John W. Hickenlooper
09/18/2024 | Press release | Archived content
GIDDY UP-DATE NEWSLETTER: Adventures in Southwestern Colorado
Hey folks,
In case you missed it, we crisscrossed Southwestern Colorado to hear about local issues and hold a public town hall to meet Coloradans like YOU! Check out our travels below
First stop: Cortez.
Rural critical access hospitals are forced to overcome challenges other health care providers don't worry about. We visited Southwest Memorial Hospital to discuss these issues and share how we're fighting to get them resources they need. Read more about our visit HERE!
We also held a town hall in Cortez to hear directly from YOU on a range of issues like energy permitting reform, immigration, and public lands. Didn't get to stop by and ask your question? As always, you can send us your questions HERE.
For decades, the federal government forced Native American children into horrific boarding schools that stripped them of their identity. Today, the Kwiyagat Community Academy in Towaoc is leading the way in preserving the indigenous language and culture of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
We also met with Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council members to discuss issues, including water rights and security, and toured the Farm and Ranch Enterprise, the Tribe's 7,700 acre farm where they produce alfalfa, wheat, and corn!
Read the full article in the Durango Herald
In Durango, we celebrated the CDS funding (over $3 million!) to help convert the former Best Western hotel into 120 new units of affordable housing. Who doesn't like the sound of that?
Fort Lewis College's new nurse training facility and program is helping solve our rural health care worker shortage through workforce training that the region desperately needs! We toured the construction of the facility to see how our $1.3 million in CDS funding is helping. Pretty neat, right?
Statewide innovation? Yeah, Colorado has that. Agile Space in Durango is helping to meet the needs of our booming aerospace industry and reinforcing our state as THE leader in the national security sector.
Always great to meet with Coloradans in Southwest Colorado, and can't wait to be back soon! Until next time!
Sincerely,
Senator John Hickenlooper
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