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The Colorado Republican Party has released recordings of conversations between County Clerk's offices in Colorado and The Colorado Secretary of State's office regarding election security and the voting machine passwords that were leaked on the secretary of state's website prior to the election. In one of the recordings, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Bell says "we weren't going to tell counties, because we could not tell counties without it becoming the media storm it has become". In another recording, El Paso County Clerk Steve Schleiker says "the secretary has lost complete credibility down here". In response, a statement from the secretary of state's office says in part: "this brief audio is from multiple calls between the department of state and county clerks and is a small portion of what the department staff conveyed to the clerks." It says "the secretary is regretful for this error and that county clerks did not learn about the posting from the department first".

Huerfano County submits proposal to keep patrolling Walsenburg.

Huerfano County has submitted a proposal to the City of Walsenburg to keep the Huerfano County Sheriff's Office patrolling the City of Walsenburg. The new proposal made by county commissioners includes increased foot patrols, more of a presence in the city, along with a lieutenant position specifically to help within the City of Walsenburg. The sheriff's office reportedly would have to make budget cuts without the monies that have been paid to the sheriff's office by the City of Walsenburg, hence the proposal. The city plans to continue to work on setting up its own police force, however, with the county's new proposal, the city will now have more time to do so. The price tag for the City of Walsenburg to set up its own police force is expected to be close to $900,000.

South central colorado seniors announces reduced lunch program.

The south central Colorado seniors have announced that they will reduce the lunch program provided to seniors throughout The San Luis Valley from five days a week to four days each week. Lunch will not be provided on Thursday for both in-home delivery and at communal gathering places. The cut on Thursday begins tomorrow, November 21st, and runs through March 6th, and has been brought about by a funding shortage. Funding from the USDA for the program has decreased in the past several years from around $70,000 annually to $17,000. Meals at the Alamosa senior center will continue thanks to the donations of community members. Those receiving home delivery on Wednesday will also receive a lunch for Thursday, thanks to the collective efforts of volunteers.

Missing Missouri woman believed to be in SLV.

A missing woman from Missouri is believed to be in the San Luis Valley. According to The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, 65-year-old Susan Behrend was last seen on Sunday morning leaving her home in Missouri. Behrend's phone was last seen on Sunday around 7pm in the Mogote area, south of Alamosa in Conejos County. Behrend is believed to be driving a red 2020 Rord Explorer with Missouri license plate JJ3C3B. She is 5-foot-8 and 250 pounds with grey hair and green eyes. If you see Behrends or know her whereabouts, call 911, or The Conejos County Sheriff's office at 719-589- 5807.

Christmas tree permits now available in select national forests.

Christmas tree permits are now available from the Rio Grande, Pike and San Isabel national forests. Permits can be purchased at www.recreation.gov, then search on your forest or ranger district and include "christmas tree" in the search. There is an additional $2.50 processing fee for all online purchases. Maps of designated cutting areas are also online. Permitted dates and areas vary, so make sure to carefully read all information prior to making your purchase. And, 4th graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit as part of the national every kid outdoors initiative. Obtain a voucher or pass at everykidoutdoors.gov.

The Colorado Springs Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding an alleged homicide suspect. Police were called to the area of north carefree circle and peterson road around 7am on August 7th. Upon arrival, officers found a deceased woman with at least one stab wound. The deceased woman was identified as 54-year-old Haleh Abghari, a professor at the UCCS visual and performing arts department. 53-year-old Ceasar Lorenzo Wilson has been identified as a suspect in the case and an arrest warrant has been issued for him for second degree murder. However, Wilson has yet to be located. CSPD is asking for the public's help in locating Wilson. He should be considered armed and dangerous. If you know Wilson's whereabouts, call CSPD at 719- 444-7000.

CDOT resurfacing project on I-25 near PPIR delayed.

The resurfacing project on a 5-1/2 miles stretch of Interstate 25 near the Pikes Peak International Raceway has been delayed due to the wet fall weather. The Colorado Department of Transportation hopes to complete the project by the end of the month. CDOT is repaving the highway between Ray Nixon Road and the El Paso/Pueblo County line. The total cost for the project is $12.5 million. Work on the project began in June. CDOT said it targeted the segment of highway that was in poor condition with many potholes, cracks and crumbling pavement and that hadn't been repaved in 15 years.

Colorado Trust grants total to non profit's in SLV.

The Colorado Trust has granted a total of $30,000 to six nonprofit organizations in the San Luis Valley. The Colorado trust is a private, statewide foundation that is dedicated to ensuring that all Coloradoans have the opportunity to thrive. The Colorado trust awarded general operating grants of $5,000 to each of the following organizations: the center viking youth club, the children's specialty clinic of the San Luis Valley, Crestone Peak Community Housing, The San Luis Valley Immigrant Resource center, Saguache County Sustainable environmental and economic development, and the team of empowered allies. Since 2009, the colorado trust has provided $993,000 in grants to rural Colorado nonprofit organizations.

Application for emergency rental assistance closes tomorrow.

The application period for emergency rental assistance in Colorado closes tomorrow. If you have fallen behind on your rent or are facing eviction, you can now apply for Colorado's temporary rental assistance. To apply, you must first submit a pre- application, then the department of local affairs will select people at random. Then, selected applicants will be invited to apply for emergency rental assistance. The awards will not exceed seven months of rent or $10,000, whichever is less. To apply and to learn more, go to doh.colorado.gov/emergency-rental-assistance. Deadline to apply is tomorrow at 5pm.

CDOT kicks off crash responder safety week in effort to urge drivers to slow down.

The Colorado Department of Transportation kicked off crash responder safety week yesterday in an effort to urge drivers to slow down and move over for emergency responders. Colorado's move over law requires drivers to move over a lane whenever they encounter any stationary vehicle on a highway with its hazard lights flashing, and, if they cannot move over, drivers must slow down to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit. Colorado's move over law is one of the strongest in the country, safeguarding police, emergency responders, tow trucks and any disabled vehicle on the side of the road.

With 28 construction zone-related deaths in Colorado so far this year, a 75% increase over last year, Colorado lawmakers are now calling on the federal government to hold the Colorado Department of Transportation accountable for the deaths. U.S. Representatives Greg Lopez, Doug Lamborn and Lauren Boebert have sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation asking the agency to detail how investigations into state departments of transportation are conducted and what oversight USDOT has. The lawmakers allege that contractors working with CDOT have raised "numerous concerns… including a disregard for state and federal safety guidelines". In a statement, CDOT says it "shares the grave concern about the pattern we have seen in work zones in the past couple of years." Lawmakers have asked USDOT to respond to their request by November 22nd.

Alamosa Mcdonald's Employees under investigation after double charging incident.

Two Alamosa Mcdonald's Employees are under investigation by the Alamosa Police Department after the pair devised a scheme to double charge or add an additional fee to customers for their meals. According to Alamosa Police, Nathaniel Gutierrez, 19, and Josiah Medina, 24, both of San Luis, were arrested after officers received numerous reports to fraudulent charges to their credit or debit cards. Gutierrez and Medina are suspected of using a square payment app on their phones to process fraudulent transaction. Each transaction would show the cost of the meal to Mcdonald's, with a separate transaction fee charged to the customer's card. Gutierrez and Medina are charged with identity theft, unauthorized use of a financial transaction device, theft and complicity. 7 victims have come forward thus far with the earliest incident having taken place on October 24th. If you suspect you may be a victim, call the Alamosa Police Department at 719-589-2548.

Construction beginning on new I-25 and US 50B interchange in Pueblo.

Construction begins today on the new Interstate 25 and U.S. 50B interchange in Pueblo. The project involves a significant overhaul of existing structures at the heavily traveled intersection and is expected to take more than a year to complete. The project will take place between Mile Markers 99 and 101 on I-25 and Mile points 315-316 on U.S. 50, and will consist of building five new bridge structures, retaining walls and noise walls, roadway and ramp reconstruction, embankment, safety improvements, drainage and erosion control in an effort to improve safety at the interchange. Currently, many trucks on the interstate have struck the low clearance bridge or get stuck on the interchange itself. Work will take place weekdays from 7am to 7pm. The project is expected to be complete in early Summer of 2027.

Conejos County Sheriff's office requesting hunters and outdoorsement cooperation.

The Conejos County Sheriff's office is requesting cooperation from hunters and outdoorsement venturing into the backcountry. Due to the recent snowstorm and high winds, treacherous conditions have, and will continue, to develop. With the heavy snow, wildlife have been forced down into the lower prairie county where they are being harassed by atvs, utvs and snowmobiles. Hunters should be aware that these actions will not be tolerated. Anyone caught harassing or pursuing animals will be cited. And, any use of such vehicles off of a designated roadway is illegal.

Latest US Drought Monitor demonstrating widespread improvement.

The latest U.S. drought monitor issued last week shows a widespread improvement in drought conditions across Southern Colorado. Nearly 60% of the state is now free of any level of drought, a 15% improvement over the previous week. Currently, while El Paso county is considered abnormally dry, the remainder of the KSPK listening area is no longer in drought conditions. The worst part of the state currently? From Denver north along I-25 runs from moderate to severe with just a small amount of extreme drought remaining.

At yesterday's Colorado Parks and Wildlife commission meeting, CPW provided a detailed list of its efforts ahead of the next round of gray wolf reintroductions this winter. One of the main focuses this year is to significantly increase communication with the counties where the releases will happen. CPW also says it has made "a lot of progress" on free site assessments which detect any weak spots and the best coexistence techniques for a specific area. Free workshops on using non-lethal methods to keep wolves away from livestock have also been held. And, range riding around cattle to act as a deterrent for predators was also discussed, with CPW working to stand up the Colorado range riding program, however, the state needs to secure funding for the program, which is expected to be a "costly endeavor". CPW is also hiring 5 more wildlife damage specialists to work in a depredation response group. The wolves for the second round of reintroductions will come from British Columbia.

Crash on I-25 in Walsenburg leaves northbound lanes closed for 2 hours yesterday.

A crash on Interstate 25 in Walsenburg early yesterday morning closed the northbound lanes for about two hours. According to the Colorado State Patrol, the crash was reported just after 3:30am yesterday after a semi truck struck a guardrail, damaging the semi and blocking the northbound lanes. The cause of the accident was not made available. No injures were reported. The semi was towed from the scene around 5:30am and all lanes of the interstate were reopened. It is now known if the driver of the semi will be cited.

Hunter found dead at Great Sand Dunes National Park.

A hunter was found dead at the Great Sand Dunes National Park after he did not return to camp on the night of October 30th. The group the hunter was with had all returned to their camp and became worried after the man did not return. The brother of the missing hunter went out to find him on foot. He did eventually find his brother, Lance Ealker of Baton Rouge, LA, dead in an area with technical terrain. Walker's brother contacted responders and reported that he was found. Search and rescue members set out early on November 1st to extract the dead hunter and aid in getting his brother out safely. While weather hampered efforts, the seven team members were eventually able to extract Walker and take him to a landing zone where his body could be flown out of the area. how Walker died has not been released.

Latest Colorado Lottery jackpot winner from La Veta.

The latest winner of the Colorado Lottery's $2.6 million jackpot is a resident of La Veta. According to the Colorado Lottery, the winning ticket was sold at Charlie's Market in La Veta. The winning numbers were 1-7-12-19-27-32. The winner was not identified. The overall odds of winning any state lottery prize is 1 in 30, while the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 3.84 million.

City of Alamosa experiencing increase in skimming scams.

The City of Alamosa is experiencing an increase in skimming scams. Scammers are using hidden devices attached to ATM's, gas pumps and card readers to steal your credit and debit card information. The stolen data can then be used to make fraudulent purchases or to withdraw money from your accounts. To protect yourself, inspect card readers for any loose parts, signs of tampering or anything that looks out of place before swiping your card. Remember to cover your pin, choose atm's wisely in well-lit, secure locations, and monitor your accounts regularly. Report any suspicious activity to your financial institution immediately.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis yesterday presented his 2025-2026 state budget proposal to the Colorado joint budget committee. Polis' office says the proposal emphasizes education and public safety. Some of the major items in the proposed budget include: $15 million to support and sustain Colorado's emergency and operational communications dispatching system, $7.6 million to expand capacity at the Colorado mental health hospital in Fort Logan, $6.1 million for community corrections to expand capacity at "halfway houses", $115 million from the general fund to bolster total program funding for education, and $13.5 million to specific groups of students and student needs, including special education, transportation and career and technical education.

Both SLV state legislators elected to leadership roles.

Both re-elected state legislators from the San Luis Valley have been elected to leadership roles in their respective political parties. District 62 Representative Matt Martinez, a Democrat, will serve as the new co-whip for the Democratic party. The role of a whip in state government is largely that of communicator between party leadership and party members in office, while also making certain to align those lawmakers around the party's platform. District 6 senator Cleave Simplson, a Republican, will serve as assistant minority leader for the Republican party. As assistant minority leader, Simpson will be working with Senator Paul Lundeen, Republican Minority leader, who represents District 9, El Paso County. The Colorado House will have 43 Democratic seats compared to 20 for Republicans with two seats still undecided. The Colorado Senate will have 32 Democratic seats compared to 12 for Republicans.

CPW updates potential counties list for wolf release.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has updated the list of potential counties that are under consideration for releasing gray wolves during the 2024-25 capture and release season. the counties being considered currently are Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties. The update is the next step in the planning process as the agency assesses sites that meet the stringent criteria set out in the Colorado wolf restoration and management plan, as well as considering feedback from local elected officials and community members. Rio Blanco County was removed as a potential location as the next level of analysis was conducted due to the limited number of state-owned sites that adhered to the criteria in the plan and their proximity to livestock, elevating the risk of conflict.

CO Attorney General announces settlement with Pueblo CBD Company.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced yesterday that he has reached a settlement of $225,000 with Pueblo-based Bee's Knees CBD's and its owner Joseph Leyba. According to Weiser, a state investigation found that the company made several misrepresentations on its website regarding the source of its products, wrongly characterized some products as "organic", lacked a proper age verification system on its website, and lied about supporting conservation groups. The fine could grow to $495,000 if the company fails to comply with the full terms of the settlement.

CDOT announces full reopening of US 50 middle bridge.

The Colorado Department of Transportation yesterday announced the full reopening of the US 50 middle bridge over the Blue Mesa Reservoir to two-way travel. The US 50 Lake Fork bridge, located about five miles to the west, will still be restricted to one lane travel with work expected to finish next month. The US 50 middle bridge closed to all traffic on April 18th to protect public safety after several cracks were observed during a special inspection. Crews are still removing the temporary platform from beneath the lake fork bridge and are priming the steel for the final coat of paint that will be put on each bridge in the spring.

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