March 24th 2026
House bill introduced to rename March 31st state holiday.
House Bill 26-1339, introduced on Friday, would rename the March 31st state holiday
from Cesar Chavez day to farm workers day, following a national shift prompted by
sexual abuse allegations against Chavez. The House state, civic, veterans and military
affairs committee heard and forwarded the bill yesterday on a vote of 11-0. The change
comes in the wake of a report last week that revealed years of sexual abuse by the
founder of united farm workers of America against minor girls and young women who
were involved in the movement. Chavez died in 1993 at the age of 66. Cesar Chavez
day was declared a national holiday in 2014 by President Barack Obama. The allegations
have led to the cancellation of celebrations, marches and other events honoring Chavez
across the nation. Chavez's bust and his name were removed from a park in Northwest
Denver last week.
24 fire continues to grow in size.
The 24 fire burning along Colorado 115 in Fremont County has now grown to 7,385
acres in size and is now 24% contained. The gain in total size includes fire crews
conducting back-burning operations to help stop the fire. The Fremont County Sheriff's
Department says that all evacuations due to the fire have been lifted and the now-former
evacuation areas have returned to pre-evacuation status. El Paso County has also lifted
its pre-evacuation warnings for the sandy creek ranch heights area. Highway 115 will
remain closed at least until Friday, although that will be reevaluated daily, according to
Fort Carson officials. The fire began around 9:50am last Wednesday along Highway 115
at Mile Marker 24, and crossed onto Fort Carson line about 20 miles south of The Main
Post.
One person injured after Custer County grass fire Saturday.
One person was injured following a grass fire that started on Saturday in Custer County.
According to The Custer County Sheriff's Office, emergency crews responded to a grass
fire along haven road, south of Lake Deweese. Deputies said that one civilian was
injured, although it was not clear if the injures were severe or just who was injured. As
of late Saturday, The Sheriff's Office announced that the fire was 100% contained and
that about five acres in all had burned. No structures were lost in the fire. The sheriff's
office issued a court summons for the person involved for violating fire restrictions. The
person was not identified.
CSP announces that new court scam is not real.
The Colorado State Patrol says that a new text scam is not real. The text reportedly
includes a document that looks official and reads "notice of default" and "enforcement
action initiated". The document states that immediate action is required and says people
need to "remit full payment" or appear before the court. CSP advises Colorado to not
click on any links or send any money. Colorado courts will not contact you by text
message demanding payment. If you receive something that looks official but are not
sure that it's really, look up the court's official phone number on line and call them
directly during normal business hours to verify that what you received is, in fact, real.
CDOT announces US 50 resurfacing project in Pueblo County.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has announced that it will begin a
resurfacing project along US Highway 50 from the Pueblo-Fremont County line to
Purcell Boulevard in Pueblo West. The project will improve approximately 13 miles of
US50 from mile marker 296.2 to mile marker 309.3. Work will include milling old
asphalt, paving with new asphalt, bridge repairs and guardrail replacement. Beginning on
April 6th, motorists should plan for daytime and nighttime work along the corridor. The
project is scheduled for completion in the fall.
March 23rd 2026
Senate Bill to remove probation option for sex assault offenders postponed.
Colorado Senate Bill 26-111, a proposal to remove the option of probation sentences for
certain child sex assault offenders was postponed indefinitely late last Wednesday in the
senate judiciary committee by a vote of 4-3. Lawmakers have been trying to pass
bipartisan efforts to make penalties harsher on criminals convicted of certain child sex
crimes since 2024. This year, the effort aimed to require prison time for some class three
and four felonies involving child sex assault. The bill would have changed state law
which currently allows those offenders to receive probation sentences. Testimony before
the committee stated that the bill bring unintended consequences and ties the hands of
every judge in Colorado. One of the sponsors, Rep. Brandi Brandley, says its possible
the proposal could be put on a future ballot for voters to decide.
24 fire continues to burn in Fremont County.
Colorado 115 is closed between Mile Marker 18 and Mile Marker 39 in Fremont County
due to what has been named the 24 fire, which grew over the weekend to 4,595 acres
with 0% containment. There are currently two heavy aircraft, two super scoopers and
170 firefighters from local, state and regional agencies assisting with firefighting efforts.
Ground crews are working to strengthen control lines, while also working to monitor and
extinguish hot spots. The fire remains on the east side of Highway 115. The fire began
to put up large amounts of smoke across much of Southern Colorado on Saturday as
temperatures climbed. A 2-mile evacuation notice for the surrounding area was issued on
Friday with a 3-mile pre-evacuation notice also being issued. Anyone in The Sandy
Creek ranch heights area along Highway 115 should also be prepared to leave.
Chama Canyon Fire broke out Friday Afternoon in Costilla County.
The Chama Canyon Fire, located to the East of San Luis in Costilla County, broke out
Friday Afternoon and was originally reported to be 35 acres in size. By late Friday
Evening The Costilla County Sheriff's Office reported that the fire had grown to 141
acres and was 50% contained. Work on the fire continued on Saturday, beginning at
8am. Ground crews, along with aerial attacks, quickly gave fire crews the upper hand on
the fast-moving fire. All mandatory evacuations were lifted as of Saturday evening.
Costilla County officials warned residents to be cautious because there would still be fire
personnel in the area. They also said that fire conditions remain critical, so residents
should stay alert.
Three people rescued after structure fire in Trinidad Saturday Night.
Three people were rescued by firefighters after multiple structures caught fire in the city
of Trinidad on Saturday Night. Firefighters were called to a home in the 600 block of
Camillus street in Trinidad just after 7pm Saturday. Upon arrival, firefighters found the
porch of the home engulfed in flames. The fire soon jumped to two other structures on
the property. Numerous neighbors reported the fire, seeing tall flames and thick smoke
from several blocks away. The three people were transported to the hospital with
unknown injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
CDOT announces US 160 resurfacing project in Huerfano County.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has announced that it will resurface US 160
West of Walsenburg from Mile Marker 294.4 to Mile Marker 305.4, which is between
The Colorado 12, La Veta exit, on the west to The Walsenburg City Limits on the east
side. Work will include milling old asphalt, paving with new asphalt, bridge deck
repairs, road sign replacement and new striping. Work will take place Monday through
Friday from half an hour after sunrise until half an hour before sunset. Delays should be
expected. The project is expected to be complete by September.
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