Monday, May 11, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1969, a major plutonium fire broke out at Building 776-777 of the Rocky Flats Plant south of Boulder. A six-hour effort by 29 firefighters narrowly prevented what some later described as a potential nuclear disaster for the Denver metro area.

An anonymous financial backer wants to turn a historic Evergreen manor into a $75,000-per-month trauma and addiction recovery center, but neighbors have concerns about repurposing the quiet foothills estate. Find the details in Business.

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Wolf Manager to Step Down

Eric Odell, manager of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) wolf reintroduction program, publicly announced last week that he will retire in July.

The announcement coincided with the release of CPW’s Gray Wolf Annual Report, which covered the status of Colorado’s wolves and summarized the past year’s livestock conflicts. Per the report, there are now a minimum of 18 adult wolves and 14 pups in the state.

Speaking to the CPW Commission, Odell said he couldn’t provide a definitive timeline to restoration—a self-sustaining population of 150-200 wolves—and that additional years of reintroduction may be needed.

Odell, who has managed the program since voters approved wolf restoration in 2020, clarified that his retirement “is entirely a personal decision” and isn’t due to “external pressures, political or otherwise.”

Police Seek Gas Thieves

Englewood police are investigating two recent cases of thieves stealing gas from parked cars by drilling holes into the fuel tanks.

Two reported thefts took place near S. Galapago Street and W. Cornell Avenue, with another similar incident reported two blocks away. Victims found their tanks empty and damaged, costing up to $2,000 in repairs.

Experts say thieves target vehicles with plastic tanks and, in particular, SUVs and trucks, which have higher ground clearance and are easier to access.

Incidents of gas theft, while rare, tend to rise alongside gas prices. The average statewide price per gallon topped $4.40 last week, up from $3.78 last month and $3.12 one year ago.

A-Basin Extends Season Again

Days after extending its ski season to May 10, Arapahoe Basin once again pushed back its closing date—this time to May 17—thanks in part to 9 inches of snow from a late spring storm.

A-Basin is now the only ski area still open in Colorado. Even before the extensions, the Summit County resort boasted the state’s longest ski season.

The Basin will reopen Friday for its final weekend. Lift tickets are going for $39, and the lifts will run at their usual hours. No beginner terrain is available.

Summer operations at A-Basin are still expected to open July 2.

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➤ Statewide: Lawmakers gave final approval to a bill that would allow survivors of conversion therapy to pursue litigation against licensed providers at any time, removing the statute of limitations for such claims. (More)

➤ Denver: A judge on Friday sentenced a vocal police critic to 60 days in jail for a Sept. 3, 2025, livestream in which she broadcast the home address of a police commander and suggested there should be a “pig roast” there. The case appears to be the first prosecution under Colorado’s anti-doxing statute. (More)

➤ Highlands Ranch: Water utilities in the city are implementing drought pricing—charging customers higher rates for water use beyond their assigned budgets—amid forecasts its reservoirs could drop as low as 35% full. (More)

➤ Rocky Mountain National Park: An avalanche in Dragon’s Tail Couloir swept two skiers over a small cliff band amid a rare late-season spike in avalanche danger. Neither was seriously hurt in the slide. (More)

➤ Boulder: Survivors of the June 1 firebombing at Pearl Street Mall spoke about the traumatic impact of the attack at the sentencing of Mohamed Soliman. (See Details)

➤ Keenesburg: Neighbors are raising concerns about speeding traffic along a rural road after two horses were killed in a crash with a semitrailer. (More)

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➤ The Colorado Avalanche have a goalie decision to make tonight for Game 4 of their playoff series against the Minnesota Wild after benching Scott Wedgewood—who had started every game at goalie this postseason—with Mackenzie Blackwood in the second period of a 5-1 loss on Saturday. (More)

➤ Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters he expects starting quarterback Bo Nix to be ready for the start of training camp despite needing a second offseason ankle surgery in late April. (More)

➤ No. 8 Colorado women’s lacrosse took down Denver 11-9 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament yesterday after Teagan Ryan and Rachel Kennedy each recorded hat tricks. (More)

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➤ Soda Club, a Michelin-recognized New York restaurant known for its pasta, wine, and cocktails, is opening a Denver location this summer. (See Details)

➤ Greystone Estate, a historic, 25-room manor in Evergreen, could become a luxury addiction recovery center using meditation, yoga, and psychedelics to treat trauma. The planned retreat would charge up to $75,000 a month, while neighbors have raised concerns about traffic, safety, water use, and wildfire risk. (More)

➤ Experts say there’s an uptick in consumer interest in electric vehicles due to the surge in gas prices and Colorado’s increasingly large market of used EVs. (More)

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➤ A bobcat was spotted roaming a Centennial neighborhood over the weekend. Authorities urged residents to keep pets leashed or indoors and avoid approaching the wildcat. (See Photos)

➤ Trail Ridge Road, a high-elevation byway with panoramic views of Rocky Mountain National Park, is the most scenic road in Colorado, according to a new state-by-state list. (See List)

➤ The Mighty Argo Cable Car—a 22-car, 1,300-foot-vertical-rise gondola ride in Idaho Springs—opened to the public over the weekend, celebrating Mother’s Day by offering free admission to moms. (More)

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