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Has the Purgatory logo always been upside down?

Dear Action Line, Rumor among the Purgatory Underground (which, maybe appropriately, sounds a bit like a ski mountain upside down) is that the longtime Purgatory Resort “hanging pen...

The End

After 20 years and over 200 columns, Don Oliver’s “Flies and Lies” is over

Teacher has message for parents

DEAR ABBY: I am a teacher. I love my job, and I love my students. However, as I near the end of my 26th year of teaching, there’s something I need to get off my chest. At the end of every sc...

Making life less affordable, one hidden tax at a time

You know those streaming services that quietly raise their prices every few months, and suddenly you’re paying $49.99 a month to watch one show? That’s what a lot of Coloradans tell me their...

The Western Slope’s food insecurity crisis isn’t about geography – it’s about policy

As the holiday season settles over the Western Slope, the region’s beauty disguises a growing emergency: Families are struggling to put food on the table. High living costs, seasonal employm...

Southwest Colorado’s journey to 2026: How our stories and landscapes continue to shape who we are

In 2021, the American Association for State and Local History asked communities across the country to start thinking about 2026 – the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Th...

What team are you on?

With Thanksgiving behind us and a handful of holidays yet to come this year, it seemed like a good time to discuss one of the oft-maligned yet very common sides found on many holiday tables:...

Christian nationalism: History shows the danger of faiths governing

My parents’ guidance: Never talk politics or religion. They must be shaking their heads. Of all the issues of concern with the Trump administration’s intentions and actions, there is none mo...

Wife still communicates with ex best friend

DEAR ABBY: My best friend of more than 10 years, “Ian,” ghosted me. We used to talk about everything – wives, children, jobs. We spent hours together and helped each other sort out our probl...

Celebrating the holidays with toddlers? These simple tips help keep it safe

When you’re decorating, shopping for toys, and hosting friends and family, it’s easy to overlook the little things that keep young children safe. La Plata County Public Health encourages fa...

Season of gratitude: Investing in what makes us unique

As we transition from fall to winter, the holidays are upon us. It’s the perfect moment to reflect, not just on our own good fortune, but on our community systems that makes this a great pla...

Local jazz trio plays a Christmas classic

It’s a hip record. Forget the seasonal-only listening, as The Vince Guaraldi Trio’s soundtrack to Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts” classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is and forever will be great...