Enero de 2026 comenzó con una sequía que se arrastra desde 2025. Las señales ya eran evidentes el invierno pasado, cuando se registró el promedio de manto de nieve más bajo en una década. A pesar de las lluvias de septiembre y octubre, durante gran parte del año pasado todo Colorado experimentó condiciones de sequía. […]
Annalise Grueter
Posted inEnvironment
Former Forest supervisor warns of ‘deliberate dismantling of the public lands system’
Last year, Scott Fitzwilliams retired from his position as supervisor of the White River National Forest. He had been in the role for 15 years, nearly half of his 35-year career with the U.S. Forest Service. His previous locations with the agency included northern Wyoming, Alaska and parts of the Pacific Northwest. The newly inaugurated […]
Posted inLocal Government
RFSD Report: Financial audit reviewed, ten-year staff housing plan approved
Though the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) had only one regular board meeting during the month of December, the end of the year was full of news and changes. On Dec. 3, newly-elected board members Tammy Nimmo and Kathryn Kuhlenberg were sworn in for four-year terms. The election, which spans five sections of the school […]
Posted inEnvironment
Roaring Fork Watershed faces ‘exceptional’ drought
January 2026 began with a drought that persisted through 2025. Signs were already apparent last winter, which saw the lowest average snowpack in a decade. Despite rains in September and October, for much of last year, all of Colorado was experiencing drought conditions. Both November and December saw less precipitation than average, and warmer temperatures […]
Posted inNews
Updates on public lands, new land purchases, federal legislation
National perspectives and decision-making on public land continue to create pressure for state and local governments and organizations. Attempts this year to include provisions in federal legislation for selling public lands to private developers, ostensibly for housing and energy development, received bipartisan opposition from the public and from Colorado elected politicians, including District 3 representative […]
Posted inLocal Government
RFTA Report: Budget approved, priorities discussed
The Dec. 11 Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) board meeting took place exclusively online. While the main order on the agenda was to host a public hearing for final approval of the 2026 budget, the meeting covered several other topics. Following roll call, Chair Greg Poschman welcomed Alicia Gresley, who has been appointed by the […]
Posted inColumns
Local journalism gave me the opportunity to pursue my dreams
Let’s rewind the clocks 21 months. I was in the Roaring Fork Valley between the third and fourth semesters of my graduate studies, which I was pursuing via a small international university in southwestern Germany. In my free time, I was writing — not a new habit — but I was wondering if it was […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Aspen Winter Words to center memory and human connection in 2026
From late January through early February, Aspen Winter Words will return to the Valley. The annual author series this year includes a special focus on memory and connection. All three 2026 events are held in memory of Wally Obermeyer, who passed away from cancer in May of 2025 at the age of 68. Obermeyer was […]
Posted inNoticias
Negociaciones aseguran el servicio de autobús Hogback en 2026
A principios de noviembre, el director ejecutivo de la Autoridad de Transporte del Valle Roaring Fork (RFTA), Kurt Ravenschlag, presentó ante los comisionados del condado de Garfield. Habló sobre el papel que desempeña el transporte público en los desplazamientos regionales y pidió a los comisionados que asignaran fondos específicamente para ayudar a cubrir los servicios […]
Posted inLocal Government
Negotiations secure Hogback bus service in 2026
In early November, Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) CEO Kurt Ravenschlag presented to the Garfield County Commissioners. He was speaking to the role public transportation plays in regional commuting, and asked the commissioners to allot funds specifically to help cover RFTA’s Hogback services west of Glenwood Springs. Garfield County has contributed varying amounts toward this […]