9/25/25: Eagle County voters can now view the composite ballot for the upcoming November 4th Coordinated Election on the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder’s website. The composite ballot, available in both English and Spanish, is provided only for informational purposes. Ballots will be mailed to all active, registered voters beginning October 10th. Voters should check their registration status and mailing addresses as Colorado law prohibits the forwarding of ballots. Visit govotecolorado.gov for more information.
9/26/25: $26 million in funding from a U.S. Forest Service Grant Program will be going to eight organizations across the state to help reduce wildfire risk and protect vulnerable communities. The funding is part of a $5.5 billion passed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for forest management and wildfire preparedness. Local recipients include the White River Conservation District which will receive over $530,000, and the Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative which has been awarded over $860,000.
9/27/25: On Saturday the 27th, around noon, Pitkin County Dispatch received an emergency text reporting that a base jumper crash had landed at the base of the Grotto Wall climbing area on Independence Pass. The subject was reported to have landed nearly 200 feet above the parking lot, and an Aspen Ambulance was unable to move the jumper due to this difficult terrain. Mountain Rescue Aspen was dispatched and the rescue mission involved a total of 13 personnel who were able to reach the subject, and lower them to the ambulance. All personnel were out of the field by 3pm that day.
9/29/25: Colorado Senators and Congress members are joining forces in a bipartisan effort to request President Trump for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration and Public Assistance for Rio Blanco County following the Lee and Elk wildfires that together burned over 153,000 acres. The associated debris flows and mudslides in the wake of these fires destroyed homes, infrastructure, and rangeland used for livestock production. A Presidential Major Disaster Declaration opens the door for a number of federal assistance programs, such as insurance relief, that Colorado lawmakers say are crucial to help the affected communities rebuild. The letter to the White House details that eligible damages in Rio Blanco County total over $27 million.
10/01/25: Applications for the Town of Carbondale’s Community Grants are now open. The Town allocates 1% of General Fund revenue for grants up to $7,000 to small, local non-profits. Applications can be submitted at Carbondalegov.org. Town staff will make their final funding decisions in December.
10/03/25: Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person or persons responsible for poaching and abandoning the carcasses of four bull elk on four separate ranches in Las Animas County. The elk were shot illegally September, 13th, 26th, and 27th near the communities of Stonewall and Picketwire. Of the four elk, one was left whole, another had to be put down, another had its head removed, and the last one was shot with backstraps taken out. Information can be provided anonymously by email to game.thief@state.co.us or by calling 1-877-265-6648. A one thousand dollar reward is being offered for tips that lead to a citation or arrest.
10/03/25: LIFT-UP , a Roaring Fork Valley food pantry and soup kitchen, has received a $20,000 challenge grant from the Western Colorado Community Foundation toward the purchase of a truck to tow their new mobile market. The mobile pantry currently serves Silt on a weekly basis, but LIFT-UP doesn’t have a truck powerful enough to pull the pantry farther upvalley. According to Lift-Up Development Director Dave Reed, the organization is seeking donations from local businesses to raise $60,000 for the purchase of a new truck.
