Noticias

• Dan Covault Named as Interim Sheriff
• Is This Headline Telling You the Truth?
• The Shed Looks to Support Local Youth

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Dan Covault Named as Interim Sheriff

San Miguel County Undersheriff Dan Covault was appointed to serve as interim sheriff at a San Miguel Board of County Commissioners meeting on Wednesday.

“The majority of the board has indicated support for Undersheriff Dan Covault. Is there a motion to appoint Sheriff Dan Covault as the next sheriff as of June 3, 2025, to serve out the remainder of the term?” said San Miguel County Manager Mike Bordogna.

“So moved,” chimed in San Miguel County Commissioner Lance Waring.

The sheriff vacancy comes as current Sheriff Bill Masters announced his retirement earlier this year. Covault will serve the remainder of Masters’ term, which is set to expire in 2026.

Covault was one of two candidates who applied for the position. San Miguel County Sheriff Operations Sgt. Lane Masters also applied.

County commissioners held interviews for both candidates last week. Bordogna said many members of the community shared their opinions and feedback on the candidates to help inform the decision.

“We’ve received 90 letters of support for both of the two candidates combined. We received 39 staff surveys from the sheriff’s office about the qualities—not who they would prefer—they’re desiring in the sheriff to fulfill the vacancy,” Bordogna said. “I also know the commissioners received numerous written feedback, but also, you’ve had a lot of in-person meetings with citizens on the street, phone calls. This has been, without a doubt, the most public input the commissioners have ever received regarding a vacancy appointment.”

Before voting on an appointment, each commissioner had the opportunity to share their thoughts.

Commissioner Galena Gleason began by recognizing current Sheriff Masters.

“I’d like to start by giving deep respect and recognition to Sheriff Bill Masters’ tenure as sheriff for 45 years and really being dedicated to the safety and vitality of the residents and visitors of San Miguel County,” Gleason said. “Thank you for your service.”

All commissioners noted the decision on who to appoint was a difficult one, as both candidates are qualified.

“I would sleep well knowing that San Miguel County is under the protection of either Lane Masters or Dan Covault,” said Commission Chair Anne Brown.

Commissioner Lance Waring urged the candidates and community to stay kind.

“In a moment, one of the candidates and their family and friends will be disappointed. That’s the hard fact of binary decisions,” Waring said. “No matter how the votes fall, I ask everyone involved to neither gloat nor hold a grudge. Each member of this board is simply doing their job by making what they feel is the best possible interim decision for the sheriff’s appointment for San Miguel County until the voters can have their final say in 18 months.”

All commissioners emphasized the importance of voters having their say in an election next year.

“The job of the BOCC today is not to anticipate the outcome of that election, but to determine who best to hold the sheriff’s office steady in the interim,” Brown said. “Today we are appointing an interim sheriff.”

Commissioner Brown gave her support to Undersheriff Covault.

“The job of the undersheriff is to execute the sheriff’s duties when the sheriff is absent, or incapacitated. To, in effect, serve as interim sheriff,” Brown said. “Our long-serving sheriff will be ‘absent’ after June 2—the date on which he begins his well-deserved retirement. At this point, I feel it is my duty to appoint the person to serve as interim sheriff who knows the sheriff’s office most intimately, has more seniority, and is currently second in command.”

Commissioner Gleason joined Brown in her support for Covault. Commissioner Waring expressed his support for Sgt. Masters.

However, when it came to the official vote, Brown urged unanimity.

“While I see from our vote, our preferences are not unanimous. I would respectfully encourage the dissenting voter to join the majority and vote in favor of this motion,” Brown said. “The incoming sheriff will need, and deserves, the full support of all county commissioners—as will whoever is elected in November of 2026.”

Waring obliged, and the vote to appoint Undersheriff Covault to sheriff was unanimous.

Dan Covault will step into the position of San Miguel County sheriff when Sheriff Masters retires on June 2, 2025.

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Is This Headline Telling You the Truth?

When scrolling through social media or surfing the web, it can be challenging to discern fact from fiction. The rise of misinformation is well documented in its influence on politics, global conflicts and even pop culture.

Trusted news outlets like ABC, NBC and KOTO Radio take pride in sharing factually based and unbiased information — but how can you, as an individual, determine what’s a trusted news source?

Career broadcast journalists George Lewis and Judy Muller are here to share news literacy skills to help people begin to keep an eye out for facts.

“Generally speaking, it’s applying critical thinking skills to the information that you are absorbing so that you can determine what is fact and what is not. What is propaganda, what is outright lies, what is just general misinformation. How can you tell, what guideposts are out there,” Muller said.

That’s Muller, who teaches a course in news literacy at the University of Southern California. Both Lewis and Muller are Norwood residents. Though they have rich careers in journalism working for NBC and ABC respectively, they have eight Emmy Awards between them for coverage of events like the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Rodney King riots and the O.J. Simpson trial.

They’re married now, though they say they spent many decades as competitors in different news organizations, at times showing up to the same location for a breaking story.

Both are presenting a workshop on Friday, May 2, at the Livery in Norwood on the basic tools of news literacy to be your own judge of what information to trust.

“What we’re hoping to give our audience is a few tools to doing their own fact-checking for stuff they see on social media. And we’re hoping that people will learn to stop before they repost something and what they repost is something that is true,” Lewis said.

Muller adds that news literacy is vitally important to foster discussions in our country.

“We are now in this country at least two different silos of fact. There are only facts and falsehoods or slightly misinformation and if we can’t agree on the facts we can’t even have a discussion, and that’s what’s happening,” Muller said.

So important, Muller said, that news literacy education is required in some states.

“It’s so critical, it’s as critical as reintroducing civics into high schools. News literacy as a course of instruction has been mandated in four different states, California to Texas and a couple of others. Kindergarten through high school as required in the curriculum so students understand how to look at evidence and how to look at facts and how to apply their critical thinking to the information they’re getting. Because it’s really almost catching the caboose at the end of this train that has just run over their senses,” she said.

They say the workshop will provide skills and knowledge on how to build one’s own trusted set of news outlets, and that it will remain strictly nonpartisan.

“As the late Senator Pat Moynihan once said, every man is entitled to his own opinion but he is not entitled to his own facts. And I think we’ve gone a long way away from that and it’s time to get back to it,” Muller said.

“Trust in mainstream media is at an all-time low. People cannot agree on what the facts are. And in this country, if we can’t have a common shared set of facts, democracy fails,” Lewis added.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 2, at the Livery in Norwood. Cookies will be served, and it is free to join.

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The Shed Looks to Support Local Youth

A small, red historic shed across from the post office might look unassuming, but step inside and prepare to be blown away.

“On the outside it’s wooden, it looks like a shed, which is awesome,” said Mia Hattler, an intern with the Communities That Care Coalition, or CTC. “There are these awesome big windows, you’re going to have an awesome big couch and a massive TV.”

“You’ll have this crazy loft, a net to sit on top of the loft. We’re going to have one bathroom and a little kitchen space,” she added. “And then there’s going to be this awesome mural on the side of the couch. It’s a beautiful space. Once you’re inside the natural lighting is amazing. Everything, when it’s all coming together, is going to be a beautiful space.”

The Shed is a new youth hang space in Telluride, spearheaded by CTC. The goal is to create a welcoming environment for young people—geared especially toward high schoolers—to hang out, do homework, and participate in programming.

“We really try and focus on making our community a better place,” said Vito Zampini, another CTC intern. “Keeping kids off of substances and overall making Telluride a safer space for our community.”

The Shed will have its grand opening this week, and folks are still busy putting the final touches on the space.

Szonja Kollar, another CTC intern, said young people have been involved in designing the Shed from the beginning.

“We had a conversation about the type of lighting we want to have because ultimately this will be a space for other high schoolers,” Kollar said. “So they want that high schooler input and perspective—in terms of furniture, and what kind of things we want to have in here, ping pong table, that kind of stuff. So, it’s been a collaborative process.”

Different nonprofits are also pitching in to provide support, adult guidance, and programming.

The Shed is the culmination of years of advocacy and support for a youth center or hang space for young people.

“I don’t live in Telluride. The Shed to me will feel like a second home,” said Hattler. “A place where I can go and it feels like my own little house. Where me and my friends, and whoever high schooler can be in it too. I think that’s the biggest part of it.”

Zampini said he hopes this is just the beginning.

“In 10–20 years, I hope it’s more than just the Shed,” he said. “I hope we can have the resources and the information and feedback from the Shed to see how much it helped our community. Really put that information into something better. The Shed is one of the best things we have right now, but I hope it’s not one of the best things we have in 10–20 years because we need progress.”

The Shed’s grand opening will take place Friday, May 2, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Shed. There will be food and music, and the community is encouraged to attend.

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Telluride Plans for Pacific Avenue Improvements

Summer season means construction season, and the Town of Telluride is gearing up.

This week, the town will host an information session regarding plans for the Southwest Area Conceptual Plan — SWAP — specifically projects on Pacific Avenue.

According to the town, the goal is to make Pacific Avenue safer for bikers and pedestrians, make intersections less confusing, and help the roads reflect how people actually use them.

Public Works — and its contractor — plans to begin work next week. The town will hold an information session to summarize the SWAP plan, review the Pacific Avenue project, and discuss impacts and mitigation.

The meeting will take place on Thursday, May 1, from 9 to 10 a.m. at Rebekah Hall. It will also be available on Zoom.

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Pure Imagination at the Sheridan Opera House

The Sheridan Opera House will turn into a world of pure imagination this weekend with a performance of Willy Wonka.

The show is the latest production from the Sheridan Arts Foundation’s Young People’s Theatre.

Based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, the show features songs from the classic 1971 film and follows candy manufacturer Willy Wonka and a gaggle of children looking to win a lifetime supply of candy. The children learn to follow Wonka’s rules or suffer the consequences.

The show features 31 actors in third through fifth grade and is under the direction of YPT Artistic Director Leah Heidenreich.

Willy Wonka will take place at the Sheridan Opera House on Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, with performances at 6 p.m., and Sunday, May 4, at 4 p.m.

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Gov. Polis Signs State Budget

Gov. Jared Polis signed off on the next state budget Monday. The spending plan fixes a billion-dollar shortfall — but only temporarily.

The final budget largely avoids major cuts to Medicaid and education, the state’s two biggest expenses. But it slashes funding for transportation, local governments and dozens of social programs, including job training and food pantries.

Polis called the spending plan “responsible,” but leading lawmakers also warned that Colorado’s financial situation is going to get worse. They said this year’s budget doesn’t address the problems that led to the deficit in the first place.

Some Democrats say that means repealing the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and its cap on state revenue. Others want to increase taxes on high-income earners. Republicans argue the state simply spends too much money.

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Colorado Lawmakers Approve Measure Protecting Voting Rights

Colorado lawmakers have approved a measure aimed at strengthening voting rights in the state.

As Chas Sisk reports for the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, the decision comes despite opposition from local officials.

Story begins at 15:09

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Mycelium Used to Reduce Wildfire Risk

Fungi — and the underground root system of mushrooms known as mycelium — are being used to help make forests less prone to wildfires.

The mycelium helps break down branches, logs, and wood chips, turning them into rich humus instead of dry fuel for fires.

Mycologist Zach Hedstrom, founder and owner of Boulder Mushroom, was awarded a $100,000 grant from Boulder County and the City of Boulder’s Department of Climate Initiatives to help clean up flammable forest debris using mycelium.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KGNU’s Don Davis spoke with Hedstrom about the project and its potential impact on forest health and fire prevention.

Story begins at 16:19