Good morning and welcome to Montrose Fresh, from The Montrose Daily Press. It’s MondayApril 5th and we’re here to bring you a closer look at our top stories, events and more that matter to us here in Western Colorado. 

 

Today - How does the Western Slope build back stronger? 

 

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Now, our feature story.

 

During a recent Zoom meeting Western Slope leaders gathered to discuss how the area can come back, and come back stronger than ever from the pandemic. The meeting was a part of Colorado’s Build Back Stronger series.

 

Lauren Larson, director of the governor’s office of state planning and budgeting for Colorado, said the state will receive about $14 billion from the bipartisan coronavirus relief package. It’ll receive another $27 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act.

 

The federal relief is heading to several different areas. 

 

Stimulus checks, unemployment, child care, housing, restaurants, and also a child tax credit expansion.

 

And with these funds come some additional goals. Those include creating jobs, growing businesses, and meeting workforce challenges.

 

Larson noted that there is flexibility with stimulus proposals.

 

So how can we use these funds to build back stronger? 

 

Governor Jared Polis noted that the success of how well Colorado deploys these funds is going to determine how successful the recovery is.

 

Ricardo Perez, the executive director for the Hispanic Affairs Project in Montrose, was also at the meeting. 

Perez discussed how the lack of paid sick leave, and health insurance, impacted agriculture workers. And many of those workers are Hispanic immigrants.

 

He said that elected officials need to go deeper in understanding the social and economic dynamics focused on the workforce, wages, and labor conditions. This will provide a better picture of where to invest.

 

Perez emphasized that the federal stimulus package is a great opportunity to bring balance by supporting the workforce with better wages and labor conditions in rural industries. He noted that Colorado can do better when it comes to reducing the poverty that many full-time workers and their families are facing. To Perez, that’s what it means to make Colorado stronger.

 

The state will continue its series through the month of April, and has now heard from representatives on the Western Slope, as well as those in southern and northern Colorado.

 

To read more about this meeting visit us at montrosepress.com

 

And before we go we’re excited to highlight a local athlete.  

 

Nicole Ann Koch is a unique, happy, adolescent teenager who seems to have the world by the tail.

 

She has a 4.03 GPA and is often playful . . . but when it comes time to get serious, her demeanor changes. Her easy going, graceful manner disappears when she’s asked about her approach to high school varsity wrestling. 

 

She told us that she wants to win every time she steps out on the mat. And she believes she can. 

 

Her voice is full of confidence and assurance.

 

Nicole is a returning three-time state wrestling champion with one more year of eligibility . . . 

 

She could be a four-time state champion. Since 1936 there have been 29 four-time Colorado champions. They’ve all been in the boys divisions. Nicole is on track to be number 30.

 

She’s not over confident but understands her ability to perform well at a high level. That confidence is backed by winning seven national competitions. One of those competitions was  the prestigious Rocky Mountain Nationals where she was voted the outstanding wrestler.

 

In September, Nicole and the family will head to Colorado Springs where she will be given, yet another award.

 

The Colorado Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will honor her with the 2021 Girls High School Wrestler of the Year award. 

 

A fitting distinction for the unique, young lady from Delta.

 

That’s all for today, thank you for listening! For more information on any of these stories visit us at montrosepress.com.

 

And don’t forget to check out our sponsor, Elevate Internet. Visit them at elevateinternet.com to learn more.

 

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