The box office has been in a bad place lately. Last week didn’t bring much in the way of new wide releases other than the pathetic “Leap!” This week there were no new wide releases at all. Nada. Nothing wanted to open on Labor Day weekend. This lack of competition allowed the slowly-growing “Wind River” to mosey its way into the Top 3 at the weekend box office. The movie isn’t some skyrocketing small-time gem, but it’s one of the better options from the doldrums of August.

The Lamar Community College Rodeo team is working hard and looking forward to the 2017-2018 season. The team participates in ten rodeos within the Central Rocky Mountain Region: five in the fall and five in the spring. 

This year’s roster is comprised of 20 members including 12 on the women’s team and eight on the men’s.

“Our women’s team will be led by two good returners, Tacie Canfield and Ashten Marchant,” LCC Head Rodeo coach Fred Sherwood said. “Both were seated in the top ten in the region in their events, so they should do well this year.”

Three sessions of online courses are still available this fall at Lamar Community College.  LCC is offering over 200 late start online courses in ten or six-week formats that are currently open for enrollment.  This means anyone interested in taking a course or two can complete them in a shorter period of time while working around their existing schedule.

The Big Red Fire, discovered in Routt County Friday, experienced major growth over the holiday weekend, reaching over 1,400 acres.

The fire is believed to have been started by lightning August 19 – the last time storms were in the area. The fire is burning in the Routt National Forest north of Big Red Park about five miles south of the Colorado-Wyoming border or 45 miles north of Steamboat Springs.

Wildland fires are typically named after the closest prominent geographic feature or landmark.

(Family Features) Furry friends can play a significant role in pet owners’ lives. The old saying goes, “dogs are man’s best friend,” and research shows they may be more than that. In fact, they just might be the key to keeping seniors active.

A cold front has descended across eastern Colorado which will drop Tuesdays high temperatures by 20 or more degrees compared to Monday.

While the northern and southern parts of the eastern plains can expect temperatures in the low to mid-70s, the central plains will be even cooler, with highs in the upper 60s. Across the area, look for cloudy conditions Tuesday morning that will gradually clear later in the day.

Julienne "Julie" Rosalind Johnson

(July 14, 1921 - September 4, 2017)

Funeral services are pending. Mrs. Johnson passed away at Keefe Memorial Hospital in Cheyenne Wells.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Brown Funeral Home

Hurricane Irma continued to strengthen overnight and has now reached Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale with sustained winds at 175 miles per hour. While the storm’s strength will fluctuate, it is expected to remain a Category 4 or 5 storm for several days.

The storm formed over the Atlantic Ocean last week, and rapidly became a major hurricane – those storms reaching Category 3 and above – as it tracks west.