MONTE VISTA – Care and Share Food Bank hosted its first Recipe for Hope luncheon on May 16 at the Outcalt Event and Conference Center at SLV Ski-Hi Complex. Approximately 80 people attended the event.

MONTE VISTA – The Monte Vista High School held a graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024 on Friday, May 24.

MONTE VISTA – The sun was high in the sky, and the mood was somber and peaceful for the Memorial Day service at the Homelake Veterans Cemetery on May 27.

VALLEY – Sargent High School history teacher John Willis was named the San Luis Valley’s 2024 Educator of the Year by the SLV Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES). The 38th annual ceremony was held Wednesday, May 1, at the Ski-Hi Complex in Monte Vista and was sponsored by San Luis Valley Federal Bank.

MONTE VISTA – The top floats in the 2024 Ski-Hi Stampede parades will receive cash prizes. The Ski-Hi Stampede parades will be on July 12 and 13 in downtown Monte Vista. The theme for this year’s parade is “Heroes Among Us.”

MONTE VISTA — Longtime country artist and multiple-award winner Wynonna Judd will be the featured act for the Ski Hi Stampede concert on Thursday, July 11, as the 100-year plus event moves up a week earlier than normal.

MONTE VISTA – Approximately 40 people attended a memorial dedication ceremony for Sargent School District teacher and FBLA advisor Sharon Adams on May 1. Adams passed away Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.

ALAMOSA — William Crowther, 62, of Sanford, appeared in District Court last Friday for sentencing after pleading guilty to sexual assault on a child, a Class 4 felony, and unlawful sexual contact, a Class 1 misdemeanor. District Court Judge Kimberly Cortez presided in the case.

SAN LUIS VALLEY — Each spring, many birds come to the San Luis Valley and spend the summer nesting here to raise their brood. Members of the Friends of the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges have organized a schedule of spring bird walks.

MONTE VISTA — On Tuesday, March 26, the LOR Foundation donated $1,500 to the Future Business Leaders of America club at Monte Vista High School. The money was given to assist the business students with their attendance at the state competition for FBLA to help with expenses associated with the trip. The sponsorship will help with the cost of travel, meals, and lodging.

MONTE VISTA — Approximately 150 people, including adults and children, attended an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 30, at Chapman Park. The hunt was a collaboration between the Monte Vista Elks Lodge and the Monte Vista Police Department.

MONTE VISTA — Approximately 300 people attended the prestigious Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb. 17 at the Outcalt Event and Conference at SLV Ski-Hi Complex.

MONTE VISTA — The second annual Fly the Coop 5K run and walk will be held at 10 a.m. on March 9, during the Monte Vista Crane Festival. The race will begin at the Monte Vista Athletic Club at 2360 Sherman Ave., across the street from the Ski-Hi Complex.

MONTE VISTA — It is that time of year again, the 41st annual Crane Festival is flying into Monte Vista on March 8-10. The festival is collaborative effort of the Friends of the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges, the City of Monte Vista, the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce, and the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Complex.

MONTE VISTA — The Southern Rocky Mountain Agriculture Conference (SRMAC) will be held at the Outcalt Event and Conference Center at SLV Ski Hi Complex on Feb. 6-8, and Temple Grandin is the keynote speaker.

MONTE VISTA — More than 300 people attended services for long-time law enforcement officer William “Bill” James Lucero on Saturday, Jan. 20, at Monte Vista High School and Homelake Cemetery. He passed away suddenly on Jan. 9 at his home in Pagosa Springs at the age of 59.

MONTE VISTA — Walk into Monte Vista High School and there’s a good chance you’ll run into Edwin Mondragon. He’s the one in suspenders merrily making his way through the school building. You might also hear chickens clucking or find baby trout growing in a tank in the back of a classroom.

SAN LUIS VALLEY — A person is being investigated for embezzling from the Monte Vista Emergency Food Bank and Marty’s Maintenance.

MONTE VISTA — Approximately 50 people attended the ribbon cutting for Mountain Valley Mortuary on Friday, Jan. 26, held a ribbon cutting ceremony at 504 4th Ave.

MONTE VISTA — Thirteen children took part in the Shopping with a First Responder event organized by the Monte Vista Police Department, the Rio Grande County Sheriff’s Office, Monte Vista EMS, Colorado State Patrol and the LOR Foundation on Saturday, Dec. 9.