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.

On Wednesday, Apr. 24, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) released the latest map showing collared wolf activity over the last month.

The map, published on the fourth Wednesday of each month, does not show actual locations where the wolves have been, instead depicting watersheds where at least one GPS point of wolf activity has been detected.

Between March 26 and Apr. 23, wolf movement has been confirmed in watersheds east of the Continental Divide and into the Front Range. Wolf activity continues to be detected in the Eagle River Valley watershed.

Between Dec. 18 and 22, CPW released 10 gray wolves onto public land in Summit and Grand counties. In addition to those 10 wolves, two male wolves captured in the North Park area of Colorado in February 2023 were fitted with collars and are part of the map data.

While all 12 wolves had working collars as of February’s map report, there are now only nine wolves with working collars.

One of the collars stopped working in March, and a second collar that was partially functioning in March has since failed.

“The animals with the failed collars are traveling with other animals with functional collars, which currently allows CPW to monitor those animals,” CPW said in the report. “CPW has confirmed that the animals with the malfunctioning collars are still alive based on visual confirmation from an airplane.”

Last week, one of the 10 wolves re-introduced in December was found dead in Larimer County. While initial evidence suggests that the wolf died of natural causes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has sent the carcass for a necropsy to produce a final determination of the cause of death.

Since the last report in late March, wolves have been blamed for the deaths of six cows in Grand and Jackson Counties. Currently, ranchers are entitled to compensation from CPW for the market value of cattle lost to wolves and can take dedicated nonlethal measures to protect livestock against wolf attacks.

This story is from VailDaily.com

May 16, 1935 – April 13, 2024

Shirley I. Allen Boulton was born May 16, 1935 in Winterset, Iowa to Frank E. and M. Oleta Allen. She had one sister, Cleda, and two brothers, Bill and John. She graduated from Winterset High School in 1953, and shortly thereafter married Lewis Young. They had two sons, Kenneth and Thomas. They divorced in 1962, and in 1966, she married Bob Peters and they and the boys moved to Rifle, Colorado. When that marriage ended in 1972, she later married J.R. Boulton.

Shirley worked for attorneys Gavin D. Litwiller and Stephen L. Carter for twenty years, and then for the Garfield County Treasurer’s office for eighteen years. She also worked for Sam Potter Agency and Commonwealth Title for short periods of time.

Shirley never met a stranger and was loved by everyone who knew her. She was “Mom”, “Gramma Shirley”, and “Aunt Shirley” to so many people. Her hobbies were reading and playing cards, and she enjoyed horseback riding and playing golf. The highlights of her life were spent with her sons, whether pinning the wings on Kenny at the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division Jump School Graduation or traveling with her son Tommy as they attended Nitty Gritty Dirt Band concerts and sold merchandise.

Shirley was predeceased by her parents, sister Cleda, Brothers Bill and John. She is survived by her sons, Kenneth and Thomas, as well as many special nieces and nephews. She passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and family April 13, 2024, at the age of eighty-eight. Her positive influence through her great example and wonderful two boys leaves a legacy and tradition of love and service.

Shirley’s Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 27th at 1:00 p.m. at the United Methodist-Presbyterian Church in Rifle, Colorado.

The Hispanics in Local Leadership, part of the Colorado River Valley Chamber, is holding a Cinco de Mayo celebration, taking place on Friday, May 3, at the Garfield County Fairgrounds in Rifle. 

There will be contest competitions in best pozole, agua fresca and salsa. The entry deadline for the contests is Monday April 29. Contest entry fees are $40 for Chamber members and $60 for non-members. Cash prizes will be awarded for the best pozole ($300), best agua fresca ($100) and best salsa ($100), the Chamber said. 

At the celebration, there will be dancing, held by the Aspen Santa Fe Folklorico group, in between live music by Y Puro Norte, merchandise and food vendors, including margarita and beer tents, the Chamber said.

The entry fee for the celebration is $10 for adults, $5 for students with ID and any children under 10 years old have free entry, the chamber said. 

For more information call 970-625-2085.

A number of items were discussed during the Rifle City Council meeting held April 17 in Rifle. The council heard presentations regarding a municipal code amendment, a planned unit development, park equipment upgrade, and other agenda items.

An amendment to Rifle’s municipal code was considered on Wednesday’s meeting about accessory dwelling units (ADUs) being in commercial and light industrial zones. ADUs are, in the current language of the code, only allowed to be attached to the building on the property.

In section 16-3-60 B – Accessory dwelling units in commercial and light industrial zone districts that have commercial or light industrial uses shall be attached and limited to only the top floor of the building, and the total area developed with accessory dwelling units shall not exceed the total interior area of the commercial space in the building.

These ADUs must be no less than 300 sq. feet and no more than 850 with no more than two bedrooms. There can only be one built onto the premises.

Geir Sverdrup, Senior Planner for the city of Rifle, wrote to city council that: “As written, the current language provides an avenue for a commercial or light industrial property owner to do anything more than an attached ADU. A detached ADU would provide the property owner with an opportunity to provide housing for employee housing that could include their family or someone not associated with the company.”

Sverdrup also wrote that this would go above and beyond the scope of a caretaker/sleeping quarters, which is permitted in industrial and light industrial zone districts, but not commercial zones. City council chose to approve this consideration. 

In other council action, the Marketplace and 14th Ecodwelling Development sought approval for their final plat, zoning and subdivision improvement agreement. 

The planned unit development includes 3,000 sq ft lot size in the Community Service Business District, there will be restriction to only residential uses in the development; setbacks of 5 ft in the side yards, 10 ft in the rear yard, and 10 ft in the front and street side yard; carports may encroach into front setback to a 5 ft lot line; storage sheds can encroach into side and rear setback to a maximum area of 100 sq ft; and no requirement to provide garages.

In addition, the homeowners association will only be responsible for maintenance of roads and open space areas. Property owners will maintain their own property.

This project was originally approved in 2009 and amended in 2011. These are the final plans for the development of 12 single family residences. A park has been added to the middle of the property, which has been subsequently divided into lots. 

Concerns about possible effects of flooding were raised during public comment, however, city staff addressed this and stated that it was decided to raise the grade of the road slightly to deal with this possibility. City council also approved this consideration. 

Rifle Police Department has a recurring purchase order from the Garfield County Communications Authority for use of record-keeping technology. New World/Tyler Technologies is where Rifle PD maintains all records of criminal history queries, drivers license queries, contacts, and the keeping, managing and queries of all records within the police department. It also covers the mobile units’ access to this database. 

These law record expenses were billed at $1.168 per incident per agency. Rifle PD was billed for 14,826 incidents, totaling $17,319.33 for them. Additionally, the law mobile expenses are calculated for the number of mobile units per agency, which was 24 units for Rifle PD. This comes out to $11,340.77. The grand total comes to $26,660.10. 

Every agency is billed at the same rate, according to Chief of Rifle Police, Debra Funston, and this purchase was accounted for in the police budget portion of 2024. Council approved this purchase.

A purchase for new playground equipment for Arnold and Moki Parks was also approved. City staff reported that the parks’ equipment has been around for more than 30 years, and is in need of replacing. Rifle’s Parks and Recreation Department will be removing the old equipment, as a cost-saving measure. This will put more money towards the parks’ new equipment. 

They have chosen Altitude Recreation for the project at $334,250, which was budgeted at $360,000. The project is estimated to be completed by the end of July.

In other items, the council approved the purchase of new flooring and installation services for the Justice Center in Rifle. The building was built in 2008 and currently has some duct tape holding pieces of the flooring together. Rifle’s Parks and Recreation has determined that Luxury Vinyl Tile and carpet tiles will be the best option for installation. 

Although $80,000 was budgeted for this project, $85,651.35 will be paid to AG Flooring for the project. While it is over budget, the city staff stated that there are enough savings to cover this extra cost. This project will last around two weeks to be completed in phases and will disrupt operations in the Justice Center, but it will be short periods of time. 

Rifle City Council approved the replacement of epoxy coating on the influent channels of the wastewater treatment plant. This serves to protect the pipes. City staff informed the council the coating is failing and needs to be replaced. C&L Water Solutions was awarded the contract to blast off the former coating and apply the new one. The Influent Channel Coating Project will cost $381,280. 

Although this project is also over budget, which was originally for $366,500, city staff stated that the Wastewater Fund has enough in its reserves to absorb the increase over the budget. 

In other items of interest, trash cans and recycling bins are being swapped out, these past two weeks. New cans, both for trash and recycling, are being distributed. Citizens may keep their smaller recycling containers, but if you want your recycling to be taken, it must be put into the new, bigger bins that will go out onto the curb. Contact Mountain Waste if there are any issues at 970-963-3435 or visit their website mountainwaste.com/contact-us. 

The traffic light for the White River Ave. intersection will be delivered soon, hopefully in the next week or so. It should be opening by the end of April or the beginning of May.

The city council meeting on July 3 will be canceled due to the July 4 celebrations the next day to allow, not just city council some relaxation, but the rest of city staff.

Colorado Mountain College Rifle graduates will participate in two ceremonies on May 3 and 6 at the Clough Auditorium at CMC Rifle, 3695 Airport Road in Rifle.

At CMC Rifle, the general commencement ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 3. Mario Carrera, former chief executive officer of Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy and Research Organization, and former chief revenue officer of Entravision, will give the keynote address. 

As a media and marketing communications professional with over 20 years of experience, Carrera works to strengthen Colorado’s Latino community and voice and has a passion for empowering Latinos through leadership development, advocacy and policy research. 

No one in Carrera’s family spoke English when they immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was 9 years old. Eight years later, Carrera was awarded a full scholarship to Harvard University. 

With his work at CLLARO and Entravision, Carrera has been recognized with multiple awards such as 14 Emmys and honors for his professional and community contributions, such as the Hispanic Heritage Award from the Denver Broncos and the NFL. 

Carrera will also give the keynote address at Spring Valley’s general commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 4. 

Rifle’s concurrent enrollment commencement ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 6. Students who have earned college credentials will celebrate with a ceremony at the Clough Auditorium at the Rifle campus. Giving the keynote address will be Collin Weeks, a CEPA and Grand Valley High School alumni who is now the employee relations specialist at Grand River Hospital District in Rifle. 

Weeks earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2019 and is just completing an MBA from Colorado Christian University. He began working for the Grand River Hospital District in 2019 as a human resources generalist and was promoted in 2021 to his current position. 

Visit coloradomtn.edu/graduation for more information.

Collegewide, 12 ceremonies total will be held at 11 locations throughout CMC’s region on May 3, 4 and 6 to celebrate the accomplishments of the college’s graduating class of 2024. 

Reflecting CMC’s range of educational offerings, students will receive bachelor’s and associate degrees, certificates of occupational proficiency and high school equivalency, general education, adult high school and workforce diplomas. Additionally, regional high school students in CMC’s concurrent enrollment program will walk alongside graduates to receive their college-level certificates and degrees. 

Federal officials have confirmed the death of one of the wolves released in Colorado as part of the state’s voter-approved reintroduction efforts. 

“Initial evidence suggests that this wolf likely died of natural causes,” said Joe Szuszwalak, a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The wolf carcass, found in Larimer County, was reported to the agency on April 18. The agency is conducting an autopsy to confirm the cause of death. The agency didn’t provide any additional details about the incident. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife released 10 gray wolves on Colorado’s Western Slope in December and January as part of the state’s voter-approved reintroduction efforts.

Since their release, the wolves have spread out throughout the region. Using tracking collars, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has provided monthly maps showing the wolves’ general locations.

In recent weeks, wolves have killed several calves in the region. The depredation has heightened fears for ranchers, many of whom opposed the wolf reintroduction because of concerns it would continue to inflict economic hardships. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife declined to comment on the wolf death, calling it an “active investigation.”

In what folks are already calling the 3A Western Slope game of the year, the Roaring Fork Rams baseball team walked off the Basalt Longhorns after battling through eight innings on Tuesday afternoon. 

The Rams fell behind by a score of 8-2 entering the bottom of the third inning but never counted themselves out and pulled out the 12-11 win in extra innings. Roaring Fork junior outfielder Ethan Gardiner delivered the game-sealing knock with a bases-loaded error from Basalt, sending the Rams bench streaming out of the dugout to mob the left-hander.

“Anything can happen in baseball,” Roaring Fork Head Coach Marty Madsen said after the game. “By doing the little things that baseball requires, stacking quality at-bats, throwing strikes, anything can happen, and that’s what we saw.”

Before the defensive slop-fest began, the Rams’ bats exploded in the bottom of the first inning. Rams junior infielder Cole Fenton roped a double before Gardiner quickly drove him in with a rocket triple. A couple of pitches later, Gardiner hustled home on a passed ball for an early 2-0 lead after one inning of play. 

The Longhorns’ bats were asleep for the first two innings, and as they jogged off the field after narrowly escaping a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the second, Basalt Head Coach Dan Markoya huddled the team together. What was said in the meeting is unknown, but whatever was said worked wonders. 

The Longhorns shrunk their approach in the top of the third inning and exploded for eight runs. The bottom of the Longhorns lineup was due up, so Markoya saw an excellent opportunity for some small ball. One swinging bunt and two misplayed bunts later saw the first three batters reach safely, and suddenly, Basalt had ducks on the pond with no outs. A passed ball began Junior Kody Barton’s at-bat, bringing in Basalt’s first run. Then Barton started the big inning by roping a single between the shortstop and third basemen, tying the game and leaving runners at the corners with no outs. 

The snowball began exponentially expanding. Basalt trickled a ball to third base, and, surprisingly, the ball came home. The Rams captured their first out in the bottom of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly ball, bringing the score to 4-2. A ground ball ate up the shortstop, bringing in another run. Then, Basalt sophomore Parker Sims pulled an RBI triple down the left field line to make the score 7-2, and one more infield throwing error let the eighth run score and made the seemingly never-ending inning last that much longer. The Rams finally got out of the nightmare inning thanks to sophomore backstop Donny Read gunning down a Longhorn trying to swipe third. 

Madsen noted he had coached teams who would have hung it up after an inning like that but noted this team as an exception, in addition to their willingness to keep playing and to crawl back into the game.

The Rams responded with five runs in the bottom of the third inning, closing the gap and keeping their bats hot. Roaring Fork quickly got two runners on base before senior Max Seitel-Hays roped a single, driving in their third run and kick-starting another big inning. 

The third inning saw 15 runs cross home plate, and the scoreboard read 8-7 after heading into the fourth inning. 

Although the Rams played a majority of the game from behind, it didn’t feel that way. They applied constant pressure and their dugout was alive throughout the entire game. They finally managed to reknot the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the sixth after two walks, an error and situational hitting tied the game. The Rams got the ball in the air deep enough for the tying run to score, signifying this game wouldn’t conclude without going to extra innings. 

The Longhorns shrunk their approach again to break the tie in the top of the eighth inning. A walk and a steal immediately put Basalt in scoring position. Basalt laid down a bunt, leaving it to the Rams to make a play — a play they couldn’t make. The ball sailed over a Roaring Fork player’s head, allowing Basalt to score and find a runner on third base. The Longhorns made sure to cash that run on a sacrifice fly to put even more pressure on the Rams in the bottom of the eighth inning. 

The Rams clearly thrive in this position, as after the first batter got out, they got to work building another big inning, one big enough to end the game. The final walk that brought in the game-tying eleventh run for the Rams was the end of the line for Oliver, who departed with the bases loaded and two outs. Gardiner only needed one pitch from the freshman, Chris Hays, as he dropped in the game-winning hit just below the outstretched glove of the left fielder. 

Roaring Fork improves to 8-9 on the season and 3-1 in division play. They currently sit in third place behind state ranked No. 3 Coal Ridge Titans and No. 7 Delta Panthers, who are both 3-0 in division play. 

The Rams will have four days off to regenerate their pitching before hosting the Cedaredge Panthers on Saturday morning. 

The Longhorns hope to quickly shake the Highway-82 defeat as they fall to 4-9. Now 5-2 in division play, Basalt will next host the North Fork Miners for a doubleheader on Saturday. 

May 13, 1997 – April 11, 2024

Laurie Kathleen Busk, a beloved mother, sister, friend, and dedicated caregiver, departed from this world on April 11th, 2024, at her residence in Parachute, Colorado. She valiantly battled cancer, displaying remarkable strength and courage throughout her journey. Laurie was 56 years old.
Born on May 13th, 1967, in the picturesque San Francisco Bay Area, Laurie brought warmth and joy to all those around her. Her unwavering love and compassion touched the lives of many, leaving an indelible mark on those fortunate enough to have known her.
Laurie spent most of her career working in an elder care facility, where her tender-hearted nature and nurturing spirit provided comfort and companionship to elderly individuals in need.
Laurie is survived by her cherished daughters, Megan and Rachel Busk, and son-in law Trevor Barela who were the lights of her life. Her memory will forever live on through her daughters, who carry her spirit with them.
In addition to her daughters, Laurie is mourned by her brothers, Christopher Jeffery and Kevin Busk, who shared countless memories and experiences with her. Laurie’s passing leaves them with good memories of her being the baby of the family.
Laurie is also survived by her sisters-in-law’s, Rhonda and Miles Busk, also nieces and nephews, many cousins and close dear friends, who stood by her side with support and love during her battle with cancer. Their kindness and compassion provided comfort to Laurie during her most challenging moments, and their presence brought peace to her soul.
Though Laurie may have left this earthly plane, her spirit will forever linger in the hearts of those who knew and loved her. Her laughter, her kindness, and her strength will be remembered fondly by all who had the privilege of crossing paths with her.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to cancer research organizations in Laurie’s honor, continuing her legacy of hope and perseverance in the fight against this devastating disease.
Laurie’s life was a testament to the power of love, resilience, and compassion. May she rest in eternal peace, knowing that she was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed.
Funeral arrangements are as follows Friday April 26th, 2024, at St. Mary’s Catholic church 761 Birch Ave, Rifle Colorado, Rosary at 3:30 Funeral is at 4:00 P.M.

March 8, 1952 – April 15, 2024

Malcolm C Jolley was born March 8 1952 in Lamar Colorado. He was the only child to Malcolm Carter Jolley Sr and Emma G Jolley (Tessadri). The family later settled in Garfield County. Malcolm graduated from GSHS in 1971. He continued his education at CU Boulder where he received a degree in Engineering.
Malcolm moved back to the county and worked for Cleveland Cliffs in the oil shale industry in the Parachute and Rifle areas. His next adventure was working overseas for several years in many different countries in their Oil & Gas production facilities and refineries.
When traveling came to an end in the 80’s Malcolm found himself back home helping his father with his sheep farm business. He continued this until a few years after his father’s passing in 1993. He then retired and fulfilled his duty by managing his family’s properties.
Malcolm lost his mother Emma in 2009. Everyone close to him knew how much he loved her.
Malcolm continued his life and started traveling again. That is how he met his wife. He married Fabiana de Jesus Justino in November of 2016. They were still happily together when he passed.
A celebration of life will be held Thursday April 25th at Farnum Holt Funeral Home in Glenwood Springs at 10am. Please come and share your stories. Because of the short notice for this service, Farnum Holt will be open from 10-2 for an extended viewing.

Unofficial results for Tuesday’s Glenwood Springs special election show that Ballot Question A, a charter amendment proposed by grassroots group Keep Glenwood Glenwood, passed with 78% of the vote. 

The charter amendment, once enacted, will require a public vote to approve annexation and development on city-owned property, as well as require that all development permits of four or more units be reviewed by Planning and Zoning and City Council.

According to unofficial results from the city, out of 1,859 total voters, 1,457 residents voted in favor of Ballot Question A, while 399 voted against. 

Approximately 31.2% of the total registered voters who voted in the last regularly scheduled election participated in Tuesday’s special election.

“The voters have spoken and the message is loud and clear,” Jon Banks wrote in a Keep Glenwood Glenwood news release following the city’s announcement of the results. “We want a new way for the city and the people to share decisions on growth issues. Quality of life must be the priority. We hope that the city embraces both the letter and the spirit of this decision, and this vote will lead to more engagement, more trust, and more openness.” 

“I appreciate the persistence and conviction that supporters of ballot item A showed in using the petition process to amend our charter,” Glenwood Springs Mayor Ingrid Wussow wrote in a statement to the Post Independent. “The election results are in and of our almost 6k registered voters, approximately 25% voted in support of a change that empowers our community at the ballot box. Many in the community became impassioned about this issue, my hope is that everyone who voted in favor of this remains equally ready to research and make informed decisions on upcoming ballot questions that shape Glenwood.” 

Ballots were mailed out on April 2 following the city’s approval of the group’s petition, verification of signatures and the selection of a date for the special election. 

“Today’s vote was the result of a long campaign by a lot of citizens who were motivated by their love of our special city. And by the voters, who want a process with more accountability, transparency, and democracy,” Banks wrote in the release. “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of the supporters, and we appreciate the wisdom of the people of Glenwood Springs.” 

Local developers have expressed concern that the charter amendments could be a setback for the development of affordable housing in Glenwood Springs, while supporters say it will help them preserve the city’s character in the years to come. 

The outcome of the election is not official until the completion of the canvass of votes and certification of results. Visit the Post Independent’s website for updated results.