A rockslide closed I-70 westbound near the No Name rest area for over three hours Saturday afternoon. 

CDOT Regional Communications Manager Lisa Schwantes said she was notified of the incident, just east of Glenwood Springs at mile marker 119, around 2:15 p.m.

Westbound traffic was being stopped at Dotsero as maintenance crews cleared rocks and debris from the roadway.       

No serious injuries were reported as a result of Saturday’s rockslide according to Schwantes. However, a semi-truck required towing and rocks scattered along the interstate were large enough to require a front-end loader, Schwantes said.

I-70 westbound reopened at around 5:20 p.m.

In the immediate area of the rockslide, I-70 westbound was limited to one lane and CDOT urged motorists to use caution.

Saturday’s rockslide was the first of the season to cause an interstate closure, Schwantes said.

Editor’s note: The weather isn’t making it easy for many folks to get a print copy of Friday’s paper, so we’ve made the e-edition free to access today. Go here to read Friday’s paper.

Roaring Fork School District has canceled school Friday in anticipation of continued adverse weather.

All after-school and extracurricular activities are also canceled, although Glenwood Springs High School’s girls swim team had already left for an event in Grand Junction and would still compete.

In a statement Thursday night, district public information officer Kelsy Been said early reports point to unsafe road conditions continuing Friday.

“Although we do not usually make snow day decisions this early, we’ve received earlier than usual reports from road and highway plowing operations departments of expected unsafe and hazardous road conditions,” Been writes. “Any decision to cancel school is based on student and staff safety.”

Go here to read Roaring Fork School District’s policy on cancellations.

In addition:

• Colorado Mountain College’s Glenwood Center, Spring Valley, Carbondale, Rifle and Leadville campuses will be closed Friday for the entire day. The Aspen campus remains open. Central Services in Glenwood is closed. For more information, call the CMC Rifle snow line at 625-6990 or the CMC Spring Valley/Glenwood Center snow line at 947-8153.
• Glenwood Springs City Hall will open at 10 a.m. Friday, instead of 8. The Community Center will open at 6 a.m. for normal business hours.

• Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is closed Friday. Friday Afternoon Club is canceled.
• Interstate 70 westbound from Golden to the Eisenhower Tunnel is closed. No alternate routes are available, and CDOT strongly recommends people don’t travel during today’s storm.

A winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service remains in effect until 5 p.m. Friday, with up to 8 inches of snow expected Thursday night and up to 4 more inches expected Friday morning.

Garfield School District 16 schools in Parachute are not canceled for Friday, and Friday is a normal off day for Garfield Re-2 schools.

Call 511 for the most up-to-date road conditions.

A news release from the Rifle Police Department announced the Second Annual National Police Week Flag Ceremony will be proudly put on by the Colorado River Fire Rescue, Garfield County Sheriff’s Department and the Rifle Police Department. It will take place next week to honor the brave service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The ceremony will take place on Monday at 8 a.m. at the Rifle Police Department, located at 201 East 18th Street. The event will pay tribute to the dedicated men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while safeguarding our communities and upholding the principles of democracy, the release stated. 

“We are privileged to stand together with our colleagues to honor the memory of our fallen comrades,” said Debra Funston, Rifle Police Department chief. “Their legacy of service will forever be etched in our hearts, and it is our duty to ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten.”

National Police Week brings together communities across the nation to honor the invaluable contributions of law enforcement officers, and to be reminded of the risks and challenges faced by those who wear the badge, as well as their testament to their unwavering commitment to public safety, the release stated. 

The ceremony will feature remarks from local dignitaries, presentation of colors and a moment of silence to reflect on the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers throughout history. Members of the community, law enforcement agencies and elected officials are invited to attend and show their support for those who have served and continue to do so with courage and distinction, the release stated. For more information about the Second Annual National Police Week Flag Ceremony, please contact Angela Mills at 970-665-6500 or amills@rifleco.org.

The Bookcliffs Arts Center in Rifle is having a beautification contest, called the Hickman House Art Contest, to make the walls of the house look more attractive and more like an arts center. 

The Hickman House was donated by Bill Morrow, the sculptor of western Colorado, to the city of Rifle, in 1989 after his family had lived in it for generations. 

The Hickmans had come to Rifle in 1887, when John Hickman and his brother Owen took the narrow-gauge train from Pueblo to Grand Junction, and then stagecoach to Rifle. They worked for cattle farmers until they could buy their own land. 

With the land came the house, and now the house needs a bit of sprucing up: Ten artists can reserve a spot on the Hickman House to beautify, any size, to create the inspiration of the town and local community. 

Amy Cox, Member at Large of the Bookcliffs Arts Center, wants the art to pertain to Rifle. 

“To create the inspiration of our local community and culture. It can be of the falls, of the town, just anything about Rifle. I can give more information when artists contact me,” she said. 

To sign up for the contest, contact the Arts Center at a.cox@bookcliffsartcenter.org. 

The city of Rifle met for a regular meeting last week. Among their agenda items came the recognition of National Police Week 2024, taking place from May 12 through May 18. 

The council said this is the 62nd annual recognition of Police Week, and approved the national salute to officers and law enforcement who put their lives on the line and honor the services they provide to the communities across the nation. 

An event on Monday at 8 a.m. to commemorate the recognition will be held at the Rifle Police Department.

In other council items, Kathy Brittain was appointed to the Rifle Housing Authority Board. Brittain is a retired chiropractor in Rifle, having practiced for 27 years. She comes to the Board hoping to use her experience of living in Rifle for so long and working together as a community toward a common goal. 

The water line between 5th and 9th Street on Railroad Ave. will be replaced. The line has been prone to breaks due to corroded ductile iron pipe that is being replaced with C900 PVC pipe. 

The council said the project is of the highest priority since the street is highly trafficked. Also, the street itself is being replaced due to the fact it is failing and requires patching. 

The project was awarded to Martinez Western Constructors; they are the lowest qualified bidder: The project will cost $3,181,778.15. City engineers originally estimated $2,810,246.00 for the project, but the cost for Martinez Western Constructors to do so is within the budget. 

Rifle’s master plan to construct the Park Avenue Bridge, which is essential to the traffic and multimodal transit as well as the functionality of Rifle’s downtown, was also discussed during the meeting.

The city recently received a $4 million grant from the Department of Local Affairs to construct the Park Avenue Bridge, Park Avenue, the water lines that border the project and the continuation of the Rifle Creek trail. 

The plan discussed the purchase of 415 W 2nd Street and 419 W 2nd Street, which have been deemed necessary for the construction of the Park Avenue Bridge. 

The funds to buy the land weren’t planned for in the 2024 budget, but they will come from the General Fund as the appropriations are available. 

The city believes this is the time to buy the land to improve Rifle’s traffic congestion problem and start building the plan that has been in the works since January 2014.

Colorado will not ban the sale, transfer or manufacturing of a variety of firearms described as “assault weapons” after state lawmakers rejected the idea on Tuesday. 

The bill’s demise came after one of its prime sponsors, Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat, asked for it to be postponed indefinitely.

“I decided that more conversations need to take place outside of the pressure cooker of the Capitol during the last weeks of the legislative session,” she said during a committee hearing. 

House Bill 1292 faced a narrow path in the statehouse after a similar bill was rejected last year and questions remained over whether the idea had enough support to pass the legislature. While the bill from last year didn’t survive its first committee hearing, this version made it through the House committee and the full chamber with a 35-27 vote. This time, it was rejected in its first Senate committee hearing. 

The bill would have banned the purchase and sale of certain types of semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns under its definition of assault weapons, including those with fixed large-capacity magazines and the ability to accept detachable magazines. It also names specific models of guns that would be banned, including AR-15s and AK-47s. Possession of those firearms would have been permitted under the bill.

The bill’s sponsors, Reps. Tim Hernandez and Elizabeth Epps and Gonzales, all Democrats, said the legislation would have made Colorado safer by reducing the amount of high-powered firearms in the state. Republicans were vehemently opposed to the concept, calling it a violation of the Second Amendment. 

It’s possible the concept will return in the next legislative session. 

“I look forward to renewing and continuing those discussions over the interim,” Gonzales said. “It is clear that survivors of devastating gun violence, responsible gun owners and local and national policy advocates remain committed to doing the work necessary to save lives — and an assault weapons ban will do just that.”

The bill was assigned to the five-person State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee, which has a Democratic majority. Two of those Democratic senators have expressed support for the general concept of the bill but the third, Sen. Tom Sullivan, a Centennial Democrat, was expected to be the swing vote. 

Sullivan’s son, Alex, was killed in the Aurora theater shooting in 2012 and he has been a vocal supporter of tightening gun laws ever since. But he’s often expressed skepticism for a statewide assault weapons ban. 

Even if Sullivan had voted in favor of the measure, Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat, said he was unsure the bill would have enough votes to pass the chamber. And beyond that, Gov. Jared Polis has hinted he may veto such a measure if it ever made it to his desk. 

Western Slope lawmakers had mixed views on the legislation. House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, voted in favor of the policy, saying she thought it was better than the one brought last year. Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs, was one of a few Democrats who joined all the House Republicans in voting against the bill. 

The legislature is considering several other bills related to firearms this session, including one brought by Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, a Glenwood Springs Democrat, that requires safe storage of firearms in vehicles. That measure, House Bill 1348 was still being debated as of Tuesday afternoon.

Other firearms bills would create a new merchant code for firearms purchases, ask voters to create a new tax for gun sales and ammunition and increase requirements for concealed carry licenses.

The legislative session ends Wednesday at midnight. 

June 17, 1927 – April 30, 2024

Jane Ritter Hornsby, 96, of Loveland, CO passed away on April 30, 2024. She was born to John C. and Helen Jessup Ritter in New Castle, Colorado on June 17, 1927 and was part of the Ritter Legacy of that region. Jane’s idyllic upbringing included helping her grandfather and father run Ritter General Store, and camping and playing along Elk Creek and the White River. Jane loved the outdoors and many tomboy activities. She even earned her pilot’s license at the age of 19.
After finishing high school at Stephens College, Jane completed her bachelor’s degree at Colorado A&M University (now Colorado State University). While there, she was active in campus life, president of the Beta Iota chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, officer of the sophomore class, and elected to the Homecoming Court. Immediately following college graduation, Jane left for a teaching opportunity in Great Falls, Montana,
While teaching, she met Jim Hornsby; and they were married in 1950, which began a 67-year adventure that included many residences and six children!
Jim’s career led the couple across the map; spending years in New Orleans and Houston, and then to the Colorado mountains for retirement. The couple spent ten happy years in Redstone, before settling in Loveland.
Jane will be remembered for her zest for life, fondness of social gatherings, stories of the Western Slope, and constant longing for another fun adventure. She is preceded in death by her husband Jim, her sister Mary Ellen, and her brother Clay. Jane is survived by son Jimmy (Adele); daughter Gail Wolf; son David (Heather); daughter Liz Galligan (Brian); daughter Amy Smith (Guy); and son Chris (Jen); 17 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 on Friday, May 17 at All Saints Episcopal Church, Loveland, CO. An internment will follow in her home town of New Castle.

July 7, 1944 – April 21, 2024

A full wonderful life was completed on April 21, 2024, at closing time of 2:00 AM. Barry / Jake Jackson passed peacefully on a spring evening at his home in Silt, Colorado. Born on July 7, 1944 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to James and Dorothy Parsons Jackson, he attended school in the Toronto area. Barry/Jake married Judy Amos in Toronto, and they have a daughter Joelle Jackson whom resides in Bala, Ontario, Canada. A Grandson, Sterling Jackson Stroud, resides in Ontario as well.
Barry/Jake loved sports of all types. He played Semi Professional Ice Hockey in Canada. He played and toured with Balmy Beach Rugby Club in Ontario, and with the Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby Club and The Aspen Old Boys Club. He was a Ski Instructor in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, and a Ski Patrolman and Instructor for Aspen Ski Company in Snowmass, Colorado. He cherished many lifelong friends and adventures from his sports years.
Barry/ Jake moved to Aspen in 1974 on a lark with friends, and worked at many different occupations over the years. One position was Dean of Immigration for Aspen State Teacher’s College selling t shirts.
In 1984, Jake met Denna, their first date at The Tower watching Doc Eason’s Magic. They married on July 3rd on a patio overlooking Ajax mountain at the Concept 600 Building. Jake gained a son, Jeremy Verheye who resides in Cedaredge, Colorado currently, and a Granddaughter Codi Anne Verheye, who lives in Erie, Illinois. His wife, Denna survives him in Silt, Colorado.
Barry/Jake was predeceased by his Parents, and his Brother Terry Jackson, and his beloved dogs Pinto Bean and Scooter.
A celebration of his life will be held at Sopris Park, Carbondale, Colorado, July 20, from One to Five. Please stop by and share your stories. Jake’s smile and warm friendship will be missed by all those whose lives he touched. Please bring a chair and a dish or drink to share.

April 1, 1946 – April 23, 2024

Leroy W. Green (Lee) 78, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. He was a longtime resident of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
He was born April 1,1946 in Washington D.C. to Leroy and Irene Green. His parents, sisters and brother moved to Denver, Colorado in 1957. Lee participated in track, held a hurdle record and graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in 1965. Right after high school, he enlisted in the Marines and was deployed to Vietnam. He then returned home and attended Mesa College in Grand Junction, Colorado, where he met the love of his life Vicki Lee (Sisson) Green. They soon moved to Glenwood Springs in 1970 where their only child was born, daughter Tonya Lee (Green) Nieslanik.
Lee was a free spirited, happy go lucky guy who always enjoyed spending time outdoors with friends and mainly his best friend, Pat Bennett. Hunting, fishing, camping, skiing, snowmobiling, boating at Lake Powell, and riding his Harley were some of his favorite pastimes.
He always enjoyed taking the scenic routes on trips and would always say “what’s the rush?” We called it, “going on a Lee ride”. After moving to Glenwood Springs, Lee went to work for Carl Schiesser whom he learned the art of the Masonary trade.
He soon started his own company with business partner Conrad Lien. Many masonary projects up and down the valley were at the hand of Lee and Conrad. The most treasured of all is the building on the corner of 10th and Grand, home of Vicki Lee Green Realtors, which he designed and built in 1986, for his wife Vicki and her business partner Bette Martin.
Lee is survived by his daughter Tonya (Green) Nieslanik, husband Thad Nieslanik and two grandsons, Chase (Tara) and Blake Nieslanik, who were his pride and joy. His sister Patricia Robenstein, sister Carolyn Barber and brother Al Green (Kim), Brother-n-law, Bill Sisson (Jeanne) and numerous nieces and nephews that he loved to joke around with. Lee was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2017 and was able to spend most of his time at home with his beloved dogs and cat.
Lee’s family is planning a private celebration of life in the coming weeks. Please consider making a donation in honor of Lee to CARE-Colorado Animal Rescue in Glenwood Springs, as he had a deep love for all animals, but his dogs were his true companions. Or simply have a Coca-Cola or Tanqueray (Gin )and tonic in remembrance of Lee.

July 8, 1950 – January 8, 2024

Larry’s Celebration of Life will be June 1, 2024. Meet and greet at 1:30. Service will start at 2:30. BBQ to follow. 1691 County Road 300, Parachute, CO 81635

In what was a battle of the Rams to kick off the opening round of the Class 4A state girls lacrosse playoffs, the No. 11 Roaring Fork clinched a dominant 15-6 victory over No. 22 Rampart on Tuesday in Carbondale.

Roaring Fork junior Josie McKinley-Kitchell opened the scoring for Roaring Fork with a goal with 10:32 left in the first quarter. Sophomore Jordyn Miller followed up with a penalty shot, putting Roaring Fork ahead 2-0 early in the first quarter. Rampart’s Elizabeth Bancroft got her team on the board, but Roaring Fork responded quickly with senior midfielder Grace Garcia slipping one past Rampart’s goalie to make it 3-1.

Junior Hailey Wolfe extended Roaring Fork’s lead to 4-1 after a rebound shot early in the first quarter, giving the No. 11 Rams a comfortable lead. Bancroft tried to close the gap with another attempt, but junior goalie Ella Gunning made a key save, which was a common theme throughout the day, to maintain the lead. Freshman Chiara Marjaniemi added a goal for Rampart, but McKinley-Kitchell and Wolfe both answered, scoring before the end of the quarter, making it 6-2 for Roaring Fork. The two goals propelled Roaring Fork to what would be a 6-0 run before Rampart finally found an answer.

McKinley-Kitchell completed her hat trick early in the second quarter, backhanding a goal past the defense. Wolfe and sophomore Juliana Pittz also found the net before McKinley-Kitchell scored her fourth, bringing the score to 10-2. Freshman Marin Weaver broke through Rampart’s defense, then scored on a penalty shot just before halftime, giving Roaring Fork a commanding 11-2 lead.

Wolfe notched another early in the third quarter to make it 12-2. Rampart responded with goals from junior Mia Thorne and another from Bancroft, but Roaring Fork junior Lilu Illouz cut through the defense late in the third quarter and found the back of the net to keep the Rams firmly ahead. Thorne managed to score again for Rampart, but two fourth-quarter goals for Roaring Fork sealed the win at 15-6.

After the game, Roaring Fork Head Coach Drew Kitchell highlighted his team’s resilience.

“We know our strengths,” Kitchell said. “We have a saying that Coach Dahl (Miller) invented. ‘It’s all grit, no quit,’ and that really came through for us.”

He added that their focus would now shift to Thursday’s matchup against No. 6 Northfield in Denver.

“It’s going to be a game where we’re gonna have to definitely bring our A-game,” Kitchell said. “We got some kids that can play, as you guys have seen, and I like our chances.”

Garfield County track and field athletes made their way to Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction on Friday in hopes of positioning themselves for a spot to make it to the state championships. Coal Ridge High School claimed dual victories as both the women’s and men’s teams took first place in their respective 3A divisions. The women’s team secured a dominant win with 202 points across 19 events, while the Coal Ridge men won with a score of 142 points. The Rifle men’s team placed third with 106 points.

3A Western Slope League

The women’s 100-meter hurdles was marred by technical difficulties, leaving no official times for Roaring Fork’s Kyra Reeds and Coal Ridge’s Kina Will. Reeds crossed the finish line first, while Will placed second. 

Basalt runner Jared Tennenbaum secured the men’s 110-meter hurdles title with a time of 15.54. Tennenbaum earned his second victory for Basalt in the men’s 300-meter hurdles with a finishing time of 40.45.

Rifle’s Rylan Petree delivered a strong performance in the women’s 400-meter dash, clocking in at 1:00.04, and took the 200-meter dash title, clocking 27.24. Petree was also able to secure a second place finish in the 100-meter dash, marking a time of 13.16. In the women’s 300-meter hurdles, Coal Ridge’s Will won the event with a time of 47.19, closely followed by teammate Jordan Terrell at 47.48. 

Coal Ridge’s women’s relay teams dominated the 4×200 and 4×400 meter relay events, winning with times of 1:47.81 and 4:20.34, respectively. The 4×200 team consisted of Lexi Thurmon, Jordan Terrell, Rilyn Krueger, and Allison Smythe, while the 4×400 team featured Effie Fletcher, Kina Will, Rilyn Krueger, and Allison Smythe. Coal Ridge’s men’s 4×400 relay team also claimed victory in 3:31.18, powered by Brayden Dacuma, Cohen Collard, Isaac Thompson, and Omar Vergara.

In field events, Rifle’s Troy Mataia placed himself on top in the men’s shot put with a distance of 52 feet to win the men’s shot put, and Brilee Jensen from Coal Ridge took first in the women’s discus with a throw of 109 feet, 1 inch. Rifle’s Jade Cunningham won the men’s high jump by clearing 6 feet.

4A Western Slope League

Glenwood Springs’ Joaquin Sandoval captured the men’s 100 and 200-meter dash titles with times of 11.27 and 22.86, respectively. Teammate Quinn Waaler placed second in the women’s 3200-meter run with a time of 11:36.15.

Other top-three finishers by school

Glenwood Springs: Emma Gavrell, third 400 meter (1:03.32); boys 4×100 meter relay, third (46.20); boys 4×400 meter relay, third (3:31.65).

Rifle: Jesus Lopez, third 110 meter hurdles (16.54); boys 4×400 meter relay, second (3:34.88); Jade Cunningham, third long jump (20-11.50); Yadier Loya, second shot put (47-00.00). 

Roaring Fork: Nikki Tardif, third 400 meter (1:03.63).

Coal Ridge: Effie Fletcher, third, 3,200 meter (12.44.29); Aiden Huey, second long jump (20-11.75), second 110 meter hurdles (16.05); Omar Vergara, 100 meter (11.13); Lexi Thurmon, second 400 meter (1:00.08); Nicole Herrera, 200 meter (27.60); boys 4×200 meter relay, second (1:34.35);  girls 4×100 meter relay, second (52.57).

Grand Valley: boys 4×200 meter relay, third (1:37.62); Kylene Mascioli, third 300 meter hurdles (49.83); Kyson Sackett, second 200 meter (23.47); Craig Cotter, second 3,200 meter (10:06.62); Arnold Teter, third high jump (5-06.00).

Basalt: Lorenzo Salazar Tedin, second 300 meter hurdles (41.77), third high jump (5-10.00); Owen Lambert, second 800 meter (2:01.08); Towler Scott, third 3,200 meter (10:04.59); Sidney Barill, third triple jump (32-07.50).