The Montezuma Heritage Museum in Cortez is marking America's 250th anniversary and Colorado's 150th with two special exhibits. “Moments That Made Us” explores how local Montezuma County history connects to the themes of the Declaration of Independence and runs through December. “Yesterday's Stories” is a collaboration with KSJD Radio that brings historical archives to life through community voices and runs through October.

By Sadie Smith

Watch this story at LNN.news

This story is sponsored by Builders First Source and Breaking Wax Trading.

A former Farmington grocery store has become a hub for local youth sports, thanks to the Pennington family. The Penningtons have owned the building since the 1980s and began converting it into practice space for their children's volleyball and baseball teams before opening it up to the wider community.

Today, Empire Athletics offers batting cages, volleyball and pickleball courts, a yoga studio and a gym, with a new turf field project already underway. Owners say every dollar the business makes goes back into equipment, not a paycheck. Empire Athletics sits near Costa Vida and Nutra Mills in Farmington, with league, camp and clinic updates posted on Facebook and Instagram.

By Tanner Waite

This story is sponsored by FASTSIGNS Farmington, Legacy Financial Advisors and Rocky Mountain Safety.

And presented by Four Corners Economic Development, the Farmington Chamber of Commerce and the Aztec Chamber of Commerce.

Watch this story at LNN.news

Table to Farm Compost is a Durango based climate activist business that has been turning food scraps into compost since 2016. Co-owner Monique DiGiorgio was recently named the 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year by Southwest Colorado Rocks for her leadership in growing the company to more than 800 subscribers and achieving the highest level of compost certification in Colorado. The company offers curbside pickup of food scraps and transforms them into high quality compost used by local gardeners and agricultural producers across La Plata County. With Durango's Bonded Landfill at 70% capacity and Durango City Council set to decide on composting requirements this fall, Table to Farm is at the center of an important conversation about how Durango handles its organic waste.

By Sadie Smith

Watch this story at LNN.news

This story is sponsored by FASTSIGNS Durango, Legacy Financial Advisors and RMW/Tafoya Barrett & Associates.

And presented by the La Plata County Economic Alliance and the Durango Chamber of Commerce.

Aztec Riverside BMX aims to break ground this October on a two-acre, city-owned lot for a new BMX track, giving local children a home course instead of long drives to Durango or Albuquerque to race. The nonprofit is working with USA BMX to design the track to national standards. Beyond race day, organizers plan a loaner bike fleet, Strider races for the youngest riders and a school partnership teaching children how bikes work through a STEM program.

By Tanner Waite

Watch this story at LNN.News

This story is sponsored by Home2Suites and Sunray Park & Casino.

Colorado's "Negligently Luring Bears" law, House Bill 1342, cracks down on people who attract wild bears. The law lowers the legal standard from "intentional" to "knowing" behavior, removes the automatic warning first-time offenders used to receive, and raises the fine for repeat violations from $2,000 to $5,000.

By Sadie Smith

Watch this story at LNN.news

This story is sponsored by the FLC Center for Innovation and Sky Ute Casino.

Analyss Benally grew up in Shiprock on the Navajo Nation and went on to play Division I basketball at San Jose State before launching her professional basketball career in Europe. Today, her nonprofit, AB Five Basketball, brings free camps and clinics to Native youth across the Southwest.

This summer, AB Five returned to Shiprock with volunteer coaches, including former Los Angeles Lakers guard Andre Ingram.

By Tanner Waite

Watch this story at LNN.news

This story is sponsored by Ace Hardware in Farmington and Fitness World.

Living in southwest Colorado means the risk of fire and flood is never far from home.

First responders and firefighters are currently fighting the Rio Blanco Fire, located 12 miles south of Pagosa Springs. The lightning-caused fire started on Tuesday, July 28, and as of Thursday evening, it has grown to 781 acres with 0% containment.

Nearly a year ago, communities just west of town experienced a similar threat: the Oak Fire, fueled by dry conditions, quickly outpaced on-the-ground resources with its extreme behavior. Sixty days later, historic, climate-fueled floods resulted in the third-largest flows on record for the San Juan River. These forests are increasingly defined by cycles of extreme multi-year droughts and wildfires interspersed with catastrophic precipitation in a warmer atmosphere.

Beyond the Embers, a new short film produced by local filmmaker, Christi Bode, reflects on 2025 events and expresses the continued need for community preparedness before the next natural disaster. The film was produced with support from the San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership, Wolf Creek Ski Area and Best of Pagosa Springs Real Estate.

By Christi Bode

Watch this story at LNN.news

Lickety-Split Comedy is a comedy and improv group based in Pagosa Springs, founded by veteran performers Karisa Bruin and Scott Morehead. After years of working as improvisers, actors and writers in Chicago and Los Angeles, the two moved to Pagosa Springs and launched Lickety-Split. The group offers classes and workshops in unscripted theater as well as monthly shows on the third Monday of each month at Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts. For more information visit LicketySplitComedy.com.

By Christi Bode

Watch this story at LNN.news.

This story is sponsored by RMW Tafoya Barrett & Associates and Dunkin Donuts.