Community
16th annual Tour de Farms to be held
The 16th annual Tour de Farms will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 6. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m. The ride includes a guided immersive town ride to…
Southwest Lifestyle
And the West is History
And the West is History: Schluter/Klahn Family at cabbage patch – ca. 1903
Sophie Schluter and her husband, Fred, founded Schluter Floral in 1885. In addition to flowers, they grew vegetables, particularly cabbage, on their leased property. The vegetable patch grew where the…
Community
We’re steering through the storms toward a bright school year
Four Durango School District principals receive banners honoring their school’s awards from the Colorado Department of Education during the Opening Day event for district staff members on Wednesday at Durango…
Southwest Life
Scientists chase storms across the Mountain West to study hail’s growing threat
The largest study in 40 yearshas CU and CSU researchers creating a massive database they hope can help them understand the force and features of hail
Community
Free parent workshops focus on kindergarten readiness
Durango School District, in partnership with the Early Childhood Council of La Plata County, will host a free three-part workshop series this fall for parents and guardians of children entering…
Community
Thanks to Vitality Walk for Parkinsons supporters
Thanks to all who helped make our first annual Vitality Walk for Parkinsons a big success: Dr. Natalie Gould, Integrated Medicine and Osteopath for being our sponsor; family and friends…
Community
Durango School District changes public participation at board meetings
Durango School District is making it easier for community members to share comments during Board of Education regular meetings by allowing online sign-up and virtual comment. Starting with the regular…
Community
Wolfwood fundraiser to be held at Foxfire Farms
Wolfwood Refuge will hold a fundraiser 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 30 at Foxfire Farms, 5513 County Road 321, Ignacio. Wolfwood Refuge is a wolf and wolfdog sanctuary in Ignacio.…
Community
La Plata County Lodging Tax Committee seeks board members
La Plata County is seeking volunteers to serve on the Lodging Tax Committee. The board administers the tourism fund to advertise and market tourism in La Plata County and provides…
Travel
Window to Heaven, Cabin From Hell in the Peruvian Altiplano
Camping alone close to the cabin one night in my own personal tent. This is the view that greeted me at 5 a.m. I would not trade the experience for…
Southwest Life
From Durango to the Dalai Lama: the remarkable life of Turrell Verl ‘Terry’ Wylie
Turrell Wylie’s tombstone in Durango, with Tibetan script. (Courtesy of Douglas Ober) The entrance to Greenmount Cemetery, just west of Durango’s Overend Park, offers no indication that one of America’s…
And the West is History
And the West is History: Paving Main Avenue – 1924
Durango only had dirt or gravel roads for the first 44 years of its existence. Asphalt pavement replaced the streetcar tracks along Main Avenue in June 1924. This photo shows…
Community
Christiana Sutherlin awarded scholarship
Christiana Sutherlin is the Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court St. Anthony #124’s 2025 scholarship winner. Sutherlin, is a parishioner at St. Columba Church, where she volunteers at the Food…
Community
Commissioners to hold On the Road meeting
The La Plata County Board of County Commissioners will hold its third “On the Road” meeting of the summer from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Animas Valley Elementary School,…
And the West is History
And the West is History: Durango-La Plata Aquatic Center construction – 1958
In 1958, the city of Durango, La Plata County and nine civic organizations came together to develop a community swimming pool. This photo depicts the construction taking place in May…
Southwest Life
Counting sheep at 14,000 feet: Inside Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s bighorn sheep survey on Pikes Peak
An uptick in pneumonia among bighorn lambs in the Pikes Peak herd has state wildlife officials on alert after this year’s count
Southwest Life
A CU Boulder team found new lichen species. They named them after the Indigo Girls
Erin Manzitto-Tripp Watts, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, inspects lichens on a rock sample taken from Boulder’s Chautauqua Park. July 22. (Kevin J.…
Community
A teacher who changed lives: Remembering Ms. Tara Haller
Tara Haller, or as I knew her “Ms. Haller,” passed away earlier last month. The Durango Herald published a thoughtful obituary, and I’m grateful to those who knew Ms. Haller…
Community
City councilor to hold office hours
Durango City Councilor Shirley Gonzales will hold office hours from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Durango Public Library lobby. 1900 East Third Ave. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3yxv8k59.
Community
Library hosts Around the World Travelogue
Local author and retired University of New Mexico professor John Kessell will recount his 1958 ocean liner trip from San Francisco to Sydney and his adventures beyond from 6 to…
And the West is History
And the West is History: Flood aftermath at Main Avenue and 15th Street – 1911
The 1911 Flood occurred on Oct. 5, 1911, when the Animas River raged with a flow of 25,000 cfs. (Catalog Number: 81.07.13 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo…
Community
Annual bulb sale to be held
The Durango Botanic Gardens 13th annual Bulb Sale will once again be conducted online. Forty-eight types of bulbs will be available to order. The Bulb Sale preview is open now…
Community
Gable House hosts ice cream social
The annual Ice Cream Social will be held 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Gable House Bed & Breakfast, 805 East Fifth Ave. This free community event is a…
Community
Back-to-school immunizations available now
Parents can get their child’s school vaccinations early and beat the back-to-school rush. The La Plata County Public Health Department Clinic has appointments available now to discuss family immunization needs…
Community
Animas High School announces Interim School Leadership Team for 2025-26
Animas High School board of directors announces an Interim School Leadership Team for the 2025-26 school year. The team includes: Lori Fisher, interim director of curriculum and instruction; Carlin Nielsen,…
Community
A cat named Leonardo da Pinchy doesn’t want your affection. He wants to steal your underwear
New Zealand feline has turned into local celebrity
And the West is History
And the West is History: Chariot racer at fairgrounds – 1963
At the 1963 edition of the Spanish Trails Fiesta, the Yampa Valley Cutter & Chariot Association raced six chariots at the annual racing meet held at the fairgrounds. The Steamboat…
Community
List your tree for fruit harvesting
Summer fruit is here, do have fruit trees and want to help eliminate food waste, reduce human-bear conflict and directly address food security in our neighborhoods by helping to collect…
Community
Why we’re saying goodbye to ‘9-R’ – and honoring where we came from
Karla Sluis What does “9-R” mean, anyway? If you’ve ever asked that question, you’re not alone. The term has been a part of our district’s name since the 1950s, but…