Ally Hirt, 5, wears her family’s heirloom dress as she starts her first day of kindergarten Aug. 23 at Park Elementary School. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Animas High School seniors start their first day of school Aug. 23 with an early morning hike up the ABC trail to Fort Lewis College in what is becoming a tradition for the school. School staff were at the college to greet and welcome the students. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Keena Kimmel, owner of White Rabbit Books on west 14th Street along the River Trail, straightens books Aug. 17. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Debi Lorenz, administrative assistant at Park Elementary School, hugs sisters Fatoumata Sow, 8, and Issa Sow, 10, on Aug. 23, the first day of school. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
With a good-luck kiss on his first day as a Durango High School freshman, Kerry Doyle sends off her son, Sylas Williams, as Durango School District 9-R schools open Aug. 23. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Emmy Romero passes through the “Welcome Tunnel” created by the Durango High School Cheer Squad on the first day of school Aug. 23. The high school will hold its open house and activities night Sept. 1. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Seasonal changes are just around the corner with snow starting to fall on the La Plata Mountains on Aug. 24. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Dana Ivers ascends Stony Pass, east of Silverton, on Aug. 13, with her horses, Black Pearl and Trail Star, and her dog, Toby. During a recent two-week trip, she retraced the steps of her great-great grandfather Benjamin Harrison Eaton, who explored the San Juan Mountains in 1861 as a member of the “Second Baker Party Expedition.” Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
May, played by Joy Kilpatrick, and Eddie, played by Jason Lythgoe, rehearse their tumultuous relationship in the play “Fool for Love” at the Durango Arts Center on Aug. 24. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Rain moves over the Durango area Aug. 26, as seen from Blue Hill southwest of town. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A closeup of a horse in a pen Aug. 12 at the Spring Creek Horse Rescue facility on County Road 234. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Brian England with Eddyline Brewing of Buena Vista pours a beer for Wendy Ward and Tim Ward on Aug. 27, during San Juan Brewfest in Buckley Park. The Brewfest is a fundraiser for United Way of Southwest Colorado. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Fort Lewis College men’s soccer player Laurin Weiland kicked off the annual alumni day Aug. 27, by competing in the Conquer the Fort mud run. The sophomore sailed into a mud pit before suiting up in a 2-1 win against the alumni team on Dirks Field. The family-friendly obstacle course, raffle, color run and a best costume competition were part of the total alumni day package Saturday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Visitors expect re-enactments of Old West scenes such as this shootout Aug. 10, in front of the Strater Hotel, says Anne Klein, sales and marketing manager with the Durango Area Tourism Office. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
People watch as a crew from Demiurge LLC out of Denver installd “Reflection” by internationally renowned architect Volkan Alkanoglu during the week of Aug. 8, on the corner of the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
A worker uses an excavator Aug. 25 upstream near Smelter Rapid in the Animas River as a crew works to adjust flows of the river to improve recreation, fish migration and a city of Durango water intake area. The $1 million project will include rock weirs to shift the flow. The costs will be split between the city Utilities and Parks and Recreation departments. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Fort Lewis College freshman Lexi Steele of Dallas, Texas, unpacks and organizes her belongings Aug. 26 in her dorm room. Classes will begin Monday. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
Take a look back at the Durango Herald’s top photos of the week.
