You've probably seen the orange barrels. If you’re driving through town lately, it’s hard to miss the dust kicking up around North 9th Street. Honestly, it feels like half the town is under some kind of "reconstruction," but there’s a lot more moving in the background than just stormwater pipes and fresh asphalt. Between the city council’s aggressive hunt for new committee members and a massive $2 million injection into the local college campus, Canon City Colorado news is currently a mix of growing pains and high-stakes planning.
What’s Actually Happening with the N 9th Street Mess?
Let’s get the frustrating stuff out of the way first. Rhoades Construction has been out there since late December, and they aren't going anywhere soon. The big news right now is the full road closure on North 9th Street stretching from Washington Street all the way to Candlewood Drive. Basically, if you’re trying to cut through, you can’t.
They’ve got a "hard block" between Family Center Drive and Raintree Boulevard. The city says this is all about stormwater infrastructure. It’s the kind of project that sounds boring until your basement floods, but it’s making the morning commute a bit of a nightmare. All the businesses are still open—you just have to come in from either the north or south side. Don't expect this to wrap up in a weekend; they’ve signaled this phase will take "multiple weeks."
A $2 Million Boost for the Fremont Campus
While the roads are a headache, there’s some genuinely good news over at Pueblo Community College’s Fremont Campus. Walter Schepp, a long-time local supporter, just dropped a $2 million donation to upgrade the simulation center. This is huge.
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Why does it matter?
- Nurse Training: Specialized mannequins for training can cost $500,000 a pop.
- Economic Buffer: With state budgets being squeezed and $350 million in federal grants being pulled back across the country, this local private money is a lifesaver.
- Local Jobs: It keeps the high-skill trade programs (like nursing and welding) running right here instead of forcing kids to commute to Pueblo or Colorado Springs.
Losing $230,000 in state funding recently hurt, but the Schepp gift basically keeps the lights on and the tech updated for the next generation of local healthcare workers.
The "Three Committee" Search: Why the City Needs You
The City Council is currently begging for residents to step up. They’ve established three new municipal committees: Finance, Public Safety, and Economic Development.
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The Finance, Budget, and Public Works Committee is going to be the "principal coordinating body" for how your tax dollars get spent on things like that never-ending road work. They need seven people. Four of them must live inside city limits. If you’ve spent any time complaining on Facebook about the budget, honestly, this is the time to actually go sit in the room.
The deadline is tight. You have to get a letter of interest to Cindy Foster Owens, the City Clerk, by 5:00 p.m. on January 30th. It's a real chance to have a say in the "Success of the Community" talks that have been floating around the Canon City Forward initiative.
The Great Pool Debate and Tax Tensions
If you want to see people get heated, bring up the community pool. It’s been a saga. The latest update in Canon City Colorado news involves a 2.25% "amusement tax" proposal. The idea was to tax things like rafting trips and the Royal Gorge Bridge to pay for the pool's operations.
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Rafting business owners, like Andy Neinas from Echo Canyon, are not happy. They’re worried about transparency and the legality of taxing certain recreational excursions. The city is in a bind: they have the money to build a $25 million pool (thanks to a previous sales tax), but they don't have a guaranteed way to pay for the lifeguards and the water bills to keep it running.
Without a sustainable funding stream, the whole project could stall out. It’s a classic small-town standoff. Do you tax the tourists to give the locals a place to swim, or do you risk losing the facility altogether?
Quick Hits: What Else You Should Know
- Fire Ban Status: Good news for the weekend—the fire restrictions for unincorporated Fremont County were officially lifted as of January 13, 2026.
- Historic Exhibits: If you haven’t seen the "From Miners to Merchants" exhibit at the museum, you’re almost out of time. It’s a look at the Italian heritage in Fremont County and its final day is Saturday, January 17th.
- Stormwater Conference: On February 10, the city is hosting a regional stormwater conference. Given the amount of digging happening on 9th Street, it’s probably a good time to talk about where all that water goes.
Actionable Steps for Locals
If you're living in the thick of this, here is how you can actually engage with the current news cycle:
- Apply for a Committee: If you want to influence the city's $3 million+ budget or public safety policies, write that letter of interest before the Jan 30 deadline. Address it to the City Council, P.O. Box 1460.
- Plan Your Route: Avoid North 9th Street between Washington and Candlewood for at least the next month. Use Highway 50 or alternative side streets to bypass the hard block.
- Visit the Museum: Head to the "From Miners to Merchants" event on Jan 17 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. It's the last chance to see this specific piece of local history before it's archived.
- Check the Fire Status: Even though the ban is lifted, always check the Fremont County official site before any large agricultural burns, as things change fast with the Colorado wind.
The town is changing. Whether it's the infrastructure under the ground or the committees in City Hall, staying informed is the only way to make sure the "Old Max" town doesn't lose its character while it tries to modernize.