The Home Front: No snow means no work for seasonal hires in Steamboat. A ski resort gives free meals to those without a paycheck.

About half of Colorado’s largest newspapers today are carrying news of a Democratic candidate’s U.S. Senate win in Alabama. As for local news that made today’s front pages around the state:

“They are ready to start working, but the lack of snow means many of the 1,542 seasonal employees at Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. are still waiting for their first shifts,” reports The Steamboat Pilot. “‘Obviously, we normally have more terrain open at this time,” said Loryn Kasten, senior communications manager for Ski Corp. “We are dedicated to helping our employees through this time. Twice a week, we offer heavily discounted meals to our employees throughout the entire season, and during these first few weeks of the season, we have waived the $3 fee that we normally charge to any employees who are not receiving a paycheck because we do not have terrain open.” In addition to the free meals, the resort is also offering $2 breakfast burritos to its employees to help them through a period of time when they are not getting paid on a regular basis.”

“Palisade is again soliciting investors to apply for some recreational marijuana businesses in town, having decided to re-open the process for people wanting to develop manufacturing facilities, cultivation operations or testing centers,” reports The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “Town trustees on Tuesday night unanimously approved revising their retail marijuana ordinance to allow another opportunity for potential business owners to apply for those types of marijuana businesses, not including retail stores. When Palisade opened up its initial two-week window in late June to accept applications for retail marijuana businesses, only one potential business owner applied for a cultivation license, said Palisade Town Administrator Rich Sales. That applicant has since pulled their application, Sales said.”

“On a split 4-2 Tuesday night vote, Longmont City Council members decided to delay action on an ordinance that proposed to revise the city’s zoning code to allow residential child care treatment facilities as a conditional use in business-light industrial zoning districts,” reports The Longmont Times-Call. “Councilwoman Joan Peck moved to table the ordinance, which was up for final approval, until the council considers a set of sweeping updates to Longmont’s entire Land Development Code’s zoning categories and the uses that would be allowed in each of those districts under amendments to the current code. The council’s consideration of changes is not expected until next spring or summer. Councilwoman Marcia Martin and Polly Christensen and Councilman Aren Rodriguez voted for Peck’s motion. Mayor Brian Bagley and Councilwoman Bonnie Finley dissented.”

“Half of Greeley residents who had internet speeds tested are dealing with speeds slower than the Federal Communications Commission standard, and large swaths of the city have no reliable internet access, a consultant hired by Greeley reported Tuesday during a Greeley City Council work session,” reports The Greeley Tribune. “The information prefaced an update from Glenwood Springs-based NEO Connect CEO Diane Kruse, whose company was hired to study city-provided broadband services in Greeley and Windsor. Greeley residents voted Nov. 7 to allow Greeley to explore setting up broadband services, and now the city is studying the matter, surveying residents and building a plan that could come before voters again as soon as the November 2018 election.”

“A semi truck traveling on westbound Interstate 70 near Empire Junction crossed over into the east lane and crashed into a bridge pillar, killing the driver and seriously injuring another passenger, according to the Colorado State Patrol,” reports Summit Daily.

“Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman was in Pueblo on Tuesday to announce two new statewide initiatives her office is funding aimed at combatting the growing issue of youth suicide,” reports The Pueblo Chieftain. “Coffman said the AG’s office will provide $200,000 in funding that will allow up to 40 schools in the state to implement a program called Sources of Strength, which has seen success in preventing youth suicide. Some Pueblo schools are among those where the program will be implemented, Coffman confirmed, but it’s unclear which schools will get it.”

“A detailed study of the “what-ifs” of a municipal broadband utility in the city of Loveland produced results that suggest the city could successfully become a broadband provider,” reports The Loveland Reporter-Herald. “City staff presented to the Loveland City Council at a study session Tuesday evening about the results of preliminary investigations into the feasibility of a municipal broadband internet utility conducted in conjunction with several consultants. The investigation found that a public-public partnership would be the most favorable municipal broadband business model for the city, providing the least risk and greatest reward. Concerns over how a plan to provide municipal broadband puts consumers at risk in the event of a project failure dominated council discussion.”

“A crew with Extraction Oil and Gas Inc. is seen re-plugging an abandoned well last month near Berthoud,” reports The Boulder Daily Camera. “Extraction, Broomfield and the Colorado Oil and Gas A crew with Extraction Oil and Gas Inc. is seen re-plugging an abandoned well last month near Berthoud. Extraction, Broomfield and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission have been sued by Crestone Peak Resources for allegedly blocking access to property on which Crestone intends to drill. (Jenny Sparks / Loveland Reporter-Herald) Crestone Peak Resources has filed a lawsuit urging Denver District Court to throw out another oil and gas operator’s application to drill in Broomfield. The Denver-based company alleges in a 27-page filing that by approving Extraction Oil and Gas Inc.’s plans, state regulators have blocked Crestone from its own mineral rights. “We looked for other alternatives to have our case heard, and this is the only way to have another hearing,” Crestone spokesman Jason Oates said. The lawsuit, filed last week, names the City and County of Broomfield, Extraction and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission — the state’s regulatory agency of the oil and gas industry — as defendants.”

“A plague-infected dog was euthanized at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital last week, according to the Larimer County health department,” reports The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. “The dog, which was not from Larimer County, was the seventh Colorado pet to test positive for plague this year. Hospital staff euthanized the dog after treating it at the hospital for four days.”

“That giant sucking sound coming from Boulder is the sound of four leading scientists departing for Europe, among the winners of a new program intended to lure climate change experts from the United States to research laboratories in France,” reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs. “A fifth Coloradan, based at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, is also among the winners of grants sponsored by the French government.”

“Durango City Council and La Plata County commissioners agreed Thursday to fund a coordinator position to address homelessness,” reports The Durango Herald. “The city, county and nonprofits could each contribute about $33,000 – a total of $99,000 – to hire a coordinator and provide office space and materials.”

“This Christmas, last-minute shopping goes to a new extreme in Denver. You have Amazon to thank — or blame — for this,” reports The Denver Post. “After most stores close on Christmas Eve and after children are nestled safe in their beds, Amazon Prime members in Denver can still place an order for a last-minute gift up until 9:45 p.m. and get it delivered before midnight. For free. “One of the unique things about Prime Now, especially for the holiday season, is because we offer one- to two-hour delivery for customers, we extend the shopping window all the way to 11:59 on Christmas Eve,” said Amanda Ip, an Amazon spokeswoman. The online retailer expanded its physical presence in Colorado this year — from its first fulfillment center to its new Treasure Truck, which makes surprise neighborhood stops — allowing it to offer new services such as two-hour delivery called Prime Now.”