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Colorado - Wed. 09/23/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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CDOT PROVIDES UPDATE ON PROJECT TO INSTALL 66 NEW TRAFFIC CAMERAS ON RURAL ROADS
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The Colorado Dept. of Transportation says a project to install 66 new cameras on rural roads across the state remains on schedule, but no new cameras will be active by this winter. The project, which will replace some of the cameras the transportation department removed from rural roads last summer, remains on track for the new cameras to come online by fall 2027. In the mountains, the current plans call for five new cameras on U.S. Hwy. 6 at Loveland Pass, one at U.S. Hwy. 9 and Heeney Road north of Silverthorne, one on Hwy. 9 in Blue River, five on U.S. Hwy. 40 at Berthoud Pass and three along Hwy. 40 at Rabbit Ears Pass, among others.
Since kicking off this past spring, the camera replacement project has focused on groundwork, which includes pouring caissons, which are foundations, and laying conduit at all 66 sites across the state so that poles, cabinets, power and cameras can be installed. Unlike many construction projects that are concentrated in one area, this project requires crews to cover long distances across the state “to keep multiple sites moving simultaneously.” The new camera network will be owned and operated by the state for “long-term reliability, cost savings and operational control. It will add to an existing camera network that already includes nearly 1,000 road-side cameras, including hundreds on major roads like I-70.
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ASPEN-PITKIN COUNTY AIRPORT REOPENS AFTER THREAT, EVACUATION
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Police evacuated Aspen-Pitkin County Airport on Tuesday afternoon after several staff members received an “email threat regarding airport property,” airport officials said. The email came in at around 1:30 p.m. and prompted airport staff and Pitkin County, Aspen and Snowmass Village police agencies to evacuate everyone from the premises, airport officials said in a news release. Law enforcement crews then searched the airport before allowing passengers to return to the terminal at around 4 p.m. “Law enforcement conducted a thorough search of the airport, including its buildings and facilities, and determined there was no identified risk to the public,” airport spokesperson Kelsey Petersen said. Airport officials are not releasing additional information about the incident because there is an ongoing investigation, Petersen said. A United Airlines flight from Denver was diverted to Grand Junction because of the closure, according to FlightAware.
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GWS TIGHTENS RULES FOR STR PERMIT-HOLDERS
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Glenwood Springs City Council voted 4-2 to raise the bar for short-term rental permits last Thursday. STR owners must now rent out their units for at least 20 nights and generate at least $150 in sales tax every two years. Historically, there was no minimum requirement on how often a permitted STR had to be rented out; owners could hold a permit and rarely use it, if ever. Glenwood Springs permits 125 STRs, which are units rented out for less than 30 days at a time through companies like Airbnb and VRBO. That’s below the city’s set cap of 210 permits. The city has steadily added more restrictions on STRs since it first created regulations for them in 2015. In 2019, the city added a requirement that each permitted STR must be at least 250 feet from another one to prevent the units from being clustered in one dense corridor. Council members at the time also added a requirement for inspections of dwelling units being rented out. The rollout of those restrictions saw STRs drop from 138 to 106, but the number has been steadily climbing back up since.
- Of the city’s 125 STRs, 38 are within or are the homeowner’s primary residence.
- The other 87 are owned by people who live in other locations.
- Fifty-nine of those live in Glenwood Springs or Garfield County.
- Another 18 live within the state and 10 live outside Colorado.
- In 2024, Glenwood Springs had about 4,470 housing units, according to a city staff report, an indication that less than 3 percent of the city’s housing supply is a STR.
- The city’s typical single-family home value sits at $864,000 — significantly lower than Carbondale’s $1.5 million, and higher than New Castle’s $649,000.
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CDOT MARKS 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF 'THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE EVENT' IN GLENWOOD CANYON
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A new six part mini-documentary from the Colorado Dept. of Transportation is giving Aspen viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the most destructive event in the history of the I-70 Mountain Corridor. In 2020, the Grizzly Fire burned throughout the area and consequently caused catastrophic landslides that buried Glenwood Canyon in 2021. “From Ashes to Asphalt: The Glenwood Canyon Recovery,” which will be screened at the Wheeler Opera House from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, marks five years since the historic event and honors the people who made it possible to reopen the roads. The economic impact of shutting down Glenwood Canyon at the time cost the state economy an estimated $1 million for every hour that the road was closed.
The screening at the Wheeler Opera House will be followed by a panel Q&A with a CDOT maintenance team member, a former CDOT engineer and CDOT executive director Shoshana Lew, in order to give community members the opportunity to ask more about what happened, better understand why it’s essential to make sure critical infrastructure pieces are maintained on a firm schedule to ensure they’re as safe as possible when emergencies take place and learn more about the continued risks facing the Glenwood Canyon artery of I-70. All six episodes are available to stream on CDOT’s official YouTube channel and online at codot.gov.
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HISTORIC EL NIÑO COULD MEAN A WETTER START TO COLORADO'S WINTER
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El Niño patterns are approaching record-setting levels, raising the possibility of an unusual winter on Colorado’s Western Slope. El Niño conditions — characterized by above-average sea surface temperatures across the central to eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean — officially arrived in June, with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noting that it could intensify into a “strong” or “super” El Niño by the end of the year. A new winter outlook shows El Niño has intensified in the Northern Hemisphere, increasing the chances of a “very strong” fall and winter El Niño to more than 90 percent. If conditions continue to strengthen throughout the winter — with a likely peak between November and December — the super El Niño could break historical records going back to at least the 1950s.
For Colorado, this could mean stronger snowfall early in the winter season. Outlooks predict the Western Slope might not hold on to this pattern for long, however. With multiple prediction models showing El Niño is expected to strengthen through the end of the year, the Climate Prediction Center predicts a 75 percent chance of a historic event during the October-December season. In Colorado, El Niño conditions have historically translated to strong precipitation early in the fall and winter season followed by below-average snowfall during the middle of the season. So far, winter outlooks suggest the Western Slope might see a similar pattern. All parts of the state are also expected to receive above-average precipitation from October through December, with southeastern counties seeing up to a 50 percent chance of above-average precipitation. OpenSnow’s fall weather outlook suggests this could bring earlier-than-normal snowfall to parts of the High Country.
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GCSO: STAGE I FIRE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED IN GARFIELD COUNTY
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The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Land Management – Upper Colorado River District, and the seven fire districts in Garfield County lifted Stage I Fire Restrictions throughout Garfield County effective 12:01 a.m., Sept. 23. The White River National Forest will be lifting their restrictions on Friday, Sept. 25. The recent rainfall in the area along with cooler weather has allowed Stage I Restrictions to be lifted in Garfield County at all elevations. Fire restrictions are implemented based on specific criteria including the moisture content of vegetation, weather outlooks, human “risk” factors and firefighting resource availability. Please exercise due diligence, be careful if you are building a campfire or partaking of any activity in an undeveloped area that might create sparks. There are still a lot of fuels and dry vegetation in Garfield County where a fire could ignite and quickly spread.
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DOWNTOWN GJ CELEBRATING DOLLY PARTON'S LEGACY WITH IMAGINATION LIBRARY FUNDRAISING, "STEEL MAGNOLIAS" SCREENING
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Grand Junction is celebrating Dolly Parton’s legacy this week, culminating in a screening of the film “Steel Magnolias” at the Avalon Theatre on Sept. 25. In honor of her commitment to early childhood literacy through her Imagination Library, which has provided more than 300 million books to children around the world, local stores throughout downtown are featuring special promotional flyers encouraging shoppers to donate to the Imagination Library of Mesa County. Throughout this week, downtown businesses will display promotional materials with a QR code to support the Imagination Library. Every dollar raised locally helps supply age-appropriate books to Mesa County children from birth to age five at no cost to their families. Participating businesses include Gearhead Outfitters, Zephyr, Out West Books, Brown’s Shoe Fit Company, Triple Play Records, Main Street Bagels, Hill People Gear, Be Sweet, Gelato Junction, Baker’s Boutique, Pinque Boutique and more.
All of the donations directly support Imagination Library of Mesa County. A portion of the ticket sales from the Sept. 25 screening of the Parton film “Steel Magnolias” will also go to the Imagination Library of Mesa County. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $13.60 per person (including all venue fees) and can be purchased at tinyurl.com/y8ndbchw. Attendees are encouraged to sport their biggest, boldest hairstyles for a best hair contest, with the winner receiving a complimentary beverage. To donate directly to the Imagination Library of Mesa County, visit coloradogives.org/story/51frkf.
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DELTA'S CREAMERY ARTS CENTER BOUGHT THE BUILDING
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After spending 20 years there, the Creamery Arts Center has the building in its name. The $385,000 purchase was made possible with the help of a loan from local patron Bill Grom after previous owner Linda Tullis put the building on the market years earlier than planned. Along with launching a capital campaign to pay off the loan, the Creamery is applying for grant funding and planning future programming. The Creamery will also be collaborating with Partners of Delta, Montrose & Ouray, a youth mentorship organization. Their Art Partners program pairs 12-17-year-olds with an adult mentor who commits to spending three hours each week with their mentee for a year.
Those looking to help are encouraged to spread the word, come to Creamery openings and events, or make donations. People can bring cash to the building at 165 W. Bridge St. in Hotchkiss, mail checks to P.O. Box 218 Hotchkiss, CO 81419, or go to creameryartscenter.org/donate to donate online. They are also looking for people to donate business services, especially legal and accounting.
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2026 CONCERT FOR LIFTUP TONIGHT AT SNOW BOWL STEAMBOAT
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Snow Bowl and Family Bowl will host the 2026 Concert for LiftUp this Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. in celebration of the nonprofit's 30th anniversary, with all proceeds going directly to LiftUp and its $5 million capital campaign. The evening will feature 14 Colorado musicians representing 10 different bands, including house band The JR Adams Band, Tyler Grant of Pickin’ on the Dead, Pat Waters of Wish U Were Pink and the Jay Roemer Band, among other performers. Suggested donations are $20, with all proceeds benefiting LiftUp, including its $5 million capital campaign to expand its Steamboat Springs facility and support the rising demand throughout the county for its services. Alpine Bank is among the proud sponsors of the event.
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ROCKIES BECOME THE FIRST TEAM SINCE THE METS FROM 1962-65 WITH 4 CONSECUTIVE 100-LOSS SEASONS
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The Colorado Rockies have reached an ignominious historical mark. On Tuesday, the Diamondbacks beat the Rockies 7-2 to guarantee Colorado its fourth straight season with at least 100 losses in front of an announced crowd of 19,324 (along with an estimated 800 dogs on one of Rockies’ Bark at the Park nights). The Rockies became just the fifth club in major league history to lose at least 100 games in four consecutive seasons and the first to do so since the New York Mets in their expansion season of 1962 through 1965. The franchise has made the playoffs just twice since 2010 and hasn’t won a playoff series since a memorable run to the World Series in 2007. Since the start of the 2023 season, the Rockies are a major league-worst 220-423, 23 games worse than the next-closest team (the Chicago White Sox).
- For much of the season, it looked as though Colorado would avoid 100 losses. On Aug. 16, the Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 13-7 for their fourth win in five games, improving to 50-74. Since then, however, Colorado has gone 7-26, including 2-13 in its past 15 games.
- Entering Tuesday, the Rockies had a team ERA of 5.57, the highest mark in the majors. Colorado has finished with the highest team ERA every season since 2022 and if it does so again this year, it will become only the third club since 1913 to have the worst ERA in the majors in five consecutive seasons.
- The Rockies also compete in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-time reigning World Series champions, and the San Diego Padres, who are on the verge of their fifth postseason appearance in the past seven seasons. This season, Colorado went a combined 5-21 against the Dodgers and Padres.
- The Rockies did improve this year after losing a franchise-record 119 games last season.
- Rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield entered Tuesday fifth in the National League with a .300 batting average and led all qualified rookies in batting average and on-base percentage.
- Hunter Goodman, Colorado’s 26-year-old catcher, was an All-Star for a second consecutive season and is one home run shy of becoming the first Rockies player with 40 homers in a season since 2019.
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MARKET UPDATE - 09/22/2026 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 09/17/2026)
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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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