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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

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  • Remaining big game hunting licenses go on sale August 5 at 9 a.m.

    DENVER — Hunters, mark your calendars so you don’t miss your shot! Big game hunting licenses not sold in the primary and secondary draws will go on sale next week and there are plenty of hunting opportunities still available.

    Remaining licenses for 2025 have been placed on the leftover list and will become available for purchase on August 5 at 9 a.m. MT. Over-the-counter (OTC) licenses for elk, bear, archery pronghorn, and whitetail deer will go on sale at the same time.

    Licenses go on sale online, over the phone at 1-800-244-5613, and in-person at CPW offices and sales locations all at once. This is the first opportunity of the year to get a limited big game hunting license outside of the application and draw process.

    Licenses that will become available include:

    • Limited licenses leftover after the primary and secondary draws for elk, deer, pronghorn and bear.
    • Limited elk, deer, pronghorn, and bear licenses that someone drew but surrendered or did not pay for during the secondary draw that took fewer than five resident preference points to draw.
    • Limited licenses that were returned for refund/preference point restoration since the opening of the secondary draw but prior to July 30 and took fewer than five resident preference points to draw
    • OTC licenses for elk, archery pronghorn, whitetail deer, and bear

    Preparing for sales day
    CPW locations and sales agents will be very busy that morning, so try to get prepared ahead of time.

    Log into the online system a few days prior to sales day to ensure your information, such as email and mailing address, is up-to-date. If you have any problems getting into your account, contact CPW ahead of time for assistance.

    Have your hunt codes and credit/debit card number ready. Check the leftover list, write down all hunt codes you are interested in, and list them with your most desired licenses first.

    If you call the CPW sales line for your purchase, be prepared for extended wait times and have all of your information ready, including hunt codes. The sales line representatives will not be able to look up hunt codes for you.

    Inventory held in shopping cart
    When you enter a hunt code and confirm it, that license is “held” for you in the cart for 15 minutes or until you process the transaction, whichever comes first. If the time is allowed to expire, the license will be released to another customer. Keep the inventory hold system in mind when attempting to purchase licenses from multiple species.

    Queuing system
    While products go on sale at 9 a.m., customers can log into their account as early as 8 a.m. Do not go further than the residency page until 9 a.m. 

    CPW’s licensing vendor Aspira utilizes a virtual queuing program, called Queue-It, to mitigate the load on the system. The queuing program will engage when the number of users on the system meets established thresholds. Once you’ve entered the queue, do not close your browser, or navigate away from the queue page or you will have to re-enter at the back of the queue.

    Additional information
    For each species, hunters are limited to one list A and one list B, or two list B licenses. A hunter can purchase an unlimited number of list C licenses and they do not impact list A or B license purchases. If you received a list A license from the primary or secondary draw, you are only eligible for a list B or list C license. If you received a list B or list C from the primary or secondary draw, you are eligible for either a list A, list B or list C license. Hunters planning to redeem a landowner voucher should keep these rules in mind before purchasing a leftover license that could make them ineligible to redeem an additional license.

    Because the online leftover list updates every five to 10 minutes, a hunt code may still be listed as available, even if it was already sold during that time.

    Nonresidents can no longer purchase OTC archery elk licenses for game management units (GMUs) west of I-25 and GMU 140. New limited archery elk hunt codes for these units were created specifically for nonresidents. Residents are not eligible to purchase these licenses and should instead purchase the standard OTC archery elk license.

    Where to purchase
    CPW strongly suggests hunters purchase their licenses online at cpwshop.com. CPW offices and sales locations use the same system as you do at home. If going in person, please call ahead to determine the leftover day sales procedures at the specific location you plan to go to.

    Head to cpwshop.com and get logged in to your account up to an hour before 9 a.m. on August 5 so you’re ready to purchase when the licenses go on sale. You can call in and purchase at 1-800-244-5613, but you cannot call in early and must wait until 9 a.m., and know there will be long wait times for phone purchases.

    More information on the leftover list and over-the-counter licenses is available on the CPW website.

    A preview list of additional licenses will become available on August 12 as part of the license reissue process. Reissue license sales will begin August 13 at 11 a.m. MT.

  • Celebrate Colorado’s 149th anniversary by visiting state parks for free on August 4

    To celebrate Colorado Day and the state’s 149th birthday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is offering free entry to all Colorado state parks on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.

    The state legislature created Colorado Day to mark the anniversary of statehood, granted in 1876 by President Ulysses S. Grant. The state recognizes this annual holiday on the first of the month, and state parks celebrate the occasion with free entrance on the first Monday of August.

    This free entry day is an opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty of Colorado state parks and their diverse landscapes. All other park fees remain in effect, including camping reservations, boat and off-highway vehicle registrations, and hunting and fishing licenses.

    CPW urges all state park visitors to act as stewards of our state’s land, wildlife, and water. By balancing outdoor recreation with mindful conservation, we can all protect Colorado’s natural beauty. Here are some outdoor tips to help you recreate responsibly.

    Know Before You Go

    Be Safe on the Water
    Remember that life jackets save lives. The majority of water-related deaths occur because people do not wear them.

    Be Careful with Fire
    Fire safety requires a state-wide effort, and CPW encourages state park visitors to always practice fire safety.

    • Check fire restrictions or bans at www.coemergency.com.
    • Download the free Colorado Trail Explorer (COTREX) app for wildfire alerts.
    • Drown fires out with water until you can touch the embers.
    • Never leave a fire unattended.
    • Avoid parking or driving on dry grass.
    • Check your tire pressure, exhaust pipes, and whether chains or exposed wheel rims are dragging from your vehicle, which may create sparks.

    Keep Wildlife Wild

    • Do not feed or approach wildlife.
    • Be bear aware on trails.
    • Keep dogs leashed on dog-friendly trails.

    Join us in keeping Colorado, Colorado. Get a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass with your next vehicle registration and support state parks, search and rescue teams, avalanche safety, wildlife conservation, and outdoor education. Learn more at cpw.info/keepcoloradowild and cpw.info/keepcoloradowildpassspanish.

  • Colorado Department of Education hosts free training for K-12 science teachers

    DENVER — The Colorado Department of Education is collaborating with InquiryHub to provide K-12 science teachers with professional learning aligned to the Colorado State Academic standards for science. The department will provide more than seven Science at its Peak learning opportunities at locations across the state and online through the fall.

    “Science at its Peak training will help teachers understand how we can reimagine science education in Colorado,” said Susana Córdova, Colorado’s education commissioner. “By grounding instruction in research and connecting learning to the real world, this initiative equips educators with the tools they need to engage students as true problem-solvers. I highly encourage science teachers in Colorado to take advantage of this free training.”

    Educators are invited to register for one of these six-hour trainings by visiting www.cdeinfo.org/sciencetraining. These learning opportunities are funded with state dollars through House Bill 24-1446. Participants will earn credits that can be used for educator license renewal.

    Trainings are scheduled through October on the following dates:

    • Thursday, July 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Platt Middle School (Boulder)
    • Thursday, July 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Harrison High School (Colorado Springs)
    • Thursday, Aug. 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Steamboat Springs Middle School (Steamboat Springs)
    • Friday, Sept. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Pueblo West High School (Pueblo); and
    • Friday, Oct. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Penrose House Conference Center (Colorado Springs).

    Virtual sessions will be provided from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5, and on Thursday, Aug. 7. Additional training sessions will be added in the future.

    Learn more about the sessions on the InquiryHub website.
  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife provides wolf update to Parks and Wildlife Commission

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife provides wolf update to Parks and Wildlife Commission

    GRAND JUNCTION – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) presented the Parks and Wildlife Commission with an update on conflict minimization efforts as well as the status of the organization’s Wolf Program on July 17, 2025. This presentation included discussion about CPW’s range riding program, the mortality, reproduction, and movement of gray wolves reintroduced to Colorado in 2023 and 2025, as well as an announcement on the establishment of new packs, and an update on translocation efforts for the 2025-26 winter season.

    “Today’s presentation reinforces how far wolf restoration efforts have come since planning started in 2021,” said Jeff Davis, Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Beyond providing an update on conflict minimization efforts and future translocation efforts, CPW announced the formation of three additional packs in the state of Colorado. Successful pack formation is vital to CPW’s wolf restoration plan not just in terms of reproduction, but also the development of territories. Localization of pack movement patterns will allow CPW to work more effectively with producers on notifications and conflict minimization strategies.”

    Mitigation and minimization efforts
    CPW continues to evolve its conflict minimization efforts as wildlife behavior and livestock movements change with the seasons, as well as changes in landscape usage by livestock producers who are moving into larger range operations on both public and private land.

    One of the primary tactics has been the use of range riders as a minimization tool when animals are on open range. CPW currently has nine range riders actively deployed with an emphasis on areas with concentrated wolf activity but flexibility to move to other areas as needed.

    “These mitigation efforts have required a high level of communication and coordination which has been facilitated by CPW’s staff as well as producers, who are working with us to help minimize wolf and livestock conflict,” said Brian Dreher, Assistant Director of CPW’s Terrestrial Wildlife Branch. “CPW is incredibly grateful for the Colorado ranchers and agriculturalists who continue to work with us through trying times and unknown outcomes towards reducing conflict. Their personal investment of time, resources, and access are vital and deeply appreciated.”

    In addition to active range riding, CPW continues to provide site assessments, investigate depredation reports, and is coordinating with the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) on carcass removal, even in remote areas where this is more complicated due to access issues.

    In the near future CPW will be hiring a Wolf Damage and Conflict Minimization Manager who will bring additional expertise and support to the organization’s efforts. This role will also help coordinate interagency operations with partnering organizations such as CDA and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

    Wolf mortality and movement analysis
    Eric Odell, CPW’s Wolf Conservation Program Manager, provided an update on biologically relevant information on the wolf population in Colorado. A key part of Odell’s presentation was a review of five wolf mortalities that have occurred since the restoration efforts in January 2025. Two of these mortalities took place in Wyoming. Three mortalities took place in Colorado. Because wolves are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, the USFWS has the lead on conducting necropsies and determining the causes of death.

    “We knew from the early stages of planning wolf restoration that there would be some level of mortality amongst translocated gray wolves,” Odell said. “We specifically built in benchmarks for when we would initiate protocol reviews based on CPW’s previous experience with reintroduction of lynx in the late 1990s/early 2000s. The mortality that has been experienced by the wolf population this year is not a reason to pause translocation efforts.”

    CPW staff continues to closely monitor the health of gray wolves translocated to Colorado – as well as the yearlings and pups who have been born here.

    Commissioners were also shown a series of animations detailing and comparing the movements of paired and unpaired wolves as well as newly acquired trail cam footage of wolf pups from the King Mountain Pack in Routt County. These animations highlighted the area covered by wolves and how the formation of breeding packs and establishment of territories aids in the management of Colorado’s wolf population. Copies of these animations and videos can be found here.

    Establishment of packs and update on translocation efforts
    During Odell’s presentation CPW announced that there are now three recognized packs in the state in addition to the Copper Creek pack that formed last year:

    • One Ear Pack in Jackson County
    • King Mountain Pack in Routt County
    • And Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County.

    CPW recognizes packs only after a breeding pair of wolves have reproduced in late spring. While CPW staff have seen pups at some of the dens there is not a confirmed pup count for all of the packs. Detection of pups in late spring or early summer is inherently low, because of their small size, use of habitats in dense cover, and time potentially underground.

    “We are continuing to monitor four dens in Colorado and will include minimum counts of the entire wolf population in our annual biological year reports,” Odell said. “Receiving reports of wolf sightings from the public – especially with high quality photos or video – is extremely helpful to CPW as we monitor and track the movement of gray wolves. This will become increasingly important as the population of uncollared wolves grows through successful restoration and natural immigration into Colorado.”

    The final topic covered during Thursday’s presentation was an update on future translocation efforts. CPW is currently working on sourcing agreements for additional wolves to be translocated to Colorado in the winter of 2025-2026. The organization is currently working to schedule consultations with stakeholders in the southern release zone.

    As additional information on these meetings becomes available it will be released to the public to encourage participation.

  • Investigators urge witnesses to come forward after fatal shooting at a house party

    ARAPAHOE COUNTY — Arapahoe Sheriff Investigators are asking for more witnesses to come forward after a teenager was killed at a house party on July 12, 2025, just before midnight. Sheriff deputies responded to a call of shots fired at a home in the 18900 block of E. Crestridge Cir. in Unincorporated Arapahoe County. When they arrived on the scene, deputies found a 19-year-old male victim lying on the driveway with gunshot wounds to his chest. They began life-saving efforts, but South Metro Fire Rescue paramedics pronounced him deceased at the scene.

    Deputies arrested a 17-year-old male suspect. He’s facing charges of first-degree murder. Investigators are still looking for at least one more teenage suspect — a male, 17 or 18 years old, heavy set, 5’10” to 6’ tall, 220 lbs. with blonde hair.

    If you were at the party or have any information on this shooting, please call the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Tipline at 720-874-8477. You can remain anonymous. This is an open and active case, and no further information will be released. The filing of a criminal charge is merely a formal accusation that an individual committed a crime under Colorado law. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

  • K9 Tigger Retires from Paw Enforcement

    K9 Tigger Retires from Paw Enforcement

    After six incredible years of paw-some service, K9 Tigger, an 8-year-old Dutch Shepherd with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit, will be honored at a special retirement ceremony on July 16 at 4:00 p.m., in the K9 training area at our patrol substation (4201 E. 72nd Ave., Commerce City, 80221).

     

    K9 Tigger joined the unit in 2019 and quickly earned a reputation as one of the most dependable—and paws-itively determined—working dogs in the region. Over the course of his career, Tigger has been credited with:

    • 165 arrests, including 11 suspect apprehensions involving bites
    • The detection and seizure of over 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, 19.3 kilograms of cocaine, 334 grams of fentanyl, 12.3 grams of heroin, and 1.56 grams of ecstasy

    With a nose for justice and a bark backed by bravery, Tigger has played a vital role in countless investigations and high-risk operations, helping to protect the community and take dangerous drugs off the streets.

     

    The retirement ceremony will feature remarks from Sheriff Claps, a presentation honoring Tigger’s career, and an opportunity for media and the public to meet the guest of honor himself. The guest of honor is expected to celebrate his retirement with a well-earned treat or two.

     

    Members of the press are invited to attend this tail-wagging tribute to one of the agency’s finest. Following the ceremony, photo and interview opportunities will be available.

    RSVP requested by the end of the day on July 15.

     

    The Adams County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit consists of ten dogs and is dedicated to supporting law enforcement efforts through specialized canine teams trained in narcotics detection, suspect apprehension, and search and rescue operations. The skilled dogs and handlers work tirelessly to keep the community safe.

     

    The Adams County Retired K9 Foundation was founded in 2020 and works to reduce the financial burden on handlers after they adopt their K9 partner when they retire. If anyone would like to donate to support Tigger, or any of our retired K9s, please visit acretiredk9.org or scan this QR code.

  • I-76 & I-225 Bridge Preventative Maintenance Project

    Traffic Impacts

    Monday, July 14 through Thursday, July 17, work will consist of:

    • Alternating northbound and southbound lane closures on the I-225 ramp from MP 70 to MP 70.5.
    • Delays of up to 15 minutes can be anticipated.

    About the Project

    Arapahoe County – Bridge improvement work along Interstate 76 and I-225 in Adams and Arapahoe counties will improve and prolong the life of the bridges by replacing expansion joints, repaving the surface and repairing guardrails. The bridge work will occur in the following locations in the order below:

    • I-76 at Second Creek
    • I-76 at 144th Avenue
    • I-225 from southbound I-25 to northbound I-225
    • Southbound I-225 ramp at Vaughn Way
    • I-225 at 28th Avenue
    Southbound I-225 ramp at Vaughn Way

    Project Schedule

    • Working hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
    • Work is expected to be completed at the end of October 2025.
  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirms sightings of new wolf pups

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirms sightings of new wolf pups

    Colorado’s wolf population is growing.

    A Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson confirmed Thursday that staff have seen new wolf pups this spring.

    The agency is monitoring four den sites, relying on aerial observations, ground observations, remote trail cameras as well as public sightings to do so, the spokesperson said.

    Parks and Wildlife does not yet have a reliable count of how many pups there are.

    “(Parks and Wildlife) staff have begun to get minimum counts of pups by both direct observations and indirect methods,” the spokesperson said. “It is important to note that sighting numbers (especially from early season sightings) are not a guaranteed number of animals since certainty in detection is low, based on continued denning, moving to rendezvous sites and being in varied habitat.”

    Eighteen months into the voter-mandated wolf reintroduction effort, Colorado has brought 25 wolves from Oregon and British Columbia, eight of which have since died.

    Last year, one pair of wolves successfully had five pups. Deemed the Copper Creek pack, these wolves have been embroiled in controversy since their inception. Six of the pack’s wolves were captured and placed in a sanctuary after being connected to a number of livestock killings in Grand County. A seventh, one of the pups, evaded capture.

    Following their capture, the pack’s adult male wolf died in captivity from injuries it suffered from a gunshot wound. The adult female and the four pups were re-released in the wild in January. In May, one of the pack’s yearlings was killed by Parks and Wildlife after the wolves were tied to livestock attacks in Pitkin County.

  • Twisters Gymnastics and Cheer: Quarter 3

    June 30 – September 20 (12 weeks); Registration is open; EARLYBIRD DEADLINE: 6/20/25; DEADLINE: 6/26/25 ($25 additional fee)

  • Attorney General Phil Weiser sues ATF to stop return of seized machine gun devices

    On June 9, Attorney General Phil Weiser joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in suing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives over Trump administration plans to redistribute thousands of devices that allow a semiautomatic weapon to function like a machine gun.
    ATF’s action involves forced reset triggers, or FRTs, which dramatically increase the firing rate of semiautomatic weapons. Although ATF previously classified FRTs as machineguns, on May 16 the bureau—under a directive from Trump administration leadership—signed a settlement agreement that promises to stop enforcing federal law against FRTs and to redistribute thousands of these devices that ATF had previously seized. The multistate litigation seeks to prevent that imminent redistribution, because FRTs are illegal to possess under federal law.
    “It’s hard enough for our local law enforcement officials to protect Colorado communities from gun violence without the federal government willfully ignoring the law,” said Attorney General Weiser. “The law is clear: machine guns, and devices that turn a semiautomatic weapon into a machine gun, are illegal. We’re suing to stop the ATF and the administration from making our communities more dangerous by distributing thousands of devices that turn firearms into weapons of war. These weapons have no place in our communities, and I will continue to fight to keep Coloradans safe from gun violence.”
    In recent years, machine gun conversion devices like FRTs, have been frequently used in violent crimes and mass shootings. Firearms equipped with these types of devices can exceed the rate of fire of many military machine guns, firing up to 20 bullets in one second. ATF has noted a significant rise in the use of these types of devices, leading to incidents of machine-gun fire increasing by 1,400% from 2019 through 2021.
    Despite the federal prohibition, ATF estimates that at least 100,000 FRTs have been distributed across the country in recent years. ATF’s records also establish that machine gun conversion devices, including FRTs, are showing up more often at crime scenes.
    Multiple lawsuits seeking either to enforce or challenge the prohibition on FRTs were filed during the Biden administration. A federal judge in New York agreed that FRTs are banned under federal law. A federal judge in Texas disagreed and held that FRTs do not qualify as machine guns under federal law, but that ruling was on appeal. In January, Attorney General Weiser announced that he was joining more than a dozen other states in intervening to defend the Biden-era regulations in court.
    Today’s lawsuit explains that the federal government cannot violate U.S. law, even when it tries to bury those violations in a settlement agreement. The lawsuit asks the court to stop ATF from distributing FRT devices in ways that directly harm the states suing in contravention of federal law, including, as ATF admits, that returning FRTs in states that prohibit them would “aid and abet” violations of state laws.
    Attorney General Weiser is joining Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington on the lawsuit.
    For more on Attorney General Weiser’s efforts to defend Colorado from illegal federal actions, visit coag.gov/defending-colorado.