DEL NORTE - For almost a year, the Town of Del Norte has been in one phase of construction or another but thanks to precise planning by the team of engineers, the end is finally in sight. According to Del Norte Town Mayor Shelly Burnett, the construction is nearing its end, and the results will be more than wonderful for the beginning of summer. Reminder that businesses on the south side of Grand Avenue are open and can be accessed by way of 6th Street. 

RIO GRANDE COUNTY - At the end of May, Rio Grande County officials received notice of a list of sanctuary counties from concerned residents published by the Colorado Department of Homeland Security (CDHS) and were surprised to find Rio Grande County on the list. The document was published on a website at www.dhs.gov/sanctuary-jurisdictions. This page, along with the list, has since been removed.  

MONTE VISTA - It was a beautiful Wednesday morning on June 11, as City of Monte Vista, the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce, and regents from the Arizona Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Faith Hinkley Veterans Memorial Park in Monte Vista. 

MONTE VISTA - On June 13, the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce and the Monte Vista Coop C-Store hosted a grand re-opening celebration following the store’s renovations and upgrades. 

District Attorney Anne Kelly of the 12th Judicial District in Colorado announces that Barry Morphew has been arrested for the 2020 murder of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, a 49-year-old mother of two who disappeared while on a bike ride on May 10, 2020, prompting a long and intense search. It wasn't until September of 2023 that her body was ultimately found during an unrelated search in a remote area of Saguache County, Colorado. Morphew was taken into custody in Arizona and will be extradited to Colorado where he will stand trial.

ALAMOSA — At the conclusion of a trial that was scheduled for five days but lasted only three, Raymond Karpovage, 68, of Hooper was found guilty of “knowingly, unlawfully and feloniously” sexually assaulting an adult person-at-risk.  

ALAMOSA — By a margin of two votes, Republicans in the House of Representatives narrowly passed legislation 214 to 212 that eliminates all federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) for the next two years 

COSTILLA COUNTY — On the morning of June 5, Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue (AVSAR) was contacted to assist the Costilla County Sheriff's Office in rescuing an injured climber near the summit of Mt. Lindsey. 

MONTE VISTA - Alabama duo Muscadine Bloodline will be the headliner of the Ski-Hi Stampede’s opening concert on July 10 in Monte Vista. Special guest Aaron Watson will be opening for the rising country duo. The Stampede, Colorado’s oldest rodeo, runs from July 10-13 at the Ski-Hi Complex.

ALAMOSA — The Saguache County Immigrant Protection Team and Crestone/Baca Grande Indivisible held a town hall on immigration at Society Hall in Alamosa on Sunday, June 8. The event included speakers and a question-and-answer session. 

ALAMOSA — Chief George Dingfelder announced on Tuesday that Alamosa Police Department Capt. Joey Spangler has graduated as a member of the 294th session of the FBI National Academy. The graduation took place at the National Academy in Quantico, Va., on June 5.   

ALAMOSA — Officials with the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon regarding the death of an inmate who was being held in the Alamosa County Detention Center. 

ALAMOSA — SLV Board of Commissioners met on Monday morning to discuss the feasibility of building a jail to service the needs of the entire San Luis Valley.  Currently, only three counties have detention centers, including Alamosa, Conejos and Rio Grande, and Rio Grande’s jail needs significant repairs. 

COSTILLA COUNTY — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has announced it will begin traffic changes on Wednesday, June 11, at 5 p.m., to accommodate the construction of wildlife underpasses on US 160 east of Fort Garland. 

ALAMOSA — Recently, the San Luis Valley Resource Development Group (SLVRDG) and the San Luis Valley Council of Governments (SLVCOG) released the 2025 San Luis Valley Statistical Profile, an in-depth report examining the region’s demographic, economic, and geographic conditions. 

ALAMOSA — When the Alamosa School District (ASD) saw historic progress this year in the number of elementary students advancing in their fluent English proficiency scores, it all pointed back to the work of Elisamaria Heredia, an English Language instructor at the Alamosa Elementary 3-5 school. 

DEL NORTE - The Rio Grande County Museum will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Barlow and Sanderson Stage Office. The event will kick off on June 21 at 11 a.m. with a ribbon cutting and dedication beginning at 11:30. There will be light refreshments and an open house following the ribbon cutting. 

ALAMOSA — This week, Community Resources and Housing Development Corporation (CRHDC) announced that the Tierra Azul housing development has been awarded Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA).  

ALAMOSA — Just five months shy of its 40th birthday, Alamosa-based KRZA Public Radio may find itself fighting for its life following President Trump’s May 1 Executive Order “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media." 

DEL NORTE - The Del Norte High School Class of 2025 was surrounded by family and friends on Friday, May 23, as they gathered to celebrate their accomplishments and to set the stage for their future. The gym in the Upper Rio Grande School District (URGSD) was packed to the brim with those who came to celebrate the new graduates, filling the air with excitement and laughter.