LPEA Announces $89,000 in Scholarships

La Plata Electric Association has announced the recipients of its 2023 scholarships totaling $89,000 to local students. Fort Lewis College appointed a new Provost and Vice President of Student Affairs after a nationwide search. Looking for a place to spend a summer day or weekend? McPhee Reservoir has announced its new summer hours. And come join downtown businesses for the first First Friday event next week. You're watching the Local News Roundup, brought to you by Kroegers Ace Hardware and Happy Pappy's Pizza n Wings. I'm Connor Shreve. The Class of 2023 La Plata Electric Company's scholarship recipients have been announced. Seven local high school students have received $89,000 in scholarship funds for higher education. Eliza Bosmans from Durango High School and Rio Edmondson from GOAL High School received the LPEA Scholarship, up to $28,000 for tuition, books, and fees at any university for undergraduate study. Rebecca Latham and Aiden Rosenberg from Durango High School received the John Voelker Scholarship for $10,000. Justin Rivas from Pagosa High School received the LPEA Lineman Scholarship of $12,000. And Sofia Ans from Durango High School and Zane Ross from Ignacio High School received the Tri-State Scholarship of $500. Fort Lewis College announced on April 13th the appointment of Mario Martinez as new Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Martinez served as the Vice Chancellor of Strategy and Innovation at the National University System in San Diego, California; as a Department Chair at the University of Texas at Arlington; as Dean of the School of Education at the University of Redlands; and he has worked as a consultant for various organizations focused on enhancing higher education. Martinez will begin his new position on June 1st. Access to McPhee Reservoir is increasing as summer draws closer. The San Juan National Forest Dolores District is planning on opening the House Creek boat ramp May 1st. Hours are from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Friday through October 1st. Access to the main McPhee boat ramp is already open and will remain open for motorized boating activities through October 31st. Current boat registration is required through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Aquatic Nuisance Species inspectors will be on site to conduct pre-launch inspections of trailered and motorized boats launching onto the reservoir to help stop the spread of invasive species. Boaters who need a full inspection and decontamination are urged to visit the lake during the weekday when visitation is lower than on the weekend. Motors who have tags from last year's inspections on McPhee will be able to enter the lake quicker than boaters who need inspections. For more information, you can visit the San Juan National Forest boating webpage. Local First, the Durango Creative District and the Art Room Collective are partnering to bring Durango First Fridays. It's a celebration of Durango art, music, culture, food, and the community every first Friday of the month. The First Friday will be next week, May 5th, and will feature an art crawl of downtown businesses. Find more information about First Fridays at Local First and sign up to participate if you own a local business and are interested. The Durango Transit will offer free bus and trolley services every first Friday to help accommodate traffic. Learn more about these and other stories online at durangolocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of the Local News Roundup. I'm Connor Shreve.