Iron Horse 2023 Registration Opens

Get a head start on spring plans with early bird tickets for the 2023 Durango Wine Experience and registration for the 2023 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. Fort Lewis College will celebrate over 200 students from the class of 2022 at fall commencement and the Durango Police Department nears one year of its Drone Unit. You're watching the Local News Roundup, brought to you by Happy Pappy's Pizza n Wings and Kroegers ACE Hardware. I'm Wendy Graham Settle. Registration for the 2023 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic opens December 16th after a special locals-only registration December 15th at Fort Lewis College. The Iron Horse, an annual event, will be held Friday, May 26th through Sunday, May 28th and features the traditional race against the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and will introduce a new event for 2023. The Durango Mesa Cycling Festival, will be on Sunday, May 28th, and feature mountain bike races on new trails being constructed this spring as part of a new bike park on the mesa. A festival-like atmosphere with food, drinks and family-friendly activities will accompany the races. To learn more about the Iron horse Bicycle Classic, and to register, visit ironhorsebicycleclassic.com. The Durango Police Department's Drone Unit has had a successful first year since becoming part of the Department in January, 2022. The Drone Unit was added to assist with crash investigations, search and rescue, hazardous spills, missing persons cases, disaster response, and more. Over the year, two additional drones have been added due to the program's success. With over a hundred flights in just the first year of service, the Durango Police Department is looking forward to continuing the work with the program. Officer Dan Kellermeyer, of the Drone Unit, said, in a news release, "It's a great piece of technology "that serves the whole community very well. "We want to be engaged with the community "on how the drone works "and how we're utilizing it here at the Police Department." Learn more about the Durango Police Department and its programs, at durangogov.org/police. Fort Lewis College will hold its fall commencement ceremony for over 200 Class of 2022 graduates, Friday, December 16th at Whalen Gymnasium. The graduates, who span across departments, will be part of Fort Lewis College's 61st commencement. Associate Professor of Political Science, Paul DeBell, will address the graduates. Although the ceremony is not open to the public, you can livestream the event on the college's Facebook Page, at facebook.com/fortlewis. Early Bird Tickets for the Durango Wine Experience 2023 are now available. The Wine Experience is a weekend of wine tastings and events. All proceeds go to support the Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado, with local nonprofits. Until December 31st, a weekend pass, which includes the Walkabout and Grand Tasting, is $140. Beginning January 1st, tickets will be $155. Visit durangowine.com for all event details and to purchase your pass. That's it for this week's Local News Roundup. I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

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