Ore Cart - Rico Colorado news

Advisory committee reviews church building use preferences survey

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:28:18 -0800

Future equipment and storage needs considered

. .

First community event of 2026 held

- and -
a gallery of manse remodeling and church interior photos

above image:
Rico Community Church
January 23, 2026
Ore Cart photo

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

Church advisory committee January 2026 meeting

Rico church advisory committee meeting at Town Hall - January 12, 2026. Left-to right: Joanna Yonder, Joy Littleton, Emily Nolan, Patrick Bailey, Jim Baron.

Ore Cart photo

A committee appointed by the Rico Board of...Read More

Rico celebrates winter solstice with candle lighting, poetry, song, bonfire and bell-ringing

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 14:43:38 -0800

Re-purposed church building uses, fee schedule, improvements and 2026 budget proposed

above photo
Patrick Bailey begins "Welcoming and Sharing the Light" ceremony at Winter Solstice Celebration
December 21, 2025
> photo by Joanna Yonder

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

More than 35 Rico community members gathered at the Rico Community Church building to celebrate the winter solstice Sunday afternoon, December 21.

Town of Rico purchased the church building and next-door manse house earlier in 2025. Rico Board of Trustees first discussed the purchase at a special meeting January 30, 2025, and approved an...Read More

Montelores Coalition receives $300,000 grant from GOCO & CPW

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:03:32 -0800

19 awards totaling $9.9 million for Regional Partnerships Initiative funding recipients

In this report

Montelores Coalition grant
Rico 4 GOCO grants 1999 - 2024
Dolores County GOCO 44 grants, 7 recipients

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

Montelores Coalition grant

Colorado Governor's Office
news release
- excerpts

Monday, December 15, 2025

DENVER — Today, Governor Polis, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) announced 19 grant awards totaling $9,990,240 through the Regional Partnerships Initiative (RPI). These investments support regional coalitions working together to advance outdoor recreation,...Read More

Rescue vehicle purchase authorized for Rico Fire

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:38:27 -0800

RFPD Board reviews proposed 2026 budget, gets update on property transfer from Town of Rico

. . .

above photo
Vehicle parking area-
Rico Firehouse
Ore Cart - November 17, 2025

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

Rico Fire Protection District (RFPD)
monthly board meeting
November 17, 2025
Rico Firehouse

Rescue vehicle

Rico Fire Protection District (RFPD) board members approved the purchase of a rescue vehicle equipped for auto accidents at its November 17, 2025 regular monthly meeting. Cost of the vehicle described by an itemized bid proposal from a Utah supplier, is about $209,000 including specialized tools and equipment:

San Miguel Power Association board of directors will meet November 18 to consider proposed electric retail rate increase for 2026. A recent SMPA news release provided details and requested comments from members.

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

Summary

$5.00 increase to monthly "access charge" from $28 to $33 for residential SMPA members. Details of residential and other "rate class" tariffs may be viewed at SMPA website. Residential is included in first group, Single-Phase Service - Non-demand - Time-of-Use Energy.

3 cent increase to the on-peak energy rate, from 22 cents to 25 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

Wholesale power expense will increase 7.2% in 2026. Wholesale power purchased from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association is more than half of San Miguel Power Association's operating expenses.

Costs of equipment,...Read More

Rico receives economic development award

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:53:07 -0800

Rico Town Manager Chauncey McCarthy accepts "Small Community of the Year" award October 28, 2025 at Pueblo Convention Center, Pueblo CO during Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC) October 26-29 conference.
> photo source:
Region 9 Economic Development District

November 5, 2025
Region 9 Economic Development District
for immediate release

Town of Rico Awarded Small Community of the Year

A big congratulations goes to the Town of Rico for being awarded Small Community of the Year by the Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC).

The “Small Community of the Year award” recognizes communities under 20,000 people, and ones that have demonstrated support for economic development; are planning and investing in the long-term development of their community; and have a special project or development during nomination year.

Rico was chosen for several projects including their:

collaboration with the Rico Trails Alliance (RTA), the US Forest Service and the Rio Grande Southern (“RGS”) that created trailhead parking for all...Read More

New Colorado property insurance rules require insurers to reveal if and how they score wildfire risk

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 10:20:49 -0700

Legislature approved HB25-1182 5/1/2025. Signed by Governor 5/28/2025.

....

Effective 7/1/2026.

above image:
Stoner Mesa wildfire crews at Rico CO Firehouse - August 10, 2025
Ore Cart photo

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

HOUSE BILL 25-1182 enacted by the 2025 Colorado General Assembly (state legislature) requires property insurers to provide wildfire risk scoring information to policyholders.

Insurers may or may not use risk scoring to determine cost of insurance.

Insurers which do not use risk scoring are required to provide discounts to property owners who take action to reduce (mitigate) potential property damage due to wildfire, or if the property is in a community which has taken action to reduce fire risk to reduce wildfire risk.

Insurers which provide mitigation discounts are required to provide annual written notices of property risk score to policyholders, and to post premium savings opportunies such as individual and community risk...Read More

Artists of Rico 2025 Photograhy Contest

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 17:48:52 -0700

3rd annual contest entries displayed at Awards Ceremony

October 4 at Rico Frame Works

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

. . .

Ore Cart photos
October 4, 2025

more info

> Artists of Rico

> 2025 Artists of Rico 3rd Annual Photography Contest

SUBSCRIBE
Read More

Sites for SMPA Rico microgrid battery considered by Trustees

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:04:43 -0700

Options: Town Shop or Elementary School

. . .

4 - 6 hours power outage back-up electric service for Rico-area

above image:
San Miguel Power Association consultant Terry Schuyler describes Ricomicrogrid battery energy storage location options at Rico Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting September 17, 2025 at Rico Town Hall

image source:
Trustees Meeting webcast

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

note
Blue text below is quotations from September 9, 2025 correspondence to Town Manager and reprinted in the September 17, 2025 Trustees Meeting Packet. Purple text is Town Manager comments in the Meeting Packet.

. . .

Rico SchoolAfternoon in-depth workshops

Evening panel discussion with Q&A

Thermal energy network experts from Massachusetts will describe natural gas-to-geothermal conversion

Agenda below includes speakers from HEET, a group in Massachusetts which promotes replacing natural gas with water for use as the low-temperature heat source for geothermal heat pumps at homes and businesses. HEET does not propose drilling deep wells to tap higher-temperature geothermal reservoirs. Instead, the heat source is shallow wells drilled to depths where earth temperture is constant in the 50-degree F range..

A video at HEET website describes this concept.

The Rico geothermal energy network proposes a deep well to access a higher temperatures which, when distributed in thermal energy network pipes, may improve efficiency of geothermal heat pumps...Read More