Religion - The Durango Herald

How St. Francis created the Nativity scene with a miraculous event in 1223

Around the Christmas season, it is common to see a display of the Nativity scene: a small manger with the baby Jesus and his family, shepherds, the three wise men believed to have visited Je...

DATE: Dec 27, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Christmas services in Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio

Many local churches will hold special services during the Christmas holiday. All services will take place Christmas Eve, Tuesday, unless otherwise noted. Services marked with an asterisk ind...

DATE: Dec 22, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

How long is the sermon? Study ranks Christian churches

NEW YORK – How long should a sermon be? The major branches of Christianity in the U.S. have sharply different traditions, with sermons at historically black Protestant churches la...

DATE: Dec 21, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Durango Vineyard Church to hold Christmas Eve service at Strater Hotel

Durango Vineyard Church will hold a Christmas Eve service at 4:30 p.m. at Henry Stater Hotel, 699 Main Ave. The service is open to everyone and will celebrate God coming to the world in love...

DATE: Dec 21, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

First Baptist Church to host Christmas Eve services

First Baptist Church will host Christmas Eve services at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at 332 E. 11th St. Both services are identical and will last about an hour. Nursery will be a...

DATE: Dec 20, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

First Presbyterian Church of Durango to host Christmas Eve service

First Presbyterian Church of Durango will offer a Christmas Eve service, featuring family worship and a candlelight service at 5 p.m. and a candlelight worship at 7 p.m. at the church, 1159 ...

DATE: Dec 20, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Tara Mandala to host Winter Solstice Celebration

Tara Mandala will host its 25th anniversary Winter Solstice Celebration on Dec. 21 at the center, 4000 Forest Service Road 649, outside Pagosa Springs. Participants will have the...

DATE: Dec 12, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Shinto festival carries on centuries-old tradition in Japan

CHICHIBU, Japan – As fireworks light up the winter night, scores of men, women and teenagers crying “washoi, washoi” haul the last of six towering, lantern-covered floats up a small hill and...

DATE: Dec 9, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Local churches to hold Advent services

These ecumenical Advent services will be held in Durango: 6 p.m. Dec. 11: Ecumenical worship at First United Methodist Church, 2917 Aspen Drive. 6 p.m. Dec. 18: Ecumenical w...

DATE: Dec 2, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Utah banning ‘conversion therapy’ with Mormon church backing

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah is on its way to becoming the 19th state to ban the discredited practice of conversion therapy in January after state officials formed a proposal that has the support o...

DATE: Dec 2, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Rabbi touts giving as way to counteract religious hatred

NEW YORK – At a time when anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise worldwide, schools should take steps to teach empathy as an antidote to racism and religious hatred, several rabbis attending...

DATE: Nov 30, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Pope visits Jesuit Japan community that could have been his

TOKYO – Pope Francis wrapped up his visit to Japan in a very personal way Tuesday, spending the morning with his Jesuit confrerees in the community that would have been his own had his dream...

DATE: Nov 25, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Photos: People’s MarchAbout 300 people take to the street on Saturday in Durango

About 300 people take to the street on Saturday in Durango

Photos: Fort Lewis College basketballWomen’s and men’s basketball teams take on South Dakota Mines

Women’s and men’s basketball teams take on South Dakota Mines

Photos: Wrestling at Durango High SchoolDurango High School boys wrestling beat Bayfield High School Tuesday night

Durango High School boys wrestling beat Bayfield High School Tuesday night

Photos: Where there's smoke there's firefightersDurango firefighters take advantage of the old River City Hall building for training

Durango firefighters take advantage of the old River City Hall building for training

Photos: Durango plays Montezuma-Cortez in boys, girls high school basketballDurango girls and boys basketball teams defeat Montezuma-Cortez at DHS

Durango girls and boys basketball teams defeat Montezuma-Cortez at DHS

Year in photos: A look back at Southwest Colorado in 2024Each year brings some of the new and some of the old – breaking news and cherished traditions. It is the people, their emotions, different cultures and varied forms of entertainment that make for impactful images. Add to that Southwest Colorado’s gorgeous scenery, abundant wildlife and range of weather events, and you have the makings for stunning photos. We hope you enjoy Photo Editor Jerry McBride’s photos from 2024.

Each year brings some of the new and some of the old – breaking news and cherished traditions. It is...

Montezuma County DA Christian Hatfield charged with DWICharges come 16 weeks after crash near Farmington, New MexicoMontezuma County District Attorney Christian Hatfield was charged Friday with driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs 16 weeks after he crashed his SUV on U.S. Highway 64 outside Bloomfield.The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office charged Hatfield, 59, with petty misdemeanor charge of DWI and an open container in connection to the Aug. 30 single-car crash.The charges come after results from a blood test by the New Mexico Department of Health Scientific Laboratory showed alcohol and a drug in Hatfield’s body after the crash.

“The results show that at the time of the blood draw, which was approximately eleven hours after the time of the crash due to medical issues, were 0.05 g/100 ml of Ethanol and 0.04 mg/L of Zolpidem (Ambien). Both Ethanol and Ambien are Central Nervous System Depressants,” the law enforcement report states.Two vials of blood were taken from Hatfield at 1:33 p.m. Aug. 30, which was more than 12 hours after the crash occurred about 1 a.m. Those vials were received by the New Mexico Department of Health Scientific Laboratory at 10:26 a.m. Oct. 11, which was six weeks after the crash, according to records from the lab.An investigation into the blood warrant by The Journal newspaper in Cortez, Colorado, showed that the blood sample sat in a refrigerator at the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office until Oct. 3, because paperwork to send it to the state laboratory was not processed.“I think it’s a non-prosecutable case because of all the errors made by law enforcement,” said Arlon Stoker, a high-profile defense attorney secured by Hatfield to fight the charges.

The charges made by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office are “based on the observations made by law enforcement officers on scene and the presence of intoxicating drugs and liquors in Christian's blood,” according to the report that was given to The Journal by the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government.Amanda Lavin, legal director for NMFOG, assisted The Journal in accessing public records from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office in Aztec. The records had been redacted, leaving out Hatfield’s name and information about the blood warrant filed in San Juan County Magistrate Court.Public records requests by The Journal and the Tri-City Record went unresolved for 14 weeks.The Journal requested body camera footage and lapel camera video on Sept. 3.The Tri-City Record requested any and all warrants, investigative reports and laboratory reports as well as photos, lapel cam videos and dash cam videos on Oct. 23.On Dec. 9, Lavin made the same requests.

The Journal received access to photos and videos in an email on Dec. 19, and Lavin, after making a legal argument for unredacted information, received the full report Dec. 19 and was advised that charges would be forthcoming.The report detailing the crash states that Hatfield was found “unresponsive and barely able to stand” about 1 a.m. Aug. 30 near the intersection of U.S. Highway 64 and County Road 5099.Investigators and medics noted a “pungent” odor of alcohol coming from Hatfield, and investigators found “an open 12-ounce can of Mexican Lager with residual liquid inside,” an “empty wine glass,” and a “bottle of Ambien prescribed to Christian,” according to the report.The affidavit for search warrant for blood submitted by sheriff’s deputy Avery Killifer states he had an “opinion that the defendant was driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a controlled substance.” The deputy “placed the defendant under arrest” at the time, but Hatfield was taken to San Juan Regional Medical Center, because of “extensive injuries.”A summons was issued for Hatfield, and an arraignment is set for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 8 in Aztec Magistrate Court.

Charges come 16 weeks after crash near Farmington, New Mexico

Photos: Wreaths Across America honors fallen veteransDurango residents on Saturday honor those who served their country

Durango residents on Saturday honor those who served their country

Photos: Skyhawks men’s and women’s basketball Fort Lewis College men’s and women’s basketball lost to Regis on Saturday

Fort Lewis College men’s and women’s basketball lost to Regis on Saturday

Demons defeat Bobcats 62-47 on Friday at DHS

How St. Francis created the Nativity scene with a miraculous event in 1223

Christmas services in Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio

How long is the sermon? Study ranks Christian churches

Durango Vineyard Church to hold Christmas Eve service at Strater Hotel

First Baptist Church to host Christmas Eve services

First Presbyterian Church of Durango to host Christmas Eve service

Tara Mandala to host Winter Solstice Celebration

Shinto festival carries on centuries-old tradition in Japan

Local churches to hold Advent services

Utah banning ‘conversion therapy’ with Mormon church backing

Rabbi touts giving as way to counteract religious hatred

Pope visits Jesuit Japan community that could have been his

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