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Top 5 most read stories on SkyHiNews.com, week of Dec. 5

1. Viral mountain lion video opportunity to educate

Even through a glass door, a full-grown mountain lion staring inside your home can be quite scary as Grand County resident Sarah Bole discovered Thursday evening.

Bole, who lives off County Road 4 near Lake Granby, is familiar with various wildlife trekking through her yard, but she had never seen a mountain lion until she got home from work Thursday and one was outside her back door.

“I thought it was very unusual that my little dog was sitting at the door like that and he didn’t come greet me or anything and then I looked up and the mountain lion was frozen on the patio in mid-step,” Bole said. “That’s where the video starts.”



2. Suspect, ranger hospitalized in shooting at Rocky Mountain National Park

Two people have been hospitalized following a shooting between a Rocky Mountain National Park Ranger and two suspects.

A shooting took place around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday near the Fall River Entrance in Rocky on the eastern side of the park. The incident involved two suspects reported to be in a car chase earlier that morning outside park boundaries, according to a statement from Rocky officials.



The statement described a law enforcement ranger being shot while making contact with the suspects. A ballistic vest protected the ranger, who was not seriously injured, officials said.

3. Grand County to begin fining noncompliant STRs

Nearly six months after the county started seriously looking at short-term rental compliance, penalties could soon be imposed on noncompliant units in unincorporated Grand.

When County Planner Taylor Schlueter approached county commissioners back in late July, he said there were about 915 active short-term rentals in unincorporated Grand County, and over half of them — 493 units — were unregistered. Short-term rentals are required to obtain a permit annually, according to county regulations.

At the time, the county commissioners seriously considered a moratorium on new short-term rental licenses. After hearing extensive feedback from the community, including concerns over communication with short-term rental operators, commissioners decided to focus on increasing compliance without the moratorium.

4. Steamboat doctor dies after plane crashes on Emerald Mountain

A 46-year-old Steamboat Springs man died Friday evening after his plane crashed at the top of Emerald Mountain, according to officials.

Dr. Clint Devin, an orthopedic surgeon with Steamboat Orthopaedic and Spine Institute, was the pilot and sole occupant of a small aircraft traveling from Cody, Wyoming. On approach to Steamboat Springs Airport, Denver Air Center lost contact with Devin at around 6 p.m., Routt County Undersheriff Doug Scherar said Saturday morning.

The air center contacted the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, which was able to track the plane to the area of Emerald Mountain, west of downtown Steamboat. Routt County Search and Rescue volunteers used snowmobiles to access the top of Emerald and located the plane. Devin was pronounced dead at the scene.

5. Grand Enterprise Initiative: Okay Boomer, it’s your fault again!

My children love to rib me by derisively muttering ‘Okay Boomer’ whenever I crack a bad Dad joke, rave about some great ‘70s band or gripe about the nefarious influence of Tik-Tok and social media.

And yet, it looks as if Boomers like me (I am right in the middle of that demographic) will continue to wield a seemingly disproportionate influence over business trends and government policy based on the population numbers and trends in Grand County and Colorado.

That became clear after Colorado State Demographer Elizabeth Garner spoke at the recent Grand County Economic Forum sponsored by the Grand County Department of Economic Development.


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