In the same Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs meeting where Montrose was told its mascot is approved, Lamar High School was told otherwise. The school's current mascot is "Savages" and Lamar School District wanted to keep that name and change the logo to a bull rather than an American Indian figure. The school district's "Plan B" was to change the mascot to "Savage Thunder." 

Neither of these approaches were seen as acceptable by the commission. In the video below, you'll hear commissioners describe why it's not acceptable. 

While this decision would seem to require Lamar to pay the $25,000 fine next month, its school board voted at the same time as the commission meeting to drop the name "Savages" immediately. At the end of the meeting, the Lamar Superintendent asked the commission to take another vote considering the decision and the commission told them to work with CCIA staff after the fact. 

What do you think about the commissioners comments? Or about Lamar's decision to fight, and then cave at the last second?

Just yesterday, the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, which is responsible for enforcing the Prohibit American Indian Mascots bill, voted to remove Montrose High from the list of non-compliant schools. 

The action comes after months of back and forth, but the Montrose Red Hawks name is now approved, along with the school's new logo. 

Johnson Elementary will also change its "Thunderbird" mascot, but a new name has not been chosen yet. 

What do you think about the news? Are you ready to be done talking about mascots?

The fire, which may have begun as a controlled burn, has so far burned a confirmed 370 acres, and has prompted evacuation of the area. The fire is 15 miles southwest of Montrose, near the Montrose and Ouray County line. It's currently at 0 percent containment, but officials say fire crews have made progress. 

Those under the evacuation order can contact the fire information line at 970-765-7309 for assistance.

Zane Kessler, Director of Government Relations for the Colorado River District (CRD) will present at The Forum Montrose's presentation series on Wednesday, May 18th, from 8-9 a.m. 

These talks take place at Colorado Mesa University's Montrose campus. The event group says Kessler will talk about the Colorado River District's goals of protection, conservation, use, and development of the water resources of the Colorado River basin.

I know this event is quite early tomorrow, so I wanted to ask here as well: is there anything you'd want to know about Colorado's water management? 

As the Colorado Sun and Colorado News Collaborative reported yesterday, Mind Springs Health in Grand Junction allegedly made it seem like their treatment plans were more effective than they actually were, allowing them to secure funding from the state. 

The whistleblowers, who are former workers, claim that their bosses had them fill out paperwork on patients that didn't evaluate, make up diagnoses and always show progress on patients, even when they didn't really improve.

The company's CEO and two executives resigned last December following Colorado News Collaborative's investigation into the poor quality of its care and lack of access to care. Now, the state Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and the Human Services Department are looking into the whistleblowers' claims. 

That's the gist of the news, but if you want to know more, make sure to check out the full article, which contains extensive details on how Mind Springs got itself into this situation, the financial incentives they were after, and how the regulatory bodies responsible for overseeing the company didn't catch on. 

What are your thoughts on the whistleblowers' claims? And what's been your experience with mental health care on the Western Slope?

The movie theater has been closed since the spring of 2019, but now plans on opening its doors back up May 20. The pandemic and the streaming economy has been tough on movie theaters, so it's rare to see a movie theater reopen its doors. Though a recent Fandango survey suggests that American audiences may prefer a theatrical experience after all, and predicts a busy summer for movie releases. 

What do you think about San Juan Cinema reopening? Are you likely to go? Do you think it will survive long term?

May is wildfire awareness month, and Colorado officials are urging residents to protect themselves and their community from wildfire.

The Colorado State Forest Service recommends the following wildfire preparation activities:

• Rake and remove pine needles and dry leaves 5 feet from the home, as well as under decks, porches, sheds and play structures.

• Remove leaves and needles from roofs and gutters.

• Sweep porches and decks clear of any burnable plant material.

• Move firewood piles at least 30 feet from the house, preferably uphill.

• Transfer items under decks or porches to a storage area.

• Cover any exposed eave or attic vents with 1/8-inch metal mesh screening.

• Ensure home address signs are clearly visible from the street.

• Contact the Montrose County office of emergency management at 970-252-4043 to register for emergency notifications and encourage your friends, family and neighbors to do the same.

• Confirm at least one alternate path out of your neighborhood other than the one most commonly used and be prepared for potential evacuation requiring the alternative route.

What are you doing to prepare for the summer and fall? Do you have any recommendations for your neighbors (or your NABURs)?

In our latest episode of our reporter interview series, Staff Writer Anna Lynn Winfrey interviewed Delta County Independent writer Cassie Knust about the new sales tax that Delta County just passed for Delta Health. The .8% tax will go toward funding recruitment and retention of nurses and health care staff, capital improvements to existing buildings and medical technologies, and the payment of supplies and equipment related to the provision of health care services. 

What do you think of the tax? Will increased prices keep you from going to Delta soon?

Montrose County commissioners are considering a new ordinance that would enable law enforcement to prosecute owners of problematic barking dogs. However, that would only happen after the dog owner is given a three-day warning period to fix the situation. Neighbors also won't be able to file anonymous complaints and would have to testify in the event of prosecution. The commissioners just heard a first reading of the ordinance at the Wednesday meeting and will consider it again sometime in the future. 

Read Staff Writer Anna Lynn Winfrey's full article on the subject for more context and lots of dog-related puns. 

What do you think about the ordinance? Would you expect it to come in handy? Or does it put dog-owners in a difficult position?

At the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs meeting this Monday, 6 of the 7 other school districts with a Thunderbird mascot spoke about their potential plans for getting rid of the name and logo. Unlike Johnson Elementary in Montrose, these schools have not yet been added to the list of schools not in compliance with Senate Bill 21-116. 

However, they were notified recently that the commission will be reviewing their mascots and may be adding them to the list at the next quarterly meeting on May 19. Many of the school districts voiced their concerns about potentially being found in violation of the law just 12 days before the June 1, 2022 deadline. There’s a chance that the schools would be given an extra year if an amendment to the school finance act passes through the state legislature, which would happen by the time the legislative session ends on May 12. 

In the audio clips below, you will hear from Principal at Johnson Elementary (Fort Collins) Georgianna Dawson, Superintendent at Sangre de Cristo School District David Crews, Superintendent at Cheyenne Mountain School District David Peak, Superintendent at Cherry Creek School District Christopher Smith, and Superintendent at Aurora Public Schools Rico Munn. 

The final clip in the audio segment is from Chairman Manuel Hart of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, who spoke about the significance of the Thunderbird as a Native symbol.