Top 5 most-read stories last week

Stories in this list received the most page views on aspentimes.com from June 2-9. 

1. Another of Colorado’s wolves dies, marking the sixth death this year

Another of Colorado’s reintroduced wolves has died in the northwest corner of the state. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed on Monday, June 2, that it received a mortality alert for the male wolf, 2507, on Saturday, May 31. The agency did not provide any additional information on the location or cause of death of the wolf, which was relocated from British Columbia in January. 

Colorado’s wolf population was estimated at 30 animals following the release of 15 wolves from British Columbia in January. This marks the sixth death this year and the ninth since the reintroduction effort began in December 2023.

-Ali Longwell 

2. Aggressive infestation’ almost eats away popular Aspen park 

The city of Aspen departed from their standard policy of not using herbicides or pesticides when they treated Wagner Park last week to combat an aggressive disease called Ascochyta leaf blight that could have wiped out the turf.

Without the treatment, John Spiess, Senior Open Space and Natural Resource manager, said Wagner Park might not have survived.

“At Wagner, we had this unique situation where we had this fungal attack, and without using something like a fungicide, we potentially risked losing that entire park,” Spiess said. “It can be a really aggressive infestation.”

-River Stingray

3. Baby born at Roaring Fork Valley bus station 

A baby was born early Sunday morning at a Roaring Fork Valley bus station, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.  

Pitkin County Sheriff’s Deputy Thelma Garcia was the first to arrive at the Brush Creek Park and Ride near Snowmass after dispatch received a medical call just after 5 a.m.

“I was only a couple of minutes out and was told it was a medical call,” Garcia said. “Once I heard that it was a woman in labor, I flipped on my lights and sirens and rushed to the intercept lot.”

-Westley Crouch 

4. Garfield County Corner releases identities of those killed in crash Tuesday on 1-70

The names of the three people killed in Tuesday’s fatal crash on Interstate 70 were released by the Garfield County Coroner’s Office in a Thursday news release. 

The crash that closed I-70 Westbound for over five hours occurred at approximately 10:15 a.m., Tuesday morning just east of New Castle at mile marker 106. All three are believed to have died due to blunt force trauma.

The deceased were identified as 84-year old female New Castle resident Dawn Ingrid Triplat; 81-year-old male, and 79-year-old female Highland, Ut. residents Richard and Teddy-Jo Headrick. 

-Post Independent Staff report 

5. Aspen airport operator donates $1 million to help two Roaring Fork Valley mobile home parks 

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport’s fixed-base operator Atlantic Aviation has pledged $1 million to support the residents of two Roaring Fork Valley mobile home parks — one in Basalt and one in Carbondale — as they race against time to help residents purchase the land beneath their houses and preserve their communities. 

The donation marks a significant step toward the estimated $20 million or more needed to collectively acquire the parks, which are currently under contract with private buyers. If the residents of the park are unable to purchase their mobile home parks, they risk increasing rents and further development that could essentially price out any current, longtime residents.

Eric Newman, vice president of infrastructure and sustainability at Atlantic Aviation, emphasized that the company’s donation aligns with its broader commitment to equity and environmental responsibility. 

-Westley Crouch