By Jennifer Leonard Significant changes are coming to Colorado health care insurance plans in 2026. These changes will be hard to absorb for most residents of the San Luis Valley, as large premium increases are seen across all insurance plans. Medicaid, Medicare and plans included under Connect for Health Colorado, the state's marketplace for Affordable Care Act eligible plans, will be the hardest hit. As stated by the director of Health First Colorado, Kim Bimestefer, "The bill is anticipated to result in the large-scale loss of health insurance coverage for Coloradans and an extraordinary cost shift to our state that Colorado's state budget cannot absorb." A majority of the changes that will start in the upcoming year are due to the implementation of the "One Big...

By Tricia Toney Photo by Michael Keefe For nearly 30 years, the Crestone Energy Fair (CEF) has relied almost entirely on volunteer labor. What began as a modest showcase of collectively built homes using unconventional materials has grown into a multi-day festival, along with year-round educational programming, requiring dozens of volunteers and a small core group of organizers coordinating logistics. Those who work year-round to sustain the CEF and promote environmentally conscious living are reaching out to the community for additional support. Far from its humble beginnings, recent the fairs have included expert panel discussions on topics ranging from permaculture and renewable energy to environmental legislation and ecotourism; hands-on demonstrations of alternative building methods such as hempcrete, cob, and straw bale construction; tours of off-grid homes; musical performances...