Antonito Daily Digest Thursday, July 02, 2026
Ty's Take
Politics moves slow in these mountains, which is probably why nobody's in any hurry to settle the term-limits question—Conejos County commissioners are kicking it to the voters and calling it democracy, which it is, though it also sounds like a way to buy time when a real decision feels too heavy for a Tuesday meeting. Meanwhile, fire danger's got everybody's attention the way it should, back-to-back restrictions are the kind of wake-up call this valley gets when the snowpack dies early and the Conejos runs thin, and down in Costilla they're running their primary numbers while the rest of us watch the Barry Morphew case crawl toward 2027 like a burro with no real reason to hurry. This is the rhythm of work in a border county—you tend to what's burning, you let the lawyers do their job, and you let the voters sort out who should be sitting in the chair when the real decisions come around.
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Conejos County Citizen
PRELIMINARY RESULTS: COSTILLA COUNTY PRIMARY 2026
Costilla County released preliminary results from the 2026 primary election across multiple races, with Democrat John Hickenlooper narrowly edging Julie Gonzales in the U.S. Senate race and Republican Mark Baisley running unopposed. Results showed varied margins across local and state contests,...
Commissioners embracing “let the voters decide” on term limits
Four of six San Luis Valley county boards voted to support removing term limits for the District Attorney position in the 12th Judicial District, with Saguache and Costilla counties deferring their decision to next month. Current law limits district attorneys to two terms, which would prevent...
Extreme fire danger prompts back-to-back restrictions
Rio Grande County and the city of Monte Vista implemented emergency fire bans this week as severe drought and critically dry vegetation created extreme wildfire risk across the region. Local officials warned that even a single spark could trigger an uncontrollable blaze, and emphasized protecting...
Barry Morphew won’t go on trial for at least another year
Barry Morphew's murder trial has been postponed to 2027 after his defense team requested more time to review the massive amount of evidence provided by prosecutors. The 49-year-old is accused of killing his wife Suzanne, who disappeared on Mother's Day 2020, and the trial could now start as late as...
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