— A northeast Missouri business owner and her client helped save a woman from serious injury The close call happened Thursday on Highway 63 north of Columbia had picked up her passenger from the Columbia airport and they were on their way back to the Kirksville area when they came upon slow traffic Belfield said there was a smoking car on the shoulder and the female driver was standing next to the vehicle on her phone she could see flames under the disabled car She immediately pulled to the shoulder of the highway and started backing up to warn the woman about the fire Belfield's backseat passenger was able to quickly get the driver into Belfield’s SUV the stranded woman's car exploded into a ball of flames right where she had been standing just seconds before Belfield and her client stayed with the woman until emergency crews arrived Thanks to the good Samaritans’ quick thinking and actions 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 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 who reported this story and covers legal affairs for the Herald Members of the legal community and others gathered Thursday in front of the La Plata County Courthouse to mark Law Day – not with a lecture or panel discussion but with a public rally in defense of the U.S They joined hundreds of other lawyers rallying across the country in support of the Constitution and in protest of President Donald Trump’s actions which many say have undermined the democratic principles and institutions on which the country was founded “If one man can be allowed to determine for himself what is the law then every man can,” said civil rights attorney Leonard Davies while addressing the crowd About 250 people waving flags and holding signs brought energy to the gathering cheering and whistling in agreement with the speakers’ remarks there was a brief reading from the Constitution before retired Archuleta County Judge James Denvir led the attorneys in re-administering their Attorney’s Oath of Admission He was followed by several speakers who touched on a range of topics including the importance of an independent judiciary the protection of individual rights and the necessity of upholding educational policy “The rule of law is foundational to our democracy and vital for the future of our children,” said former Colorado Rep “It is especially significant in the realm of education both here in Colorado and across the nation.” all students are guaranteed access to a quality education regardless of their background or circumstances Changes made to education policy in the past 100 days could lead to a “fragmentation of the educational landscape” and McLachlan’s comments underscored the rally’s central message: The rule of law is a cornerstone of American society and touches the lives of every person who sets foot on U.S justice system also touches the lives of those far beyond its borders justice system were widely admired and often emulated,” said Herb Bowman a prosecutor who spent more than 20 years directing U.S government sponsored rule of law development programs overseas He said the American legal system has had immense influence in emerging democracies and has been a global leader in the development of new approaches to dispute resolution justice system was worthy of admiration and emulation as they watch the destructive actions of our government,” he said “I talk to colleagues around the world almost every day Law Day is a national observance dedicated to promoting awareness and understanding of the American legal system and Congress officially designated May 1 as the national day of recognition in 1961 educational opportunities and public outreach campaigns focused on the rule of law the American Bar Association selects a theme to highlight a particular aspect of the law or legal process that resonates with current legal and societal issues which enshrines America’s collective responsibility in a nation founded on the ideal of “E pluribus unum” – out of many “It’s the blueprint for our country,” said Brian Schowalter a Durango defense attorney and one of the rally organizers “We’re using this day as an opportunity to educate and to remind ourselves that we have an oath Schowalter said he would not have attended any of the Law Day events put on by the Southwest Bar Association pointed to the Trump administration’s mass deportations of immigrants without due process – a right enshrined in the Constitution “Abrego Garcia is the best example we’ve got right now,” Schowalter said “Our president is not facilitating his return before the Trump administration deported him in defiance of a federal judge’s order he has been living in an El Salvadoran prison Supreme Court ruled the administration must work to facilitate his return – a direction the president has so far ignored While the momentum behind this year’s Law Day rally was largely a response to actions of the sitting president attorneys in attendance emphasized that the issue transcends politics “It’s not about a Democratic versus Republican point of view,” Burke said “It’s about the rule of law and upholding the Constitution The coaching carousel is spinning like crazy in northeast Missouri Scotland County announced the hiring of their new boys basketball coach — The coaching carousel is spinning like crazy in northeast Missouri On the schools' social media accounts they announced Weston Smith will be leading the program starting the 2025-2026 school year as Smith was part of one of the most successful runs in La Plata basketball history played a role in three team district championships finishing 4th in the Missouri Class 1 state tournament in 2010-11 He'll be taking over a Tiger program that has been steadily improving they earned their second double-digit win season in a row But there's still a lot of work to do as they look ahead to the start of next season shooting for their first winning record since 2018 Reality and Shawna Legarza’s fictitious yarns are weaving together rather seamlessly this week A car colliding with a tour bus at the intersection of county roads 240 and 234 But a caller concerned about traffic jams created by construction and people practicing an evacuation from Edgemont Meadows director of emergency management for La Plata County is conducting the fifth annual wildfire evacuation exercise in which area fire agencies and multiple county departments participate “Every year I’m learning more,” Legarza said The event is a constant exercise in asking and answering the question The regimented affair always entails a certain level of chaos – some orchestrated and some real It tends to grow in complexity each year as Legarza introduces new stumbling blocks for staff members and volunteers who respond to wildfires to navigate “We’re going to get tested on a little bit of communication today,” she told the assembled crowd at the Emergency Operations Center during the 10 a.m This year’s drill involves simulated wildfires near Edgemont Meadows neighborhoods agree to participate in the drill and residents practice packing up their homes and evacuating to a specified location Legarza is pushing staff members to respond to the unexpected by choreographing realistic inputs – calls or other information arriving at the EOC She has given county administrative staff members scripts and a schedule and asked them to call in pretending to be residents with an array of concerns The people answering the phones and the spokespeople communicating with the media have no idea what might play out that way but have them actually work through the processes,” Legarza said emergency mangers were responding to a simulated fire east of Durango on County Road 234 Mock evacuation orders had gone out to over 700 people someone purporting to lead a group of young backpackers in the process of evacuating called in A kid had been stung by a bee and they needed epinephrine Another scripted caller lost a cat during the evacuation process and wanted help Both of these situations were inspired by Legarza’s own experiences she had to deliver epinephrine to a firefighter who was having an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting – only the EpiPen which had been tossed to her from the shore as she and the firefighter motored up river to an evacuation spot So where would emergency responders find an EpiPen in La Plata County during a wildfire Legarza’s own house was placed under an evacuation order as she was working the fire nearby Her neighbors rescued her dog and cats for her The scripted scenarios are a playful twist to the exercise but I just got a call from one of the people who went to the Meadows location to get a rapid tag and her comment was – a lot of construction vehicles on the road to and from and figures that there may be traffic jams.” showing Beyler how that information should be disseminated Once the traffic situation had been dispatched to the proper authorities Volunteers with La Plata County Search and Rescue had flown a drone over the fire location to gauge its activity But the team was running into problems getting that footage back to the EOC where Legarza wanted it on a large smartboard “A lot of places will build maps,” notes Durango Fire Protection District Wildfire Batallion Chief Scott Nielsen “You can draw a circle on a map and then say ‘Evacuate.’ Well if 3,000 people are going down a two-lane road practiced and in place for how the city of Durango would evacuate — An overnight rollover crash in northeast Missouri left a driver with injuries The Missouri State Highway Patrol said an SUV driven by an unnamed 19-year-old man from Winigan was westbound when it traveled off the roadway and overturned He was rushed by ambulance to Northeast Regional Medical Center for treatment According to the patrol's online crash report, the man was wearing his seat belt when the crash happened La Plata County became the first county in the nation on Tuesday to declare its support for federal public lands in a resolution that decries any potential land sell-offs and voices support for the workforce that manages those lands About a dozen residents spoke in favor of the resolution before the Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve it The resolution noted that 42% of La Plata County land is managed by the federal government and those lands provide “essential resources including grazing lands for agricultural operations and nearly-endless opportunities for outdoor recreation.” And it’s being threatened,” Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton said in an impassioned statement before the vote Michael Carroll, Bureau of Land Management campaign director at The Wilderness Society, tracks such resolutions nationwide. He spoke at Tuesday’s meeting and later confirmed that the Colorado Legislature’s adoption of a similar resolution last month and La Plata County’s this week were the first of their kind in the U.S “When you ask people in La Plata County what they do that’s not a question about their occupation – it’s a question about their recreation,” Carroll told the board on Tuesday “What’s amazing and unique about La Plata County is not only do we have access to the Weminuche Wilderness and the Hermosa (Creek Special Management) Area and the San Juan Mountains but we also have national public lands right here in our town that I use every day to hike and to mountain bike,” he continued He noted that popular hiking trails on Animas Mountain and biking trails such as Big Canyon and Sidewinder in Horse Gulch are all on federally managed land called on commissioners to take more preemptive action and “not always be on our back foot.” She was among about a dozen speakers “When are we going to start being proactive and fight Commissioners acknowledged the concerns and said they can relate “This is just a resolution – it’s words on a paper,” Commissioner Matt Salka said And the definition of fight for me is engaging with our electeds – keep being that squeaky wheel.” said even words on paper make a difference “Congressman (Jeff) Hurd said throughout his campaign ‘I want to hear from local county commissioners about what they need and want to see.’ Well this is a local county commission putting in writing that they want to see public lands remain in public hands.” Porter-Norton listed some of the threats to federal land that anger her including any potential sell-offs and workforce cuts through “indiscriminate slash illegal firing.” “I can’t tell you how angry I am about where we’re at in American history,” she said The commissioner noted her previous career as a professional facilitator and the value she generally places on bringing disagreeing parties together “I’m not sure I would have said this three or four years ago: We are going to have to fight,” she said More than 48,000 property owners in La Plata County will receive official notices of valuation from the county assessor next week Postcards containing the notices will be mailed Thursday County Assessor Carrie Woodson said single-family home values rose an average of 20% Property values are used as a basis for property taxes levied by local entities fire departments and special metro districts The timing also coincides with biennial aerial imaging meaning planes are flying grid patterns over the county this week taking images for the county’s database This year’s notices reflect changes in property values from July 1 and will be used as the basis for tax years 2025 and 2026 such as those near Purgatory Resort and the Glacier Club rose by as much as 40% over the last two years Home values near Ignacio did not increase as much “I think it’s the luxury housing market – it’s still very strong,” she said The assessor uses property sales in the county to determine fair market value for comparable properties But the extrapolations are not always perfect and the protest period is an important part of the process Property owners who believe the inventory of their home is incorrect or that comparable properties have not sold for as much as their assigned value “The values that we assign are based on what has sold in the market,” Woodson said “So when someone protests their property (value) – and then decide if we need to adjust or not.” about 5% of property owners appeal their valuation and 50% of those protests result in an adjustment While most of the values that are appealed and adjusted decrease Woodson warned some valuations increase upon reexamination The owners of some properties that have historically qualified for agricultural classification – which can come with significant tax benefits – will also be notified that they no longer quality for that classification The deadline to file a protest over this year’s valuation is June 8 Protests can be filed online or by phone using information provided on the postcard “This is one of those things that we do for the public is try to make sure their value is fair and equitable,” Woodson said if they feel their value or classification is incorrect Last week, the Argentine Naval Prefecture rescued the crew of a tug that flooded and partially sank while pushing a container barge off the coast of Buenos Aires. On Friday, the captain of the Paraguayan-flagged tug Papu Mar made a mayday call to report flooding on board at a position off Atalaya in the Paso Banco Chico, the inner bay of the Rio de la Plata. All crewmembers safely abandoned ship onto their own barge and were rescued by first responders. They were taken ashore for medical checkups.  The tug Papu Mar is still partially sunken, but does not pose a hazard to navigation, the agency said in a statement. The barge has 153 containers aboard, and it is still lashed to the tug. No cargo losses or damage have been reported.  To monitor for environmental impact, Argentina's naval prefecture continues to monitor the area with occasional overflights. A commercial tug, the Ona Don Lorenzo, is keeping the barge out of the channel while salvors prepare for next steps.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by NAUTIRISK SOLUTIONS (@nautirisk) La Plata County officials are considering asking voters for a sales tax increase as the county grapples with a structural budget deficit Voters were polled last week in a county-sponsored survey on their support for a potential ballot question that would raise the sales tax by either 0.75% or 0.5% – three-quarters or one-half cent per dollar spent A 0.75% sales tax would generate an estimated $13.5 million in 2026; a 0.5% sales tax would generate an estimated $8.9 million The results of the survey are not yet available The poll is an early step in what could be a lengthy process to craft a ballot question and place it before voters for approval It comes as county officials reckon with the reality that a new revenue source is “a requirement,” said County Manager Chuck Stevens “We don’t have a fiscally sustainable budget right now,” he said The county’s 2025 budget painted a grim picture that includes vacant positions left unfilled and a perennially underfunded road and bridge department Commissioners and staff members spent weeks trying to fill a $6.3 million hole this year Stevens noted that the county’s sales tax has not been raised since 1982 and voters have never raised property taxes – although property tax revenues have risen as assessed values have increased “We’re running an organization in 2025 on revenue streams set in the ’80s,” he said The poll question initially gauged support for a 0.75% sales tax because county officials are already aware of the lack of support for a property tax increase State lawmakers also have the ability – and the willingness – to adjust the portion of property value that is taxable which can have ripple effects on counties and other local taxing districts This makes a sales tax potentially more reliable and therefor appealing although officials are aware that economic instability could mean voters are unwilling to approve any tax increase pollsters informed officials that they were receiving unfavorable responses to the question They revised the question to poll favorability of a half-cent tax to gauge whether opposition existed to the figure or to any tax increase The question posed to voters – asking whether they would definitely or probably vote yes or no – read in full: “Shall La Plata County taxes be increased $8,900,000 in 2026 and by such amounts as are raised annually thereafter by an additional half of one percent (0.50%) sales tax with the proceeds to be used to maintain vital county services for local residents including but not limited to: and shall the resulting revenues and investment earnings thereon be collected retained and spent notwithstanding any limitations provided by law?” It went on to say that a half-cent increase would cost the average household $132 annually and asked whether that swayed the voter’s opinion Stevens said it is too early to say whether any potential ballot question would split revenues with area municipalities surveyed 300 residents and has a margin of error of 5.66% If commissioners opt to proceed with a ballot question it could be before voters as soon as November If they don’t find some alternative revenue stream soon county officials have made clear that it might be time to reconsider some of the county’s discretionary services “We’re just at the point where we might have to go back and ask the voters for something else or we’re going to have to adjust what it is we do as a county and the services we provide,” Stevens said “That’ll be a balancing act for the board this year in the ’26 budget.” The 6th Judicial District has announced the addition of a new La Plata County Court judgeship according to a news release from the Colorado Judicial Branch The new judge will preside over county court eviction proceedings and protection orders only one judge – Reid Stewart – oversees La Plata County Court A second judge will bring much-needed relief to an overburdened judiciary La Plata County Court has been the most overworked in Colorado The number of cases has increased in recent years and with only one judge handling the heavy caseload the judicial process often deviates from standard timelines for adjudication longer court days and slower case resolutions as ongoing issues the judge has to make sure things move along quickly,” Wilson said “And there's a feeling of being rushed sometimes by the people in front of him He's got to get it done within a certain amount of time.” The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet May 27 to interview and select nominees for appointment by Gov The appointed judge will take the bench on July 1 Commission members include James Garrett from Pagosa Springs; Sarah Moore from Silverton; and Maya Kane Applicants must be licensed to practice law in Colorado and registered to vote in La Plata County by the time they are sworn in The names of applicants will be made public after the application period closes Those interested in nominating a candidate may submit a letter to the nominating committee and the ex officio chair the judge will serve a provisional two-year term Voters will then decide whether to retain the judge for a full four-year term The annual salary for the position is $190,245 OXFORD – Before a crowd of about 35 at the Oxford Grange on Tuesday “We do not want Tri-State being bought out and you going to a different company,” an older woman in the back of the meeting hall said emphatically kicking off the 45-minute town hall-style event “If everything is so peachy keen and everything is working I’m definitely not trying to sell you out,” Hansen the CEO of La Plata Electric Association began his response as the two continued to talk over each other A man asked whether the co-op’s planned exit next year from a restrictive wholesale power contract with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association is final and binding gathering her things just minutes into the event She shed an expletive and slammed the door on her way out Hansen did not let commotion distract him from the question being asked by someone else in that moment it became Hansen’s job not only to navigate that transition but to explain it to a large contingency of skeptical LPEA members The power supply question has been settled That brings LPEA’s wholesale power costs down by 10% which the coop is calling a “major win” for owners Hansen arrived in Durango after eight years in the Colorado Legislature but still leaned on agricultural metaphors before the Farm Bureau pork bellies (and) electricity – it’s a commodity,” he said Hansen’s expression made the slightest of jumps Some have claimed that Hansen is making as much as $750,000 annually. One woman asked whether it was true that Hansen makes $500,000, as LPEA has stated Hansen confirmed that his salary is $500,000 go look and see what our predecessor (makes) Go look at the 990s,” one man yelled from the audience referencing the public tax form LPEA files each year “It was not over $500,000 with benefits included Matlock was actually paid $545,000 in 2023 with an additional $62,000 in benefits, the most recent available 990 shows The slightly lower figure included on the co-op’s website and cited by Hansen was a typo The distinction between a rate increase levied by LPEA – like the one that took effect April 1 and is the first in five years – and the one levied by Tri-State in 2023 which was passed through to LPEA consumers is lost on members who tend to pay more attention to their growing bill rather than to who in the supply chain raised prices Would that 10% savings in wholesale cost LPEA is touting be passed on to members “Our blended wholesale costs are coming down our cost to distribute that electricity are not,” he said citing materials and labor cost increases driven by tariffs and inflation But would the monthly cost of running a center jump from $800 to $2,000 after the Tri-State exit “There’s really no scenario where in 2028 it goes from $800 to $2,000,” Hansen said “Can you put that in writing?” someone asked Several residents received spoofed phone calls this week from someone posing as a deputy with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office threatening arrest unless a bond payment was made A scammer manipulated caller ID to display a real number from the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office and convinced three people to almost send large amounts of money said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Chris Burke None of the transfers were actually completed Deputies spoke with the victims on Thursday They said a man identifying himself as “Lt Brian Wilson” – a name not associated with the Sheriff’s Office – told them there was a warrant for their arrest because of a missed court appearance “Wilson” threatened them with arrest if they failed to pay a bond the caller told them to Google the phone number and sent what appeared to be official documents from the U.S Cyber scams are regularly reported to the Sheriff’s Office “I have not yet seen the mobile escort orders in these fake documents so they're getting pretty sophisticated,” Burke said The victims were told to transfer the “bond” money through the Coinstar kiosk at Albertsons “I'm totally embarrassed that I fell for it and the phone number was from the sheriff's department,” said one victim who requested anonymity because she was embarrassed and concerned for her reputation The scammer called her on Wednesday afternoon claiming she had failed to appear for jury duty and needed to post a $14,000 bond or she would be arrested and detained for seven to 35 days she asked to speak with Sheriff Sean Smith When “Wilson” was unfamiliar with the sheriff’s name she took the cash back to the bank and reported the attempted fraud The case remained under investigation Thursday but authorities believe the scammer is operating from outside Colorado The Sheriff's Office said it will never request any form of payment over the phone Burke recommends residents immediately hang up on any caller requesting payment An unprecedented number of candidates are running for seats on the Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District board bringing accusations of budget mismanagement and a lack of transparency to the forefront The six candidates vying for three open seats have divided into two camps: those who wish to maintain the status quo and those seeking change Doug Wood and Debbie Lee are enthusiastic about the state of the fire district and wish to maintain the status quo She is married to Fire Chief John Lee – a point of contention for some candidates Travis Schmitt and Garrett Vogel say staff should be held to higher standards; they want to institute significant changes to address budget concerns and transparency issues The Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District is responsible for 2,093 homes in the western region of La Plata County A five-member board of directors manages the district’s budget and hires the fire chief one of the five paid employees in a department staffed largely by volunteers Schmitt and Vogel want to change how the board allocates the annual budget They say the fire chief and his staff are overpaid especially when considering what they describe as minimal education standards and that recent raises contradict the community’s wishes eight community members expressed opposition to pay raises but that opposition was disregarded by board members He said the lead firefighter received a raise of about $12,000 “That's where we need elected officials,” Schmitt said Fire Chief Lee makes about $120,000 a year and full-time staff salaries range from $55,000 to $70,000 Horvath said the lead firefighter makes $70,400 and works only 32 hours per week That is about $20,000 more than firefighters working almost double the hours in districts serving a larger population – including Upper Pine and Farmington fire districts especially considering the minimal experience and qualifications of the paid staff Horvath said the fire chief is neither EMT-certified nor fire-certified His hiring was contingent on him obtaining those certifications within six months but it has now been nine years and he has yet to obtain them “I know that there was a comment made that the chief could save anyone’s life And that’s just a pretty brazen comment because not everyone lives and it doesn't matter how much experience you have,” Horvath said adding that although the chief has done a great job the lack of certifications creates a liability issue Horvath said she would petition the board to adjust salaries to better align with staff qualifications and the hours they work Vogel echoed Horvath’s and Schmitt’s position but he said he would support the current salaries if staff were highly qualified “My main priority is ensuring paid employees are the highest quality that the taxpayers can get,” Vogel said The district pays a brand-new firefighter with no experience about $55,000 The salary would be acceptable if it were for someone with more years under their belt who believe staff members are fairly compensated “I don't have the same concerns at all,” Wood said “I’d rather have somebody in there doing a really good job making the money that he’s making than have somebody in there making half the money said the fire department has helped several of his family members in times of crisis Debbie Lee also pushed back against the idea that salaries are unnecessarily high She said that when salaries were last discussed the board analyzed pay at other area fire districts and realized their employees were drastically underpaid and we don't want to take advantage of our employees,” Lee said Some candidates have criticized the board’s lack of transparency saying the department operates behind closed doors and rarely interacts with the community that funds it “We don't know what the fire department does in our community anymore,” Horvath said They don't have any forums for people to voice concerns.” She also raised concerns about the lack of notice given about the upcoming election The details provided on the website were vague and there was no obvious effort to alert voters or prospective candidates Schmitt and Vogel also had concerns about the relationship between the board president and the fire chief They said Debbie Lee’s proximity to the chief presents a serious conflict of interest; but Lee says she takes all necessary steps to ensure her work does not cross any ethical lines Lee has suggested some significant pay raises that would benefit both her and her husband “It's definitely not professional to have a chief and have his wife be the president of the board,” Horvath said while emphasizing her respect and appreciation for the Lees and the work they have done It’s just time for change and more accountability Lee acknowledged her role raises the potential for a conflict of interest but said she always recuses herself when the topic of the chief’s salary is raised She pointed out that this is not the first time a board member has had a relative serving as chief – noting it’s a small community Those wishing to hear more from the candidates can attend a “Meet the Candidates” event from 4 to 6 p.m The election will be held May 6 at the Station 1 Eligible electors must be registered to vote in Colorado and must live in or own taxable property within the district The player who broke the "curse" of Olympiacos’ away games in Europe It was March 1925 when a group of 33 men came together to create something unique: a sports club that wasn’t simply a team one of the two men who proposed the team’s full name and the first president of Olympiacos: Industrialist and one-time Piraeus Mayor Michalis Manouskos – a significant leader with contributions in numerous fields the brothers were its “soul” and contributed to the club’s foundations for a course full of triumphs Their story is one of the most fascinating and fairytale-like in the history of Greek football A legendary striker from the refugee quarter of Drapetsona he led Olympiacos to victory after victory Vazos came to symbolize the club’s identity From Piraeus’ sand lots to glory in the stadiums Achilleas Grammatikopoulos lived and became part of Olympiacos’ history The goalkeeper turned symbol who dedicated an entire century to his great love: the jersey with the laurel-crowned youth His life is proof that ideas can’t be killed a firing squad and the men who fought for what they believed in When the three came together something …magical happened The team that became a Legend…forever ‘A team that achieved triumphs like fairy tales…’: The legendary band of players who dedicated their lives to the laurel-crowned youth; who created a football giant and made Olympiacos the most popular team in the country The legendary ‘Missouri’ was an Olympiacos legend and his style of play became a buzzword for courge and self-sacrifice they’d always start with the same words: his great friend Andreas Mouratis’ pranks Mandalozis’ flat cap and the…copyright to ‘Pinocchio’ The iconic goalkeeper was not an Olympiacos man From his playing time to a tireless presence in its top management practically every moment of his life was dedicated to the team Two beardless youths who avoided death by the skin of their teeth and fled to Piraeus to escape hardship and hunger were destined to write a golden chapter in the glorious history of Olympiacos basketball Ventikos dedicated his whole life to the laurel-crowned youth as he re-established Olympiacos’ athletics department from scratch in 1953 and saw it achieve dominance over the following decades the ‘Limping Legends’ and the ‘Geriatrics’ have kept their annual appointment with very few interruptions The place: the Proodeftiki pitch in the wider Piraeus area The time: high noon on Good Friday every year the Olympiacos veterans (“Vradyporiakos” in Greek) and the Geriatrics are their Proodeftiki counterparts (“Talaiporiakos”) allowing Olympiacos to pull off a victory that had evaded the rest of Europe Olympiacos’ win over Brazilian giant Santos 2-1 has achieved legendary status From the wholesale produce market to the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium a powerful player and a personality that exceeded the boundaries of the pitch to become a catchphrase for an entire Olympiacos era An internationally known Magyar manager who oversaw another glorious chapter in Olympiacos’ history his resignation and the reasons behind it still resonate more than the titles he won for the Reds Nikos Gioutsos arrived from a football-advanced Hungary to a relative backwater Greece in the early 1960s His repatriation was achieved through an intervention by renowned composer Mikis Theodorakis with his transfer to Olympiacos reminiscent of a spy novel Vasilis Botinos was a legendary figure in the history of Olympiacos and anyone who saw him work his… magic agrees you’d be hard-pressed to find his match today Olympiacos’ aquatic dream has a name – the swimmer who broke the Greek 100-meter freestyle record on no fewer than six occasions and who created a red-and-white model program A unique personality and the epitome of the notion of ‘utility player’ on the field he recorded the most appearances of the 20th century for Olympiacos passion and unforgettable saves made him a legend between the posts and he treated the fans to multiple moments of sheer magnificence The legacy left by Faidon Matthaiou is a veritable ‘sports encyclopedia’ Players and coaches didn’t give him the nickname by chance The revolution of the ’70s and Olympiacos’ first major triumph with the… orange ball Between them numerous fond football memories His speech is often allegorical and sometimes poetic – similar to the way he played how Ilias Hatzipavlis and Tasos Bountouris became legends in a sport where the wind decides everything…and nothing This football genius from Uruguay inextricably linked his name with the Piraeus team so much so that it became a motto sung by the fans in the stands On the centennial anniversary of the Club’s founding in 1925 He was an institution who wrote his life’s work in red and white The man responsible for the first Greek version of the ‘galacticos’ and his legendary love for Olympiacos he took his last breath wearing the red-and-white jersey An executive whose dedication to the Club and winning spirit were unparalleled – he was at the helm at crucial moments in Olympiacos’ history when his presence guaranteed that the team performed at its very best It has gone down in modern Greece’s collective memory as the greatest sporting tragedy the country has ever known The Olympiacos’ star never wore another club’s jersey while transforming volleyball in Greece in the process From the crisis in 1981 to the winning of titles and an …insistence on shooting from afar   He had a sensual relationship with the beautiful game And the tango of the Argentine artist who wore the red and white stripes for two seasons and a half was seductive—a sight to behold From Kleidouchakis and Grammatikopoulos to our own era and Tzolakis And many a fine goalkeeper has left a legacy for his successors to follow where the result took a back seat to the tension Olympiacos’ home and other historic venues unique inspirations and football as an… art form – components that bestowed unforgettable memories to Olympiacos fans and aficionados of the game everywhere The team that Evangelos Marinakis created …with one stroke won seven championships in a row (2011-2017) the Iberian “school” and the pattern that still holds today The Olympiacos Foundation broke new ground when it was created with respect to the heritage and the millions of Olympiacos fans – and with a desire to always emphasize that Olympiacos is more than just a team Some of the all-time greats who played in the red and white stripes With Thodoris Vlachos and Charis Pavlidis at the helm they went on to help their club grow in its turn The Basque trainer that fans took into their hearts was the first to mix football and… geometry in his palette ever the foot soldier and the epitome of the reliable solution an outstanding person who honored wher role as captain of the women’s volleyball team and became its ‘banner’ Istanbul 2012 and London 2013: A team that reminded fans to believe in miracles Giorgios Printezis and the rest of the team pulled off an unbelievable double achievement A group of ex-swimmers started something in 1988 which is still remembered today and one of the top two water polo powerhouses in Europe for a decade he was the most accomplished player in Greek football in the first two decades of the 21st century Spyros Gianniotis and Apostolos Christou embodied and continue to embody the athletic ideal that Olympiacos represents Dominant in their competitions and athletes that have hung Olympic medals around their necks in swimming  He’s vying for the unofficial title of top Olympiacos player of all time He played like a teenager until the end of his career – a living link between the generations of Olympiacos basketball fans – a career full of consistency no one even knew who he was—apart from Vangelis Marinakis Piraeus is reminiscent of the small “Gaulish village” in the hugely popular comics series “Asterix” It’s there that a short but massively talented player arrived at the right place and time for Olympiacos and manager Pedro Martins he was the first to lift the trophy that would forever be remembered by Olympiacos and its fans A genuine genius in the offense – an absolute natural – a symbol of an era The French-Moroccan center-forward has left an indelible mark on the Piraeus club The iconic water polo player was destined to honor Olympiacos and write his own name in “gold letters” in the club’s history only to experience the darkest moment of his career a few months later bringing with him an unmatched fighting spirit that would feed into a milestone team for European basketball one that would win title after title for Olympiacos the embodiment of the youth academy philosophy hard work and belief in a vision can build champions An Olympic champion and a silver medalist at the recent World Indoor Championship at just 26 years old Emmanouil Karalis is much more than just an athlete that reaches for the sky The leading multi-sport club in Europe is making history in Greece and on the continent Olympiacos’ amateur division has continued to scale the heights due to the unfailingly well-thought-out moves it has made at all levels since 2010 References to Olympiacos are notable in Greek cinema From Melina Mercouri in «Never on Sunday» to the comedic duo of Nikos Stavridis and Thanasis Veggos Greece’s most popular Club had star status on the Silver Screen Feats that have been sung—and still are to this day—by millions of Olympiacos fans around the world Some became chants that set stadiums abuzz others are songs and anthems that retain the power to move us He came at the right time and became an inspiration He changed how things were done and brought something that will be remembered forever and this port found someone to… keep it safe The unbelievable performance of the best crop of players to ever emerge from an Olympiacos academy won the UEFA Youth League in 2024 marking the greatest success of a youth team in Greek football When Ayoub El-Kaabi scored the header in the 116th minute of the Europa Conference League final And an entire nation felt justice had at last been done writing the club’s own golden page in the book of European football With the collectible centennial jersey from Adidas brilliantly bringing together elements of a glorious century-long journey the evolution of Olympiacos’ venerable red and white strip is fascinating at the very least A story about the four words in the right order which… went down in history From Old Trafford to Piraeus’ two European trophies – March 10 © 2025 Alter Ego Media • All Rights Reserved — UPDATE: KTVO has learned that the two-vehicle head-on wreck in Schuyler County late Thursday morning resulted in two fatalities According to a crash report on the Missouri State Highway Patrol's (MSHP) website driven by a 63-year-old Lancaster woman and a pickup truck driven by a 59-year-old La Plata man collided head-on at the centerline of the roadway The La Plata man was pronounced dead at the scene The Lancaster woman was taken to Northeast Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries She was pronounced dead Thursday afternoon The online crash report says she was wearing her seat belt MSHP did not provide the names of either driver -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Emergency crews were called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash in Schuyler County Thursday morning reporting the crash involving a pickup truck and an SUV on U.S Highway 136 east of Lancaster.Two Schuyler County ambulances Schuyler County sheriff's deputies and Lancaster Fire Department responders were on the scene when KTVO arrived.At this time authorities have not released any additional details on the extent of injuries for those involved.Both lanes of the roadway were blocked for some time La Plata County commissioners warn that proposed statewide building and landscape regulations designed to protect wildfire-prone communities could significantly increase construction costs in rural areas The code would also require the county to expand land-use regulations – something officials say they have little desire and even fewer resources to do A draft of the statewide code that would require homes in the wildfire-urban interface – including huge swathes of La Plata County – to be built with ignition-resistant materials and have fire-resistant landscaping could be adopted as soon as July 1 “La Plata County philosophically supports the concepts and need for a wildland urban interface code,” the Board of County Commissioners wrote in a letter to the state’s Wildfire Resiliency Code Board last month But county staff members say that the regulations could increase the cost of building a home in La Plata County by as much as 15% or 20% in some cases Because the code would also dictate that the county permit previously unregulated development – things like decks – staff members also anticipate a 25% to 50% increase in the number of building permits issued by the Community Development Department The WRCB that wrote the proposed 47-page code is accepting public comment through May 2. Draft regulation maps and instructions on how to submit comments can be found at dfpc.colorado.gov/WRCB. Colorado lawmakers created the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board back in 2023 and tasked it with developing a building code and definitively mapping the state’s wildland-urban interface Counties & Commissioners Acting Together, a lobbying organization that includes La Plata County, supported the legislation “The whole concept of developing a code for the state of Colorado came back a number of years ago, following the Marshall Fire and also with some insurance challenges that were beginning to occur in the state,” said Karola Hanks, Durango’s former fire marshal who now chairs the code board. State law currently dictates a code must be adopted by July 1 Regulatory officials would then have until Oct 1 to adopt a code that meets the state’s minimum standard Construction and landscaping standards would depend on maps developed by the board which classify wildfire hazard areas by intensity: low Properties developed in low hazard areas – found mostly in small pockets of land throughout Southwest Colorado – would need: The code’s “Class 2” standards would apply to moderate and high-hazard areas which include many of the subdivisions west of Durango on the Florida Mesa and south of Vallecito Reservoir Buildings constructed on properties with those classifications must comply with the lower-level standards in addition to heightened protections and no single set of regulations will fit the entire state “We believe that this is the minimum level we need to address that will make a difference for the residents of the state of Colorado,” Hanks said County Director of Emergency Management Shawna Legarza a former wildland firefighter who at one point served as national director of fire and aviation for the U.S The BOCC in a March 25 letter asked the state to allocate funding for enforcement of the proposed code “I’m concerned right now about the actual implementation of it and enforcement because we don't have enough staff to do it,” said La Plata County Community Development Director Lynn Hyde it would be adding a lot of permitting and staff work.” Hyde said her staff has the expertise to handle building code reviews but is limited in its ability to enforce landscaping mitigation measures While the draft allows that work to be contracted out the state has not offered any funding to pay for the increased workload foisted upon regulatory officials would make it incumbent upon the county to issue permits for any sort of open burning None of those activities are currently regulated by the county’s land-use code are something that the county does not currently regulate at all In a year when the county is already facing budget constraints and keeping some staff positions vacant to cut costs back-of-a-napkin math shows that enforcing the code might demand as many as five new staff members Construction costs also raised concerns for commissioners County building staff worked with local supplies to price out the cost of compliance with the stricter standards for a typical home in Edgemont Those were about $9,000 more expensive than a standard $40,000 package Siding that complies with standards was $4,000 to $11,000 more expensive A Class A fire-rated deck can cost four times more than the common Class B-rated Trex decking Although the proportional cost increase on an expensive home might be less staff estimated that in some cases the code could cause construction costs to rise as much as 20% The concerns are not lost on Hanks or the WRCB though Hanks said the 20% figure seems high Some of the specific requests made by the BOCC are already being written into the code county officials warn that the state is trying to do too much “You can’t run a marathon tomorrow if you haven’t been training,” Legarza said The timeline for adopting a wildland-urban interface code is not up to the WRCB but was established in law by the Legislature A bill working its way through committee would extend the timelines by as much as 18 months Although Hanks said engagement work with impacted parties – builders those in the fire service and other industry experts – has been extensive she and the board are supportive of a deadline extension Funding support for counties is also up to lawmakers noting that financial incentives could serve as a “carrot” to accompany the code’s regulatory “stick.” How the board will balance landscape-scale fire resiliency with fiscal and staffing limitations remains unclear “You and your team know what needs to be done to keep homes safe,” Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton told Hanks at a meeting in March “But if we can’t implement it at the local level La Plata County is urging residents to sign up for CodeRed a public alert system that functions as a sort of reverse-911 during emergencies ahead of next week’s wildfire evacuation drill Fewer than 50% of county residents are signed up for CodeRed according to Director of Emergency Management Shawna Legarza “If you want information about what you need to do when there’s smoke in the air Residents can sign up for CodeRed at bit.ly/4cA63Fl Legarza also recommends that residents sign up for notifications tied to addresses beyond their home their children’s school or the homes of elderly relatives The county is urging residents to sign up for CodeRed ahead of its annual wildfire evacuation drill The exercise will kick off with a countywide test of the emergency notification system at 9:30 a.m the public is invited to a community wildfire preparedness workshop at the La Plata County Fairgrounds Residents are encouraged to stop by between 10 a.m for information on how to prepare homes and businesses for wildfire A panel presentation will take place from 1 to 2:30 p.m The first 50 attendees will receive a $10 lunch voucher The Office of Emergency Management and area partners will practice responses to simulated wildfires near Edgemont Meadow the Rockwood neighborhood and Trimble on Wednesday For more details on the exercise, visit readylaplata.org controlled burn near a northeast Missouri pond got out of control Wednesday afternoon The blaze happened at the Brendan Curtis residence on Impala Street Curtis told KTVO that he was burning dry grass around his pond when the wind spread the flames to a field of harvested corn Crews from the La Plata Fire Protection District responded La Plata County Manager Chuck Stevens announced Friday he will resign his position effective June 10 Stevens informed county commissioners of his decision earlier in the week he said in an interview with The Durango Herald and emailed department heads Friday morning to announce his departure and express his thanks He did not give a specific reason for his resignation New leadership will bring a fresh perspective.” “Chuck has been an exemplary leader and he has taken our organization through not only a pandemic but a setting up of a health department and now managing some challenging financial times,” Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton said “I appreciate his leadership and I appreciate his ability to work with our staff I think that our community partners and staff and commissioners will very much miss his very Commissioners said Stevens’ resignation was not requested and that his work has been highly valued “He’s been instrumental in getting a lot of things accomplished here at the county,” Commissioner Matt Salka said Stevens has accepted a job as the manager of an 11,000-person town in southern Maryland Stevens developed a reputation as a disciplined and dependable manager who is well-regarded by staff The county manager is one of two staff members who report directly to the Board of County Commissioners and is responsible for carrying out the board’s priorities whose role often required him to work behind the scenes and out of the public eye said the county’s accomplishments during his tenure really belong to its employees “They’re unbelievable public servants,” he said and they go above and beyond for our residents and then they come back the next day and do it again.” As civil servants face increasing criticism at the federal level Stevens said he is concerned those effects could trickle down to local governments – though they haven’t yet in La Plata County the employees he works with and the elected officials he serves The BOCC will determine how to proceed with hiring a replacement in the coming weeks — A northeast Missouri school had a special guest this week KTVO Chief Meteorologist Matt Gunn presented to kindergarteners at La Plata R-II School District on Thursday The class learned about the difference between a watch and a warning and how a tornado forms The kids asked Matt various questions about the weather and told some of their own weather stories Matt performed his infamous tornado-in-a-bottle demonstration as well La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) board members unanimously approved an agreement with Mercuria Energy America LLC (Mercuria) — one of the world’s largest independent energy and commodity groups — securing reliable cost-effective electricity for LPEA members through the 2026–2028 bridge period This agreement gives the cooperative a diversified and flexible power portfolio and when combined with LPEA’s other power purchase agreements will lower the blended cost of power by more than 10 percent starting in 2026 — compared to current wholesale rates The blended cost of power refers to the cost of the electricity plus the cost of transmission of the electricity to customers we’re already seeing the benefits of our board’s decision to pursue new power supply options and we’re incredibly grateful for their leadership and vision,” said Chris Hansen “Securing all the power we need for the bridge at a cost more than 10 percent lower than our previous provider is a major win for our members.” This marks the third power supply agreement LPEA has signed since the cooperative announced its departure from its contract with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Mercuria will supply the capacity needed to meet all of LPEA’s resource adequacy requirements providing reliable energy while giving the cooperative the flexibility to adapt to evolving energy needs so members won’t experience the volatility that can come with market fluctuations “As we approach the one-year mark until our departure from our Tri-State contract we continue to be pleased with the opportunities this transition is creating,” Hansen added “We’re excited about what we’re able to deliver for our members today and the flexibility we have to explore more affordable local generation as we shape our future energy portfolio.” While a portion of LPEA’s energy needs will continue to be met through previously secured power purchase agreements — providing approximately 30% of its supply — the Mercuria agreement and LPEA’s clean offering price certainty and reliability for members “We’re pleased to partner with La Plata Electric Association as we work together to deliver practical forward-looking energy solutions,” said Cody Moore “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to innovation and building a resilient energy future for the communities we serve.” LPEA will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for new energy generation projects to begin supplying power as early as January 1 LPEA now has full flexibility to determine its long-term energy portfolio including increased opportunities for local and regional generation For more information on LPEA’s energy transition, visit lpea.coop The Pagosa Daily Post welcomes submissions letters and videos from people who love Pagosa Springs Call 970-903-2673 or email pagosadailypost@gmail.com The Pagosa Daily Post is published by Bill Hudson Productions LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome. 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The race is on for seats on the La Plata Electric Association’s board of directors Four seats – each representing a different geographic part of the power cooperative’s service area – are up for election The winning candidates will serve three-year terms Members may also vote in person the day of the election at LPEA’s annual meeting on May 21 The affordability and reliability of power – always top-of-mind issues for co-op members – are of heightened interest this year as LPEA approaches its planned April 2026 exit from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association two-term incumbent and longtime energy wonk Holly Metzler is running for a third term against Dusty Mars an Arboles engineer who ran unsuccessfully for a board seat last year In District 2 – which covers the southern and western parts of La Plata County – three candidates are vying for the seat: Greg Barber a recently retired CPA who worked at a large private utility; former La Plata County Commissioner Brad Blake; and Terry Greiner a senior sales executive for the database technology company Oracle Current District 2 Director Dan Huntington is not seeking reelection retired Chevron executive and former chairman of the local Republican Party Dave Peters is challenging two-term incumbent Joe Lewandowski a retired journalist and public information officer In District 4 – which includes the northern and eastern parts of La Plata County – two-term incumbent John Witchel founder of the Fun Center motorsports dealership and a former county commissioner candidate Seven of the nine candidates took questions during a virtual luncheon hosted by the La Plata County Democrats on Tuesday all seven candidates emphasized that they would prioritize reliability and affordability of LPEA’s power supply But what that means varied widely among the candidates The field is split on whether LPEA’s decision to leave Tri-State was a forward-thinking act that will lower costs and increase independence or a shortsighted reaction made without adequate member input Lewandowski and Witchel all said they are firmly in favor of the exit from Tri-State Both Witchel and Lewandowski noted that Tri-State is likely to raise rates to offset revenue losses stemming from the exit of member co-ops “They’re borrowing an enormous amount of money to try and stay afloat,” Witchel said Barber said he “couldn’t second guess” the board’s decision but would hold LPEA’s management accountable for promises of lower costs greater use of local power and building up the co-op’s portfolio of renewable energy “It remains to be seen,” whether the exit was the right call noting that some people feel there was a lack of transparency around the buyout Mars said he doesn’t know enough of the details of the exit because of what he described as a lack of transparency Transparency has become a recurring talking point each election cycle “This whole idea that we’re not being transparent is a total false narrative.” Common Sense LPEA a right-leaning organization with unclear backers is advocating to reverse the Tri-State exit calling it an “insanely expensive blunder.” The group has endorsed Mars All candidates indicated they support pursuing a diverse mix of power sources although support for utility-scale solar on the landscape in particular varied Individual candidate statements, which were capped at 250 words, can be found on LPEA’s website. Ballots will be mailed to members by April 21 and must be returned by 4 p.m Paper ballots may be returned by mail or deposited at 24-hour drop boxes located at 45 Stewart St Members may also vote online starting April 21 through the SmartHub portal where bills can also be paid Election results will be confirmed at LPEA’s annual meeting on May 21. The meeting will be held at the LPEA Durango office from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. RSVP online at lpea.coop/annual-meeting. by John Garlock-KTVO and La Plata Community Fire Protection District — The driver of a pickup truck pulling an enclosed trailer full of livestock walked away uninjured following a rollover crash Tuesday morning approximately three miles east of La Plata La Plata Community Fire Protection District responded to the scene Macon County Ambulance and the Macon County Sheriff's Office firefighters found a truck and the livestock trailer upside down on the north side of Highway 156 was able to get out of the truck before emergency responders got there Officials said the trailer was loaded with 157 calves Local farmers were called to the scene and helped unload the cattle onto a different trailer and take them to their destination the last stop for La Plata County garbage 11 miles south of Durango has seven years before it is expected to fill up the waste disposal company that manages the dump La Plata County and city of Durango officials said discussions about expansion should happen sooner rather than later La Plata County Commissioner Matt Salka said the county Republic Services and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe need to be a part of the conversation because the landfill is on the reservation nonprofits and businesses across La Plata County said the landfill’s current footprint is 34 acres on a 139-acre parcel She said the landfill has a maximum capacity of 3.9 million cubic yards of waste – equivalent to 325,000 dump trucks hauling 12 cubic yards of waste each meaning nearly 2.7 million cubic yards of space It's not something that people really think about much until it’s too late And that's why we (have) to have these conversations now and not later.” Salka said the landfill’s projected seven-year life span is more time than what he was told by Republic Services following its acquisition of GFL Environmental's Colorado and New Mexico operations in June 2023 He said improvements were made to a garbage drop-off site in west La Plata County which calmed the nerves of residents there Republic Services said it was looking for ways to expand its capacity and thus the landfill’s life span Quillard said Bondad is a unique facility and Republic Services works closely with SUIT which operates energy production infrastructure within the site and the surrounding area SUIT and Republic Services must engage in discussions about expansion opportunities knowing time must be reserved for negotiations with SUIT Table to Farm Compost co-owner Monique DiGiorgio who joined a group of Fort Lewis College students on a tour of Bondad Landfill last month said contrary to what one might expect from a landfill one has a gorgeous view of the La Plata Mountains ranging from Telluride to the San Juan Mountains But the scene is tainted by the smell of volatile organic compounds which is released from the compacted trash and debris via piping and a methane vent poking out of the ground atop a completed waste cell said organic waste is the biggest contributor to methane at the site As long as methane remains under 500 parts per million But if methane exceeds 500 parts per million Bondad employs a flare system to burn the gas away Durango Sustainability Manager Marty Pool said an expansion of Bondad Landfill or the construction of a new landfill can have different financial impacts to customers depending on whether a landfill is publicly or privately operated A publicly operated landfill’s expansion would likely be funded through some sort of tax measure approved by voters Since Bondad is privately owned and operated expansion and/or construction costs would be realized in the city’s waste collection fees “The city has to pay that added cost through our contracts or operations and we would pass that cost on to our businesses and residents through an increase in the trash fee,” he said whether it's through taxes or through increased fees.” The further collections have to travel to pick up and dump waste also drives costs up DiGiorgio said she learned 40 acres of land can fit three cells and it costs Bondad about $2.5 million to develop each cell McComb added it takes about 1½ years to have a cell approved for use by the U.S She said organic waste typically makes up about 30% to 40% of waste disposed into a landfill Diverting organic waste from landfills to composting efforts extends the life of landfills and delays the construction of new cells Pool said construction waste is likely the largest contributor to the increase of waste at Bondad based on his conversations with site operators Regional population growth has produced more construction materials so they take up more space than other waste that can be crushed and compressed McComb said site operators told him the construction materials leftover when the former Miller Middle School building in Durango was demolished last year quickly filled space at Bondad “He really regrets when they get a lot of construction debris “I know this myself from having built a home myself It just kills you when you see the amount of construction waste.” Pool said construction waste is an interesting factor to consider and recycling more construction waste is something the community should look into Composters can collaborate with landfills to expand their life spans reducing operating costs and creating agricultural commodities out of organic wastes that would only rot and produce methane if left in landfills And I would love it if the community (saw) that,” DiGiorgio said “And I would love it if the businesses that were all part of waste management could see that we're all tied together that way.” A previous version of this story misidentified what causes foul odors at landfills According to the Solid Waste Association of North America volatile odors are caused by the decomposition of organic material by bacteria The Herald was given incorrect information — An out-of-state truck driver was killed Wednesday in a rollover crash in northeast Missouri The deadly one-vehicle wreck happened at 7:15 a.m State troopers say an unnamed 61-year-old man from Golden Valley ran his Freightliner off the right side of the roadway overcorrected and then ran off the left side of the highway The driver was pronounced dead at the scene The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the man was not wearing a seat belt when the crash happened Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article wet weekend according to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction which forecasts rain and snow through Saturday and freezing overnight lows through Wednesday Meteorologist Kris Sanders said a cold front driven by a low-pressure system moving in from the north will meander over the Four Corners and linger through the weekend Although rain and snow showers were forecast to begin as early as Thursday night high temperatures in Durango on Friday and Saturday are expected to reach 51 and 50 degrees Snow accumulation is unlikely – though up to 1 inch is possible He added that overnight and morning temperatures could dip into the upper teens by Sunday before climbing back to around freezing by Wednesday morning The weather service forecast similar conditions for Bayfield and Ignacio with a slightly lower chance of precipitation and slightly cooler temperatures Sanders said the best chance for snow accumulation is Friday night The forecast for the San Juan Mountains through Saturday afternoon is more dramatic with the potential for about a foot of snow at higher elevations you’re looking at the potential for some of those areas to get upward of a foot “Travel will be interesting due to the snow impacts.” the weather service issued a red flag warning and wind advisory for the Durango area through 8 p.m. The agency warned that fires could ignite and spread quickly Winds of 15 to 25 mph from the southwest were expected though the strong gusts were not predicted to persist into the weekend According to available weather data from a NWS station atop College Mesa dating back to 1915 the record snowfall for April 19 (Saturday) is 5 inches Sanders said measurable snow has been recorded only three times on April 19 and five times on April 20 reaching 61 degrees by Sunday and climbing to around 70 degrees by Wednesday “We rebound fairly quickly given we’re in April and we’re just in a pattern where there’s not really a significant system on the horizon,” he said briefly placed district buildings on a soft lockdown Tuesday afternoon briefly placed district buildings on a soft lockdown Tuesday afternoon.The buildings were placed on lockdown around 2:45 p.m while police officers looked for a suspect on foot near the schools.During that time students and staff were not allowed to exit the buildings and movement within was limited.The lockdown was lifted after about five minutes when the suspect was found to be in police custody.In a Facebook post "We prioritize staff and student safety and make a concerted effort to keep our school community a safe place for all We appreciate the efforts of the La Plata Police Department to keep our town a safe and happy place where families and students thrive." a concerned resident of southwestern Colorado let me know about a Canadian company’s proposal to do exploratory drilling for copper in the La Plata Mountains west of Durango Small-time mining companies are notorious for staking a handful of claims and hyping pie-in-the-sky projects that will never come to fruition This week another person asked me about the same project and whether I thought it was realistic I was a bit slower to dismiss it this time we’re not going to see the beloved mountain range gouged open for minerals anytime soon but the company — and its plan — have become increasingly viable over time Metallic Minerals began acquiring and staking claims in the La Plata Mountains in 2019 and since then have amassed more than 500 patented and unpatented claims and other parcels covering some 12,000 acres The company’s proposed La Plata copper project straddles and encompasses most of the western ridge of the range: If you’ve climbed Madden you’ve been on Metallic Minerals’ claims (or ones controlled by the firm but under a different claimant) Metallic Minerals estimates the La Plata deposits contain as much as 1.2 billion pounds of copper They began exploratory drilling in 2022 in what they call the Allard deposit the firm filed a notice of intent with the U.S Forest Service to do exploratory drilling on Montezuma Minerals' 97 un-patented mining claims near the head of Bedrock Creek That would have included pulling up to 247,000 gallons of water per year from Boren and then replacing the water by adding it -- presumably trucked in -- to the La Plata River where it crosses Highway 160 to ensure downstream water rights are honored The efforts would be funded in part by an investment from Newcrest Mining Limited which was acquired by global mining giant Newmont last November Metallic Minerals’ La Plata project appears to be no more than an exploratory effort The firm has released no plans beyond that and some land needs to be cleared to make room for the drill rigs But the big impacts and concern comes from the potential for actual mining and if it were ever to happen it wouldn't be for years or even decades from now The company would have to get permits from state mining regulators and the state water engineer (for water rights) And there would be ample opportunities for public input and large mines in Nevada) and it claims its drilling has uncovered rich deposits of ore (always to be taken with a grain of salt you’ll have a chance to learn more: Metallic Minerals is holding two open houses: KSUT publishes selected articles from The Land Desk, a newsletter from Jonathan P. Thompson. Explore more articles here The Land Desk explores news from the Four Corners and data-visualizations focusing on public lands Jonathan is a longtime Four Corners-based journalist and author of River of Lost Souls