Saturday, October 3, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1859, Irish immigrant Owen J. Goldrick opened what is considered Colorado’s first school in the gold-rush town of Auraria, now part of Denver.

We want to thank all the loyal readers who referred The Colorado Flyover to their friends and family this week as a timely, unbiased news source to read every morning. It was an overwhelmingly positive response to us hitting a benchmark of 200,000 readers, and we truly appreciate it. If you’re enjoying The Colorado Flyover and want to share the newsletter with your friends, click here.

Sick season is here. Plenty of people are coughing and clearing their throats through every conversation, but that stubborn tickle might have nothing to do with the cold going around. Doctors point to a surprising culprit, and your go-to remedy could be making things worse. Amy breaks down that stuck-in-your-throat feeling on today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast. Is your trusty allergy pill actually helping? Which popular nasal spray should never be used for more than three days? And what if that lump in your throat isn’t really there? Tune in here!

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Senators Seek Knowles Fire Investigation

Four U.S. senators, led by Colorado’s John Hickenlooper, asked the Interior Department Friday to investigate the policies behind the deaths of four Rifle Helitack firefighters on the Knowles Fire in Mesa County.

Nick Hutcherson, Emily Barker, Sydney Watson, and Nathan Matthews died after a June 27 entrapment, and a fifth crew member was severely burned. The senators, all Democrats, want Interior to examine its full-suppression strategy, its default to direct attack, and recent staffing cuts.

Their letter says forecasts that morning warned of 60 mph gusts, yet the crew was inserted two hours later. The senators also say an internal review was due Aug. 11, and nothing new has been released since preliminary findings in July.

In July, Interior said it was committed to conducting the investigation “with the care and rigor it deserves.”

Ice Castles Skip Cripple Creek

Ice Castles won’t return to Cripple Creek this winter, the city and the attraction’s organizers announced Friday.

Organizers cited operational and business considerations, including last winter’s unseasonably warm weather. The company plans to operate fewer locations this season.

Water scarcity in parts of Teller County came up in talks, though officials say Cripple Creek has enough water to host the attraction.

Since 2023, the icicle fortress has drawn thousands to the old mining town during its slowest months. “We have loved our working relationship with the city and with the community,” CEO Kyle Standifird said, and the city hopes to welcome it back.

Colorado Rules Ski Season’s Opening Race

Colorado resorts have been the first in the nation to open, or tied for first, in 14 of the last 21 ski seasons, according to a SnowBrains review.

Arapahoe Basin claimed or shared the title seven times. In 2008, it and Loveland both moved their openings to 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 15 and split the crown.

Small hills in Minnesota and Massachusetts have stolen the title in recent years. Keystone won it back for Colorado last October.

This year, A-Basin and Keystone both list opening day as “ASAP.” A-Basin’s chief operating officer wrote Sept. 26 that snowmaking temperatures were getting closer.

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➤ Colorado Springs: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will address 3,500 Air Force Academy cadets today and administer the oath of enlistment to new recruits at the Air Force-Navy football game, according to a Pentagon release. (More)

➤ Denver: Former Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart died Thursday, the state Judicial Branch said. Appointed by then-Gov. John Hickenlooper in 2017, she retired in January. Gov. Jared Polis called her a leader in family law and access to justice. (More)

➤ Lakewood: A grand jury indicted Carlos Hernandez-Fernandez, 46, on 11 counts, including first-degree assault, accusing him of posing as a doctor and performing eyelid surgery, nose jobs, and liposuction at a local medical spa. He’s being held on a $750,000 cash-only bond. (More)

➤ Aurora: The police department’s Human Trafficking Unit made 28 arrests and recovered 29 survivors, 15 of them minors, in its first year, police said. Created in September 2025, the unit has opened 53 investigations. (More)

➤ Pikes Peak: El Paso County Search and Rescue reached a hiker stranded at the summit Thursday after recent storms brought winter conditions to the fourteener. Crews urged hikers to check forecasts, pack proper gear, and turn back when conditions sour above treeline. (See Photos)

➤ Colorado Springs: Springs Rescue Mission CEO Travis Williams will spend 24 hours on a bench at the mission’s Colorado Springs campus starting at noon Thursday, Oct. 8, livestreaming conversations about homelessness. A local donor will match up to $25,000 raised during the event. (More)

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➤ Air Force hosts Navy at 10 a.m. today at Falcon Stadium, aiming to snap a two-game skid in a series the Falcons lead 34-24. The winner takes the first step toward the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, which Air Force last won in 2022. (More)

➤ Colorado hosts Texas Tech at 5:30 p.m. today at Folsom Field without linebacker Tyler Martinez and offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter, who both recently had lower-body surgeries. Cornerback Jason Stokes Jr. and sack leader Lamont Lester Jr. are listed as doubtful. (More)

➤ Colorado State opens Pac-12 play against Oregon State at 4 p.m. today in a homecoming game at Canvas Stadium, where the Rams beat the Beavers 58-27 in the venue’s 2017 opener. Both teams are 2-2. (See Video)

➤ Isaiah Stevens, the former CSU point guard, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 1 after the Sacramento Kings released him. Stevens holds CSU’s career records for points, assists, and 3-pointers. (More)

➤ Pueblo County softball clinched the Class 4A South-Central League title Thursday, rallying from a 6-2 deficit to beat Central 7-6 with two runs in the seventh inning. The Hornets are 15-3 overall and 6-0 in league play. (More)

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

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➤ Wonder the dog dashed through the ribbon at Thursday’s grand opening of Colorado State University’s $230 million veterinary hospital and education complex in Fort Collins. The 213,000-square-foot building, funded partly by $50 million from the state, is already hosting students. (More)

➤ A record 86 veterans flew to Washington, D.C. Friday on Honor Flight of Southern Colorado’s first charter out of Colorado Springs Airport. More than $86,000 were donated for the event during a KRDO13 telethon in April. (More)

➤ STK Steakhouse swept the people’s choice and judges’ awards in the traditional category at the seventh annual RARE Steak Championship, held Sept. 24 at Infinity Park in Glendale. More than 30 restaurants competed, and Ameristar Black Hawk took the judges’ top prize for creativity. (See List)

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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.

➤ Sick season is here, and doctors say relief for that stubborn throat starts with one surprising fix. (Listen Now)

➤ Nobel watchers say the International Space Station is a serious Peace Prize contender this year, alongside far more contentious earthbound names. (Hear Names)

➤ Pope Leo XIV is urging artists to join the church in a fight to protect human creativity from artificial intelligence. (Podcast Available)