Friday, September 5, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1905, a severe hailstorm in Fort Collins caused an estimated $60,000 in damage. One woman in LaPorte reported that 200 of her chickens were killed by the hailstones.

It may not be October—or even fall—just yet, but Oktoberfest in Colorado is getting started this weekend. See our Top Stories for stein-and-sausage celebrations happening across the state.

Why does Oktoberfest start in September, anyway? Today’s Trivia has the answer.

🎧 It’s Friday, which means a fresh Feel Good Flyover is on the way—both in your inbox and on the podcast! Amy Hess goes deeper into the week’s best stories, including Mittens, a deaf beach cat who loves meeting locals.

Help us hit 10,000 subscribers on YouTube—we’re at 9,200 and only need 800 more! Follow us here.

We’re sponsored today by Organixx, offering health products that combat collagen deficiency.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

State OKs COVID Shots Without Prescription

Colorado officials on Wednesday issued public health orders allowing Coloradans to receive COVID-19 vaccines without a prescription.

The announcement comes a week after the FDA limited COVID-19 vaccines to people 65 and older or those at higher risk of severe disease. In Colorado, confusion over federal guidelines led pharmacies to adopt prescription-only policies.

The new orders, effective today, let residents ages 6 months or older receive COVID-19 vaccines without individual prescriptions. They also direct state agencies to work to ensure state-regulated insurance will cover the vaccines.

Colorado’s Board of Pharmacy will meet today to discuss further rule changes concerning COVID-19 vaccine access.

Skier Awarded $21M in Landmark Verdict

A jury last week found Vail Resorts negligent and awarded $21 million in damages to Annie Miller, a woman left paralyzed after falling from a chairlift in 2022. Due to state caps and shared fault, the final payout was reduced to $12.4 million.

Miller’s case went to the Colorado Supreme Court last year. In a landmark ruling, the court found that liability waivers, long used to dismiss similar claims, don’t give ski resorts blanket immunity.

That allowed the lawsuit to move forward in Broomfield County District Court, where jurors supported the family’s argument that lift attendants violated state safety standards.

According to an attorney for Miller’s family, the verdict may open new avenues for skiers to sue resorts, particularly for chairlift-related accidents.

Oktoberfest Events Kick Off

Oktoberfest, a German beer and folk festival celebrated worldwide, runs from Sept. 20 to Oct. 5 this year, but festivities in Colorado start as soon as this weekend.

Vail Oktoberfest and Steamboat OktoberWest both kick off today. Besides Bavarian music and German bier, Vail’s two-weekend festival features stein-holding, bratwurst-eating, and costume contests.

Paws & Pints, an Oktoberfest event benefiting the Denver Animal Shelter, is set for tomorrow, Sept. 6. The $45 tickets cover two drinks, food, a shelter tour, and a commemorative pint glass.

Here’s a list of Oktoberfest events happening across the state, with everything from beers and brats to polka dancing and wiener-dog races.

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Did you know that collagen deficiency strikes nearly everyone over the age of 30?

This is because after you turn 30, you start losing 1% of collagen per year.

Which is a bad thing.

You see, collagen is the “glue” that holds your body together. And without enough collagen your body literally starts falling apart (FAST!).

Some of the warning signs are a droopy neck, brittle nails, dry, flaky hair, and deep lines around your mouth and eyes.

When people start noticing these signs, they often turn to expensive collagen powders for help.

Only problem? They’re INCOMPLETE, and therefore useless.

➤ Statewide: Liberal advocacy groups are pursuing a 2026 ballot measure to replace Colorado’s flat income tax with a graduated rate by amending the state constitution. (See Details)

➤ Denver: The University of Colorado Denver announced it will automatically admit Denver Public Schools students with GPAs of 3.0 or higher, adding to a list of similar university-district partnerships across the state. (More)

➤ Fort Collins: A Larimer County jury exonerated a Lincoln Middle School teacher charged with child sexual assault, determining he couldn’t be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. (More)

➤ Statewide: Unaffiliated voter registration in Colorado has grown by 3.1% in 2025, with Democratic and Republican registration dropping by 0.9% and 0.77%, respectively. (See Details)

➤ Summit County Rescue Group, one of the state’s busiest search-and-rescue operations, opened a new, larger, and better-equipped headquarters in Frisco to improve training and emergency response. (More)

➤ Glenwood Springs: Trial is underway in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Wongel Estifanos, a 6-year-old girl who died after falling from a ride at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in 2021. (See Details)

➤ Greeley: Police cited a 71-year-old woman with harassment after a physical altercation with another attendee during a city council meeting on a proposed $1.1 billion entertainment district. (More)

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➤ The Denver Broncos signed pass rusher Nik Bonitto to a four-year extension worth up to $120 million, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in franchise history. (More)

➤ Colorado State defensive lineman Gabe Jones will miss the rest of the 2025 season after suffering a patella injury during the team’s season opener against Washington. (More)

➤ Week 2 of college football kicks off tomorrow with several key matchups, including nonconference games for Colorado and Air Force. See the full schedule—with kickoff times—at the following link. (See Full Schedule)

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➤ The majority of Coloradans can’t afford the average home for sale in the state, ranking Colorado ninth-worst nationwide for housing affordability, according to the Common Sense Institute. (See Study)

➤ Palmer Lake’s planning board voted to advise against Buc-ee’s annexation request, saying the proposed development would violate the town’s master plan. (See Details)

➤ An ultralight, collapsible camp chair invented by a Rifle resident is now sold at the local Timberline Sporting Goods, with a patent pending. (More)

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Flying together with our sponsor

Did you know that collagen deficiency strikes nearly everyone over the age of 30?

This is because after you turn 30, you start losing 1% of collagen per year.

Which is a bad thing.

You see, collagen is the “glue” that holds your body together. And without enough collagen your body literally starts falling apart (FAST!).

Some of the warning signs are a droopy neck, brittle nails, dry, flaky hair, and deep lines around your mouth and eyes.

When people start noticing these signs, they often turn to expensive collagen powders for help.

Only problem? They’re INCOMPLETE, and therefore useless.

➤ The Ag Day BBQ, a Colorado State University-hosted celebration of Colorado agriculture, will be held this Saturday from 1-4 p.m. ahead of the Rams’ home game. (See Details)

➤ Bow Mar, an affluent Denver-area suburb, received national attention in a Wall Street Journal article examining why it’s one of the area’s most expensive places to live. (See Details)

➤ Bird watchers in Broomfield caught a rare glimpse of a wood stork, a tropical bird not seen in Colorado in more than 90 years. (See Photos)

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