Top Stories

RGC Commissioners vote no on aquatic center

Rio Grande County Commissioners did not approve the service plan for the proposed SLV Aquatics Center on May 7.  
RIO GRANDE COUNTY - The Rio Grande County Board of Commissioners again unanimously denied, 3-0, a request to put a $24 million aquatics center before voters on a special election ballot in the fall.  
Community
Volunteers at the San Pedro Catholic Church in San Pedro enjoyed lunch while volunteering at the church on May 1-2. 

San Pedro Church receives repairs from volunteers

CENTER — The Saint Peter and Saint Paul Catholic Church in San Pedro received an upgrade of rain gutters from a 17-member group of skilled volunteers from the Knights of Columbus Council 1498 from Saint Mark's Parish in Highlands Ranch, Colo. This successful collaboration is a testament to the power of community and volunteerism. 

Moose in the Valley?

ALAMOSA — Earlier this week, a young bull moose wandered into a fenced in area at the Rio Grande Farm Park and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) staff had to assist him in finding a way out. 

SLVREC Foundation donates $10K to 4-H Endowment Fund

MONTE VISTA - SLVREC Energy Foundation generously donated $10,000 on April 1, to the SLV 4-H Endowment Fund. 

Monte Vista students receive scholarships for noxious weed program

RIO GRANDE COUNTY – For the third straight year, Rio Grande County Commissioners in partnership with Rio Grande County Noxious Weed Department and the Monte Vista School District gave four students $500 scholarships for participating in the Noxious Weed Scholarship Program.
Del Norte mini cheerleaders perform at the Monte Vista Cinco de Mayo celebration on Saturday, May 3. 

Cinco de Mayo rocks Monte Vista

MONTE VISTA – The day was near perfect, with plenty of sun and a refreshing breeze, for the Cinco de Mayo celebration on Saturday, May 3, in Monte Vista.  

Taste of Creede brings back Silver Chef Competition 

CREEDE – For the past 37 years, Creede has marked the beginning of its summer season with an unforgettable Memorial Day weekend packed with good food, great talent and a taste of what summer has in store for residents and visitors alike
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News
Visitors were seen in Medano Creek on May 3, enjoying the cool water in the shadow of 13,345-foot Mount Herard. The peak is named after Valley rancher Jean-Franciois Herard, who settled in the area in 1876.  
Medano Creek is flowing
GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE — Medano Creek in the national park will be a favorite local destination for many San Luis Valley residents and tourists this summer.  On a recent visit, the creek was running about 20 feet wide and very shallow, at only an inch or two.
Monte Vista Police Department promoted Robert Pino and Anthony Chacon to the rank of sergeant during a city council meeting on May 1. 
MVPD promotes two officers, honors citizen
MONTE VISTA – Monte Vista Police Department Interim Chief Tyler Harford promoted Robert Pino and Anthony Chacon to sergeant during Thursday’s, May 1, city council meeting
Rio Grande Hospital honored for overall performance by Colorado Rural Health Center
DEL NORTE – Rio Grande Hospital recently announced the facility has been recognized by the Colorado Rural Health Center as a Top 5 Rural Hospital for Overall Performance. Presented during the Colorado Rural Healthcare Conference, this new award honors performance excellence among the state’s Critical Access Hospitals.  
Opinion
Montanan Tracy Stone-Manning, former director of the Bureau of Land Management and now director of The Wilderness Society, writes with passion about our heritage of public lands. Yet selling parts of that heritage is the goal of the current administration, whose budget bill will be under consideration starting this week. Stone-Manning warns that once public lands turn into private profit centers for energy extraction or housing, wildlife will suffer, and all of us who love the still-wild outdoors will begin to lose what makes America unique in the world.
Classifieds

Classifieds week of April 30, 2025

01 Tickets    02 Card of Thanks   03 Memorials   04 Lost & Found   05 Notices   Rio Grande County is soliciting bids from qualified …

Sports

Three SLV girls golfers advance to state

ALAMOSA – Three girls golfers from the San Luis Valley have advanced to the Class 2A State Tournament after qualifying at the Class 2A Region 1 Tournament Monday at Hollydot Golf Course in …
More sports
ALAMOSA – The 2025 season came to an end for the eighth-ranked Alamosa High School girls soccer team as it lost to Holy Family, 1-0, in the first round of the Class 3A State Tournament Thursday …
ALAMOSA – Two Alamosa High School student athletes signed national letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic careers on Wednesday. Shea Jordan signed to play softball at …
ALAMOSA – Both the Alamosa and Monte Vista high school girls golf teams were in action over the last few days. Pueblo County Invitational Monte Vista finished in fifth place at the …
Obituaries
Monroe Glen Mathias
Retired Brigadier General Monroe Glen Mathias, a pilot with Continental Airlines for forty years, died in his Denver home from complications of Parkinson’s disease on April 3, 2025, just shy of his 97th birthday. He is survived by his wife of 67 years Ruth Hudson Mathias, two daughters, three grandsons and numerous nieces and nephews. 
Robert ‘Cory’ Off
On Friday, April 25, Robert "Cory" Off passed away at the age of 69. Surrounded by his beloved family, he passed peacefully at his home in Del Norte, Colo. 
Steve White
Steve White was born Jan. 15, 1944, in Ohio City, Colo., to Frank and Mary White. Steve graduated from Center High School in Center, Colo., in 1963 where he was active in sports and was a State Wrestling Champion. 
Sallie June Varner-Bryning-Hibbs
She died in her home with her husband by her side.  Preceded by her mother and father Warren and Judy Varner, brother Roy Varner and mother-in-law Katherine Hibbs.  She first married in Monte Vista to Gerald Bryning. They raised 4 children.  She remarried Tom Hibbs in La Junta in 1971, and they added one more child to the family.  
Bob Phillips
Bob Phillips, 70, of Clinton, Tenn., peacefully passed away on April 19, 2025, after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was born on Aug. 24, 1954, to Shirley and Robert Phillips. 
Feature stories from around the web

New study: Americans rate their financial happiness a 4.9 of out 10

(BPT) - On America's financial scorecard, people rate their happiness with their overall personal finances a 4.97 out of 10 — and scores need improvement across the board, as the majority (91%) …

Cooking Up Comfort with Ease and Convenience

(Culinary.net) Checking all the boxes with family meals - convenience, nutrition and, of course, deliciousness - can be a tall task.

Health Hack: How Travel Can Transform Your Physical and Mental Well-Being

(BPT) - Getting older is a gift, one that can bring joy, wisdom and the opportunity to enjoy life's next chapter. While it can naturally also be associated with health challenges, new research has …