Noticias

• Man Dies on Keystone Hill
• Marya Stark Appointed to Telluride Town Council
• Mine at Telluride Airport in Question

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Man Dies on Keystone Hill

A Colorado Springs man was found dead along Highway 145 just west of the Society Turn roundabout Monday evening.

“One of our deputies who was at the overlook at the top of Lawson Hill, on a phone call, got flagged by a motorist, who said, ‘Hey, I think there’s a body over here on the side of the road,’” San Miguel County Sheriff Dan Covault said.

According to the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, the man was identified as 53-year-old Jeremy Hepp. Authorities said Hepp died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“We did our investigation. We shut down the road. What we found out was this was likely a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Covault said. “The gentleman had been reported missing in Colorado Springs, literally just a few minutes prior to us getting the report of him lying on the side of the road.”

Hepp was reported missing after a family member requested a welfare check in Colorado Springs and could not locate him. Covault said the welfare check indicated Hepp had recently lost his job, was experiencing mental health challenges and was potentially suicidal.

“It was a sheer coincidence that while my dispatcher was on the phone telling me about what was going on, Colorado Springs called us wondering why we were running that vehicle plate, and we found out he was a missing person,” Covault said.

Covault said Hepp appeared to have parked his vehicle on the side of the road before getting out and dying by suicide.

“It looks like he was just going to drive until he was out of gas,” Covault said. “His vehicle showed he only have five miles of fuel left. He didn’t have any money or anything with him, that I’m aware of. It looks like he just drove until he was out of gas.”

The case remains under investigation. Crippin Funeral Home will handle services.

Hepp is survived by his brother, Gabriel; his parents, Joe and Debbie; his children, Michael and Katlyn; one grandchild; and his wife, Jennifer.

While sharing condolences with the family, Covault urged anyone who may be struggling to reach out for help.

“I would just encourage people, if they’re not feeling well, and they’re thinking of hurting themselves, we have a lot of assistance available,” Covault said. “If they can find the courage to end their own life, I hope they can find the courage to seek out somebody who could help them.”

Those experiencing mental health challenges or thoughts of suicide can call or text 988 to reach the Colorado Mental Health Line.

Locally, Tri-County Health Network offers mental health services. More information is available at tchnetwork.org or by calling 970-708-7096.

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Marya Stark Appointed to Telluride Town Council

Telluride finally has a full Town Council.

On Tuesday, the six elected councilmembers voted to appoint Marya Stark to serve as the seventh member for a two-year term.

Before the appointment, Telluride Mayor Teddy Errico expressed his appreciation for the ten candidates who applied.

“Thank you all, to our ten applicants for this position. Thank you for being part of the process, sticking your neck out, and, in a very quick process, dropping everything to do so,” Errico said.

Town Council was tasked with filling a vacancy on the board after only three candidates ran for four seats in the November election.

Councilmember Elena Levin said the appointment represented hiring the best person for the job.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the unique opportunity we have to appoint someone, and how that differs from a special election. I’ve been thinking about this process as hiring someone for a job that we need to do – which is running the town. That’s the lens I’ve been looking at all of this through,” Levin said.

While expressing admiration for all applicants, council quickly narrowed the field to Marya Stark and Lee Shea Betten.

For more than an hour, the council waffled, with two members supporting Stark, two supporting Betten, and two split, highlighting the importance of a tie-breaking seventh member on the council.

Levin advocated for Stark.

“I campaigned with Marya and I was impressed with her then. I’ve continued to get to know her better. I think her experience specifically in funding affordable housing, paying for affordable housing, financing, and leadership make her an incredible candidate. I think we’re really lucky to have someone with her qualifications want to do this job with us,” Levin said.

Councilmember Kristen Permakoff supported Betten.

“Right now, our community is in such a precarious balance that our community really needs to come together and heal in a way that the people feel comfortable, and who the people know, and who they’re going to trust. In a lot of the letters I got, it was from a lot of long-time locals who have lived here, and they know Lee Shea. She’s been on Planning & Zoning; she’s been on Ecology. She’s served on these boards and commissions for ten years. In my perspective, that carries a lot of water,” Permakoff said.

Councilmember Meehan Fee said she was torn throughout the discussion.

“One of the things that I’m really grappling with was that there were very different groups of people that support the two candidates. I’m just struggling with what my actual, true priority is for the next two years. Is it that I want to focus on this community healing so we have a robust group of candidates that are running in the next two years? Or do I want to ensure that we have a different group, and a different voice on Council speaking to share a perspective that perhaps people feel that we don’t listen to?” Fee said.

After extensive discussion, the council voted 4-2 to appoint Stark, with Councilmembers Levin, Fee, Ashley Von Spreecken, and Dan Enright in favor, and Permakoff and Errico opposed.

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Mine in Telluride Airport in Question

That’s right, a mine, at the Telluride Regional Airport. On the Southwest corner of the Telluride airport is a small gravel mine, used historically to construct the airport, and to service area gravel needs from roads to construction. Constructed in the mid 1980’s the gravel mine is serviced primarily by a quarry road to the south of the airport. Now, with the ongoing airport construction project, and a planned but never improved tunnel road underneath the airport, and concerns from nearby neighbors, the mine may be shutting its doors soon. 

Nearby Aldasoro homeowners brought forth the issue about truck traffic on the quarry road, and unauthorized traffic from vehicles outside of the airport purview. Comments submitted addressed the impacts of dust, noise, and truck traffic onto Last Dollar road. Kenn Maepa the Director of the Telluride Airport addressed the use of the gravel quarry, 

“The quarry has been a wonderful resource for supplemental revenue. It’s a model for many other airports. As far as non aviation revenues. You try to diversify your revenue, or what have you there is, it’s one of those things that, if logistically or what have you is, it’ll just kind of naturally decrease. The mining, as I’ve already said, has decreased substantially, by at least a third, and the materials are palleted up and what have you. And I think the intention of the operator is to run out the rest of those materials after they finish really mining within three years, and it just gracefully ends, and the remediation is completed 100%”

Parties agreed to improve their use of a chain to shut off use of the quarry road during certain hours. This, as Commissioner Lance Waring addresses, should solve some of the issues, 

“the neighbors have come to some agreement that large trucks for the next five years, 15 per week, are amenable, but that as soon as the road is completed through the tunnel, that light trucks in quarry operations will be going through that tunnel access. And so it seems like we’re going to be minimal traffic, 15 large trucks a week. Is not is within the existing agreement, and that there won’t be any more shenanigans, if you will, with lot ours or additional large construction projects. And I think we can live with that for five years,”

The closure and remediation of the gravel quarry will begin in five years, which should align with the completion of the south side airport expansion project. Commissioners also agreed to more consistent inspections of the mining operations, here’s Commissioner Anne Brown,

“I think in the good old days, it was fine to let things like this slide and to maybe do some mining without a permit. But sadly, these are not the good old days, and there is so much pressure on the east end of the county that we are not letting things slide anymore. And I am really going to make it very clear, I think that we already have to our planning department that these inspections need to take place, and we need to include the neighbors, regardless of any legal issues.”

The ongoing airport expansion project is to create more space for airplane parking and operations and is part of the Telluride Airport Master Plan. More information is available at Tellurideairport.com

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CASSIDY Premieres in Telluride

In 1889, Butch Cassidy teamed up with Matt Warner and Tom McCarty to pull off the Great Telluride Bank Robbery. Now, the men are back in town, taking to the Sheridan Opera House stage for the world premiere of “CASSIDY: The Ballad of Butch and the Invincible Three.”

The new hip-hop/rock musical, written by Sean Mahoney, blends influences ranging from Willie Nelson to the Beastie Boys and tells a story inspired by a pivotal moment in Telluride’s history.

Sixteen local actors portray historical figures and characters, including electrical entrepreneur L.L. Nunn, railroad builder Otto Mears, Telluride Marshal Jim Clark and soiled doves from Popcorn Alley.

Set in Telluride’s Wild West era, “CASSIDY: The Ballad of Butch & the Invincible Three” will run at the Sheridan Opera House from Thursday, Dec. 18, through Tuesday, Dec. 23. All performances begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available at telluridetheatre.org.

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Backcountry Chats Return for Winter

The arrival of winter can be beautiful, but it also brings potential dangers, especially for those recreating in the backcountry.

While backcountry recreation offers adventure and excitement, it can also lead to accidents and tragedy. To help people stay safe this winter, Telluride’s Backcountry Chats are returning for the season.

The talks are designed for both experienced backcountry users and those new to the terrain, as well as interested community members. Presentations focus on snowpack conditions, snow science, safety and other essential topics.

The first chat of the season will focus on the current state of the snowpack.

Backcountry Chats are a collaboration between the Peter Inglis Avalanche Education Fund, the Telluride Mountain Club, Mountain Trip, Telluride Mountain Guides, San Juan Outdoor Adventures and Telluride Helitrax.

The first Backcountry Chat of the season will take place at the Wilkinson Public Library on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6 p.m.

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Fentanyl Penalty Initiative Qualifies for Colorado Ballot

An initiative to increase penalties for possessing and dealing the opioid fentanyl will appear on the Colorado ballot next November.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office announced Tuesday that supporters of the measure submitted the required number of signatures to qualify for the ballot. The initiative is backed by the conservative nonprofit Advance Colorado.

Supporters say the measure would help curb the spread of fentanyl and prevent deadly overdoses across the state.

Critics, including advocates for people with substance use disorders, argue harsher penalties have not been effective in the past. They say such measures criminalize people struggling with addiction rather than targeting those responsible for distributing the drug.

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Report Says Green Energy Could Save Colorado Households Money

Households in Colorado could save significant amounts of money if the state took a more aggressive approach to green energy policies, according to a new report.

The report was commissioned by environmental advocacy groups, including Conservation Colorado and GreenLatinos.

Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Caroline Llanes has more.

Story begins at 13:22

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Union Pacific Coal Train Derailment Spills Diesel into Gunnison River

The derailment of a Union Pacific coal train on Dec. 2 spilled thousands of gallons of diesel fuel into the Gunnison River, a tributary of the Colorado River in western Colorado.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KVNF’s Brody Wilson reports on the environmental impact of the spill and the cleanup efforts now underway.

Story beings at 14:44