West Slope legislators receive high marks from business group

Four state legislators representing Western Colorado received scores above 90 percent in the latest grading by a small business advocacy group. The National Federation of Independent Business based the scores on voting on 12 measures during the 2021-2022 session of the Colorado General Assembly. Tony Gagliardi, Colorado state director for the NFIB, said Gov. Jared […]

Mesa County tax collections trend upward

Tax collections, one measure of sales activity, continue to increase on a year-over-year basis in Mesa County. The county collected more than $4.2 million in sales taxes in June, a 10.1 percent increase over what was collected for the same month a year ago.  The county also collected more than $411,000 in use taxes in […]

Mind Springs Health board names new executive

An executive with experience in behavioral health care providers in the Midwest and Florida is expected to begin his latest role in August as chief executive officer of Mind Springs Health in Western Colorado. John Sheehan was selected as CEO in concluding a six-month national search, the Mind Springs Health board of directors announced. Mind […]

Business optimism index drops along with expectations for improving economy

A measure of optimism among small business owners continues to decline on record-low expectations for an improving economy. The National Federation of Independent Business reported its Small Business Optimism Index dropped 3.6 points to 89.5 in June. The index has remained below its historical average of 98 for six consecutive months. “As inflation continues to […]

U.S. payrolls up, jobless rate steady

United States payrolls increased 372,000 in June and the national unemployment rate held steady at 3.6 percent for a fourth consecutive month, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Payroll gains for the previous two months were revised downward, however, a total of 74,000 to 384,000 for May and 368,000 in April. […]

Magazine: Grand Junction among best places to retire

Grand Junction ranks among the best places to retire featured in a national magazine. Grand Junction placed second among seven of what were billed as standout communities in which to retire and an image from the Colorado National Monument appeared on the cover of the August issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Visit Grand Junction, […]

Grand Junction mayor to participate in Harvard program

Grand Junction Mayor Anna Stout is among seven public officials from across Colorado who’ve been selected to participate in an upcoming program at Harvard University. As a member of the 2022 class of Gates Family Foundation Harvard Fellows, Stout will attend a three-week program at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government in […]

Regional government association names director

Tiffany Pehl has been named the next executive director of the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC). Pehl succeeds Bonnie Petersen, who plans to retire at the end of July. The organization represents Mesa County and four other counties as well as municipalities in the five-county region. Pehl joined the AGNC six years ago as […]