Colorado's Arapahoe Basin is officially opening for the season on Wednesday morning, celebrating its 80th winter season and will be the first Ikon Pass destination to open for the 2026-27 season.

According to officials, skiers and riders can use High Noon, a blue run accessed via the Black Mountain Express. Snowmaking will continue and more terrain will open up as quickly as possible on the front side of the mountain, according to officials.

This is the 80th season for A-Basin, and both Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass holders will have unlimited access to it.

We're kicking off the Ikon Pass 26/27 season on a high note with our 80th anniversary. As we celebrate this milestone, offering unlimited access to A-Basin to both Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass holders this winter, skiers and riders have plenty of days ahead to see why we've been the Legend for 80 years, Arapahoe Basin President and CEOO Alan Henceroth said in a statement.

People going to A-Basin on Wednesday will see live music in the base area all day, giveaways in the lift lines and more. Black Mountain Lodge will open in the afternoon, and 6th Alley Bar & Grill opened at 9 a.m.

Here's when other ski resorts across the state could open this year:

Keystone: As soon as possible in late October

Winter Park Resort: As soon as possible

November

Loveland Ski Area: No date set, but Nov. 5 on average over the past five years

Breckenridge: Nov. 6, 2026

Copper Mountain: Nov. 6, 2026

Vail Mountain: Nov. 13, 2026

Powderhorn: Nov. 20, 2026

Purgatory Resort: Nov. 20, 2026

Steamboat: Nov. 21, 2026

Beaver Creek: Nov. 25, 2026

Crested Butte: Nov. 25, 2026

Granby Ranch: Nov. 25, 2026

Aspen Mountain: Nov. 26, 2026

Snowmass: Nov. 26, 2026

Telluride: Nov. 26, 2026

December

Monarch Mountain: Early-to-mid December

Ski Cooper: Dec. 9, 2026

Sunlight Mountain Resort: Dec. 11, 2026

Aspen Highlands: Dec. 12, 2026

Buttermilk: Dec. 12, 2026

Silverton Mountain: Dec. 31, 2026

While these are the targeted opening days, it's worth remembering that opening dates are subject to change based on weather and conditions.

The name for the Colorado Springs United Football Team was revealed on Sunday. The team will be called the Colorado Stampede.

Last month, the UFL announced Colorado Springs will join the league next season. They will play their home games at Weidner Field.

Bringing professional football to Colorado Springs is a vote of confidence in our city and in what we have built downtown, said Mayor Yemi Mobolade last month. A UFL team will put Colorado Springs in front of a national audience, bring fans to Weidner Field, and give southern Colorado a professional football team to call its own. We are proud to welcome the UFL to the foot of Pikes Peak Americas Mountain, and we look forward to seeing our community make this team its own.

The first official game will be played on Sunday, April 11 at 1 p.m. MT.

Rhode Island will also join the league next season, then teams in Utah and Oklahoma in 2028.

The UFL will have eight teams next season. On top of Colorado Springs, they are the Columbus Aviators, Dallas Renegades, DC Defenders, Louisville Kings, Orlando Storm, Rhode Island Breakers and St. Louis Battlehawks.

_____

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.

The City of Ouray has taken down its iconic "Switzerland of America" sign off of Highway 550 due to deterioration because of its age and concerns over its structural integrity.

According to the city, officials made the proactive decision to take down the sign before the winter season to prevent damage or the risk of it falling into the gorge.

"The City recognizes the historical and sentimental significance of this beloved landmark to our community and is committed to preserving its original character while making necessary structural improvements to meet current safety standards and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) requirements," the city said in a statement.

It will be restored, and funding has been included in the proposed city budget, which is awaiting city council approval. Once it's approved, the city will begin refurbishing the sign.

"The City is also committed to have all restoration work completed locally, utilizing the skills and craftsmanship of our local businesses and tradespeople. This approach would not only help preserve an important piece of Ouray's history but also support the local economy and the talented individuals within our community," a statement reads.

The Colorado Springs International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) is asking the public to help protect the Fallen Firefighter Memorial and keep it clean.

In a post on social media, the IAFF said that they are experiencing issues with people camping on the grounds and also leaving behind trash and graffiti on the memorial.

"We are asking for the communitys help in protecting this sacred space. If you see anyone vandalizing, damaging, or disrespecting the memorial grounds, please report it. We encourage everyone who visits or passes by to help us keep a watchful eye on this special place," the post reads.

Kent Smith with Local 5 told KOAA that they don't just want the memorial to look nice, but they want to "protect the legacy" behind the names.

"Behind one of those names on the wall is a person who sacrificed for other people," Smith told us.

"This memorial belongs to the families of our fallen brothers and sisters, the fire service, and our entire community. Together, we can ensure it remains a place of honor, reflection, and remembrance," the post reads.

___

____

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.

Banana Ball is returning to Denver next spring with two games at Coors Field in May.

The Party Animals and the Loco Beach Coconuts will face off on May 29 and May 30.

Watch below: 'Sea of Yellow' to take over downtown Denver as Savannah Bananas return to the Mile High City 'Sea of Yellow' to take over downtown Denver as Savannah Bananas return to the Mile High City

Fans can join the lottery for a chance to purchase tickets. The lottery is open through Oct. 31, and a random drawing will take place before the event to purchase tickets. You can find the Ticket Lottery List at

www.bananaball.com/tickets.

All Colorado Rockies full season ticket plan holders, as well as MVP and Hall of Fame Passport Mini-Plan holders, will have the chance to buy Banana Ball tickets through an exclusive presale.

Fans looking to get season tickets to the new Colorado Springs UFL team can do so later this month.

The league announced that season tickets for the Colorado Springs team will go on sale at the team launch event on Oct. 25 at Weidner Field. They will then go on sale the following day at www.theufl.com/colorado.

Each team will play five home games during the 2027 season, and season ticket packages start at under $100 per ticket in every market, officials say.

Season ticket members will also get a member gift, 20% discount to merchandise, invitations to events and more.

The UFL season will kick off on March 26 and the full schedule will be released at a later date.

The Loveland Ski Area began snowmaking operations on Wednesday night, becoming the latest resort in the mountains to start making snow amid colder temperatures and the first natural snowfall.

According to officials, snowmaking began at 7:04 p.m. and crews are working to build a base of snow ahead of opening day.

See the operations in the video below Loveland Ski Area begins snowmaking operations for 2026-27 season

Small-scale snowmaking began at Loveland in 1966 and during the 1967-68 season, officials said that Loveland became the first major ski area in Colorado with snowmaking capabilities.

Now, Loveland's snowmaking system covers more than 240 acres of terrain.

"For 60 years, generations of Loveland snowmakers have worked through cold nights, early mornings, high winds, and challenging mountain conditions to prepare the slopes for skiers and snowboarders," they said in a statement. "At Loveland, the start of snowmaking marks the beginning of the ski season. Once temperatures cooperate, crews work around the clock to prepare the mountain for opening day."

The first goal is to establish a top-to-bottom run with tree-to-tree coverage and an approximately 18-inch base of packed snow. Snowmaking usually continues into early to mid December.

Loveland is hoping to open in either late October or early November, depending on conditions. It opened on Nov. 8 last year.

The team's initial goal is to establish a top-to-bottom run with tree-to-tree coverage and an approximately 18-inch base of packed snow. Loveland's high elevation and experienced snowmaking crew have helped establish a long tradition of early-season skiing and snowboarding.

Snowmaking typically continues into early to mid-December as crews expand coverage across the mountain and supplement natural snowfall.

Loveland is targeting an opening between late October and early November, weather and conditions permitting. Last season, Loveland opened on November 8.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is praising deputies for helping stop a wrong-way driver on I-25 early Tuesday morning.

According to the sheriff's office, dispatch received reports of a car traveling north in the southbound lanes of I-25 in Castle Rock around 4:45 a.m. Tuesday.

See the dashcam video bleow Video shows DougCo deputies stop wrong-way driver on I-25 who had 7 prior DUI convictions

Deputies attempted to stop the car, but it fled at speeds exceeding 80 mph while continuing to travel in the wrong direction.

The Lone Tree Police Department worked with the sheriff's office to close the highway ahead of the suspect.

Deputies continued a Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) to bring the vehicle to a stop, but the suspect initially refused to exit before the suspect was taken into custody.

According to the sheriff's office, there were multiple indicators of possible impairment, and the suspect refused testing at the hospital to determine his blood alcohol level.

Deputies also determined the suspect has a long criminal record in Colorado, with seven prior DUI convictions across several decades. The suspect also had a suspended license

"Wrong-way drivers create an immediate and potentially catastrophic danger for everyone on the roadway, Sheriff Darren Weekly said in a statement. I'm proud of the quick decisions, teamwork, and professionalism demonstrated by our deputies and our partners at the Lone Tree Police Department. Their actions helped prevent what could have been a tragic outcome and kept our community safe. Let me be clear: we will not tolerate impaired driving in Douglas County. Time and again, impaired drivers put innocent lives at risk, and our deputies remain committed to holding those who make that dangerous choice accountable while doing everything possible to protect the public."

UCHealth broke ground on a major expansion project at Memorial Hospital North on Tuesday. The project will nearly double the hospital's size.

According to UCHealth, the expansion includes a new six-story in-patient tower that will add 36 medical-surgical beds and 14 intensive care unit beds when it opens.

That tower will increase the hospital's capacity from 140 beds to 190 beds with the ability to grow to 320 beds as the demand for care increases.

This groundbreaking represents more than the beginning of a new building, UCHealth President and CEO Elizabeth B. Concordia said in a statement. The Memorial Hospital North expansion is a major investment in our community and our mission, strengthening access to high-quality care and ensuring patients throughout southern Colorado can benefit from the nationally recognized specialists and services offered across UCHealth.

Other aspects of the $463 million expansion include:

Four new operating rooms in phase one, with four more planned for future phases, bringing the eventual total to 18 ORs Parking structure with 875 parking stalls Expanded kitchen and dining space for patients, visitors and staff Renovation of the main lobby to incorporate the new tower Space for more emergency department exam rooms Laboratory expansion

The expansion comes amid a growing demand for healthcare in the Colorado Springs & Pueblo regions. According to officials, hospitalizations at Memorial Hospital North increased 25% from 2020-2025, emergency department visits increased 41% and the number of surgeries grew 59%.

Memorial Hospital North has been operating at or near capacity for several years, and these investments will substantially increase our ability to meet the growing demand for inpatient, surgical and specialty care in northern El Paso County, UCHealths southern Colorado region President and CEO Lonnie Cramer added in a statement.

According to officials, the project spans 308,000 square feet of new construction. About 45% of the space will be built out for immediate use, while the rest will be shell space for future growth.

Construction will take place in phases, and the new parking garage is the first project set to be complete i the spring of 2028.

___

____

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.

The first snow of the season has fallen at Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek Resort and Butte Mountain Resort.

According to officials, Vail Mountain received nearly three inches of snow and Beaver Creek got around an inch of snow. Additional snowfall is in the forecast, and teams will begin snowmaking this week.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort also got a dusting of snow, officials said. The resort's 65th season will kick off on Nov. 25.

Vail is targeting an opening date for Nov. 13 while Beaver Creek is looking to open Nov. 25.

Watch below: One more day of dry and sunny conditions before mountain snow and rain move in One More Day of Dry and Sunny Conditions Before Mountain Snow and Rain Move In

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is remembering the incredible life of Kimba, a 48-year-old African elephant who passed away this week.

According to zoo officials, Kimba was considered geriatric for an African elephant and was the second oldest in the zoo's herd of aging female elephants.

Officials said that Kima had occasionally dealt with lethargy and decreased appetite at times, but starting having more off days recently.

"Despite receiving dedicated care and treatments that helped previously, this time Kimba did not recover to the quality of health she deserved. Kimbas care team made the emotionally difficult and compassionate decision to humanely euthanize her, surrounded by her trusted care team, on Mon., Oct. 12," the zoo said in a statement.

Kimba came to the CMZoo in 1981 at just three years long with her lifelong bestie, Lucky, who is now 46 and still living at the CMZoo.

Kimba was the first elephant I trained in a shared space, back when sharing space was the standard practice, Ilana Cobban, elephant care manager at CMZoo, said in a statement. She weighed 11,000 pounds at the time, and I was all of five-feet-and-five-inches tall. She was just massive, and she taught me so much about elephant behavior and how to work with them as individuals.

More than 13 years ago, the zoo decided to develop the specialized staff, housing and expertise to care for the aging elephants. It even built what it calls a "retirement community" for the elephants, allowing them to flourish.

"Kimba spent her Last Best Day on Sunday doing her favorite things. She and Lucky enjoyed hours together in the vacation yard, soaking up the sunshine and grazing on grass. Kimba was surrounded by her devoted animal care team, including several keepers who had cared for her for more than 20 years. Though her absence will be deeply felt, the lessons she shared with us over the years will remain an important part of her legacy," the zoo said in a statement.

Kimba's herdmates were given access to her shortly after her passing to help them process the loss, according to the zoo. The team will continue to monitor her best friend, Lucky, closely, along with the entire herd.

"When Lucky shows the team shes ready, they will offer her social opportunities with other members of the herd," the zoo said.

You can read more on the zoo's tribute here.

___

____

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.

The Denver Nuggets revealed new uniforms Monday that will honor the 50th anniversary of the ABA-NBA merger.

According to the Nuggets, the new uniforms are part of a season-long celebration to honor the merger, which brought the Nuggets into the NBA.

The new uniforms will be worn for nine games this season, according to the team, with seven of those games played at Ball Arena.

Check out the uniform below

The ABA franchise was established in 1967 as the Denver Rockets, and the nickname was changed to the Nuggets in 1974 in anticipation of a merger to avoid a conflict with the NBA's Houston Rockets.

The new uniforms are a modernized take on the Denver Rockets' orange road uniform and feature the Rockets original logo on the shorts and the arched "Denver" on the jersey.

The team will also have a special court for the games.

Merchandise with the ABA-inspired colors will also go on sale Monday, Oct. 19.

The games when the uniforms will be worn are:

Dec. 27 vs. Indiana Jan. 21 vs. Washington Feb. 4 vs. Dallas Feb. 11 vs. Chicago March 1 vs. Brooklyn March 3 vs. San Antonio April 8 vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is looking for volunteers for the Sportsperson's Roundtable to share insights on wildlife management and recreation issues across the state.

According to CPW, the department depends on feedback from hunters and anglers to make decisions about managing fish, wildlife and habitat. That's where the Sportsperson's Roundtable comes in.

The department said that the roundtable gathers to discuss issues and gather ideas, and provides a forum for the hunting, angling and trapping communities to share information

CPW is looking for people from the Northwest, Northeast and Southwest regions to maintain a geographically diverse membership.

People who are accepted to the group will serve two-year terms. Responsibilities include:

Participating in a half- to full-day in-person meeting twice a year and occasional virtual meetings. Travel to in-person meetings is at the members expense. Attending regional CPW Sportspersons meetings and other meetings with hunters, anglers, and trappers in your area. Maintaining strong relationships with fellow sportspeople and staying informed about current events and emerging issues. Identifying topics for discussion at Roundtable meetings, and actively sharing information and ideas with Roundtable members and CPW staff during and between meetings. Providing your contact information on the CPW Roundtable webpage and being available to sportspersons around the state to discuss information pertinent to the Roundtable.

Those interested can fill out the application on the CPW website and haven until Monday, Nov. 2.