Governor Jared Polis

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis urged lawmakers Wednesday to take quick action on a $1 billion-plus stimulus plan, lower taxes to jump-start the economy and rally the state after a year that saw the coronavirus claim the lives of nearly 5,700 residents, three of the largest wildfires in state history and protests over police brutality and racial injustice.

As the pandemic nears its one year mark, Gov. Jared Polis has issued more than 260 executive orders aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. He says he can’t wait until they all expire.

“You know each one is difficult, and thoughtful and predicated by science,” he said in an interview with Rocky Mountain Community Radio.

Gov. Jared Polis and First Gentlemen Marlon Reis tested positive for COVID-19. The governor tweeted the announcement Saturday night, and included a statement. 

"Marlon and I are feeling well so far, and are in good spirits. No person or family is immune to this virus. I urge every Coloradan to practice caution, limit public interactions, wear a mask in public, stay six feet from others, and wash your hands regularly," said Polis.

Gov. Jared Polis created a new group this week to come up with a strategy to safely reopen more schools to-in person learning next year. Many districts across Colorado recently switched to remote learning because of a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Districts in the Roaring Fork Valley have moved between in-person and remote learning since the start of the school year, depending on known cases among staff or students in accordance with safety protocols from the state. 

In a speech Friday afternoon, Gov. Jared Polis delivered some stern warnings  for the state as it goes through its most challenging throes of the pandemic. 

Colorado is now seeing its highest coronavirus case counts and hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic, but Gov. Jared Polis is not issuing any new restrictions.

Instead, Polis is urging residents to do three things this month, including wearing masks, staying six feet apart and only visiting with members of their own households.

Gov. Jared Polis announced new orders Friday afternoon limiting gatherings to 10 people from no more than two households in all counties at all three “Safer at Home” levels. The announcement comes after weeks of increased cases of COVID-19 across the state.

Coloradans will soon be able to use digital IDs on their smartphones in their dealings with state agencies.

Gov. Jared Polis announced Wednesday that residents can create the ID by scanning their driver's license into an app called myColorado .

The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Two schools in the Midvalley are welcoming new school administrators. The Roaring Fork School District announced new principals at Basalt High School and Crystal River Elementary School in Carbondale. 

Matthew Koenigsknecht will lead Crystal River Elementary School. He was a language arts teacher in Denver and managed a summer program at Basalt Elementary School.

Peter Mueller will take the reigns at Basalt High School. He works for The Nature Conservancy and served as principal at Telluride public schools. Mueller also worked in Evergreen, Colorado at a private school.