Craig Daily Press / Andy Bockelman

Recent stories

Downtown Art Walk & Taste of Chocolate set for Saturday: By Andy Bockelman; February 8, 2012; Whether it’s coming from an artist’s palette or tickling the taste buds of your own, you can find more than one kind of aesthetically pleasing experience in downtown Craig this weekend. Businesses along Yampa Avenue will play host to the annual Art Walk & Taste of Chocolate on Saturday. From 5 to 8 p.m., residents can view and taste works of all types, be they on canvas or a baking sheet. Organizer Kandee Dilldine said 15 downtown businesses will have local artists and their work on display, with their creative expressions in multiple media.
Business Beat: Tax season is underway: By Andy Bockelman; February 6, 2012; With forms like W-2s and 1099s firmly in hand by now to be furnished to the Internal Revenue Service for the 2011 tax year, it’s time to get started on the annual task. But, before you lick the envelope or click the “submit” button on the electronic version of your 1040, be sure you have all the information you need. Changes in 2011’s tax process includes a two-percent decrease in Social Security deductions in paychecks, the abolishment of the Making Work Pay credit and an extra two days to file. “April 15 falls on a Sunday this year, and the next day is Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C., so the IRS will be closed that day, so the deadline is April 17,” said Chris Jones, an accountant at Jones & Associates, Inc. “Actually, it’s almost like we have an extra three days since it’s a Leap Year.”
Craig Kiwanis Club Play ticket sales begin today: By Andy Bockelman; February 4, 2012; The chance to see people from around town performing onstage in a locally produced and unique show is something Craig residents have come to love year after year. Just as big of an event is the process of getting admission to the stage performance. Tickets to the 66th annual Craig Kiwanis Club Play go on sale today at J.W. Snack’s, 210 E. Victory Way. For anyone who’s ever purchased tickets to the play in the past, it’s not just a walk-in, walk-out setup. Patrons of the show line up hours and sometimes days before the tickets go on sale, congregating with others who love the tradition.
LSRV boys, girls hoops keep up winning streaks: By Andy Bockelman; February 4, 2012; With most of the season behind them, the boys and girls varsity basketball teams of Little Snake River Valley are ready to embark on the next level of play. Both the Baggs, Wyo., squads have an overall record of 17-0 and a 4-0 record in the Three Trails Conference following a string of victories in the last week.
‘Contraband’ snatches story from others of its kind: By Andy Bockelman; February 2, 2012; You can find a lot of things in cargo containers that probably weren’t supposed to leave their country of origin. Speaking of which, if you open those big metal doors, the light of day might reveal the pilfered plotlines of the crime drama “Contraband.” In a previous life, Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) was the best smuggler in the business, able to find a way to bring anything and everything into the port of New Orleans. Those days are behind him now, as he tries to go down the straight and narrow path, providing for his family, lest he end up like his incarcerated father (William Lucking). When his wife’s (Kate Beckinsale) younger brother (Caleb Landry Jones) is brutalized following a failed attempt to bring cocaine into the country, Chris isn’t too happy about having to clean up his mess. That means getting back in touch with scumbags he never wanted to see again — in this case, bottom-dweller Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), who demands thousands of dollars as repayment for the botched drug deal.
Livin’ It Up: Big-ticket weekend: By Andy Bockelman; February 1, 2012; With Super Bowl Sunday looming, fans of Eli Manning and Tom Brady alike are waiting for the biggest game of the year. With the eyes of the nation on the action happening in Indianapolis more than 1,200 miles away, it’s easy to forget the assortment of things happening on the home front the next several days.
CMS girls basketball hosts Meeker in final home game: By Andy Bockelman; 12:00 a.m., February 1, 2012 Updated 12:00 a.m.; With only away games left in their season, Craig Middle School basketball coaches Alicia Townsend and Candi Hellander are confident their girls can finish strong while on the road. The seventh- and eighth-grade teams played their last home game of the season Saturday against Meeker, with some varied results. Eighth-grade coach Townsend chose to play only her B-team, which lost in a close 18-14 match-up, putting them at 2-3 for the year. “We wanted to get the B girls a few more chances to play, and I think it worked out well,” she said. “They played Meeker’s A-team and got some good playing time in.”
At the movies: ‘Joyful Noise’ volume doesn’t undo uplifting theme: By Andy Bockelman; January 30, 2012; If life’s got you down and you don’t know where else to turn, there are always groups of people who can sympathize. And, if you want to don a purple robe, maybe you can help them make some “Joyful Noise.” When Bernard Sparrow (Kris Kristofferson), the director of his church choir, passes away unexpectedly, the town of Pacashau, Ga., doesn’t know how to handle it. Beyond grieving, the small town populace is up in arms about who will lead them to glory as the musical ensemble competes in the annual gospel competition, in which they have always come up short.
Business Beat: Area auto dealer joins manufacturer sales effort: By Andy Bockelman; January 30, 2012; The icy months of January and February may give some vehicle owners cause to consider purchasing a new car better suited to winter conditions. The problem is that it may not be the best time financially for some people. But, kicking the tires in certain car lots may result in better savings than you’d think. Cook Chevrolet and Subaru is participating in the Factory Challenge, a sales drive designed to increase numbers in dealerships at the beginning of the year, running throughout February. Owner Scott Cook said the quota for the challenge is 150 units between the dealerships he owns in Craig and Steamboat Springs, which applies to both new and used vehicles.
CMS girls hoops dominates Soroco: By Andy Bockelman; January 28, 2012; In October 2011, seventh-grader Alex Hamilton experienced the joy of a sports season capped off with a huge win when her volleyball team took top honors at the district tournament. Now, she and her teammates are well on their way to repeating the success with a different sport. The Craig Middle School girls basketball teams were at the top of their games Thursday afternoon when they hosted the Soroco Rams. The Bulldogs’ seventh- and eighth-grade squads each overran their Oak Creek opponents from the opening tip. After taking the lead early in the first half, the seventh-graders had a comfortable 27-8 cushion at the close of the third quarter, with strong shooting from Mattie Jo Duzik and Josey King.

Recent photos

Angela Cordova, a front desk agent at Hampton Inn & Suites, holds a bowl of fresh apples set out in the lobby for hotel guests. Cordova said she enjoys working at the hotel because it offers opportunities to make life a little easier for people weary from travel.

Betty Barnes displays several outfits brought in by customers of her business, Loyd’s Cleaners, 522 Breeze St. Barnes, 60, lives in Hayden with her husband and commutes regularly to Craig.

Emma Samuelson, left, prepares to inbound the ball from under the basket during the seventh-grade girls basketball team’s game against Soroco on Thursday at Craig Middle School. The 7-0 Bulldogs won, 35-15.

Eighth-grader Erin Fagan, right, attempts to set a pick for teammate Shelby Fliniau as she passes the ball during the Craig Middle School girls basketball team’s Thursday home game against Soroco. The team continued its undefeated season with a 51-14 win.

Parts specialist Jesse Aitken closes up shop at T & H Parts, Inc., 400 Taylor St. Aitken, 30, was born and raised in Craig and said he lives here because he prefers small-town life.

Full photo list