Alamosa Daily Digest Thursday, July 09, 2026
Ty's Take
The valley's been wrestling with hard truths this week—a murder case closed with a guilty plea, the kind of outcome that settles nothing for the families left behind, and meanwhile our water engineers are still down in courtrooms trying to figure out how much we've actually got stored underground, as if numbers on a page can answer the real question of who gets to keep farming here in another twenty years. But there's something worth holding onto in the mix: First Friday bringing folks back to 1878, the Cumbres & Toltec getting new blood in leadership, the mountains still standing open for anyone with a day to spend in them. This is the San Luis Valley in summer—the weight of old debts and new losses sitting alongside the stubborn fact that people keep showing up, keep trying, keep building something worth passing down.
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Alamosa News
Chavez pleads guilty to killing Enrique Parra
Larry Chavez, 35, pleaded guilty this week to second-degree assault and felony manslaughter in the August 2024 death of Alamosa resident Enrique Parra. A habitual criminal designation added 11 years to his 24-year sentence, resulting in a total of 35 years with an 85% parole eligibility...
Alamosa steps back to 1878 for July’s First Friday
Alamosa celebrated its 1878 founding during a First Friday event that transformed downtown into a 19th-century living history experience, complete with period-dressed officials and local vendors. The city's unique heritage was highlighted through stories of how founders literally transported key...
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Valley Courier
Trial vignette: How much water does the unconfined aquifer store?
Water court proceedings this week focused on the storage capacity of the unconfined aquifer as attorneys for the Sustainable Water Augmentation Group pressed state engineers on critical data for their case opposing a proposed water management plan. The question of aquifer volume remains unresolved...
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission announces new leadership
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission announced new leadership this week, appointing Marvin Casias as president, Steven Butler as operations manager, and Alysia Martinez as business manager. Railroad executive Ken Bitten was also appointed to the commission by Gov. Jared Polis.
SLV Outdoor Report | Week of July 8, 2026
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has implemented a voluntary closure of the Conejos River from Platoro Reservoir to Boyles Bridge due to warm water temperatures stressing fish populations. The agency is urging anglers to fish earlier in the day, seek cooler streams, or refrain from fishing altogether...
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