Regan Mertz
Arts & Culture ReporterRegan is a journalist for Aspen Public Radio’s Arts & Culture Desk. Regan moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in July 2024 for a job as a reporter at The Aspen Times. While she had never been to Colorado before moving for the job, Regan has now lived in ten different states due to growing up an Army brat. She considers Missouri home, and before moving West, she lived there and worked at a TV station.
Regan graduated from the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism, earning a Master of Arts in Documentary and Photojournalism in December 2022. She received her Bachelor of Journalism in Radio and Convergence Journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in May 2021. Throughout college, Regan worked at every Missouri School of Journalism publication, including the local NPR station.
She spent her summers working as a fellow for the Reynolds Journalism Institute, where she worked on a podcast with The Oregonian and audio stories for South Dakota Public Radio. She has also worked in Washington, D.C., at the Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival and Symposium and at the Library of Congress as a research assistant.
Regan is a White House Correspondents’ Association scholarship recipient and has won awards from the Missouri Broadcasters Association and a Missouri Press Association, along with receiving an Edward R. Murrow in 2021.
When not reporting, she enjoys trying out new hikes with her dog and reading with her cat. Regan is also learning to ski for the first time this winter.
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Jonathan Godes is now the director of the I-70 Coalition, following his eight year tenure as Glenwood Springs mayor and city council member. As a former grant administrator, he wants to implement a new strategy to circumvent federal funding cuts from the Trump administration. -
The 18th 5Point Film Festival is kicking off Thursday in Carbondale and runs until Sunday. Interim executive director Aisha Weinhold sat down with reporter Regan Mertz to talk about this year’s festival, changes in the film industry and how 5Point hopes to stay connected to the local Carbondale community. -
Glenwood Springs got three new council members on Thursday night. Steve Smith, David Townsley and Ray Schmahl will each serve four-year terms. The council also nominated a new mayor. -
Aspen One will begin construction on several infrastructure projects in April at the Snowmass Ski Area. The projects, totaling almost $80 million, will include two lift replacements and reconstruction of the Ullrhof restaurant. -
In 2022, Aspen Film purchased the Isis Theatre since, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the writer and actor strike and the rise of streaming, small theaters have struggled to stay open. Susan Wrubel, executive and artistic director at Aspen Film, sat down with reporter Regan Mertz to talk about the future of the theatre, last week’s ShortsFest and the Sundance Film Festival coming to Colorado. -
Rural Public Lands County Council’s Robert Weidner gave an update to Garfield County commissioners on Monday regarding energy development and the Secure Rural Schools tax on the Western Slope. -
Challenge Aspen hosted the Limitless Mountain Challenge over the weekend. This is an all-day downhill competition on Snowmass Mountain where the goal is to participate in adaptive challenges and fundraise for Challenge Aspen. Lindsay Cagley, CEO at Challenge Aspen, sat down with reporter Regan Mertz to talk about how the organization has evolved over its 30 years. -
Ward 2’s Ray Schmal and at-large David Townsley will join Smith on council. The three new council members will be sworn in on April 17. -
This year’s Shortsfest includes 68 short films, with a program including dramas, comedies, narratives, documentaries and animated films. Many of the films this year are about older adults, and the program includes a robust series of comedy shorts. -
Living in the Roaring Fork Valley comes with a familiar set of challenges — like finding affordable housing, mental health care, and child care. Mountain Voices Project aims to tackle these issues by building coalitions and engaging with local governments.
