Friday, February 21, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1935, dust storms in eastern Colorado led to such poor visibility that two section cars collided on the railroad near Arriba. Dust storms that February were so extreme on the plains that artificial light was often needed to see clearly during the day.

A multimillion-dollar heist isn’t just the stuff of crime movies—it’s what jewel thieves pulled off at Denver’s Cherry Creek Shopping Center last summer, and police have now issued an arrest warrant.

Plus, an Aurora store is seeking out a legendary Broncos trading card worth $50,000. Read more in today’s Top Stories.

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Suspect Identified in Jewel Heist

Denver Police have issued an arrest warrant for Gustavo Salas-Ortega, suspected member of a South American theft group that pulled a jewel heist in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center last summer.

Investigators say the thieves, disguised as construction workers, broke into the Hyde Park jewelry store by cutting a hole through the wall, leaving eight hours later with $12 million in valuables.

Salas-Ortega is linked to a similar heist in New Jersey—“part of a pattern” of jewel thefts across the country.

In the arrest affidavit, police say they used surveillance technology to connect Salas-Ortega to the Cherry Creek heist. Court documents state he has been detained for violating his immigration status.

Measure to End Wolf Reintroduction Gets First Approval

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Title Board has approved language for a proposed ballot measure that would ask voters in 2026 to end the reintroduction of gray wolves by the end of that year.

In 2020, voters approved a plan to reintroduce gray wolves to Colorado. So far, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has reintroduced 25 wolves to the state as part of that plan.

Currently, CPW is authorized to release 10 to 15 wolves per year. While the new measure wouldn’t remove the wolves, it would establish a definite end to reintroduction.

According to the measure’s proponents, such as Colorado Advocates for Smart Wolf Policy, many who approved reintroduction now “have buyer’s remorse,” joining the objections of ranchers suffering from wolf depredation.

Aurora Store Offering $50K for Bo Nix Card

Mike’s Stadium Sportscards in Aurora is offering $50,000 for a coveted trading card autographed by Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.

The one-of-one SuperFractor rookie card is hidden in the 2024 Topps Chrome football packs, which hit the market Wednesday. The odds of pulling the card range from 1 in 62,480 to 1 in 2,505.

To qualify for the payout, says the Aurora store, the card needs to be in PSA 9+ condition according to the Professional Sports Authenticator grading system. The highest grade a card can receive is a PSA 10, more commonly known as “mint condition.”

Michael Fruitman, owner of Mike’s Stadium Sportscards, is promising an extra $10,000 in store credit if the card is pulled from any of their in-person locations. The collector who pulls it will have 30 days to get it to the store so they can keep it in Colorado, “where it deserves to be.”

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Zillow’s co-founder has a big new idea

Spencer Rascoff co-founded Zillow, scaling it into a $16B real estate giant. But everyday investors couldn’t invest until after the IPO, missing early gains.

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➤ Fort Collins: Hundreds of Colorado State University students gathered for a demonstration on campus Wednesday, calling for the protection of university diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and resources. (More)

➤ Denver International Airport: A Navy veteran missed his flight to Washington, D.C. from Denver after not being allowed to board with his two service dogs on Tuesday. (More)

➤ Greeley: Two men from Greeley were arrested after attempting to smuggle meth and tobacco into a Louisiana prison—allegedly by using a cannon to launch the contraband onto prison grounds. (Video Report)

➤ Clear Creek County: Jury deliberations are underway in the retrial of Andrew Buen, a former Clear Creek County deputy who is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 22-year-old Christian Glass. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: Over 500 drivers were killed or injured in 2024 as a result of aggressive driving, according to Colorado State Patrol. (See Details)

➤ Denver Nuggets standout Russell Westbrook has returned to practice after missing seven consecutive games due to injury. (More)

➤ The Colorado Rockies will play their first spring training game today at 1:10 p.m. against the Arizona Diamondbacks. (More)

➤ The Denver Broncos rank 28th in the NFL in salary cap space for the upcoming NFL free agency period with approximately $40 million to spend. (More)

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➤ Benzina, a popular Italian restaurant in Denver, announced it will close in March due to rising costs—something the owner says makes competition “almost impossible” for small businesses. (More)

➤ A Boulder group is petitioning to bring back the pandemic-era closure of Pearl Street, raising concerns for vendors who rely on the mall’s accessibility. (See Details)

➤ East Colfax business owners are voicing discontent with the ongoing construction of the Bus Rapid Transit project, which some say has caused foot traffic and profits to plummet. (More)

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Top Investors are Buying this “Unlisted” Stock

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➤ The rare silver fox, a seldom-seen genetic variant of the red fox, was spotted near Horsetooth Reservoir west of Fort Collins. (See Photos)

➤ Opera Colorado will stage a production of the iconic love story La bohème, with real-life couple Kathryn Lewek and Zach Borichevsky performing in the production. (See Details)

➤ Windsor is honoring two people with the Citizen Life-Saving Award for rescuing a woman and her dogs from an icy pond. (More)

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