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Dolores County, Colorado

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About Dolores, CO

Local News
Complete local news coverage for Dolores County, Colorado. Stay updated on local government, community events, business developments, and civic matters affecting residents of Dove Creek, Rico, Cahone, Stoner, and surrounding southwestern Colorado communities.
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Dove Creek, Rico, Cahone, Stoner and 1,068 square miles in southwestern colorado

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Newsroom monitoring local Dolores, CO developments. Next update cycle in 12 minutes.

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Ute Mountain Ute Tribe brings high-speed fiber internet to Towaoc, White Mesa
Community

Ute Mountain Ute Tribe brings high-speed fiber internet to Towaoc, White Mesa

Crews began free fiber hookups in Towaoc and White Mesa, opening telehealth, homework and emergency alerts for 817 unserved Native households.

Sarah Chen2m read
Nature Conservancy offers $600,000 for drought and flood resilience work
Community

Nature Conservancy offers $600,000 for drought and flood resilience work

Dolores County groups have until May 22 to compete for grants of $25,000 to $100,000 as the Dolores River faces 35% of average runoff.

Lisa Park2m read
Michael Rantz helps drive Dolores boys sports resurgence
Education

Michael Rantz helps drive Dolores boys sports resurgence

Michael Rantz arrived as a state-qualifying freshman and left Dolores with a 50.01 400 and a wider Bears boys resurgence behind him.

Sarah Chen2m read
Cold snap brings freeze warnings, threatens Dolores County crops and plumbing
Community

Cold snap brings freeze warnings, threatens Dolores County crops and plumbing

Freeze warnings hit Dolores County hard, with 24-degree lows and a 17-degree forecast threatening crops, gardens and exposed pipes from Cortez to Dove Creek.

Marcus Williams2m read
Dolores girls golf builds momentum as young team learns fast
Education

Dolores girls golf builds momentum as young team learns fast

A 17-stroke gain in Montrose showed Dolores girls golf is learning fast. Co-captains Julianne Vega and Jadyn Gorsuch are helping turn a revived program into something lasting.

Lisa Park2m read
Dolores baseball rebuild gains momentum, Bears push toward postseason berth
Education

Dolores baseball rebuild gains momentum, Bears push toward postseason berth

Dolores baseball’s six-game 10-run streak has the Bears in the Class 2A playoff mix, powered by depth, not one star.

Marcus Williams2m read
Rep. Larry Don Suckla balances cowboy roots, Capitol rules in Denver
Government

Rep. Larry Don Suckla balances cowboy roots, Capitol rules in Denver

A cowboy hat warning at the Capitol shows Larry Don Suckla learning Denver's rules while pressing Southwest Colorado's biggest water fights.

Marcus Williams5m read
Warm, dry winter may disrupt wildlife migrations in Dolores County
Community

Warm, dry winter may disrupt wildlife migrations in Dolores County

Warm, dry conditions are already shifting wildlife movement in Dolores County, with elk, deer and even bears likely to show up where people do not expect them.

Marcus Williams5m read
Montezuma-Cortez schools add full-time online learning option in 2026
Education

Montezuma-Cortez schools add full-time online learning option in 2026

A new online path will let Montezuma-Cortez students stay in district, earn a diploma and still join graduation, clubs and classes from sixth grade through senior year.

Marcus Williams2m read
Dolores school board hears hands-on learning, construction and retention updates
Education

Dolores school board hears hands-on learning, construction and retention updates

Dolores RE-4A is fighting to keep 649 students as a new online rival looms, while hands-on classes and flood-proof construction are being used to hold families in place.

Sarah Chen2m read
Dolores boys finish second in league at Cortez invitational
Education

Dolores boys finish second in league at Cortez invitational

Dolores boys finished second among league teams in Cortez, powered by Michael Rantz's 400-meter win and a meet that exposed how far the county can push regional powers.

Sarah Chen2m read
Boggy Draw prescribed burn to close trails, roads Sunday
Community

Boggy Draw prescribed burn to close trails, roads Sunday

Sunday’s 1,212-acre Boggy Draw burn will close a section of trail system through May 2, with smoke possibly drifting toward Highway 145 and Dolores overnight.

Sarah Chen2m read
Bill lowering Dolores County officials’ pay advances in legislature
Government

Bill lowering Dolores County officials’ pay advances in legislature

Dolores County’s sheriff, commissioner, clerk, treasurer, assessor and coroner would all take pay cuts under SB26-092, while Pitkin County’s salaries would jump.

James Thompson2m read
Beacon Data Centers to discuss possible Dove Creek project Thursday night
Business

Beacon Data Centers to discuss possible Dove Creek project Thursday night

Beacon Data Centers was set to face Dove Creek residents Thursday night as questions grew over power use, water demand and a possible AI campus.

Sarah Chen2m read
Durango man gets 45 years for fatal Wapiti Lodge shooting
Community

Durango man gets 45 years for fatal Wapiti Lodge shooting

Jonnie Cash Kimbrough got 45 years for the Wapiti Lodge killing, a sentence near the top of Colorado’s second-degree murder range and a stark message on motel violence.

Sarah Chen2m read
Brown revives house calls, opens rural clinic for remote patients
Healthcare

Brown revives house calls, opens rural clinic for remote patients

In a county with no hospitals and 25.5% of residents age 65 or older, Dr. David Brown is bringing house calls back to patients who cannot easily travel.

Lisa Park2m read
Funding shortfall threatens Dolores County senior meals, transportation services
Healthcare

Funding shortfall threatens Dolores County senior meals, transportation services

Hundreds of Dolores County seniors could lose meals and rides if the county’s long-running senior services center closes, deepening isolation in a rural county.

Lisa Park2m read
New ownership revives Ska Brewing, boosts Durango roots and local optimism
Business

New ownership revives Ska Brewing, boosts Durango roots and local optimism

Ska’s sale brought the Durango brewery out of debt, kept jobs and culture intact, and put longtime local distributors in charge of a broader future.

Sarah Chen2m read
Durango hardware business opens café, showroom with live blacksmithing
Business

Durango hardware business opens café, showroom with live blacksmithing

Nathaniel Winkler’s new Blacksmith Café lets customers buy hardware, drink coffee and watch live forging at a southwest Durango storefront.

Sarah Chen2m read
Dove Creek anchors Dolores County economy, pinto bean industry central
Business

Dove Creek anchors Dolores County economy, pinto bean industry central

Dove Creek, the statutory town and county seat of Dolores County, anchors the local economy through pinto bean production, processing operations, county government and school services. Its location on U.S. Highway 491 and proximity to the Dolores River basin and public lands shape transportation, tourism and seasonal labor patterns that matter to residents and local businesses.

Sarah Chen2m read
Dolores water district splits scarce runoff between tribe, northern farmers
Government

Dolores water district splits scarce runoff between tribe, northern farmers

Runoff is so thin that Dolores district split about 385 acre-feet each between the Ute farm and northern irrigators, while full-service growers face just 3 inches.

James Thompson2m read
Senate Committee Unanimously Advances Dolores River Conservation Area Bill
Government

Senate Committee Unanimously Advances Dolores River Conservation Area Bill

A Senate panel unanimously cleared the Dolores River NCA bill Dec. 17, but the measure still needs a full Senate vote and has no House sponsor yet.

Maria Santos4m read
Rico Microgrid Project Aims to End Small Town's Power Vulnerability
Community

Rico Microgrid Project Aims to End Small Town's Power Vulnerability

One wire over Lizard Head Pass supplies all of Rico's electricity. A $1.4 million grant and a 1,500 kWh battery system could end that single-point vulnerability by 2026.

Marcus Williams6m read
Dove Creek guide maps recreation, services and public-land access
Community

Dove Creek guide maps recreation, services and public-land access

A town-maintained guide outlines Dove Creek attractions and county public-land access, shaping tourism, local services and land stewardship for residents and visitors.

Marcus Williams2m read
Dolores Schools Open Contractors Call As New Campus Rises
Education

Dolores Schools Open Contractors Call As New Campus Rises

Dolores School District is actively recruiting local subcontractors for its new high school and middle school campus, a project that broke ground in June 2025 and is slated for completion in April 2027. The combination of a voter approved bond from November 2023 and a state BEST grant awarded in December 2024 has unlocked construction work and local contracting opportunities that matter for jobs and businesses across Dolores County.

Sarah Chen2m read
Weiser Challenges Bennet at Durango Town Hall on Water, Democracy
Government

Weiser Challenges Bennet at Durango Town Hall on Water, Democracy

Weiser used a Durango town hall to press Bennet on water and democracy, arguing southwest Colorado needs a governor who will defend rights, funding and rural priorities.

Marcus Williams2m read
Durango blotter logs abandoned rooster, dead chickens, ATV traffic complaints
Community

Durango blotter logs abandoned rooster, dead chickens, ATV traffic complaints

A rooster was dumped at Pastorius Reservoir, a dog was reported killing chickens on County Road 311, and two older men on ATVs blocked Pine Ridge Drive, La Plata County blotter shows.

Sarah Chen2m read
Dolores Community Heritage Orchard Aims to Revive Region's Historic Apple Varieties
Community

Dolores Community Heritage Orchard Aims to Revive Region's Historic Apple Varieties

About 70 heritage apple trees were planted in Joe Rowell Park to revive historic local varieties and create a community orchard with educational and agritourism potential.

Marcus Williams2m read
Lone Mesa State Park's Restricted Access Shapes Local Health and Equity
Community

Lone Mesa State Park's Restricted Access Shapes Local Health and Equity

Lone Mesa State Park, a more-than-11,000-acre state property about 23 miles north of Dolores, is a restricted-access park managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and primarily used for hunting, volunteer and educational programs; public visits are limited and generally require reservations for special events, hunts or guided activities. While the restrictions protect important habitats and plant species, they also shape who can access the physical and mental health benefits of public land and influence local economic and social equity in Dolores County.

Lisa Park2m read