Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1894, a structure fire extensively damaged Denver's Union Depot railroad station. Efforts to rebuild the station began immediately, and the building that emerged from the ashes provided the architectural basis of today's Union Station.

For the first time in more than a decade, Rocky Mountain National Park no longer ranks among the top five most visited national parks, as we report below. Colorado has four national parks—which one is No. 1 on your list? Vote in our Poll to tell us.

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Polis Activates Drought Task Force

Gov. Jared Polis activated the Colorado Drought Task Force on Tuesday in response to record-breaking warmth and unusually low snowpack.

The multi-agency task force will monitor drought conditions and elevate local, regional, and sector-specific impacts to state leaders. It was last activated in 2020, the year of several of Colorado's largest wildfires.

The activation comes amid Colorado's warmest year in 131 years and snow water equivalent levels among the lowest in more than 40 years. About one-third of the state is in severe drought conditions or worse.

Polis also activated Phase 2 of Colorado's drought response plan. If conditions worsen, the state may move into Phase 3, which includes an official drought declaration.

Lawmakers Advance Vaccine Bill

A Democrat-sponsored bill that would allow the state to expand beyond federal guidance for childhood vaccine recommendations passed the House in a party-line vote Monday.

SB26-032 would allow Colorado to also rely on guidance from professional medical organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, when establishing childhood vaccine schedules.

The measure comes after federal health officials, under the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reduced the number of suggested childhood vaccines from 18 diseases to 11. A federal judge blocked those policy changes Monday.

Democrats say the bill will safeguard vaccine guidelines "based on medical science" amid federal uncertainty. Rep. Brandi Bradley, a Republican opposed to the measure, called it a pathway to vaccine mandates.

The Senate still needs to vote on amendments to the bill.

RMNP Slips From Top 5

Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) was the sixth-most visited national park in the U.S. in 2025—the first time it's ranked below the top five since 2013.

According to a report from the National Park Service, RMNP logged 4,171,431 recreation visits, trailing Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Zion national parks (also in the 4 million range). The Great Smoky Mountains came in No. 1 with over 11.5 million visits.

Colorado's other national parks ranked far lower on the 63-park list: Mesa Verde at 43rd, Great Sand Dunes at 44th, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison at 50th.

Despite falling in the rankings, RMNP's visitation still grew by 1% as total visits across the national park system topped 323 million.

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➤ Pueblo: The Colorado Department of Corrections found Tina Peters not guilty of assaulting a fellow inmate during a physical altercation at La Vista Correctional Facility earlier this year, but found her guilty of an unauthorized absence violation. (More)

➤ Boulder: The consortium that runs Boulder's National Center for Atmospheric Research filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from dismantling the lab, alleging political retribution tied to Colorado policies. (More)

➤ Fruita: Residents will soon receive mail-in ballots ahead of an April 7 election asking voters to approve a $975,000 annual tax increase to fund emergency services. (More)

➤ Denver: Audio messages for some Colfax Avenue crosswalks were hacked to include derogatory comments about President Trump last weekend. The city has since fixed the issue. (More)

➤ Fort Collins: Downed power lines were the cause of a small fire that prompted evacuations during last week's windstorm, according to Poudre Fire Authority investigators. (More)

➤ Lakewood: A small explosion in a townhome blew out a back patio door, broke windows, lifted part of the roof and displaced a family, leaving one person with minor injuries Monday night. The cause is under investigation. (More)

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➤ The Denver Broncos acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins for a collection of draft picks—including their own first-rounder in the upcoming draft—while also receiving a fourth-round pick in return. (More)

➤ University of Denver hockey moved up to No. 4 in the latest national rankings after beating Western Michigan in an overtime thriller over the weekend. (More)

➤ Nuggets head coach David Adelman said he has "no idea" when forward Peyton Watson will return from his hamstring injury: "I would say just hopefully within the week. That was the hope a couple weeks ago." (More)

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➤ The JBS meatpacking strike in Greeley could push beef prices higher in the coming weeks, experts say. (See Details)

➤ Colorado's aerospace industry is playing a key role in NASA's upcoming Artemis II mission, part of a planned return to the moon, according to Northrop Grumman officials. (See Details)

➤ G-Que BBQ has opened its first brick-and-mortar Denver location at McGregor Square near Coors Field. The chain also operates restaurants in Westminster, Lone Tree, Lakewood, and Thornton. The surrounding food hall is set to officially open March 27. (More)

➤ Three years ago, The Flyover launched with 47 readers and a simple idea: deliver the news straight, without the spin. If that mission matters to you, would you make a contribution today to help us keep building it?

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➤ Two local dogs will represent Western Colorado this Friday in a national dock-diving competition for dogs, vying for the longest distance as they leap from a 40-foot dock into a 45-foot pool. (See Video)

➤ The Greeley Stampede announced a lineup of concerts included with park admission, which is $5 for adults. The 12-day festival runs June 24 through July 5. (See Lineup)

➤ The New York Times published an article on things to see and do in Grand Junction, spotlighting everything from the Grand Mesa and Colorado National Monument to local restaurants and bars. (More)

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