I find myself asking that question after Gov. Jared Polis issued a mandatory mask mandate for the State of Colorado. While it appears it increased the use of masks in our area, it also appears that it's starting to relax. Walmart issued its own mask mandate and it was big news when that happ…
The biggest upset in this past week's primary has to be Rifle's Lauren Boebert's defeat of four-term incumbent Rep. Scott Tipton. It may be an upset to the rest of the world but listening to Boebert, one can feel she’s had the confidence of a winner all along. Boebert has been compared to Sa…
It seems when those on city councils and town trustee boards see dollar signs in their eyes they sometimes become blind to the harm it will bring to a community and fail to consider the consequences. Thinking it will be a cash cow and the next great idea, trustees in the Town of Cedaredge wa…
I spent a good portion of my childhood in Augusta, Georgia. Dad was career army in the communication field and was mostly based at Fort Gordon. My parents owned a home less than three miles from Augusta International Speedway. As a family we loved racing. The track opened in 1960 and closed …
By Dennis Anderson
Senate Bill 217 has reached Gov. Jared Polis' desk and all indications are that he will sign it. The depth of changes in this bill is unprecedented. Among the changes that are set to be enacted starting on Sept. 1, 2020 is that officers are not to use deadly force to apprehend a person who i…
The numbers are in, and they are good! At the conclusion of our open enrollment period for 2020 coverage, 166,850 Coloradans signed up for a private health insurance plan through Connect for Health Colorado, our state’s non-profit health insurance marketplace. Seventy-four percent of those c…
Until the pandemic restricted coal mining to those 60 or younger in Gunnison County in Western Colorado, Gary Brezonick wasn’t thinking about retirement. He’d worked as a coal miner for 49 years, and going underground at the West Elk Coal Mine near the town of Paonia suited him just fine.
By Dennis Anderson
By Dennis Anderson
The temperature from COVID-19 is rising. I’m not talking about someone with the actual disease. The political climate is at a fever pitch.
By Patti Cumberland
By: U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO)
By Dennis Anderson
While I understand the frustration of those who are ready to get the economy started. I don't agree with Delta County Commissioner Don Suppes' no vote on the extension of the local disaster emergency declaration until May 31.
By Dennis Anderson
By Robert Thorn
I read a meme on social media the other day. A man was on a job interview. The interviewers asked, “Can you perform under pressure?” The interviewee answered, “No but I can try Bohemian Rhapsody.” If you’re a fan of the iconic band Queen, you’ll get it.
By Heidi Marlin, M.D.
Ty Gallenbeck performed for the City of Delta and the surrounding area his brand of magic on Friday evening. Ty has been performing magic for some 15 years. About 11 years ago Ty and I coached a 15 and younger boys Babe Ruth All-Star team. The championship tournament was held that year in By…
By U.S. Senator Michael Bennet
On April 8, a Colorado Mesa University student passed away from COVID-19 complications. He was a club baseball player and only 21 years old.
Staff Writer
My wife, Melissa, had to make a trip to Walmart this past weekend to pick up a prescription. Walmart nationally has made the decision to not let more than five people enter the store per 1,000 square feet. Orange traffic cones and caution tape leads customers into a door on one side of the b…
By Terry O’Brien
Every heartbeat is precious. Each beat encompasses a fleeting moment of unrelenting life and beauty, so delicate and natural that they may pass us by without a moment’s notice. They drift away unseen.
By Dennis Anderson
Concerned citizens from Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, South Carolina and other states recently met in Denver to provide public comment on proposed revisions to federal environmental policy governing use of public lands.
Last week I received the presidential primary ballots in the mail. Since I am unaffiliated, I received a ballot for both parties’ primaries but am allowed to vote in only one. While the Republican primary is a foregone conclusion, a name other than Donald J. Trump caught my eye.
By Bill Brunner
By Monica Garcia
By Bonnie Brown
One of the basic rules of journalism is to speak to people on both sides of the issue. On Jan. 1, the DCI published an article regarding the citizens group in support of the Paonia water moratorium. The article appeared in the last publication prior to the deadline for returning ballots. The…
At the Colorado River District, we are working to ensure that whatever the future holds, there’s water on the West Slope to support our way of life. Whether you grow food, rely on clean water from your kitchen tap, or recreate on our rivers, the river district is working to develop every too…
While Open Enrollment has ended for most of the country, there is good news for Coloradans who purchase their own health insurance. Open Enrollment in our state continues through Jan. 15. We are a nonprofit Marketplace, available only to Coloradans, which means we have a bit more flexibility…
If you believe some politicians and media pundits, the way we produce energy in the United States is extremely controversial.
On Oct. 30, 2019, right before the election, John Caven’s letter to the editor asked Delta County voters to say “No” on Ballot Measure 7A. 7A failed on Nov. 5, and we can only speculate whether Caven’s letter had an impact on the outcome. Regardless, the voters of Delta County deserve the ch…
Just prior to Thanksgiving, Nancy Hoganson Hannah, Director of Community Relations for HopeWest-Montrose, sent us a note of gratitude for our continued support for their organization. Their mission is to provide the best hospice and palliative care in our region. Their care is not limited to…
When Colorado recently passed landmark legislation that radically changed who gets to regulate oil and gas drilling in the state, environmentalists cheered because it flipped the old model of fostering oil and gas development for one that put the interests of public health, safety and the en…
Having read several news clips and articles in newspapers, the emotional support to introduce wolves to Colorado is apparent.
Whoa, talk about No. 2 in your mess kit.
Two months after I graduated from Delta High School in 1981, tragedy struck.
I wanted to personally thank Dennis Anderson for drawing attention to my recent article that detailed the questionable conduct of Delta Mayor Ron Austin. That said, I wish to address a few points raised by Anderson.
There is a former John Deere engineer in Iowa, who now farms some corn and he thinks he has discovered that he can grow corn on half the ground and get the same yield. And, he is not a flat earther or a tree hugger. He’s a real honest to God corn farmer. His name is Bob Recker, and he likes …
I served in the Army from 1981-’84. Not much was happening as far as military engagement. Yes, there was the Cold War, but as far as action, times were slow.
Columnist’s note: Welcome to Taste of Home recipe test, every week I pick the recipe to be featured in the paper, and give it a try. To note, my cooking level should be considered average and is matched with a style that could only be described as unabashed with little to no reservations.
Recent Legislation helps lower full price premiums by 30% in the individual market. You have no doubt caught some of the great healthcare news this summer regarding a significant drop in full price cost of premiums in the individual market across the state for 2020. The Western Slope will se…
What is “Back The Badge?” Plain and simple it’s about keeping us safe and protected.
I am a passionate supporter of Delta County Libraries. My family attends storytime at the library in Delta each week and my twin boys are active in the summer reading program.
Numbers don’t lie.
Columnist’s note: Welcome to Taste of Home recipe test, every week I pick the recipe to be featured in the paper, and give it a try. To note, my cooking level should be considered average and is matched with a style that could only be described as unabashed with little to no reservations.
As we head into the final stretch for this year’s election, it looks as though some tax initiatives are closer than others to passing. I, or the DCI, won’t come out and tell how you should vote in elections. Part of the opportunity or privilege to vote is for you to do your own research and …
Recently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected an application for Tri-State for regulation. Tri-State has another chance at applying, but in the meantime, it’s very good news for Colorado electricity co-ops that want to get out of their contracts with Tri-State. The Colorado Pub…
In her most recent Delta County Independent guest column, JoAnn Kalenak indicates that she is no fan of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). She writes, “I agree that TABOR should be repealed — a statewide ballot question for 2019 — because I believe, for most governments in Colorado, the …
Columnist’s note: Welcome to Taste of Home recipe test, every week I pick the recipe to be featured in the paper, and give it a try. To note, my cooking level should be considered average and is matched with a style that could only be described as unabashed with little to no reservations.
“So it is that we can seldom help anybody. Either we don’t know what part to give or maybe we don’t like to give any part of ourselves. Then, more often than not, the part that is needed is not wanted. And even more often, we do not have the part that is needed.”—Norman Maclean, A River Runs…
Columnist’s note: Welcome to Taste of Home recipe test, every week I pick the recipe to be featured in the paper, and give it a try. To note, my cooking level should be considered average and is matched with a style that could only be described as unabashed with little to no reservations.
By Scott Schaible
I attended the Sept. 3 meeting of the Delta County Board of Commissioners to participate in the discussion regarding regulations for oil and gas in our county. Because our state passed Senate Bill 181, communities have been given the opportunity to establish their own regulations for this in…
Nothing creates controversy like oil and gas exploration. Capitalists vs environmentalists, Left vs Right — label it as you wish, but it’s emotional, no doubt.
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