Headlines Tuesday January 6, 2026
Grass Fire in Broomfield Prompts Evacuation, Lifted by Afternoon
A grass fire in southeast Boulder County burned 35 acres yesterday before being reduced to a small, smoldering haystack. Evacuation orders were put in place in-and-around Broomfield, but have since been lifted as of 4:30 last night, according to BoCo Alerts.
According to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, the fire was spreading north and northeast, briefly causing the closure of U.S.287. Firefighters responding to the fire said that smoke could be seen miles away from the spark site.
The Denver Post says the number of alerted households remains unknown, but fire officials encourage residents to sign up for emergency alert systems in the area.
School Meals Might have to Go Back on CO Ballot
The Colorado Sun is reporting the state could be on track to put a fourth ballot measure dedicated to funding free school meals on the state ballot. In a December meeting, legislative analysts told the state’s joint budget committee that though voters approved Proposition MM to allot $95 million funding school meals this past November, it may not be enough to afford every child a meal that would want a meal.
Colorado law dictates that a tax deduction like the one which originally funded free school meals back in 2022 should be refunded to the taxpayer when it makes more money than intended to fund the program. Proposition MM, in addition to funding school meals this year, also allotted tax money raised and left over to be put towards state funding of the supplemental nutritional assistance program.
The Sun, said while it’s unclear what went wrong, the 95 million dollars specified in Proposition MM could not be enough to fund the program, according to budget analysts. The passed ballot measure predates a new law passed by Colorado legislature which requires ballot proposals to ask voters for the ‘maximum required’ spending amount. Though lawmakers who helped design Proposition MM said the maximum estimate for the proposal was used.
Though analysts warned of there not being enough money to fund the program, they also told the Joint Budget Committee to not plan on having a ballot question ready immediately, as economic predictions have been rocky through last year’s economic uncertainty.
Colorado Children’s Hospital Discontinues Gender Affirming Care
Children’s Hospital Colorado confirmed on Friday that it will pause gender-affirming care for transgender people under the age of 18, after federal authorities opened a new investigation into the hospital. The pause does not apply to any patients age 18 or older.
A second hospital, Denver Health, also announced Friday that it has suspended gender-affirming care for transgender youth, including hormone and puberty-blocking therapies. Neither Children’s Hospital nor Denver Health provide gender-affirming surgeries to patients under 18.
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a declaration stating that gender-affirming treatments for youth “are neither safe nor effective as a treatment modality for gender dysphoria, gender incongruence, or other related disorders in minors.”
With that declaration, Kennedy proposed a new rule that would block hospitals providing that provide such care from receiving any payment — for any services to any patients — from Medicaid or Medicare.
Colorado has joined 18 other states in suing to block the declaration.
Children’s Hospital said the suspension of care would remain in place “while we await federal court rulings and assess the rapidly evolving legal landscape.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Threaten Colorado Wolf Management
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has been threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service with the revocation of their authority over reintroducing grey wolves to the state. According to a Dec.18 letter first reported by the Fort Collins Coloradan, Brian Nesvik the director of USFWS demanded CPW provide a complete report of all gray wolf conservation and management activities between the day the wolves were first released in Colorado and the present.
Nesvik ended the letter by saying that if CPW does not comply with the demand, the state’s authority to maintain the grey wolf population would be revoked.
This news comes after a similar letter from Nesvik restricted where Colorado can pull wolves from right as the state was making a deal with British Columbia for its next batch of wolves.
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