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Colorado - Mon. 01/12/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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MIX UP IN DIESEL FUEL CAN CAUSE MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEMS
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Officials from Colorado’s Oil and Public Safety Friday said it had received more than 200 complaints about contaminated fuel. The agency advised motorists that anyone who filled up after 2 p.m. Wednesday or any time Thursday could have been affected by the contaminated fuel, which basically was diesel delivered to the holding gasoline tanks at primarily three outlets on the Front Range: King Soopers, Costco and Murphy Express. The deliveries appear to have come from a Sinclair terminal in Colorado, and could have included several delivery trucks covering Arvada, Aurora, Bennett, Broomfield, Castle Pines, Castle Rock, Denver, Longmont and Parker. The Oil and Public Safety notice advises motorists who may have received the contaminated fuel not to drive their vehicles and call their dealership or repair shop.
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CAIC EXPANDS, IMPROVES ITS WEBSITE
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Backcountry enthusiasts know and rely on the information provided by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) when they prepare to head into the backcountry. Now, the CAIC has made major improvements to its website including the addition of a map of the state’s public weather stations, an expanded database of avalanche accidents in Colorado and across the country, improvements to field reports and an updated media gallery. The map of the state’s weather stations resulted from requests from the public, and the map has weather stations operated by the avalanche center as well as by ski areas, the SNOTEL (snow telemetry) network and the Colorado Dept. of Transportation.
The tool offers a deeper look at the meteorological data that supports CAIC forecasts and makes it easier to track weather trends and snowpack development over time. The CAIC says the site is now easier to read and submit field reports. Updates include more detailed location information, a mobile-friendly display for smartphones and a smooth upload process that supports video. The new features as well as avalanche forecasts are available at Colorado.gov/avalanche.
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WHAT REDUCES TRAFFIC ON I-70 CORRIDOR? BRONCOS WINNING, NO SNOW
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Colorado Dept. of Transportation communications manager Austyn Dineen offered comments on the latest CDOT data which showed traffic on the Interstate corridor dropped nearly 3 percent last year compared with 2024. Traffic counts had fewer than 12.6 million vehicles going through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels in 2025, one of the lowest totals since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted traffic patterns nationwide. In comparing 2025 traffic volume on the I-70 mountain corridor to 2024, it was down every month, except November.
Snowfall, which drives ski traffic, is certainly a factor in reduced traffic flow in December, as the lack of snow in December 2025 resulted in a drop of traffic volume by more than 10 percent from December 2024. The snowpack in December 2024 followed an exceptionally snowy November. Dineen noted another "anecdotal" factor in the reduction of traffic in 2025 may have been the success of the Denver Broncos, adding, "we [CDOT] often observe a correlation between winning seasons and reduced Sunday tunnel traffic."
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BLM TRIES ANOTHER LEASE AUCTION, STILL NO BIDDERS
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Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management held a lease auction of more than 20,000 acres of gas and oil leases in northwest Colorado. It was the second time these parcels had been auctioned, as these 20,451 acres were not sold in a December lease sale and by federal regulations the unsold parcels had to be re-offered in a replacement sale. It was again abundantly clear that there was no interest in these parcels, as only two entities even registered to bid in this sale, and there were no bids on any of the 23 parcels offered again.
The BLM has plans for future lease sales, proposing offering nearly 73,000 acres in a March Colorado sale, including nearly 25,900 acres in Garfield County, more than 6,400 acres in Mesa County and another 7,321 acres in Rio Blanco County. It is proposing in June to offer more than 160,000 acres in a Colorado lease sale, including about 112,500 acres in Moffat County alone. The sale also would include more than 27,000 acres in Rio Blanco County, more than 10,000 acres in Garfield County, and 3,566.5 acres in Mesa County.
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ASPEN AIRPORT: NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR FEDERAL GRANT MONEY FOR TERMINAL
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Last month, the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport modernization project became eligible for a federal grant. The airport modernization project, through the federally approved Airport Layout Plan, became eligible for “Notice of Funding Opportunities” from the federal government on Dec. 8. The opportunity is provided to “non-hub commercial service airports,” or a smaller, non-primary sized airport, under a federal grant offering $1 billion to airports around the country to update aging infrastructure, including airport terminals, as part of the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
In 2025, this grant was awarded to 128 airports with an average grant size of around $7.6 million, according to Pitkin County officials and the county will apply for a grant of $14,750,000. There is a 5 percent match requirement from the county. The current estimate of the cost of the terminal portion of the airport design is $187 million, meaning the $15 million grant would account for between 7 percent and 8 percent of the project’s costs.
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UTE MOUNTAIN UTES SET NIGHTLY CURFEW ON RESERVATION
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The Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council on Jan. 2, 2026, enacted a nightly curfew in Towaoc and surrounding reservation lands, citing violence and authorizing fines, arrests and vehicle welfare checks. The curfew requires residents to stay home from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., except for special circumstances. Workers traveling to or from jobs must show proof, according to a tribal notice. Penalties for breaking curfew include fines of $150 to $600, depending on the number of offenses. Multiple offenses may mean arrest, probation or, for non-Native visitors, removal from the reservation and possible federal charges.
The tribal council said the curfew is a response to ongoing violence within Towaoc and White Mesa, Utah. The curfew applies except in instances of emergency, medical needs, retrieving supplies, employment or transportation of children to and from extracurricular activities. Emergency workers, law enforcement, security, state or federal workers on duty are also exempt. The resolution states cars on the reservation may be stopped at any time for a welfare check, ensuring that people are not transporting alcohol or drugs. It is unclear how long the curfew will remain in effect.
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REMEMBER THE NEON SIGNS ON COLFAX AVE. IN DENVER? WORKING TO PRESERVE NEON
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Chris Geddes, a lecturer in the University of Colorado Denver’s historic preservation graduate program and a historic preservation specialist in Aurora, says, “When you would drive down Colfax in the 1950s and 1960s, it was a neon alley. There’s so little of it left. The architecture of that time was fun and funky. It speaks to a different time.” Many consider those neon signs as symbols of the iconic West, with cactus, Native Americans, and other illuminated symbols of the West.
Todd Matuszewicz is on a mission to preserve that neon. Neon signs are in critical danger in Denver and other parts of Colorado because of low-cost alternatives in LED lights, restrictive building codes and a lack of awareness of their history in the Centennial State. But Matuszewicz and a handful of other neon enthusiasts are on a mission to save as many old signs as they can. Leading the way are Glen and Tina Weseloh, who operate Morry's Neon Signs. Morry's creates new neon signs as well as restores old neon. They have restored the marquees of the Oriental and Federal theaters, the Olinger sign in the Highland neighborhood, the Ironworks sign on Larimer Street and the glowing covered wagon sign outside the Frontier Drive-Inn in Center, Colorado.
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SAND OR SNOW? WHERE THE RICHEST BUY HOMES
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The weekend Wall Street Journal took on an interesting real estate comparison, “Aspen vs. Palm Beach: Which Has the Priciest Homes?” Here’s a look at what the WSJ noted as the comparisons:
- Both are long known as playgrounds and havens for the rich and famous
- One real estate analyst notes both are islands, with Aspen described as an island surrounded by public land
- Both are small, with each roughly 3.8 square miles
- Aspen population: 6,556; Palm Beach: 9,493
- Aspen has roughly 6,200 housing units; Palm Beach: 10,500
- Number of billionaires: Aspen, about 80; Palm Beach: 70
- Both have a limited number of luxury properties for sale: Aspen had just 94 homes listed for sale above $10 million on Zillow as of Jan. 7; Palm Beach: 92
- Currently: priciest listing in Aspen: a 74-acre estate known as Little Lake Lodge that is asking $300 million; in Palm Beach: a 4.2-acre estate for $205 million
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COLORADO-UTAH TRAVEL INCLUDED IN NEW YORK TIMES’ "LUXURIOUS" TRAVEL
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The New York Times Style Magazine Sunday had a feature story, "Are Trains Now the Most Luxurious Way to Travel?" documenting five railroad trips "taking passengers on over-the-top journeys back in time." One of the five was the Canyon Spirit, which recently announced its new summer route will expand from Denver to Moab and return to now include Salt Lake City as well. These are luxurious routes identified, along with the note that Orient Express is in the process of rehabilitating a collection of its original 1920s and ’30s carriages, which were discovered in a rail yard near the Poland-Belarus border. The restored cars are due to return in 2027. The other trains:
- The Britannic Explorer: it offers three-night round-trip journeys, departing from London Victoria Station, on three scenic routes: Cornwall, the Lake District, and Wales. Or these trips can be combined for a 6-night journey
- La Dolce Vita Orient Express: offering day trips between Rome and Venice as well as multi-day options
- Golden Eagle Luxury Trains: a variety of options including India, and along the historic Silk Road in Asia
- Rovos Rail: routes across southern Africa, including the Copper Trail route between Victoria Falls and Lobito, Angola
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MARKET UPDATE - 01/09/2026 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 01/08/2026)
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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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