'Not A Monster': Devon Erickson's Defense Attorney Says STEM School Shooting Suspect Was 'Confused Kid'Devon Erickson has pleaded not guilty to murder in the deadly shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch on May 7, 2019. 6 hours ago Trail Ridge Road Could Reopen As Soon As Friday At Rocky Mountain National ParkTrail Ridge Road could reopen as soon as Friday in Rocky Mountain National Park, if weather and conditions allow. 7 hours ago DICK's Sporting Goods Park To Operate At Full Capacity Starting July 4DICKS's Sporting Goods Park will hold Colorado Rapids games at full capacity starting July 4. The club made the announcement on Thursday ahead of their home match on the Fourth of July against Seattle Sounders FC. 7 hours ago Vaccinated Veterans May Not Be Entered To Win $1 Million PrizeSome veterans are not currently among those who will get a chance at the $1 million Colorado lottery prizes. 7 hours ago Video: Bag Piping Thornton Police Officer Leads 5th Grade 'Eagle Flight' At Silver Creek ElementaryStudents finishing fifth grade at Silver Creek Elementary in Thornton had a special escort as they took off of for the next chapter of their lives. 7 hours ago Vaccinated And Entered To Win? Make Sure You're Eligible To Win $1 Million From ColoradoAs Coloradans started researching their own records, many noticed their vaccinations were either not listed on the state’s website, or they were not listed as a known resident of Colorado. 8 hours ago<doc-sep>The pass reopened Friday morning. It had been closed since March 3. SILVERTON, Colo. — Crews with the Colorado Department of Transportation made so much progress this week to clear massive amounts of snow and debris from Red Mountain Pass that it was reopened on Friday. CDOT urged travelers to drive with caution through the area and said they would encounter equipment working all along the pass. “This was a difficult and challenging operation,” CDOT Maintenance Superintendent, Greg Stacy said. “Mother nature kept hitting us with multiple storms in a row. It was frustrating because the conditions forced us off the mountain for days because of the threat of avalanches hitting the highway. However, we knew the risk was too high and it was not safe to work. It was the right thing to do for the safety of our operators.” Snow removal operations will continue to widen and clear the shoulders of the roadway. CDOT also advised the public to be aware of changing weather conditions, and the potential for snow slides as the weather warms up. US Highway 550, Red Mountain Pass, had been closed since March 3. Last weekend, a helicopter crew set out to “knock-down” more than 25 slide paths that were primed for collapsing onto highways, CDOT said in a release. Once the snow was brought down onto the closed highway, equipment operators used heavy machines to start pushing it out of the way. Crews started on the south side of the pass, just north of Silverton and by the afternoon operations on the north side were complete. Crews then began work near the Riverside snow shed, just south of Ouray. They were assigned 12-hour shifts working around the clock to get the pass open. “We have never encountered avalanche slides to this magnitude. We’re pleased with the outcome of the avalanche control operations," said CDOT Area Maintenance Supervisor, Vance Kelso. "Crews can now work without risk of potential slides. We are remaining optimistic that with cooperative weather and decreasing avalanche danger, we can get this pass opened within the next two weeks.” Last week's weather and high avalanche danger prevented crews from performing snow removal operations on Red Mountain Pass. Mitigation operations were also performed Saturday morning on two other southwest Colorado passes, US 550 Molas Pass and CO 145 Lizard Head Pass. Both passes were opened to the traveling public by mid-morning. Avalanche danger has been high in Colorado in recent weeks, and numerous other slides covered major roadways forcing them to closes for hours. One couple and their daughter were swept off Interstate 70 by an avalanche while on the way back from a day of skiing. Four cars were buried in an avalanche on Highway 91 between Leadville and Copper Mountain on March 7, according to CDOT. All people inside the buried vehicles have been accounted and no injuries were reported. Photos from aftermath shows snow piled up to one vehicle's doors.<doc-sep>
Travel in parts of the Colorado mountains on Friday night was hazardous, with wind-driven snow and at least three new avalanches shutting down highways. U.S. 24 was shut down in both directions by an avalanche near Minturn and by another avalanche near Leadville, according to the State Patrol. #BREAKING ROAD CLOSED: HWY 24 is closed at Minturn and at Leadville due to large avalanche covering both lanes. Emergency crews are responding. #COtraffic #CoWx @EagleCountySO @LakeCountyOEM pic.twitter.com/fJoeW67pQe — CSP Eagle (@CSP_Eagle) March 9, 2019 Colorado 149 near Lake City was closed in both directions by an avalanche, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. RELATED: Amidst danger warnings, Colorado backcountry skier dies in avalanche near Jones Pass A winter storm warning and avalanche warning was posted by the National Weather Service for mountain areas on Friday and a high-wind warning was posted for the Front Range foothills from south of Castle Rock to the Wyoming state line. Periods of heavy snow over the past week has dumped more than 100 inches in some mountain areas, according to the weather service. Numerous avalanches have blasted portions of the Interstate 70 corridor, shutting down the highway at times. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has described the recent avalanches, based on numbers and severity, as “100 year events.” ⚠️TRAVEL ADVISORY⚠️: ❄️🌬💨Very Poor Weather Conditions! Current weather conditions in Summit and Eagle Counties. High winds with snow making visibility limited. Use Caution! #CoWx #COtraffic @SummitSheriffCO pic.twitter.com/5J1DupLC7s — CSP Eagle (@CSP_Eagle) March 9, 2019 Meanwhile, the weather service said snow will continue in the mountains into the night Friday with heaviest amounts, up to 12 new inches, on Rabbit Ears Pass and in Summit County. Thunderstorms are also possible in the mountains.