Columnists - The Journal

Protecting 911 funding and strengthening emergency services through bipartisan work

We’re one-third of the way through the legislative session, and my bills are making their way through the legislative process. Several have already passed out of the House and are being hear...

DATE: Mar 13, 2026 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Colorado mine waste could help meet America’s critical mineral needs

Now that the United States is energy dominant, mineral independence must be the next step in securing the materials needed for our way of life. Mine waste is an understudied resource that co...

DATE: Mar 8, 2026 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Stopping the gossip cycle

Practical steps you can take to keep rumor and innuendo from spreading

DATE: Mar 6, 2026 | CATEGORY: Lessons from the Sandbox

How Colorado’s 3rd District wins the next era of manufacturing

In Colorado’s 3rd District, we do not wait for Washington to save us. We build. We produce. We compete. For too long, federal economic policy has operated in reverse. A plant closes. A mine...

DATE: Mar 6, 2026 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Broken permits, broken promise: How bots and bureaucrats locked out river runners

In the 1980s and ’90s, river runners in the southwestern United States packed their gear and headed into canyon country. Those trips were the heartbeat of their year – where people connected...

DATE: Mar 1, 2026 | CATEGORY: Opinion

We may pay dearly for the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

Recently, the Montezuma County Republications hosted a presentation by the Colorado Health Institute. The CHC is a Denver-based nonpartisan nonprofit that uses evidence-based data and provid...

DATE: Feb 27, 2026 | CATEGORY: Guest Columns

Open lanes

DIAG 1 The Netherlands’ Jan Timman was one of the world’s top players from the 1970s to the early 2000s and at one time the second highest rated player in the world. He was also a belov...

DATE: Feb 26, 2026 | CATEGORY: Chess Corner

Poison in the well

How gossip, rumor, and innuendo quietly damage relationships

DATE: Feb 24, 2026 | CATEGORY: Lessons from the Sandbox

The Trojan pawn

Magnus Carlsen won his 21st World Championship title this month, winning the International Chess Federation’s first official Freestyle Chess Championship. In freestyle chess, the starting po...

DATE: Feb 23, 2026 | CATEGORY: Chess Corner

Montezuma County landfill: Self-funded through user fees, not taxes

The Montezuma County Landfill operates under a financial structure known as an “enterprise” operation, a model designed to ensure the facility pays for itself rather than relying on general ...

DATE: Feb 20, 2026 | CATEGORY: Guest Columns

The Swiss cheese defense

In 1792, King Louis XVI’s 900 Swiss guards tried to protect the king against a mob of more than 20,000 revolutionaries at the Tuileries Palace. Despite a valiant effort, the Swiss guards wer...

DATE: Feb 15, 2026 | CATEGORY: Chess Corner

A look back at the week Feb. 16-22

The following is a recap of local events for this time period throughout history. 25 years ago (2001) Tibbetts Middle School Duck Stamp competition drawings are on display through March 1 at...

DATE: Feb 13, 2026 | CATEGORY: This Week In Local History