PSD to Close Nine Schools

Poudre School District’s (PSD) planning committee has recommended closing nine schools and consolidating two others by the start of the 2027-28 school year.

The list includes Beattie, Irish, Johnson, Putnam, Timnath, Stove Prairie, Red Feather, and Livermore elementaries, plus Blevins Middle. Superintendent Brian Kingsley cited declining enrollment.

Mountain school students would be reassigned to Cache la Poudre Elementary in LaPorte. Red Feather Lakes parents worry about 80-mile round trips on snowy roads.

The committee will present its plan to the Board of Education on Oct. 13, with a final vote set for Oct. 27. Community listening sessions are scheduled for Oct. 12, 14, 15, and 19.

Colorado in Top 10 for Debt

Colorado’s total debt jumped 75% over the last decade, ranking ninth among states with the most debt growth, according to a new analysis.

Researchers compared state-by-state debt data from 2015, 2020, and 2025 using the New York Fed’s household debt report, covering auto, credit card, mortgage, and student loans.

Mortgage debt led Colorado’s growth at 84.2%, followed by credit card debt at 77.4% and auto debt at 47.2%. Student loan debt rose a more modest 27.6%.

Idaho and Utah topped the list with increases above 100%, while Texas and Nevada rounded out the top four. The findings arrive shortly after a Federal Reserve rate hike that raises borrowing costs.

Tarantula Season Underway

Thousands of male tarantulas are roaming southeastern Colorado seeking mates around La Junta and the Comanche National Grassland. Males mature at about age eight and rarely survive long afterward.

The event is often called a migration, but it’s really a solo mating trek by mature males. Females spend their entire lives in a single burrow and can live for decades.

Peak viewing runs from mid-September through October, with the best window in the hour before sunset along Highways 109, 10, and 350 south of La Junta.

La Junta’s annual Tarantula Fest wrapped up Sept. 26, but the spiders remain on the move. Visitors are urged to watch their step and leave the tarantulas alone.

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➤ Statewide: Proposition NN asks voters to let the state keep TABOR surplus revenue for teacher pay, smaller classes, and child care. Single filers could give up $21 to $276 in refunds over two years. (More)

➤ San Miguel County: A preliminary NTSB report says a single-engine plane on an aerial survey dropped from about 500 feet to 50 feet above terrain near Dolores Peak before its fatal Sept. 3 crash. (More)

➤ Weld County: A man walking in the southbound lanes of I-25 near Mead was struck and killed by a FedEx truck early Saturday. State Patrol says the driver is not expected to face charges. (More)

➤ Summit County: The sheriff’s office will keep its Flock license plate cameras after a 30-day pause. Image retention will drop from 30 days to seven, and the number of cameras will be limited. (More)

➤ Golden: The city has temporarily closed Tucker Gulch Trail between 1st and 7th streets due to bear activity. Neighbors report more bears than usual as drought pushes them into town for food. (More)

➤ Arapahoe County: An 11-year-old boy reported missing after leaving a park near South Kirk Way on Saturday was found safe Sunday morning. Deputies had searched overnight with drones. (More)

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➤ Bo Nix scrambled into the end zone with 47 seconds left to lift the Broncos to a 30-26 comeback win over the Rams on Sunday night. Talanoa Hufanga’s 67-yard pick-six gave Denver its first lead. (More)

➤ The Rockies ended their season with a 4-2 loss to the playoff-bound White Sox, finishing 58-104. They are the first team with four straight 100-loss seasons since the 1962-65 Mets. (More)

➤ The Broncos also recently placed ascending rookie running back Jonah Coleman on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least four weeks due to his ankle injury. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | WNBA | Soccer | Golf | NASCAR

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In case you missed it, last week on Flyover Focus, we broke down what drives your cost of living, so tune in here.

➤ Denver International Airport ranked 18th of 20 mega airports in J.D. Power’s traveler satisfaction study, down from seventh in 2023. Officials cite construction, which should wrap up next year. (More)

➤ New Terrain Brewing Co., a Golden-based brewery, opens its Palisade taproom Saturday, Oct. 3, at the former Red Fox Cellars property. The site will offer up to 20 taps, live music, and daily food trucks. (More)

➤ Leaf peepers can use code LEAFPEEP26 for up to two free 30-minute Breck E-Ride trips to Breckenridge’s Aspen Alley. A temporary e-bike hub at Wakefield Trailhead operates through Oct. 3. (More)

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➤ The Grand Junction Air Show returns Oct. 3 and 4 after a three-year break, with the Blue Angels headlining. There’s no parking at the airport, so all attendees will be shuttled in. (More)

➤ A nearly 100-pound sulcata tortoise named Lard escaped a fenced yard in Littleton and refused to head home. A Jefferson County animal control officer and a bystander finally carried him back. (More)

➤ The Fort Collins High School football team has four sets of twins on its roster. All eight players are seniors who play defense, and they say the sibling bond boosts team chemistry. (More)

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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. 

➤ Ukraine airdropped kamikaze ground robots behind Russian lines and says they took out 3,000 troops. The general in charge calls it a world first. (Hear Details)

➤ A sweet tooth in the first two years of life may follow you into adulthood in a way researchers didn’t expect. (Listen Now)

➤ Alina Habba, President Trump’s former lawyer, married a 29-year-old Turkish billionaire at the Waldorf Astoria. (Hear More)

Have you ever seen the tarantulas in La Junta?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

How often do you play the lottery?

1. Never: 49%
2. Once in a while: 23%
3. Only for big jackpots: 22%
4. Every week: 6%

Which Colorado fourteener is featured on the Coors Light can?

Show me the answer