Noticias

• Marti Prohaska Resigns as Mountain Village Mayor
• West End Roundup with the San Miguel Basin Forum
• Bluegrass Announces 2026 Lineup

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Marti Prohaska Resigns as Mountain Village Mayor

Mountain Village Mayor Marti Prohaska resigned from her position Wednesday night, effective immediately.

In a letter of resignation, Prohaska said her decision to leave her role as mayor came after learning Mountain Village Town Council had requested a private investigation into her conversations with Telluride Ski and Golf Resort owner Chuck Horning regarding the labor dispute between the ski company and the Telluride Ski Patrol Union, as well as the possible sale of the ski resort.

During the labor dispute, Prohaska, along with Telluride Town Council member Meehan Fee, traveled to California to hold conversations with Horning. Prohaska and Fee say they went as private citizens. Following that visit, the ski company filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain correspondence in connection to “a purchase offer of the ski company.”

The request included a contract which indicates an agreement for Horning to sell 51% of the Telluride Ski Resort to the Telluride Ski Resort Fund — an entity controlled by Prohaska and Fee. The contract was signed by Prohaska and Fee. It was not signed by Horning.

In her resignation letter, Prohaska states she has no regret for her actions that led to her resignation, but adds now is the time for the community to heal and rebuild. She says it would not be fair to Mountain Village staff or taxpayers to “shoulder the burden” of an investigation into her conversations with Horning.

Addressing the reason for her trip and discussions with Horning, Prohaska says “the ski patrol strike exposed the vulnerabilities of a destination dependent upon a company that lacks leadership.” She goes on to say “until this moment, many in this community have either been too complacent, or too afraid, to discuss this fact. The events of the last weeks have brought this reality into clear and painful focus — but the cracks have been showing for some time.”

Prohaska says she stands in the truth that her actions came from a place of deep love and commitment to the community. She concludes that it’s been “an honor and a privilege” to serve the community of Mountain Village, saying she takes pride in what the council has accomplished.

KOTO News reached out to both Prohaska and Fee for further comment, but did not receive a response by broadcast deadline. The Telluride Ski Resort declined to comment further regarding Prohaska’s resignation.

Mountain Village Town Council held a regularly scheduled meeting Thursday, with Mayor Pro Tem Scott Pearson presiding. He provided a statement on behalf of council in light of Prohaska’s departure.

“It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge and respect Mayor Martinique Prohaska’s decision to resign from her role as mayor, effective immediately,” Pearson said. “Marti has served Mountain Village with commitment and a genuine love for this community. Her devotion to the town has always been driven by her belief in Mountain Village and the people who live and work here.”

Pearson says Town Council believes Prohaska’s decision to travel to California and speak with Horning was motivated by a desire to support the health and future of the region.

“Marti’s desire to step aside reflects her stated wish to allow the community to focus on healing and rebuilding. We respect her choice to place the community ahead of herself,” Pearson said. “We thank Marti for her years of service, her dedication to this town, and the leadership she has shown on this council.”

Mountain Village’s mayor is not elected by voters, but appointed by the remainder of Town Council. The current council will appoint a new mayor and mayor pro tem within the next 30 days, and appoint its seventh town council member within the next 45 days.

On Thursday, the town of Telluride announced it will discuss next week the possibility of a third-party investigation to review Fee’s dealings in the matter.

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West End Roundup with the San Miguel Basin Forum

Today on the West End Roundup with the San Miguel Basin forum KOTO’s news team chats with editor Regan Tuttle. In today’s headlines: VA medical unit returns to Nucla, Sean Pond runs for U.S. Senate, and the Nucla Mustangs remain undefeated.

Story beings at 4:20.

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Bluegrass Announces 2026 Lineup

Banjo is in the air as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival announced its initial 2026 lineup this week.

“[We’re] super excited that we can finally share the news. It’s been a lot of hard work amongst our team, and we’re super excited about this year,” said Amy Mendoca, with Planet Bluegrass, which produces the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

“Kind of the theme that we were going with is there’s a lot of string wizardry, starting with our headliners, we’ve got the Tedeschi Trucks Band,” Mendoca said.

Roots rock sister duo Larkin Poe will be gracing the stage.

“having them as a headliner is big for us and we’re super excited,” Mendoca said.

As will Bolder based indie folk artist Gregory Alan Isakov.

“Gregory Alan Isakov has a history with us as well, just being a former Telluride troubadour finalist. That kind of started the momentum,” Mendoca said.

Of course, the festival will feature mainstays including the Sam Bush Band, Peter Rowan, the Telluride House Band, Leftover Salmon, and the Infamous Stringdusters.

But there’s also a plethora of lessor known artist Mendoca said are not to miss.

“I’m really excited for Dom Flemons & the Traveling Wildfires,” she said.

“Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland together as a duo. Both have graced our stage before with their own individual bands and other configurations, but them as a duo is going to be amazing,” Mendoca added.

For Mendoca, the joy and excitement for those artists is a highlight of the weekend.

“The buzz afterwards, and the buzz on the festival grounds, where they talk about the sets throughout the weekend and creating the buzz, not only for us, but for the artists that get their big break. It’s great. I love that part,” she said.

The 2026 Telluride Bluegrass Festival will grace the town park stage June 18-21. More information and tickets are available at bluegrass.com/telluride.

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Talking Gourds Program to Feature Karen Bellerose

Stories bring people together and build connection — an idea at the heart of the Talking Gourds Stories and Poems program.

The monthly event is a collaboration between the Telluride Institute’s Talking Gourds Poetry Program and the Wilkinson Public Library. This month’s program will feature Lawson Hill writer Karen Bellerose.

The evening will include a reading by Bellerose, followed by a sharing circle open to all participants who wish to speak. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own work or a piece by another writer to share.

The Talking Gourds Stories and Poems night will take place Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Wilkinson Public Library.

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CPW Plans Wolverine Reintroduction in Colorado

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is working to restore wolverines to the state following a 2024 vote by the state legislature approving reintroduction.

The 20- to 35-pound members of the weasel family resemble small bears with bushy tails. Wolverines live in alpine areas near treeline and have been absent from Colorado for about a century.

Under the CPW plan, about 15 wolverines would be reintroduced each season for three seasons, for a total of 45 animals relocated to the state.

CPW estimates Colorado could support approximately 100 wolverines, with the long-term goal of removing the species from the state endangered list.

Ideal wolverine habitat is at elevations of about 10,000 feet and above. More than 90% of suitable habitat in Colorado is on public land. CPW plans to release the animals in three areas: north of Interstate 70, including Rocky Mountain National Park; the Elk and West Elk mountains between Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 50; and the San Juan Mountains.

CPW officials say restoring wolverines to Colorado would be a significant step toward conserving the species in its native range in the Lower 48 states.

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Colorado Legislature Convenes for 2026 Session

Colorado’s 2026 legislative session began Wednesday with opening-day speeches from legislative leaders.

After gaveling in, leaders from both parties said they plan to prioritize efforts to make life more affordable for Coloradans while addressing the state’s large budget deficit.

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Democrat, also condemned rising political violence in the United States and urged lawmakers to uphold civility and mutual respect during the session.

The legislative session will run for 120 days.

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Western Colorado Groups Push for Federal Land Protections

Despite the Trump administration’s push to roll back protections for federal public lands, local environmental groups are still working to secure new safeguards for landscapes across the region.

As Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Caroline Llanes reports, Wilderness Workshop in Western Colorado has campaigns to protect areas such as the Continental Divide, the North Fork Valley, and the Crystal and Dolores rivers. The group is seeking Congressional protections for these lands, including wilderness designations and wild and scenic river status. These types of safeguards are harder to obtain and more difficult to undo.

Michael Gorman, the group’s campaign director, said the situation is urgent. “People in our region already feel the impacts of climate change in the form of warmer, drier winters and longer wildfire seasons,” he said.

“Protected lands can be effective carbon sinks and carbon sequestration. And then we know that the demand for water is only increasing, and our supply doesn’t seem to be going up,” Gorman said.

He added that the group’s strategy is to build local grassroots support for beloved landscapes over long periods before presenting proposals to elected officials.

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Colorado’s Expanded Right to Repair Law Takes Effect

Colorado’s expanded Right to Repair law went into effect on January 1st.

The law covers things like electronics and appliances, and it requires the device manufacturers to share tools, software and parts to allow consumers to fix broken devices.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KGNU’s Jack Armstrong spoke with Dr. Libi Rose Strigel, the managing director of the Media Archaeology Lab at the University of Colorado to find out what this means for consumers.

Story beings at 18:50.