Kamis, 20 Agustus 2026

Bear Starts Fire, Train Horns, and Apple Season

Thursday, August 20, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1864, Col. William O. Collins signed the order establishing the present-day location of Fort Collins, then a military outpost on the Cache la Poudre River. Its predecessor, Camp Collins, had been destroyed by flooding on June 9.

Speaking of Fort Collins, a black bear crashed move-in day at Colorado State University earlier this week. In a separate incident, a bear started a kitchen fire after breaking into a Crested Butte home. Find out more in today's Top Stories.

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State Releases Standardized Test Results

Colorado education officials on Wednesday released results from the CMAS, PSAT, and SAT tests administered to public school students across the state this spring.

Math was the clearest bright spot, with scores improving across most elementary and middle school grades, including for students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Fourth grade reading and writing climbed to 47% meeting or exceeding expectations, up from 42%, but sixth, seventh, and eighth graders all slipped from 2025.

State officials said longstanding achievement gaps remain too wide, and that closing them will require faster progress than typical annual growth.

Bear Attack, Incidents Across State

A black bear swiped at a man leaving a laundry room at an apartment complex in Eagle County on Monday, scratching his arm, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said.

The man tripped and hurt his foot while trying to get away, and was treated at a medical facility and released. Officers set a bear trap in the neighborhood.

A day later, a small bear turned up near Eddy Hall during move-in day at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. The bear was tranquilized and relocated hours later.

In Crested Butte, firefighters said a bear broke into a home and started a kitchen fire. CPW has logged more than 6,000 bear sighting reports this year, roughly double last year's pace.

El Niño Could Bring Snowy Winter

New NOAA data supports a 90% chance of a very strong El Niño for the 2026-27 fall and winter after sea surface temperatures rose through July and early August.

If the warming holds into winter, forecasters put the odds at 69% that it tops every event going back to 1950, including the record 1982-83 El Niño.

In Colorado, a strong El Niño would likely improve the odds of an active snow season, particularly for the southern and western parts of the state.

Vail Resorts is optimistic and has set a projected Nov. 6 opening for Breckenridge, with Keystone to follow as soon as possible.

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➤ Aurora: The GEO Group failed to meet a state deadline to turn over tuberculosis information from the Aurora immigrant detention center. The state health department is weighing legal options. (More)

➤ Greeley: Greeley wants to end nearly all train horn noise along its eastern edge, starting with crossing upgrades at 13th and 8th streets that could cost up to $2 million each. (More)

➤ San Miguel County: Ophir Pass will close on weekdays from Aug. 24 through Sept. 11 so crews can haul cover material to the abandoned New Dominion Mine site, and will stay open on weekends. (More)

➤ Douglas County: Castle Pines residents gathered signatures for two November charter amendments that would require voter approval before the city annexes any parcel larger than 20 acres. (More)

➤ Sedalia: Rep. Lauren Boebert presented a Purple Heart to Army veteran Joel O'Connor on Tuesday for injuries suffered in combat on July 4, 2005, an honor she called two decades overdue. (More)

➤ Arapahoe County: A single-engine plane made an emergency landing in a field following an oil-pressure issue Wednesday morning. Both occupants were uninjured, and the plane was undamaged. (More)

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➤ CSU women's basketball coach Ryun Williams signed an extension through 2031, keeping the program's all-time winningest coach for the Rams' inaugural Pac-12 season. (More)

➤ A training camp brawl involving Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and linebacker Nik Bonitto left lineman Calvin Throckmorton bloodied and needing attention from trainers. Nix shrugged it off afterward, saying he loved the intensity. (More)

➤ Colorado football will feature Progressive Insurance branding on the field this season as part of a new sponsorship spanning 13 programs nationwide. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Tennis | WNBA | Little League World Series | Soccer

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➤ Waymo says it plans to open its driverless robotaxi service to the Denver public at some point later this year, and is now running employee-only trips as a final test. (More)

➤ Infleqtion, a global leader in quantum computing, opened the Colorado Quantum Innovation Center in Louisville on Tuesday. The facility will serve as the company's new headquarters. (More)

➤ The U.S. Senate approved a measure to push a federal ban on intoxicating hemp-derived THC products from November to December. The ban could significantly impact Colorado’s THC industry. (More)

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➤ Colorado's apple harvest season runs from mid-August through mid-October, with stored fruit lasting into June of the following year. (Learn More)

➤ Three surviving passengers from the deadly 1976 Lionshead gondola collapse at Vail met again for the first time in nearly four decades after breaking their silence. (More)

➤ Frisco has been certified as an International Dark Sky Community, a recognition given to towns with strong lighting policies, public education, community support, night sky monitoring, and long-term stewardship. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Remodeling triggers regret in 74% of homeowners, with these 10 “upgrades” causing the most trouble. (Hear Details)

➤ American forces are reportedly running a secret nightly operation to move millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. (Hear Episode)

➤ Russia has placed RFK Jr.'s son on its most wanted list over accusations that he fought for Ukraine. (Listen Now)