Colorado’s Move Over Law recently was modified to define what “slow down” means in relation to specific speed limits.

The law requires drivers to move over or slow down when approaching an emergency vehicle (police, fire and ambulance), a tow truck or a highway maintenance vehicle when their red, yellow or blue emergency lights are activated, a press release stated.

Next week will mark one year as chief for Dean Morgan, a 10-year member of the Buena Vista Police Department as part of two decades of law enforcement.

More than 100 impaired driving fatalities reported on Colorado roads this year

Buena Vista police received a report of gunshots and a man threatening to kill another individual near CR 304 in the Midland Hill Trail area Thursday afternoon, resulting in a suspect being charged with attempted first degree murder.

Following a nearly year-long investigation, Barry Morphew, 53, was arrested Wednesday morning, charged with the first degree murder in the death of his wife Suzanne Morphew, who went missing May 10, 2020.

Salida Police Chief Russ Johnson said Tuesday there have been no new leads in the disappearance of Nathan Schwartz.

The 22-year-old Eaton man was last seen Feb. 22, according to family members. His car, a black 1999 Toyota Rav4, was found in Salida March 2, parked on F street between 13th and 14th streets.

For the third week in a row, Buena Vista schools reported no cases in superintendent Lisa Yates’s Monday update.

One, near the Tunnels north of Buena Vista has been vandalized. Fourmile volunteer Alan Robinson discovered the damage to the sign, as well as damage to the newly built Bureau of Land Management restrooms at the CR375 parking area.

Chaffee County Fire Protection District broke ground earlier this month for the addition and renovation of Fire Station No. 4 in Poncha Springs.

Salida Police Chief Russ Johnson said that as of Thursday, there has been no new information in the case of missing man Nathan Schwartz, age 22.

Schwartz, of Eaton, was headed to Colorado Springs Feb. 22. He texted his mother Feb. 24 from a cell tower in the Salida area. The phone has been turned off since that last connection and Schwartz’s debit card has also not been used since last week.

His car was found in town Tuesday.

The Colorado State Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred about 8:04 a.m., Thursday, March 4 on U.S. Highway 285 near marker 140.

Salida Police Chief Russ Johnson said that as of Thursday, there has been no new information in the case of missing man Nathan Schwartz, age 22.

Schwartz, of Eaton, was headed to Colorado Springs Feb. 22. He texted his mother Feb. 24 from a cell tower in the Salida area. The phone has been turned off since that last connection and Schwartz’s debit card has also not been used since last week.

His car was found in town Tuesday.

The Colorado State Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred about 8:04 a.m., Thursday, March 4 on U.S. Highway 285 near marker 140.

A Colorado Springs man who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor poaching charges in three counties likely will never legally hunt again in Colorado or 47 other states after a Colorado Parks and Wildlife hearing examiner permanently suspended his hunting privileges.

The Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol along with local and county law enforcement agencies encourage everyone to be safe during the Super Bowl DUI enforcement period from Feb. 5-8 and not drive impaired.

Almost 100 agencies will increase patrols – including the Buena Vista and Salida police departments and the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office – during the Super Bowl enforcement period to remove impaired drivers from the roads and prevent crashes.

Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office will add additional resources to its staffing on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.

Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze stated in a press release the sheriff’s office is currently unaware of any credible threats toward Chaffee County’s critical assets or citizens.

To help Coloradans transition safely into the new year, the Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies will join forces once again to complete The Heat Is On New Year’s Eve DUI enforcement Dec. 29-Jan. 2.

The League of Women Voters of Chaffee County will host an additional public safety update during its Dec. 14, noon-1 p.m. Zoom meeting.

When Chaffee County Sheriff’s Deputy Roy Williams, 28, committed suicide the night of Nov. 5, 2019, the shockwave traveled far.

Thanks in part to a grant from the El Pomar Foundation, The Friends of the Chaffee County Fire Protection District are in the process of finalizing the order for a Polaris UTV that will allow Chaffee Fire to access challenging terrain.

Chaffee County Search & Rescue–North rescued three exhausted hikers on Mount Belford Sunday evening.

Search and Rescue was paged out to the fourteener at about 5 p.m., Nov. 29. According to an update on CCSAR-N’s Facebook page, the hikers were without headlamps for nighttime hiking or adequate winter gear.

Buena Vista Fire Department Chief Dixon Villers retired last week after 29 years with the department.

Results from a new statewide driver survey by the Colorado Department of Transportation found that nearly all Colorado drivers engage in distracted driving and 17% admitted to not buckling up when driving short distances.

Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze issued stage 2 fire restrictions for unincorporated Chaffee County effective Monday morning.

Distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of vehicle crashes on Colorado roads. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, distracted drivers were involved in 15,143 crashes on Colorado roads in 2019, resulting in 4,361 injuries and 28 fatalities. As people hit the road for fall foliage and winter activities, CDOT reminds drivers to drop the distraction and focus on the road ahead.

Thor, the Buena Vista Police Department’s K9 officer, has received a vest of body armor thanks to a donation by a Castle Rock man.

The Colorado Department of Transportation has launched a new campaign developed for Coloradans, by Coloradans, to curb marijuana-impaired driving across the state.