APD makes drug bust

ALAMOSA — The Alamosa Police Department, with assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, executed a search warrant at 513 Brown Ave. on Feb. 6, related to illegal drug activity

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”. 

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. 

Alamosa Riverfront Project designs are ready

ALAMOSA —The Alamosa Riverfront Project team, in collaboration with the community, has been diligently working since last February on plans to enhance recreation opportunities along the Rio Grande in Alamosa and improve river health and downstream agricultural infrastructure. 
Classifieds

Classifieds: Friday, February 14, 2025

221 HELP WANTED IT COMPUTER/TECHNICIAN: (full-time) Monday-Friday 8 am to 5 pm. Services local area and wide area network equipment, including servers, virtual servers, workstations and printer. …
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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. 
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. 
THE VALLEY — The San Luis Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited (SLVTU) is making waves with a year full of exciting updates, achievements, and initiatives aimed at fostering a love for conservation, education, and our valley's waterways. From new logos to student programs, scholarships, and well-deserved state recognition, SLVTU is truly “Cultivating Conservation” in every sense. 
Read more.
Obituaries
Helen Marie Sanchez
Helen Marie Sanchez, a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Jan. 28, 2025, at the age of 89. 
Jon 'Harold' Garrison
Jon "Harold" Garrison, a cherished husband, father, brother, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on Feb. 5, 2025, in Alamosa, Colo., at the age of 71. Born on Oct. 20, 1953, in Fort Collins, …
Timothy Phil Garcia
Timothy Phil Garcia, a cherished son, brother, uncle, and talented tradesman, passed away peacefully on Feb. 2, 2025, at the age of 54. Born on Feb. 11, 1970, in Del Norte, Colo., Timothy was deeply loved and proud to be a part of his close-knit family, the son of Feliberto and Sedelia Garcia.  
Ernest J. Martinez
Ernest J. Martinez, or “Ernie” as most knew him, was born March 28, 1948 in Alamosa, Colorado and died on February 4, 2025.  He was proceeded in death by his parents, Mike and Rebecca Martinez and his siblings, Eileen Gallegos and Tino.   
Delfino Anthony Armenta
Delfino Anthony Armenta, 58, was born in Alamosa, Colo., on Aug. 6, 1966.  He was born to Delfino E. Armenta and Mary Evelyn Tapia.  
Community
Artists at the Paint Date held at the Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center on Feb. 8, display their artwork.
Fort Garland Museum celebrates Paint Date
FORT GARLAND — Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center expressed thanks to Taylor Bradley Hubbard for a successful Paint Date on Feb. 8.  
Cover of ‘Somos Agua,’ written by Belinda Garcia under her pen name Manuko G. Garcia, taken in homage to her late son. Graphic design by Michelle Otanez. Garcia will be doing a book reading at the Narrow Gauge on Feb. 21.  
‘Somos Agua’, how water connects us all
ALAMOSA — There’s a new book on the shelves at Narrow Gauge Book Co-operative titled “Somos Agua” written by local author Belinda Garcia. The title of the book is simple. The images on the cover are vibrant and alive. And both are actually promises of what’s found inside the book which, simply put, is powerful and profound.  
Beth Robinson, Director of Choral Activities at Adams State University spoke to the audience at the Top of the Nation concert at Sacred Heart Church in Alamosa in February 2024.  
High School Mixed Choir Festival returns to Alamosa Feb. 20-22
ALAMOSA — The Adams State University “High School Mixed Choir Festival,” a prestigious event, returns on Feb. 20-22. It features some of the finest high school choral musicians in the Southwest, including both an auditioned (symphonic choir) and director-recommended choir (concert choir). 
Sports
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Center High School’s Aaron Valadez (right) locks up with Salida’s Samuel Johnson at the Valley Classic earlier this month. Both wrestlers qualified for the State Tournament.

First round opponents for local state qualfiers

ALAMOSA – The 43 San Luis Valley qualifiers for the state wrestling tournament found out their first-round opponents on Monday. The tournament begins on Thursday afternoon and the end of …

ALAMOSA – The eighth-ranked Alamosa High School girls basketball team had little trouble with Bayfield on Friday as it won by a score of 59-16 at the AHS gym. Jaelin Garcia gave the Lady …
ALAMOSA – The Alamosa High School boys basketball team was looking to end a long losing streak when it hosted Bayfield Friday at the AHS gym. The Mean Moose came close to defeating the …
BOYS BASKETBALL CLASS 4A/3A INTERMOUNTAIN LEAGUE League Overall Team W-L W-L Centauri 8-0 18-0 Montezuma-Cortez 6-2 14-5 Bayfield 5-3 11-7 Pagosa Springs 4-4 6-12 …
Opinion
Pensamientos
The older I get, the more I find myself reflecting on why I often say, “I’m here to die.”  It's more than family roots in this area going back to a time before the United States showed up.   More than anything, I think. It's because I see people who want to be good citizens here. 
Hiker near Hite, Utah.
Beware the Trojan Horse targeting public land
The folks who ideologically oppose public land are exploiting the housing crisis to argue that a fix for America’s housing problem is to sell off the public estate, writes Ben Long. There may be a screaming need for more housing, says Long, but targeting public lands isn't the answer: We need public lands for flood control, wildlife, hunting and recreation, and most of the acreage is also in the wrong place to build housing.
Diversity makes America great
In 1979, Luis Valdez’ Zoot Suit became the first play written and directed by a Chicano theatre artist to appear in a Broadway theatre. From its beginnings in 1735 to the late 1970s, were there no other Hispanic works worthy to be presented on the boards of Broadway? Or, does this example demonstrate the reality that if you are not part of the majority group, often times, your values, beliefs, culture, art, and history are viewed as unimportant, inferior, and worthy of being ignored? 
From beyond, a vulture's eye message 
It's one of those serendipitous moments or one of those "down from the mountain with the tablets, "moments, one of those "don't fool with mother nature," moments, or even one of those, "I was sleeping out in the desert for 40 winks," moments. 
Alamosa High School graduation rate exceeds state average
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has released the latest graduation rate data, revealing positive trends for Alamosa High School.  The school's graduation rate has risen from 83.2% to 86.9%, surpassing the statewide average of 84.2%. Concurrently, the district's dropout rate has significantly decreased from 2.4% to 1.2%. 
Features
Mollie Hostetter as Holly Wonderland in ‘Christmastown: A Holiday Noir’ on stage at SLV Federal Bank Main Stage Theatre on the ASU Campus.  

A hilarious play not to be missed

In the midst of sentimental Hallmark Christmas movies and those beloved holiday classics that come around every year, “Christmastime: A Holiday Noir” is a delightful and unexpected surprise, especially for those seeking a different story but one still focused on Christmas.  
The Candlelight Service will be at the Calvary Blanca Church, 607 Broadway, Blanca, on Dec. 15 at 1:30 p.m.  

Christmas music in candlelight 

BLANCA — The Calvary Blanca Church, 607 Broadway, Blanca, will host a unique and free Candlelight Service at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 15. 

Colorado Music Hall of Fame creates Colorado music survey

DENVER — Colorado Music Hall of Fame (The Hall) invites residents, visitors and music and tourism stakeholders to share their vision for Colorado’s music scene through a newly launched survey. 
Feature stories from around the web
A forecaster monitors incoming data for Hurricane Irma in 2017 at the National Hurricane Center, part of the NOAA.
NOAA’s vast public weather data powers the local forecasts on your phone and TV – a private company alone couldn’t match it
NOAA operates fleets of satellites, sensors on airplanes and ocean-going buoys, as well as radar, providing the data used by weather forecasters nationwide – and freely available to anyone.
What are the most distinctive baby names by state?
Spokeo used data from the Social Security Administration to find the most unique baby names in every state across the country as of 2023.
The best spring break destinations for both kids and their parents
(BPT) - Spring break takes on a whole new meaning when you become a parent. But that doesn't mean adults have to sacrifice all the fun for their kids.Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, home to …
Start the Day by Sharing a Heartwarming Breakfast
(Family Features) Whether your brunch favorites include Bananas Foster French Toast or Peanut Butter and Apple, enjoying a meal together is a heartwarming way to start the day.
Lamar's Super Bowl appearance marks a political reckoning for the NFL.
Kendrick Lamar’s big Super Bowl moment
The rapper has mastered the delicate balance between commercial success and politically charged music. How far will he push the envelope on one of the world’s biggest stages?