Colorado - Western Slope Trellis

Colorado

Colorado Hunting Season Is Here: What Hunters and Hikers Need to Know

Colorado’s 2026 hunting seasons are underway. Here are the key dates, safety tips for hunters and other outdoor users, and new rules for furbearers, beavers, wolves and CWD testing.

By Western Slope Trellis Staff • 3 min read

Colorado

CPW Lifts Roaring Fork River Fishing Closure as Flows and Temperatures Improve

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will lift the voluntary fishing closure on the Roaring Fork River Aug. 20 after increased flows from Ruedi Reservoir helped cool water temperatures. Closures remain on the Colorado, Eagle and Crystal rivers.

By Western Slope Trellis Staff • 1 min read

Colorado

Parents are being held responsible for their kids’ crimes under new laws

New laws are holding some parents legally and financially responsible for crimes committed by their children, but researchers say there is little evidence these policies reduce youth crime.

By Colorado Newsline • 6 min read

Colorado

Western Slope Health Care Costs Put Colorado’s Universal Coverage Debate in Focus

A new Yale study projects that a national single-payer system could save $1 trillion a year. With local hospitals squeezed by Medicaid bureaucracy and residents skipping care over cost, here is how the debate lands in Mesa, Montrose, and Garfield counties.

By Western Slope Trellis Staff • 6 min read

Colorado

Heat-related illnesses spike in Colorado as climate change fuels record temperatures

By Colorado Newsline • 5 min read

Colorado

Colorado issues public health order over tuberculosis case at Aurora ICE facility

Colorado health officials ordered GEO Group to provide records tied to a tuberculosis case at Aurora’s ICE detention facility after earlier requests and a county health order went unanswered.

By Colorado Newsline • 2 min read

Colorado

These Colorado ranchers want fossil fuel companies held accountable

A group of Colorado ranchers is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to let Boulder pursue its climate lawsuit against Exxon and Suncor, arguing fossil fuel companies should help pay for wildfire, drought, and other climate-related damages affecting rural communities.

By Western Slope Trellis Staff • 6 min read

Colorado

A Tax Cut for Most, a Lifeline for Schools: What Initiative 195 Means for the Western Slope

Colorado voters may decide whether to replace the state's flat income tax with a graduated system under Initiative 195. Here's how the proposed tax brackets work, who could pay more or less, and what the measure could mean for schools, health care, and Western Colorado.

By Western Slope Trellis Staff • 3 min read

Colorado

Glenwood Springs City Council votes to sue ICE facility’s landlord for allowing detentions to continue without a permit

The Glenwood Springs City Council voted 6-1 to sue the landlord of the city's ICE holding facility, arguing detention operations continue despite the revocation of its special use permit. The lawsuit seeks to enforce local zoning rules through state court.

By Aspen Journalism • 10 min read

Colorado

AG nominee tells faith leaders he will take action to restrict abortion drug access

Acting U.S. Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche told faith leaders he intends to pursue policies restricting access to abortion medications if confirmed, signaling potential federal action as the FDA continues its review of mifepristone.

By Colorado Newsline • 2 min read

Colorado

Feds to impose new cuts on lower Colorado River states amid climate-fueled megadrought

Federal officials finalized a temporary Colorado River management framework that could impose major new water cuts on Arizona, California and Nevada while negotiations continue. The plan underscores the growing impact of climate-driven drought across the Southwest.

By Colorado Newsline • 3 min read

Colorado

Fifty for 150: First peach trees planted on Western Slope of Colorado in 1882

The first peach trees planted near present-day Palisade in 1882 helped launch one of Colorado's most iconic agricultural traditions. Discover how early orchard experiments grew into a $36 million industry and made Palisade peaches famous across the state.

By Colorado Newsline • 2 min read

Colorado

Fallout from student column sparks press freedom scrutiny in Grand Junction

The reassignment of Grand Junction High School's student newspaper advisor following publication of a student opinion column about Gaza has drawn scrutiny from free speech advocates and raised questions about student press freedom under Colorado's New Voices law.

By Colorado Newsline • 5 min read

Colorado

Democratic nominees for Congress in Colorado outraise Republican rivals

Colorado’s Democratic nominees for Congress have outraised their Republican rivals by a 2-to-1 margin in the 2026 election cycle. However, expensive head-to-head primary battles have left some key Democratic challengers at a steep financial disadvantage heading into the general election.

By Colorado Newsline • 3 min read

Colorado

Cost of housing, healthcare among Coloradans’ top worries, new survey shows

Housing, healthcare and everyday costs remain major concerns for Coloradans, a new statewide survey finds. Many residents report delaying medical care, cutting spending and worrying about whether they can afford to remain in Colorado.

By Colorado Newsline • 3 min read

Colorado

As Colorado River and tributaries shrink, a public power system frays

As drought shrinks the Colorado River and Blue Mesa Reservoir, hydropower production is falling across the West. The decline could lead to higher electricity costs, increased pressure on Colorado's grid, and difficult choices as energy demand continues to grow.

By Colorado Newsline • 6 min read

Colorado

New Roan Plateau Drilling Proposal Rekindles Conservation Fight on the Western Slope

A proposed new round of oil and gas leasing on the Roan Plateau is renewing debate over energy development, wildlife habitat, and public lands. Conservation groups are urging federal officials to protect one of the Western Slope's most ecologically significant landscapes.

By Aspen Journalism • 9 min read

Colorado

Western Slope lawmakers take Colorado River managers to task

Western Slope lawmakers sharply questioned state water officials over Colorado's Colorado River negotiations, expressing concern that stalled talks with Lower Basin states could lead to costly litigation and future water restrictions.

By Aspen Journalism • 7 min read

Colorado

Colorado prepares overhaul of semiautomatic gun sales

Starting August 1, Coloradans seeking to buy many semiautomatic firearms that accept magazines will need to complete a new permit-to-purchase process, including sheriff review, safety training, and testing.

By Colorado Newsline • 9 min read

Colorado

Affordable Healthcare Emerges as a Voter Priority in Purple Nevada

Medicaid cuts, work requirements, SNAP changes, and rising health insurance costs are shaping Nevada’s governor race, where voters facing coverage losses could make health care affordability a defining issue.

By KFF Health News • 6 min read

Colorado

Resources available for Coloradans affected by wildfires around the state

As major wildfires burn across Colorado, residents can find evacuation shelters, emergency housing, disaster recovery help, 211 referrals, fire restriction updates, and donation funds for communities affected by the Aspen Acres, Gold Mountain, Snyder, Ferris, Willow, and Big Sheep fires.

By Colorado Newsline • 3 min read

Colorado

Colorado Civic Roundup: New July 1 Laws, I-25 Speed Cameras, and Holiday Fire Risk

Colorado’s new fiscal year brings July 1 laws on 3D-printed firearms, conversion therapy civil claims, and mobile home tax notices, while CDOT adds I-25 speed cameras and warns drivers about holiday traffic and wildfire risk.

By Western Slope Trellis Staff • 4 min read

Colorado

Western Colorado Residents Warn BLM Oil and Gas Rule Could Shift Cleanup Costs to Taxpayers

Western Colorado residents and public lands advocates warn that a federal proposal to lower oil and gas bonding requirements could increase the risk of orphaned wells, taxpayer-funded cleanup, and reduced public input on leasing decisions.

By Western Slope Trellis Staff • 4 min read

Colorado

How democratic socialist Melat Kiros stunned Colorado politics with congressional primary win

Melat Kiros’ primary win over longtime U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette marks a major shift in Denver politics, powered by young voters, grassroots organizing, democratic socialist networks, and frustration with establishment Democrats.

By Colorado Newsline • 15 min read