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Colorado Governor Jared Polis yesterday signed a new bill into law that will allow him to temporarily suspend state programs by executive order. Under the new law, Polis can suspend state programs for 90 days if he finds that there are not enough funds available. Immediately after signing the new law, Polis signed an executive order that authorizes a series of cuts to balance Colorado's budget. In his executive order, Polis rolled back health care provider rate increases this year, enacted a state-wide hiring freeze, transferred the small business recovery fund to the general fund, and made cuts to the department of higher education. The governor also exercised a law that allows him to pull funding the Colorado's affordable housing fund when the state is below the tabor level. The cuts made in the executive order will take effect on Monday, September 1st.

Pueblo County Coroner files resignation letter yesterday.

Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter yesterday filed his letter of resignation with Pueblo County. Cotter and his brother are under investigation after inspectors discovered 24 bodies in various stages of decomposition at Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, a business owned by the two brothers. Investigators also found containers of bones and possible human tissue inside the mortuary. The letter of resignation says that Cotter was hospitalized following a "cardiac event" after the decomposing bodies were discovered. The letter says Cotter's resignation is effective on Tuesday, September 2nd. The Pueblo County Board of Commissioners says they will now work on the next steps to fill the vacancy. The Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder received a notice of intent to circulate a recall petition to recall Cotter on Tuesday. The estimated cost of the recall election would have been $480,200.

Alamosa School District bond measure November Ballot.

Following the failure of a measure asking for $28 million to make improvements in The Alamosa School District last November, the district has announced that it will ask voters this November to authorize a $30 million school bond to pay for improvements at its campuses and transportation facility. The bond would pay for improvements at Alamosa High School, Ortega Middle School and the Alamosa elementary campuses, along with the district's transportation facility. Taxes within the school district would be increased to cover an annual bond payment of $2.5 million. Ortega Middle School, which was built in 1964, and the 30-year-old Alamosa High School have maintenance needs that a bond issue would cover.

Semi truck overturns in Custer County yesterday.

A semi-truck carrying sweet corn in Custer County crashed yesterday morning. According to the Custer County Sheriff's Office, the truck crashed on Colorado 69 at mile marker 69, just south of hillside and just north of reed road. Crews responded to the scene just after 2am yesterday. A wrecker company transported the corn to the Wet Mountain Fire protection district where it was given out to the community. The semi driver was not injured. The investigation and recovery of the demolished truck took 17 hours yesterday with crews wrapping up at 7pm last night.

CDOT reminding drivers to expect additional traffic this Labor Day weekend.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to expect additional traffic in numerous areas of the state due to the many events and recreational activities taking place over labor day weekend. CDOT will suspend all construction projects at noon today to reduce potential traffic delays. Heavier traffic should be anticipated over the holiday weekend along the front range and on mountain highways, most notably on Interstate 70 west of Denver. Drivers can get the latest information on the state's roadways by checking www.cotrip.org or by calling 511.

Colorado's Special Legislative session ended Tuesday. Just how much progress was made in closing the budget gap depends on who you ask. Governor Jared Polis called the special session on August 6th to address Colorado's $1.2 billion budget gap, which Polis said was created by President Donald Trump's one big beautiful bill, or HR1, which will mean that Colorado will collect less revenue than expected when lawmakers approved the state budget in May, according to Polis. Some of the $1.2 billion will be absorbed by the state education fund and affordable housing fund. $300 million that would have been refunded to taxpayers under tabor will now be used to fill the gap. That leaves $783 million remaining. Democrats focused on reining in tax breaks for corporations. Republicans pushed to cut spending. About $250 million will be used from reserves. That leaves about $500 million. Legislators have left it to Polis to determine exactly where to make spending cuts. Polis is expected to present a plan to the joint budget committee today.

Pueblo murder suspect found guilty yesterday.

Corena Minajrez, 36, of Pueblo, was found guilty yesterday of killing two children and hiding the bodies. Following the conviction, the judge sentenced Minajrez to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The two children, Jesus Dominguez Jr., 5, and Yesenia Domiguez, 3, were discovered in January of 2024 when Ysenia's remains were found encased in concrete at a storage facility unit. On February 6th, 2024, police found the remains of Jesus Jr. in a suitcase in the trunk of an abandoned vehicle at a Pueblo scrapyard. Both children were last seen in 2018. No missing child reports were ever filed. The children's father, Jesus Dominguez, has taken a plea deal and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12th.

Costilla County Sheriff's Office conducting evidence room audit.

The Costilla County Sheriff's Office is reportedly conducting an audit of its evidence room and will be implementing new procedures following 12th Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly's threat to stop taking cases to court due to concerns about evidence integrity and delayed incident reports. The Colorado Attorney General's office is also conducting its own investigation into The Costilla County Sheriff's Office. During a special county commissioner meeting this week, commissioners were told that Arapahoe and Douglas County are sending people to help with the audit. However, The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says they have decided not to participate due to the Colorado Attorney General's office investigation. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office says there is no agreement to help as of yet. To address reporting delays, an electronic filing system has been suggested, however, funding restraints have stifled the idea for now.

Cash stolen from Cripple Creek Casino recovered.

More than $70,000 that was stolen from a Cripple Creek Casino has been recovered, according to Cripple Creek Police. 26-year-old Andrew Irvine of Colorado Springs was arrested on August 18th in connection with the theft earlier that day at JP Mcgills Casino in Cripple Creek. Police say that investigators recovered $70,550 from Irvine's attorney, along with various items of clothing that Irvine was wearing during the theft. Irvine remains in the Teller County jail. The investigation remains ongoing.

Deputies investigating explosion report in Las Animas Tuesday.

Deputies are investigating reports of an unconfirmed explosion in Las Animas Tuesday night. According to the Bent County sheriff's office, during the investigation, deputies went to a home to make contact with a suspect with multiple active warrants. The suspect then attempted to hide under the house, but was arrested with the help of a K9 unit and was taken into custody. The investigation into the reported explosion remains ongoing.

The Colorado Legislature's special session came to a dramatic and abrupt end yesterday. Lawmakers gave final approval to the last batch of bills that aim at addressing the $783 million budget gap. Legislation was also approved to soften the blow of rising health care premiums. But, a deal to change Colorado's Artificial Intelligence laws collapsed at the last minute. Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez said a deal that had been reached with business, consumer protection advocates, labor and educators came together, but big tech didn't like the liability. Lawmakers did vote to delay the implementation of the law to next summer, giving them time to make changes again during the 2026 legislative session. Lawmakers in the House spent their final hours debating a resolution condemning former State Rep. Ryan Armagost for a picture of another representative he took and then shared on social media. The discussion dissolved into tense moments between the majority and minority leaders, each accusing the other of not telling the truth. The resolution did pass. Armagost called the resolution a distraction to the increasing horrific nonsense being pulled by Democrats [at the Capitol].

CPW announces lethal removal attempted on depredating wolf yesterday.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife yesterday said that officials tried to kill a wolf they believe is responsible for the deaths of six sheep in less than a month in Rio Blanco County, however, they aren't sure if the effort was successful. CPW found the wolf, which is uncollared, on August 16th and tried to shoot and kill it. CPW said yesterday that it was "unable to locate the animal due to the dense vegetation and difficult terrain in the area". A six-day search didn’t lead them to the wolf, and the agency officially discontinued the removal effort. There have no been 14 wolf depredations since April. There were 33 recorded wolf depredations the year prior to April.

Effort to recall Pueblo County Coroner officially underway yesterday.

An effort to recall Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter officially got underway yesterday after The Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder's office received a notice of intent to circulate a recall petition. The clerk's office will now provide an estimate to the recall committee. An approval process to ensure the recall petition complies with all legal requirements will take place, then a 60-day signature collection period will commence. Petitioners will need to obtain 16,431 signatures. A total of 24 decomposing bodies, along with multiple containers of bones and several containers of probably human tissue were removed from Davis Funeral Home over the weekend and transferred to the El Paso County Coroner's office for attempted identification. Cotter and his brother own the Davis Mortuary.

US Geo flights taking place across SOCO counties.

Southern Colorado residents are being asked not to call authorities about low-flying aircraft over parts of Southern Colorado. The flights are being conducted by The U.S. Geological Survey. The flights, which began in mid-July, will continue through the fall. The mission of the flights is to "map critical minerals using air-borne geophysical technology". The flights will cover parts of Park, Chaffee, Teller, Fremont, Custer, Pueblo and Huerfano counties.

CDOT announces statistics from Colorado roads crashes.

The Colorado Department of Transportation says that speed was a factor in 237 fatalities last year, and 1,274 people have died on colorado roads in speeding-related crashes over the past five years. Speeding drivers are especially dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians. In an effort to reduce these incidents and raise awareness of the dangers of speeding, CDOT has launched a new public outreach campaign in the hopes of sparking a conversation about traffic safety and to encourage drivers to slow down. More information on the Colorado speed enforcement program can be found at codot.gov/programs/speedenforcement.

The Colorado House on Sunday passed senate bill 2025B-002, which would restore medicaid funding, using state money, for planned parenthood. The 43-19 party-line vote came after the federal budget bill excluded planned parenthood from federal medicaid reimbursement for reproductive health care services. Existing federal law prohibits the use of medicaid funds for most abortion-related services. The new bill aims to preserve access to services like cancer screenings, STI testing and birth control consultations for medicaid recipients in Colorado. Republicans opposed the bill saying that Colorado cannot afford it during a $1.2 billion budget shortfall that the state is currently facing. The legislation, which was approved during the ongoing special legislative session, now heads to the Governor's desk for his signature.

BOD of CCA votes to remove Pueblo County Coroner last week.

The Board of Directors of the Colorado Coroners Association voted last week to remove Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter from his position as the association's secretary. According to a press release, the board voted unanimously last Thursday to remove Cotter due to "unethical practices and harm to the community in which he was sworn to serve". CCA's board of directors also called for Cotter's resignation. It joins calls from Governor Jared Polis and Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero for Cotter's resignation. The calls come after more than 20 decomposing bodies were found inside Davis Mortuary by state inspectors. Cotter owns the mortuary along with his brother. According to The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, all of the bodies were respectfully removed from the mortuary over the weekend, but it may take months to identify the remains due to their condition and "unverified record keeping".

Costilla County residents looking for solutions after losing water source.

Following an August 1st vote by the board of the Fort Garland Water and Sanitation district to cut off water sales to residents outside of the Fort Garland city limits, residents who relied on bulk water sales in Fort Garland to fill their cisterns have been left without water. The town of Blanca has offered an emergency solution to provide water on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but that ends this week. While some residents have wells, hundreds of people in Costilla County rely on cisterns to drink, cook and bathe. The trouble began when the pump broke in Fort Garland’s water system in June. The water pump is fixed now, but bulk sales have not restarted. County residents have recently brought their concerns to a meeting of the Costilla County Commissioners. Commissioners plan to take up the topic at their meeting in early September.

Rocky Ford PWD asking for patience after major flooding.

The Rocky Ford Public Works Department is asking citizens for patience as they address major flooding across the city. According to the department, Rocky Ford has experienced major flooding throughout the city due to the heavy rainfall. Public works crews are fully mobilized and are working to clear as many drains as possible, however, the process will take some time. The department says the storm water system is simply not designed to handle the volume of rain that has fallen. If you are experiencing flooding issues in Rocky Ford, call 719-254-3344.

Divide Ranger District of RGNF announces Creede office 2025 season closure.

The Divide Ranger District of The Rio Grande National Forest has announced that The Creede office will close on September 6th for the 2025 season. The office opened for the year on May 23rd with this planned Labor Day closure date. To obtain firewood permits, woodcutters will now need to visit The Divide Ranger Station in Del Norte Mondays through Fridays and are advised to call ahead at 719-657-3321 to ensure that service will be available.

The Colorado Legislature's special session continued on Friday, advancing bills that would limit corporate tax breaks as they work to address the $783 million budget gap. Other, non-budget-related bills were also advanced, including a measure that would shore up funding for the snap food program. The Colorado House gave preliminary approval to HB25B-1001 and HB25B-1002 on Friday. The first bill would limit tax breaks for wealthy business owners. The second aims to crack down on corporations that try to avoid paying state taxes. The Colorado Senate passed SB25B-003 on Friday, a bill that aims to shore up funding for the supplemental nutrition assistance program, or snap, in Colorado. The bill would amend Proposition MM, which has already been referred to November's ballot. The new language would ask voters to allow leftover money from the health school meals for all program to be used for snap. SB25B-003 now goes to the House for consideration.

CO Gov Polis declares disaster emergency in Pueblo.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has declared a disaster emergency in Pueblo following the discovery of around 20 bodies behind a hidden door at the Davis mortuary. Polis has also called for Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter, who owns the mortuary, to resign. Cotter is currently under investigation following the discovery of the bodies last week and has been suspended from operating his mortuary. Charges will not be filed against Cotter until the investigation is complete. The El Paso County and Fremont County Coroners have been deputized and will assume responsibility for the Pueblo County Coroner's duties. As of Friday, Cotter had not resigned his position, and no one has the authority to remove him because he is an elected official. Cotter and his brother are the co-owners of the funeral home.

4th Judicial District Judge rejects former RTN owner plea deal.

4th Judicial District Judge Eric Bentley on Friday rejected the plea deal for former return to nature funeral home owner Jon Hallford. Hallford was scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, but Judge Bentley said the plea agreement does not reflect the victim's experience, and does not adequately take into account the number of victims, nor the amount of harm inflicted on them. The terms of the agreement suggest a 20-year prison term to be served concurrently with Hallford's federal sentence. Victims attending the hearing asked for the maximum sentence, which would be a year and a half for each body, or nearly 300 years. Hallford will next have a status conference set for September 12th.

Lithium batteries crash closes CO HWY 10 yesterday.

Colorado Highway 10 was closed at 8:30am yesterday after a semi-truck carrying lithium batteries crashed on the side of the road, spilling the batteries and causing them to ignite. According to The Colorado State Patrol, the crash took place west of Rocky Ford near mile marker 53. An environmental clean-up team and hazmat team were at the scene of the crash for hours yesterday because the lithium batteries are an environmental hazard. The environmental protection agency classifies lithium batteries as ignitable and reactive waste. The driver of the semi only received minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital. The crash remains under investigation. The highway has since been reopened.

La Junta suspect arrested in Colorado Springs Thursday Night.

Chezaray Chavez, 40, of La Junta, who is accused of attempted murder in La Junta, was arrested in Colorado Springs on Thursday Night. Chavez is wanted in connection to an august 10th shooting in La Junta. According to Colorado Springs Police, Chavez was identified in a home on gentle wind road in east Colorado Springs around 3pm Thursday. He then barricaded himself inside the home. Eventually, chemical irritants were used and Chavez surrendered at 7:20pm. Chavez is being held in the El Paso County Jail.

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