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Public finance, clashing politics and environmental extremes helped define 2025 in La Plata County. In some ways, residents appeared more united on local issues than on national ones.
La Plata County and the city of Durango each sought sales tax increases – the former to maintain operations and the latter seeking to upgrade to new buildings – and both breathed sighs of relief when voters supported their initiatives.
Turning Point USA’s entrance into Fort Lewis College with a local chapter after the gunshot murder of its founder Charlie Kirk stirred heated debate that unfolded in the college’s halls and across social media.
And an aggressive ramping up of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement activity mirrored what was appearing in headlines around the nation – including a violent brush with protesters in Durango.
Weather tilted from one extreme to another when drought and wildfires earlier this year gave way to flooding in the fall.
Here’s a look at some of the most interesting, important and newsworthy stories from 2025.
Voters approve renewal of a half-cent sales tax
The city of Durango is getting a new joint city hall and police station.
Residents voted to approve the renewal of a half-cent sales tax to fund capital projects, including the construction of a new city hall and police station at the site of the former historic high school at 201 E. 12th St. and the former Big Picture High School next door.
Voters also approved a $61 million bond measure to fund the project.
In addition to capital projects, half of the sales tax revenue goes toward maintenance, improvements and acquisitions of parks, open spaces and trails as the sales tax was originally intended when it was approved in 2005.
In the same city election, voters appointed two new city councilors, Kip Koso and Shirley Gonzales, and reelected incumbent Jessika Loyer, to the dais in the standing city hall.
Water and sewer infrastructure
Durango City Council approved 10% and 20% water and sewer fee rate increases, respectively, to bolster water and sewer funds ahead of costly but necessary infrastructure repairs and replacements over the next decade.
The rate fees take effect on Jan. 1. They will raise the average residential utility bill by $12 per month and the average commercial bill by $95.
The council’s decision was made at the recommendation of the Public Works Department, which began sounding the alarm about the critical need for infrastructure upgrades in 2024.
Interim Public Works Director Bob Lowry said the city needs to replace 2% of its water and sewer lines – assuming the lines have average life spans of 50 years – every year. That would cost about $16 million, not including about $14 million in operating costs.
City takes over Visit Durango
2025 marked the beginning of a new era for Visit Durango. The city of Durango took over management of the former nonprofit tourism office after a forensic audit led city officials and community members to call for more oversight of how local tax dollars are spent.
City Council formally approved the merger in January. That approval was followed shortly by the creation of the city’s Prosperity Office and a Tourism Advisory Committee.
Prosperity Officer Mike French said the merger would provide strong fiscal oversight of publicly funded tourism activities.
Ignacio Cold Case Conviction
In September, a jury convicted an Arizona man of first degree murder in a case that had been cold for more than 16 years.
David Hendren was accused of shooting and killing Larry John Fuller early on New Year’s Day in 2009 after he mistook Fuller for someone else following a bar fight in Ignacio. Chris Madril, Fuller’s stepson who attended the decision, said the verdict gave him and his family some measure of resolution after a decade and a half of trying to bring Fuller’s killer to justice.
“Finally, we got a little closure,” Madril said.
The case went cold for nearly 14 years until it was opened when two witnesses stepped forward in 2023.
Charges dismissed against Durango man accused of arson
A Durango man accused of setting the south City Market snack aisle on fire in 2019 had all charges against him dropped.
Bradley Clark, a former associate professor of political science at Fort Lewis College, was accused of causing more than $76,000 in damages to the grocery store. Investigators alleged that Clark deliberately ignited the fire, though no surveillance footage captured the incident.
Clark was convicted of second-degree arson after jurors found him guilty of intentionally setting fire to chip bags in aisle 7 of south City Market in 2021.
However, after serving about half his four-year prison term, the Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the conviction in 2023. The court concluded evidence introduced at Clark’s 2021 trial was improperly admitted.
The dismissal ended a six-year ordeal for Clark and his family. Terisa Clark, Clark’s wife, said in an email to The Durango Herald that he had maintained his innocence throughout the entirety of his legal battles.
Durango Police Department officers capture escaped kangaroo ... again
Durango Police Department officers engaged in a hop-speed chase through Durango. The suspect at large? A red kangaroo named Irwin.
Early one May morning, body camera footage showed DPD officers backing Irwin into a corner between two houses in an East Second Avenue and College Drive neighborhood. Slowly and calmly, one officer grabbed the mischievous marsupial and carried him back to a waiting police vehicle to deliver him back to his owners.
Bizarrely, it was the second time Irwin had a run-in with the law. One night back in 2024, the kangaroo – then a diaper-wearing juvenile – had hopped the coop and was on the loose on College Drive. Officers were in disbelief when the call came in, but reportedly had fun when they captured the hopping escapee in front of East by Southwest.
Three shooting deaths within a week related to domestic violence
Three women were shot and killed in domestic violence-related incidents within a week in Durango.
Wanda Murray, 66, was shot by her ex-husband on Oct. 3 outside of Walmart.
On Oct. 7, Shelby Campbell and Emma Sims, both 32, were shot in the Apache Mobile Home Park in west Durango by Campbell’s estranged husband.
Durango police said anyone experiencing domestic violence, or anyone who suspects another person may be in danger, should contact Alternative Horizons at 247-9619. If someone is in immediate danger, they should call 911.
Chief Judge Jeffrey Wilson retirement
After 23 years on the 6th Judicial District bench, Chief District Judge Jeffrey Wilson announced he will be retiring at the beginning of 2026.
Several other judges came and went this year. Some just moved form one bench to another in the Judicial District, which includes San Juan, Archuleta and La Plata counties.
La Plata County Judge Reid Stewart was appointed to the 6th Judicial District Court’s bench, and San Juan County Judge Anthony Edwards was appointed to the Archuleta County Court.
Protests erupt after ICE detained Durango family
More than 24 hours of peaceful protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Durango culminated in a confrontation between ICE agents where federal agents used pepper spray and rubber bullets against protesters in October.
The protest was sparked after a man and his two young children were arrested the prior morning on their way to school. Protesters formed a human chain in front of the field office, later locking the gates in an effort to prevent the agents from leaving with the family. In response, the agents used crowd control measures against the protesters to remove them.
According to immigrant advocates, including Compañeros, the family, originally from Colombia had a strong active asylum case. Days after the protest, it was reported that an ICE officer acknowledged the agents had mistaken the father for someone else, but arrested him and his children anyway.
Turning Point USA chapter comes to Fort Lewis College
A Turning Point USA chapter was initially denied at Fort Lewis College in October, then later approved in November after backlash arose from conservative students and community members. The group’s presence sparked heated debate and several altercations on campus.
After an emergency Nov. 7 meeting where the decision was overturned, a former FLC professor was filmed swearing and putting up his middle finger at Turning Point supporters, and a student was seen shoving a 60-year-old community member’s hand with an empty fast food cup and yelling expletives.
Jonah Flynn, president of the Turning Point USA chapter, told the Herald in December that he rejects the idea that his views – or the existence of a Turning Point chapter on campus – could cause harm.
Incumbents take easy wins over newcomers in November school board elections
Seats on the Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio school district boards of directors were filled in the Nov. 4 election with incumbents seeing success across all three races.
An at-times contentious race in Durango saw incumbents Rick Petersen, Erika Brown and Andrea Parmenter beat out newcomer candidates Pearl Stegner, Jody Trampp and Tamra Fenberg by a landslide. Incumbents Leila Baker and James Bulwan were voted in to serve four more years on the Ignacio board, beating out newcomer Christine Sage. Two Bayfield school board incumbents – Rebecca Parnell and Matthew Turner – secured seats in their race, with newcomer Gary Maestas barely beating out newcomer Robert Coronado Jr.
Bayfield school teacher fired after making comments about Charlie Kirk
A former Bayfield School District teacher said he was fired in mid-September for a social media post and comments he made following the death of political activist Charlie Kirk.
Ninth-grade math teacher Chris Ricci said he published an Instagram post the night of Kirk’s shooting on Sept. 10 and commented about Kirk the next day in one of his classes. Within several days, he was put on leave, and then fired.
Ricci believes he was fired for the post and the classroom exchange, where he told a student who said Kirk “speaks for all of us” that Kirk “does not speak for African Americans.” He was told by the school district that the cause of his termination was an “incident in class,” but was not given any further details or clarification.
“In my second full year of teaching, I’m still learning what parts of the world have to be hidden from the students,” Ricci told the Herald in October. “Like, what truth am I not allowed to tell my students?”
REI opens in Durango; meanwhile, local sporting goods stores begin to worry
REI Durango opened its doors in Bodo Industrial Park in July, much to the chagrin of many local retailers.
While some residents voiced support for the big-box retailer’s arrival, some owners and employees of local outdoor shops had less positive outlooks.
A protest led by Durango resident Jimbo Buickerood took place during REI’s members-only kickoff event in August, where owners and employees from locally owned stores joined community members in pushing back against the presence of the chain joining the Durango business scene.
REI Durango Store Manager Meghan Wyrwich said the co-op hopes to share space with local businesses and supports collaborations that get the community outdoors.
Mercy Hospice House goes on hiatus
The Mercy Hospice House at Mercy Hospital entered a temporary closure in the fall due to a change of ownership and related licensing regulations.
A reopening timeline had not been determined as of late November.
The facility, owned and operated by CommonSpirit Health, began the process of transferring leadership of outpatient services to its national entity, CommonSpirit Health at Home, Kevin Massey, a spokesman, told the Herald in November. Inpatient hospice care was set to continue under CommonSpirit Health and Mercy Hospital.
Some residents and Mercy Hospice volunteers expressed concern over a potential for-profit model taking over outpatient care. CommonSpirit officials did not clarify in November whether outpatient care would be operated through a for-profit model, and declined to comment on community concerns about the possibility of outpatient care being operated on a for-profit basis.
Durango-La Plata County Airport sees record number of passengers
Durango-La Plata County Airport’s record number of passengers in 2025 spoke well for the regional economy, but required the airport to institute surge parking prices to keep up with demand.
Daily parking rates at DRO increased from $9 to $14 over the Thanksgiving and Christmas travel periods to meet demand, and will be going up year-round to $10 in the new year. Aircrew members will also experience a parking rate increase, with monthly parking permits set to increase from $50 to $55 per month in January.
Aviation Director Tony Vicari said most of the increases were done to help fund airport operations and projects – including recent and future parking expansions.
Voters pass sales tax increase
La Plata County’s financial outlook received a lifeline this fall after voters approved a 1% sales tax increase projected to generate about $19 million annually, sparing the county from having to slash department budgets.
In the lead-up to the election, debates over the county’s finances played out across the community. Some residents criticized what they viewed as the county’s inability to “live within its means,” as well as the impact extra taxes would have on those already struggling to make ends meet.
Supporters countered that rapid population growth over the past several decades, coupled with declining revenue from the oil and gas industry, had outpaced the county’s existing funding structure. That argument persuaded enough voters: the measure passed with 56% approval.
Leadership turnover
Former District 1 Commissioner Clyde Church resigned about a year and a half early, and his successor, Elizabeth Philbrick was selected over three other candidates through a Democratic Party leadership vote.
Not all leadership transitions went as smoothly this year – particularly the search for a new county manager.
Chuck Stevens resigned in the spring after a five-year tenure, a departure many county officials and employees described as a significant loss. Since then, the county has struggled to identify a suitable replacement.
Negotiations with a finalist fell through in August, and amid the ongoing budget crisis, commissioners opted to pause the search until the new year. Shawna Legarza, the former director of emergency management, was appointed interim county manager while the search for a permanent replacement remains on hold.
A year of extremes
2025 was a year of extremes.
Drought across the Southwest turned much of La Plata County into a tinderbox, contributing to the outbreak of multiple wildfires throughout the region.
In July, multiple wildfires broke out. The largest, the Elkhorn Fire, erupted north of Durango in the Missionary Ridge area after a house caught fire. It spread rapidly, grew to cover over 300 acres, and required brief evacuations of 41 nearby households.
The Rim Road Fire south of Durango-La Plata County Airport reached 114 acres before firefighters, led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Southern Ute Agency, were able to wrangle the blaze.
That dry, arid climate shifted abruptly in the fall when torrential rains triggered extreme flooding in the Vallecito Reservoir area.
The October floods forced the evacuation of more than 350 homes in Vallecito after the creek running through the community rose to uncharacteristic levels, jumped its banks, carved a new channel and sheared away sections of creek-side properties.
Federal legislation threatens San Juan Mountains
Fear struck the hearts of many county residents, conservationists and outdoor recreators after the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture moved to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation rule.
Passed in 2001, the legislation prohibits road construction and timber harvesting across millions of acres of U.S. National Forest – including 428,000 acres of the San Juan National Forest in La Plata County.
Although Colorado’s forests would not be affected due to a separate state rule, the announcement received national and local outcry, and the county commissioners issued an official statement in opposition to the proposal.
Several Important anniversaries
2025 marked the 10-year anniversary of the Gold King Mine spill and the Weminuche Wilderness’ 50th anniversary as federally protected wilderness. Both uplifted the influence of local stewards and served as a reminder that environmental conservation is rarely static.
A decade later, the Gold King spill remains a symbol of both the region’s mining legacy and the slow pace of cleanup. While Superfund efforts continue, locals involved in the project and Silverton residents continue to express frustration and confusion at the sluggish pace of federal remediation projects. However, 10-year reflections from Silverton business owners proved that early fears that Superfund status would deter tourism proved unfounded and highlighted the long lasting success of local advocacy.
The Weminuche Wilderness anniversary celebration served as both a call to action and a chance to reflect on the Durango community’s early efforts to lobby for federal protection. It also highlighted the changing threats the area now faces, from rising visitation and climate impacts to limited federal staffing.
Bayfield names new town manager after lengthy search
The long search for Bayfield’s new town manager ended in July with John Waters being named. The search had its ups and downs throughout its eight-month course, with multiple candidates either withdrawing or being determined unqualified for the position through two separate searches. In the final search, Waters was selected over Stephen Proud of Durango, whom Bayfield Mayor Tom Au said was also well-qualified for the job.
Waters’ selection was the result of the resignation of former town manager Katie Sickles in October, 2024, who chose to leave the position after a trustee said she was not acting in the best interest of Bayfield’s town board. Her resignation letter cited how she felt the call for her ouster made her feel the board would not be able to fairly evaluate her performance.
Waters was selected to serve as town manager based on his nearly seven years of experience as city manager for Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. He said the community had a lot in common with Bayfield, including the climate, quality of life and challenges faced by both towns.
Lost Goat Tavern rises from the ashes of Billy Goat Saloon
Gem Village’s Billy Goat Saloon – a beloved bar located just west of Bayfield – closed its doors in August 2024. What rose from its ashes was the Lost Goat Tavern, reprising pretty much everything that was loved about its predecessor but the name.
Judge was a celebrated author, professor and archaeologist
Jackson Clark II
Jackson Clark II, owner of downtown Durango’s Toh-Atin art gallery, died Aug. 28 after suffering a stroke at the age of 75. He was a highly respected Native American art collector who was committed to preserving and promoting Native arts – particularly Navajo weaving.
Clark was respected throughout the Southwest for his commitment to preserving and sharing Indigenous art.
Many of the people Clark worked with attributed his purchasing of Native art to helping Native artists pay bills and put food on the table. But his contributions went deeper than just signing a check – Clark appreciated the artists and what they created, and performed winter clothing drives, hauled firewood, and raised money for water projects and animal rescues for Southwest tribes, including the Navajo reservation, according to his obituary.
Clark’s gallery was not without controversy, however. The large sign depicting a Native American man pointing to the gallery – referred to as the Chief – was criticized by some who said Clark was appropriating Indigenous people only to help his business.
According to many of Clark’s friends, he appreciated Indigenous arts and artists, and he never intended any disrespect with the sign; rather, he meant to promote Native culture.
Michael Goldman
Michael Goldman, 63, died on Dec. 14 while ski touring on Red Mountain Pass.
Goldman was an esteemed lawyer and well-loved community member. His practice primarily focused on civil and criminal litigation at state and federal levels. Goldman was described by one of his partners as being an extremely well-respected lawyer in Durango and across the state of Colorado, in addition to being an extremely kind, caring and generous person.
His legal career stretched back to the 1980s. He began serving in the Colorado Attorney General’s Office’s Appellate Section before becoming a deputy district attorney and assistant district attorney for the 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office before pursuing his private practice. He also served on the Judicial Nominating Commission, the Governor’s Commission on Civil Justice Reform and the 6th Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission.
Goldman was a member of the Southwest Colorado Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Criminal Justice Advisory Act Panel. He also served as La Plata County’s attorney, as special council for Durango, town attorney for Bayfield, and provided services to San Juan Basin Public Health, San Juan County and the town of Silverton.
Outside of his law practice, Goldman was involved in many local organizations including the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, Manna soup kitchen and the Adaptive Sports Association.
