeler said “When our give-and-gos weren’t going to work we wanted to make those through passes and they had their high line there on the attacking third The Demons continued to dominate possession in the second half Fruita’s long ball tries disappeared and Durango moved the ball well in the middle of the field Hyder used her height to score the Demons’ third goal A cross came into the 18-yard box and Hyder headed it into the right side of the net with 27:40 left as Hyder rolled her ankle and was down on the field Durango dodged a bullet only a few minutes later split two Durango defenders and was taken down inside the top left of the 18-yard box She skied the kick over the crossbar and the game remained 3-0 with 25 minutes left The Demons continued to attack up the middle A crowd surrounded the ball around the 30-yard line and a short through ball was played through the middle to Saren Saren hit a shot that was heading for the top corner The Fruita goalkeeper had other ideas and dove through the air to make the stop with 17 minutes left Fruita didn’t have any offensive chances in the last 15 minutes Durango’s defense was strong and in unison to preserve the shutout “The off the ball press on their goal kicks not allowing them to have much more than a long hit to Ryne … we’ve been working on that and it’s been making a lot of teams hit it hard and long for us to gobble it up,” Keeler said Durango will find out its seeding and matchup in the 4A bracket on Sunday The Demons are expected to have the fourth or fifth seed in the bracket and should have at least two home games the Demons were upset in the first round and look to avenge that loss and make a deep playoff run “There’s a lot of chemistry on our team this year and we’re taking everything we do in practice and applying it really well on the field,” McVaugh said “We’re really good at adapting to who we go against I’m really proud of this team this season.” The previous night’s adrenaline rush was clearly gone After netting two goals and assisting on another during a chilly 10-0 senior night home win over Ignacio Bayfield’s Kambrie Byrd slowly reentered Wolverine Country Stadium Friday afternoon with warm-ups having already commenced and eventually took an uneasy seat on the bench But even with her right quadriceps imploring her to say no when interim head coach Cody Kiss initially asked if she could play against 2A Telluride Byrd didn’t hesitate with her affirmative replies Byrd’s presence was not enough as Bayfield lost 2-1 “I was just pushing through the pain,” she said afterward “But I was not going to sit and watch my last high school game and it was harder because this was the team I got injured against in But we competed really well against them; we were playing really aggressive.” So aggressive that even when fortune was favoring THS during the second half the Wolverines more or less goaded the guests into receiving two yellow cards late Product of a particularly pesky challenge by BHS junior Arriyanna Cundiff THS senior Pella Ward was booked in the 69th minute after knocking Cundiff down to the grass Telluride junior Kimberly Magana was also cautioned and briefly sent off to let her frustration dissipate Bayfield could not exploit either’s absence the Miners effectively pinned the home side back in its own end and continued to send shots BHS junior goalie Lily Muir’s way – hoping for an insurance goal just in case the Wolverines managed to muster one last attack nor fellow seniors Emma Reggiannini and Sofia Martin managed to score (Muir had shoved a dangerous Ward attempt off the crossbar and out of play not long before Ward’s carding) the rest of the match Telluride had already done enough to leave with a 2-1 victory in the teams’ mutual season finale Cundiff had opened the scoring in the 22nd minute in an unusual way Given a one-on-one breakaway chance against THS’ Abby Vidal Cundiff’s low shot was stopped by the keeper – but bounced straight back to Cundiff who managed to get enough foot on the ball to roll it through fast-arriving traffic and over the vacated goal line before a THS player could sweep it away but Muir raised her gloves high enough to palm the shot off the underside of her crossbar with the ball then incredibly reversing itself off the goal line and remaining in play Receiving senior Elle Owen’s throw-in from in front of the Miners’ bench Ward then dribbled hard around defender Kambria Bailey and curved a 47th-minute shot over Muir and perfectly into the upper corner at the unguarded back post as did fellow senior Briauna Lawton-Chavez Sydney Rey nearly regained Bayfield the lead literally 15 seconds later but blasted a 25-yard shot off Vidal’s crossbar Neither squad then managed to strike until the 58th minute having received a short-range Magana pass while near the elbow of BHS’ 18-yard box to Muir’s right planted her left foot hard and spun around a defender then dribbled a short distance closer before again shooting over Muir to the back post – netting what would hold up as the match-winner “Definitely had a better first half than the second but I think we ended on a high,” said Byrd “Last night and today was a really good way to end the season.” Closing out the season with their fifth match in seven calendar days Bayfield finished the 2025 grind standing 2-12-0 overall (0-6-0 3A Intermountain) while Telluride improved to 4-10-0 1-4-0 in his wild week at the helm after suddenly succeeding Aaron Anderson who resigned on April 24 following a remark made to a player just minutes before kickoff against 2A Del Norte confirmed by BHS Athletic Director Andy Duffy Assistant coach Eddie Bailey then oversaw BHS’ 7-1 victory “To still come together and still be that competitive … the fighting performance was good on everybody,” Kiss stated “A lot of people got playing time – some got more than before – and stepped up Lawton-Chavez and Tanna Owens – who scored once in the win over Ignacio – all played their final match in the purple-and-gold and the head coach acknowledged their upcoming graduation will leave a hole in next season’s roster “Obviously the four seniors will be a loss,” Kiss said “but there’s a lot of quality within the program going forward.” Regarding his own future with BHS’ girls’ and possibly boys’ soccer programs now that I’ve learned about some of my players on the team,” Kiss said The Fort Lewis College Whalen Gymnasium was abuzz with excitement for FLC’s two Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremonies which were held one after another Saturday morning Thirteen hundred or more people filled the bleachers in a show of support for the 375-plus graduating students The usual outdoor ceremony was changed to two indoor ceremonies because of a forecast of possible inclement weather and featured around 200 School of Arts & Sciences and School of Education graduates It was followed by a ceremony for more School of Arts & Sciences graduates and Katz School of Business graduates Incoming FLC President Heather Shotton said the graduating class is determined to solve the world’s most pressing and complex problems and to make the world a better place “We marveled at their ability to connect their passion to purpose,” she said graduates researched local transportation issues water quality in the Animas and Florida watershed and treaty rights and environmental health impacts in tribal communities Graduates applied Indigenous knowledge to food sovereignty on the FLC campus and shape the college’s “reconciliation work for generations.” FLC Board of Trustees member Meredith Mapel said the commencement ceremony is a significant milestone for graduates because they’ve developed the skills that will help them succeed in their lives One unique skill graduates developed at FLC balance and the willingness to be fair and honest.” “It’s a special skill that will serve you well in your future and puts you in a unique position of strength,” she said She said she challenges graduates to put that unique skill to work and “go forward in your life with grace,” reminding them one can be clear firm and full of conviction and still conduct oneself with grace a novelist and author who gained national acclaim for his debut novel “There There,” told graduates that for a long time he thought of himself as “dumb.” He used to joke he peaked in fifth grade and when he was 6 years old he wanted to be either a garbage man or a lawyer when he grew up – he had no defined sense of direction He said he took to writing to overcome that notion he was “dumb.” He said degrees like those graduates earned on Saturday matter because everyone needs moments to stop “Greed and self-interest seem to rule the land,” he said and around the world and adding a nod to internet trolls the “doom and gloom” of news and climate change what one devotes his or her time to is what one belongs to “All the time you spent worrying and writing and thinking about how you were going to get through the next day … that time is you So please allow the honoring of this ceremony to mean what it should mean when you made it,” he said “You created this moment by working through all the times you didn’t think you could.” The Durango Fire Protection District will hold its first board election in 11 years on Tuesday when voters will choose three candidates from a field of five to fill open seats The six-member board of directors oversees the district’s budget and elections are held every two years if there are enough candidates to necessitate an election The Durango Herald spoke with all five candidates this week to learn why they are running their backgrounds and what they hope to contribute if elected said she is already involved with DFPD and highlighted her background in government finance Gallagher is the chief financial officer for Fort Lewis College She also serves on the board of the Colorado Association of School Business Officials and sits on the small institutions committee for the Western Association of College and University Business Officials She said her financial and governmental experience is a strength she brings to the board Colorado expanded the number of people eligible for property tax cuts Gallagher said while the change benefits homeowners she said balancing the needs of the community with the emergency services provided by the district will be even more important Gallagher said she has dealt with similar budgetary pressures working in education “You really have to go through those budgets with a fine-tooth comb and look at what's a want versus a need,” she said Gallagher said she and her colleagues delivered clean audits and balanced budgets She said that experience is a significant asset particularly because she would not need time to get up to speed on board operations “I've been really privileged to be on the board and if I'm lucky enough to get elected for a second term I think it would be my privilege to help the fire district move forward,” Gallagher said TJ Hermesman is a lifelong Durango resident He graduated from Durango High School before serving four years in the military which he believes affords him a perspective that would be an asset to the board Hermesman said being a service member in the lower echelons of the military shares many commonalities with the day-to-day experiences of firefighters That understanding could be beneficial in helping shape fire district policies that support staff Hermesman said he has experience with emergency services personal connection to the Durango Fire District His mother was the first female firefighter employed by the district Hermesman said he would prioritize fiscal responsibility policy oversight and stronger connections between firefighters and the community along with several other properties in the La Plata County area he said he understands the perspective of those who pay the mill levies that fund the district as well as the residents who rely on its services “I would love the opportunity and the ability to help the fire department,” he said said she has gained knowledge about the DFPD over her four-year term and highlighted her commitment to community service McCallum is a financial planner at Baird Private Wealth Management as well as the chair of the Business Advisory Committee She works with the Women Aid Count Council and spent around eight years as chair of the city of Durango Retirement Board “I really like to genuinely give back to my community from here and it’s important to me that I try and make a difference,” she said After hearing about the board opening in 2022 from some of the firefighters she decided to try it out and said it has been an extraordinarily rewarding experience “I've never learned this much being on a board,” she said but after four years absorbing knowledge about city and county governments she said the biggest challenge is finding ways to increase firefighters’ pay It’s up to the board to closely examine the budget and ensure everyone is taken care of which McCallum thinks the current board has collaborated together on very well “We have a great board right now,” she said Jason Moore landed in Durango 4½ years ago after a 20-year career in the U.S Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer he has spent his winters working on ski patrol at Purgatory Resort Moore said both of those positions have prepared him for a seat on the board Moore was responsible for a large number of people and airplanes quality assurance and budget management of an organization that he said operates in a similar way to fire departments Moore said he managed a significantly larger budget than what the fire department works with He acknowledged his unfamiliarity with the board's past activities and current financial challenges but said he is eager to support the department's growth and expansion pointing to the potential new fire station in Three Springs subdivision Moore expressed a strong desire to give back to the community anyway he can and said serving on the board would allow him the opportunity to do so David Stokes has close connections to the Durango fire district He spent nine years working for the district as a volunteer a part-time wildland firefighter and a reservist before eventually moving into a full-time position Stokes said he would bring “an experienced eye in many levels of the fire service” to the board as well as a varied background of community service and involvement Stokes has been involved in the Durango community since his arrival in 1999 He volunteered at the adult education center taught at-risk youths for several years at the Southern Ute Community Action Programs and coached club and high school volleyball Stokes is the president of the Marion and Edward Gallagher foundations – philanthropic organizations that provide financial assistance to the John Hopkins Hospital Stokes said he would be continuing a family tradition of service Votes must be cast at one of two polling locations: 103 Sheppard Drive in Bodo Park or at Station No Eligible electors must be registered to vote in Colorado and must reside in or own property within the Durango Fire Protection District The city of Durango is not technically in the district; rather the city contracts with the DFPD for fire services which means city residents are not eligible to vote or serve on the board unless they own property that is in their name within the district CORTEZ – Hundreds of riders from across the region are ready to hop into the saddle and take to the Phil’s World trails for one of the premier endurance mountain bike races in the country the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde race continues to pack the Montezuma County Fairgrounds each year providing a day of excitement for the competitors – both professional and recreational – as well as a boon for local beneficiaries and services in the 2024 edition of the race to support over 15 nonprofit organizations like the Four Corners Child Advocacy Center Good Sam’s Food Pantry and the Pinon Project race director Nic McDonald and the 12 Hours board look forward to continuing their legacy of giving The race itself offers a variety of categories for athletes of all ages from Cap’s Kids Races on the Fairgrounds property to the multiple categories of teens and adults ranging from Grommet (Under 19) to Geezer (50 and over) Opening with their traditional cannon shot at 7 a.m. either individuals or relay teams of 2-4 competitors zoom through the single-track trails to complete as many circuits of the 16.4-mile Phil’s World loop as possible before the race’s conclusion at 7 p.m athletes are encouraged to dress up in a theme – and the 2025 edition celebrates the Muppets Registration for the race closes on Sunday May 4 while the packet pickup will be on Friday the race relies on the countless hours of the community members to make the whole race weekend flow smoothly For individuals looking to get involved to either compete or to volunteer in various capacities like venue cleanup helping with the kid’s races or course marshaling they can register on race’s website – www.12hoursofmesaverde.com Durango High School girls lacrosse players parents and fans must be very thankful that Fiona Chandler lost a bet six years ago The star senior goalie had a bet with current teammate Jordan Meininger that if Chandler played a year of lacrosse then Meininger would play a year of hockey Fast forward six years and neither of them is playing hockey Chandler has played goalie for the Demons since she was a freshman and has starred for Durango Chandler has been one of the best goalies in the state as a senior and has led Durango to a 10-3 regular season record The Demons are in a position to host a home playoff game next week I feel like the team this year has been especially exciting because we have a bunch of underclassmen They're all learning the ways of lacrosse and getting into the groove of the team It's awesome because we have a pretty good spread of people who score and our defense is the same as last year Chandler grew up playing hockey and played hockey goalie starting when she was eight She’s always liked being in the high-stress position of goalie; she enjoys the leadership position and working with the defense After Chandler began playing lacrosse in eighth grade it was perfect timing for her freshman year because the varsity team needed a goalie But Chandler had hip issues from playing goalie in hockey and had to work through those while getting up to speed with high school lacrosse She started her high school lacrosse career splitting time as a freshman before she earned the starting job in the second half of the season Durango girls lacrosse head coach Eric Elliot said he remembers how Chandler always had the right mindset in goal; she had a short-term memory and if she let a goal in Chandler’s quick hands stuck out as a freshman which Elliot thinks translated from her hockey-playing days and the Demons won 10+ games twice and made the playoffs every year But it was her junior year when she felt like she made the biggest leap Elliot saw it too; Chandler started becoming more confident and played the goalie position more athletically and in a more active style than previous goalies Elliot coached but she’s taken a few more chances with passes like kids passing from behind the net,” Elliot said “Maybe taking a step out of the crease or toward the mouth of the crease there to interrupt another pass in the front of the net.” Chandler has also been in a leadership role this season She’s been mentoring sophomore backup goalie Jody Holden Elliot said Chandler has a good mix of leading by example and with her voice The Demon lacrosse veteran has enjoyed mentoring Holden and helping her get into the high school lacrosse mindset “It's been awesome to have someone,” Chandler said you can get stuck in a bad mindset or a bad game and you have to sit there and go through it it's pretty sweet to count on them and trust in them that even if you're having a really bad day they're there to help out and help the rest of the team.” who’s heading to New York to attend Cornell University to study information science with a data science focus She’s looking into playing club lacrosse there she and Elliot hope to keep winning and get further into the playoffs than they have before Elliot knows he’ll have a tall task to replace her “She’s by far the best goalie (I’ve coached here),” Elliot said A La Plata County woman who hit and injured a motorcyclist while driving under the influence of alcohol in 2024 was sentenced Friday to 45 days jail and 45 days of electric home monitoring as part of a plea agreement On Aug. 16, Inez Jernberg-Feely, 46, was driving east on Florida Road when she drifted into the oncoming lane Anthony Hospital in Lakewood with serious injuries He lost one of his legs as a result of the crash Jernberg-Feely pleaded guilty to felony vehicular assault and was sentenced to 90 days in jail but 45 days will be served on electric home monitoring Sixth Judicial District Judge Nathaniel Baca also sentenced her to three years probation Barrie NewbergerKing requested the jail time be dropped from the sentence NewbergerKing argued jail time was unnecessary as Jernberg-Feely had been more than cooperative with the court and had expressed an immense amount of regret and understanding of the harm she caused Jernberg-Feely is from the Netherlands and is not a citizen of the United States she will be unable to leave the country for the next five years or else she could face a high likelihood of being barred from reentering as a result of her felony conviction The consequences – like being unable to visit sick or dying family members – more than imparts the seriousness of her crimes NewbergerKing said in arguing for no jail time Prosecutor Connor Wills disagreed and asked Baca to assign the maximum 90 days of jail stipulated in the plea agreement pointing to the life-altering consequences to the victim “I believe he (Sliter) would gladly give up 90 days to get his leg back,” Wills said expressing a hesitancy to accept the plea agreement due to the seriousness of the offense “It’s going to haunt both of you for the rest of your lives,” Baca said He decided to accept the plea agreement because Jernberg-Feely’s had demonstrated an extraordinary amount of remorse but would not waive the jail time so that Sliter would feel valued and like his injuries were taken seriously by the court Jernberg-Feely was taken into custody immediately after her sentencing Jernberg-Feely is required to provide financial restitution to her victim explain to me why the “Big Chief” advertisement is bad while the comic and satire art by Kewa Pueblo native Ricardo Cate is good and acceptable Cato’s art portrays virtually identical characters to the Big Chief someone explain to me why one is unacceptable while the other is acceptable This week's Page One reading is from Math with Bad Drawings: Illuminating the Ideas That Shape our Reality  by Ben Orlin Durango Public Library associate Nancy Stoffer selects and reads "page one" of a different book Hear Page One on KSUT Monday mornings at 9:30 and Saturday mornings at 7:30 VANCOUVER, BC, May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Luca Mining Corp. ("Luca" or the "Company") (TSXV: LUCA) (OTCQX: LUCMF) (Frankfurt: Z68) is pleased to announce analytical results from the next nine (9) underground diamond drill holes of an ongoing 5,000 metre ("m") exploration drill program at the Tahuehueto gold-silver mine in Durango State Drillhole DDH24-216 targeted a previously untested zone approximately 60m below the active mine workings of Level 23 and intersected a new high-grade brecciated zone within the El Creston vein system that returned 9.4m of 0.48 g/t Au and 0.71% Zn (5.21 g/t Au Eq) within a larger 13.9m zone of 0.43 g/t Au and 0.51% Zn (3.90 g/t AuE Eq) from 124.6m Drillhole DDH25-221 targeted the strike extension of the Creston FW Vein north of previously drilling in an area approximately 65 horizontal metres from active mine workings of Level 12 and intersected a new high-grade brecciated zone within the El Creston vein system that returned 6.9m of 1.90 g/t Au Drillhole DDH25-222 was drilled into an undertested area of the Creston FW Vein north of current underground workings in an area approximately 80 horizontal metres from active mine workings of Level 12 and intersected a new high-grade brecciated zone within the El Creston vein system that returned 4.8m of 3.15 g/t Au 0.27% Pb and 0.41% Zn (5.62 g/t AuEq) from 117.7m drilled into an undertested area of the Creston FW Vein north of current underground workings in an area approximately 120 horizontal metres from active mine workings of Level 12 and intersected a new high-grade brecciated zone within the El Creston vein system that returned 5.1m of 0.76 g/t Au 3.36% Pb and 6.85% Zn (5.62 g/t AuEq) from 134.4m Figure 1 presents the location of the drillholes and Tables 1 and 2 provide summary analytical results and drill collar details Twenty (20)  holes have been completed to date for over 4,500m as part of the current Phase 1 exploration drilling campaign which has a primary resource development objective to determine both vertical and lateral extents of known mineralization within the Creston and Perdido vein systems that are; a) proximal to current mine workings and b) interpreted to host un-tested extensions of the mineralized structures it is anticipated that mineable resources will be added into the near-term and medium term Tahuehueto Mine Plan.  The majority of holes completed to date in this program have intersected new mineralized parts of the Creston and Perdido vein structures in areas of no previous historic drilling further validating the continuous nature of these pervasive and mineralized veins.   A key result is the discovery of a new high-grade breccia zone ore shoot in close proximity to the existing mine workings which demonstrates the high potential for additional new high-impact discoveries and the immediate and meaningful return on investment of this exploration drilling "The discovery of multiple new high-grade ore shoots so quickly into this new exploration program confirms the robust nature of the Tahuehueto epithermal vein system and the potential to add immediate value to this asset.  The fact that the current drilling program has consistently intersected well-mineralized veins in previously untested areas also confirms the Company's exploration approach and moreover speaks to the larger potential of the Tahuehueto mineralized system the high-grade breccia zones intersected within holes DDH24-216 and DDH25-221 that represent new ore shoots highlight the unrealized economic potential of the Creston Vein and we look forward to additional results from the drillholes currently under analysis." With the success of the Phase 1 exploration campaign a Phase 2 underground drilling program consisting of an additional 5,000m of drilling has been approved and has commenced.  Phase 2 will target the extension of the Creston Vein System to the north and will be bolstered by surface drilling in and around the underexplored Santiago Deposit located ~950m from the eastern extent of the existing Tahuehueto mine development.  The Santiago Deposit (See Company News Release of April 26 2022) offers significant expansion potential as historic drilling left it open along strike and to depth Recent surface mapping at Santiago has identified the potential for thick higher-grade breccia-type ore shoots within areas of the deposit with low drill density and along strike Table 1: Highlighted Diamond Drill Assay Results from DDH24-216 through DDH25-224 *True widths are estimated to be 85% of drilled intervals ** AuEq equation is: AuEq = Au + (Ag*0.0128) + (Cu%*1.2799) + (Pb%*0.2737) + (Zn%*0.3359) Table 2: Drill Collar Locations and Details for Released Results epithermal gold-silver vein system comprising 11 kilometres of strike length of known veins and mineralized and structures.  These campaigns represent the first substantive exploration drilling on the Property in over 12 years Mineralization remains open along strike and at depth for most of the modeled Mineral Resource areas.  The objective of the current campaigns will be a combination of in-fill and step-out drilling to demonstrate the vertical and lateral extent of mineralization as well as to target thick high-grade mineralized breccia-type ore shoots known to exist within the epithermal vein system Recent mining in Level 23 encountered higher grade mineralization averaging 3.30 g/t Au over vein widths up to 20 metres (with values up to 65.04 g/t Au) in ore shoots branching off the main Creston vein (See news release dated May 29 In addition to the four veins that comprise the mineral resource there are at least 14 additional prospective veins documented within the concession area that have potential to host additional epithermal Au-Ag(-Cu-Zn-Pb) mineralization these prospective targets may represent extensions of the currently defined Mineral Resource The Company estimates that there are more than 11 km of prospective vein structures (measured along strike) compared to the 4.5 km of mineralized veins that  support the current Mineral Resource model Figure 2 below shows the relative location of prospective veins (yellow) and veins modeled for resources and reserves (red) within the Company's concession area INTERACTIVE VRIFY 3D MODELTo explore an interactive 3D model featuring the results announced today, click the following link or visit the LUCA Mining website:https://vrify.com/decks/18763 About Luca Mining Corp.Luca Mining (TSX-V: LUCA, OTCQX: LUCMF Frankfurt: Z68) is a diversified Canadian mining company with two 100%-owned producing mines within the prolific Sierra Madre mineralized belt in Mexico which hosts numerous producing and historic mines along its trend silver and lead from these mines that each have considerable development and resource upside The Campo Morado polymetallic VMS mine is an underground operation located in Guerrero State  It produces copper-zinc-lead concentrates with precious metals credits It is currently undergoing an optimization program which is already generating significant improvements in recoveries The Tahuehueto Mine is a large property of over 75 square kilometres in Durango State.  The project hosts epithermal gold and silver vein-style mineralization.  Tahuehueto is a newly constructed underground mining operation producing primarily gold and silver.  The Company has successfully commissioned its mill and is now in commercial production Analytical Method and Quality Assurance/Quality Control Measures All drill core splits reported in this news release were analysed by Bureau Veritas of Durango utilizing the Multi-Acid digestion ICP-ES 35-element MA300 analytical package with FA-430 30-gram Fire Assay with AAS finish for gold on all samples. Au over-limits from FA-430 are re-analyzed by FA530 30-gram Fire Assay with Gravimetric finish Ag over-limits from ICP MA300 analytical package are re-analyzed by FA530 30-gram Fire Assay with Gravimetric finish Pb and Zn over-limits from ICP MA300 analytical package are re-analyzed by ICP Multi-Acid digestion MA370 package All core samples were split by core saw on-site at Luca's core processing facilities at the Tahuehueto Mine half samples were placed back in the core boxes with the other half of split samples sealed in poly bags with one part of a three-part sample tag inserted within. Samples were collected by Bureau Veritas at the Tahuehueto Mine site and transported to Bureau Veritas' Durango Laboratory where samples are prepared to a 250 gram pulp and analyzed for Gold by Fire assay with pulps shipped to Bureau Veritas's Analytical laboratory in Vancouver 1/4 core duplicates and blanks was implemented in the 2024-2025 exploration drilling program and is monitored as chemical assay data become Qualified PersonThe technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr Vice President Exploration at Luca Mining.  Mr Gray is a Qualified Person for the Company as defined by National Instrument 43-101 On Behalf of the Board of Directors(signed) "Dan Barnholden"Dan Barnholden For more information, please visit: www.lucamining.com  Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsIt should be noted that Luca declared commercial production at Campo Morado prior to completing a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability readers should be cautioned that Luca's production decision has been made without a comprehensive feasibility study of established reserves such that there is greater risk and uncertainty as to future economic results from the Campo Morado mine and a higher technical risk of failure than would be the case if a feasibility study were completed and relied upon to make a production decision Luca has completed a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") mining study on the Campo Morado mine that provides a conceptual life of mine plan and a preliminary economic analysis based on the previously identified mineral resources (see news releases dated November 8 Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws the anticipated timing of closing thereof and the expected use of proceeds therefrom; and other possible events conditions or financial performance that are based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; the timing and costs of future activities on the Company's properties such as production rates and increases; success of exploration development and bulk sample processing activities and timing for processing at its own mineral processing facility on the Tahuehueto project site Forward-Looking Information can be identified using words and phrases such as "plans," "expects," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release the Company has applied several material assumptions that all requisite approvals in respect of the Financings will be received and all conditions precedent to completion of the Financings will be satisfied in a timely manner; the Company will be able to raise additional capital as necessary; the current exploration environmental and other objectives concerning the Campo Morado Mine and the Tahuehueto Project can be achieved; the program to improve mining operations at Campo Morado will proceed as planned; the continuity of the price of gold and other metals Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release ("Luca" or the "Company") (TSX-V: LUCA; OTCQX: LUCMF; Frankfurt: Z68) is pleased to.. ("Luca" or the "Company") (TSXV: LUCA) (OTCQX: LUCMF) (Frankfurt: Z68) reports that Mr... Mining Mining Mining & Metals Mining & Metals Do not sell or share my personal information: (LUCMF) has announced several significant discoveries from its ongoing 5,000-meter exploration drill program at the Tahuehueto mine in Durango The company has identified multiple new high-grade breccia ore shoots notably including intersections of 9.4 meters at 5.21 grams per ton (g/t) gold equivalent (AuEq) within a broader 13.9-meter zone at 3.90 g/t AuEq in the El Creston vein system Additional discoveries in the Creston FW Vein have yielded impressive results: 4.8 meters at 5.62 g/t AuEq the company has completed 20 underground drill holes as part of its Phase 1 program which has prompted the approval of a Phase 2 program for an additional 5,000 meters of drilling Surface drilling is also set to begin at the Santiago deposit This initiative is part of Luca Mining's broader exploration strategy to expand its resource base and potentially increase the mine's output What was once an eyesore is now the shining star on the hill at Fort Lewis College the Skyhawks’ weight room was way behind its peers and rivals with local high schools having better spaces and equipment Coaches steered recruits away from the weight room and some teams couldn’t work out together with the lack of space thanks to years of planning by FLC and support from the Durango community the Skyhawks have flown to the top of Division II and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with the opening of the $6 million CommonSpirit Sports Performance Center is 10,000 square feet and has 24 weight racks a 250-square-foot fuel station and a turf area “We evaluated the landscape in DII with our project team and this facility sets us apart,” FLC Director of Athletics Travis Whipple said “It will continue to take us to the top while we recruit and retain high-caliber student-athletes who are focused on their performance in the classroom combined with our best-in-class support services will continue to enhance the student-athlete experience for years to come.” FLC assistant athletic director-sports performance/wellness has felt the transformation in about every way He now has a beautiful office inside the sports performance center with a glass wall overlooking the weight room This allows him to keep an eye on his student-athletes while scheduling workouts and creating workout plans in his office The planning and talk about the sports performance center goes back about five years The ball really got rolling about 2½ years ago when CommonSpirit put forth a generous donation Alpine Bank and several other local businesses followed with funding Then the design phase happened for about a year or a year and a half architects and Whipple brought the vision to life Senior women’s lacrosse player Diamond Velasco said Munro did a good job keeping the student-athletes informed of the progress on the sports performance center with reminders and videos She and her teammates would try to take a peek at the progress of the center Velasco and Munro said some student-athletes got to test the equipment and use the space a few weeks before the grand opening on April 11 She and her lacrosse teammates felt some FOMO – fear of missing out – when they saw other athletes posting videos of themselves using the new facility while the women’s lacrosse team was on the road it feels like a dream come true,” Munro said they’ve been told ever since they were recruited that we were looking into getting something like this performance center and they always had it in the back of their minds that it was coming … What the student athletes are finding is now that we have a space like this it’s more than just a place to do your squats and bench; it’s a place to feel comfortable … with the resources they need to have a solid performance career in their sport The sports performance center can be divided into four sections A few smaller teams can work out in each section or a bigger team can have the entire team in the sports performance center Student-athletes won’t have to run across the room during a workout session; instead they can do most of their workouts at their section Munro and the rest of the FLC athletic staff knew cardio equipment would be essential to the space With winter weather in Durango for six months out of the year Munro said training with sprinting and speed workouts year-round is essential to preventing injuries treadmills and rowers are essential for when the weather is bad Munro thinks some of the technological advancements at the new sports center are unheard-of at the Division II level The student-athletes and teams use an app called TeamBuildr which is a program-design software where all student-athletes get a profile get individualized programs and can track their progress throughout their career “That allows them to pull up their name and see exactly what they need to do in here but also go home for winter break or summer break and still get those workouts and be able to have full access to them,” Munro said “Or if an injured individual can’t do something there’s a little button that says opt out and then they can opt out of that exercise and they can put in the notes what they did instead They can also message me on that app so that they have full access to get a hold of me if they have any questions.” Munro and the athletic training staff at FLC can also post educational content on TeamBuildr FLC will also use Output Sports’ devices that track an athlete’s velocity on any movement It can be put on a barbell and an athlete can do a squat The device will then show how fast they moved in that squat “It’s an assessment tool that we’re going to use very heavily with our athletic trainers,” Munro said “We will pick the three most common injury areas for that sport We’ll do an assessment to track maybe their mobility or their stability or their balance because you can put it on your wrist and it’ll show an exact angle of measurement in an external rotation … We’re going to do this with all freshmen as they come in We have those numbers so if they get injured now we can retest and we can make sure we get them back to where they need to be before we put them back on the court The new area has energized the current student-athletes the NCAA mandates that schools can’t do structured workout sessions with their student-athletes A weight room can be opened for optional workouts the old weight room would get five to 10 visitors a day for optional workouts Munro said 75 to 100 student-athletes have been showing up for optional workouts per day but the sports performance center has opened his eyes One of the biggest reasons the student-athletes are excited for the sports performance center is because of how poor the old weight room was it was five times smaller than the sports performance center There were half racks from the 1980s that were starting to fall apart no turf and only one set of dumbbells for every number Teams could barely fit into the old space and some had to split up the time student-athletes could use the old weight room became limited because so many sessions had to be scheduled since the space was so small Munro would haul around what he called a “fuel wagon” with a few snacks because of the partnership with Coca-Cola Durango the fuel station has things like Core Power Protein Shakes Velasco said student-athletes didn’t want to go into the old space because the hours were so limited and it was very dirty because of how many people were using the small space She said student-athletes now feel intrinsically motivated to go into the sports performance center FLC football head coach Johnny Cox said the old weight room was what he used when he starred for the Skyhawks’ football team in the 1990s The new sports performance center allows Cox to continue the upward trajectory of the program the program had only about 60 kids; now that number is close to 120 FLC football has signed one of its biggest recruiting classes in years The sports performance center is a big part of that Cox would rarely show recruits the old weight room and if he did Now it’s the first thing he shows recruits Munro said he tries to meet with most of the recruits and their eyes have widened and they’re amazed by the sports performance center ‘This is top-notch; this is unbelievable,’” Cox said once they got the demonstration and I saw how many more movements can be trained we’re going to have a better football team because you can isolate it and strengthen it in all different ways.” FLC has all the tools for a student-athlete to be great Whipple said it’s a one-stop shop for athletes and it helps the athletic department and college with its focus on its mission of graduating champions while serving the campus community members of the Student Life Center will use the facility “We’ve built the staff and now we have the facility,” Munro said “I’m a firm believer that this is one of the best Division II sports performance centers in the nation now TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel approved plans Monday to seize the Gaza Strip and to stay in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time, two Israeli officials said, a move that, if implemented, would vastly expand Israel’s operations there and likely draw fierce international opposition which was approved in an early morning vote by Israeli Cabinet ministers also calls for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to move to Gaza’s south That would likely amount to their forcible displacement and exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis Details of the plan were not formally announced and its exact timing and implementation were not clear Its approval came hours after the Israeli military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers The plan may be another measure by Israel to try to pressure Hamas into making concessions in ceasefire negotiations said the new plan would not begin until after U.S President Donald Trump wraps up his expected visit to the Middle East this month allowing for the possibility that Israel might agree to a ceasefire in the meantime All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing military plans Later Monday, the Israeli military targeted Houthi rebels in Yemen’s Red Sea city of Hodeida with a punishing round of airstrikes. The strikes came a day after the Iranian-backed rebels launched a missile that hit Israel’s main airport The rebels’ media office said at least six strikes hit the Hodeida port setting off what is believed to the be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages Israel’s offensive has displaced more than 90% of Gaza’s population and The officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count At least 42 people were killed by Israeli strikes from Sunday through Monday afternoon according to hospitals and the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza The Israeli military offered no immediate comment on the strikes Israel is trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday cabinet ministers had decided on a “powerful operation in Gaza," including “a movement of the population to protect it.” The plan also imposes Israeli control over aid distribution Israel accuses Hamas of diverting aid for its own use or to distribute to strengthen its rule in Gaza denied there was significant diversion of aid employs “a solid system to monitor and prevent” such theft The officials said Israel was in touch with several countries about Trump's plan to take over Gaza and relocate its population under what Israel has termed “voluntary emigration." That proposal has drawn widespread condemnation and rights groups have warned it could be a war crime under international law Israel has been trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to get the group to agree to its terms in ceasefire negotiations But the measures do not appear to have moved Hamas away from its negotiating positions The previous ceasefire was meant to lead the sides to negotiate an end to the war Israel says it will not agree to end the war until Hamas' governing and military capabilities are dismantled has sought an agreement that winds down the war without agreeing to disarm Israel's expansion announcement angered families of hostages who fear that any extension of the conflict endangers their loved ones urged Israel's decision-makers to prioritize the hostages and secure a deal quickly called on soldiers “not to report for reserve duty for moral and ethical reasons." Some reservists have indicated they will refuse to serve in a war they increasingly view as politically motivated Israel wants to prevent Hamas from handling aid The defense official said the plan would “separate” Hamas from the aid by using private firms and by using specified areas secured by the Israeli military The official added that Palestinians would be screened to prevent Hamas from accessing the aid According to a memo circulated among aid groups and seen by The Associated Press, Israel told the United Nations that it will use private security companies to control aid distribution in Gaza said it would not participate in the plan as presented The memo summarized a meeting between the Israeli defense body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza It was written by a group briefed on the meeting and sent Sunday to aid organizations all aid will enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing Some 500 trucks entered Gaza every day before the war The memo said that facial-recognition technology will be used to identify Palestinians at logistics hubs and text message alerts will notify people in the area that they can collect aid COGAT did not immediately respond to a request for comment The UN accuses Israel of wanting to control aid as a ‘pressure tactic’ After Israel said it was going to assert more control over aid distribution in Gaza Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs sent an email to aid groups urging them to reject any “draconian restrictions on humanitarian work." which OCHA sent Monday to aid groups and was shared with the AP further stated that there are mechanisms in place to ensure aid is not diverted OCHA said in a statement that the plan would leave large parts of the population It said the plan “appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic — as part of a military strategy.” Aid groups have said they are opposed to using any armed or uniformed personnel to distribute aid that could potentially intimidate Palestinians or put them at risk Hamas decried Israel’s efforts to control distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza as a violation of international law the militant group said the effort is “an extension of the starvation policy” adopted by the Israeli government in Gaza Associated Press reporters Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah and Josef Federman contributed to this report Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war a woman wearing a “Make America Healthy Again” hat was verbally attacked by a man at the Durango Community Recreation Center It was an outburst that reveals the undercurrents of a misaligned culture America has long been a land of “divide and conquer,” where ideological battles take precedence over human connection Durango stands on Native land because of divide and conquer has an uncomfortable past – one where parades once marched down Main Avenue with Native chiefs at the forefront as their children were forced into boarding schools to erase their identity the strategy remains the same – division still fuels control a world where reaction takes the place of reflection where immediate judgment replaces curiosity and where blame overshadows accountability What if we chose to see the complexities in others rather than reduce them to a slogan What if we took personal responsibility – not just for our actions What if we looked into each other’s eyes when we meet is not just a place – it is a collection of people breathing community that thrives when its members engage with one another intentionally Instead of letting national narratives define our relationships we can take small but powerful steps to create the kind of community we want to be a part of Will we keep playing into the hands of division or will we take back what truly matters – our community We do not have to be at the mercy of division We can choose to shape our world differently by recognizing that we all share more in common than we think we move toward a future that is not only brighter but also one where we all feel a sense of belonging Audrey Royem was born and raised in Durango Her international education at University of Colorado and Columbia University Texas (AP) — Cinco de Mayo festivities are taking place across the U.S tequila and colorful displays of Mexican culture — even if they're not always the most authentic meaning the bulk of the celebrations took place over the weekend a state with a large Mexican American population In Austin, Texas, events included an opportunity for children to get their photo taken with characters from the Disney animated musical “Encanto," which is itself a celebration of Mexican culture A luncheon with speakers talking about the significance of the Mexican holiday and Mexican Americans in Austin was planned for Monday Here's a look at the celebration and its roots: Cinco de Mayo marks the anniversary of the 1862 victory by Mexican troops over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla The triumph over the better-equipped and much larger French troops was an enormous emotional boost for Mexican soldiers led by Gen In Mexico, historical reenactments are held annually in the central city of Puebla to commemorate the victory Participants dress as Mexican and French troops and as Zacapoaxtlas — the Indigenous and farmer contingent that helped Mexican troops win In the United States the date is seen as a celebration of Mexican American culture stretching back to the 1800s in California mariachi competitions and baile folklórico ruffled dresses and their hair tied with shiny ribbons Latino activists and scholars say that disconnect in the U.S is bolstered by the hazy history of Cinco de Mayo and marketing that plays on stereotypes that include fake The day often is mistaken for Mexican Independence Day For many Americans with or without Mexican ancestry the day is an excuse to toss back tequila shots and gorge on tortilla chips started as a way for Mexican Americans to preserve their cultural identity director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation “Since then we’ve seen a shift to more commercialization and commodification and mockery over the years," Mota Casper said "I think that has a lot to do with the commercialization of products and especially Latino heritage.” Mota Casper encourages people to learn about that day in history and its importance in Mexico said he celebrates Cinco de Mayo in his household because he's proud of his Mexican ancestry “I try to make sure that the kids understand what it’s about and the battles that our grandfathers fought on,” said Troncoza like Andrea Ruiz don't because her Mexican dad never did But she noted what she deemed the irony in widespread celebrations “I think it’s funny Trump … and all of his supporters want to get Mexicans out they want to go and eat tacos and drink tequila,” the 23-year-old Ruiz said Trump acknowledged Cinco de Mayo during his first term, posting on X, “Happy #CincoDeMayo!” and “I love Hispanics!” as he sat with a “taco bowl.” In the last presidential election, data showed more young Hispanic men moved to the right and voted for Trump It's unclear if the current administration will acknowledge Cinco de Mayo — designated a holiday in Mexico but not in the United States The Associated Press sent an email to the White House Press Office late Friday seeking comment Trump's handling of immigration remains a point of strength as he ramps up deportations and targets people living in the U.S. without legal status, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research there’s less of a consensus that the Republican president has overstepped on immigration than on other issues Organizers of Chicago's Cinco de Mayo parade said they canceled it because the city has become a target for immigration agents Associated Press writer Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles contributed to this report Two Durango residents who illegally entered and disturbed a cultural site in Canyonlands National Park will pay a combined $1,550 in restitution and fines and are barred from visiting federal public lands in Utah for one year pleaded guilty in Utah District Court last month to possessing or distributing cultural or archaeological resources and walking on or entering an archaeological or cultural resource more serious charge – theft of government property valued at less than $1,000 – which was dismissed All charges to which the two pleaded guilty are Class B misdemeanors McKnight will pay $450 restitution to the National Park Service and a $400 fine according to a March 11 sentence issued by a federal magistrate judge Spencer will pay $450 in restitution to the NPS and a $250 fine Neither may enter federal public lands in Utah for one year with an exception carved out for “necessary travel.” Footage caught by a trail camera on March 23 showed the pair entering an area with “closed” signs at Cave Spring Cowboy Camp in the Needles District of Canyonlands in southeastern Utah Federal prosecutors alleged McKnight and Spencer removed artifacts from a cabinet and handled historic harnesses “in a manner that had potential to damage them.” The NPS in May requested help from the public in identifying McKnight and Spencer in an interview with The Durango Herald on Thursday acknowledged that she and Spencer had entered an area they should not have but said there were “no clear signs” indicating a closure The video of the incident supported McKnight’s recollection that no artifacts were removed from the site acknowledging that items were “disturbed” but not “damaged or destroyed.” and McKnight declined to help the Herald contact him “I'm going to keep learning,” McKnight said of her own path forward “I think I’m just going to slow down a little bit more and look at where I'm entering and see if that's allowed or not.” who on Thursday was named to replace Waltz on an acting basis while Waltz was nominated as the U.S “I would think he has just about what he wants” in terms of consolidated power founding director of what is now called the Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law Rubio may once have seemed an unlikely choice for such prominent positions given that the onetime Trump rival and hawkish conservative was derided by Trump as “Little Marco” during the 2016 presidential campaign But since then, the former Florida senator has proved adept at aligning himself with Trump’s foreign policy positions, presiding over a massive overhaul of the State Department while steering clear of some of the pitfalls that other national security leaders have encountered Waltz, for instance, faced intense criticism in March after revelations that he added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a private text chain on an encrypted messaging app that was used to discuss planning for an airstrike against Houthi militants in Yemen Reports of Elon Musk being offering a classified Pentagon briefing on China and Hegseth posting airstrike plans in two Signal chats with dozens of people have spurred calls for the defense secretary's firing Trump's national security team could be “charitably” described as “a work in progress," said Daniel Fried ambassador to Poland and a National Security Council official under both the Clinton and George W citing what he said were concerns about coordination and portfolios “I’m not saying that the Trump foreign policy team is doomed the sense of chaotic decision-making isn’t just a media myth,” Fried said matters to the functioning of a cohesive government That official is intended to serve as a hub in coordinating information soliciting advice among agencies and developing policy recommendations for the president But the argument for balance in policymaking is unlikely to resonate with Trump he has claimed expert knowledge on everything from Islamic militants to taxes and technology a former deputy assistant secretary of state during the George W said Trump often gives greater weight to advice and recommendations from television and social media than his senior advisers “There is very little role for policy coordination because the president is clearly setting the policy on a daily The NSC didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment there are signs that Trump also has welcomed the input of a far-less conventional source: far-right activist Laura Loomer who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Trump's first term but later became a critic Loomer said she recommended to Trump in a private meeting last month that he remove Waltz from his job Changes from the first Trump administration Trump has tried to project a more ordered administration than during his first term Those four years were marked by big personnel changes among his national security leadership and bitter disagreements with officials he felt were trying to rein him in or box in his choices He replaced three national security advisers, and fired an FBI director and secretary of state. He clashed with one defense secretary who resigned after differing with Trump over the abrupt withdrawal of U.S troops from Syria and dismissed another who broke with him over using the military during racial justice protests in 2020 The removal of a national security adviser with views not in perfect alignment with his own may help free Trump from some of the constraints he felt from government agencies in his first term Yet at a moment when Trump is trying to find endgames to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza while trying to negotiate an Iran nuclear deal and waging a global tariff war leaning on Rubio to serve in both roles may be suboptimal Appearing Thursday night on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Rubio centered his comments on the foreign policy news of the day — including the U.S role in trying to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine — rather than on a leadership transition that now has him juggling two major positions “The fact that Rubio has multiple titles may mean that his stock is rising If it’s not clear who is in charge and it’s not clear where you go to get answers It’s a recipe for uncertainty and paralysis.” Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations Matthew Lee and Zeke Miller contributed to this report When Durango High School Troupe 1096 staged “Hadestown: Teen Edition” last month And now there’s further validation: The Troupe has been nominated for 12 Bobby G awards for the production The annual Bobby G High School Theatre Awards – the Bobby Gs for those in the know – is put on through the Denver Center for Performing Arts and is focused on bringing schools across Colorado together to celebrate the amazing work educators and students are doing Troupe 1096 Director Ben Mattson said in an interview last year is once a school registers with the organization four adjudicators score the show on a variety of technical and performance categories while providing in-depth feedback and giving workshops to students WHAT: Durango High School Troupe 1096 presents Senior Showcase and Fundraiser featuring its award-winning one-act “Never Swim Alone.” MORE INFORMATION: Visit https://troupe1096.weebly.com the student actors will stage the one-act “Never Swim Alone” as a fundraiser to help 18 members of the Troupe go to the International Thespian Festival and the 42 students involved in “Hadestown” go to the Bobby G awards ceremony in Denver “The Bobby Gs are essentially like the Tony Awards but for high school musical theater throughout Colorado,” Mattson said “We registered our production of ‘Hadestown’ with the Bobby Gs who then send out five adjudicators to evaluate our show and compare scores across the state Fifty-three schools participated this year and we have tied with Fossil Ridge to have the most nominations.” Hair/makeup: Ava Allen and Sofia Gutierrez The fundraiser will be made up of two acts The first act will showcase short performances and tech presentations from a variety of seniors and students attending the International Thespian Festival There will also be a showcase of a song selection from “Hadestown: Teen Edition” that the Troupe will perform at the Bobby G awards “The second act will be the only performance of ‘Never Swim Alone’ that is available to the public,” he said “Believe me when I say ‘Never Swim Alone’ is 45 minutes of the most interesting theater you will ever see.” This year’s nominations are further proof that Troupe 1096 is improving year over year adding that the time and hard work that everyone involved puts into productions is being recognized “I knew Hadestown was especially good early on Natalie Cohn and I have been the production team for Troupe 1096 for the past four years (‘Addams Family’ was our first production together),” he said and this was clearly a culmination of our time together and our time with an incredible group of students This show also marks our last production together as Petra is retiring after this year Twelve nominations was both a surprise and a confirmation of the high level of quality of this production and how strongly this show communicated to our audience and community I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished families and supporters will gather to celebrate an incredible season and remember beloved Alpine skiing coach Ian McKnight The end-of-season awards party will be a time for the Alpine snowboard and Gromlin club teams to come together and celebrate their success this winter Each discipline will recognize athletes who demonstrated personal achievement The winter held many significant accomplishments and highlights for DWSC racers including having five different athletes win their age groups at the Southern Series Championship 17 was a pause in celebration for the club a Durango native and Alpine coach since 2019 passed away unexpectedly from complications of an epileptic seizure The Alpine team canceled practice the following day and came together around a fire at Chapman to acknowledge McKnight and the loss The party on Sunday will be a time to celebrate the season and all that McKnight contributed to each athlete and to the team DWSC will honor the legacy of McKnight by recognizing an Alpine athlete who embodied his teachings McKnight grew up skiing and Alpine racing at Purgatory dominated local races and proved to be a strong competitor in the national racing circuit As one of the most successful athletes to come out of the Purgatory Ski Team took several podiums in regional and championship races and competed on both the international Whistler Cup Team and the U.S McKnight started his ski coaching career in 2011 with Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club In 2019, McKnight began his coaching career at Durango Winter Sports Club. He was a key member of the coaching staff over the last six years and was known for his strong technical knowledge and deep passion for coaching the tactics and techniques of ski racing. McKnight’s full obituary can be found here: https://everloved.com/life-of/ian-mcknight/obituary/. the DWSC Alpine team was in full stride and experiencing much success McKnight had just completed a travel weekend to Aspen for the Rocky Mountain Division (RMD) U12 Super G training and races This event saw a number of athletes post personal bests and one athlete earned a podium with a third-place result among powerhouse teams such as Vail had many other successes throughout the season including earning the Southern Series Championship title as a team for the sixth consecutive year The Southern Series consists of three race weekends Flagstaff Alpine Ski and Snowboard Team and the Taos (New Mexico) Winter Sports Team Five athletes were Southern Series overall age group winners: Tobin Saffer in U8 DWSC’s freeride, freestyle and snowboard teams also enjoyed a strong season. Their results were shared in a prior article: http://durangoherald.com/articles/durango-winter-sports-club-ski-snowboard-teams-finish-season-strong/. Hosting the end-of-season celebration at Chapman is significant DWSC is fortunate for local partnerships with the City of Durango-Chapman Hill and Purgatory Resort both of which are important training venues for athletes and have been symbols of the local community’s commitment to ski racing DWSC recognizes that coaches are the heart of everything the DWSC does Losing a coach this season has been difficult for all who knew McKnight Coaches pass the sport from generation to generation and keep the opportunity of being a winter sports athlete from the Southwest viable Maintaining this idea was a critical mission for McKnight He has already played a huge role in helping many local kids become racers and his legacy will continue to be a crucial part of ski racing in Durango The 2025 Dodge Durango has the ability to be one of the most powerful SUVs on the marketplace. In its standard GT edition, that isn't immediately clear, as it features a 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine that can get you up to 295 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. It is when you move up in the trim options that you find the true power thanks to the once-thought dead Hemi engine The 5.7L Hemi V8 that powers the Durango R/T models would be plenty powerful enough for a lot of people generating a maximum output of 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque If you want to be in that upper echelon of SUVs you will need to get yourself a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat model This is an SUV that uses a supercharged 6.2L Hemi SRT V8 under the hood that has the capacity to deliver a whopping 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque If you go to get yourself one of these SRT Hellcat models, you will be presented with three different choices: the Hellcat Hammerhead You might assume that each subsequent trim would be more expensive than the previous one this is the case with all of the Durango R/T trims that Dodge offers All three of these trims have the exact same starting price of $101,290 You are undoubtedly paying for that impressive power with that price but it begs the question: what is the difference between them if they all cost the same Choosing between these three 2025 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat trims you are essentially choosing a color scheme for your SUV Along with all sharing the same powertrain and Brembo six-piston high performance brakes Whichever trim you decide to get will determine what colors all of these elements will be This features an exterior color called "Night Moves" that is something of a dark indigo and black trimmings all around the interior though the official name of the paint job lists it as triple nickel instead as it introduces a surprising color scheme elsewhere while the steering wheel and interior trimmings are black That is a rather bold contrast to the more traditional exterior paint job While the Silver Bullet gets its name from its exterior the Brass Monkey gets it from the sepia color for the seats The exterior of this trim is called red oxide Outside of these aesthetic differences between these three trims You just get to choose how you want all that horsepower to look on the street A 6th Judicial District judge ruled against Durango resident and self-styled watchdog John Simpson on Tuesday when she denied his request to dismiss a lawsuit filed against him by the city of Durango The decision sets Simpson and the city up for a civil trial scheduled for Sept although the city has requested a summary judgment that Judge Suzanne Carlson rejected Simpson’s motion to dismiss which argued the city lacked standing to seek declaratory judgments about whether Simpson violated the Colorado Open Records Act and if the Durango Board of Ethics has jurisdiction to continue processing an ethics complaint filed against Simpson Carlson’s ruling said the city’s request for judgments are a claim for relief and are adequate standing to request declaratory judgments and cities have legally protected interests in enforcing their ethics codes The city launched its lawsuit against Simpson in September 2024 following Simpson’s threats of litigation against the city the Durango Board of Ethics and individual Board of Ethics members who were processing an ethics complaint filed against him following the abrupt resignations of two Board of Ethics members Morgan said Simpson’s legal threats to ethics board members at least partially contributed to members’ resignations Former Board of Ethics members Robert Bates-roshchin and Laurie Meininger submitted their resignations about two weeks apart that August Bates-roshchin did not respond to requests for comment about his resignation but cited “unforeseen personal circumstances” in a resignation letter Meininger told the The Durango Herald regarding the review of the complaint against Simpson “everybody in the process is a little frustrated with how slow it’s been moving.” Simpson said at ethics board meetings the board has no jurisdiction over CORA and the issue might have to be resolved in district court The city is seeking declaratory judgments Simpson violated the Colorado Open Records Act by refusing to provide emails between himself and former Councilor Olivier Bosmans to the city for a records request from the Herald in November 2023; and that Simpson “violated or constructively violated CORA” by including disclaimers in the emails that they “are not subject to CORA,” according to court documents Simpson’s conduct, revealed in emails through the Herald’s records request, became the center of an ethics complaint lodged against him in January 2024 by former Councilor Melissa Youssef ‒ the complaint the city now seeks a jurisdictional judgment on from the district court Youssef said in her complaint that Simpson “put his self-interest in seeking notoriety and community status as a self-proclaimed watchdog above the interest of the city” and “attempted to do this by promoting conspiracy theories making false allegations and hiding emails conducting public business.” Simpson filed his own ethics complaint against Youssef with the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission last year The Durango Fire Protect District will hold its first board election in 11 years next week Jason Moore and Thomas “TJ” Hermesman – are running for three open seats on the six-person Board of Directors McCallum and Gallagher are the only incumbents running for reelection Board elections are supposed to occur every two years and elected members serve a four-year term there have not been enough candidates to warrant an election “We typically have a hard time finding candidates to fill our board seats and we’ve been fortunate enough to have just the same number of candidates as we’ve had openings for the last 11 years which has obviously saved the district money – not paying for elections,” said Fire Chief Randy Black The board is responsible for fiscal oversight and policy governance not the day-to-day operations of the organization The three new candidates attended study sessions focused on fiscal oversight and operations oversight Everybody's very focused on the organization and its success I think it’s a great opportunity for some new people to see what the board’s about.” Votes must be cast at one of two polling locations: 103 Sheppard Drive or 31263 U.S which means city residents are not eligible to vote or serve on the board unless they own property within the district that is in their name An earlier version of this story omitted information about city voters being ineligible to vote unless they own property within the Durango Fire Protection District recently orphaned Lucas Hollister accidentally kills a rancher and is sentenced to hang breaks him out of jail and takes him on the run toward Mexico As they flee across the unforgiving wilderness the fugitive pair must outrun the determined U.S Marshal Wood Helm and a ruthless bounty hunter named “Preacher.” Not rated Thunderbolts* (Also available in 3D) An unconventional team of antiheroes are assembled – Yelena Belova After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts The Accountant 2 Christian Wolff has a talent for solving complex problems leaving behind a cryptic message to “find the accountant,” Wolff is compelled to solve the case Realizing more extreme measures are necessary Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried Until Dawn One year after her sister Melanie mysteriously disappeared Clover and her friends head into the remote valley where she vanished in search of answers they find themselves stalked by a masked killer and horrifically murdered one by one .. only to wake up and find themselves back at the beginning of the same evening they’re forced to relive the night again and again – only each time the killer threat is different the group soon realizes they have a limited number of deaths left and the only way to escape is to survive until dawn Sinners Trying to leave their troubled lives behind twin brothers return to their hometown to start again only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back The King of Kings Renowned storyteller Charles Dickens finds it challenging to bond with his imaginative son After Walter disrupts one of Dickens’ readings Dickens decides to share the story of Jesus Christ with him experiencing the events of Jesus’ life vividly culminating in a bond of love forged through storytelling Warfare Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland “Warfare” embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs on a surveillance mission gone wrong in insurgent territory boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare and brotherhood told like never before – in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it A Minecraft Movie where creativity doesn’t just help you craft Four misfits – Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison Natalie and Dawn – find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative – the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world The Surfer A man returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son But his desire to hit the waves is thwarted by a group of locals whose mantra is “don’t live here the man is drawn into a conflict that keeps rising in concert with the punishing heat of the summer and pushes him to his breaking point The Amateur but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack When his supervisors refuse to take action embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge After eight unforgettable years on Durango City Council I step away at the end of a chapter shaped by defining moments unprecedented challenges and meaningful progress for our community immense pride and heartfelt thanks for the opportunity to serve – and for the trust you placed in me throughout this journey I couldn’t have imagined the challenges ahead The 2019 embezzlement scandal was an early painful test of leadership that shook trust and required reform Durango is recognized for financial best practices – a true turnaround I had the privilege of helping to hire all three council appointees – city manager they brought stability and laid the foundation for a more resilient We faced a pandemic that upended daily life challenged small businesses and threatened public health Council acted quickly – shifting to virtual meetings and approving emergency measures We kept Durango moving forward through deeply uncertain times growing polarization and a collision of issues – housing affordability growth pressures and aging infrastructure – that tested every part of city government made difficult decisions around homelessness and passed ordinances to stay focused on local priorities amid pressure to engage in global debates Even during recent times of tension with La Plata County and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe we always remained committed to collaboration and productive dialogue I never stopped believing in this community or in the work we were doing I’ve learned leadership isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about showing up and I’ve been honored to serve alongside dedicated colleagues Sweetie Marbury and Dean Brookie – set the tone for thoughtful leadership Kim Baxter and Barbara Noseworthy brought wisdom and care during our financial crisis Chris Bettin – my co-heart – challenged me Gilda and Dave: It’s been an honor to serve with you Your time on council brought lasting progress in parks and recreation and your work on 2A will be a defining legacy To our city staff: Your resilience and dedication inspired me I’m grateful for your excellence – even on the hardest days Mark and Matt: I truly valued the opportunity to work with you capable leadership and deep expertise strengthen our city every day and I’m grateful for your ongoing contributions to Durango Rose Marie: Thank you for your love and support through all the ups and downs To my dear friends: Thank you for being my sounding board and biggest cheerleaders To the community: Thank you for the strong passage of 2A Your support opens doors for a brighter future I will always be grateful for the chance to serve this community – to listen lead and grow alongside so many passionate your support and your commitment to making Durango a place we’re all proud to call home Melissa Youssef served twice as mayor on Durango City Council from 2019-2025 She completed her second and final term on April 1 The Independent Weekly Line on Durango and Beyond Afrobeat torchbearer Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 play the ACT on May 13./ Courtesy photo outdoor festival season with plenty of opportunities for you to catch world-class music – all from the comfort of your local lawn chair this month is stacked with reasons to get outside see old friends and hear something brand new All of these festivals are more than reasonably priced you can – and absolutely should – go to each Consider this your personal permission slip to lean into the season of sunshine May 1–4 – iAM Music Fest celebrates 10 years of independent music with four days of concerts the lineup this year is bigger and more diverse than ever There is perhaps no other nonprofit in town that has been so vital in keeping our music scene fresh dynamic and accessible for curious folks who want to join the fun From pop-up shows to downtown stage takeovers iAM keeps it grassroots and community-centered Big shoutout to the team at iAM for their vision resilience and continued success 10 years running – In celebration of Studio &’s “Visions of Johanna” exhibit five standout local musicians perform their own renditions of Bob Dylan’s classic tune along with original songs Expect a night of heartfelt interpretations creative arrangements and a fitting tribute to one of folk music’s greatest songwriters at Durango’s most beloved independent gallery – Local heavy-hitters take over ACT for a Saturday night packed with hip-hop bass and the infamous Hennessy Sound System on full deployment at the Animas City Theatre Local legend DJ Noonz is at the helm of this party and he’s made sure to pull out all of the stops with an incendiary support lineup and get ready to have a few of your cells vibrated to the best sound system in all of the land • Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 w/ DJ Rasta Stevie The youngest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti leads Egypt 80 in a fiery politically charged night of music and movement Seun Kuti carries the torch of his father’s revolutionary spirit while infusing his own generation’s urgency into every note Mad props to ACT promoter Eugene Salaz for snagging this incredible booking – it’s rare to see this level of musical royalty grace a stage our size The one and only DJ Rasta Stevie warms up the stage with a roots reggae set to get the fire burning May 16–18 – Taking place along the Animas River at the beautiful Tico Time Resort just south of the state line this three-day fest features a brilliant lineup This year’s headliners include Leftover Salmon Railroad Earth and the best of the best from locals like the Alex Graff Duo riverside hangs and a family friendly vibe that feels like summer camp for grownups your dancing shoes and your best festivarian spirit • Tom Ward’s Downfall and Fractal String Band Live old-time tunes will keep your feet moving all night at the monthly Contra Dance Beginners are more than welcome – no partner needed and no fancy footwork required this is the perfect chance to jump in and find out why it’s one of the most joyful community-centered ways to spend a Saturday night – Celebrate spring and sound in Mancos with two evenings of music good cider and wide-open skies await you at this grassroots gathering Fenceline’s riverside setting and small-town hospitality make it one of the best hidden gems for live music in the region The second day of Montezuma Rising brings Thylan Expect another perfect late-afternoon of music golden-hour light and a backyard feel you won’t find anywhere else Party in the Park returns with Latin rock supergroup ‘Top Shelf’ hangs up the pint glass sweat and gears as the Iron Horse turns 50 Seeking solstice solace in the dog days of winter Forget the world with three weeks on the Colorado Pre-July 2016 Archives Durango Telegraph eEdition The rush to renewable energy is raising utility bills across Colorado – and government subsidies are hiding the real cost This transition is being driven by political mandates and taxpayer-funded incentives Wind and solar projects often rely on massive subsidies to stay afloat while reliable energy sources like natural gas are being sidelined too soon Families are now paying the price through higher bills and less dependable service but the real problem is a top-down energy agenda that prioritizes ideology over common sense We’ve heard “we don’t have time” for decades politicians have warned of imminent catastrophe – but those deadlines come and go Urgency isn’t a strategy; it’s an excuse for poor planning We need a smarter approach – one that balances environmental goals with affordability and reliability That means keeping natural gas in the mix during the transition letting energy sources compete fairly without distortion from subsidies and focusing on local solutions like hydro or geothermal that make sense for Colorado we must hold utilities accountable and protect consumers from being forced to fund risky experiments Let’s stop chasing headlines and start focusing on what works – for working families for our economy and for a responsible energy future I have been closely watching the Trump administration’s newfound interest in fighting antisemitism Its version apparently consists of cracking down on Ivy League universities like Columbia and Harvard – pulling grants accompanied by threats to yank their tax-exempt status and impose new taxes on their endowments As a Jew and a child of holocaust refugees This is not to say that I support the behavior that we have seen on college campuses and the weak responses of college administrators were shameful Jewish students had their rights violated while the protesters faced little or no consequences As a graduate of two of these private educational institutions Changes have already been made and things are heading in a better direction But my message to the GOP is: “spare me the highly selective outrage on my behalf.” We now have the executive branch of the federal government using the fight against antisemitism as an excuse to force the replacement of the previous culture of campus “wokeness” with their own more conservative ideology The administration’s intrusive demands on Harvard include required changes in how the university operates who it hires and which students it will accept all of which will supposedly be subject to federal oversight It must become an arm of the federal government law enforcement compelled to report any conduct violation by an immigrant student It must satisfy the administration that the student body This government intrusion into higher education is a dangerous and slippery slope that we have seen before It’s the pathway that eventually forced my parents to flee their homes and (thankfully) find a new life in a welcoming America To say that the president’s outrage against antisemitism is selective is an understatement said the white nationalists and neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville included “some very fine people.” This after a confrontation that ended in the death of one woman and injuries to dozens the administration stopped funding a national database tracking domestic terrorism But the administration is not blind to all forms of domestic terrorism Those setting Teslas on fire will face maximum punishment antisemitism is simply a convenient tool with which to bludgeon those collegiate bastions of liberalism and wokeness It seeks to substitute one doctrine with their own preferred version I say good for Harvard for standing up for its intellectual freedom there is plenty it can and needs to do to broaden its outlook and be more welcoming for people of all religions and beliefs (political or otherwise) But the last thing we need is for the federal government to dictate what it should do or how it should think My message to President Donald Trump and his GOP supporters: You’re not doing this on my behalf Jews have legitimate concerns regarding our ability to live in safety There are lots of individuals and groups out there that who us harm such as the arsonist that recently torched the house of the governor of Pennsylvania But please don’t warp these concerns into a tool for your overreaching attempts to force American society into a template more to your liking Larry Gross is a nationally recognized supply chain analyst living full-time in Durango Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Whether you’re visiting a mountain town or moving in it’s only natural to want the natives to accept you But how far out of your comfort zone are you willing to go to get there But after years of visiting the peak-rimmed town as a ski pass-toting tourist I wanted in anyway and moved from my family’s cattle farm outside Houston to Durango in 2017 my Texas license plate felt like a scarlet letter So I ditched my camo and denim and drove a little faster over the mountain passes I fell in with a rowdy group of regulars at the local coffee bar who—despite teasing me for my “y’alls” and “howdys”—seemed to genuinely accept me The only trouble: They never could see past my Texas origins but I wanted to prove that I belonged in Durango just as much as a lifer When the only thing getting roasted at our bimonthly potluck was me—someone even threatened to peel off my “I Durango” bumper sticker—I made my move. “I’m going to do the ABCs,” I blurted. The ABC challenge is a series of cliff jumps I’d been hearing about for years and the 12-foot waterfall along the Cascade Creek slot canyon is a rite of passage “you have to call me a local.” Nearly everyone present had done the challenge as a teenager four of us arrived at Bakers Bridge under summer-blue skies While leaping off the bridge is technically prohibited making the plunge the easiest of the three My stomach curled as I watched a group of teens launch back flips off the bridge into the Animas River Minor problem: I had never jumped off anything much higher than a pool diving board I walked to the edge and found myself frozen stiff having conveniently forgotten about my “healthy” fear of heights until now Then John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” started playing and a chuckle rippled through the crowd—and me I inched forward and plunged ungracefully toward the river my neck reeled backward and I sank into the icy water and surprised when my friends apologetically said I’d have to find Adrenaline Falls on my own The location of the cascade is a locals’ secret—I was going to have to work for this one I’d at least learned the trailhead was on Lime Creek Road After several hours of searching (we didn’t try to Google it which felt like cheating) and another hour of hiking the aspens opened up to reveal a perfect pool of Rocky Mountain snowmelt “Don’t worry,” one born-and-raised Durangoan said But Cascade Creek was the finale for a reason swimming through freezing pools for nearly 30 minutes until the last 12-foot jump at its mouth Thanks to higher-than- normal water levels and strong currents the previous summer had seen a half dozen rescues and one drowning Hurricane Harvey swept my hometown underwater rescuing animals and kayaking door to door delivering food I winced at the memory of trying to hide my Texas origins If I went home to help with the relief effort I’d miss the three-week window when I was sure Cascade’s flow would be slow enough for safety and still deep enough to jump I found I’d lost my taste for watery recreation but I wondered if bailing on the challenge meant I’d officially forfeited my burgeoning local status—and my bumper sticker The illustration of two friends tent camping was easy to recognize—it was the work of a Colorado artist and common in local shops Turns out the sticker has a name: “Home is where you pitch it.” I opened myself up to new friends—and their traditions I found a sense of belonging by being myself The 30-mile thru-hike was the ideal trip for putting our backpacking and hiking candidates through the wringer Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go La Plata Electric Association has proven itself to be a pillar of stability reliability and foresight; a stability I want to ensure continues Now is not the time for slash-and-burn policies or efforts to turn back the clock LPEA’s leadership has kept the lights on – literally and figuratively the cooperative posted its lowest outage stats in over a decade smart action to protect our region against the growing threat of wildfires They’ve invested in advanced infrastructure prioritized tree trimming and power line clearing in high-risk areas and even utilized cutting-edge tools like drones and grid-mapping systems to mitigate fire risk Their commitment to proactive risk management is exactly the kind of forward-thinking leadership we need LPEA is doing what I as a customer truly need: holding the line Despite inflation exceeding 30% over the past five years LPEA kept rates stable with only a modest rate adjustment this spring They’ve maintained strong operating margins and have healthy cash reserves I am proud of LPEA’s record – and wary of newcomers with shortsighted agendas driven by political theater reliability and fiscal responsibility first Joe Lewandowski (D3) and John Witchel (D4) the Bayfield Wolverines tried injecting their match against Pagosa Springs with a healthy dose of rivalry drama Interim head coach Cody Kiss wouldn’t have wanted it any other way taken from either side of PSHS goalkeeper Keira Davis produced no equalizer and neither did junior Arriyanna Cundiff’s well-timed 76th-minute run in pursuit of a through ball sent ahead by sophomore Jacqueline Boyce a first-half goal by PSHS senior Hailey Sams – now in her third year as a Pirate after moving to Archuleta County from 5A Legend in Parker – proved the difference inside Wolverine Country Stadium slipped to 1-11-0 overall and 0-6-0 in league “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get a goal but I think everybody tried their hardest,” said Boyce There’s obviously going to be bumps in the road but I think we played our hearts out and … we’ll get ’em next season.” Following a 7-0 loss on Saturday at Alamosa (Kiss’ first match in charge after replacing Aaron Anderson) and then a 4-0 loss Monday in neutral Cortez to 2A Ridgway the one-score outcome certainly elevated the Wolverines’ morale with the end of a trying campaign fast approaching “We’re almost done and you might as well put in what you can,” senior Briauna Lawton-Chavez said “I’m not a quitter; I like to stay with things At least one thousand angry Durango residents beared the rain and snow at Buckley Park on Saturday in resistance against President Donald Trump Elon Musk and an administration they say threatens American democracy Indivisible Durango’s Hands Off! Rally, held synchronously with over 1,200 Indivisible rallies in all 50 U.S. states, was the largest demonstration in Durango since the March for Our Lives rally in 2018, which drew an estimated 1,300 people to the streets in a rallying cry against gun violence The Associated Press reported the nationwide Hands Off! mobilization was “the biggest day of demonstrations yet” since Trump began his second term Hundreds of protesters waved signs as they chanted and marched down Main Avenue from Buckley Park to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station and back again The protests in Durango and around the country are unfolding against the backdrop of dizzying international tariffs issued by Trump in buckshot fashion, which prompted JPMorgan to forecast a 60% chance of a recession in the later half of 2025 What appeared to be fireworks were set off in front of Buckley Park on at least two occasions during the march down Main Avenue Indivisible Durango Social Media Manager Maya Fontenot a regular speaker at Indivisible Durango rallies stood atop a stone Buckley Park monument as protesters filed back into the park “Show me what democracy looks like” with a raspy voice “hands off,” is for those who believe they can undermine democracy “This fight is not just against individuals like Donald Trump and Elon Musk It is against a system that allows wealth and power to overshadow the needs of many,” she said “It is against policies that prioritize corporate greed over human well being dignity and futures of those who have been overlooked Durango area attorney Lynne Sholler said Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” is an unconstitutional 170 lawsuits have been filed over Trump’s unlawful executive orders The lawsuits may take time to reach the U.S but they could preserve the status quo until a permanent ruling is issued “We’re pissed off,” resident Denny Finn said He said it was time to do something about the Trump administration and that’s why he and his colleagues went to the protest said she is fed up with societal progress being dragged backward and systemic violence was the major theme of the rally Speakers encouraged solidarity and community in the face of authoritarianism We are in the middle,” Vivian Smotherman said to the crowd She encouraged residents to create mutual aid networks coordinate shelter and supplies and take care of one another City crews are accustomed to plowing tens of thousands of miles of roads hauling thousands of loads of snow and racking up thousands of hours of labor when winter lands in Durango Assistant Public Works Director Joey Medina said crews plowed about 14,550 miles of icy roads in the 2023-24 winter season spent roughly 1,744 hours on the road and hauled about 1,000 dump truck loads of snow Medina said crews plowed 5,850 miles of road last winter – less than half the distance plowed the previous season – and hauled only 310 dump truck loads of snow we didn't get the snow that we wanted late last year and early this year,” he said “It's tough when we don't get the moisture I would prefer we have the snow on the ground.” Any unspent funds are returned to the general fund at the end of the year The city budgets between $815,000 and $960,000 per year for snow removal But this winter – which spans two budget years – has cost only $306,880 meaning a significant portion of funds from the 2024 and 2025 budgets will be returned to the general fund assuming November and December do not overwhelm the city with snow Mild winters don’t leave crews with nothing to do crews perform other street maintenance – filling potholes hauling materials and street sweeping – that is typically put on hold during the winter He said crews were able to clean up stormwater drainage sites snaked cameras through stormwater lines to inspect their condition and kept street sweepers operating longer than usual Street sweepers are usually deployed from the last week of March through the last week of October but it gave street crews a window to catch up on maintenance that often falls by the wayside during heavier winters PARIS (AP) — French police rescued the father of a wealthy cryptocurrency entrepreneur in a nighttime raid after he was taken hostage for ransom the latest alleged criminal effort in France to extort people involved in the management of digital assets The man was kidnapped Thursday morning in Paris “The victim turned out to be the father of a man who made his fortune in cryptocurrencies and the incident was accompanied by a ransom demand,” its statement said without giving their names or other specifics about their identities Police investigators located the hostage in a house in the Essonne region south of Paris from which he was rescued on Saturday night It said he was treated for injuries but gave no details French media reported that the alleged hostage-takers cut off one of the man's fingers Police detained 5 people — four were in or close to the house where the man was held captive while the fifth was at the wheel of a vehicle thought to have been used for the alleged abduction It said the police investigation is looking at an array of possible criminal charges including kidnapping “with torture or a barbaric act.” police said a co-founder of French crypto-wallet firm Ledger was also kidnapped with his wife from their home in the region of Cher of central France Police said they made 10 arrests and that the alleged kidnappers demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency from another of Ledger's co-founders A raid by France's elite National Gendarmerie Intervention Group unit that specializes in hostage situations freed Balland the next day followed the day after that by the liberation Nicaragua angrily announced its withdrawal from the U.N Scientific and Cultural Organization in a letter that UNESCO's director general In the letter seen by The Associated Press Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Valdrack Jaentschke denounced the awarding of a UNESCO press freedom prize to a Nicaraguan newspaper The prize jury hailed the newspaper's work in the face of “severe repression” and reporting from exile that “courageously keeps the flame of press freedom alive" in the Central American country Nicaragua’s government, led by President Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo, has been cracking down on dissent since it violently repressed protests in 2018 claiming they were backed by foreign powers that sought his overthrow media and “represents the vile betrayal against our Motherland.” UNESCO member states created the World Press Freedom Prize in 1997 it is named after Colombian newspaper journalist Guillermo Cano Isaza who was assassinated in Colombia's capital An international jury of media professionals that recommended La Prensa for the 2025 award on Saturday said through its chairman that the newspaper “has made courageous efforts to report the truth to the people of Nicaragua." UNESCO said that “since 2021, following the imprisonment and expulsion of its leaders from the country as well as the confiscation of its assets, La Prensa has continued to inform the Nicaraguan population online with most of its team in exile and operating from Costa Rica Jaentschke's letter said UNESCO recognition for La Prensa was “undeserved” and that the agency's actions were “unacceptable and inadmissible.” military and political intervention in Nicaragua “It is deeply shameful that UNESCO appears as the promoter of an action that offends and attacks the deepest Values of Nicaragua’s National Identity and Culture," his signed and stamped letter said Nicaragua’s government later issued a statement that echoed Jaentschke’s claims “When UNESCO gives prominence to the traitors slaves and lackeys of colonialism and imperialism it totally abandons any sense of objectivity,” it said In a statement announcing Nicaragua's decision to leave Azoulay said “UNESCO is fully within its mandate when it defends freedom of expression and press freedom around the world.” which will deprive the people of Nicaragua of the benefits of cooperation particularly in the fields of education and culture," she said In his first presidency, Trump looked dimly on Ortega's rule. In 2018, Trump signed into law a bill to cut off resources to the government of Nicaragua But he's also not been much of a fan of UNESCO In an executive order in February, Trump called for a review of American involvement in the agency. In his first presidency, Trump's administration in 2017 announced that the U.S. would withdraw from UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias The United States formally rejoined UNESCO in 2023 after a five-year absence The federal government has notified two of its landlords in Durango that it is terminating leases for offices that house the U.S which owns the 10,000-square-foot office space in Bodo Industrial Park where Bureau of Reclamation is located was informed Thursday by a leasing contract officer for the U.S General Services Administration that it would be ending the lease for the space on Sept according to an email obtained through an open records request who owns the Army Corps of Engineers’ 1,000-square-foot office space in the Riverside Professional Building on East Third Avenue near the Durango Public Library confirmed that he also had received notice that the GSA would be terminating its lease at the end of August The Bureau of Reclamation office costs the agency $238,000 annually and it will not pay any fee to break the lease before its scheduled termination in 2027 Rent for the Army Corps of Engineers office is about $35,000 annually The agency is also in the non-firm term of its lease and may cancel without penalty with 60 days’ notice “Acting Administrator (Stephen) Ehikian’s vision for GSA includes reducing our deferred maintenance liabilities supporting the return to office of federal employees and taking advantage of a stronger private/government partnership in managing the workforce of the future,” Pineda wrote in an email to The Durango Herald “GSA is reviewing all options to optimize our footprint and building utilization A component of our space consolidation plan will be the termination of many soft term leases.” He did not immediately respond to questions about the future of those offices Bureau of Reclamation employees manage waterways Some of the Bureau of Reclamation’s webpages for those sites had been updated with Durango street addresses but now list Grand Junction as the office location The Army Corps of Engineers is broadly responsible for infrastructure work nationwide La Plata County has not decided what will happen with the Bureau of Reclamation space; Glick said his office space will be available for rent after the Army Corps vacates it Some of these messaging apps have features for disappearing messages Your conversation will disappear immediately But it feels rude when my friends turn it on It feels like they don’t value our conversations means you save a boatload of time down the line when you either have to spend hours deleting old stuff or just forget it all and buy a new phone It also covers your tracks for all your illicit affairs It’s time for my annual self-esteem freakout all my friends are basically Iron Horse-ready and have their river bods full steam ahead I have much more of a craft brew bod going I’ve accepted that I’m never going to be in that kind of shape so how can I embrace being the Stay-Puft member of my friend group I remember having my first physical freakout years ago she confirmed all my worst fears about not mattering But now I get to say the same thing to you You care more about your physique than any of your compadres The saying is “go big or go home.” Why not go big AND go home Meaning: I’m about to do something really audacious in my career The equivalent of writing the Denver Nuggets and asking them about joining their coaching staff I will have to return home with tail tucked in defeat Can you imagine failing so big that you CANNOT GO HOME Most of us talk a big game and never do the thing If I might make one small unsolicited suggestion Go big after you set your messages to disappear No sense in preserving the evidence of your inevitable failure