Our readers write this week about cold cases, community controversy, and community spirit. Vince Phillips takes on the Chaffee County Commissioners, who voted unanimously on May 19 to approve Ordinance 2026-01, an “Electric Preferred” building code that steers new construction toward electric appliances — despite substantial public opposition from propane providers, contractors, and rural residents who rely on gas through Colorado winters. Phillips argues the commission followed an out-of-county consulting firm’s recommendations over local voices.
Two cold cases from the high country remind us that Chaffee County’s mountains can hold secrets for decades. Phillips writes that Beverly England, a 32-year-old Salida mother, left home on June 12, 1980, and never returned; DNA testing in 2015 confirmed her remains, and the case was ruled a homicide still unsolved after 46 years. In a separate piece, he recounts how Ray Collins — a Florida prospector camped near the ghost town of St. Elmo — vanished in 1987 after his partner drove his truck back to Florida alone and collected a $25,000 life insurance policy; the case was reopened as a suspected homicide in 2008.
Jeany Rush broadened Memorial Day’s meaning beyond battlefield sacrifice to encompass what she calls a wider assault on American humanity.
Vince Phillips closes with a welcome update: Paul Brandt is back on his feet and caught the Blossom Festival Parade in style.
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