Skills USA Competition Explores Trades

La Plata Youth Services is here for youths and teens at all stages - whether they need a bit of help at school or a safe place to spend the afternoon or weekend. With a variety of programs designed to target specific needs within the community, La Plata Youth Services aims to ensure the wellbeing and success of every young person it serves. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Service Master Restore and Serious Texas BBQ

The International Fly Fishing Film Festival will visit Durango for the first time Saturday, April 1. Two screenings will be hosted by the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton at 5 pm and 8 pm. Tickets are available online through Five Rivers Trout Unlimited or in-person at Duranglers for $20. By Connor Shreve. This story is sponsored by Pops Truck & RV Center and The Payroll Department

RoundUp for Teachers, a brainstorm from this year’s Leadership La Plata class, aims to fill the much-needed gap between teachers’ salaries and their cost of living. Inspired by similar movements on the Front Range, RoundUp for Teachers encourages local shoppers to round up their purchases at participating stores throughout the month of March. The end goal is to help teachers in Durango and La Plata County earn a sustainable, living wage through informational campaigns. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Happy Pappy's Pizza & Wings and Pop's Truck & RV Center

How high will interest rates rise and what does that mean for the Durango real estate market? Dan Korman of Alpenglow Properties discusses interest rates, active listings, sold homes, and pricing for single family homes in February. This story is sponsored by Alpenglow Properties, LLC

Durango School District 9-R has released the plan to make-up the missing school contact hours from the snow days earlier this year. Flowstone Education, a nonprofit out of Pagosa Springs aiming to bring unique experiences to low-income and minority youths has announced its schedule of events for 2023, and the winners of the Department of Motor Vehicles Historic Colorado license plate design contest are announced. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Tafoya Barrett and Associates and 2180 Lighting and Design Studio

The Colorado Brewers Guild Collaboration Fest returns for a second year in 2023, after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. Ska Brewing is partnering with long-time colleague but first-time collaborator, Cannonball Creek Brewing for its entry into this year's festival. The two brewers are releasing a West Coast Pils for the event, and in limited quantities in the Four Corners and out of the Cannonball Creek taproom in Golden, Colorado. By Connor Shreve. This story is sponsored by Tafoya Barrett & Associates and Pop’s Truck & RV Center

The Lor Foundation is awarding rural farmers and ranchers in Colorado and New Mexico grants to implement innovative water solutions. LOR believes those closest to a problem—Western farmers and ranchers in this case—have the best solutions. Through the Field Work initiative, farmers and ranchers in rural parts of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming are eligible for up to $10,000 to implement innovative water projects. The goal is to find the best solutions for using water to grow food in the West. By Connor Shreve. This story is sponsored by Southwest Health System and TruWest Auto

The partnership between the City of Durango and TWG Development, LLC to rehabilitate the Best Western Motel on Highway 160 for affordable housing is underway. The City of Durango has approved the donation of 49 acres of land adjacent to Oxbow Reserve, which will expand wildlife habitat preservation and may include an extension of the Animas River Trail. The Durango Police Department in partnership with Hyundai USA is offering steering-wheel locks to owners of the most frequently stolen vehicles in Southwest Colorado, and it’s not too late to bid on one-of-a-kind artwork to support the La Plata Humane Society through its annual PowderHounds fundraiser. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Serious Texas BBQ and The Payroll Department

To celebrate National Youth Art Month, the Visual Arts Teachers from multiple Durango schools are hosting an exhibition of student artwork. The display is open in the Main Mall from 12 pm to 6 pm through Sunday March 12th. The display features hundreds of works from students spanning grades and schools throughout Durango School District 9-R. By Connor Shreve. This story is sponsored by 2180 Lighting & Design Studio and Kroegers Ace Hardware

For many individuals living in the Durango area, the dream of owning a home is just that - a dream. However, organizations like HomesFund work to make homeownership an attainable reality. From programs like mortgage assistance to housing counseling and a homebuyer education class, HomesFund ensures prospective buyers know what to expect and how to navigate owning a home. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Alpine Bank

The Durango La Plata County Airport earned a reward from the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association for the runway project, completed last fall. The City of Durango encourages eligible residents to apply for the food tax rebate program and utility refund program, and TBK Bank opened its TBK Bank Scholars Program scholarship to current high school seniors. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Happy Pappy's Pizza and Wings and The Payroll Department

For the first time in its history, Animas High School has permanence. After operating in strip malls and mobile units through its developmental years, the school is finally in its permanent home on the campus of Fort Lewis College. Both students and staff feel an important presence from the school’s new structure. By Connor Shreve. This story is sponsored by ServiceMaster Restore and 2180 Lighting & Design Studio.

Cortez’s WildEdge Brewing Collective, open since 2017 is finally completing an expansion that’s been in the works since before the Covid pandemic. Owner and Brewer Tucker Robinson says the smaller, more intimate space located behind the main taproom can fill a variety of roles. He believes the room can be anything from a meeting space to a lecture site. By Connor Shreve This story is sponsored by FastSigns and The Lor Foundation

The City of Durango has launched a new system to report issues in and around the city called SeeClickFix. The name is fairly self-explanatory - see something amiss, click a photo of the issue (e.g. a pothole on a busy road), and send it off to the City to fix. The process is meant to be more streamlined than the previous reporting tool the City used, and the hope is that it will be more user-friendly for everyone. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Tafoya Barret and Associates and Pop's Truck & RV Center

After the passing of the Colorado Plastic Pollution Act, many stores are now charging 10 cents for single-use bags. The City of Durango and several non-profit organizations are offering up to two free reusable bags for residents to encourage more people to bring their own bags when shopping. The Durango-La Plata County Airport will soon welcome a larger United Airlines flight, and SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab will have garden plots available for reserving later this month. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by 2180 Lighting and Design Studio and Kroeger's Ace Hardware

A grant funded visit from the Colorado Springs-based Mobile Earth and Space Observatory brought three days of hands-on education for students at Riverview Elementary School and Miller Middle School. Education concepts included orbit, imaging and gravity among other topics. By Connor Shreve This story is sponsored by Tafoya Barrett & Associates and Happy Pappy’s Pizza & Wings

Centura Health committed four million dollars to Fort Lewis College for a renovation of the Aquatics Center into a state-of-the-art performance, rehab, and wellness center for student-athletes and students. The Centura Sports Performance Center will include training and recovery guided by Mercy Sports Medicine trainers. By Connor Shreve This story is sponsored by the Man Cave Barbers and The Payroll Department

Fort Lewis College announced the start of its Employee Mortgage Assistance program to ensure employees are able to buy homes in Durango. 70% of polled voters are in favor of creating a library district to fund the Durango Public Library and tickets are now on sale for the annual Durango Rocks event recognizing local businesses, individuals, and nonprofits for the work they are doing in the county. By Hannah Robertson This story is sponsored by Pop's Truck & RV Center and Serious Texas BBQ

Durango School District 9-R has a new addition to the teaching staff. Although she’s smaller than most of the students she works with, Misty has already made a significant impact. Assisting students with everything from practicing interview questions, learning how to read facial expressions, learning different types of coding, and hall patrol, Misty the Robot shows a new way to help students learn how to interact with the world around them. By Hannah Robertson This story is sponsored by ServiceMaster Restore and The Payroll Department

The River Roost Apartments offers a different take on obtainable housing in Durango. A hotel conversion apartment complex, River Roost aims to attract residents with a love for the outdoor lifestyle and minimalistic aesthetic. A large common room, a well-equipped fitness center, and a communal working space aid in building the sense of community the Roost brand aspires to have in its complexes. Although the River Roost has only recently opened, the excitement for starting something different is palpable. By Hannah Robertson. This story is sponsored by Service Master Restore and 2180 Lighting and Design Studio