Western Colorado

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Chamber sees spike in non-renewals

The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce reported the number of small business members that did not renew their memberships — citing reasons that they closed, merged or relocated — increased significantly in November and ...

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Ritter touts plans to stave off downturn

DENVER — Colorado needs to make tough choices to confront the state’s declining economy, Gov. Bill Ritter told state lawmakers Thursday during his State of the State address. “Families and businesses throughout Colorado are ...

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Shell Oil moves forward on its oil shale plans

Shell Oil this year will resubmit its application to test its freezewall technology on federal lands in northwest Colorado as it moves ahead with plans to produce petroleum from oil shale. Shell two years ago withdrew a permit application for ...

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Health group says local hepatitis C rate ‘alarming’ in at-risk residents

Sitting in a cozy office waiting for clients is not how Rabeeha Ghaffar sees her job at the Western Colorado AIDS Project. “I don’t wait for them to come to me, because that is not going to happen most of the time,” said ...

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Gas prices swinging upward after spiral

Drivers might have noticed during the morning commute gas prices swinging upward at local stations after a months-long spiral that slashed the national average for a gallon of unleaded gas from a record high this summer. Thursday’s ...

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Man hit, killed by pickup

A man in his 50s was killed Thursday night after he was struck by a pickup outside a home in the 500 block of Sunrise Drive. The man was hit in the street shortly after 9 p.m. Dispatch reports indicated the man was not conscious and not ...

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Mark Udall reiterates go-slow approach to shale

Newly seated U.S. Sen. Mark Udall on Thursday gave his colleagues an early indication of his position on oil shale development, reiterating the go-slow approach he advocated while a member of the House of Representatives. “Let’s ...

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Man pleads not guilty in child’s murder

A former Grand Junction man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to killing his ex-girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter. Charles McEachern, 33, of Littleton, pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. A ...

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Construction-weary business owners anxious to get down to business on Colorado Ave.

Cookie Murraye likes what she sees these days peering out the generous windows that overlook Colorado Avenue and Fifth Street. Months ago, Colorado Avenue was shut down in sections as crews worked to narrow the wide road, adding wide ...

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Buyers for recyclables suddenly hard to find

Large square bales of smashed cardboard and multicolored plastic bottles piling up at a local recycling company aren’t intended to be the latest modern art installation. Though the growing mass of stashed materials is kind of pretty in ...

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