1/1/2026: Health officials in the Trump administration are moving to ban gender-affirming care for minors even in states where it’s still legal such as New Mexico, California, and Colorado. The ban would prevent doctors who provide this treatment from receiving Medicaid reimbursement, as well as block federal funding for hospitals that provide pediatric gender affirming-care. The bill will have to go through a lengthy comment period before it goes into effect. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has joined several other state AGs to file a lawsuit against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The attorneys argue that HHS doesn’t have the authority to impose a universal standard for medical care. The public may comment on the bill through February 17th at federalregister.gov.
1/2/2026: Officials in Larimer County are investigating the death of a female hiker as a possible mountain lion fatality. The woman, whose identity has not been released, was discovered on the Crosier Mountain Trail in Estes Park yesterday afternoon. Hikers came upon the scene and scared the mountain lion away by throwing rocks at it, and when they reached the woman, they did not find a pulse. When officers arrived, they found one lion which they shot, tracked, and euthanized. A second lion was found a short time later and also euthanized.
1/7/2026: The investigation into the death of a Larimer County hiker last week has revealed injuries consistent with a mountain lion attack. This is the first fatal mountain lion attack in Colorado since the 90s. The woman, identified as Kristen Marie Kovatch, was discovered by hikers on 1st along Crosier Mountain Trail. Responding authorities euthanized two mountain lions found at or near the scene. They ended the search for the third lion on the 5th but are urging the public to report any sightings.
1/7/26: 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis today. Good was driving a car and was shot in front of a family member during a traffic stop. Videos from multiple bystanders circulating through social media show an ICE officer approaching the car, demanding the driver open the door, and grabbing the handle. The SUV begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer in front of the vehicle immediately fires two shots through the windshield. The car accelerated into two parked cars before crashing to a stop on a pole. It is not clear from the video if the vehicle made contact with the officer. Federal officials are claiming self-defense, arguing the woman was attempting to run the officer over. The incident sparked protests at the scene.
UPDATED JAN 8: 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis yesterday. Good, who was originally from Colorado, was shot in her car in front of her wife during a traffic stop. Videos from multiple bystanders circulating through social media show an ICE officer approaching the car, demanding the driver open the door, and grabbing the handle. The SUV begins to pull forward, and a different ICE officer in front of the vehicle immediately fires two shots into the car. The car accelerated into two parked vehicles before crashing into a pole. It is not clear from the video if the vehicle made contact with the officer. ICE agents prevented a bystander who identified himself as a doctor from providing first aid, and when first responders arrived, they were blocked from the scene by ICE vehicles and had to walk to Good. She was pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center. Federal officials have alleged that Good was a “domestic terrorist” and are claiming self-defense. Mountain Action Indivisible is holding a vigil for Good and other victims of ICE tonight at Chacos Park in Carbondale from 5:30-6:00 pm.
1/8/2026: On January 5th, a tanker involved in a single-vehicle accident on Highway 139 spilled over 9,000 gallons of crude oil into West Douglas Creek between Rangely and Grand Junction. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Land Management, Rio Blanco County, and the trucking company all responded to the incident. Today, crews were on site with vacuum trucks to remove as much oil as possible. The spill has been successfully contained within West Douglas Creek but there is no estimate yet on when the cleanup will be complete.
1/9/2026: The Trump administration is freezing more than 300 million dollars in funding for child care, food aid, and social service programs in Colorado. The White House Office of Management and Budget says the move is due to concerns that benefits may be going to non-citizens. A spokesperson for Governor Polis says the state has not been formally notified of the freeze, and warned the move would target the most needy families and children. The Trump administration also froze funding for California, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York.
1/12/2026: After the longest government shutdown in history over healthcare costs last year, the House of Representatives last week passed a three-year extension on tax credits that make health insurance more affordable on the state marketplace. The bill was passed on January 8th with 230 votes for and 196 against. 17 Republicans flipped to pass the tax credits, including Colorado District 3’s Jeff Hurd, whose constituents faced some of the sharpest premium spikes. Colorado’s other Republican congressmen Gabe Evans, Lauren Boebert, and Jeff Crank all voted no. The bill now heads to the Senate.
1/20/2026: Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and the Colorado County Clerks Association are urging Governor Polis not to pardon or commute the sentence of Tina Peters. They sent a joint letter to Polis last week arguing that releasing the former Mesa County Clerk would undermine election security and embolden election denialism. This comes as Peters’ attorneys are trying to convince the Colorado Court of Appeals to overturn her convictions. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for her release. Peters is serving a 9-year sentence for allowing unauthorized access to Mesa County's voting machines following the 2020 election.
1/21/2026: There’s a new scam targeting Carbondale residents. The scammer is using the address Planning.TownOf CarbondaleCO@usa.com, impersonating town staff, and asking recipients for money. The town reminds the public that it will never request money or financial information via email, and official staff have email addresses that end in carbondaleco.net. If you have received an email from Planning.TownOf CarbondaleCO@usa.comyou can contact the Carbondale Police Department at (970) 963-2662. Anyone unsure about communication they’ve received can always contact staff directly at carbondalegov.org.
1/26/2026: On Saturday, United States Border Patrol agents shot and killed 37-year-old ICU Nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Pretti was filming law enforcement with his phone and directing traffic, and when an agent pushed a woman to the ground Pretti stepped between the two and put his arm around the woman. He was pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground by multiple officers while more stood by. Bystander video shows an agent taking Pretti’s licensed handgun off his person, and while he was still pinned to the ground, he was shot at least ten times. Protests aimed at removing federal agents from the Twin Cities have been ongoing since the killing of Renee Good earlier this month. President Trump announced early today that he is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis, where he will reportedly be managing fraud investigations.
1/27/2026: Two backcountry skiers were evacuated from the Elk Range by helicopter Sunday by Mountain Rescue Aspen and CareFlight of the Rockies. The pair were attempting to travel to The Goodwin Greene Hut in extreme conditions and became separated from the rest of their 7-person party after cold injuries rendered them unable to reach shelter. CareFlight, which operates out of Rifle, spotted lights through the clouds and after two failed attempts at landing and three refuelings, the weather abated and paramedics were able to reach the two hypothermic subjects, one of which was non-responsive. They were transported to Aspen Valley Health and all team members were out of the field before 4 am Monday.
Mountain Rescue Aspen and the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office would like to remind backcountry hut users to pre-plan their trips and avoid late starts. Do not underestimate the changing mountain conditions, have adequate clothing for the projected weather conditions, and be open to rescheduling or turning around to avoid getting caught in unfavorable weather.