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KSJD Newscast - January 5th, 2016

  • The new Montezuma-Cortez High School building has been awarded LEED Gold certification.
  • The Montezuma County Commission once again rejects the sale of alcohol to the public at the Four States Ag Expo.

*Correction: The new Montezuma-Cortez High School building is not the only building in Montezuma County to be awarded LEED gold certification. The Mancos Public Library has also been certified as a LEED gold building.

The new Montezuma-Cortez High School has become the only building in the county to be awarded LEED gold certification, the second-highest of four levels of certification. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and the ratings are given by the U.S. Green Building Council to buildings with  improved environmental and human health performance. According to a release from the Re-1 district, the school is expected to save 36 percent on typical energy costs based on its efficient building envelope and building materials, a ground-sourced exchange system for heating and cooling, a 45-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array and low-water-use plumbing.

The Montezuma County commissioners have once again rejected the idea of sales of alcohol to the public during the Four States Ag Expo, scheduled March 17 through 19th. However, on Monday they gave the go-ahead for sales during the vendor appreciation dinner after-hours. Representatives of the Ag Expo asked again to be allowed to sell alcohol during the ranch rodeo, a rodeo of local cowboys, but the commissioners reiterated their previous opposition to the idea. Keenan Ertel said he is not convinced “that you have to sell booze to make something successful.” He said the issue can be revisited next year if necessary.

Gail Binkly is a career journalist who has worked for the Colorado Springs Gazette and Cortez Journal, and was the editor of the Four Corners Free Press, based in Cortez.
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