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Durango Local News

LNN Durango, Colorado

Durango, Colorado Local NEWS is part of Local NEWS Network (LNN), a unique platform to produce and distribute local NEWS programming in communities across the USA. Check us out on TV @ Durango Cable Channel 15 & Purgatory Cable Channel 3, online at www.durangolocal.news or on one of our 10 digital displays around town and at the airport. News Producer - Deborah Uroda, Executive Producer - Laurie Sigillito

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26 episodes
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English

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Episodes 26

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Wednesday · 4 min
What Youth Lose When Services Fall Short - Our Kids. Our Community. (Episode 2)
La Plata County's youth-serving organizations are working to keep up with rising demand, and the need continues to grow alongside them. Episode two of "Our Kids. Our Community." looks at what's driving that need, and what four local organizations are doing to keep up. By Sadie Smith This story was made possible by YOU, our community, through Colorado Gives, 2025. Watch this story at LNN.news Support the show
Wednesday · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of Sept. 22, 2026
The San Juan Songwriters Festival brings Hall of Fame songwriters and rising voices downtown Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 24-27. Manna hosts its second annual Our Streets, Our Stories event on Thursday, Sept. 24, and Durango Oktoberfest returns to Buckley Park Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27 to close out the week. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Kroegers Ace Hardware and Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. Support the show
September 17 · 3 min
Half Coffee Shop, Half Forge
The Blacksmith Café isn't an ordinary coffee shop. One half is a café, the other half is a working forge. Nate and Jo Winkler opened the shop on Highway 160, where you can get espresso, locally sourced pastries and fresh yerba mate, and also catch live blacksmithing during open forging hours. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Sky Ute Casino and FASTSIGNS Durango. Support the show
September 15 · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of Sept. 15, 2026
The 40th Annual Chocolate Fantasia is Thursday, September 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the La Plata County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. Purgatory Resort hosts its annual Oktoberfest Saturday, September 19, from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the base area. And the Durango Autumn Arts Festival returns Sunday, September 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on East Second Avenue downtown. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Serious Texas Bar-B-Q and Durango Pizza. Support the show
September 9 · 2 min
Skyhawks Win Under Saturday Night Lights
The Fort Lewis College football team played its first home game under new stadium lights this weekend, beating Arizona Christian University 27 to 9 in front of more than 2,000 fans. The roughly $750,000 lighting project was funded by a student fee increase FLC students voted on themselves, and it's the first of three planned upgrades. The Skyhawks host New Mexico Highlands on Saturday, September 12. By Kate Moores and Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Durango Gelato, Coffee & Tea. Support the show
September 8 · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of Sept. 8, 2026
This week Durango has the Durango Fall Pride, the Economic Alliance Summit and a Dolly Parton karaoke tribute at the Durango Arts Center all on the calendar. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Kroegers Ace Hardware and Dunkin Donuts. Support the show
September 4 · 3 min
The Players Behind La Plata's Youth Safety Net
Four organizations serve La Plata County's youth, each in a different way. Episode one of “Our Kids. Our Community.” introduces who they are. By Sadie Smith. Watch this story at LNN.news This story was made possible by YOU, our community, through Colorado Gives, 2025. Support the show
September 1 · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of Sept. 1, 2026
The Four Corners Motorcycle Rally celebrates its 33rd anniversary Thursday through Sunday, September 3 to 6, with a packed schedule of events. On Friday, September 4, Durango's Fall Gallery Walk takes over galleries across town from 4 to 7 p.m. The ArtRoom Collective at the Smiley is celebrating its 5th birthday and is the perfect place to start your evening. And starting Friday, September 4, Purgatory Resort hosts the annual Mushroom Festival. The weekend includes a mushroom and wine dinner Friday evening, a cooking masterclass on Saturday, and a multi-course mushroom and wine luncheon on Sunday. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Durango Pizza and the Payroll Department. Support the show
August 25 · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of Aug. 25, 2026
This weekend, Durango has the San Juan Brewfest, the Mountain States Cup Downhill Series Finale at Purgatory Resort and a late summer birding outing at the San Juan Mountains Association Nature Center. Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Serious Texas Bar-B-Q and RMW Tafoya Barrett & Associates. Support the show
August 21 · 2 min
Main Street Businesses: Farmington Commercial Space Turned Into Multi-Sport Complex
A former Farmington grocery store has become a hub for local youth sports, thanks to the Pennington family. The Penningtons have owned the building since the 1980s and began converting it into practice space for their children's volleyball and baseball teams before opening it up to the wider community. Today, Empire Athletics offers batting cages, volleyball and pickleball courts, a yoga studio and a gym, with a new turf field project already underway. Owners say every dollar the business makes goes back into equipment, not a paycheck. Empire Athletics sits near Costa Vida and Nutra Mills in Farmington, with league, camp and clinic updates posted on Facebook and Instagram. By Tanner Waite This story is sponsored by FASTSIGNS Farmington, Legacy Financial Advisors and Rocky Mountain Safety. And presented by Four Corners Economic Development, the Farmington Chamber of Commerce and the Aztec Chamber of Commerce. Watch this story at LNN.news Support the show
August 18 · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of Aug. 18, 2026
On Wednesday, August, 19 EsoTerra Arboretum hosts Vinyasa and Vines, an all-levels yoga class paired with wine and cheese from 6 to 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, August 22, Durango Natural Foods hosts its annual Harvest Festival at Rotary Park from 2 to 7 p.m. And on Sunday, August 23, St. Paul's Lutheran Church hosts a community open house celebrating a newly renovated sanctuary from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a catered lunch from Zia Taqueria and tours of the new Animas Room community space. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by FASTSIGNS Durango and Mercy Sports Medicine. Support the show
August 14 · 1 min
New Colorado Law Cracks Down on People Who Attract Bears
Colorado's "Negligently Luring Bears" law, House Bill 1342, cracks down on people who attract wild bears. The law lowers the legal standard from "intentional" to "knowing" behavior, removes the automatic warning first-time offenders used to receive, and raises the fine for repeat violations from $2,000 to $5,000. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by the FLC Center for Innovation and Sky Ute Casino Support the show
August 11 · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of Aug. 11, 2026
Durango Nordic and Durango DEVO host the city's first ever mountain bike biathlon on Saturday, August 15, at Animas High School. The La Plata County Fair wraps up with the Demolition Derby Saturday afternoon at Sky Ute Fairgrounds in Ignacio. And the Durango Arts Center hosts the inaugural Kirk James Music Celebration Sunday, August 16, at Ska Brewing benefiting KSUT Public Radio and Stillwater Music youth scholarships. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Dunkin Donuts and Kroegers Ace Hardware. Support the show
August 7 · 3 min
Aztec Riverside BMX Track Breaks Ground This Fall
Aztec Riverside BMX aims to break ground this October on a two-acre, city-owned lot for a new BMX track, giving local children a home course instead of long drives to Durango or Albuquerque to race. The nonprofit is working with USA BMX to design the track to national standards. Beyond race day, organizers plan a loaner bike fleet, Strider races for the youngest riders and a school partnership teaching children how bikes work through a STEM program. By Tanner Waite Watch this story at LNN.News This story is sponsored by Home2Suites and Sunray Park & Casino. Support the show
August 5 · 3 min
Main Street Businesses: As Durango's Landfill Fills Up, One Business Has a Solution
Table to Farm Compost is a Durango based climate activist business that has been turning food scraps into compost since 2016. Co-owner Monique DiGiorgio was recently named the 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year by Southwest Colorado Rocks for her leadership in growing the company to more than 800 subscribers and achieving the highest level of compost certification in Colorado. The company offers curbside pickup of food scraps and transforms them into high quality compost used by local gardeners and agricultural producers across La Plata County. With Durango's Bonded Landfill at 70% capacity and Durango City Council set to decide on composting requirements this fall, Table to Farm is at the center of an important conversation about how Durango handles its organic waste. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by FASTSIGNS Durango, Legacy Financial Advisors and RMW/Tafoya Barrett & Associates. And presented by the La Plata County Economic Alliance and the Durango Chamber of Commerce. Support the show
August 4 · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of Aug. 4, 2026
The La Plata County Fair runs Wednesday to Sunday, August 5 through 9, at the fairgrounds. Durango Nursery and Supply is partnering with the La Plata County Humane Society for their Dog Days of Summer Sale through Saturday, August 8. And the Community Concert Hall at the Park wraps up its summer season this Thursday with the Mojo Birds at Buckley Park. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Durango Gelato, Coffee & Tea. Support the show
July 31 · 10 min
Beyond the Embers
Living in southwest Colorado means the risk of fire and flood is never far from home. First responders and firefighters are currently fighting the Rio Blanco Fire, located 12 miles south of Pagosa Springs. The lightning-caused fire started on Tuesday, July 28, and as of Thursday evening, it has grown to 781 acres with 0% containment. Nearly a year ago, communities just west of town experienced a similar threat: the Oak Fire, fueled by dry conditions, quickly outpaced on-the-ground resources with its extreme behavior. Sixty days later, historic, climate-fueled floods resulted in the third-largest flows on record for the San Juan River. These forests are increasingly defined by cycles of extreme multi-year droughts and wildfires interspersed with catastrophic precipitation in a warmer atmosphere. Beyond the Embers, a new short film produced by local filmmaker, Christi Bode, reflects on 2025 events and expresses the continued need for community preparedness before the next natural disaster. The film was produced with support from the San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership, Wolf Creek Ski Area and Best of Pagosa Springs Real Estate. By Christi Bode Watch this story at LNN.news Support the show
July 28 · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of July 28, 2026
The Powerhouse Science Center hosts rock band ORA on Wednesday as part of its weekly Community Concert Series. The Durango Brewers Trail Series wraps up on Thursday with the High Trestle Brewing Series Finale at Overend Mountain Park. And the 7th Annual Buckley Park Arts and Crafts Festival closes out the week on Saturday with local artisans and makers. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Dunkin Donuts and the Payroll Department. Support the show
July 22 · 3 min
Fort Lewis College Joins Work-Based Learning Initiative
Fort Lewis College has been selected as one of five rural Colorado colleges to participate in CO-WIL, the Colorado Work-Integrated Learning Consortium. The three-year pilot program connects students with real employer projects inside the classroom, allowing them to earn a minimum $250 stipend while getting academic credit. The state intentionally selected rural colleges first, with the goal of scaling the program statewide if successful. The program will initially support courses in computer information systems, psychology, nutrition and studio art and is expected to get underway in the coming months. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Durango Gelato, Coffee & Tea. Support the show
July 21 · 1 min
What’s Happening Around Durango | Week of July 21, 2026
This week, Durango has a free outdoor concert, a boozy peach brunch and tickets on sale for an intimate songwriter festival. The Jon Stickley Trio performs Thursday, July 23, at Buckley Park as part of the Community Concert Hall at the Park free concert series. On Sunday, July 26, Graze Colorado hosts Peaches and Prosecco, a three course boozy brunch celebrating Palisade peach season. And the San Juan Songwriter Festival comes to downtown Durango September 24 through 27, featuring Nashville hitmakers and local songwriters performing across intimate downtown venues. Tickets start at $40. By Sadie Smith Watch this story at LNN.news This story is sponsored by RMW Tafoya Barrett & Associates and FASTSIGNS Durango. Support the show

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