Regan Mertz
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Aspen Public Radio
Most newspapers on the Western Slope have been bought by larger media groups or moved to a nonprofit model. But one paper in the Crystal River Valley has stayed independent and for-profit, after a longtime local bought it at the beginning of this year.
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Election Day this year produced a Blue Tsunami, as Democrats won key races across the country on Nov. 3. Local voters had a lot to say about what motivated them to cast ballots. -
Halle Zander/Aspen Public RadioFor decades, fire departments across the country have used drones to monitor wildfires. But the Aspen Fire Protection District will be the first to operate a new model from California-based company Seneca, which could help slow wildfires before firefighters arrive. -
Regan Mertz/Aspen Public RadioWith ski season only a couple of weeks away, Aspen Snowmass has unveiled plans for its 80th anniversary season. Skiers and riders can also expect some new on-mountain infrastructure this winter. -
Hannah Weaver/Aspen Public RadioInitial results are rolling in from the 2026 Midterm Elections in Colorado, including in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties. This article was last updated at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2026.
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On today's podcast: This year’s drought forced water managers across the Roaring Fork region to collaborate. The two appointees chosen to serve on the Garfield County public library board have different views on restricting books with mature content. And Latino Democrats in Congress will reach record numbers next year.
Regional News
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Courtesy of the Crested Butte Museum.In the town of Crested Butte, music helped unite Central European miners who immigrated to the U.S. to work in the coal mines. As an international language, music kept them connected to their cultural roots. Pete Dunda has been keeping that tradition alive for eight decades. -
Julia Caulfield/KOTOThe Telluride Bluegrass Festival has shaped the town’s culture and identity over the past five decades. A longtime attendee shares her reflections on how the music, performers, and experiences have evolved while the festival tradition continues. -
Sandy D. CrawfordFor generations, the Draper family has made its living ranching in Wetmore, in southern Colorado. As supplemental income, the family found another way to sustain their operation by providing horses, cattle, and wagons for Western movies filmed throughout the region. -
Jesse Paul/The Colorado SunPropositions 132, 133, 134 and 135 can be overturned or tweaked with a simple majority vote of the state legislature.
NPR News
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Jose Luis Magana/FR159526 APThe Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee released a scathing report after a 15-month investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. It faulted the federal government with decades of failing to hold Epstein accountable. -
Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesHouse Republicans managed to short-circuit a floor vote on the impeachment effort brought against the Defense Secretary by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie. -
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case related to temporary worker visas. The company involved says enforcement issues should go through the courts, not the federal agency alone. -
Russia's top independent newspaper is closing after more than 30 years amid state pressure and censorship laws. Its founder won the Nobel Peace Prize and several of its journalists have been killed.
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The Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam hosted an unusual exhibit in recent weeks — a renowned tattoo artist inking the Dutch master's designs on visitors' skin.
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Drone makers are testing new, big drones that can deliver water or fire retardant with AI assistance. Aspen, Colorado is the first place trying them out. Cool and expensive? Yes. Effective? TBD. -
The U.S. has skipped a key U.N. human rights review for the second year running. Rights groups warn the absence risks undermining global accountability. -
Mona Chalabi spent five years following Americans living paycheck to paycheck, as well as those earning top wages. Her new book, Ten Lives, explores why financial security can feel so elusive. -
Gasoline prices fell below $4 a gallon Tuesday for the first time in three months — but the overall cost of living remains stubbornly high. -
Little is known about her except that she's reportedly about 13 and named Kim Ju Ae, but Korea's spy agency says she's likely her father's heir.
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