Lucas Turner

Last week on the local newscast we aired a story from Juneteenth, where hundreds of people convened in Rifle to protest against police brutality and to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. This special public affairs program dives deeper into the events of that day, and features speeches, chants, and interviews with protestors.

Last Friday marked the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the United States.  To celebrate the occasion residents from the Colorado River and Roaring Fork Valleys gathered in Rifle Colorado to speak out against police brutality and systemic racism. They were met there by another group of protestors. KDNKs Lucas Turner reports. Click the image for more photos from Friday's demonstrations.

Every year 5Point Adventure Film Festival’s Dream Project awards $1500 scholarships to students from Aspen to Parachute, encouraging them to explore personal boundaries and pursue their dreams. 2020 marks the 11th year of the project. KDNK’s Lucas Turner spoke to Dream Project director Tracy Wilson and a few of this year’s scholarship recipients to learn more.

Soon after COVID-19 shut down schools, local school districts started delivering regular meals to locations from Aspen to Parachute. But the shutdown meant many students also lost access to story books that were being provided every week by local non-profit "Raising A Reader." The organization adapted to start including story books with Roaring Fork School District's free meals program. KDNK's Lucas Turner spoke with Raising a Reader Executive Director Cindy Blachly to learn more.

Carbondale Trustees Tuesday voted 6 to 1 in favor of a limited face mask ordinance. KDNK’s Lucas Turner has the story.

Governor Jared Polis says the state of Colorado now has enough tests to check for COVID-19 in anyone who is symptomatic. KDNK’s Lucas Turner has more.

Family Nurse Practitioner Lisa Robbiano and Registered Nurse Maria McHale of Midvalley Family Practice speak with KDNK's Lucas Turner about the growing number of people without health insurance who need COVID testing. They also share insights about mass community testing in partnership with MIRA Bus, explain some of the key differences between COVID-19 and the flu, and emphasize the importance of maintaing social distancing, and wearing a mask.

Midvalley Family Practice is teaming up with regional health care providers and non-profit MIRA Bus to provide COVID-19 testing. Community testing services will be available in El Jebel Thursday from 10am to 4pm. KDNK’s Lucas Turner spoke with Family Nurse Practitioner Lisa Robbiano and Registered Nurse Maria McHale to learn more.

Matt McBryar and Geekspeak special guest Lucas Turner talk about the online audio collaboration tool called Cleanfeed, and the satisfaction of fixing your own electronics. They also go in-depth about COVID-19 contact tracing surveillance. Matt expresses his preference for technical equipment that functions as separate pieces, and Lucas reveals one of his apocalypse survival secret plans...

As Colorado’s stay at home order lifts, residents learning about the new 'safer at home' phase, and local businesses are navigating state and county guidelines for reopening on May 4th. To learn more about how this affects the Town of Carbondale operations, local business activity, and daily life, KDNK’s Lucas Turner spoke with Mayor Dan Richardson and Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Andrea Stewart.

Carbondale Trustees confirmed Town Manager Jay Harrington’s pick for Police Chief Tuesday. KDNK’s Lucas Turner has the story.

Pitkin County's stay at home order has been extended through May 8. Visitors and residents must continue to follow the guidance outline in the last amended Pitkin County Public Health Order.  Public Health Officials say it will allow the community to develop strategies and guidelines for preventing a surge of COVID-19 cases when it moves to the "safer-at-home" phase.

Aspen Community Foundation, in partnership with Kissane Viola Design, has launched an Aspen to Parachute COVID-19 resource webpage. It lists information about food, financial assistance, or childcare, how to volunteer, and more. Information is updated regularly. A Spanish-language page is available at A2PCOVID.org/sp

Small businesses in Aspen can now apply for rent relief of up to $14,000. KDNK’s Lucas Turner has more.

The “Safer At Home” orders issued from the State will begin on April 27th, 2020. Garfield County wants to give local businesses and agencies time to review the Garfield County Roadmap Criteria and complete a plan for their agency using the Garfield County Business Social Distancing Plan guidance.

Businesses and agencies in Garfield County should determine if they are high, medium, or low risk, complete the “Garfield County Business Social Distancing Plan”, and submit the form online at: www.garfield-county.com. 

More than ten-thousand Coloradans have tested positive for COVID-19. But state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy explains the number of infected is likely much higher.

Starting this week new categories of workers can file for unemployment with the state thanks to provisions in the CARES act. KDNK’s Lucas Turner has more.

Governor Jared Polis addressed the state this afternoon to provide critical updates on the stay-at-home order. He started with some good news, announcing that Eagle County will be the first in the state to “reopen.”

Pitkin County officials are eyeing strategies for combatting COVID-19 once stay at home restrictions are lifted. Public Health Director Karen Koenneman Thursday described current restrictions as "the hammer” and upcoming mitigation strategies as "the dance.” 

Pitkin County’s board of health Thursday laid out new changes to the Public Health Order, including timelines for construction to resume. Board members emphasized when that does happen, construction companies won’t be able to have more than 10 employees on a site, and will still need to practice social distancing, they'll also have to submit safety plans before starting up.

Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center has been selected as the 2020 Colorado Communication Center of the Year.

Eagle County Commissioners Tuesday allocated an additional $500,000 in economic assistance for residents experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19.

The Northwest Colorado Council of Governments is spearheading new fiber-optic network dubbed Project Thor. KDNK’s Lucas Turner has more.

On Saturday, April 10th KDNK's News team hosted a panel of elected officials including State Representative Perry Will, Garfield County Commissioner Tom Jankovsky, Rifle Mayor Barb Clifton, Glenwood Springs Mayor Jonathan Godes, Carbondale Mayor Dan Richardson and Roaring Fork School District Board Member Jasmin Ramirez to discuss the local response to COVID-19. You can watch the whole town hall on our Facebook page. For part 2 of the audio, click the headline.

As part of the Carbondale Mutual Aid Group and Emergency Taskforce, residents Emily and Debbie Bruell are spearheading a new program called “Neighborhood Heroes.” They spoke to KDNK’s Lucas Turner about how it works. For more on how to sign up as a neighborhood hero, click the headline.

  A Garfield County Jail inmate was discovered in her cell Tuesday after an apparent suicide. Garfield County Sherrif’s office says the woman, Laura Ebbs, used parts of her clothing to hang herself. Deputies on the scene attempted to revive Ebbs using CPR and an AED. She was then transported to Valley View Hospital where she received additional care. On Friday her life support was suspended and she passed away.

A Colorado-based Facebook group titled “Go Outside and Howl at 8pm” now has over 500 thousand members, and it’s just one of many similar groups. Coloradans all over the state have taken to the new quarantine activity.

The Pitkin County Board of Health Monday endorsed an advisory urging the public to wear non-medical cloth masks in public places where social distancing is not possible. KDNK’s Lucas Turner has more.

Beginning April 15, 2020, at 12:00 AM, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office along with the Bureau of Land Management-Colorado River Valley Field Office, the US Forest Service and the seven Fire Districts in Garfield County will enact Stage 1 fire restrictions. The Sheriff's office says "We are all aware of the extra burden that has been placed on our First Responders due to the COVID-19 outbreak in our country and our communities. There are simply not enough firefighter/EMTs available for COVID-19 response and non-essential burning responses." The announcement comes after two controlled burns near Rifle and Silt went out of control on Friday and Saturday.

Two controlled burns in Garfield County went out of control Friday and Saturday. Garfield County Sherriff’s Office and Colorado River Fire Rescue responded to a fire on Happy Dog Trail west of Rifle Gap Reservoir Friday. By the time it was extinguished it had burned about 25 acres. No one was injured and no structures were lost. Another fire south of Silt on County Road 313 also started as a “controlled burn” but quickly grew to at least 20 acres. No one was injured, but a cabin, a shed, and four vehicles were lost in the blaze.