Pagosa Springs Daily Digest Thursday, July 16, 2026
Ty's Take
The fire district's clean audit is the kind of news that doesn't make anybody's blood pump faster, but it should matter more than it does—especially in a place where wildfire risk keeps half the county awake at night come June. You can't fight fires you can't afford, and you can't afford fires if your finances are a mess, so when the district passes inspection, it means the people running it are doing the work right. Meanwhile, sales tax is down, water's getting scarcer, and we're still waiting on the highway reconstruction. In a town built on tourism and good governance, that clean audit is one of the few things we can actually point to and say we're getting right.
Sponsor Slot AvailableReach Pagosa Springs Locals Every MorningGet your business in front of engaged local readers. Boat dealers, realtors, restaurants, contractors, home services your audience is reading this right now.Become a Sponsor
Pagosa Springs SUN
Fire district receives clean 2025 audit
The Pagosa Fire Protection District board unanimously approved a clean 2025 audit showing the district's assets exceeded liabilities by $8.3 million, up nearly $1.8 million from the previous year. The district collected $4.2 million in property taxes and implemented new impact fees on new...
Town’s sanitation district receives update, meets new Public Works director
The town introduced its new Public Works Director Nick Freeland, who previously worked on water plant upgrades and has extensive military and aviation engineering experience. An interim update from outgoing director Phil Bennett showed the town has ordered new pumps for its aging sewer system with...
Community Development Corporation discusses housing project
The Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation announced it will issue a request for proposals on July 15 to hire a single contractor to build 15 remaining affordable homes in phases 2B and 3, consolidating the projects to reduce costs and improve financing stability. The effort comes as the...
May sales tax down compared to last year
Archuleta County sales tax collections fell 0.48 percent in May compared to the previous year, continuing a year-to-date decline of 3.62 percent through May. Real estate and professional services showed growth, while construction, manufacturing, and retail trade categories all posted decreases.
U.S. 160 reconstruction information
U.S. Highway 160 reconstruction crews are making progress with completion of utility work at Lewis Street and beginning concrete pours at multiple intersections. The 3rd Street intersection work on the north side begins Tuesday and is expected to last three weeks, with pedestrians directed to use...
The Pagosa Springs Sun's historical column highlights developments from a century ago, including plans for a community children's health clinic in August 1926, a major forest fire in 1951 that destroyed over 1,000 acres and cost $10,000 to fight, and record heat temperatures recorded in 1976.
This article contains no substantive content to summarize.
A thanks to those who make our community safer
An opinion piece thanks Pagosa Springs' first responders and support staff for their dedication to community safety during the busy summer season when fire and accident risks increase. The article highlights dispatchers, law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics and utility workers who respond to...
Pagosa Valor Academy’s Bolos and Boots set to be night of country music and fun
Pagosa Valor Academy is hosting a western-themed fundraiser called 'Bolos and Boots' on September 5 featuring live country music, barbecue, dancing and a silent auction to support the 2026-2027 school year. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online or at Higher Altitude Pagosa.
Pagosa Panhellenic gathering planned for Aug. 11
Women affiliated with collegiate sororities are invited to an annual gathering on August 11 at Alley House Grille, with a $10 suggested donation to cover appetizers. The event, revived in 2023 after an 11-year hiatus, typically draws 20-30 sorority members who gather to reconnect and celebrate...
Sponsor Slot AvailableReach Pagosa Springs Locals Every MorningGet your business in front of engaged local readers. Boat dealers, realtors, restaurants, contractors, home services your audience is reading this right now.Become a Sponsor
Pagosa Daily Post
EDITORIAL: The Mysteries of Water Demand and Public Finance, Part Three
A Pagosa Daily Post opinion piece examines decades-old water demand studies that predicted local supply shortages, questioning why predictions from a 2007 engineering study have not materialized. The article notes ongoing discussions among water officials about a proposed reservoir on Running Iron...
As Colorado River Tributaries Shrink, a Public Power System Frays
Colorado's only piece of the federal Colorado River hydropower system is generating nearly 30 percent less electricity than its historical average as shrinking water supplies strain the three Gunnison River dams. The shortfall is driving up electricity costs for western consumers at a time when...
States Call Out Big Businesses With Employees on Medicaid
California and Nevada lawmakers are pushing transparency measures to publicly identify large employers with the most employees enrolled in Medicaid, arguing that major corporations shift healthcare costs to taxpayers. The effort comes as the federal government enforces new Medicaid work...
READY, FIRE, AIM: Not the Greatest Sentence Ever Written?
A Pagosa Daily Post column reflects on a new book by Walter Isaacson examining the Declaration of Independence's opening sentence, noting it remains America's greatest sentence 250 years after the nation's founding in 1776.
HEALTHY ARCHULETA: Young Gardeners Wanted to Explore Farm to Table
The Kids in the Mountain Garden Education Program is returning this August with four weekly Wednesday evening sessions teaching children ages 5-12 about gardening, cooking and food sources through hands-on workshops at Vista Lake Community Garden. A separate July training brought together...
Hickenlooper Campaign Announces Fundraising Success
U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper announced he raised more than $1.3 million in the second quarter of 2026 and now has $2 million on hand as he prepares for a general election matchup against Republican Mark Baisley. Hickenlooper remains the only Colorado statewide candidate to exceed $1 million in...
Rural News Wire is a daily local news digest for Pagosa Springs and rural America. We aggregate and curate, original reporting belongs to the sources linked above. Support local journalism by visiting their sites.
Subscribe free to get this digest in your inbox every morning.