Storage Unit Yields Record Fentanyl Haul

The winning bidder of an auctioned-off, unpaid storage unit found 1.7 million counterfeit fentanyl pills inside, marking the single-largest fentanyl bust in Colorado history.

The buyer of the Highlands Ranch unit made the discovery Nov. 11 and immediately contacted authorities. In addition to the pills, officials found 12 kilograms of fentanyl powder and 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine.

According to the DEA, the unit’s previous owner was a drug courier with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. The suspect was arrested in April on a separate case, leaving the bill unpaid.

This is also the sixth-largest fentanyl bust in U.S. history. Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director Armando Saldate said the seizure “represents countless lives saved.” 

Aurora Resumes In-Person Council Meetings

Aurora City Council resumed in-person meetings Monday night, more than five months after repeated disruptions by public commenters led the meetings to move online.

The council voted to suspend in-person meetings in June following protests over the police killing of Kilyn Lewis, an unarmed man shot by a SWAT officer. City officials said protesters disrupted council meetings in the weeks after his death.

A second lawsuit alleged the move to online meetings, which initially suspended public comment as well, violated the First Amendment. Both lawsuits are still active.

Monday’s meeting also marked the final session of four outgoing conservative members. The council will flip to a progressive majority when the new members take office Dec. 1.

Shiffrin Wins 102nd World Cup, 9th Reindeer

Vail-born, world-famous skier Mikaela Shiffrin dominated the season-opening slalom in Finnish Lapland over the weekend for a record-extending 102nd World Cup win.

The star skier built on a commanding first-run lead to finish 1.66 seconds ahead of second-place Lara Colturi. This marks Shiffrin’s ninth victory in Lapland, where the winner is awarded a reindeer as a prize.

Post-race, Shiffrin was seen feeding the newest addition to her herd, which she later named Winkie. See video here.

Winkie will join Shiffrin’s other reindeer—Rudolph, Sven, Mr. Gru, Ingemar, Sunny, Lorax, Grogu, and Rori—at a farm in Finland. Shiffrin heads to Austria for another slalom this weekend.

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➤ Adams County: Drug Enforcement Administration agents executed a search warrant at a warehouse early Tuesday tied to a “possible lab of some sort,” describing the raid as the culmination of a long-term investigation. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: Victims and lawmakers are urging the Colorado Supreme Court to change its disciplinary rules for lawyers after a registered sex offender was allowed to keep his law license. (More)

➤ Western Slope: An Oct. 29 sampling found invasive adult zebra mussels upstream in Glenwood Canyon up to Dotsero, adding 100 miles to the Colorado River’s infestation. (See Details)

➤ Denver: Local commuters waste more time and money in traffic than in most U.S. cities—losing an average of 76 hours and $1,718 per driver in 2024—according to a new report. (See Report)

➤ San Juan Mountains: The Ouray Mountain Rescue Team recovered the body of an ice climber believed to have died Saturday near Precipice Peak in the Cimarron River area. (More)

➤ Rocky Mountain National Park: A prescribed burn near Upper Beaver Meadows Road and the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center will temporarily close a portion of U.S. 36 today. (See Details)

➤ Mesa County: Authorities are searching for a missing 15-year-old girl last seen in Clifton on Nov. 6 under suspicious circumstances. (More)

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➤ The Colorado Avalanche topped CBS Sports’ most recent NHL Power Rankings after a dominant 3-0 stretch last week. Nathan MacKinnon leads the league with 33 points, even after his 11-game point streak was snapped on Sunday. Cale Makar continues to lead all defensemen with 25 points. (More)

➤ The University of Denver was selected as one of 48 teams to compete in the NCAA men’s soccer championship tournament, making it the only school from Colorado. (See Bracket)

➤ The home of former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was broken into Sunday as he took his first NFL snaps for the Cleveland Browns. No arrests have been made, and it’s unclear if anything was stolen. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | Soccer | NCAAF | NCAAM | NCAAW

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➤ Thanksgiving meal staples are generally higher in price than last year, with the average grocery price up nearly 3% from September 2024, according to the Consumer Price Index. (Watch Report)

➤ A coffee shop in the small town of Kersey is offering $2 lattes to customers who present speed camera tickets on Nov. 25. The promotion comes amid frustration over hefty fines that appear to exceed what town law allows, which the owner says have driven down sales. (See Details)

➤ Denver International Airport ranks No. 7 among U.S. airports for Thanksgiving travel, based on its relatively low holiday-season flight delay rate of 15%, a new study reports. (See Report)

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➤ Colorado State University professors invented a new athletic shoe for people with foot disabilities caused by conditions like cerebral palsy or stroke. (See Shoe)

➤ A travel blogger based in Denver shared some lesser-known tips for saving on Thanksgiving travel. (See Tips)

➤ A handful of Colorado spots are nominated for USA TODAY’s 2025 reader-voted lists for best holiday light displays, holiday markets, and destinations for snow. (See List)

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What do you call the popular bread-based Thanksgiving dish sometimes cooked inside a turkey?

1. Dressing
2. Stuffing
3. Either works

Yesterday’s Results:

What’s your favorite coffeehouse chain?

1. None: 18%
2. Starbucks: 14%
3. Dutch Bros: 14%
4. Ziggi’s: 14%
5. Other: 14%
6. Dunkin’: 13%
7. Caribou: 13%

What is Colorado’s easternmost town?

Show me the answer