Police, sheriff, courts and public safety in Cortez and Montezuma County, from official sources.
Cortez Police Department incident reports from Oct. 29 through Nov. 4: three arrests after a man was reported waving a gun outside a downtown bar, a man police say beat another man on South Ash Street, a TV thrown at a police sergeant and three drug arrests after a Safeway traffic stop.
Montezuma County Sheriff's Office incident reports from Sept. 16 through Nov. 3: a rockslide near Dolores that crushed a truck and broke through a shop wall, a DUI arrest after a drunk-driving report, a tire fire on Highway 491 and a dangerous-dog summons.
The monthly report the sheriff files with county commissioners shows the jail held an average of about 65 people a day and cost $292,584 to run for the month. Traffic stops were the single most common call.
Cortez Police Department incident reports from Oct. 22 through Oct. 28: a man stunned with a Taser after police said he came at an officer with a pencil, a woman accused of choking a man on West Main Street, a foot chase through downtown alleys and a camping citation on a 31-degree night.
Montezuma County Sheriff's Office incident reports from Sept. 6 through Oct. 26: bears in a Dolores preschool's dumpster, two arrests near Towaoc after a suspected fentanyl find, a DUI arrest after a Highway 160 crash and a man missing since early October.
Cortez Police Department incident reports from Oct. 16 through Oct. 21: a woman accused of kicking an officer at the hospital, a man kicked in the face outside a gas station, a shove near a church and a string of trespass arrests at City Market and Walmart.
A month after sending records to the district attorney, commissioners have a determination letter back and no decision on what to do next. A forensic audit would cost more than the $50,000 they set aside and take three to six months.
The department is joining the federal drug take-back day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pills, patches and sealed liquids are accepted; syringes and illegal drugs are not.
Cortez Police Department incident reports from Oct. 8 through Oct. 15: a DUI arrest in the Walmart lot with a loaded firearm in the truck, a Main Street fight, a disturbance that frightened a visiting family and a run of warrant arrests.
Nykhona Holiday, 21, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and second-degree assault in the August 2025 beatings that killed Curtis Benally. Prosecutors asked for 25 years; the judge cited her remorse, her age and an abusive relationship with co-defendant Robert Salt Jr.
Cortez Police Department incident reports from Sept. 30 through Oct. 7: a pickup taken from outside a thrift shop and found hours later, warrant arrests and trespass summonses.
The defensive driving class runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the police department on North Park Street. Registration has to be done in advance, and the department says latecomers will not be let in.
Cortez Police Department incident reports from Sept. 24 through Sept. 30: shoplifting summonses at Walmart, protection-order arrests and warrants served at the county jail.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation canceled its Missing Indigenous Person Alert after the girl was safely located.
The department lists the local and statewide places people can turn to for help.
The Cortez Police Department says the parade set for Wednesday evening on Main Street is off because of continued rain.
Officers will run a bike safety course and hand out free helmets Saturday morning, before Oktoberfest takes over Parque de Vida at noon.
Commissioners dropped the forensic audit they had authorized in Resolution 8-2026 and voted instead to hand the records to prosecutors. They also pulled the fire ban off the agenda until after Halloween.
Cortez police say a caller reported a possibly impaired driver seven minutes before Monday morning's collision at Sligo Street.
Shandine John received the maximum sentence for vehicular homicide in a March crash on East Main Street that killed a motorcyclist, Cortez police said.
A directive from the chief justice lifts the default for 90 days, through Dec. 14. Courtrooms stay open, and judges can still choose to stream.
