NEWS BRIEFS
You're watching Montezuma Local News. Watch all our stories at MontezumaLocal.NEWS. Download our podcasts, and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Send story ideas to ideas@thelocalnews.us. Advertise with us: Sales@thelocalnews.us

Backcountry Enthusiasts Recruit Members for New Social Group

1/25/2023

The first inaugural meeting of the Montezuma Backcountry Group is scheduled to take place at 6:00 PM at WildEdge Brewing on Wednesday, January 25. Park officials at Canyons of the Ancients are asking people to stay off trails until they dry out. The Mancos Conservation District is fostering public ideas for a healthy watershed during an upcoming three day watershed workshop. By Connor Shreve This story is sponsored by Big-O Tires and Southwest Health System

Learn More...

Montezuma Backcountry Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/montezumabackcountrygroup

WildEdge Brewing - https://www.wildedgebrewing.com/

Canyons of the Ancients - https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/colorado/canyons-of-the-ancients

Mancos Conservation District - https://montezumacountyconservationdistricts.org/about-us

Read the Full Transcript

Backcountry enthusiasts assemble, but officials are asking you to wait to hit the trails until they're dry. And the Mancos Conservation District wants to hear ideas for the future of a healthy watershed. You're watching the Local News Roundup, brought to you by Big O Tires and Southwest Health System. I'm Connor Shreve. The call is out for backcountry enthusiasts to join the Montezuma Backcountry Group. The group's inaugural meetup is planned for Wednesday, January 25th, in the new barrel room at Wildedge Brewing Collective, starting at 6:00 PM. The group is a social collection of backcountry enthusiasts who want to talk about issues related to the outdoors. A representative from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center will be on hand presenting the Know Before You Go Avalanche Awareness Program free of charge. This meeting will serve as a way to gauge the interests of group members to better plan presentations and events. Interested parties are asked to RSVP to Wildedge Brewing Collective by phone. If you've explored Canyon of the Ancients during the winter months, you know what a wonderful experience it can be. But right now, park officials are urging people not to explore the park until conditions dry out. Hiking when the landscape is wet can cause trail erosion which causes trail widening, resulting in a loss of delicate plant life and biological soil. Trail conditions within the Sand Canyon and Rock Creek Trails will improve quickly with sunshine. Once things do dry out, officials ask you to stay on trail and follow instructions. Updated trail conditions can be found on its website and Facebook page. The Mancos Conservation District is hosting, "One Watershed, One Community". It's a three-day workshop, January 30th through February 1st from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day at the Mancos Community Center. The workshop is aimed at gathering feedback from the community regarding the future of the water in the Mancos watershed. More details are online at Montezuma County Conservation District's website. Thanks for watching this edition of the Local News Roundup. I'm Connor Shreve.

PAST montezuma NEWS STORIES

April 29, 2026

Four Corners Dental and Dentures [BRANDED CONTENT]

Four Corners Dental and Dentures, is a full-service dental practice serving Durango and the broader Four Corners region. The practice offers general dentistry with a specialty focus on tooth replacement solutions, including dentures and implants, using state-of-the-art technology and individualized treatment plans. Known for its welcoming, patient-first approach, the team emphasizes comfort and personalized care, treating each patient as an individual rather than a number. [LNN Branded Content]
April 29, 2026

Voices of the Past: Saving a Castle in the Clouds (Part 1)

Beverly Rich was born in Silverton in 1950 and has been involved with the local Historical Society since she was 14 — making her one of the most dedicated keepers of San Juan County's storied past. In her article, Rescuing Relics: Extreme Preservation and the Old Hundred Boarding House, she reflects on what made Silverton remarkable from the very beginning. Few people realize that Silverton is nearly ten years older than Durango, and that without Silverton, Durango wouldn't exist. In its heyday, this remote mountain town was the Silicon Valley of its era — a hub of technological innovation, incredible wealth, and relentless ambition. But like all mining towns, Silverton rode a cycle of boom and bust, its fortunes tied closely to World Wars and commodity prices. The hardest blow came in 1991 when the Sunny Side Mine shut down, taking half the town's population with it. What followed was a period of honest reckoning — and visioning. Silverton leaned into its two greatest assets: spectacular scenery and fascinating history. Today, for the first time ever, Silverton is no longer primarily a mining town. It has become a thriving high-mountain destination, with a booming recreation industry, rising property values, and a new generation discovering what Beverly Rich has known her whole life — this place is something special. The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage. This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel
April 24, 2026

Remembering Ben Nighthorse Campbell

On what would have been his 93rd birthday, friends, family and fellow leaders gathered in Ignacio on April 13th to honor the life and legacy of Ben Nighthorse Campbell. Those who knew him best reflect on a man who transformed Native American representation in American politics and proved that anybody can make a real difference. This story is sponsored by Kroegers Ace Hardware and RMW Tafoya Barrett & Associates
April 28, 2026

Voices of the Past: Colorado's Wild History: A 150-Year Wildlife Story (Part 2)

Southwest Colorado spans dramatic terrain from desert floors to towering mountain peaks — and the wildlife that call it home have a story as compelling as the landscape itself. By the late 1800s, bighorn sheep, elk, deer, turkeys, and native trout were pushed to the brink of vanishing entirely. What followed was one of the most extraordinary conservation turnarounds in the American West. Today, Colorado boasts the largest elk population of any western state, wild turkey numbers have rebounded from just 250 birds to over 35,000, and native bighorn sheep once again navigate the craggy high country. But the story isn't over. Gray wolves are returning, Gunnison sage grouse are being protected, and the native Colorado Pikeminnow is being restored to the Colorado River Basin. All thanks to the ongoing efforts from communities that care. The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage. This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel. Watch the full series, Voices of the Past: Southwest Colorado.
April 15, 2026

Voices of the Past: Colorado's Wild History: A 150-Year Wildlife Story (Part 1)

Retired Colorado Parks and Wildlife manager Patt Dorsey spent 28 years protecting the wildlife of Southwest Colorado. Now, in honor of Colorado's 150th birthday, she's telling the region's untold wildlife story — digging through old biological reports and vintage archives to uncover history that even surprised her. Her core message: wildlife needs people. Without public connection and care, species disappear from our landscapes forever. To read the full article, visit coloradol50southwest.org. The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage. This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel. Watch the full series, Voices of the Past: Southwest Colorado.
April 10, 2026

Durango Keeps Ragtime Music Alive

Ragtime music — a blend of European styles and African American rhythms considered the forerunner of jazz — has found an unlikely home in Durango, Colo. For nearly 70 years, the Diamond Bell Saloon at the historic Strater Hotel has featured live ragtime piano, making it one of the only venues in the country where audiences can hear the music performed regularly. A pianist who holds a master's degree in historical musicology from the Peabody Conservatory plays up to six nights a week on an 1902 upright grand piano, calling the experience "time travel" for audiences. Now, that same musician has launched the Durango Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival, now in its second year as a nonprofit. The festival brings approximately seven of the country's top ragtime and early jazz musicians to Durango each year, with the goal of preserving the music and introducing it to new audiences. Organizers say Durango's size, rich ragtime history and the Strater Hotel — built during the ragtime era — make it an ideal home for the festival. For more information, visit durangoragtime.com. This story is sponsored by Tafoya Barrett & Associates and Keesee Motor Company.
April 8, 2026

Voices of the Past: A Different Perspective (Part 2)

Native historian Johnny Valdez sheds light on a largely untold chapter of Colorado's history — the Brunot Agreement of 1873 and the treaties that transferred Ute ancestral lands to the United States government. Writing for the U.S. 250/Colorado 150 Power of Place Magazine, Valdez draws on both his formal education and his heritage to reveal what most Colorado schoolchildren were never taught: that the Ute people, the Nuuchiu, did not simply "give" or "sell" their land, but did so under the threat of annihilation, amid miscommunication and cultural misunderstanding. The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage. Valdez reminds us that this land — the mountains, rivers, forests, and valleys — is sacred, and that understanding its true history makes each of us a better steward of this place. This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel. Watch the full series, Voices of the Past: Southwest Colorado.
April 3, 2026

Voices of the Past: A Different Perspective (Part 1)

How do we get to where we are — and how important is every little story? Native historian Johnny Valdez reminds us that we are each the product of a hundred generations, and that any one of those stories going differently means we wouldn't be here at all. That perspective, he says, is exactly what makes listening to someone else's story so powerful — because in their story, you find your own. Writing for the U.S. 250/Colorado 150 Power of Place Magazine, Valdez draws on his heritage as a member of the Ute Tribe to explore a largely untold chapter of Colorado's history: the Brunot Agreement of 1873, the treaty that transferred Ute ancestral lands to the United States government. It's a story most Colorado schoolchildren have never heard — they know the beautiful mountains, the great hikes, the fishing and skiing — but not the history beneath their feet. This is the land of the Great Spirit. That's what the Ute Tribe has always called it. And Valdez believes that knowing its true history transforms visitors and residents alike into protectors of this place. The Power of Place Magazine is a special initiative of the Colorado 150 Southwest organizing committee, featuring 20 articles by professional historians and local writers exploring Southwest Colorado's rich and complex heritage. This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel.
March 25, 2026

Colorado's New Wildfire Resiliency Code Explained

Colorado's new Wildfire Resiliency Building Code requires fire-resistant materials and vegetation management for new construction and major home renovations in wildfire-prone areas. The town of Pagosa Springs plans to adopt the code April 1, with full implementation by July 1. Organizations like Wildfire Adapted Partnership offer free property assessments to help homeowners reduce their risk, even if the code does not apply to them yet. This story is sponsored by FASTSIGNS Durango and Blondies Trophy Room.
March 18, 2026

Arenacross Racing Roars to Four Corners

Arenacross racing returns to the Four Corners region for the fourth consecutive year as Finish Line Promotions brings the Parnall Law Xtreme Arenacross back with Aztec Motocross, drawing amateur and professional riders from across the Southwest while offering roughly 40 classes for all skill levels, from toddlers on balance bikes to seasoned pros. Organizer Andrew Gallegos says the event's economic reach extends well beyond the track, with competitors and their families filling local restaurants, hotels and gas stations throughout the weekend, and sponsors like Dekon Environmental say the gathering gives Four Corners youth a positive recreational outlet while fostering a brand of community camaraderie rarely found in other sports. This story is sponsored by Boon's Family Thai BBQ and Fitness World
Copyright © Local News Network Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy
JOIN OUR TEAM