Madison Smith moved back to San Juan County after nine years and found a community short on resources for young families. She opened Piper's Play Cafe in Aztec, a sensory-inclusive indoor toddler play space offering free-range exploration for kids and a rare moment of rest for parents. The cafe includes a slide structure, dramatic play areas, a pretend kitchen and market, free snacks, free drinks and coffee, a free little library and an outdoor clothing donation bin. Smith built it for the parents as much as the kids, particularly those without a support network nearby.

By Tanner Waite

Watch this story at LNN.news

This story is sponsored by Sunray Park & Casino and The Big Idea Makerspace at San Juan College.

A San Juan County program called UmattR is putting high school seniors in front of younger kids, not with lectures, but with their own stories. The program gives $1,000 scholarships to selected seniors who then spend the year visiting elementary and middle schools across the county. This cycle drew more than 300 applicants; 24 made the cut. Together they log about 650 service hours. The younger kids do not forget them. At community events around the county, elementary students bring trading cards featuring the seniors and stop them with questions about hard situations they are facing. The program accepts donations and sponsorships at umattr.com.

By Tanner Waite

Watch this story at LNN.news.

This story is sponsored by Ace Hardware in Farmington and Boon’s Family Thai BBQ.

Music in the Mountains is celebrating its 40th anniversary season this summer, running July 9th through August 2nd across the Four Corners region. What started in 1987 with just 11 musicians has grown into a world-class orchestra featuring performers from around the globe. This year's festival features free community concerts from Durango to Bayfield, Ignacio, Pagosa, and Mancos, along with full orchestra performances, family concerts, and chamber music. Tickets are on sale now at musicinthemountains.com.

By Sadie Smith.

Watch this story at lnn.news.

This story is sponsored by FASTSIGNS Durango and Happy Pappy's Pizza & Wings.

Farmington Museum is hosting the Smithsonian's "Lowrider Culture in the United States" traveling exhibit through July 25, 2026. The museum added its own touches: three lowrider cars, three motorcycles and artwork inside, plus a Park and Chill car show in the parking lot with live music and food vendors. Museum director Nathan Augustine says the event brought out a broad slice of the community and highlighted the strong connection between lowrider culture and Northern New Mexico's Hispanic heritage. The museum is targeting September or October 2027 for a follow-up event during Hispanic Heritage Month. If you're a lowrider or connected to the culture, reach out to curator Michelle Zupan at the Farmington Museum to get involved.

By Tanner Waite

Watch this story at LNN.news

This story is sponsored by Dickey's Barbecue Pit and Fitness World.

Skyring Water is a Cold War thriller bestselling author Louis L'Amour wrote around 1960 but never published. After L'Amour's death in 1988, the manuscript sat unfinished for decades until his son Beau L'Amour completed it, describing the book as a partnership across time. Skyring Water releases June 2, 2026.

By Sadie Smith

Watch this story at LNN.news.

This story is sponsored by Sky Ute Casino Resort and Kroegers Ace Hardware.

Today we're spotlighting one of Farmington's finest — Loren Healy, a born-and-raised San Juan County native who turned a love of desert rock crawling into a full-blown professional motorsports career. Loren has won the King of the Hammers multiple times, captured five consecutive Baja 1000 victories in the stock class, and now runs RTR Off-Road Shop right here in Farmington. He's currently building a trophy truck with dreams of an overall Baja 1000 win — something he's called a boyhood dream. If you want to follow the build and catch live race streams with in-cab cameras, find him on Facebook and Instagram under Loren Healy. And keep an eye out — an open house at the new RTR Off-Road Shop is coming up, and the whole community is invited.

By Tanner Waite

Watch this story at LNN.news

This story is sponsored by Sunray Park & Casino and Four Corners Regional Airport.

The Garden Guys are back with practical advice for Southwest Colorado gardeners. Tom Bartels and Darrin Parmenter break down planting timing, drought prep, compost versus fertilizer, and what to look for when buying transplants this spring.

By Sadie Smith

Watch this story at durangolocal.news.

This story is sponsored by Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and the Payroll Department.

A new hospital is now open in Farmington, New Mexico — and the community response has been nothing short of remarkable. Exceptional Community Hospital celebrated its ribbon cutting after more than four years of planning and three years of construction, opening its doors Feb. 18 to the public.

Since that first day, the facility has been seeing 50 patients daily — a pace that hospital leadership says has never been matched across any of their nine operating locations nationwide. The hospital focuses on acute care, treating patients for conditions like chest pain, difficulty breathing, cuts, infections and more. They also have the capacity to admit patients for conditions such as pneumonia or minor abdominal infections, and will transfer more critical cases to higher-level facilities when needed.

Leadership describes their model as concierge-style medicine — getting patients into a room quickly and delivering warm, personalized care. And judging by the numbers, Farmington is all in.

By Tanner Waite

Watch this story at farmingtonlocal.news.

This story is sponsored by Graff Orthodontics and Arkins Juice Tavern.