03/03/2026: The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Avon is the subject of a public health investigation surrounding three cases of Legionnaires’ disease detected last year. Eagle County Public Health and Environment is coordinating with the state agency to find the exact source of the bacteria and eliminate the risk of further exposure. Legionella bacteria live in water, are primarily contracted through breathing in mist, and can cause severe pneumonia. All parties agree to the closure of hot tubs and spas after the bacteria was detected through sampling efforts, although they recently reopened after treatment and follow-up testing. No deaths have been reported, and officials say there is no risk to the broader community. Most healthy people exposed to Legionella do not become sick, although the risk is higher for certain individuals. More information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
03/05/2026: State measles rates continue to rise. A third unvaccinated child was confirmed to have the disease on Wednesday in Adams County. Colorado Public Radio reports they are a known contact of another measles case at Broomfield High, making this the third case tied to the front range high school. State officials have classified the situation as an outbreak, which is defined as three or more cases. Detailed information on possible exposure locations can be found on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s website.
03/05/2026: Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser and 22 other attorneys general are urging the U.S. Court of Appeals to affirm a lower court decision to overturn regulations on contraception from the first Trump administration. The 2017/2018 regulations expanded religious and moral exemptions to allow employers to deny workers coverage for contraceptive care otherwise guaranteed under federal law. Colorado also challenged the regulations in federal court in 2019. The attorneys general argue that these rules threaten birth control access for thousands of women, increase the cost of state-funded healthcare, and worsen existing disparities in impoverished communities.
3/10/2026: At its most recent meeting in Westminster, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted to approve a citizen petition regarding the sale of wildlife fur. The proposed prohibition could apply to all 17 of the state's hunted and trapped furbearer species. The vote does not mean the entire petition has been approved, rather the commission will begin drafting, and return to the issue at a future meeting.
3/10/2026: CPW is restoring native cutthroat trout to Colorado waterways by releasing ‘trojan fish’. So-called trojan male brook trout have two Y chromosomes as opposed to a XY. They are released into invasive wild brook trout populations and can only produce male offspring, which effectively kneecaps the fish’s ability to reproduce in the long run. Their eventual die-off will make room for native species such as the Colorado River cutthroat trout. Last year in Bobtail and Steelman creeks, staff recaptured and released over 130 YY brook trout, removed roughly the same number of wild brook trout, and documented over 1300 cutthroat trout. In a press release from CPW, biologist Jon Ewert said, “It has been really encouraging to see how far we have come in restoring the native cutthroat trout since 2011, when we only observed 123 cutthroat trout in these creeks.” end quote. These early results are pushing scientists to consider using YY fish to eliminate other non-native fish, such as carp.
3/11/2026: Earlier in the year, it was reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officers were leaving ace of spade “death cards” in the cars of people they detained in Eagle County. The Ace of Spades has long been associated with race and death since the Vietnam War, but have more recently been used by white supremacist groups to intimidate people of color.. Now Colorado lawmakers are demanding the Department of Homeland Security disclose which ICE office is responsible for investigating the claims. Last month lawmakers requested that the Department of Homeland Security launch an independent investigation, but the inquiry bounced between multiple offices and eventually went to the Office of Professional Responsibility, which assigned the case to a field office. The DHS has not specified which ICE field office, leading Colorado’s Senators and Representatives to raise concerns about transparency and conflicts of interest. Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and four of the state's eight congressmen signed a letter to DHS Secretary Noem requesting a response by March 20. Secretary Noem was recently fired, and President Trump has nominated Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin for her position, effective March 31st, according to Al Jazeera.
3/23/2026: Earlier this month, Colorado lost yet another gray wolf and the second from the King Mountain Pack in Routt County. On March 11, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the agency received what’s called a mortality signal from the collar of wolf #2310. She was the breeding female of the King Mountain Pack whose mate died in early February during a capture operation, leaving four pups that CPW says are about a year old. No cause of death has yet been reported for wolf #2310, who was one of the original 10 wolves brought to Colorado from Oregon.
3/25/2026: This March is the earliest bloom for peaches that Bruce Talbott can ever remember. The Talbott family has been growing fruit in the Palisade area for more than 100 years. It is at least three weeks earlier than normal, and although the warm weather is forecast to remain for a while, Talbott says the frost danger lasts until early May. David Sterle, a research scientist at CSU’s Western Colorado Research Center, said the early bloom increases the danger of frost damage because the trees become less tolerant of cold after blooming.
Sterle says the fruit is quite susceptible to frost risk at 26 degrees. Talbott said he starts to see significant damage to his crop at around 28 degrees once the trees are in full bloom. Even if the peach crop makes it without frost damage, the early bloom and resulting early fruit development can be impacted by the lack of irrigation water during this stage, and that affects the size and quality of the fruit. For now, western Colorado growers have their fingers crossed for 6 weeks frost free.
3/31/2026: The Supreme Court overturned Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for queer youth today in an eight to one vote, citing First Amendment violations. The ruling in favor of Christian therapist Kaley Chiles could have wider implications for over twenty states that have similar bans on conversion therapy for minors. Colorado banned the practice less than a decade ago under Governor Polis. The case will now return to the lower courts.
