Good morning, Grand Junction.

The Roice-Hurst Humane Society in Grand Junction offers the adoption of Austroraptor, a curious, snuggly cat who has been waiting for a forever home for over a month (she has lived with other cats and dogs and is not used to children).

The Parade of Homes offers tours showcasing craftsmanship on two weekends from Sept.

25 to 27 and Oct. 2 to 4. Homes open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays — tickets cost $20, available online or at Safeway.

TBR Book Bar, a new venue pairing wine+books, launched a soft opening in Fruita at 242 South Mulberry St; it runs Sunday-Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Oct.

2, with its grand opening scheduled for Oct. 3.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop opened its doors at 2480 U.S. Highway 6&50 after lengthy delays, drawing customers who camped overnight for a chance to be among the first 50 guests.

The new restaurant now offers fresh, made-to-order tacos with its unique Fuzzy’s Dust and a family-friendly atmosphere.

Fruita’s TBR Book Bar is a new spot that pairs books with wine and offers a venue for adult book clubs, job interviews, and meetings.

The soft opening runs until Oct. 2 at 242 South Mulberry St, and the grand opening is set for Oct. 3.

Jon Carmichael, a renowned astrophotographer and entrepreneur, will speak at the Business Incubator Center’s inaugural Entrepreneur Exchange 2026 (EN/EX26) on Friday, Oct.

16 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Grand Junction Convention Center, which celebrates 40 years of incubating local business growth.

ExoPower Inc. received a $1.25 million NSF grant to develop its capacitive wireless charging system for industrial equipment and began Phase II funding on Sept.

15 at its lab on the Grand Junction Business Incubator Center campus, with plans to expand its team using local talent.

Eleven Colorado authors will sign and sell books at this year’s annual Applefest celebration.

The local author’s book sale will be held at the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center’s Bank of Colorado Theatre on Oct. 3-4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

RK Steel and CMU Tech started a new partnership on Sept.

15 at the CMU Tech campus — the program will tailor the welding curriculum and build work habits to help students earn apprenticeships with competitive pay.

Mesa County Valley School District 51 relocated the Outdoor Wilderness Lab to Wildwood after the Turner Gulch Fire raised flooding concerns at Gateway.

Wildwood residents remain divided over traffic and easement issues — negotiations with a key property owner continue.

On Sept. 16, Colorado Mesa University received a record $10 million donation from the Denver-based ZOMA Foundation (its largest philanthropic gift) during a ribbon-cutting for Centennial Apartments, its new student housing.

The school also broke ground for Formation Commons to expand housing for over 3,200 on-campus residents.

Colorado's 2026 fall foliage will display vibrant colors across the state due to drier conditions, with Grand Junction experiencing its peak in late October + higher elevations showing their colors earlier.

Grand Junction Fire Department uses the Candidate Physical Ability Test to measure firefighter candidates' endurance by requiring them to complete eight tasks in 10 minutes and 20 seconds, simulating challenges like climbing stairs and carrying heavy gear as an early step in its rigorous hiring process.

The CDC reported a national rise in rabies exposures while Colorado officials confirmed 56 rabid animals as of Sept.

9; Mesa County recorded one bat case in August and advises residents to seek care after any animal bite.