Opinion

Tax hike won’t fix self-inflicted revenue problem

La Plata County commissioners are asking voters to approve a 1% sales tax increase this November to fund basic services…

September 3, 2025

Guest Columns

The push is on to strip big trees from our national forests

It didn’t get much notice, but President Donald Trump has turbocharged logging on public lands in ways that are likely…

September 3, 2025

An opportunity for local stores to up their game

I read with interest the article, Durango residents protest REI, urge shoppers to support local stores,” (Herald, Aug. 24) pertaining…

Tina Peters is corrupting our judicial process

Tina Peters, former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder, and four-count convicted felon, now has MAGA cause célèbre status. “FREE TINA…

When words fail, a simple ‘thank you’

Thank you to all the agencies that coordinated the response to the Blue Ridge Fire in Forest Lakes. As a…

Our Cold Civil War: Democracy vs. Autocracy

The citizens of the U.S. are in a cold civil war. There are the people who believe in the rule…

Guest Columns

The county is rightly taking Battery Energy Storage Systems seriously, regulating amid real safety concerns

Last January, a fire ignited in a California battery energy storage system (BESS), the world’s largest, spewing black billowing clouds…

True safety means protecting all students

I am writing in response to the letter titled “Student safety should come first in restroom policy” (Herald, Aug. 17).…

Editorials

Our view: History repeats itself

FEMA’s funding and expertise falter 20 years after Katrina, weakening our ability to prepare for and recover from disasters

The benefits of independence and the free market

LPEA, our local electric co-op, is well managed, always keeping the interests of its members in mind. Whenever I have…

What gives? No access, public notice

Way to go, city of Durango. Closing a major recreation area entrance for weeks without any notice or updates. If…

Local trust matters when the feds fail

I watched the bodycam footage. The Durango Police Department posted it on Facebook (see https://tinyurl.com/48jz8nwk) after Compañeros: Four Corners Immigrant…

August 27, 2025

Who will be taken next?

I am afraid to write this letter because of being targeted by ICE, but somebody must. ICE agents are stealing…

August 27, 2025

Editorials

Our view: Property valuations are up for a reason

La Plata County property owners pushed back this month against the valuations they received in May to a greater degree…

It’s time for the Herald to fix its forecasts

The weather forecast on the back page of the Herald is between 5 and 10 degrees lower than the actual…

Rebuilding trust in public institutions essential

For several decades, there has been a concerted effort to destroy trust in our public institutions. Trust in public institutions…

Is slaughter less gross than lab-grown meat?

A recent editorial, “Our view: Colorado’s new laws,” described lab grown meat as “gross” (Herald, Aug. 17). Don’t you think…

Hofman a blessing to Durango, FLC and men’s basketball

I was heartbroken to hear about Bob Hofman passing away (Herald, Aug. 20). This staunch Metro always looked forward to…

City Council falling for ADU illusion

Are Durango city councilors really so naive that they think that easing ADU regulations in our city will somehow magically…

For the record: Upper Pine, not Los Pinos

We live less than 7 miles from the Blue Ridge Fire, which started at the Forest Lakes Subdivision the afternoon…

Removing exhibits doesn’t erase the history

History is documentation of events that happened, people who were involved, detailing the actions and ideas that have impacted our…

Vaccines prevent the suffering I experienced as a child

I have practiced medicine including immunology for 40 years. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admits to having no medical or scientific…

The sum of a life in Durango

I thought to submit a letter, absent politics and controversy, that simply reflects on my life in Durango. So I…