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Heavy rainfall produced flash flooding and mandatory evacuations in a wide swath of the Southwest on Sunday as weary residents in the normally arid region dealt with another massive drenching. Residents of Pagosa Springs, a southwestern Colorado town of more than 2,000 in the Rockies located near ski resorts and known for its hot springs, were bracing for its main river to rise to historic levels. Town officials warned in a Facebook post of potentially 'catastrophic flooding' as the San Juan River was forecast to crest at more than 20 feet late on Sunday night. 'To put the forecast into...

A disaster emergency has been declared by Gov. Jared Polis over flooding in La Plata, Archuleta, Montezuma, Dolores, Hinsdale, San Miguel, Ouray, San Juan, Mineral, Alamosa, and Rio Grande counties. A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for residents along the San Juan, Rio Blanco, Navajo and Piedra rivers in Archuleta County. All low-lying and flood-prone areas along the rivers are under mandatory evacuation, according to the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office and the town of Pagosa Springs. Two evacuation centers have been opened by the Red Cross of Western Colorado: .... All schools in the Archuleta School District will be...

I own a second home in Pagosa Springs, CO. A couple years ago the HOA for Pagosa Lakes went full dictator and declared war on short term rentals in Pagosa Lakes. We home owners were not able to vote on this; they simply declared it with minimal input from the owners. When I sent a scathing letter that included the “damn” word I was informed of another policy they enacted without input. If they don’t like your correspondence you are subject to a $500 fine for the first offense, $10,000 for the second and $20,000 for the third. Gee, what...

Domeanna Spell, of Port Barre, was last seen getting off the school bus on March 28 around 7 a.m. by Port Barre High School and was believed to be on the run with an older man in a 2003 silver Honda Civic, police said. On Friday, Disotel and Spell were located in 1,165 miles away from her school, in Pagosa Springs, Colorado after her cell phone pinged off one of the cell towers in the area, said Undersheriff Derek Woodman with the Archuleta County, Colorado's Sheriff's Office. One of the county deputies spotted the reported vehicle Disotel was driving and...

PAGOSA SPRINGS - In a town in scenic southwestern Colorado homeowners are battling over whether a Christmas wreath that includes a peace sign is an anti-Iraq war protest or even a promotion of Satan. "We have had three or four complaints. Some people have kids in Iraq and they are sensitive," said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He also said some believe it is a symbol of Satan. Jeff Heitz, of the association board, sent a letter to Lisa Jensen saying: "Loma Linda residents are offended by the peace sign displayed on the...