DOJ Monitors Will Stay outside Polls

Justice Department election monitors will stay at least 100 feet from Adams County voting centers after rejecting Colorado’s conditions for going inside.

Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office said Thursday the four monitors could enter only if accompanied at all times by state observers and kept in designated areas.

The DOJ had planned for plain-clothes teams to silently check Spanish-language materials and disability access at 12 to 16 locations. It said its monitors wouldn’t speak with voters.

“Our monitors will remain outside of polling places and not come within 100 feet of the building in accordance with Colorado state law,” the DOJ wrote in reply to Griswold’s conditions. 

Griswold said her office will act on any sign of voter intimidation outside voting centers. Adams County includes part of the 8th Congressional District, one of the nation’s most competitive House races.

Colorado Ranks 8th for Spam Calls

Coloradans filed 305,742 complaints about unwanted calls over five years, the eighth-highest rate in the nation, according to a new study.

SMS verification company SMSPool compared Federal Trade Commission complaint records from October 2020 through September 2025 with census population figures. Colorado’s rate of 5,085 complaints per 100,000 residents was 27.5% above the average state.

Complaints peaked at 111,910 in fiscal year 2021 and bottomed out at 41,176 in 2024. They climbed back to 51,924 in fiscal year 2025.

Nationally, the FTC logged more than 2.6 million Do Not Call complaints in fiscal year 2025, up from the year before. Delaware had the highest rate in the study, and North Dakota the lowest.

SMSPool’s Chen Bao recommends setting phones to send unknown numbers to voicemail. “Walk the older relatives in your family through the same setting,” he said.

Instructor Lands Plane on Highway 50

An 80-year-old flight instructor safely landed a Cessna 172 on U.S. Highway 50 north of Montrose Thursday morning after its engine quit mid-flight.

Bill Swartz of Olathe and his student were heading back to Montrose Regional Airport when the engine began acting up near Menoken Hill. “The only option we had was the highway,” Swartz said.

He cleared power lines crossing the road, touched down near mile marker 87, and coasted onto a frontage road. No vehicles were hit, and neither man was hurt.

“Landing an airplane on a busy highway is no small task, and he did an outstanding job,” Montrose County Undersheriff Ty Cox said.

Swartz has flown since 1968 and taught since 1974. The NTSB will investigate, though Swartz said a local shop suspects a broken mixture control.

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➤ Littleton: The Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday in a case from St. Mary Catholic Parish and a Lakewood parish, whose preschools were barred from Colorado’s universal preschool program over its nondiscrimination rules. Parents say they’ve lost up to $24,000; the state says the rules ensure no child is turned away. (More)

➤ Longmont: Boulder County DA Michael Dougherty cleared officer Joshua Barry in the August shooting death of Dariss Yearby, 20. Yearby held a woman in a headlock with a hand hidden in a backpack and claimed to have a gun; he was unarmed. An advocacy group seeks a state review. (More)

➤ Routt County: Routt and Grand counties, plus more than half of Pitkin County, can meet just 0-21% of local demand for children’s primary care, a Colorado Children’s Campaign report found. Statewide, about 7 in 10 kids live in communities without enough pediatric providers. (More)

➤ Colorado River: The Central Arizona Project, which carries Colorado River water to Phoenix and Tucson, moved to join Nevada’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over new river rules that impose steep cuts on Lower Basin states. (More)

➤ Denver: Today is the last day to pay eligible unpaid parking tickets at half price under Denver’s amnesty program, which covers citations issued before May 10. The city is owed about $74 million but has collected less than 1% of it. (More)

➤ Colorado Springs: Gov. Jared Polis named an advisory committee led by Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera to support Colorado’s bid for the proposed U.S. Space Academy, a NASA-led federal school the state wants to land in Colorado Springs. (More)

➤ Montrose County: Commissioners advanced an ordinance banning intentional releases of non-native wildlife, including gray wolves brought from outside the state, in unincorporated areas. Commissioner Sean Pond says it gives ranchers a voice; the Endangered Species Coalition says counties lack authority to enforce it. A final vote is set for Nov. 18. (More)

The Colorado Flyover exists to call things what they are, fairly and objectively. We keep the spin out and trust you with the facts. So today we’re asking: if news that calls things what they are is something you want to see thrive, will you stand behind it? Support the news in plain words. Free, every morning. Will you make a generous donation to support The Colorado Flyover?

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➤ Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark will step down Jan. 31, 2027, and is expected to take a role outside college sports. Since 2022, he has overseen the league’s expansion to 16 schools, including Colorado’s return from the Pac-12 in 2024, and a $2.28 billion TV deal. (More)

➤ Jaylen Waddle returned to practice for the Broncos on a limited basis Thursday after aggravating a chest injury in last week’s win at Arizona. That keeps him in the mix for Sunday’s 2:25 p.m. game against Kansas City, with first place in the AFC West on the line. (More)

➤ Breckenridge will host the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, a freeski and snowboard slopestyle World Cup, Dec. 10-13 for the first time in 12 years. Freeski finals are Dec. 12 and snowboard finals Dec. 13, with spectators welcome all four days. (More)

➤ Colorado’s FBS teams all play today. CU (2-5) hosts Kansas State at noon, trying to end a five-game skid. Air Force (5-2) can clinch bowl eligibility by beating UConn at 1 p.m., and Colorado State (3-4) visits Utah State at 1:30 p.m.

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NHL | NBA | Soccer | Golf

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➤ Part of the first reported adult T. rex trackway is now on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. A museum associate found the 23-foot trackway’s four three-toed prints, each about 3 feet long, in North Dakota. They’re more than 66 million years old. (More)

➤ The 32nd Emma Crawford Coffin Races drew about 15,000 people to Manitou Springs last weekend after volunteer reserve officers helped fill a security staffing gap that nearly canceled the event. (More)

➤ Chris and Vicki Sullivan, a Colorado couple who are both living kidney donors, finished a 17-mile Grand Canyon hike alongside fellow donors and are encouraging others to learn about living donation. (Read Story)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ What are the seven dirtiest things in your home? Hint: the toilet doesn’t make the list. (Hear List)

➤ Election season may take a measurable toll on your heart, researchers say, no matter which party wins. (Listen Now)

➤ New research is challenging centuries of scholarly doubt over a nearly 2,000-year-old non-Christian account of Jesus. (Podcast Available)

How do you usually handle calls from unknown numbers?

1. Answer them
2. Let them go to voicemail
3. Block or ignore them
4. Depends on the day

Yesterday’s Results:

How many trick-or-treaters do you usually get each year?

1. None: 48%
2. A few (1-10): 18%
3. Some (11-30): 15%
4. Quite a few (31-60): 11%
5. A ton (60+): 8%

The dome of Colorado’s state capitol is covered in what precious metal, mined in the state?

Show me the answer