Durango, Colorado Local NEWS is part of Local NEWS Network (LNN), a unique platform to produce and distribute local NEWS programming in communities across the USA. Check us out on TV @ Durango Cable Channel 15 & Purgatory Cable Channel 3, online at www.durangolocal.news or on one of our 10 digital displays around town and at the airport. News Producer - Deborah Uroda, Executive Producer - Laurie Sigillito
On Wednesday, Dec. 17, Chabad rabbis lit a public menorah in Durango in response to the Sydney terror attack that killed 15 people, including their colleague Rabbi Eli Schlanger. The event was one stop on the Hanukkah in the Rockies tour, with four Chabad rabbis traveling across the Western Slope to bring the warmth and light of the celebration to mountain communities. Each menorah lighting was dedicated to the memory of those murd...
Pueblo Seed & Food Co. is a family-run organic farm and seed enterprise rooted in deep stewardship of land, seed, and community. Established in 1996 and now operating on irrigated acreage near Cortez, Colorado, the company grows a wide diversity of certified organic crops—open-pollinated seeds, chile peppers, varietal garlic, vegetables, legumes, and heritage grains—selling them as seeds, fresh produce, and handcrafted foods th...
The Early Childhood Council of La Plata County seeks to raise $10 million to invest in early childhood development and care. Research for the council’s Strategic Investment Plan demonstrated a significant lack in available care in La Plata County and its effect on the local economy. Watch to learn more! By Rachel Hughes.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/childcares-effect-on-the-local-economy-and-workforce
Whole Foods Market may come to Durango as part of a plan to redevelop the Durango Mall site. Spine Colorado patients now have access to new spinal imaging technology. And Purgatory Resort announced its holiday event schedule featuring family-friendly activities and scenic winter experiences from December through the beginning of January. Watch for details! By Rachel Hughes.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/wil...
The Festival of Trees and Wreaths kicked off the holiday season in Durango and Cortez as a fundraiser for Community Connections and Our Own Lives. By Sadie Smith.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/festival-of-trees-and-wreaths-kicked-off-holiday-season
This story is sponsored by FLC Center for Innovation and Kroegers Ace Hardware.
This holiday season, the artists of The ArtRoom Collective at the welcoming halls of The Smiley are turning compassion into action. With many of our community members facing uncertainty and hardship, the Collective is reminding us how deeply connected we are—and how art can be a powerful force for hope. 18 local artists have contributed over $7343.00 works to a silent auction, donating 100% of the proceeds to a charity of their cho...
The La Plata Electric Association announced that it will not increase rates for members in 2026 despite rising utility costs. The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado opened applications for the Meaningful Opportunity through Learning and Advancement Scholarship. And Fort Lewis College Community Concert Hall’s holiday lineup includes performances by Santa Barbara’s State Street Ballet and the Bar-D Wranglers. Watch to le...
Ignacio Community Library will host a Christmas craft competition. Sky Ute Casino Resort’s Shine Together Arts and Crafts Fair returns in December. And election results are in! The Ignacio School District No. 11Jt Board of Directors remains unchanged. Watch for details! By Rachel Hughes.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/christmas-craft-competitions-and-festive-fairs
This story is sponsored by FASTSIGNS Durango...
The Durango Creative District recently hosted Super-Powered Sovereignty, a vibrant and empowering exhibition celebrating Indigenous comic book art. Curated by Andrea Descheenie, the event brought together a diverse group of Indigenous artists whose work explores identity, sovereignty, and cultural resilience through dynamic visual storytelling. Attendees experienced an array of original illustrations, prints, and comic panels featu...
The Payroll Department and Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado’s Pitch Palooza finalists presented to a full house. Fort Lewis College appointed Shawn Jakubowski as the new Director of Athletics. And the Durango Public Library seeks submissions for a writing contest. Watch to learn more! By Rachel Hughes.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/pitch-palooza-packs-house
This story is sponsored by Durango ...
While the government shutdown has ended, food pantries continue to face high demand. The Good Food Collective helps them meet needs. By Sadie Smith.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/food-pantries-strain-to-keep-up-after-shutdown
This story is sponsored by Happy Pappy's Pizza & Wings and Kroegers Ace Hardware.
Families, educators, and community members gathered on Nov. 6 to get a first look at the designs for Durango’s future Three Springs Elementary School. The event showcased renderings, design boards, and interactive displays highlighting how the new school will blend innovation with nature — creating flexible, future-ready spaces that connect students to the outdoors. Superintendent Dr. Karen Cheser shared that the design “represents...
Durango’s 22nd Annual Festival of Trees and Wreaths display opens Monday, Nov. 24. Start off the holiday season with song at the Durango Business Improvement District’s annual community Christmas celebration, Singing with Santa. Watch for details! And Thanksgiving Day is the top reported day for home cooking fires. Learn how you can stay safe this holiday season with tips from the National Fire Protection Association. By Rachel Hug...
The League of Women Voters of La Plata County hosted a forum at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031 in Durango, giving community members experiencing homelessness a chance to share their stories, challenge stereotypes, and put a human face on homelessness. By Sadie Smith.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/unhoused-community-members-share-stories-at-forum
This story is sponsored by Serious Texas Bar-B-Q and F...
La Plata County experienced a 47 percent voter turnout with about 21,000 ballots cast out of more than 47,000 active voters for the 2025 local elections. The majority of voters were in favor of tax increases, mill levy changes, and reduced refunds from the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights in exchange for improved county and city services. By Rachel Hughes.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/durango-taxpayers-support-civ...
The City of Durango seeks applicants for the Affordable Housing Planning Focus Group. Calling all Christmas elves and merry-makers! The San Juan Mountains Association requests holiday volunteers for its biggest fundraiser of the year. And Fort Lewis College invites community members to learn how rural communities can use AI to their benefit. Watch to learn more! By Rachel Hughes.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstorie...
Five of Colorado’s best photographers will showcase their work at the Colorado Pro Photographer Showdown. The Durango art scene prepares for holiday markets with open calls for artist applications. And HomeToGo named 19 Colorado Ski areas on its top-70 list of best ski resorts for visitor value. By Rachel Hughes.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/five-colorado-photographers-will-compete-for-no-1
In 1990, the Union Cycliste Initernational held the inaugural world mountain bike championships in Durango. In 2030, the world's best mountain bike riders will once again return to Purgatory for the UCI World Championships 40 years after the inaugural event. By Sadie Smith.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/durango-has-work-ahead-as-international-mountain-bike-championships-host
This story is sponsored by D...
La Plata County operates on revenues based on a tax rate set more than 40 years ago. With rising costs of services and supplies, the county commissioners say it’s time for an update and have asked voters to consider a yes vote for a proposed one-cent sales-tax increase. Without it, the county faces significant service cuts that will affect every county resident. Watch to learn more! By Rachel Hughes.
Watch this story at www.durango...
Greyhound expanded its services in the Four Corners Region with a new bus route. Best of Fest 2025 showcases the best short films from the Durango Independent Film Festival. And celebrate the start of ski season at Purgatory Resort with opening day activities. Watch to learn more! By Rachel Hughes.
Watch this story at www.durangolocal.news/newsstories/traveling-from-albuquerque-to-durango-just-got-easier
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The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.
"SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laughter and newfound knowledge to feed the SmartLess mind. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!