Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1862, the San Luis Valley became the site of Colorado’s newest post offices. Today, those same post offices are some of the state’s oldest.

Human-bear conflicts saw another uptick in 2025, according to state wildlife officials, who warn that unsecured trash remains the leading cause of the run-ins. Have you ever had a close encounter with one of Colorado’s black bears? Hit reply to tell us about it.

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Pete Hegseth Visits Colorado

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited the Denver area on Monday as part of a nationwide tour focused on supporting the defense industrial base.

At True Anomaly and Sierra Space, two private space technology firms, Hegseth spoke to crowds of workers about the strategic importance of the space domain and his priority to foster the industry’s growth in places like Colorado.

“Right here in Colorado, in the heart of America, you are forging the instruments of absolute and unquestioned space dominance, which is what we require,” he said.

Hegseth also stopped by Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, where he administered the oath of enlistment to 40 recruits. See a video here.

Former Ranger Sentenced for Stabbing Hoax

A former Colorado Parks and Wildlife ranger accused of stabbing himself as part of an “elaborate hoax” was sentenced to three years of supervised probation under a plea deal Monday.

Callum Heskett, 26, radioed for help in Staunton State Park on Aug. 19, saying he’d been attacked and stabbed. The report triggered a widespread manhunt, visitor evacuations, and school lockdowns as he was airlifted to a hospital for surgery.

Police say inconsistencies in Heskett’s statements, along with conflicting and questionable evidence, made it “clear” his story was false. Investigators found searches on his phone, including “arteries in abdomen map” and “$1 mil for each time you get stabbed.”

Heskett pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a public servant and false reporting of an emergency. The judge ordered him to pay more than $16,000 in restitution and barred him from serving as law enforcement in the state.

More Fire Danger, Mountain Snow

High fire danger warnings kicked in across the Front Range yesterday and may be extended through the week amid dry, warm conditions, and wind gusts up to 80 mph.

In the high country, meanwhile, a winter storm developed last night and is forecast to leave 6-12 inches of snow in spots above 10,000 feet. Winter weather advisories last through tonight.

As mountain snow combines with high winds, northwest Colorado will see the worst of both, with totals up to 16 inches and possible 60 mph gusts in the mountains around Steamboat Springs.

Windy conditions are expected to persist for much of the state through Friday. Light rain, or rain mixed with snow, is possible in Denver and on the plains tonight.

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➤ Weld County: State regulators imposed a $1.7 million penalty on Noble Energy, a Chevron subsidiary, for a well blowout that spewed oil, sand, and water near Galeton last April, prompting home evacuations and a school closure. (More)

➤ Statewide: Senate Bill 18, a Democrat-sponsored measure that would seal legal records of children who request name changes, cleared a committee hearing along party lines last Wednesday. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: Human-bear conflicts increased by 5.5% in 2025, with 5,299 reports, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Over half the conflicts were linked to unsecured trash bins. (See Details)

➤ Denver: City Council members advanced a proposed law that would ban law enforcement, including ICE, from wearing face-covering masks. (More)

➤ Boulder: A judge ordered the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to turn over records in an undetermined number of criminal cases to attorneys of Michael Clark, a local man whose murder conviction was vacated in the wake of CBI analyst Missy Wood’s arrest for misconduct. (More)

➤ Dillon: Neighbors of Dillon Amphitheater, a local concert venue, complained at a town hall meeting that the concerts’ noise and bass levels are high enough to shake their homes. Others claim not to have problems and worry that tighter restrictions will hinder tourism. (More)

➤ Norwood: A local man was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for sending over 80 violent threats to a law enforcement official. (More)

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➤ Colorado women’s basketball received the most votes of any team in the country without making the AP Poll this week, meaning they’re essentially ranked No. 26. (More)

➤ Former Colorado wide receiver LaJohntay Wester returned to Boulder this week to run the team’s current crop of wideouts through an offseason workout. (More)

➤ The Rockies continue their Spring Training slate this afternoon against the Chicago Cubs. (How to Watch)

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➤ NoCo Cat Cafe in Loveland is looking to open a second cat cafe in Fort Collins. The combined coffeeshop-and-shelter has helped adopt out over 1,100 cats since opening in 2022. (See Details)

➤ A Senate bill seeks to reverse the Colorado Lottery Commission’s November decision to approve online lottery sales and credit card purchases, a move that faced bipartisan pushback. (See Details)

➤ The Community Foundation of Boulder County, which received $43 million in donations to survivors of the 2021 Marshall Fire, spent the last $6 million on affordable housing projects in the area. (More)

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➤ A 5-year-old aviation enthusiast from Arvada earned a VIP trip to Southwest Airlines headquarters after he called the airline’s attention to a discrepancy in one of its training manuals. (Read Story)

➤ Dozens of classic car owners cruised past the home of an 80-year-old Lakewood man with a love of vintage vehicles in a surprise organized by his granddaughter. (Read Story)

➤ Opera Colorado is celebrating the 20th anniversary of moving to Denver’s Ellie Caulkins Opera House with a special one-night concert and fundraising gala this Friday. (See Details)

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