UNIGLO OPENS TODAY

Uniglo, the hip Japanese retailer, will open its first Colorado location at 10 a.m. today in the former Barnes & Noble store on the 16th Street Mall. Uniglo is also hosting a grand opening block party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Downtown Denver officials have high expectations for Uniglo, which is known for its quality, yet affordable options on wardrobe basics. The 17,000-square-foot Denver store is one of Uniglo's larger locations in the U.S. and is only the second location in the U.S. not on the east or west coast.

COLORADO FOUNDATIONS: POSITIVE PICTURE

Colorado foundations had total assets of $14.8 billion in 2014, a 24.3% increase over 2011 and contributed $816.4 million to charitable causes, which was 11.2% higher than in 2011. Of the grants made in 2014, 74.1% were made inside Colorado, 24.8% to operations in other states and 1% went to international causes. The figures came from a report released by Philanthropy Southwest, which covered 6,300 foundations based in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas with $1 million or more in assets or which granted $10,000 or more in 2014.

FEDERAL AGENTS ARREST 20 IN RAID ON INDIA-BASED SCAM

Federal authorities Thursday announced that federal agents have arrested 20 people in eight states for their alleged involvement in a $250 million fraud scheme in which scammers at call centers in India threatened and demanded payment from thousands across the U.S., including those in Colorado, for a bogus tax debt to the Internal Revenue Service. About 15,000 people in the U.S. and in other countries were victimized.

SKICO NOW HAS HOUSING POSITION

The Aspen Skiing Co. hired Phillip Jeffreys this summer into a position dedicated to housing. Affordable housing is a major issue for Skico and Jeffrey's first task was to take inventory of the Skico's affordable housing and the number of available housing units in the community. Skico has about 600 beds it owns or leases from Aspen to Carbondale, but the company has openings for some 2,500 positions this winter and of those openings, about half, or 1,250 will be filled by workers new to the company and likely in need of housing.

INDEPENDENCE PASS STILL OPEN INTO NOVEMBER

The Colorado Department of Transportation announced Thursday that it plans to close Highway 82 over Independence Pass for the winter on Monday, Nov. 7. However, if the weather remains warm and there are no big snowstorms, CDOT could postpone the closing for another week until Nov. 14. It is very unlikely the highway would remain open past Nov. 14. The pass closed Nov. 4 last year after a snowstorm. The normal opening date in the spring is Memorial Day.

WESTERN STATE GETS $650,000 GRANT FOR LOST COAL JOBS

The U.S. Economic Development Administration has awarded a $650,000 grant to Western State Colorado University to support the Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship House and associated ICE Accelerator Innovation Center. The grant is intended to assist the development of employment opportunities for coal industry workers by attracting investors to develop new job opportunities. Delta County is now preparing an application to the Economic Development Administration to be submitted next year.

GJ'S NORTH AVENUE HAS A NEW LOOK

Some 75 people turned out last evening in Grand Junction for a barbeque and celebration for the renovation of North Avenue from 12th to 23rd streets. The $1.8 million project improved sidewalks on both sides of the street and trees were planted in the medians separating the roadway from the sidewalks. On the south side of the road along the Lincoln Park Golf Course, the sidewalk now has a meandering course through mature trees. New light poles have been installed, but lights have not yet been added.

CPW: BUILD THE HERD BEFORE MORE HUNTING

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has released it draft elk-management plan and for Units 66 and 67 in the Gunnison Basin, CPW is looking to gradually increase the elk herd by 18%. That position emerged from a polling of hunters in Units 66 and 67. To grow the elk herd by 18% to 6,000 or 7,000 postseason, CPW might have to decrease the number of licenses issued in Units 66 and 67. Once the elk population comes up to the 18% target, CPW could increase licenses. The draft plan is open for public comment until Nov. 22.

D&SNGRR: ANOTHER STRONG YEAR

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad had another very good summer season. Ridership on the train is up about 4% over 2015 and that follows a year, 2015, when ridership grew close to 10% over the year before. Railroad officials project that for the entire year, there will be a total of 183,000 passengers, with 150,000 riding to the Cascade Wye or to Silverton; 26,000 on the Polar Express; almost 4,000 on the Pumpkin Patch Express and 3,000 on the Dinosaur Train. Train officials attributed the use of more social media and digital marketing as reasons for the increase in numbers, as well as word of mouth endorsements.

FISH DISCOVERED IN MINERAL CREEK

Over the past few weeks, U.S. Geological Survey crews have been out in the streams and tributaries within the Animas River drainage around Silverton monitoring fish for the Environmental Protection Agency. For the first in human-recorded history, fish have been found in the upper parts of Mineral Creek, a tributary of the Animas historically plagued by toxicity from mine drainage. Mineral Creek has had 12 mine remediation projects from the Animas River Stakeholders Group, Sunnyside Gold Corp. and the U.S. Forest Service. The USGS also found brook trout for the first time in the upper Animas between Denver Lake and Burrows Gulch.

EAGLE COUNTY TO SPEND $1.1 MILLION FROM OPEN SPACE FUND

The Eagle County Open Space program is ready to spend $1.1 million to purchase 3.5 acres adjacent to the Walking Mountains Science Center. The 3.5 acres are part of 5.8 acres that have been zoned for 31 high-end townhomes and as part of the overall deal, the town of Avon is adding 96 acres the town owns, land that is already zoned as open space. All the land will be placed under a conservation easement, eliminating any possible development on the land.

BEAVER CREEK, AVON PARKING THIS WINTER

Beaver Creek Resort will charge $10 per car for parking at its Elk and Bear lots this winter. Those lots will be free after 1 p.m. Beaver Creek will have a 10-day parking pass for $75, with passes sold at most Beaver Creek ticket office locations beginning in mid-November. The pass is unrestricted, and has no blackout dates. Arrowhead will continue to have free parking. Avon currently has 460 free public parking spaces near the center of town, with access to shuttles as well as the gondola at The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa.

FOR THE BUDGET CONSCIOUS, A RATHER ECLECTIC LIST

USA TODAY names these the best winter destinations for the budget conscious:

1. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2. Dallas
3. Kenya
4. Las Vegas
5. Madeira, Portugal
6. Cleveland
7. Amsterdam
8. Cheyenne, Wyoming
9. Quebec City
10. County Kerry and County Cork, Ireland