Bennet announces run for Colorado governor

DENVER — On April 11, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced his campaign for Colorado governor in Denver’s City Park, surrounded by his family and supporters.  

Alamosa County receives grants for trees

ALAMOSA COUNTY — The Colorado Tree Coalition recently awarded Alamosa County a $5,555 grant for the purchase of trees to be installed at Sunset Park. An additional grant of $5,000 was awarded through the Department of Local Affairs and San Luis Valley COG’s Mini-Grant program towards this project.   

Alamosa County denies Korsail Energy application 

ALAMOSA — Korsail Energy’s proposed 900-acre solar energy site – Cornflower Solar – again had its 1041 application denied by the Alamosa County Commissioners during a public hearing on Wednesday, April 9, a decision that will directly impact the local community. 

Study highlights the importance of the Rio

SAN LUIS VALLEY — American Rivers, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, and One Water ECON, a strategic planning and economics consulting firm, have collaborated and published “The Economic Value of Water Resources in Colorado's San Luis Valley,” a 29-page study analyzing the river's importance to the region. 
Classifieds

Classifieds: Saturday, April 12, 2025

173 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES RETIRED NURSE SEEKS EMPLOYMENT as COMPANION CAREGIVER. Cooking, shopping, meds, transport, light housekeeping. Catherine Alelyunas, 719-588-9816. Caring with heart. …
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Dry farmland.  
Hotter + drier = evaporative demand
ALAMOSA — “For the April, May, June seasonal outlook in Colorado, we have pretty high confidence that it’s going to be warmer and drier,” said Russ Schumacher, Colorado State Climatologist in a recent presentation to water users in the San Luis Valley. 
Republican Congressman Jeff Hurd
Hurd co-sponsors bill to reinstate Congress’ control of tariffs
WASHINGTON – Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO-03), along with Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), and Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05) introduced bipartisan legislation to return Congress’ constitutionally authorized role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy. H.R.2665, The Trade Review Act of 2025, requires that unilateral tariffs proposed by the executive branch receive congressional authority.  
Hands Off! was a nationwide protest organized by a coalition of 150 grassroots groups in protest against actions taken by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Protesters gather in Alamosa
An estimated 150 protesters braved drizzling snow and temperatures in about 32 degrees on Saturday to stand on the corners of State Avenue and Main Street in Alamosa as part of the nationwide “Hands Off!” protest against actions taken by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. An estimated 150 protesters braved drizzling snow and temperatures of about 32 degrees on Saturday as part of "Hands Off!", a nationwide protest against actions taken by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. More than 1200 protests were held across all 50 states in the country.
COLORADO SPRINGS — El Pomar Trustees approved $50,000 allocated to four nonprofit organizations in the San Luis Valley region at the Foundation’s February Trustees meeting. Through the Foundation’s grant making process, the following organizations were awarded grants:  
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Obituaries
Rodger Jehlicka
Rodger Jehlicka passed away early Thursday morning on April 3, 2025, with his wife Liz beside him.  Born on Sept. 17, 1947, in St. Cloud, Minn., Rodger lived a memorable and impactful life, carving a legacy of admiration and commendation, touching the lives of many along the way. 
Candidita ‘Candy’ L. Mondragon
Lifelong San Luis resident Candidita "Candy" L. Mondragon, 73, passed away on Saturday, March 29, 2025, under hospice care at St. Francis Medical surrounded by her loving family. 
Joyce Kay McFarland
Joyce Kay McFarland, a beacon of love and selflessness, graced this world with her presence on March 31, 1950, in the quaint town of Saguache, Colorado. Her journey on earth came to a peaceful close on March 23, 2025, in Alamosa, Colorado, surrounded by the love of her family and the beauty of the land she cherished. 
Mary Ann Tafoya
Mary Ann Tafoya, 77, passed away peacefully on April 2, 2025, at River Valley Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, Del Norte, Colo. She was born Feb. 16, 1948, in Del Norte, Colo., to Arturo and Eva (Arellano) Vigil, and was lovingly raised by her grandmother Marina Vigil and uncle Cristobal Vigil. 
Theresa Rael
Alamosa resident Theresa Rael, 52, was called home to be with the Lord on Jan. 22, 2025. Making her grand entrance into the world on April 2, 1972, the beloved daughter of Donna Mary Maes. 
Community
Jenene Holcomb with the Sangre de Cristo Preschool.  
Sangre de Cristo Preschool receives high-quality childcare rating from Colorado
MOSCA-HOOPER – Sangre de Cristo Preschool announced recently that it has been rated by Colorado Shines, the state's quality rating and improvement system for early care and learning programs. Sangre de Cristo Preschool received a Level 5 rating, a testament to its commitment to providing a high-quality learning environment that supports the development of Mosca and Hooper's children.
Spring in the Valley 
Virgil Houle took this photo of white pelicans at Blanca Vista Park on Tuesday, April 8. Houle used his Canon T7 Rebel 2000 with a 300-millimeter lens to capture these magnificent birds.  
Alamosa High School will be a part of the 2025 High School Welding Initiative sponsored by Airgas.  
High School Welding Education Initiative at Alamosa High
ALAMOSA — Airgas, a supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases is proud to announce that 72 schools including Alamosa High School, will participate in the High School Welding Education Initiative for the 2025 academic year. Building on its mission since 2018 to support underserved high school welding programs and bridge the skilled trades gap, the initiative is set to reach even more students and communities across the United States. 
Sports
More Sports
Alamosa High School’s Araceli Molina scores the first goal of the game against Pagosa Springs on Friday. The Lady Mean Moose defeated the Lady Pirates 4-0.

Lady Mean Moose win home opener

ALAMOSA – The third-ranked Alamosa High School girls soccer team played at home for the first time this season on Friday as it hosted Pagosa Springs. It was a good home opener for the Lady …

MONTE VISTA – The Alamosa High School recorded another win over a ranked opponent on Tuesday as it scored a 7-1 win over Monte Vista, ranked fourth in Class 2A, at Adrian M. Gutierrez Memorial …
DEL NORTE – The Del Norte High School girls soccer team got another impressive win on Thursday as it defeated Trinidad, 5-1, at Tiger Field. “It was a super impressive win and …
ALAMOSA – The Alamosa High School girls golf team resumed its season on Wednesday with a fifth-place finish at the Pueblo Centennial Invitational at Walking Stick Golf Course. The Lady …
Opinion
Alamosa mayor in Washington DC
Recently while in Washington D.C., I advocated for rural housing and healthcare concerns and engaged in meaningful discussions with our U.S. Senators and Congress members.  
Our national ethos
The word “ethos” has to do with the practices and values of an individual, a group, or a society. An “ethos” is the collective moral nature, guiding beliefs, expressions, and principles by which people choose to live. A national ethos often evolves over a period of generations as people learn from life, understand more, and, hopefully, improve their practice of the values discussed in our educational institutions and, ideally, places of worship...
Alamosa Creates: Show us how 
“I look forward to an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft. I look forward to an America which will steadily raise the standards of artistic accomplishment, and which will steadily enlarge cultural opportunities for all of our citizens.” 
Autocorrect, your shirt stinks!
Some words are just fine when they slap onto the virtual page. But then there are some that are wasted with autocorrect, and it happens when the writer isn't expecting such a thing.  
Government efficiency
What would happen if the current administration was really working to increase government efficiency?
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
There is currently no bird flu vaccine for people.
How bird flu differs from seasonal flu − an infectious disease researcher explains
Avian influenza infections in the US have been rising over the past year, but there’s no evidence so far that people can infect each other with this strain of the virus.
How do hurricanes affect baby names?
Spokeo compared data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Social Security Administration to see how storm names impact baby names.
A Springtime Twist on Classic Chicken Soup
(Family Features) This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup calls to mind those classic brothy soups from when you were a kid but with a flavorful spring twist. Serve with fresh cucumber sandwiches for a veggie-forward meal.
Classic Tales Make Great Easter Gifts For Little Ones
(NAPSI)—This Easter parents, grandparents and friends can hop to it and give kids great books about bunnies, such as these sweet stories.   Ten Little Rabbits by Maurice Sendak This magical …
FIFA's global soccer tournament to take America by storm this summer
(BPT) - Everyone's heard the FIFA World Cup 26™ is coming to Canada, Mexico and the United States in 2026, but this summer, sports fans in 11 cities across the United States will be able to …