Noticias

• Norwood Fire Responds to Uncontrolled Burn
• Oh He Dead, but KOTO’s Not
• Youth Voices Leave the Legislature

---

Norwood Fire Responds to Uncontrolled Burn

The Norwood Fire Protection District quickly contained a controlled burn that got out of hand in Norwood over the weekend.

“A lady was actually burning a very small patch of asparagus so it would come back greener and fuller. She was using a blow torch. There wasn’t much wind, but there was enough for the fire to start to spread,” said Norwood Fire Protection District Chief John Bockrath.

“It spread not only to the whole side and back of her house, past the fence, burned the fence, and to three other properties, burning their lawns as well. The fire then reached a storage shed, which was partially involved with flames when we got there. Then it spread to the neighbor’s house to the southeast, burning up to the house and damaging the front porch,” Bockrath said.

Chief Bockrath said the fire burned about one acre. The shed and the porch of one home were damaged, but there was no major structural damage to any of the homes and no injuries.

Bockrath noted that the fire spread on groomed lawns, which had relatively little fuel to burn. He said the dry conditions are a major concern for fire season.

“Everybody is really concerned about this season. We just have not had the moisture. Our pinions, junipers, lodgepole pines, and ponderosa pines, the moisture levels are as dry as they were in 2002, the year of the Burned Canyon fire. Things are not looking good right now. We’re hoping for a very moist spring,” Bockrath said.

He encouraged residents to call San Miguel County Dispatch if they plan a controlled burn and to have the necessary equipment, including a shovel and a water source. He also recommended creating defensible space around homes, such as placing rock within 3-6 feet of a house and keeping shrubs and trees away from the structure.

---

Oh He Dead, but KOTO’s Not

Fifty years after taking the airwaves by storm, KOTO Community Radio is alive and well—but Oh He Dead.

This week, Washington, D.C.-based rock and soul band Oh He Dead will light up the Sheridan Opera House stage with a benefit concert to celebrate KOTO’s 50th anniversary.

“Telluride is a place that I will always try to make it to. Telluride is a special place, and anytime we’re asked to come, we’re coming,” said CJ Johnson, lead singer of Oh He Dead, on KOTO’s Hippy Cowgirl Happy Hour last week.

“I already know how the Telluride people are. I know they’re going to be giving so much love, and I’m excited to be starting in such a special place,” Johnson added.

Oh He Dead, a familiar face in the box canyon, previously performed at the Telluride Jazz Festival in 2021 and Blues & Brews in 2022.

The band released the albums Pretty in 2023 and Ugly in 2024. Johnson explained that their sound is diverse.

“Pretty is more of our poppy stuff. Oh He Dead is not just a one-genre band; we throw everything out there. Ugly is more on the raw side. We have a folk tune that turns into rock. It gets pretty cool,” she said.

Oh He Dead will perform at the Sheridan Opera House on Wednesday, March 5, to celebrate KOTO’s 50 years on the air. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at sheridanoperahouse.com.

---

Youth Voices Leave the Legislature

Young people have long had a place in Colorado’s general assembly, but now their voice is at risk.

In this installment of Capitol Conversation, Statehouse Reporter Lucas Brady Woods shares the latest.

Story begins at 5:26.

---

A Real Pain Shows in Telluride

Benji and David are an odd pairing of cousins. David is straight-laced, while Benji is the freer spirit. Despite their differences, they embark on a heritage tour of Poland to honor their late grandmother, embracing their Jewish heritage along the way. Poignant hilarity ensues.

That’s the plot of the award-winning film A Real Pain, which will be screened in Telluride this week, sponsored by the Telluride Jewish Community.

A Real Pain showed at the Telluride Film Festival last fall. Over the weekend, it was nominated for two Academy Awards—Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay. It won Best Supporting Actor.

The screening will take place at the Telluride Science Center on Wednesday, March 5, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available at realpaintelluride.eventbrite.com.

---

Investigation into NOAA Firings

Colorado Democrats are calling for an investigation into reports of mass firings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Story begins at 10:57.