Missy Woods Pleads Guilty

Former Colorado Bureau of Investigation DNA analyst Yvonne “Missy” Woods pleaded guilty Tuesday to four felonies, reversing her earlier not guilty plea after a yearslong scandal cast doubt on evidence in more than 1,000 criminal cases.

Woods, 65, pleaded guilty to cybercrime, perjury, forgery, and attempting to influence a public servant. Prosecutors dropped the remaining 100 charges as part of the plea agreement.

The deal carries a stipulated eight-to-16-year sentence, guaranteeing prison time while eliminating the possibility of a probation-only outcome, the Jefferson County DA said.

Woods’ alleged misconduct—which included deleting DNA values and submitting fraudulent reports to 24 law enforcement agencies—impacted cases dating back to 2008. Her sentencing hearing is Sept. 8.

Federal Ruling Blocks State SNAP Plan

A federal judge this week blocked a Trump administration-backed effort to bar SNAP food stamp recipients from using the benefits to buy soda and other sugary drinks, ruling the USDA lacks authority to remove entire food categories from the program.

Gov. Jared Polis has pushed to implement the now-blocked restrictions in Colorado, securing a waiver from the USDA in August. In March, however, the state’s human services board rejected Polis’ plan, calling it an overreach.

Polis said he is “disappointed” in the ruling and is now reviewing whether any action remains possible under current law.

More broadly, the decision is a setback for the administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, which had approved waivers for five states, including Colorado.

Hiker, Biker Encounter Moose, Lion

A moose attacked a hiker and their dogs Monday evening on Lovell Gulch Trail in Teller County, prompting a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) warning.

Paramedics evaluated the hiker on scene and determined no hospital transport was needed. One of the dogs went missing initially but was located that evening.

The moose was not pursued, and CPW posted warning signs near the trail.

Near Telluride, in a separate incident last week, a mountain biker startled a mountain lion on the lower Wasatch Trail. Officials said the lion made no contact with the biker and was not aggressive.

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➤ Statewide: Wildfire smoke from the 21,000-acre Iron Fire in Utah is pushing into Colorado this week, bringing hazy skies and reduced air quality, particularly across the Western Slope and high country. (More)

➤ Whitewater: A wildfire on Reeder Mesa prompted evacuation orders for part of the town Monday, with multiple agencies and aerial resources responding to the blaze. (More)

➤ Highlands Ranch: Hikers have been spotted repeatedly ignoring a trail closure designed to protect nesting bald eagles, frustrating wildlife officials who say the birds’ breeding season is at a critical stage. (More)

➤ Arvada: The family of a good Samaritan who sacrificed his life to stop a shooting in Olde Town in 2021 honored the five-year anniversary of the attack on Sunday. (More)

➤ Summit County has entered Stage 1 fire restrictions amid dry conditions, and deputies have already issued citations for illegal campfires. Body camera footage of the confrontations has gone viral online. (See Video)

➤ Fort Collins: A local woman who bought a manufactured home for resale discovered she had to pay $900 in utility debt from two previous owners. (More)

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➤ NBA Draft: Nuggets (No. 26) – entered by Cole N. as the picks happen. Draft starts at 5pm MT.

➤ Former Rockies first-rounder Benny Montgomery, the eighth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, retired from professional baseball this week at age 23, having never reached the major leagues. (More)

➤ Arvada West junior Cooper Vais was named Gatorade Colorado Baseball Player of the Year after going 12-0 on the mound with a 0.57 ERA and 103 strikeouts this high school season. He’s committed to play at the University of Texas next season. (More)

➤ Colorado head coach Deion Sanders added former NFL linebacker Xavier Adibi to the Buffaloes’ defensive staff this week. Adibi spent the last four seasons at Virginia Tech and previously played four seasons in the NFL with the Texans, Vikings, and Titans. (More)

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➤ Severe drought has devastated eastern Colorado’s winter wheat crop, with USDA projecting the 2026 harvest at just 33.6 million bushels—a 52% drop from the 10-year average and the worst yield since 1965. (More)

➤ Aurora City Council approved three bond measure questions totaling $264 million under the Build Up Aurora initiative, covering 65 projects in public safety, transportation, and community facilities. The questions go before voters Nov. 3. (More)

➤ The 1Up Arcade Bar in Denver’s LoDo neighborhood has closed. The owners plan to reopen at a new Belmar location in Lakewood in the coming months. (More)

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Musk: This Will Make Everyone Wealthier Than Me

After SpaceX’s history-making IPO, Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire. But he says the forthcoming AI and robotics boom will make everyone wealthier than him.

Over 44,000 people are tapping into this boom by investing in a private robotics company: Miso Robotics.

Miso’s AI and robots are becoming fixtures across the $1T fast-food industry, serving customers at Cinnabon, Jersey Mike’s, Jamba, and many more. In fact, Miso’s Flippy Fry Station AI robot has already logged over 200,000 hours in real kitchens like White Castle. 

Now Miso’s scaling Flippy across a $4B/year US revenue opportunity.  And it’s only one piece of Miso’s growing platform.

This is your chance to tap into this growth as a Miso shareholder. Invest before Miso hits their $2.5M raise goal for June.

➤ The Greeley Stampede kicks off tonight, running through July 5 with a SuperStars Concert Series lineup that includes Nelly, Brothers Osborne, Dierks Bentley, Jake Owen, and Nate Smith. (More)

➤ The Redlands Lions Club in Grand Junction is recruiting volunteers to help with its holiday flag program, which puts up American flags at about 700 homes nine days a year, with proceeds supporting scholarships and food programs in Mesa County. (More)

➤ The Breckenridge Wildflower Festival will hold its inaugural event from July 2 to 12, celebrating the wildflowers that grow across the mountain town’s varying elevations. (More)                

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➤ A Harvard scientist discovered a new “facelift protein” that smooths wrinkles, shrinks pores, and evens-out red blotchy skin in just 7 seconds a day. What surprised researchers the most wasn’t just the results…It was that women with higher levels of this “facelift protein” appeared to age dramatically better than their peers. Learn about this new discovery here.

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Savannah Guthrie made a tearful on-air plea as new details emerge in her mother’s disappearance. (Listen Here)

➤ Should weight-loss drugs be banned in sports? Serena Williams reignited the debate. (Hear More)

➤ These are the 20 highest-paying jobs in America that aren’t doctors. (Tune In)

Have you ever seen a mountain lion in the wild?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Did you ever run a lemonade stand as a kid?

1. No, never: 41%
2. Yes, a few times: 24%
3. Yes, once or twice: 23%
4. Yes, all the time: 12%

The San Luis Valley lays claim to what geographical world record?

Show me the answer