The gardens are showing that a beautiful landscape is still possible, even in a dry year, with a little strategy and the right plants.

"Probably a quarter of our gardens are not watered at all," said Panayoti Kelaidis, senior curator at Denver Botanic Gardens. "When you plant things, you don't necessarily have to soak your whole garden. You can spot water where you've just planted."

As much of Colorado faces drought conditions and limited outdoor water use, many homeowners are questioning what, if anything, is worth planting this spring. Kelaidis said choosing plants adapted to Colorado's climate can make all the difference.

Cacti and other water‑efficient plants are one obvious option. "If you plant a cactus, you don't have to water it," Kelaidis said.

But water‑wise gardening doesn't have to mean sacrificing greenery or beauty. Throughout the gardens, there are examples of plants with full foliage that thrive without heavy irrigation.

"If you look here, there's beautiful foliage everywhere," Kelaidis said.

For gardeners hesitant to embrace a desert aesthetic, Kelaidis said there's no reason to avoid planting much of what you like in your gardens.

"There's absolutely no reason why you can't plant many plants in a drought year because they're drought‑adapted," he said.

What experts caution against is making big landscape changes that require heavy watering to establish, particularly lawn conversion projects.

In Golden, park managers are encouraging patience when it comes to turf.

"Doing any kind of landscape conversion does require a significant amount of establishment watering," Stansfield said. "For that reason, we would not recommend doing any sort of turf conversion heading into the spring."

Instead, officials are allowing city grasses to remain dormant as long as possible and suggesting homeowners do the same. Brown lawns, experts say, are not dead lawns.

"Forcing your turf into dormancy, or even not that extreme, is not going to kill it," Stansfield said. "It's just going to be one year where it doesn't look super lush and green."

There may even be a benefit to letting grass go dormant. Kelaidis said withholding water from bluegrass can help reduce Japanese beetle populations, which rely on green lawns to survive.

"If you don't water bluegrass, you will kill Japanese beetles," he said. "They only grow and live if they have green grass."

Ultimately, experts say the focus this spring should be on smarter water use rather than abandoning gardens altogether.

"Plants that have evolved in climates like ours, they know," Kelaidis said. "They roll with the punches, and we have to learn to do that too."

Denver is among other Front Range cities like Aurora, Castle Rock, Elizabeth and Thornton that have some sort of watering restrictions in place. Boulder, Fort Collins and Loveland are set to decide soon if they will enact any watering restrictions. 

See more about each municipality's situation in the Denver area and in Northern Colorado below. 

Denver
Denver Water customers are under Stage 1 drought restrictions. Residents are instructed to limit water use outside homes to twice a week. Single-family residential properties are instructed to follow a set schedule based on their address number. Addresses ending with an even number are instructed to water on Sundays and Thursdays. Residents with addresses ending with an odd number are instructed to water Wednesdays and Saturdays. All other customers, including multifamily properties, commercial properties, homeowners associations and government properties, may water only on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Customers must request water at restaurants.
Denver Water's reservoir storage is 80% full, that's compared to 85% full average for this time of year.
The goal of Stage 1 restrictions is to reduce water use by 20% this year, which will help preserve reservoir storage going into 2027.
This declaration marks the fifth time since 2000 that Denver Water has issued a Stage 1 drought, and the first since 2013. Prior to 2013, the board declared a Stage 1 drought in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Denver Water customers are facing new rates for water usage. The board of Denver Water approved temporary drought pricing on April 8. Customers will be put on a tiered system where the more water that's used, the more money they pay.

Denver water shortage plan: denverwater.org

Arvada
The City of Arvada is limiting lawn watering to two days a week. The schedule is based on the address number of your home. Link: Arvada water shortage plan

Aurora
Aurora City Council approved Stage 1 water restrictions on April 7, effective immediately. 
Aurora's water response plan is similar to that of Denver, with outside watering limited to two days a week. Single-family residential properties with addresses ending in an even number are instructed to irrigate on Thursdays and Sundays. Single-family residential properties with addresses ending in an odd number are permitted to water on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Aurora Water is asking residents to reduce their outside water consumption by 20%. 
Water at restaurants is only served by request. 
New lawn installations are not allowed. 
No filling of private swimming pools is allowed; however, topping off is allowed.  
Link: Aurora water shortage plan

Thornton
Stage 1 water restrictions - moderate to severe
Residents asked to wait to turn on sprinkler systems until May. Hand watering with a hose before May 1 is permitted. Residents asked to limit turf watering to two days a week.
Thornton drought response plan: thorntonwater.com/restrictions-drought/

Boulder
No water response, yet. City is monitoring conditions in watershed while managing water resources and reservoirs. City will decide whether to declare a drought and implement water use restrictions around May 1.
Boulder water information: bouldercolorado.gov/services/drought-watch-program

Brighton
Brighton is under Stage 1 drought restrictions and irrigation is limited to two days per week under a specific schedule. The city's Utilities Director Scott Olsen said "we're taking deliberate, proactive steps alongside other Front Range communities." Get more information at brightonco.gov.

Erie
Water Supply Shortage Response Level 4 - Emergency.
All residential sprinklers must stay off through the end of March. Parks and Recreation cease irrigation with exception to trees and priority athletic fields. Irrigation may also be prohibited with exception to trees. City hopes to reduce water use by 45%.
Erie drought information: erieco.gov/drought & erieco.gov/drought#docaccess...

Fort Collins-Loveland
No mandatory restrictions. Water district recommends residents are conservative with water use, don't water lawns more than three days a week. Fort Collins- Loveland drought Information: fclwd.com

Highlands Ranch

Watering restrictions are now in place for Highlands Ranch residents. The goal is to reduce water use by 15-20%. Get more information at highlandsranchwater.org

Lone Tree

Residents in the City of Lone Tree are under watering restrictions due to "historic warm temperatures and low snowpack." This includes residents in the Southgate Water and Sanitation District, the Parker Water and Sanitation District and the Northern Douglas County Water and Sanitation District. Get more information at cityoflonetree.com.

Longmont
No mandatory restrictions. Sustainable Conservation Level - Drought Watch in place.
Residents are encouraged to continue practicing water efficiency and reduce outdoor watering.
Longmont drought information: longmontcolorado.gov/water/

Morrison

Outdoor watering in Morrison is limited to no more than two days per week in the Town of Morrison. Get more information at morrisonco.us.

The order seeking the immediate release from ICE custody of Gurjant Singh came in response to a writ of habeas corpus.

A writ of habeas corpus seeks to determine whether detention is legally justified. It doesn't address the merits of a case (in this case, the asylum claim). It seeks a response to the fundamental question: Does the government have the legal authority to hold this person?

The court also advised Singh that he had the right to seek attorneys' fees from the government under the Equal Access to Justice Act.

In July 2025, the Trump administration dramatically curtailed the ability of those facing deportation to be released from immigration detention by reinterpreting an immigration law from the 1990s.

Immigration attorneys in Colorado and around the country are using habeas corpus petitions because they go to federal courts, which are not under the executive branch's control in the way immigration courts are.

"The case involves an all too familiar fact pattern," the order by U.S. District Senior Judge William J. Martínez states. "Singh is an asylum seeker who first entered the United States in November 2023."

Singh was detained by ICE on Feb. 28, 2026, after being stopped by a state trooper. He had a flat tire, and the government does not dispute that he has no criminal record.

"Singh argues that a bond hearing before an IJ (immigration judge) is an inadequate remedy because it is unlikely to be a fair one. He asserts a long list of reasons why a bond hearing is unlikely to be a fair proceeding. The court shares these same concerns, not the least of which is his averment that IJs "often cite little or no reasoning in determining that noncitizens are a flight risk."

"Recently, this court learned that an IJ declined to release a petitioner on bond for whom it had ordered a bond hearing — in a summary decision that merely stated (the denial) without any citation to specific facts."

"Based on the observations of fellow judges across the country, the court is far from convinced this was an isolated incident. To the contrary, the mounting evidence that bond determination hearings conducted in immigration court have preordained outcomes has become impossible to ignore," Martinez stated in the order.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for Colorado declined to comment on the case. CBS Colorado also reached out to the Department of Justice's Executive Office of Immigration Review, where immigration judges are employed. Those administrative judges are appointed by the attorney general to conduct removal proceedings and decide immigration cases. The EOIR responded saying it "declines to comment on litigation-related matters." 

The crash happened just before 9 a.m. on Jan. 29 on Interstate 70 about two miles east of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel in Clear Creek County. According to Colorado State Patrol, the plow was driving on the icy highway when the driver lost control and crashed into two cars and then the Sprinter van, sending the van off the side of the highway.

The driver of the van and father of one of the girls on the team, Manny Lorenzana, was killed. Ten people in total were in the van, seven of whom were taken to the hospital by ambulance. Four of those were children, and three were adults. One of the girls was rushed by medical helicopter to a trauma center with critical injuries.

The girls played for the California-based Santa Clarita Lady Flyers team, whose players are typically 11 and 12 years old, but can include some younger players. They had a game scheduled that morning in a tournament run by the Western Girls Hockey League at the Edge Ice Arena in Littleton.

On Thursday, CSP announced that 29-year-old Colton A. Wiedman has been charged with the following:

• Careless driving causing death, a class 1 traffic misdemeanor;
• Four counts of careless driving causing serious bodily injury, a class 1 traffic misdemeanor;
• Three counts of careless driving causing bodily injury, a class 1 traffic misdemeanor;
• Failure to drive in a designated lane a class A traffic infraction.

Because Wiedman has only been charged with misdemeanors and a traffic infraction, he was ticketed the day of the crash and not arrested.

He's due in Clear Creek County Court on May 5 for his arraignment. No attorney information for him was available in court records on Thursday, and no contact information for Wiedman was immediately available through public records.

Digital Passport Program

With the statewide digital passport program, in partnership with the Colorado Tourism Office, participants can "check-in" at sites to earn rewards, badges, and exclusive offers. The program encourages both locals and visitors to explore Colorado's hidden gems, diverse businesses, and rich heritage.

Two new Passport experiences launch on April 15, inviting Coloradans and visitors to explore even more of the state.

Wildlife Passport – Explore wildlife destinations and connect with nature.

Water Adventures Passport – Discover rivers, lakes, and all things water fun.

Stories in the Sky Drone Shows

The Stories in the Sky series aims to bring communities together across Colorado, with nearly 150 shows planned statewide. A drone show at Denver Summit FC on April 25 at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park, will light up the sky following the match, creating a shared moment of celebration for attendees.

Historic Marker Program

The newly launched Historic Marker Program invites communities to help identify and commemorate meaningful places and stories across Colorado. Up to 150 markers will be installed statewide, with round one proposals open through April 15.

Portrait of Colorado at 150

Storytelling efforts continue through Portraits of Colorado at 150, a growing initiative that captures voices from across the state and equips communities with tools to document and share their histories. The team will be at the Arvada Kite Festival on April 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., recording stories, connecting with attendees, and sharing ways to get involved.

APRIL EVENTS
The following is a highlight of events happening across Colorado this month. View the full statewide calendar at Am250CO150.org.

Apr 3-19 | Westcliffe – Colorado Byways Photo Exhibit

Apr 4 | Boulder – Motus Playback Theater: Stories of Colorado and Country
Apr 9 | Alamosa – 250 Years Later: Spanish America and U.S. Independence
Apr 11 | Pueblo – Charge Across Colorado Steel City Spin

Apr 12 | Parker – 5280+ Senior Chorales America's Musical Milestones

Apr 16 | Grand Junction – History at High Noon: Edward T. Taylor

Apr 17 | Palisade – Barrel into Spring

Apr 21 | Broomfield – Beer & Horses
Apr 25 | Laporte – Earth Day Scenic & Historic Byway Clean-Up

Apr 29 | Various Locations – Sesquisemiquincentennial Colorado Pint Day

Find other events listed here:  colorado.com/am250-co150-events

Girl on Fire, Empire State of Mind, You Don't Know My Name, No One and many other hits shine on stage. While the songs are considered legendary thanks to Alicia Keys, the cast of Hell's Kitchen helps elevate them to a level which leaves cast members in awe.

"We like to set the benchmark very high, if I may say so myself," said Desmond Sean Ellington, an actor who portrays "Davis" in the musical.

CBS News Colorado saw the show during an exclusive advanced preview in Orlando, Florida. After the performance, many of the stars of the show sat down for interviews.

The cast said they have come to love one another and find themselves continuously in awe of each other's vocal skills.

"We enjoy each other's talent. Each night I still marvel," Ellington said. "To have so much talent on one stage is sometimes heard of."

In many Broadway tours, there's a clear gap in talent between a lead performer and the rest of the cast. That is not the case with Hell's Kitchen. The talent is uniform, with men and women of different generations coming together on stage to provide audiences with what might be the best collective vocal performance they have ever heard from a musical cast.

Kennedy Caughell, the actress who portrays "Jersey" in the show, said that's due, in part, to hand-picked casting by Keys.

"We were each picked by the team and Alicia," Caughill said.

At the show, audience members cheered for the vocal performances. At times, that included men in the audience subtly but vocally expressing their admiration for the skills.

"One thing I picked up on is the men throughout the show giving the little, 'Mmm,' sound when they hear notes being hit," CBS Colorado's Dillon Thomas told the cast.

Cast members like Ellington, Caughell, Roz White and Maya Drake laughed and said they also can hear the same verbal acknowledgements from the audience.

"I can audibly hear men screaming out. That is my favorite sound in the audience. Because a lot of time they get dragged to the theatre by their wife or girlfriend," said Roz White, the actress who portrays "Miss Liza Jane." "I'm like, yes, the men are here."

Hell's Kitchen follows the story of a girl named Ali, who is growing up in New York and finding her love for both boys and music. The story uplifts people from multiple generations by showing that it's never too late to learn from one another and become a better person at any stage in life.

To help share that message across multiple generations, the cast is made up of people of all ages.

"A lot of our cast, this is their first show," Ellington said.

Maya Drake, the lead actress portraying Ali, just graduated from high school. She also shares the stage with 19-year-old Marley Soleil, who portrays "Jessice."

"People who are 19 years old can be on stage, and there is a future for them in this industry," Soleil said.

The cast said they have loved learning from one another and trying to take the theme of mentorship on stage, and applying it off-stage.

"We have some of the most incredible people who do some of the most incredible things. Dancing, singing, acting. We all kind of take from each other on stage," said Gigi Lewis, the actress who portrays "Tiny."

"I think what makes Hell's Kitchen so great is the beautiful symbiosis they have created from the music, to the dancing to the lights to the sound to the set. It explodes off the stage at you. It is an energetic and lively show that I think people of all ages will enjoy," Caughill said.

Hell's Kitchen plays at the Buell Theatre April 14 through the 26. For more information on tickets, click here.

CBS Colorado is a proud partner of the DCPA.

The police department said they were notified about 7 a.m. by Highland School District security staff about a social media post made overnight by a Highland High School student. Investigators said the post referenced the use of explosives against the school. 

Law enforcement said they responded immediately and arrived on campus before students and most staff arrived. Officers secured the building and began a safety sweep. Explosive-detection K9 teams from the Greeley Police Department and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office assisted with the investigation. 

Investigators said over the next three hours, a full visual search of the campus, combined with K9 teams, was conducted and no explosive devices or suspicious items were found. 

The school district said students and parents were notified about the threat. There was a delayed start to the school day. Those students who arrived early, either by bus or before the notification, were directed to a gymnasium in a separate building that had already been searched. 

The school was cleared by 10 a.m. and students were allowed to return to class a short time later. 

The teen was arrested at her home in Pierce and was taken into custody. She faces charges that include interference with staff, faculty or students in educational institutions and false report of explosives, weapons or harmful substances. 

According to the Ault Police Department, no additional identifying information about the suspect will be released since she is a juvenile. 

Ault is located about 12 miles north of Greeley in Northern Colorado. 

The Link on Demand rideshare service will travel around areas including Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, and select areas of Parker. Many popular areas include:

• Town Center, Village Center, and Highlands Ranch Senior Center in Highlands Ranch
• Park Meadows Retail Resort, Lone Tree Rec Center, and Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree
• Parker AdventHealth Hospital, Downtown and Parker Senior Center, and Twenty Mile/Dransfeldt Shopping Center in Parker
• Littleton Mineral Station
• Safeway Transfer Hub
• Lincoln Station Transfer Hub
• Parker RTD Ride and Share

Booking Link on Demand is similar to booking an Uber or Lyft. It starts by downloading the Link on Demand app. Then you book the ride and meet up with your driver. The only difference is that this ride is free all the time.

Link on Demand is designed to increase mobility, reduce barriers, and support daily travel needs. It helps people who don't own a car or older adults who can't drive, for example. The vehicles are ADA-accessible too, so they help people who use wheelchairs and walkers.

Anyone over the age of 13 can ride the service, so this helps if your child misses the bus or needs a ride. This service does operate corner to corner instead of door to door. This means you might have to travel a short distance to your pickup point. Your phone will show you the availability.

This is a Monday through Saturday rideshare service. The hours of operation include:

• Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. through 7 p.m.
• Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Highlands Ranch and Parker are non-adjacent zones, so you'll book a two‑leg trip via a Transfer Hub. Here's how:

1. In the Link On Demand app, book your first on‑demand ride:

• From Highlands Ranch to Lincoln Station Transfer Hub or Safeway Transfer Hub, or
• From Parker to Lincoln Station Transfer Hub or Safeway Transfer Hub.

2. Ride to the Transfer Hub.

3. After you're dropped off at the Transfer Hub, open the app and request your second on‑demand ride, from the Transfer Hub to your final destination in the other zone.

4. Wait at the Transfer Hub until your next van arrives. Typical wait times are 15-30 minutes.

If you have any questions, all information can be found here.

Through its Grass Replacement Incentive Program, or GRIP, Aurora Water is paying residents to replace traditional turf and replace it with more sustainable landscaping.

"The ubiquitous water-guzzling grass is Kentucky bluegrass," said Diana Denwood, Aurora Water's conservation supervisor.

She says that type of grass requires about 28 inches of additional water each year beyond natural rainfall to survive.

By comparison, water-wise landscapes, made up of native plants, shrubs and mulch, can cut water use dramatically, sometimes requiring little to no supplemental watering.

To encourage that shift, Aurora is offering rebates through GRIP:

• Up to $3 per square foot for traditional water-wise landscaping
• 50 cents per square foot for native, low-water grass

Denwood says one common misconception is that the most water-conscious option is to cover a yard entirely in rock or artificial materials, often called "Xeriscaping." But she warns that that approach can actually create new problems.

"It contributes to the urban heat islands. We don't want to see a landscape that's devoid of plants and has a heat-absorbing rock, or even worse, potentially rubber," Denwood says.

The GRIP program is designed to help offset the cost of replacing turf with drought-tolerant alternatives that are also lower maintenance and better suited for Colorado's climate.

Projects must be approved before installation and rebates are paid after completion.

Switching landscapes still requires water upfront.

Denwood says new native or water-wise grass requires an establishment period of about four weeks, when it needs more frequent watering to take root.  After that, the difference is significant.

"Just like any kind of turf grass during a normal year, we do a permit. Now this year, because we're in drought Stage 1, you're not allowed to do a Kentucky bluegrass lawn, so we're not issuing permits for that," said Denwood. "But we will still absolutely issue a permit for doing a native or water-wise grass, and we're really happy to see people do that."

City officials say participation is picking up as restrictions take hold.

"We're getting about five new applications a day," Denwood said. "That's a significant increase compared to this time last year."

Still, funding is limited, and not every project gets completed.

At Nick's Garden Center, the change is already showing up in what customers are buying.

"I was lucky if I could sell a yucca to someone 20 years ago…now I show them a yucca, and they're down," said horticulturist Colette Haskell.

Haskell says more customers are coming in, specifically asking for drought-tolerant plants, often with city-provided lists in hand.

"We get customer after customer saying, 'I don't know what this plant is, can you show me?'"

Even as demand for water-wise plants grows, traditional lawns aren't disappearing overnight.

Haskell says some customers are still buying Kentucky bluegrass, despite restrictions and rising temperatures.

The city offers support, including a landscape design program, in-person and online classes, the GRIP Manual and staff ready to answer your questions.

For more information about GRIP, visit auroragov.org.

Investigators said the scam works like this: the individuals approach shoppers and ask for donations for youth trips or funerals. When the victim agrees, the scammers overcharge the credit card using the mobile card reader, entering a "significantly higher amount than you authorized."

Investigators are asking for information about the following suspects: Three males, 25-35 years old, approx. 6-foot to 6-foot-1, with long dreadlocks. They were claiming to be selling candy for a "Boys and Girls Club" trip or raising money for a nephew's funeral.

Detectives with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office are advising people:

• Legitimate charities rarely solicit in parking lots without official store approval
• Double check- always look at the total on any card reader screen before you tap, swipe, or chip
• Report: If approached by suspicious solicitors, notify store management immediately or call our non-emergency line at 303-660-7500

People with information about the charity scam are urged to contact Metro Denver Crimestoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867), reference case number 2025-67962.

Health officials said both people are household contacts of a previously confirmed case that is not linked to the Broomfield schools outbreak. However, officials said they are notifying the public about a potential exposure location in El Paso County related to those cases. Health officials told CBS Colorado last month that the outbreak at the schools had forced 80 students, staff and volunteers to stay away from the campuses due to their vaccination status.   

CDPHE said the known exposure location is the Chick-fil-A at the Citadel Crossing Shopping Center located at 505 N. Academy Blvd. in Colorado Springs, March 25 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Symptoms may occur through April 15. 

CDPHE said while the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is highly effective, breakthrough cases can occur, especially following prolonged exposure within a household. Breakthrough cases typically experience milder illness and are less likely to spread the virus to others.

Measles is a highly contagious disease. Getting the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community. 

Additional Information from the CDPHE:

What to do if you were exposed

• Watch for symptoms: Measles symptoms begin with fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually starts several days later on the face and spreads. If you were at the location at the listed date and time, you may have been exposed. Watch for symptoms for 21 days after exposure. Monitoring for symptoms is especially critical for people who have not been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine, particularly infants under one year of age who are not routinely recommended for the vaccine. If you develop symptoms, call CDPHE (720-653-3369) or your local public health agency right away. 
• Call before you go: If you need medical care, do not delay. Call your health care provider, urgent care, or emergency department before going in, and tell them you may have been exposed to measles. This helps prevent further spread. 

More information

Visit the CDPHE measles webpage, which includes information about symptoms, transmission, and vaccine recommendations, 2026 Colorado measles case information, and a current list of exposure locations.

According to the detective, the stop began as a routine enforcement action and the driver was issued a warning for the traffic violations but then the detective said additional indicators led to a closer look. The driver consented to a search of the vehicle. 

During the investigation, the detective found a hard plastic container in the vehicle's trunk, which investigators said was placed in a manner consistent with methods often used to hide and transport illegal narcotics. 

A trained narcotics detection K-9 was brought in to inspect the vehicle. and quickly alerted to the odor of narcotics being present, according to investigators. Inside the container, detectives found 10 large sealed plastic bags and an additional six sealed plastic bags in the trunk. All contained a substance that looked and felt consistent with methamphetamine, according to GRANITE. 

Investigators said the substance from the sealed bags tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, with a total weight of more than 80 pounds. 

The driver, Andre Kamil Anderson, from Glendale, Arizona, was taken to the Eagle County Detention Facility, where he remains in custody on $100,000 bond. Anderson, 50, is facing several charges including unlawful distribution of a controlled substance- meth, unlawful possession of a controlled substance- meth, special offender- meth and conspiracy, all felonies. 

GRANITE is a multi-jurisdictional team that brings together the Eagle County Sheriff's Office, the Vail Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies in a united effort to combat drug trafficking across Eagle County.

The Douglas County School District says more funding is needed to meet the goals identified in its strategic plan. It says inflation is causing the district's tax rate to drop.

"Our mill levy override tax rate is significantly lower than it was in 2013, and so our district's been really squeezed," Superintendent Erin Kane told CBS Colorado. "School funding has not kept up with inflation, and yet our expenses have been going up."

Staff compensation, career and technical education programming, safety and security, and special education are all priorities that may be funded by a mill levy override.

"Our students and our families are really asking for these opportunities and more of these opportunities for our students," Kane said.

The school district's board of education is inching closer to asking voters to consider an MLO in November. Recent poll results shared at a Tuesday night hearing showed 55% of those in a random sample were favorable to a mill levy override.

In 2024, voters passed a bond for capital improvements and new schools. In 2023, a mill levy override was passed to increase teacher pay.

"We were the lowest in the metro area by a mile," Kane said.

That MLO increased teacher pay by 9%, and Kane says staff turnover has dropped significantly ever since.

"We're in the pack, but we're still at the bottom of the pack," Kane said. "So an additional boost will help us really get to where we are competitive."

Kane says the district still has a ways to go.

"Our tax rate, even though we passed two recent initiatives, has continued to slowly drop," Kane said. "The biggest reason for that is that our past mill levy overrides have been fixed dollar amounts, which means they don't adjust for inflation or growth or anything else."

Kane says, this time, the board might consider a rate that adjusts with growth and inflation.

"Our long-term goal is to stabilize our tax rates, get our tax rates to where the district is viable going forward and where they can remain the same," Kane said.

But will voters support another school funding initiative when times are tough for many?

"It's an 'it depends' type of answer," said Liz Wagner, a Highlands Ranch resident and former DCSD parent. "If they went forward with a collective bargaining agreement, I would be a no on a mill levy override."

Wagner is more worried about a collective bargaining agreement with the teachers union. She says a collective bargaining agreement would restrict how the district makes budgetary decisions. She feels the district is headed in the right direction without one.

"The hemorrhaging has stopped. Teacher retention is up. Scores are up for reading and math," Wagner told CBS Colorado.

Wagner does support increasing staff pay and funding for special education programs.

"If a mill passes, it should definitely go toward teacher pay, paraprofessional pay," Wagner said. "It should go to the people who spend 75% or more of their day with students."

DCSD says a collective bargaining agreement has not been discussed by the board. The recently elected slate of school board candidates said, while they were running, they have committed to a collective bargaining agreement but want to listen to teachers.

The MLO would likely cost homeowners about $30 a year per $100,000 of home value.

Those numbers — and specifics of what an MLO would fund — will be worked out by staff, and a plan will be presented to the school board on April 21.

"Certainly, our pollster feels that there's a viable path forward, as do we," Kane said.

The board won't make a final decision on referring the MLO to voters until August.

"No one is sharing anything, and then with them both being terminated, by an email, without knowledge, is just not okay in any shape or form," said Renee Lund, a Federal Heights resident and volunteer victims advocate for the city.

Multiple residents spoke before city council leaders Monday night, expressing their frustrations with what they felt has been a lack of transparency and accountability from the council and City Manager Jacqueline Halburnt, who they say was responsible for both Chiefs Robert Grado and Marc Mahoney being ousted from their roles.

"You're letting an unelected bureaucrat make decisions on public safety," one resident said before city council leaders. "What's wrong with you?"

"To me and many in this community, they are heroes," said Lund. "For them to be treated this way is not only disappointing but unacceptable."

Police and fire department personnel attended Tuesday night's meeting. CBS News Colorado spoke with a member of the police department anonymously, who says many are too afraid to speak out publicly for fear of retaliation from city leaders.

"We've seen good people leave for bad reasons, and we just want to see change," one police officer said. "We want to be the department that we want to be. We want to have our own city administration believe in us and work for us instead of against us."

It's been over two months since unions for both fire and police departments in the city issued a vote of "no confidence" in the city manager after years of trying to get more funding for their departments. They say Halburnt prevented both departments from working with city council members to address their concerns.

Many say these chiefs were doing exceptional work in the community to improve public safety, and believe their firings are a result of speaking out against the city manager.

"I don't know what's going on," said Ken Murphy, husband of Federal Heights Mayor Linda Montoya and a former council member. "I don't have a bone to pick with Jackie, I just want to know what's going on."

Now the community is issuing a plea for the council to hear their concerns and support their first responders moving forward.

"The people who serve those departments deserve clarity, they deserve respect, they deserve to know that their leadership and the structure above them is steady, and not unsure," said one resident. "Because when leadership is unclear, morale takes a hit."

Back in January, the council agreed to conduct an independent investigation following concerns about the city manager and first responders' vote of "no confidence." Residents say they want to see the results of that investigation.

"The city manager should be under investigation if they're going to investigate the police and fire department. That's all, just transparency," Lund said.

CBS Colorado requested an interview with city council members and Halburnt about the recent terminations. Halburnt responded to that request, saying they are "not available for an interview and can only provide a statement that it is a personnel issue and we are unable to discuss it."

She also said the internal investigation has not been completed, but as of Tuesday, she has still not clarified who was involved in this investigation and who was contracted to perform it.

"There were three people in my household who voted -- myself and my two sons. So yeah, it could be any one of us," Masters said, "We all decide the election."

But on election night, Nederland's Town Manager Jonathan Cain says that decision came down to one single vote.

"I think it's really cool. How much your vote matters in a place like this," he said.

With just over 1,400 voters in Nederland, 37% voted on the town's next mayor. That counted out to 258 for Giblin and 257 for Sterling. But Cain says up to 31 mail in ballots could still be on the way as long as they were postmarked by Tuesday.

 
Still, Cain says the choice between the two candidates sparked the town's highest voter turnout yet. Creating a town divided, but all voting on a few key items.

"I think the biggest one that everybody knows about is the Eldora acquisition," said Cain, referring to the town's purchase of the ski resort that lies to the west of the Boulder County town.

Meanwhile, Ackerman's focus was also on weather preparation in the mountains.

"I am very concerned about fire danger up here," she said.

And as cleanup continues following an October fire at Nederland's Caribou Shopping Center, its future was also top of mind for voters. Masters said, "The fact that [cleanup] took so long definitely affected people."

So while the politics of a small town certainly brought out voters, it also brought out small town politics. One voter joked on social media that he would sell his vote. The town said they investigated the situation.

"We all eat at the local restaurants together. We all see each other at post office. So hopefully people don't take things personally, because if you do, then it can kind of ruin relationships in this town," Masters said.

Final tallies have to be in by April 15. If votes between the two candidates are still within 0.05% of one another it could require a recount.

"I'm really excited, because no matter what, we should be able to work together to find some plans that really meet what our constituents told us here," Cain said.

CBS Colorado reached out to both Giblin and Sterling but they were not available. Cain says a few voters are still coming in to town hall to verify their signature which could also impact the final tally. He believes the town should have a clearer picture of this race by the end of the week.

Crews spent the day Wednesday running through fire response drills just outside the tunnel system. It's part of regularly scheduled training by the Colorado Department of Transportation to keep teams ready in one of the state's most critical and challenging stretches of roadway.

"There's a lot of pressure to try and keep (fire) small, catch it quick," explained Pete Ingel, CDOT's fire program manager. 

The tunnel fire brigade is on call around the clock with the ability to respond to things such as car fires inside the tunnels, but also within a surrounding 1-mile radius from their base when they might be the closest help available. That includes everything from car fires to wildfires sparked along the mountain corridor.

"With the limited snowpack this year, we obviously have some high concern for wildfires," said Jori Ernst with CDOT's Office of Emergency Management. "Our maintenance crews are doing more fire mitigation along the road to get rid of the dead trees, dead logs."

One of the main differences between this firefighting team and a typical team in a city is how the crew spends it's time. On any given day, the tunnel team might be operating fire engines, clearing crashes or even running heavy equipment to keep traffic moving, or clearing snow. That versatility is critical in a place where conditions can change fast. The tunnels themselves present unique risks, especially with vehicles pushing hard uphill on both approaches.

"Everything's hot," Igel said. "And then they sometimes (have) engine type issues, failures that cause a fire."

According to CDOT, these hands-on trainings happen monthly both at the Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel and the Hanging Lake Tunnel in Glenwood Springs. The goal is simple: Build muscle memory now, so crews can respond instantly when something goes wrong. 

"As quick as possible, so that if something does happen, they are ready to respond," Ernst said. 

In a social media post, the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office said, "We admire Alpine Rescue Team so much that we wanted to be like them."

According to the sheriff's office, the two campers were on St. Mary's Glacier late Thursday night when one of them reported they were being stalked by a mountain lion. The camper had left the campsite to call for help, and a sergeant and a deputy took an ATV to meet them at the trailhead parking lot.

CCSO said the trio took the ATV up the trail as far as it could go, and then hiked a mile through rocky terrain, snow, and high wind to reach the other camper. The camper told them he believed a mountain lion was walking around his tent and pushing up against it.

The rescuers did not find the mountain lion and brought the campers back to safety.

The sheriff's office said the conditions "proved WHY we leave backcountry rescues to experts at Alpine Rescue Team."

The National Park Service says mountain lion attacks are rare but possible. They suggest that if someone sees a mountain lion, they should stay calm and not approach it. They said hikers and campers should not run from the lion, which can stimulate its instinct to chase, or to crouch down or bend over. If a mountain lion moves towards someone, they said that person should try to appear intimidating by appearing larger, speaking firmly and loudly, or throwing things at it.