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Colorado - Wed. 12/24/25 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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MESSAGE FROM ALPINE BANK: HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
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Alpine Bank will be closing at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and will be closed Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, for the Christmas holiday. You are invited to use Alpine Online or the Alpine Mobile app for 24/7 banking access, even when the bank is closed. Have a safe and happy holiday! Learn more at the link below.
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NORAD CONTINUES DECADES-LONG TRADITION OF TRACKING SANTA'S TRIP AROUND THE WORLD
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Sometimes kids drop the phone after hearing Santa won’t show up if they’re not asleep. Others who call the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline wonder if St. Nick will be able to find them. Adults who also remain devoted to the jolly figure said to deliver presents around the world are checking up on his journey. For 70 years, that’s been the tradition at the North American Aerospace Defense Command — a joint United States and Canadian operation charged with monitoring the skies for threats since the Cold War. More than 1,000 volunteers will be taking calls to 1-877-HI-NORAD on Christmas Eve. For the first time this year, Santa seekers can place a call through the program’s website, which organizers say will be easier for people outside North America. The website allows people to follow Santa’s journey in nine languages, including English and Japanese.
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- Associated Press, 12.19.25
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MONTROSE & GRAND JUNCTION POST SHORTEST FLIGHT DELAYS AS ASPEN RANKS AMONG NATION’S WORST
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A new analysis of Bureau of Transportation data shows Montrose Regional Airport had Colorado’s shortest average arrival delay at 12.2 minutes, with weather causing only 5.61 percent of late flights. Grand Junction followed closely at 12.5 minutes, though nearly 13 percent of its delays were weather-related. Aspen recorded the state’s longest average delay at 23.5 minutes, the 20th worst nationwide, with 17.2 percent tied to weather. Researchers from Rustic Pathways said smaller regional airports often struggle with limited resources and rigid schedules, while terrain and winter conditions further challenge high-elevation airports like Aspen. Gunnison had the highest weather-related delay rate at 19.11 percent, though its average delay was shorter at 14.6 minutes.
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- GJ Daily Sentinel, 12.22.25
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CHIEFS ANNOUNCE PLANS TO MOVE TO KANSAS & BUILD DOMED STADIUM
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The Kansas City Chiefs will be moving from Missouri to a domed stadium in Kansas in 2031, Gov. Laura Kelly and team owner Clark Hunt confirmed in an announcement Monday at the Docking State Office Building across from the State Capitol. It completes a lengthy process in which the Chiefs focused on choosing between two specific sites: moving to a state-of-the-art domed stadium in Kansas or renovating Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri. The new stadium was previously projected to cost $3 billion, while a renovated Arrowhead Stadium would’ve been the cheaper option at roughly $1 billion.
Lieutenant Gov. David Toland called it “the largest economic win in Kansas history,” adding that “this win will also cement Kansas as a global destination for sports and entertainment." The move to Kansas — and an indoor stadium — opens up many additional avenues for the Chiefs. That includes hosting a Super Bowl. The new stadium, which will be roughly 20 miles from Arrowhead, will be built in Wyandotte County, and a new team headquarters will be located in Olathe, Kan.
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- New York Times, 12.22.25
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FOURMILE CANYON WILDFIRE PROMPTS EVACUATIONS BEFORE CREWS CONTAIN BLAZE
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A fast-moving wildfire burned about three acres in the Fourmile Canyon area west of Boulder on Monday, prompting evacuation orders for homes near Wild Turkey Trail around 5:51 p.m. and a broader evacuation warning shortly after 6 p.m. Officials said 662 people received alerts and 499 structures were in the affected area. Fire crews reported the blaze under control by Monday night, and both the evacuation order and warning were lifted by 10:30 p.m. The Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District confirmed the burn area, while officials noted humidity was expected to rise and winds to ease after a Fire Weather Warning expired at 5 p.m.
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COLORADO CUT METHANE LEAKS BY 70% IN THE 2010s
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State oil and gas regulations meant to cut leaks of the highly damaging greenhouse gas methane slashed the unwanted emissions 70 percent after Colorado launched a series of first-in-the-nation compromises with the industry in the 2010s, says a new study by an environmental group. Methane emissions from Colorado’s oil and gas production fell sharply from 2010 to 2017, according to the Environmental Defense Fund study. Researchers used data from the Japanese Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite, and the findings were backed by results from aircraft-based analysis in flights over the high oil production Denver-Julesburg Basin. EDF advocates credit hard-fought collaborations among regulators, oil and gas trade groups and environmentalists beginning with 2014 legislation under then-Gov. John Hickenlooper. Another important methane law passed in 2017, and six more legislative compromises moved forward during Gov. Jared Polis’ administration.
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OCTOBER SALES SURGE 26% IN ASPEN
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The accommodations, construction, and restaurant and bar sectors helped propel October taxable sales in Aspen 26 percent higher than the same month last year. According to the city of Aspen’s monthly taxable sales report released Monday, the city recorded $77.2 million in taxable sales in October, up from $61.5 million in October 2024. Year-to-date through October produced $1.2 billion in taxable sales, up 11 percent over the same period in 2024.
Sales tax sectors posted the following figures in October:
- Accommodations — $16.6 million in taxable sales, up 66 percent over October 2024
- Automobile — $661,780, down 73 percent
- Construction — $15.3 million, up 191 percent
- Fashion clothing — $9.4 million, up 17 percent
- Food and drug — $4.4 million, down 7 percent
- Jewelry/gallery — $5.2 million, up 6 percent
- Liquor/cannabis — $957,662, down 5 percent
- Miscellaneous — $9 million, down 12 percent
- Restaurants/bars — $10.1 million, up 10 percent
- Sports equipment/clothing — $2.5 million, up 2 percent
- Utilities —$3.1 million, unchanged
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- Aspen Daily News, 12.22.25
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ALPINE BANK NAMES DAVID BRATCHER TO LEAD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN DURANGO
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Alpine Bank has named David Bratcher as head of community outreach for its Durango branch. Bratcher, a longtime Durango resident, brings more than a decade of experience and a commitment to strengthening local communities. In his new role, Bratcher will focus on collaborating with community groups and fostering bank initiatives that create lasting impact for residents and businesses in La Plata County. Bratcher grew up in Farmington and moved to Durango to attend Fort Lewis College, where he earned a degree in business administration with a minor in economics. Before joining the Alpine team, Bratcher worked at Credit Union of Colorado and Vectra Bank. He also held various front-line operations duties at the Durango branch. Outside the bank, Bratcher has embraced opportunities to give back. He served as board president of the Young Professionals of Durango, and also volunteers with nonprofits such as The Hive, Boys and Girls Club of Durango and Habitat for Humanity.
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- Durango Herald, 12.18.25
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KRISTY & BILL WOOLFOLK NAMED 2026 VAIL VALLEY CITIZENS OF THE YEAR
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Kristy and Bill Woolfolk were honored as the 2026 Vail Valley Citizens of the Year for decades of philanthropy supporting education, mental health, environmental programs and numerous nonprofits across the Eagle River Valley. Their work through the Frechette Family Foundation, founded by Kristy’s parents, expanded long-standing commitments to youth, families and community well-being, funding major capital projects, endowments and staff housing. The couple serves on multiple boards and led a five-year Roundup River Ranch campaign that raised more than $20 million. Local leaders praised their hands-on approach, multigenerational legacy and sustained impact, calling the award a recognition of decades of service.
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- vaildaily.com, 12.22.25
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LIFTUP OF ROUTT COUNTY NAMES BECKY SLAMAL DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
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LiftUp of Routt County has hired longtime Steamboat Springs resident Becky Slamal as its new director of development, bringing her extensive nonprofit experience from Routt County Crisis Support, Heart of Steamboat United Methodist Church and Partners for Youth. Executive Director Sue Fegelein said Slamal will help strengthen relationships and support the organization’s evolving community needs. The transition shifts outgoing interim director Nancy Engelken into a new role as capital campaign coordinator, continuing her work on donor engagement and campaign events after serving in the interim post since May.
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- Steamboat Today, 12.21.25
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TEN LUXURY HOTELS FOR THE ULTIMATE NEW YEAR’S EVE
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Forbes Travel Guide highlights ten luxury hotels offering elaborate New Year’s Eve celebrations worldwide, from fireworks over Victoria Harbour at Regent Hong Kong to Dubai’s waterfront festivities at One&Only The Palm. Options range from Vancouver’s Rosewood Hotel Georgia with in‑room champagne and caviar to Switzerland’s Bürgenstock Resort’s space‑themed party. U.S. choices include the Beverly Wilshire and Four Seasons Hotel New York, while destinations in London, the Maldives, Cairo and Pennsylvania offer dinners, live music, private parties and sunrise toasts to welcome 2026.
Top Ten Hotels
- Regent Hong Kong – Hong Kong
- One&Only The Palm – Dubai
- Rosewood Hotel Georgia – Vancouver
- Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne – Switzerland
- Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel – Los Angeles
- Four Seasons Hotel New York – New York
- The BoTree – London
- Huvafen Fushi Maldives – Maldives
- Fairmont Nile City – Cairo
- The Lodge at Glendorn – Bradford, Pennsylvania
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PINE BEETLES POISED TO DECIMATE FRONT RANGE FORESTS
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Vast swaths of the ponderosa pine forests that blanket Colorado’s Front Range mountains could turn rust-colored and die over the next five years as pine beetles begin to spread aggressively. Aerial surveys conducted by the U.S. Forest Service over the last year found evidence of rapidly spreading beetle infestations along the mountains and foothills that stretch from southern Larimer County to southern El Paso County, including the western flank of metro Denver. Already, pockets of dead trees are visible from Interstate 70 and U.S. 285.
Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order Dec. 15 and created the Mountain Pine Beetle Ponderosa Outbreak Task Force to address the growing wildfire threat and the beetles’ potential impact to watersheds, recreation and infrastructure. A U.S. Forest Service forecast map released by the governor’s office shows that beetles could kill nearly all of the ponderosa pines along the Front Range. Pine beetles have ravaged forests in Colorado’s mountains for three decades now. There’s little to be done to stop the beetles from spreading, Colorado State Forester Matt McCombs said.
These symptoms are indicators of pine beetle infestations:
- Popcorn-shaped masses of resin called pitch tubes, on the trunk that may be brown, pink or white.
- Boring dust in bark crevices and on the ground immediately adjacent to the tree’s base.
- Woodpecker damage, where the birds have stripped portions of the bark in search of larvae.
- Presence of live mountain pine beetles (eggs, larvae, pupae and/or adults).
- Exit holes on the bark’s surface where adult beetles have emerged.
- Foliage turning yellowish to reddish throughout the entire tree crown.
For more information about beetle management options and wildfire mitigation, visit csfs.colostate.edu/live-wildfire-ready.
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750K PEOPLE EXPECTED TO FLY THROUGH DIA DURING HOLIDAY RUSH
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Denver International Airport expects three-quarters of a million people to pass through its security checkpoints by the end of the week. The holiday rush started Friday and won’t end until Sunday, with an estimated 750,000 people flying out of Denver between those days. The busiest days likely will be Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday.
People who haven’t flown since last Christmas will see a few changes at the airport:
- Everyone will have to go through the north security checkpoints, since the south checkpoint has closed.
- Passengers leaving from Concourse A now have the option to skip the train from the terminal and walk across a pedestrian bridge.
- Most airlines’ check-in areas are temporarily on level 5. United, Southwest and Frontier are on level 6.
- The airport advised people flying out to allow at least two hours to check their bags and clear security. Lines tend to be longest between 3 and 4:30 a.m., 8 and 10 a.m., and 3 and 5 p.m.
- The Transportation Security Administration advised flyers not to put fully wrapped presents in their bags, since they could have to unwrap them if the contents look suspicious on the X-ray. Snow globes contain too much liquid to go in a carry-on and must ride in checked bags.
- As of Monday, the Pikes Peak shuttle lot was full, but all other lots remained open.
- People who plan on driving to the airport can check the lots’ status at flydenver.com/parking-and-transportation/parking-lots. Those who don’t want to chance it can reserve a spot in the parking garage for $45 a day, which is $10 more than the typical daily rate.
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MARKET UPDATE - 12/23/2025 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 12/18/2025)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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