Election – The Durango Herald

Prayer, conspiracies and fundraising: Supporters of Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters hold another rally following FBI search

Tina Peters and Sherronna Bishop – among others – are under criminal investigation

DATE: Dec 3, 2021 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Brad Blake to run again for La Plata County commissioner

Candidate will begin campaigning first quarter of next year

DATE: Nov 19, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters faces lawsuit over alleged 2022 fundraising violations

Election official accused of raising money before declaring candidacy

DATE: Nov 8, 2021 | CATEGORY: Regional News

6 big takeaways from the 2021 election results in Colorado and beyond

There was good news for Republicans and Democrats – and warning signs to both parties

DATE: Nov 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Mesa County needed to restore trust after an election system breach. Here comes Wayne Williams, in his boots

Colorado’s former Secretary of State sought to reassure voters about a fair election

DATE: Nov 3, 2021 | CATEGORY: Regional News

All three statewide ballot measures headed toward defeat

Marijuana tax fails, Proposition 120 and Amendment 78 were behind in vote tally

DATE: Nov 2, 2021 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Voters tap Brown, Petersen and Parmenter to lead Durango School District

Campaign touched on themes of COVID-19 policies, critical race theory, separation of church and state

DATE: Nov 2, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

Turnout remains low as Election Day arrives in Colorado. Here’s what you need to know to vote

Ballot must be in possession of county clerk by 7 p.m. Tuesday

DATE: Nov 2, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

Top election official in La Plata County explains what happens to ballots after they are dropped off

Several layers of judges oversee process, from transporting ballots to verifying signatures

DATE: Oct 31, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

What you need to know heading into Tuesday’s election

Candidates make final push, drop-off boxes are awaiting, voter turnout hits 24%

DATE: Oct 29, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

Bayfield school board candidates call for accountability, more communication

Topics include teacher shortage, budget shortfall and serving students with special needs

DATE: Oct 21, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

Gov. Jared Polis plans to vote for property tax measure opposed by other Democrats

Governor doesn’t elaborate on his position, raising eyebrows

DATE: Oct 20, 2021 | CATEGORY: Regional News

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Patriotic drone show unfolds above Durango’s night skyAbout 1,200 people watched production from city Transit Center

One hundred forty drones took to the skies above Greenmount Cemetery at 10 p.m. sharp Saturday in a glowing and patriotic spectacle featuring vibrant images colored red, white and blue against the black backdrop of night.About 1,200 people gathered Saturday at the Durango Transit Center to watch the city’s premiere drone show produced by Verge Aero after a street dance and band performance by McCurry Trio and Desert Child for Independence Day celebrations.Spectators were treated to drone depictions of the American flag, star patterns, a soaring bald eagle and a homage to the city with drones flying in formation to spell out “Durango” to close out the street dance that started at 6 p.m. Across the valley from Greenmount Cemetery, the headlights of cars shined from Rim Drive near Fort Lewis College where more spectators watched.

Ellen Babers, Durango community events administrator, said the show went well. She heard “Ooh’s” and “ah’s” from the crowd when the drones transitioned from one image to another.She said a segment that consisted of stars rotating at various intervals, shrinking into smaller stars before expanding into the shape of a larger star, appeared to be a crowd favorite.“People really liked the Durango part,” she said. “When it spelled out Durango, people seemed surprised. Like, ‘Oh, this isn’t just a generic show, this is about us.’”Other images included an outline of the continental United States, the letters “USA,” and a spinning globe shape that gave the drone show a 3D feel.

The drones were laid out earlier in the evening in a square grid, with each drone placed 4 feet apart. Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer of the drone show, worked with a crew of about six people, including volunteers. Saturday evening at Greenmount Cemetery where the drones launched and landed, Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer with Verge Aero, and his crew of about six people, including volunteers, had laid all the drones out on the grass in a square grid. Each drone was placed four feet apart. Smiatek synced the drones to a GPS and radio tower in preparation for the evening’s show. Six minutes before takeoff, a deer wandered straight past the drone grid, narrowly avoiding stepping on them.“That could have been a disaster,” Smiatek said as his crew scanned the nearby area with flashlights. No other deer were visible.Two minutes before takeoff, the crew’s portable generator shut off – out of gas.

“We have double secure power,” he said. “The generator fell off two minutes before the show started. It’s like Murphy’s law, anything that could happen will happen. So it’s best to be prepared.”During prep, the crew ran several tests with the drones. The drones shot up 3 to 4 meters, hovered for about one second and then dropped back to their designated grid space on the grass.

Smiatek worked from a makeshift command station where his laptop and transmission tower were perched.“The base station is the heart of the show,” he said. “It’s a computer and it’s a distribution system connected to radios and an antenna. And that’s it, basically. Very flexible and a good system.”Chris Lutts, vice president of sales at Verge Aero, said he thinks Durangoans enjoyed the performance. From Greenmount Cemetery, he could hear the cheers and whistles of the audience at the Durango Transit Center.“The people we’ve been working with have been great,” he said. “Clearly, the city enjoyed it, so that’s awesome. That’s why we do this. It’s no different than any other entertainment, man. You love that feedback. It’s validation that what you’re doing is something that people really like.”cburney@durangoherald.com

About 1,200 people watched production from city Transit Center

Photos: BurroFest in Mancos

Fun times at the Ute Mountain Roundup rodeo in Cortez

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Hobby Horse Community Bike Ride

Photos: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Sprite Kids Race

Men and women compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic dual slalom races

Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Roostmaster race

Riders compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic men’s pro road raceQuinn Simmons takes the win

Quinn Simmons takes the win

Cyclists compete in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic women’s pro road raceKira Payer takes first

Prayer, conspiracies and fundraising: Supporters of Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters hold another rally following FBI search

Brad Blake to run again for La Plata County commissioner

Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters faces lawsuit over alleged 2022 fundraising violations

6 big takeaways from the 2021 election results in Colorado and beyond

Mesa County needed to restore trust after an election system breach. Here comes Wayne Williams, in his boots

All three statewide ballot measures headed toward defeat

Voters tap Brown, Petersen and Parmenter to lead Durango School District

Turnout remains low as Election Day arrives in Colorado. Here’s what you need to know to vote

Top election official in La Plata County explains what happens to ballots after they are dropped off

What you need to know heading into Tuesday’s election

Bayfield school board candidates call for accountability, more communication

Gov. Jared Polis plans to vote for property tax measure opposed by other Democrats

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