Author: I-70 Scout

Last month, the Colorado DMV launched a mobile-friendly website allowing motorists to access driver’s license and motor vehicle services (that had previously been divided among multiple websites) all in one place.  

The new myDMV.colorado.gov allows users to renew license plates and driver’s licenses, pay tickets, and more by creating a single customer account. Business and fleet vehicle managers can also use the account to oversee all their vehicles, without visiting the DMV. 

Site navigation is streamlined, making it easier to find the services you need quickly. 

Online services include: 

• Driver’s License services, 
• First-time registrations, 
• Vehicle registration renewals, 
• Paying tickets and fines, 
• Disability placards, 
• Fleet Vehicle Management, 
• Business Vehicle Management, 
• Record requests, and more. 

Motorists can also elect to receive email notifications when their driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations are due to expire, saving the paper and hassle of waiting on renewal postcards in the mail.  

Learn more and create your account. 

Affected Area: Larimer, Weld, Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma, Lincoln, Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Crowley, Otero, Kiowa, Bent, Prowers and Baca Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Fort Collins, Greeley, Fort Morgan, Sterling, Julesburg, Holyoke, Akron, Wray, Limon, Burlington, Cheyenne Wells, Ordway, La Junta, Eads, Las Animas, Lamar and Springfield.

Advisory in Effect: 7:00 AM MDT, Friday, March 13, 2026 to 4:00 PM MDT, Friday, March 13, 2026

Public Health Recommendations: If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and older adults. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.

Outlook: Smoke from out-of-state wildfires will impact the advisory area on Friday. Conditions will improve Friday morning across northeastern Colorado, but smoke could linger into the afternoon across southeastern Colorado.

For the latest Colorado statewide air quality conditions, forecasts, and advisories, visit: https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx

For the latest Smoke Blog, visit: https://colosmokeoutlook.blogspot.com/

For more information about smoke and your health, visit: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/outdoor-burning/wildfire-smoke-and-health

The long-standing tradition of consuming alcohol over St. Patrick’s Day weekend is often associated with fun. But there is a darker side when it comes to consuming alcohol and driving. This includes DUI arrests, traffic crashes and even fatalities. In 2022, 74 people in the United States died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And last year, Colorado State Patrol (CSP) troopers investigated 17 crashes involving an impaired driver over the holiday weekend.

The Colorado Department of Transportation joined CSP, AAA Colorado and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) at the State Capitol to remind drivers to arrange a sober ride home before heading out to celebrate. The event, instead of featuring a pot of gold, featured a pot of car keys to symbolize drivers who chose to take a sober ride home. Representatives from state agencies, as well as victims and survivors of impaired driving crashes, were in attendance. Among them was Clara Shelton, whose brother, Sam, was killed by a drunk driver in 2016. With the Colorado Capitol as the backdrop, attendees spoke about the lifelong consequences of a DUI and the importance of never driving under the influence.

From March 12 to 18, CDOT is supporting Colorado State Patrol and 67 local law enforcement agencies for The Heat Is On St. Patrick’s Day DUI enforcement period. Drivers may see saturation patrols, sobriety checkpoints and additional law enforcement officers on duty dedicated to arresting impaired drivers and keeping Colorado’s roads safe. Last year, 255 people were arrested during the same DUI enforcement period.

“Luck isn’t a safety plan. We saw a tragic increase in impaired driving fatalities last year, and we refuse to let St. Patrick’s Day celebrations add to that number,” said Chief of the Colorado State Patrol Col. Matthew C. Packard. “Troopers will be out in force to remove dangerous drivers from our roads. Before you take your first sip, make a plan. Use a rideshare, take public transit, or call a sober friend. There is no excuse for risking a life.”

“We want all Colorado drivers to get home safely this weekend,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “Remember, even one drink can impair driving ability and sobering up can take much longer than people expect. Don’t test your luck — drive sober.”

MADD and AAA are providing an Uber discount code for Denver-area riders to encourage using rideshare services instead of driving. The code, LuckyDenver26, provides $8 off rides from 1 a.m. on March 14 to 6 a.m. on March 15. Code must be applied to the payment section of the Uber app prior to requesting the intended trip. The discount is valid for one-time use within the Denver metro area.**

The cost of taking 600 Uber rides is still less than the average cost of a DUI, CDOT says.

“MADD is proud to be at the Capitol alongside victims and survivors of impaired driving crashes as we work to make Colorado’s roads safer. We are making progress, but ending impaired driving requires everyone’s effort,” said MADD Colorado Executive Director Rebecca Green. “Take a minute to plan a sober ride home this St. Patrick’s Day. You can celebrate and save a life at the same time”

Colorado saw an increase in impaired driving deaths in 2025 as fatalities hit a three-year high, up 10% from 2024. As spring begins and people start to attend more outdoor activities with drinking, it is important to reiterate the importance of sober driving and remind motorists to choose a safe ride home after consuming drugs and/or alcohol.

“We know that folks are going to drink over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. There are ways to do it safely, and it’s up to all of us to make smart decisions,” said AAA Regional Director Skyler McKinley. “The best thing you can do is arrange a sober ride home before heading out. If you can’t, or if plans change, consider a rideshare or public transportation home. In a pinch, call a friend or family member — they’d rather hear that you need a ride home than that the unthinkable happened. Staying safe is at the core of having fun.”

From March 12 to 18, CDOT is supporting Colorado State Patrol and 67 local law enforcement agencies for The Heat Is On St. Patrick’s Day DUI enforcement period. Drivers may see saturation patrols, sobriety checkpoints and additional law enforcement officers on duty dedicated to arresting impaired drivers and keeping Colorado’s roads safe. Last year, 255 people were arrested during the same DUI enforcement period.

Throughout the recent Presidents Week DUI enforcement period, there were 221 arrests. The agencies with the highest arrests were Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (24), Thornton Police Department (22) and Greeley Police Department (17). Following the St. Patrick’s Day enforcement period, the next DUI enforcement period will be Spring Events from April 17 to 22.

Colorado State Patrol examines theory that fatal crashes rise after daylight savings This coming Sunday, March 8, Colorado will “spring forward” one hour for daylight savings time, and we will all lose an hour of sleep. While the time change can throw off schedules for appointments or events, researchers have suggested that the switch can also increase fatal crashes each year. “A few years ago The University of Colorado Boulder published a study that linked an increase in deadly crashes to daylight savings,” explained Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Troopers see hundreds of crashes each year caused by falling asleep or being drowsy behind the wheel. Drivers shouldn’t underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep.” In 2025, the Colorado State Patrol investigated 755 crashes involving fatigue, with 202 people injured and 13 people killed. These crashes increased 6.7% over 2024. Focusing on the impacts of Daylight Saving Time, the Colorado State Patrol decided to take a closer look at crashes investigated by troopers. The Patrol pulled 10 years of crash data for the workweek (M-F) before and after Daylight Saving Time. The data table below shows that the ten-year tally of fatal crashes before DST and after DST increases by 25.9%. Only two years, 2020 and 2022, had higher fatal crash counts the week before DST than the week after. The year 2020 is easy to understand because COVID-19 drove travel down at exactly that time. In 2019 and 2021, the weeks before and after DST had equal fatal crash counts. The other six years all showed an increase in fatal crashes the week after DST.

Both boys and girls teams from Strasburg and Byers and the girls from Bennett and Deer Trail all qualified for this weekend’s regional round of the state basketball postseason. In all cases, games start on Friday with winners advancing to regional championship games on Saturday.

STRASBURG

The Indian boys are the top seed in the 3A boys tournament and host Salida at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6, at Mundell Gymnasium. Friday’s other game at Strasburg is No. 16 Lotus School for Excellence and 17th-seeded Highland at approximately 7:30 p.m. The winners will play each other at 1 p.m. Saturday for the regional title.

The Lady Indians are the 24th seed in 3A girls and travel to Roaring Fork (Carbondale) for Region 8 play.  The red-and-black will play No. 9 Thomas MacLaren School at 3 p.m. on Friday and,  with a win, would advance to play either the eighth-seeded host school or No.  25 Manual.

BYERS

The No. 6 Bulldog boys are a host site in 2A boys and will face off with No.  27 Fowler at 4:30 p.m. Friday. The other game that night is between No. 11 Swallows Charter Academy and 22nd-seeded Union Colony Prep. The regional title game between the two winners is slated for 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

The 16th-seeded Lady Bulldogs make a trip to Merino where they will play No. 17 Center at 12 p.m. The other game is against the top-seeded host school and. No.32 Custer County at approximately 3:30 p.m. The regional championship game is set for 1 p.m.

DEER TRAIL

For the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Lady Eagles made the 1A postseason. Deer Trail plays at McClave against the top-seeded Cardinals at approximately 12:30 p.m. Friday’s other first-round game is between No. 16 Granada and 17th-seeded Kim/Branson at 11 a.m. The regional title game is slated for 11 a.m.

BENNETT

The No. 15 Lady Tigers play at 2:30 p.m. against No. 18 Jefferson Academy at 2:30 p.m.  on Friday at Timnath. The second-seeded host school plays No.  31 Fort Morgan on Friday. The two winners will face off in the 4A Region 2 finals at 11 a.m. Saturday.

While the quarterfinal round of the Great Eight for 1A, 2A and 3A is set for March 12, the same round of play for 4A will take place on March 11. The 1A state tournament is at University of Northern Colorado in Greeley; 2A at Moby Gym on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins; 3A at Hancock Gymnasium at University of Denver; and 4A at the Denver Coliseum.

The 2026 Mayors and Commissioners Youth Awards provide scholarships to area students

Arapahoe County Seeks Nominations for 2026 Youth Scholarship Awards

Arapahoe County commissioners are now accepting nominations for the 2026 Mayors and Commissioners Youth Awards, scholarships designed to recognize and support area teenagers who have demonstrated remarkable resilience in overcoming life’s obstacles.

Nomination Deadline and Process

Nominations are open until March 2, 2026 and can be submitted online at Arapahoe County Grant Nominations.

Award Details

These scholarships are available to graduating high school seniors who have faced and overcome significant adversity and want to pursue post-secondary education at vocational schools, community colleges, or four-year universities. Both the scholarship amounts and the total number of awards vary annually based on available funding.

Eligibility and Requirements

Who Can Nominate: Teachers, counselors, or school administrators who are not related to the student may submit nominations.

What’s Required: Nominators must provide:

• A detailed explanation of why the student deserves consideration
• Specific examples of the student’s community contributions
• Documentation of challenges the student has overcome
• A 3-paragraph essay written by the student addressing: 
• Lessons learned from overcoming personal challenges
• Future educational and career plans
• Goals and aspirations for the years ahead

Selection Process

A joint committee of county commissioners and municipal mayors reviews all applications. Awards are determined based on three key criteria:

1. The student’s determination to rise above adversity
2. Their commitment to creating positive change in their environment
3. Demonstrated contributions and service to their community and family

For more information or to submit a nomination, visit the youth awards page on the Arapahoe County website.

Driving aggressively freaks people out (COLO) – Just like declaring love is considered “pushy” on a first date, driving like a cast member from Fast & Furious can be a relationship red flag. Last year, Colorado State troopers found that aggressive driving was among the three leading causes of crashes across the State over Valentine’s weekend. Isolating just Friday and Saturday of Valentine’s weekend 2025, troopers investigated 321 crashes. The top three causal factors for those crashes were: Speeding (132) – a form of aggressive driving Lane Violations (63) Following too Closely (30) – a form of aggressive driving “Moving too fast can make you crash and burn, whether in a relationship or driving down the road,” stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Over fifty percent of these crashes were due to an aggressive driving behavior. That’s not an attractive look.” Saturday saw approximately 33% more crashes than Friday, even though this isn’t a traditional workday for most people. When comparing this holiday weekend with crashes troopers investigated throughout 2025, speeding and following too closely increased dramatically over the Valentine’s Day weekend. For all of 2025, Speeding was the fourth most common crash causal factor, and following too closely was the fifth. How your date handles a minor “speed bump” is an indicator of their patience and long-term potential anyway.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

The Colorado Department of Revenue’s (CDOR) planned upgrade to driver license and motor vehicle technology systems over Presidents Day weekend will impact some Colorado Department of State (CDOS) platforms. The Colorado Department of Revenue upgrade will cause the following impacts to CDOS systems beginning Friday, February 13, 2026 at 7 p.m. CDOR expects the outage to conclude the morning of Tuesday, February 17. BUSINESS FILING: Anyone filing a business document and listing an individual as a registered agent will be unable to do so. Some filers will still be able to select an entity as a registered agent, and may choose to list the entity they are filing for as the registered agent in certain filings pursuant to Colorado law. VOTERS: Individuals registering to vote for the first time using Online Voter Registration (OLVR) and using their social security number for verification will be unable to do so. Individuals will still be able to register using a Colorado Driver’s License Number. CDOS recommends that all Coloradans who had planned to access these systems over Presidents Day weekend do so before Friday, February 13 at 7 p.m. For more information regarding the upgrade and its impact on services, please visit dmv.colorado.gov/mydmv.

Arapahoe County is updating its Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) to make travel safer for everyone who lives, works, or drives in unincorporated communities—and your input will help shape the final plan.

The CSAP identifies where safety improvements are most needed across the County’s transportation network and helps guide future investments that directly affect how you get around.

Whether you walk, bike, roll, ride transit, or drive, your perspective matters. The County’s final comment period begins Feb. 9, and you can share feedback online at www.arapahoeco.gov/safetyplan through March 2. This is your chance to weigh in on recommended safety strategies, projects, and priorities.

You can also learn more and share feedback in person at two meetings during the second week of February:

• Transit Oriented Communities Open House – Federal Area Enclave – 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Thersa Dando Meeting Room at the Sheridan Library, 3425 W. Oxford Ave., in Denver.

• Eastern Arapahoe County CSAP Open House – 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 12 at Kelver Library, 585 S Main Street, in Byers.

Earlier this year, you helped identify locations where travel feels unsafe. The project team is now analyzing crash data and roadway conditions to pinpoint high-risk areas and focus on strategies that reduce serious injuries and save lives.

The updated plan follows the Safe System Approach, which emphasizes designing streets and transportation systems that anticipate human error and reduce the severity of crashes when they occur.

To update the plan, County staff are working with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado State Patrol and the Denver Regional Council of Governments.

To learn more about the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and to share additional feedback starting Feb. 9, visit www.arapahoeco.gov/safetyplan.

Submit questions to Project Manager Steven Buckley at  or call 720-874-6516.