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  • Sections: News Published

    Who was Gus Darien?

    As the Carbondale Wild West Rodeo wraps up its summer season, it’s worth remembering that the Gus Darien Arena takes its name not from a star rider but from a hard working rancher and steady stopwatch man. “Gus was an amazing character and one of the last of the old guard,” said John Armstrong, who worked with the Dariens for years. “He could do pretty much everything — farming, ranching, woodworking… He was from that self sufficient generation.” John gave his son, Ben, Gus as a middle name. He remembers the original as a tall man of short stature who styled himself as the meanest guy in town but was really a pillar of the community. read more →
  • Sections: Columns Published

    Seeking Higher Ground: Lessons from ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’

    The president slammed her hand down on the table and thundered, “These leaks must stop. I’m going to find out who’s leaking, and there will be serious — very serious — repercussions!” Sound like our nation’s current president? It’s not. There are two tip-offs here: first the pronoun “her”, second, the language is far too coherent to have come from Trump. But this column is a parable about leaks — and why Trump and Sessions can’t plug them. At Trump’s behest, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced that that the F.B.I. had created a new counterintelligence unit to track down those who leak classified information and that the Justice Department “wouldn’t hesitate to bring criminal charges” against leakers. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    New ownership, old memories at Miser’s Mercantile

    Carbondale’s signature consignment store, Miser’s Mercantile at 303 Main St., is now a week into a transition, following seizure of the store and its contents by landlord Dale Eubank on Aug. 10. Eubank contends that former owner Sam Hunter owes more than $12,000 in back rent. Most of the existing employees have been retained and continue to work at the store, according to a statement on Aug. 15 by spokesperson Diane Angelo. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Pages of the Past: In Satank, hydrant trickles as house burns

    Aug. 18, 1977: An investigation was underway after a series of issues plagued fire department attempts to douse a burning home in Satank, which was completely consumed. It reportedly took 20 minutes for word of the fire to reach the volunteer department after the dispatcher put out the call on the wrong channel. When crews did arrive, they were unable to get any usable pressure out of a nearby hydrant, while Fire Chief Ron Richards had reportedly taken one of the tanker trucks and the coupling for the other one to a fire in New Castle. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Bid on this painting!

    Brian Colley painted a lovely cover to help us remind folks to support The Sun — and we're hoping someone will want to take the original 8"x10" painting home. Bid by emailing news@soprissun.com or calling 510-3003 through Sept. 6. The current bid is $150. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Bear incidents up, ordinance compliance low

    Carbondale is experiencing “significant” activity related to the presence of numerous bears in town looking for food in local dumpsters, according to a statement issued by the police, and residents are being cautioned that they had better make sure their trash containers are sufficiently bear-proof to avoid penalties that can reach up to $1,300 in fines. To punctuate the point, on Aug. 9 a young bear cub, roaming with its mother around the streets of old town, was electrocuted when it climbed a power pole and had to be put down by the Carbondale Police Department. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    The Sun’s guide to the solar eclipse

    The Aug. 21 total eclipse of the heart — er, sun — is shaping up to be one of the most talked about astronomical events in most locals’ lifetimes. And while the Great American Eclipse, as it’s been dubbed, won’t be total over Carbondale (Colorado, that is — our Illinois counterpart is on the path), we’re still looking at more than 90 percent coverage. That’s comparable to the annular eclipse we experienced in May 2012. That time, the moon was too distant from the earth to mask the sun completely anywhere, which apparently will be the norm in about 500 million years, as the moon’s orbit will move it away from earth at a rate of 4cm per year. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Fire board will pursue new mill levy at same rate

    Voters who live in the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District will be asked in the fall to extend a tax hike approved in 2015 that provided an increase to the district’s bottom line, which had been badly weakened by the Great Recession of 2008-2009. The district’s board of directors voted unanimously on Aug. 9 to ask for a 1.75 mill levy override for the coming three years, to keep the district’s property tax revenues from declining once the two-year, 2015 tax hike expires at the end of this year. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Dentist Gene Covello opts out of Carbondale commute

    For the past 20 years, garrulous Carbondale dentist Gene Covello has been a long-distance commuter, driving the 90-plus miles from Grand Junction (where he has a home and a practice) to Carbondale, in order to continue seeing patients who are as much his friends as they are clients. But that has come to an end. Covello, 67, on Aug. 8 had his last appointment as a dentist in Carbondale, though he will continue to practice at an office in Grand Junction, which he opened after moving there in 1997 for family reasons. Meanwhile, his practice is now owned by his former partners, Matt and Taylor Verheul. read more →
  • Sections: News Published

    Meet Carbondale’s new postmaster, Reza Tehrani

    The 81623 zip code has a new postmaster — and his door is always open. Well, except when The Sopris Sun and KDNK sat down with him to find out a bit about his background and philosophy. Soft spoken and polite, Reza Tehrani ushered us past the folks waiting to buy stamps and into his simple office just off the public area. read more →