Friday, April 3, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1982, the Colorado Rockies, then the state’s National Hockey League team, defeated the Calgary Flames 3-1 in their final game before relocating to New Jersey and becoming the Devils.

This week, NASA launched astronauts toward the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. In today’s Top Stories, we look at how Colorado pitched in to help get the historic mission off the ground.

Today’s sponsor, Fisher Investments, is offering a free guide to help you build a smarter retirement plan that accounts for inflation, rising costs, and long-term financial security.

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.

Court Reverses Peters’ Sentence

The Colorado Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld Tina Peters’ conviction but reversed her nine-year sentence, ordering a lower court to reevaluate the punishment.

Peters, 70, a former Mesa County clerk, was convicted in 2024 of breaching election systems, something she says she did in an effort to expose fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

In the 77-page opinion, the three-judge panel found the lower court punished Peters for continuing to espouse election-denying beliefs, writing: “We reverse her sentence because it was based in part on improper consideration of her exercise of her right to free speech.”

President Trump has repeatedly called for Peters’ release. Earlier this year, Gov. Jared Polis signaled he would consider commuting her sentence.

Judge Strikes Down Opt-Out Threshold

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled partly in favor of the Colorado GOP in its challenge to a 2016 state law that set a high threshold for either major party to opt out of primary elections.

The judge rejected the GOP’s effort to invalidate Proposition 108, which opened partisan primaries to unaffiliated voters, but ruled the opt-out requirement—support from 75% of a party’s central committee—“constitutes a severe burden on the major parties’ right to association and is therefore unconstitutional.”

By opting out of primaries, a party can block unaffiliated voters, now over half of Colorado’s electorate, from helping decide general election nominees. State GOP leadership has repeatedly tried, but failed, to opt out in past years.

Though the ruling won’t affect this year’s primaries, it opens the door for opt-outs in 2028 and beyond, potentially reshaping the state’s political landscape.

Colorado Contributes to Artemis II Mission

NASA launched Artemis II on Wednesday, sending four astronauts on a 10-day trip around the moon and back—the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in over 50 years.

Colorado’s aerospace industry plays a key role in the program. According to the Space Foundation, Colorado has the third-most companies (264) contributing to the Artemis program, behind only Florida (399) and California (790).

Development and testing of the Orion spacecraft took place at several Lockheed Martin facilities, including a campus near Denver. Carolyn Overmyer, based in Littleton, is chief engineer for the firm’s Orion program.

In Boulder, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center is closely monitoring sun and space activity near Earth, ready to communicate any significant events to NASA.

The mission is expected to reach its closest approach to the moon by Monday, making a lunar flyby that will pave the way for future landings and eventual crewed missions to Mars.

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➤ Statewide: The Joint Budget Committee completed a draft of the state budget, making cuts to Medicaid and taking other cost-saving measures to close a roughly $1.5 billion shortfall. (See Details)

➤ Boulder: The federal trial of Mohamed Soliman, the man accused of firebombing pro-Israel demonstrators at Pearl Street Mall in June 2025, has been delayed until Nov. 30. (See Details)

➤ Capitol: A former aide to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold alleged a toxic workplace culture in the office, with employees “abused, bullied, and discarded.” Griswold’s campaign called the claims a “smear effort.” (More)

➤ I-25: Drivers who speed in work zones between Mead and Berthoud will now be subject to $75 tickets, which will be issued by eight speed cameras installed in January. (See Details)

➤ Douglas County expanded its cost-sharing wildfire mitigation program, offering homeowners a 50% price match of up to $25,000 for qualifying projects. (See Details)

➤ The Denver Zoo is suing the designer and builder of its new $19 million sea lion habitat, which debuted last May, alleging several failures in the construction process led to higher costs and unresolved issues with the exhibit. (See Details)

➤ Delta: The city announced it will retire Confluence Park’s swinging bridge—described by some as a “hidden gem”—due to high repair costs and safety concerns. (More)

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➤ Coors Field is debuting pizza donuts at the Rockies’ home opener tonight—a plain donut topped with garlic butter, mozzarella, pepperoni, and marinara sauce. It’s part of a new lineup of ballpark food for the season. (More)

➤ The Broncos shot down a report linking them to free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, with a source saying there’s “less than a zero percent chance” he’ll visit with the team. (More)

➤ Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar will miss time with an upper-body injury after taking a hit in Monday’s game against Calgary. Coach Jared Bednar said it’s nothing serious and won’t put the playoffs in jeopardy. (More)

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➤ Birdcall, a Denver-based, award-winning chicken sandwich chain, will debut a stand at Coors Field for the Rockies’ home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies today. (See Details)

➤ Bioriginal Food & Science Corp., a Canadian manufacturer of nutritional ingredients, has selected Grand Junction for its newest U.S. expansion, which is expected to create at least 20 jobs over eight years. (More)

➤ A state recycling expansion program set to launch this year is facing a lawsuit by a trade group, which alleges a keystone of the effort, the “producer responsibility” fee on packaging, violates transparency rules and raises consumer costs. (See Details)

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➤ Red Rocks Amphitheatre will host its 79th annual Easter sunrise service this Sunday. Gates open at 4:45 a.m., service begins at 6 a.m., and sunrise is at 6:38 a.m. The event is free to the public. (See Details)

➤ Four Vietnam veterans from Grand Junction were selected for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., through the Rocky Mountain Honor Flight, a nonprofit that helps veterans visit the memorials built in their honor. (More)

➤ A 2000s-themed bar—with lava lamps, classic board games, throwback music, an old-fashioned popcorn machine, and nostalgic cocktails—opened in Denver on Thursday. (See Photos)

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➤ A recent report warns that men in certain U.S. areas may be at higher risk of urinary issues linked to toxic mineral buildup, including enlarged or inflamed prostate. Thousands have already reported severe symptoms. New data suggests a geographic link—check the map now to see if your area could be affected.