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Stephen Nicholson, keynote speaker at the Southern Rocky Mountain Agricultural Conference in Monte Vista, on Feb. 5 spoke frankly about challenges and opportunities in agriculture.  

Supply, demand and the elephant in the room

MONTE VISTA — When Stephen Nicholson opened his keynote speech “Our Challenges and Opportunities: There is Much to Consider” at the Southern Rocky Mountain Agricultural Conference on Wednesday, he began with the challenges facing the San Luis Valley. He didn’t pull any punches. But no one in the room was caught by surprise, either. 
Community

Sand dunes beckon winter visitors

GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK and PRESERVE — In early February, visitors to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve enjoyed a warm reprieve from winter weather, with daytime highs of about 58 degrees — 20 degrees above the average daily high. This warm spell is expected to last through Sunday, making weekend visits a walk in the park. 

EV charging is now available in Costilla County

The Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center has installed the first public EV Charging Station in Costilla County.

Waner of First Southwest Bank named 2025 Bankers of Distinction Award recipient

DENVER – The Colorado Bankers Association (CBA) recently announced Sherry Waner, Chief Development Officer at First Southwest Bank, as a recipient of the 2025 Bankers of Distinction Award. This esteemed recognition honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to their organizations and communities. 

DNCA Valentine’s Day dinner and dance

DEL NORTE – The Del Norte Christian Association (DNCA) is hosting a delightful and delicious evening of Italian cuisine, dancing and fun for all ages on Friday, Feb. 14, at the DNCA Hall at 645 Pine St., Del Norte. 
Adams State University Professor Emeritus Richard Goddard will present an informative lecture on Fort Massachussets, an early fort in the area, on Feb. 7 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the San Luis Valley Museum in Alamosa.

SLV Museum hosting artist reception; talk on Fort Massachusetts on Feb. 7

ALAMOSA – The San Luis Valley Museum in conjunction with Visit Alamosa First Fridays will have a reception for its Artist of the Month, Casey McCoy, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the museum. Light refreshments will be served.

Valentines for Veterans request for cards

This year will be the 36th anniversary of the “Valentines for Vets” Program. This tradition began in 1989 with syndicated columnist Ann Landers suggesting valentine cards be sent to Veterans in Veteran Medical Clinics nationwide.   
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128 GE Signa Artist Evo 1.5T MRI. An extraordinary addition to imaging services offered by SLV Health, all made possible via generous donations made by ‘lots of local people’ through SLV Health Foundation and its fundraisers.  
SLV Health announces new state-of-the-art MRI
ALAMOSA — In continuation of its ongoing commitment to providing high quality health care, SLV Health recently unveiled its new 128 GE Signa Artist Evo 1.5T MRI, which they describe as “highly beneficial for SLV Health and our patients”. 
Now in the competition’s second year, results were announced in the rivalry between city staff and city council to see who participated the most in last week’s Rio Frio events. The 2025 winner was city staff. Pictured in the front: Mayor Ty Coleman (left) presents APD Chief Dingfelder with the MVP award for the competition. Back row left to right: Councilor Jackie Vigil, Council Jan Vigil, Director of Parks and Recreation Andy Rice, Councilor Liz Hensley, City Attorney Erich Schwiesow, City Manager Heather Brooks, Councilor Dawn Krebs, Director of Public Works Harry Reynolds, Alamosa City Clerk Holly Martinez, Council Jamie Dominguez, Director of IT Brandon Gallegos and Director of Development Services Rachel James.  
City council approves creation of regional SWAT team
ALAMOSA — Alamosa City Council had a somewhat shorter than usual meeting on Wednesday night as the agenda was largely devoted to wrapping up issues from previous meetings before taking on anything new. 
Hearing for Trustee McClure postponed to Feb. 26
CENTER – A hearing that was scheduled for Feb. 4, has been postponed to Feb. 26 due to Center Town Trustee Bill McClure asking for and receiving an extension. 
Rep. Matt Martinez
House passes bill to strengthen local fence construction laws
DENVER — The Colorado House passed legislation on Thursday to strengthen local fence construction laws in the San Luis Valley. HB25-1023 passed by a vote of 45-19.  
A health care professional uses a bladder scanner on a patient. Thanks to funding from the SLV Health Foundation, the OB Department at SLV Health’s Labor and Delivery Center has a new bladder scanner, a crucial tool in helping to diagnose and treat urinary retention and postpartum urinary issues. 
SLV Health Foundation funds bladder scanner to enhance women’s care 
ALAMOSA — The SLV Health Foundation has funded a new bladder scanner for the OB department in San Luis Valley Health’s Labor and Delivery Women’s Center, further enhancing patient care and efficiency. This essential piece of equipment, valued at approximately $10,000, was provided in December 2024 and is already improving services for women’s health. The funding for this scanner was made possible through a generous donation from the Premier Music Academy, led by Ms. Sandie Wehe, whose support continues to advance healthcare initiatives in the community. 
Sports
Monte Vista High School’s Angeleigha Mora (23) looks to make a move to the basket while Alamosa’s Audrina Knorr (10) plays defense in Tuesday’s game at the AHS gym. The Lady Mean Moose defeated the Lady Pirates 42-22.
Alamosa girls winning streak at three games
ALAMOSA – The seventh-ranked Alamosa High School girls basketball team pushed its current winning streak to three games as it defeated Monte Vista 42-22 Tuesday at the AHS gym. Jaelin …
Alamosa High School’s Brennan Maez (with ball) looks to put up a shot as Alex Marquez (left) and Darrian Archuleta play defense Tuesday at the AHS gym. The Pirates defeated the Mean Moose 59-44.
Monte Vista boys sink Alamosa, 59-44
ALAMOSA – The Monte Vista High School boys basketball team snapped a two-game losing streak on Tuesday as it defeated Alamosa 59-44 at the AHS gym. The Pirates got off to a hot start by …
The Sargent High School girls swimming team will compete at the Class 3A state meet on Monday and Tuesday in Thornton. Back row, from left, Rachel Polkowske, Emma Sewell, KayLee Gonzales-Moore, Isabella Anderson and Kyra Griffin. Front row, from left, Jade Canales and Alycia Chavez-Martinez.
Seven Sargent swimmers headed to state meet
ALAMOSA – The Sargent High School girls swimming team will send seven athletes to the Class 3A State Meet which takes place at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton on Monday and …
Opinion
Long-time readers know that I'm building a house using mostly my own hands with long-suffering help from Miss Trixie. For the first time in my life, though, I hired someone else to do things like spray foam and roofing. This is highly unusual for Ol’ Dutch and his family as we always taken pride in doing it ourselves when it came to anything, except nuclear bombs. 
Obituaries
Obituaries
Charlene Elizabeth Ameel
Charlene Elizabeth Ameel, 78, beloved and deep-rooted member of the Creede community, passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 28, 2025. Her multi-faceted involvement and love have been vital to Creede’s ultimate well-being and have stretched across generations. Her passing leaves a void that will be hard to fill. 
Kirk Rhoton Thompson 
Kirk Rhoton Thompson, 78, of South Fork, Colo., passed away peacefully on Jan. 21, 2025, in Highland Village, Texas. Kirk was born in Arizona on April 1, 1946, to June Rhoton Thompson and JW (Dub) Thompson.  
Mary Louise ‘Mary Lou’ Bassett
Mary Louise "Mary Lou" Bassett, age 84, passed away peacefully on Nov. 17, 2024, at home in Cibolo, Texas, surrounded by her family. 
Mary Patricia Karr
Mary Patricia Karr, 76, of Creede, Colo., passed away in peace on Dec. 16, 2024.  Mary was born April 27, 1948, in Milwaukee, Wis., the daughter of John E. Crowley, Sr. and Delores "Pat" Patricia Conley. 
Robin Medina
Robin Medina passed away Dec. 14, 2024, at the age of 58, at Parkview Medical Center, in Pueblo, Colo. 
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