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

News Roundup: Winter Travel, Spruce Tree House, & More

12/10/2021

We touch on a new CDOT mobile app, plans to stabilize Spruce Tree House at Mesa Verde, and more. Sponsored by Choice Building Supply Ace Hardware and Express Employment Professionals

Learn More...

Read the Full Transcript

You're watching the Montezuma Local News Roundup. I'm Wendy Graham Settle. The Colorado department of transportation launched a new easier to use COtrip.org website, featuring a new roadmap with road conditions. You can also download the COtrip mobile planner app that provides statewide real-time traffic information that works with iOS and Android platforms. Both the website and mobile app provide links to real-time cameras to see what road conditions are like. If you do plan to drive during adverse weather conditions, CO. recommends that you pack a winterized emergency vehicle kit. Plan your route in advance and let someone know where you'll be driving and your estimated time of arrival. Check your tires, make sure the air pressure is correct for all of your tires and that you have at least three and one 16th inch tread. Drive for the conditions. don't drive faster than you can see ahead, and turn on your headlights. If you get stuck in a serious storm, do not leave your vehicle. For more travel tips visit cotrip.org. Habitat for humanity of Montezuma county has received certification, as an enterprise zone contribution project, from the state economic development commission. Donors who make a contribution of $250 or more to habitat can claim a 25% state tax credit and a 12 and a half percent tax credit for In- kind donations. The credit is in addition to the federal tax deduction for contributions made to any 5 0 1 C3 organization. Montezuma habitat plans to build five homes during the next five years in the Sedona estate subdivision and rehab five homes in the area. To learn more or to make a contribution, visit habitatmontezuma.org Hope's kitchen and the share house community food center will prepare Christmas dinners for pickup between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM at the Montezuma county Annex building on north Chestnut street. visit montezumafoodcoalition.org. For more information. The Pinyon Project seeks donations and sponsors for it's Christmas, for its kids program. families, individuals, businesses, and organizations are encouraged to adopt a family and provide unopened gifts, and clothing for the family's children. The Pinon Project also will accept donations of unopened toys and clothing. You can sign up to sponsor or family@pinionproject.org, and look under the events link. The National Park Service has initiated a 30 day comment period to plan for a major stabilization project at the Spruce Tree House at Mesa Verde National Park. The Spruce Tree House located below the park's museum was closed, after a rock fall occurred from the front sandstone arch. The public is encouraged to share observations, concerns, and ideas to scope out the range of issues and environmental concerns that should be addressed during the planning stages and subsequent environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act. To make comments and learn more, Visit park planning.nps.gov/M E V E. Thanks for watching the local news network update. I'm Wendy Graham settle.

‍

PAST montezuma NEWS STORIES

May 1, 2026

Voices of the Past: Saving a Castle in the Clouds (Part 2)

High on the slopes of Galena Mountain at 12,500 feet, the Old Hundred Mine's 1908 boarding house stood as a testament to the audacity of Colorado's early miners — until decades of heavy snow and neglect brought two-thirds of its roof caving in. In 1996, Beverly Rich and a consortium of partners launched what they called "extreme preservation," airlifting supplies by helicopter up a precarious mule trail to save the historic structure before it plummeted 3,000 feet into Cunningham Gulch below. Workers stayed a week or two at a time, rebuilding the roof and securing the building to the rock cliff with cable. A year later, the tram house was also restored. The effort was immortalized in a documentary, Castle in the Clouds: The Saving of the Old Hundred Boarding House — a tribute to the immigrants from around the world who left everything behind to chase the promise and adventure of America in one of its most remote corners. 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. By Beverly Rich This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank, Sky Ute Casino and Strater Hotel Watch the full series, Voices of the Past: Southwest Colorado.
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.
Copyright © Local News Network Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy
JOIN OUR TEAM