Pagosa Springs Daily Digest Saturday, August 15, 2026
Ty's Take
Rio Blanco Fire nearing full containment is the kind of news that lets you breathe easier around here, at least for now. The fire season never really ends in this country, not anymore, and every acre that stops burning is one less threat to the timber and the watersheds and the homes tucked up against the forest. Worth noting that while we're getting a break, the state's dealing with fires everywhere else, and the drought isn't going anywhere. This time next year we'll be holding our breath all over again, but today we can acknowledge what the crews managed to do.
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Pagosa Springs SUN
Healthy Archuleta to offer 10-week child-parent relationship therapy program this fall
Healthy Archuleta is launching a 10-week child-parent relationship therapy program this fall to help local families strengthen connections and manage challenging behaviors through play-based activities. The program will be offered in both English and Spanish at Pagosa Springs Middle School, with...
Final weeks begin for Thingamajig’s summer repertory season
Thingamajig Theatre Company's summer repertory season at the Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts is entering its final weeks, with just over two weeks remaining before closing night on August 29. The three productions, "Come From Away," "Company," and "Fiddler on the Roof," each return to the stage...
Wildfires and drought challenge wildlife across Colorado
Wildfires and drought across Colorado are putting wildlife under severe stress as they struggle to find food, water, and shelter in damaged habitats. Colorado Parks and Wildlife urges residents to give wildlife space, avoid feeding animals, properly dispose of trash, and report sick animals or...
Riverwalk wetland tours to continue through August
Pagosa Wetland Partners is offering free guided tours of the Riverwalk Conservation Wetlands through August, with sessions on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. The 1 to 1.5 hour tours along the paved, wheelchair-accessible trail are led by trained naturalists who share...
Pagosa Sidewalk Astronomers to host ‘A Night Under the Stars’
The Pagosa Sidewalk Astronomers will host a free public stargazing event called "A Night Under the Stars" on Friday, August 14, at 9 p.m. in Yamaguchi Park. The evening will feature a constellation tour followed by telescope viewing, with attendees encouraged to dress in layers and bring red...
Dynamic cast to present ‘The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition’ this weekend
Archuleta School District is bringing "The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition" to the Pagosa Springs High School Auditorium this weekend with a dynamic cast of young performers led by Finlay Moore as SpongeBob. The production features energetic choreography, creative lighting effects, and a talented...
Commissioners hear about county road map issues, maintenance obligations
The Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners heard a presentation on county road maintenance obligations, learning that the county has taken responsibility for maintaining certain primary, collector, agricultural, and recreational access roads since 2004. Public Works Director Mike Torres...
School district approves putting question on November ballot
Archuleta School District has unanimously agreed to participate in a coordinated mail ballot in November, though the specific ballot language related to school facilities funding remains undetermined. The board has until September 3 to finalize the ballot question and will consider it at its...
Chimney Rock honors Dr. J. McKim Malville and a discovery written by the moon
Chimney Rock National Monument honored Dr. J. McKim Malville, a University of Colorado Boulder professor whose 1988 observation revealed that the moon rises between Chimney Rock and Companion Rock during major lunar standstills, suggesting an astronomical connection to the ancient Great House...
Rio Blanco Fire nears full containment
The Rio Blanco Fire, located 12 miles south of Pagosa Springs, reached 91 percent containment as of August 11, with crews focusing on restoration and rehabilitation rather than active firefighting. A smaller incident management team has taken command and is removing equipment, repairing erosion...
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Pagosa Daily Post
EDITORIAL: Shooting in the Dark… at Tax Targets, Part Two
An editorial in the Pagosa Daily Post questions the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners' closed-door discussion of a proposed new County Administration building on a vacant Aspen Village property purchased in March 2025. The piece raises concerns about the lack of transparency, noting that...
PHOTO ESSAY: ‘Gather’ Community Dinner for Lower Blanco Residents
The Pagosa Springs community rallied to support residents evacuated by the Rio Blanco fire with a "Gather" community dinner at Pagosa Springs High School on August 9, where over 50 volunteers and dozens of local restaurants and businesses donated more than $12,000 in food and gift cards. The event...
U.S. State Legislators Push Back on Federal Immigration Policies
Democratic lawmakers across 32 states introduced nearly 250 bills this year to limit federal immigration enforcement, with about one-fifth passing, according to a report by the nonprofit State Futures. In Colorado, lawmakers expanded the health department's authority to inspect immigration...
READY, FIRE, AIM: The World’s Worst Billionaire
A Pagosa Daily Post opinion piece discusses economist Robert Reich's online award for "The World's Worst Billionaire," which he bestowed on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for documented unethical business practices, sycophancy to Donald Trump, dismantling of the Washington Post, excessive government...
EVIL MISTRESS: A Lifelong Affair with Music, Part Thirty-Two
In the continuing personal essay series "Evil Mistress: A Lifelong Affair with Music," the author recounts joining bandleader Tim Sullivan's country music group in January 2016 after being recruited from retirement. The piece includes colorful anecdotes from the author's decades of drumming...
PLAYING IN THE DIRT: Pagosa Youth Learn About Watershed Restoration
San Juan Mountains Association has engaged middle and elementary school students in watershed stewardship this spring and summer, including the Pagosa Gateway Project restoring the San Juan River and a River Stewardship Camp teaching fly fishing and restoration techniques. WEP will premiere a...
More Performances Added to Durango Concert Series
The Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College has announced additional performances for its 2026-27 season, adding Kathy Mattea and Suzy Bogguss on March 21 and Emily Scott Robinson on June 12. The season opens September 18 with "Get the Led Out" and includes popular December events like The...
Americorps Youth Arrive in Pagosa to Help Build Habitat Homes
A seven-member AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps team arrived in Pagosa Springs on August 4 to work with Habitat for Humanity through September 23, helping build the final four homes in the "15 Homes in 5 Years" campaign. The young volunteers will also assist with park upkeep and...
OPINION: Municipal Collective Bargaining Law in Colorado Effectively Permits Union Busting
An opinion piece in Colorado Newsline argues that Colorado's Protections for Public Workers Act has a critical gap: it allows municipal employers to refuse to recognize unions even after workers vote to unionize, effectively enabling union busting with no legal recourse. The author cites the Fort...
PAGOSA UU FELLOWSHIP: Listening to Different Perspectives
The Pagosa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is hosting a lay-led service Sunday at 10:30 a.m. titled "Beauty of Diversity," featuring perspectives from Martine Colombey on living across multiple countries, and two young adults, Layla McRae and Reece Werby, sharing their insights on acceptance. The...
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