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Colorado - Fri. 10/16/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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KFC TO DITCH PEPSI FOR COKE IN THOUSANDS OF RESTAURANTS
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KFC said it has struck a deal with Coca-Cola as its beverage provider at thousands of U.S. restaurants, a blow to longtime supplier PepsiCo. PepsiCo will still supply many markets for KFC International, the much bigger arm of the restaurant chain. Pepsi will also continue to serve Taco Bell. Those divisions within Yum Brands are growing faster than KFC’s U.S. business. Still, the shift in a decadeslong partnership could further hurt PepsiCo at a time when its beverage business is struggling. It also will sting in the long-running Coke-Pepsi rivalry. PepsiCo shares fell Thursday after The Wall Street Journal first reported the deal talks. PepsiCo owned KFC until it spun off its restaurant divisions, which included Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, in 1997. The beverage giant has also lost other big accounts of late, including Marriott hotels and the Costco food court. PepsiCo, however, recently added Subway to its list of customers.
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SNOWMAKING KICKS OFF AT SUMMIT COUNTY SKI RESORTS
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Keystone Resort and Arapahoe Basin fired up the snow guns on Wednesday night, as storms dusted mountaintops and excited skiers across the state. The two resorts in Summit County compete every year to be the first to open. In 2025, Keystone began making snow on Oct. 13 and opened about two weeks later on Oct. 25, taking the title of first to get the chairlifts spinning. Keystone’s crews use “energy-efficient, automated technology” to identify the optimal conditions for snowmaking, the resort said. Temperatures usually need to remain consistent between 10 and 27 degrees. Similarly, temperatures dipped to 23 degrees at A-Basin, allowing for snowmaking on the upper two-thirds of the High Noon run, Keystone boasts a total of 1,000 hydrant locations for snowmaking around the resort, including 39 mobile fan guns, 30 tower fan guns, three arm-mounted fan guns, 500 manual and automatic air/water tower guns, and 55 air/water ground guns.
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DENVER LANDS SECOND IN NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS RANKING
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A new national study ranked three Colorado cities as the top spots for small business momentum with Denver coming in second place. In a new monthlong study measuring government and internal financial data identified Colorado Springs as number one, Denver ranked No. 2 and Greeley came in 12th for the top metros for small business. The rankings aim to reflect the metros offering the most advantageous and balanced climates for small business owners, narrowing their rankings to the top 15 metros in the nation:
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
- Raleigh-Cary, NC
- Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
- Kansas City, MO-KS
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
- Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
- Greeley, CO
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- New Haven, CT
- Jackson, MS
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HISTORY COLORADO CENTER CHANGES ITS NAME
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History Colorado Center has changed its name to better reflect the museum’s “straightforward” mission and bring clarity to visitors who may not be familiar with it. The institution at 1200 Broadway in Denver, which sits just across from Denver Art Museum and near Denver Public Library’s main branch in the Golden Triangle neighborhood, will now be called Colorado History Museum. The state’s official historical society will still keep the larger name History Colorado, and visitors will still find immersive exhibitions, authentic artifacts, programs, and experiences that bring Colorado’s many stories to life. The state-funded nonprofit maintains 11 other museums and historical sites in Colorado. The museum had already used the name Colorado History Museum from 1987 through 2012, so it’s not a rebrand but rather a return, according to the board of directors.
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FRONTIER AIRLINES ENDS MORE THAN A DOZEN DIA ROUTES IN 2026
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The Denver-based Frontier Airlines will cut 19 routes offered from Denver International Airport by the end of 2026 as the airline adjusts to the changing industry landscape. Frontier has also in recent months made schedule changes to chase the flyers in markets impacted by the shutdown of its former rival Spirit Airlines, which officially shut down its flight operations in May following bankruptcy. An analysis of Frontier routes for 2026 from the aviation analytics firm Cirium Inc. showed that the carrier will have ceased by year’s end 19 routes offered from what has long been one of its most highly served airports. Several budget carriers are looking to fill the gaps left by Spirit Airlines. Frontier Airlines' strategy has included a potential 30 percent growth in its presence at Orlando International Airport, where Frontier has said Spirit’s recent vacancy has created new opportunities.
- Domestic routes that have had or will have their final flight out of Denver this year include Chicago Midway International Airport; John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York; Seattle Paine Field International Airport and Spokane International Airport in Washington; Pittsburgh International Airport; Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and Madison’s Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin; Tucson International Airport; Tulsa International Airport; Corpus Christi International Airport; McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tenn.; Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Ark.; Richmond International Airport; Boise Airport; Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Sioux Falls Regional Airport.
- International routes from Denver cut this year include Los Cabos International Airport and Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport in Mexico.
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NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST WILDLIFE OVERPASS IS WORKING, I-15 COLLISIONS NEAR CASTLE ROCK ARE DOWN 91%
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Drivers once hit a wild animal about once a day on a stretch of highway between Colorado’s two most populous cities, Denver and Colorado Springs. In the roughly 10 months since North America’s largest wildlife overpass opened across Interstate 25 between Larkspur and Monument, drivers have hit two animals, a 91 percent drop. The crossing system includes a 209-by-200-foot bridge, five wildlife underpasses and miles of fencing designed to funnel animals toward the crossings. Together, they give everything from 700-pound elk to tiny toads a safer way across the six lanes of highway that cuts between 39,000 acres of habitat. The $15 million project, completed last December, was a collaboration between state engineers and wildlife biologists to help animals safely cross one of Colorado’s busiest highway corridors, in an area where big game frequently move.
Six more crossing systems are being designed, including the first wildlife overpass specifically designed for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep along Colorado 40, east of Empire. Other plans are focused on the westbound lanes of I-70 at East Vail Pass between Vail and Copper Mountain, I-25 just north of the New Mexico state border, on U.S. 160 east of Cortez in southwestern Colorado, over Colorado 40 west of Craig, and near U.S. 287 south of the Wyoming border.
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CPW TRAPPING, REMOVING BEAVERS FROM CONNECTED LAKES STATE PARK THIS WEEK
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife is conducting an operation this week to remove nuisance beavers from the area around Connected Lakes State Park in Grand Junction. CPW Statewide Public Information Officer Bridget O’Rourke said that the beavers in the area were overpopulated and have been destroying cottonwood trees, as well as blocking water flow. The operation will last all week, but she said CPW does not have a specific number of beavers it is planning to remove. “CPW has been checking the traps daily and removing beavers from them,” O’Rourke said. “A set number is not identified. Beavers may be legally trapped under specific nuisance wildlife regulations or by licensed trappers/landowners dealing with property damage.”
Once trapped, O’Rourke said the animals are ethically euthanized. O’Rourke said park visitors should leave any traps alone if they happen to see one. Do not attempt to release the animals, as that is a crime. “Leave it alone,” O’Rourke said. “Tampering with or releasing wildlife from authorized traps set by CPW is unlawful and can result in fines or other legal penalties.”
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MOUNTAIN CLUB ANNOUNCES APPROVAL OF NEW TRAIL CONSTRUCTION
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The Telluride Mountain Club (TMtC) recently received approval for roughly 8 miles of new trail and 5.5 miles of existing trail rehabilitation and is now moving into construction. The full slate of trails is expected to cost $2 million. The approval follows a multi-year effort that began in 2017 with conversations among the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), local governments and community members. The final proposal was submitted in winter 2024 and then underwent a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review that took more than two years. The first project to break ground is the Mountain Village to Valley Floor Connector Trail, which will link the Jurassic Trail to the Valley Floor just west of Boomerang Road. The trail offers an alternative to Boomerang Road, with a gentler grade, more sustainable tread and a more user-friendly experience for recreation and commuting. This trail will be open to bike and foot traffic.
- The South Side Perimeter Trail will connect Telluride Town Park to Bridal Veil Falls along the south side of the valley. This primitive, foot-travel-only trail will help spread out users and offer another way to reach Bridal Veil Falls.
- The Sunshine Uphill Trail will be built roughly parallel to the existing T-35/Sunshine Trail with a gentler grade, creating a loop for riding, hiking, or running. It is intended to reduce road riding and car shuttling.
- The Sheep Corrals to Sunshine Connector Trail and Sunshine Parking Area Connection Trail will enhance safety by improving parking and reducing recreational traffic on Ilium Road and Hwy. 145.
- Sunshine Mesa USFS Trails Loop Reconstruction project will improve access and infrastructure, modernize old, unsustainable trails and disperse use across the Wilson Mesa, Morningstar and Lizard Head trails.
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HOSPITAL CUTS STAFF, CITING $25M IN AS-YET UNPAID INSURANCE CLAIMS; 34 LAID OFF
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Montrose Regional Health laid off 34 employees Monday, citing a gaping chasm between what private insurers have not paid and the operating expenses it can no longer cover through its savings. With 43 positions that were not filled when vacated, the total reduction in workforce is 77. The hospital previously employed about 1,005 overall. The decision had to be made despite overall growth in patient loads and services, hospital CEO Jeff Mengenhausen said Tuesday. “Eighteen months ago, we started seeing changes with our insurance companies. The organization continues to grow with the community, and the community continues to push us to grow. This reduction in force is not due to lack of growth. We actually need to grow more. … It truly is, the insurance companies are reimbursing us at the same rate as 18 months ago, but we’ve grown by 10 percent, by being busier,” he said.
While the cost of care rises, the hospital is still waiting for about $25 million in outstanding payments from private insurance companies, Mengenhausen said. In Colorado, about 70 percent of hospitals are operating with unsustainable margins, and nationally, more than 60 hospitals and health systems have cut staff.
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DURANGO'S PLAN TO UPGRADE & REDESIGN MAIN AVE.: COST ESTIMATES ARE IN
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Downtown’s Next Step – the city of Durango’s proposal to redesign Main Avenue with walkability and pedestrian safety in mind – has two cost estimates: one for the utility updates, and another for both utilities and streetscaping. The utility improvements would cost roughly $7.3 million, while the utility and streetscape improvements would cost about $18.2 million. Neither estimate can fully account for unplanned construction costs, but that prediction is harder to estimate for the utility-only option, said Evan Tyler, a capital improvements project manager. “There are certain dependencies that will have to be addressed before we can go to construction with the utilities,” he said. “So, there will be a small cost in the grand scheme of things. We’re talking on the order of $200,000, $100,000.”
The project, if moved to construction, would work in phases over about four years. Construction would be in block sections, most likely, so the whole of Main Avenue would not be under construction all at once.
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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS RESIDENT RECOGNIZED WITH BOETTCHER FOUNDATION AWARD
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Steamboat Springs resident Norm Weaver has received the Boettcher Foundation’s 2026 Impact Award, an organizational alumni award that recognizes individuals who have demonstrated significant leadership contributions and have a heart for service. Weaver, for over two decades, has advanced energy efficiency, renewable energy and better building practices across the state. He earned his master’s degree from Stanford University in the 1970s while the world was grappling with a growing energy crisis, including petroleum shortages and skyrocketing oil prices. Weaver has worked in various consulting roles and at leading research institutions like the Solar Energy Research Institute, now known as the National Laboratory of the Rockies. While working for Fort Collins Utilities, he developed programs that helped install over 6,000 kilowatts of solar capacity.
Now in retirement, Weaver continues to address climate challenges through his work with the Routt Climate Action Collaborative, having been recognized as the Western Resilience Center’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year. But Weaver’s greatest sense of fulfillment, he told the foundation, comes from mentorship, from interacting with college architecture and engineering teams at the national laboratory’s solar decathlon in Washington, D.C. to guiding interns tackling climate action in Northwest Colorado. Weaver, who was awarded $4,000, will contribute the funds to Western Resilience to provide leadership training for junior staff as a way to support young workers in the environmental field.
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YOU'VE HEARD OF FASHION WEEK. THIS IS DOG WEEK.
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Some 100,000 pooches call Paris home, and it is regarded as one of the world’s friendlier places for dogs. In September, between Paris Design Week and Paris Fashion Week, the first edition of Paris Dog Week brought dozens of canines and their owners to pool parties, tarot readings, runway shows and wellness events. At Eataly’s flagship location in the Marais, the drag queen Le Filip, a winner of “Drag Race France,” hosted bingo with her whippet Azur, as four-legged guests wolfed down pizza pour chiens, or pizza for dogs. In Room 526 at the 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord, a crowd of women socialized with their dogs, who played with Paris-Dog-Week-branded balls. All of the humans were wearing pajamas, and so were some of the dogs. The global pet care market was valued at around $181 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to around $283 billion by 2033. In France, the number of pet dogs grew from about 1.3 million in 2020 to about 9.6 million in 2026.
Dog week arrived in Paris at a time when the city’s canines have been a focus of local politics. This spring, Paris Condition Canine, a group of 13 local associations that’s seeking to improve conditions for dogs, sent a manifesto to mayoral candidates pushing its agenda. The group’s aims include simplifying rules about dogs on public transit and creating more off-leash spaces in every neighborhood. Many mayoral candidates campaigned on dog-inclusive measures, including Emmanuel Grégoire, the socialist who was elected to the office in March (he floated subsidized vet visits for low-income residents). The week ended in style with a fashion show, “Le Grand Dogwalk,” held in the courtyard of the dog-friendly Hôtel Alfred Sommier, a 19th-century former mansion where rooms now start at about $695 a night.
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ORPHANED CUBS ABOUND IN COLORADO
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife is rescuing more abandoned black bear cubs this year after environmental conditions strained food sources that bears rely on to fatten up before winter. Each year orphaned cubs are brought to one of two CPW-licensed wildlife rehabilitation centers where the bears are fed natural foods such as fish and berries, as well as donated peaches from Colorado orchards. Once they've reached 60-70 pounds and start to display denning behavior, the bears are released back into the wild.
- By late September, CPW's Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Del Norte had taken in 41 cubs -- significantly more than the 29 rescued bears brought to the center last year. In a typical year, the center cares for roughly 20 bears.
- The other CPW-licensed wildlife rehabilitation center is the nonprofit Pauline Schneegas Wildlife Foundation, in Silt. This year it took in more than 30 bear cubs versus the three cubs it cared for last year. The center, which is not funded by CPW, averages five to 10 cubs yearly.
- So far, 2026 has seen 3.6 times the five-year average of bear incidents. As of Aug. 31, there were 8,672 reports of bear-related sightings and incidents, compared to 3,680 reports through August 2025.
- Ninety-eight bears were relocated in 2026, compared to 33 bears relocated through August 2025. Bears have been euthanized at greater frequency this year -- 294 compared to 83 bears euthanized through August 2025.
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MARKET UPDATE - 10/15/2026 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 10/15/2026)
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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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