October 27th 2026
Some evacuations lifted in SLV after flooding.
South Fork officials announced last night that mandatory evacuation orders have been
lifted for Rivercrest, Beaver Mountain Estates, and all areas on the west side of US 160
above the confluence in South Fork. The Escondida Drive Bridge in South Fork has also
reopened, however, motorists are asked to observe a posted speed limit of 15mph with
one-lane, alternating traffic. Other evacuations remain in place. Evacuations for the
town of Manassa also remain in place. Flood waters are receding and county officials
throughout The San Luis Valley are working to get people who have been evacuated back
into their homes. Those living in flooded areas who have wells are advised to boil their
water before using it until wells can be tested. If you lost power while you were
evacuated, throwing out perishable food in your refrigerator is also recommended.
City of Walsenburg Ballot Issue 300 on the Colorado November Ballot.
Today we look at City of Walsenburg Ballot Issue 300. Ballot Issue 300 asks if the City
of Walsenburg should increase its sales and use tax rate by 0.5%, such that the city sales
and use tax would increase from 3.0% to 3.5%. The increase would be effective on
January 1st of 2027 and is expected to raise about $525,000 annually to fund The
Walsenburg Police Department. Proponents say that public safety is one of the most
fundamental responsibilities of local government. For the City of Walsenburg to remain
safe, stable, and an attractive community for residents, businesses and visitors, it must
maintain a professional and adequately funded police department. Opponents say that
this issue, like last year, treats a spending problem as a revenue problem and that this
issue would raise Walsenburg sales tax from 8.9% currently to 9.4%, one of the highest,
combined rates in Colorado. Opponents say sales tax places a higher burden on lower
income residents; that the issue does not specify how funds will be split between salaries,
equipment and training, and includes no reporting requirements to verify spending; and
does not address any current funding urgency. Opponents say that voters rejected a
larger sales tax increase for similar purposes last year by more than 60%, yet the city has
done nothing to resolve the budget questions. A "yes" vote would raise Walsenburg's
sales tax to 9.4%. A "no" vote leaves the tax as it is. A little commentary... quite a few
years ago now, Walsenburg voters voted to disband the police department. About two
years ago, when The Huerfano County Sheriff decided to no longer police the City of
Walsenburg, The City of Walsenburg decided to create a new police department, yet
never asked voters if they wanted a police department. Then, the city asked for funding
last year, and the issue lost by a 31 point margin. The citizens spoke, saying they did not
want to fund a police department. The city is not listening to its citizens, and keeps
asking for more money.
Walsenburg Police Officer fired and two other disciplined following incident.
A Walsenburg Police Officer has been fired and two other officers have received
"administrative disciplinary action" after a video posted on Youtube shows the
terminated officer making an "inappropriate comment" that was "derogatory in nature".
Reports are that the terminated officer threatened to kill a person he was talking to. The
Walsenburg Police Department did not publicly release the former officer's name and did
not specify what disciplinary action was taken, citing department policies. The
department says it considers the matter an "isolated incident".
Pueblo County announces appointment of manager of community recovery and resilience.
Courney Deviney has been appointed as Pueblo County's new manager of community
recovery and resilience to help coordinate the community's recover from The Aspen
Acres Fire, which destroyed about 850 structures in Pueblo and Custer counties,
including 337 homes. Deviney says she hopes to connect with the community and assess
needs, and then support the community doing the background work to get things cleaned
up and to progress forward to rebuilding.
October 26th 2026
CO Gov Polis verbally declares 12 Counties disaster emergencies.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has verbally declared La Plata, Archuleta, Montezuma,
Dolores, Hinsdale, San Miguel, Ouray, San Juan, Mineral, Alamosa, Rio Grande and
Conejos Counties disaster emergencies for flooding that has taken place thanks to heavy
rainfall since late last week. Some of the worst flooding in our listening area took place
from the summit of Wolf Creek Pass, traveling eastward, to South Fork, Del Norte and to
the western side of Monte Vista. US 160 over Wolf Creek Pass remains closed currently.
Rio Grande County Road 18 Bridge to County Road 15 Escondida Bridge remains
closed. And, The Park Creek Road remains closed. In Del Norte, local street closures
include 3rd Street from Spruce to Hermosa, Spruce from 2nd to Front Street, First Street
from Oak to Pine Street, Front Street from Spruce to Pine, and 3rd and Cherry Street to
Second Street. In Conejos County, Manassa and Guadelupe remain under mandatory
evacuation. Sanford and La Jara are being advised to be alert for possible flooding. All
schools in The North Conejos School District are closed today.
City of Walsenburg Ballot Question 2A on the Colorado November Ballot.
As we continue to look at local ballot issues, today we'll take a look at City of
Walsenburg Ballot Question 2A. The question is short, and says: shall an ordinance
amending sections 16-4-700 and 16-4-720 of The Walsenburg Municipal Code
concerning the criminal detention center district be adopted? Many have asked exactly
what this question is about, and there has been very little information given. In my
opinion, that alone should be a reason to vote "no". It basically says "we're going to
change some stuff, is that Ok?" And asks you to vote yes or no with no clue what you're
allowing, or not. So what is it really for? Basically, The City of Walsenburg is asking if
residents of Walsenburg want to change the Walsenburg municipal code to restrict the
"federal incarceration of immigrants under federal policies and procedures", although it
does not clearly define the relevant terms of what that means or how the city would
determine whether a particular facility, contract, or detainee population falls within the
prohibition. If passed, the measure may expose the city and taxpayers to substantial legal
expenses and administrative burdens, especially if Core Civic, the owner of the private
prison in Walsenburg, or The Federal Government sue Walsenburg over the ordinance. It
really doesn't matter how you feel about immigrants or detention of immigrants, this
whole idea is not well thought out, and may open the city and residents to future legal and
administrative expenses. A "yes" vote would allow the city to change the municipal code
without a clear definition of what that would be. A "no" vote would leave the code as it
is currently.
Final Aspen Acres Fire update released Friday.
The final update on The Aspen Acres Fire was released on Friday. Firefighers report that
no remaining heat has been detected by unmanned aircraft scanning the fire footprint.
Containment has reached 94%. The incident command says that “crews still need to
remove weakened trees, reinforce control lines, and ensure the perimeter will hold under
future dry, windy weather”. Firefighters expect full containment to be reached once
measurable snow remains on the ground for an extended period.
Flooding causes County Road 580 closure in Huerfano County Friday.
County Road 580 was closed in Huerfano County on Friday after portions of the road
eroded away near where Deer Creek meets The Huerfano River, making the road
impassable. The road was closed about 6:30pm Friday. Huerfano County officials say
that road and bridge crews are working to make repairs to the road so that it can be
reopened.