The Flume

When the power goes out due to wildfires, high winds, vehicle accidents or utility maintenance, homeowners with solar panels often ask: “I have solar panels, so why doesn’t my house still have power?” The answer surprises many. Most residential solar systems are grid-tied, meaning they connect directly to the local electric utility. When grid power drops, these systems automatically shut down. This safety feature, called anti-islanding, protects utility crews working to restore power.

Justin Jadali is a mechanical engineer and graduate researcher working at the intersection of mechanical engineering, materials science, and biomedical engineering. His research brings fabrication, materials processing, and wet-lab biological systems into the same experimental framework, with a particular focus on biomaterials, vascularization, and reproducibility.

By Ella Slade O’Rourke Media Group The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) unanimously approved the appropriation of $551,652 from the LATC fund to Road and Bridge for emergency work. The meeting was then adjourned as the Board of County Commissioners, and convened as the County Board of Equalization, which saw an abatement hearing, voting unanimously to lower the land values on two parcels of land in Sportsman’s Valley.

By Paul J. Goetz O’Rourke Media Group The 2026 Park County Junior Livestock Auction raised nearly $400,000 for local youth exhibitors, showcasing 94 market animals and a deep-seated community commitment to agricultural education. The auction, a cornerstone of the annual Park County Fair, featured a diverse range of projects from 4-H and FFA members, including 24 beef, 36 swine, 21 lambs, 13 goats and poultry.

Dear Editor: The Park County Livestock Committee is proud to support our community by donating approximately 300 pounds of locally raised pork and lamb to the LifeBridge Food Pantry. This meat was raised by hardworking Park County 4-H youth, whose dedication and commitment to agriculture help provide high-quality food for families in our community. The donation was delivered today and will help stock the food pantry with locally raised protein for families in need.

Dear Editor: The Amateur Hour was an early television broadcast that began in 1948 and ran until about 1970. It was the primitive precursor to American Idol. So too, the phrase “amateur hour” became embedded in our American idiom, an unflattering reflection on any endeavor that displayed less-than-professional behavior or processes.

For families across Colorado struggling with rising housing costs, Representative Brittany Pettersen recently celebrated a significant step forward as Congress approved the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the most comprehensive housing legislation passed in three decades. Pettersen played a key role in negotiating the package, which combines more than 60 bipartisan bills designed to increase housing opportunities and reduce barriers to homeownership.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) recovered the body of an adult male drowning victim from Eleven Mile Reservoir on the evening of Friday, Aug. 14. At 3:40 p.m., CPW, the Hartsel Fire Protection District, the South Park Ambulance District and the Park County Sheriff’s Office responded to a water rescue for two individuals who had fallen off a paddleboard they were sharing.

The South Park Ambulance District has invested in advanced clinical training equipment, providing crews with a realistic and controlled environment to prepare for complex emergency scenarios. With authorization from its Board of Directors, SPAD purchased a SimMan Critical Care high-fidelity patient simulator from Laerdal Medical Corp., along with two Advanced Airway Solution head-and-torso training units.

Tensions about water management are high on the Colorado River, even as water levels in reservoirs like Lake Mead drop to record lows and the west faces severe drought conditions. The river, which helps supply water to seven U.S. states and two Mexican ones, has faced continuing issues with water shortages due to declines in water supplies amplified by climate change and ongoing growth in water demand.