Four Corners manhunt ranks as year's top story
Copyright © 1998 The Durango Herald. All rights reserved.

READERS' TOP 10

1. Manhunt for killers of Cortez policeman
2. Coal-bed methane ownership ruling by federal appeals court
3. Animas-La Plata project size reduction
4. Wal-Mart opening
5. La Plata County Fairgrounds’ master plan
6. Deaths of two county residents from hantavirus
7. Vandalism of Ignacio junior and senior high schools
8. School District 9-R turmoil
9. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad ownership change
10. Air Wisconsin takeover of Mesa Air Group flights in Durango

HERALD'S TOP 10

1. Manhunt for killers of Cortez policeman
2. Animas-La Plata project size reduction
3. School District 9-R turmoil
4. Coal-bed methane ownership ruling by federal appeals court
5. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad ownership change
6. Charges against Everses in choking death of adopted daughter
7. Wal-Mart opening
8. Air Wisconsin takeover of Mesa Air Group flights in Durango
9. Deaths of two county residents from hantavirus
10. November election results

Dec. 28, 1998

By Bob Weinhold
Special to the Herald

The manhunt for three accused killers of Cortez policeman Dale Claxton headlined local news in 1998, according to separate surveys of Herald readers and newspaper personnel.

Readers and the newspaper’s personnel were invited Dec. 17 and 18 to nominate their top 10 stories of 1998. Turnout from readers was light. Twenty-four Herald subscribers offered their opinion, most on the newspaper’s Web site, and 10 of the newspaper’s 28 owners, editors, staffers and freelancers completed the survey.

The manhunt received extensive coverage after Jason W. McVean, Robert M. Mason and Alan "Monte" Pilon allegedly killed Claxton and wounded two Montezuma County sheriff’s deputies May 29 in the outskirts of Cortez. A massive search for the suspects ensued, with up to 500 officers scouring the canyons of Southwestern Colorado and Southeastern Utah. Mason was found dead June 4 of what authorities said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, while McVean and Pilon remain free.

The No. 2 story on the readers’ list was the ruling by a federal appeals court that the Southern Ute Tribe is the owner of coal-bed methane gas. The ruling, if it remains in effect, could affect the income of up to 3,000 non-Indian mineral rights owners and restructure the economies of numerous local jurisdictions. News personnel rated the story No. 4.

The No. 2 story for news personnel was the reduction in scope of the Animas-La Plata Project. The proposed project was downsized twice in 1998, 30 years after it was authorized, first to an "Animas-La Plata Lite" version by project supporters, then to an even smaller project proposed by Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. No formal action has been taken on either proposal. Readers rated this story No. 3.

Other top 10 stories included:

-- The opening of Wal-Mart, ranked No. 4 by readers and No. 7 by news personnel

-- The deaths of two county residents from hantavirus, ranked No. 6 by readers and No. 9 by news personnel

-- Turmoil in Durango School District 9-R, ranked No. 8 by readers and No. 3 by news personnel

-- New ownership of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, ranked No. 9 by readers and No. 5 by news personnel

-- The exit of Mesa Air Group and the entrance of Air Wisconsin as a carrier out of Durango-La Plata County Airport, ranked No. 10 by readers and No. 8 by news personnel

In other stories, readers said the adoption of a new master plan for the La Plata County fairgrounds ranked No. 5 and the vandalism of Ignacio’s junior and senior high school ranked No. 7. News personnel ranked those stories No. 13 and No. 11 respectively.

News personnel filled out their top 10 with stories about the arrest of Dennis and Sandy Evers in the choking death of their adopted daughter, ranked No. 6, and the November election results, ranked No. 10. Readers ranked those stories No. 11 and No. 14 respectively.

Many other stories received one or more votes from both readers and news personnel. Among these were:

-- Growth issues, as epitomized by approval of the SkyRidge subdivision in northeast Durango and the proposed concept of an elevated highway through the Bodo Industrial Park area

-- Issues related to the southern portions of the county, such as the ongoing dispute between county and state officials over regulation of natural gas extraction and the lawsuit regarding civil rights between the Southern Ute Tribe and the town of Ignacio

-- Stories about Fort Lewis College, such as the retirement of Joel Jones as president and the post-construction problems with the Community Concert Hall

-- Stories about wildlife, such as the approved proposal to shoot coyotes from airplanes and the attempt to reintroduce lynx

-- Durango City Council approval of an ordinance designed to reduce teen-age smoking

-- Crime stories such as the theft of about $60,000 by three teen-agers and the arrest of fugitive rapist Robby Lee Shindeldecker.

One vote came in for the non-story of the year. Pam Snyder put the "pink house" at No. 10, "because of the silliness of the whole thing with other, more pressing issues of concern. After all, the house was already built and occupied." The pink house is a visually prominent residence in Durango’s western foothills.