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Troubled by the possibility of a new national monument along the Lower Dolores River, county commissioners for both Montezuma and Dolores counties met Tuesday and voiced support for creating a National Conservation Area instead.

Fewer than 800 ballots for municipal elections in Montezuma County had been returned as of Thursday morning, and schools in Cortez were put on “secure” status briefly Thursday morning after a report of shots fired near Por Dia Preschool on South Oak Street.

Agriculture in Indian Country generated almost $6.5 billion in 2022, avian influenza has led to infections and depopulation of more than 115 million chickens and turkeys, the collapse of the Baltimore Key Bridge and shut down the Port of Baltimore impacts farm machinery and agricultural exports, low water levels in the Mississippi River continue to affect agricultural transport, and U.S. farm income is falling as low commodity prices, trade headwinds, and higher costs squeeze profits.

A bill that would implement a fee on alcohol manufacturers and wholesalers in Colorado prompted a lengthy discussion among Montezuma County commissioners and health officials Tuesday.

20 years after the murder of a Native American man on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation, the FBI says it’s offering a new $10,000 reward for any information about the crime. On January 31, 2004, a Towaoc resident named Avery Whiteskunk went missing and was later found dead near County Road G. An FBI bulletin released on Monday said anyone with information about the individual responsible should contact its Denver field office. Whiteskunk is one of 27 cold case homicides involving tribal citizens in Colorado, according to statistics from a newly-created state office. And the Rico Board of Trustees is considering pursuing dark sky certification for the town. At a trustee meeting earlier this month, a representative from Dark Sky Colorado said that the certification could preserve Rico residents’ views of the starry night sky by changing the land-use code or ordinance that regulates lighting in the town, according to the Ore Cart.

The USDA releases the 2022 Ag Census, revealing that since 2017 the U.S. lost nearly 142,000 farms and more than 20.1 million acres of productive farmland, that just over 26,000 farms account for 50% of all sales for all products, and an overall continued rise in the average age of farmers.

Problems with Dicamba herbicide leaves farmers caught in the middle, a new Farm Bill continues to languish in Congress, and a Livestock Workshop Series will offer local producers educational opportunities.

Voters in Montezuma County may have the opportunity in November to decide whether to adopt what’s being called a “public-safety sales tax.”

Cattle prices reach a record high, falling water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer create uncertainty for farmers and municipalities, and a strong El Nino weather pattern has kept winter temperatures warmer this year.

Wildfires in the panhandle of Texas and south central Oklahoma could impact beef supply, more concerns about getting a new Farm Bill passed in Congress, the EPA announces a new Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,and cases of canine respiratory disease in Colorado have dropped significantly.