News

8:45 P.M. Officials said that air attack on the Grizzly Creek Fire in Glenwood Canyon has concluded for the night, and will resume again in the morning. The fire is currently burning in rugged terrain north of I-70 in the No Name and Grizzly Creek drainage areas. The fire has been mapped at 1,300 acres. I-70 will remain closed overnight from Exit 116 (Glenwood Springs) to Exit 140 (Gypsum). No structures are threatened.

6:15 P.M. The Grizzly Creek Fire (formerly called the 120 Fire) is currently mapped at 1,300 acres with over 60 firefighters on site. The fire is burning in a rugged area north of I-70 near Mile Marker 120. A Temporary Flight Restriction is currently in place in the area to allow heavy air tankers and helicopters to fight the fire.

5:30 P.M. The Grizzly Creek Fire is now estimated at 1,300 acres. I-70 is still closed in both directions with no estimate for reopening. Updates about the fire can be found on InciWeb and on the fire's Facebook page.

This is Week In The Arts—a curation of virtual events, exhibits and reopenings around the Roaring Fork Valley.

Coronavirus Disproportionately Affects Hispanic/Latinx People In Pitkin County

Sunday, August 8 - Pitkin County health officials showed that coronavirus disproportionately affects Hispanic and Latinx people in the county.

When local health staffers are alerted to new cases of coronavirus in Pitkin County, they work with infected people to figure out where they might have picked it up. 39% of cases in the county are considered “community spread,” meaning the infected person does not know where they were exposed to the virus.

Aspen Public Radio is partnering with the Aspen Music Festival and School this month to air a six-part virtual concert series highlighting the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.

Jointly hosted by Classical Music from Aspen host Chris Mohr and Aspen Music Festival and School President Alan Fletcher, the schedule features the following hour-long performances:

Friday, August 14, 8:00-9:00 p.m.: James Ehnes violin and Andrew Armstrong piano in Beethoven Violin Sonatas

Thursday night, Pitkin County commissioners discuss the future of Aspen-Pitkin County airport in a special meeting. They will review recommendations set forth in the final report from the ASE Vision Committee, an advisory group of experts and community members. 

UPDATED Friday, 6:00 p.m. -  The Mile Marker 111 fire has been contained. Fire crews are wrapping up their work on scene. I-70 is open with no more expected delays. 

The BettyFlies Foundation, which provides flight school scholarships to students in the Roaring Fork Valley, hosts their “2020 Virtual Rendezvous” Wednesday starting at 6pm. Retired NASA astronaut and artist Nicole Stott will be featured, along with local youth Isaac Musselman, founder of the Basalt Aeronautics Club. 

Have you ever fallen in love with a place, and seen it change before your eyes? That's the question at the root of the Community Office for Resource Efficiency's (CORE) storytelling workshop, which runs throughout the month of August (August 6-27).

Pitkin County is using a study of cell phone data to figure out who is most likely to spread COVID-19 within the county. 

The numbers are a combination of how many people from a specific place are in Pitkin County and how prevalent the virus is in their home region. 

This is Week In The Arts—a curation of virtual events, exhibits and reopenings around the Roaring Fork Valley.

Governor Polis, Treasurer Young Urge For Additional State Funding In Stimulus Package

Tuesday, August 4 - Governor Jared Polis and Colorado Treasurer Dave Young today sent a letter to the state's congessional delegation advocating for additional funding for Coloradans in the next stimulus package. Governor Polis and Treasurer Young stressed the importance of additional federal funding for essential services in the state as Colorado continues to mitigate the public health and economic effects of the pandemic. Areas highlighted by Governor Polis and Treasurer Young in need of financial assistance include food programs for children and families, support for child care and early childhood education, families experiencing homelessness because of the pandemic and assistance for ranchers and farmers.  The letter comes as leaders in Washington D.C. continue to debate what will be included in the next federal stimulus package.

The Aspen School District is planning for a hybrid learning model for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. At a virtual town hall Thursday, district officials said they expect elementary students to return to the classroom on August 26, while middle and high school students learn virtually from home.