2016 Year In Review: Small Towns, Big News
The following article is part of a series looking back at some of the biggest stories from the year in Colorado.
DENVER (CBS4) - Not all "big" news happens in the big city. Small towns in Colorado had their share of stories that prompted headlines in 2016.
Smokeable. Edible. Drinkable?
In July, the Eastern Plains town of Hugo stopped drinking the water after residents were told it tested positive for THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
The city distributed bottled water to residents while it chased down the results. Turns out, it all started when the Lincoln County Department of Health Services started drug testing its employees and one tested positive for pot and blamed it on the water. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation eventually cleared the town's water.
Ghost Town For Sale
Ever longed to be the boss of all you see? in 2016, the owner of Cabin Creek decided it was time to move on, so he put the town east of Byers up for sale.
The $350,000 asking price got you a motel, cafe, gas station and two homes.
Decades Old Murder May Have Prompted Bomb Attempt
A man described as a "little person" with ties to a radical hippie group faces federal charges after allegedly trying to detonate a bomb outside the Nederland police department in October.
The discovery prompted evacuations until a bomb squad could safely dispose of the bomb.
Investigators say David Michael Ansberry, 64, tried several times to set off the bomb with a cellphone but failed to do so.
A former Boulder sheriff speculated it may have been revenge for a murder in 1971 where the victim was a member of that same group as Ansberry.
For The Love Of Broncos
When CBS4's Jamie Leary hit the road for the Super Bowl 50, she found one story that was almost too cute. Rebecca Herberg and her husband raise goats on their 400 acre ranch just outside of Montrose.
Keeping newborn kids warm is key to their survival and Herberg has taken up knitting Broncos sweaters for the babies. That means you can often find a literal herd of Broncos fans swarming the land.
From Prison To Pot
When a women's correctional facility closed in Brush in 2010, everyone wanted to know what you do with an old prison. One resident decided it would be the perfect place to grow and sell marijuana.
The problem? Brush has a moratorium on pot businesses. After months of discussion, the city council kept the moratorium in place and the prison empty.
Raetta Holdman is a veteran newscast producer. She's been with CBS4 for more than 25 years, coordinating events -- large and small -- from the control room. Contact her by clicking here.
