Grand Valley schools awarded for student achievement

Three Grand Valley schools are among the winners of a new awards recognizing student achievement since 2019. Chatfield and Rocky Mountain Elementary and Bookcliff Middle School received Governor’s Bright Spot Awards. The schools also received $50,000 in Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funds to use for expanding student resources, faculty development and other opportunities to promote […]

Horizon Sunrise Rotary Club awards $35,300 in grants

The Horizon Sunrise Rotary Club of Grand Junction awarded a total of $35,300 in grants to 14 not-for-profit organizations in Mesa County. The Club serves local charities and international projects. Club members support these efforts with personal contributions and fund-raising, including the annual A La Mode, an event featuring desserts, wines and savory foods. The […]

Process continues to award cannabis licenses

The process to determine licenses for cannabis stores and co-located medical and retail outlets continues in Grand Junction. So far, 21 applications have been approved for a randomized selection process, while 13 applications are pending and three have been denied. “It is important to ensure the review and selection process is fair for all those […]

Grand Junction council adopts rec center plan

Planning is moving forward to construct a community recreation center in Grand Junction that could be funded in part by an increase in sales taxes. The Grand Junction City Council adopted a community recreation center plan for a facility to be constructed at Matchett Park with funding by taxes on cannabis sales and a proposed […]

Producer: Water essential to ag business

Phil Castle, The Business Times Holly Cremeens draws no distinction between the water that irrigates the Grand Valley agricultural property where she and her husband, Mark, live and the business they operate there. “There’s no water, there’s no farm.” That’s why she closely follows developments related to water and says she’s increasingly alarmed about a […]

Happy holidays? Business group leaders expect successful season

Happy holidays? Business group leaders expect successful season

Phil Castle, The Business Times The leaders of Grand Valley business groups remain optimistic the upcoming holidays really will be the most wonderful time of the year. Leaders say there’s still pent-up demand for personal holiday experiences following the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. A myriad of events are planned mixing seasonal celebrations with shopping […]

Leading index signals possible recession

An index forecasting economic conditions in the United States continues to retreat, signaling a possible recession. The Conference Board reported its Leading Economic Index (LEI) declined eight-tenths of a percent to 114.9 in October. The index has dropped in each of the last eight months. Separate measures of current and past conditions increased in October. […]

Mesa County unemployment rate rises

Phil Castle, Business Times The unemployment rate seesawed back up in Mesa County even as payrolls and the overall labor force declined between September and October. But the latest jobless rate remains below this time last year. And there are other indications employers enjoy more success in filling openings, said Lindsay Bullock, director of the […]

Sales tax collections trend upward

Sales tax collections, a key measure of retail activity, continue to trend upward in Grand Junction and Mesa County. The City of Grand Junction reported a 10.1 percent increase in sales tax collections in October compared to the same month last year. Mesa County reported an 8.3 percent year-over-year gain. October reports reflect September sales. […]