DENVER (AP) – Colorado’s rural areas can’t escape higher health insurance costs because it’s costlier to deliver health care, the state Division of Insurance concluded Monday in a study on Colorado’s nine geographic rating regions.

The insurance regulators were ordered to study the problem of higher insurance prices on the Western Slope and in other rural areas. State lawmakers from rural areas have said it’s unfair that folks along the Front Range have lower costs for health insurance. They wanted to see Colorado adopt a single price for health coverage in all parts of the state.

But insurance regulators said Monday that rural health care is simply more expensive.

“Moving to a single geographic rating area will have no impact on healthcare costs, and without tackling these costs, there is little hope of bringing down health insurance premiums,” the agency concluded.

For example, the annual total health care cost per member in 2014 was 36 percent higher in a Western Slope area than it was in the Boulder area.

The agency warned that some insurers would leave Colorado entirely if forced to sell plans to all parts of the state.

“My concern is that moving to a single geographic rating area could end up harming the very citizens it is trying to help,” Insurance Commissioner Marguerite Salazar said in a statement.

The Division vowed to come out with some recommendations to address health care costs by the end of the year.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

FRUITA, Colo. (CBS4) – A video that has gone viral appears to show a wire strung across a mountain bike trail, but now investigators say the video may not be what it appears.

The wire was found on the Western Slope near the popular 18 road trails near Fruita.

Bureau of Land Management officials spent an entire day riding trails out in the area of where the video was taken to investigate. They say now they are confident it wasn’t a malicious act but a misunderstanding.

A mountain bike trail near Fruita (credit: CBS)

“It’s the Mecca of mountain biking,” said Chris Brown, who owns a bike shop on Main Street in Grand Junction. “I have trails within 15 minutes of downtown, so I can, on the way home, I can get an hour ride in.”

Brown is used to hearing lots of tails from the trail in his shop, but this time, he can’t believe what happened.

“He showed me his bruises and stuff. He had gone out the next day and filmed it, where it was, and he actually cut it (the wire) down,” Brown said.

CBS4’s Matt Kroschel interviews Chris Brown (credit: CBS)

A cyclist shared his cellphone video. He said the wire across the popular single track was about three feet off the ground. He hit it and went tumbling over his handlebars.

“You hear about it once a year but it’s usually not in your hometown, you know it’s somewhere across the country — somebody strings up a cable and someone gets hurt,” Brown said.

But according to the BLM, it wasn’t a booby trap. Investigators said they now believe it was actually an old farmers fence, and the trail was not an official part of the marked trail system.

An image of the wire from the cellphone video (credit: CBS)

The video shared by several online publications and on social media is real but just taken out of context, according to the BLM.

There was another recent report of a mountain bike trail being bobby trapped from Gunnison where wood was stacked on a blind curve. Luckily no one was hurt in that incident. It’s not clear if the BLM is investigating that incident.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) – Three candidates for Colorado’s U.S. Senate race will share the stage Saturday for a debate in Grand Junction.

Colorado’s Senate race pits fast-rising Democratic star Sen. Michael Bennet against conservative Air Force veteran Darryl Glenn, who surprised establishment Republicans earlier this year by besting several better-known candidates in a crowded primary.

Joining Bennet and Glenn at the debate will be Libertarian candidate Lily Tang Williams, a real estate investor from suburban Denver who grew up in China and frequently talks about Communism’s evils.

The debate is sponsored by Club 20, a policy group representing the Western Slope.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

CLIFTON, Colo. (CBS4) – Police in Mesa County are issuing an apology after officers raided the wrong home.

The incident happened on Tuesday at Coronado Court in the town of Clifton in Mesa County.

Police said they thought they were targeting a methamphetamine operation and instead forcefully entered a couple’s condo with five children inside.

Mesa County and Grand Junction SWAT members surrounded the condo and broke down the front door and destroyed windows as they breached the house.

A person who previously lived at the address was apparently the suspect officers were looking to arrest.

“We got some pretty detailed information from (an) informant,” police spokeswoman Heidi Davidson said, according to the Associated Press. “The name we were given was associated with the address. It just wasn’t current.”

(credit: CBS)

“Believe me, our officers and deputies are extremely committed to accuracy, and no one wants to make a mistake like that,” Grand Junction Police Chief John Camper said.

A neighbor told CBS4 they can’t believe the mistake was made.

“You want to know why some people don’t like cops? Because they don’t get their facts straight all the time. They assume that certain things are that are true and then they go for it and it bites them in the butt,” said Chelsea Caudill.

The residents of the condo told CBS4 they are in shock over what happened, but they are happy the sheriff’s office is replacing all of the broken windows and front door. The office also says they will pay to put in new carpet because of broken glass that remains on the carpet from the raid.

PAONIA, Colo. (AP) – The Colorado Department of Transportation says a state highway closed by a rock slide north of Paonia probably won’t reopen until the weekend.

(credit: CDOT)

The rock slide left over 100 tons of debris on Colorado 133 at the north end of Paonia Reservoir on McClure Pass. CDOT says it caused extensive damage to the road and a concrete barrier but no vehicles were hit.

(credit: CDOT)

Crews were working Thursday to determine the extent of rock scaling that will be needed to prevent future slides and are hoping to possibly have the road open on Saturday.

PHOTO GALLERY: McClure Pass Rock Slide

In the meantime, traffic is being diverted at the Collbran turnoff and at Kebler Pass.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

CARBONDALE, Colo. (CBS4) – Incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Scott Tipton will represent citizens of Colorado’s Western Slope for another term.

Tipton defeated Democrat Gail Schwartz, a former state senator from Crested Butte, in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District by a margin of 55 percent to 41 percent.

U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton (credit: CBS)

Tipton won a primary challenge to defend his seat, which he has held since he defeated Democrat incumbent John Salazar in 2010.

Schwartz released a statement on Wednesday morning.

“We are incredibly proud of the campaign we ran and the support we had from thousands of people across the remarkable 3rd Congressional District. I congratulate Scott Tipton, and hope that this campaign season has helped him appreciate the importance of bridging the political divide and bringing the residents of the 3rd Congressional District together on the many issues and values that unite us.”

“Upon the conclusion of this historic and divisive election cycle, I maintain my faith in a promising future, thanks to people from our district who care about the issues facing our state and nation. It was an honor to run to represent the 3rd Congressional District in Congress, and I won’t ever forget this experience. I pledge to continue my work to make Western and Southern Colorado the best possible place to live, work and raise a family,” said Gail Schwartz in a statement.

Gail Schwartz (credit: CBS)

The race between Tipton and Schwartz was tight from the start. Some reports estimated Tipton’s campaign spent $900,00 on advertising and Schwartz’s campaign spent $600,000.

PHOTO GALLERIES: Election Day In Colorado | CBS4 Behind The Scenes

Outside groups also poured in a lot of advertising money.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) – Grand Junction authorities say an officer who believed a suspect’s vehicle was used in a prior weapons violation is recovering after he was pinned in his vehicle during a confrontation that left a suspect dead.

According to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, police say the officer was responding to a report of something suspicious when he suddenly asked for emergency backup. The backup officers found the officer pinned between a vehicle and a building, and the suspect was dead.

The department says a team from several agencies is investigating.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (CBS4) – Two men have been arrested following an explosion at a home in Grand Junction.

Justin Mulloy and Kevin Muisenga (credit: CBS)

Investigators say Justin Mulloy and Kevin Muisenga were making hash oil. Muisenga ended up getting hurt in the explosion but the injuries weren’t serious.

Investigators say they ended up finding marijuana plants and hallucinogenic mushrooms inside in addition to the hash oil.

FRUITA, Colo. (CBS4) – A man allegedly broke into a home on the Western Slope, but no one knew he was there until he woke up one of the children asking for help.

The incident happened Monday in Fruita.

Deputies say Matthew Keith Dunham, 33, had milk and cookies, left notes that didn’t make sense all over the kitchen, and even took a nap on the couch.

Matthew Keith Dunham (credit: Mesa County Sheriff’s Office)

The homeowner called 911 after one of the children told him about a strange man being in their home.

According to the Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, some of the notes the suspect left said things such as, “help 2:43 harmls,” “harmless no clue where I am @t?? Sleep on couch,” and “help harmless.”

Police came to the house and arrested Dunham. He faces charges of second-degree burglary and criminal mischief.

Dunham is reportedly homeless and said he last remembered being at a truck stop near Fruita.

CLIFTON, Colo. (CBS4) – A self-defense instructor is accused of killing a woman in Clifton.

Court documents from the town outside Grand Junction show Aleksandr Kolpakov was acting erratically before and after the shooting.

Aleksandr Kolpakov (credit: Mesa County)

The Grand Junction Sentinel reports he and the victim, Heather Anable, lived together in a fourplex.

Neighbors told deputies they heard the suspect telling another woman on the phone that he was poisoned. Later, they heard gunshots.

Mesa County Sheriff’s deputies found Anable shot multiple times in her neck and torso.

By Matt Kroschel

RIFLE, Colo. (CBS4) – Firefighters on the ground and in the air are all working together on Colorado’s Western Slope as they prepare for what could be a very busy firefighting season.

“Twenty eight wildfires already ignited during this early season. That represents about three times the amount of starts we’ve had from this same one last year,” Deputy Unit Fire Manager Josh Tibbetts told CBS4.

(credit: CBS)

It takes hundreds of firefighters working together from local state and federal departments to combat wildfire in a massive part of the state that stretches from the Utah state line to the Continental Divide along the Interstate 70 corridor.

(credit: CBS)

On Tuesday, representatives from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire and Aviation Unit (UCR) and partners for the 2017 wildfire season in western Colorado met with media members to talk about what they expect on the Western Slope this summer.

“It certainly has dried out a lot, those 90 degree temperatures really start to dry things considerably,” Tibbetts said.

(credit: CBS)

Those are perfect conditions for a major wildfire to ignite. And an army of men and women are making final preparations for if one does.

Firefighters also tell CBS4 the vast majority of the fires stated in the area have been human-triggered.

Wildfire Resources

– Visit CBSDenver.com’s Living With Wildfire section.

Wildfire Photo Galleries

– See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile), the deadliest (Storm King) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.

Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the
CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.

By Matt Kroschel

SILT, Colo. (CBS4) – After their mother mysteriously died in Eagle County over the weekend, two bear cubs have found a temporary home at a Colorado wildlife rehab center on the Western Slope.

The Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation is located in rural Garfield County. The bear cubs, along with several other cubs, are being taken care of with the hopes of releasing them back into the wild.

“Some of the cubs are sick when they get here,” Nanci Limbach, the foundation founder says. “The last one that I got in was starving and really skinny and really lightweight.”

(credit: CBS)

Along with bears, the center takes in all types of wild animals from across the state. Mountain lions, birds of prey and smaller mammals are housed at the totally nonprofit faculty. It is not open to the public but does accept donations.

Seven bear cubs currently at the foundation come from across Colorado.

“It’s not like you’re going to walk in there every day and try to clean her cage or anything like that,” Limbach says. “You want them to be afraid of people so we don’t spend time with them.”

(credit: CBS)

Workers at the Western Slope rehab center nurse the animals back to health before hopefully releasing them into the wild.

“In our state right now you can no longer take anything from the wild to keep from captivity,” Limbach says. “It has to be euthanized. Everything is geared toward being released. I’m pretty sure those two will be. I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t.”

A third cub hasn’t yet been rescued by Parks and Wildlife.

Officials from Colorado Parks and Wildlife say they are still investigating the death of that mother bear in the Beaver Creek area.

People reported hearing gunshots before finding the bear on Sunday near the Eagle County community.

State officials say the bear didn’t have any gunshot wounds or signs of being poisoned.

Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) – Shortly after 2 p.m., we received word the three hikers were found.

———————————————————————————————————

Search and rescue personnel are presently looking on Grand Mesa for a woman and her two daughters now missing since early Thursday afternoon.

The 40-year-old woman and the two girls, ages 8 and 10, were last seen at 1:30 p.m. at the Flowing Park Overlook, according to a news release from the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. The family was thought to be hiking the Mesa Top Trail along the Mesa/Delta county line.

Family members notified authorities Thursday of the trio’s absence when they failed to return to their campsite.

Marshia Peterson ( credit -Meas County Sheriff’s Office)

The adult female, Marshia Peterson, was last seen wearing capri jeans with a white and black or white and gray zip up hoodie. She is described as 5-foot-4, 147 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Signe Peterson ( credit -Meas County Sheriff’s Office)

The 10-year-old girl, Signe Peterson, was last seen wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with gold tassels and shorts.

Zophie Peterson ( credit -Meas County Sheriff’s Office)

The 8-year-old girl, Zophie Peterson, was last seen wearing capri pants and a darker-colored shirt with tennis shoes.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, Mesa County Search and Rescue Ground Team, Mesa County Search and Rescue ATV Team and Rescue Dogs are involved in the search operation.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the three is asked to call the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 242-6707 or 911.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) – A section of bridge that’s in the process of being demolished in Glenwood Springs came crashing down unexpectedly Tuesday night.

(credit: Colorado Mountain College)

It happened while crews were using equipment to pull on the girders of the Grand Avenue Bridge.

No one was hurt.

(credit: Post Independent)

“You plan the deconstruction process as best you can, but events like this are not unusual or unexpected when you are taking down large, old structures like the bridge,” said Grand Avenue Bridge Public Information Manager Tom Newland in a prepared statement.

The bridge replacement project in Glenwood Springs (credit: CBS)

The $126 million project is making way for a longer and wider bridge. There’s no word so far on how the accident might affect the schedule of the deconstruction.

(credit: CBS)

The project has displaced thousands of commuters onto a two-lane detour and there are big backups in the area as a result.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) – The end is near for a massive traffic nightmare in Glenwood Springs that’s impacted traffic going to and from Aspen.

The Colorado Department of Transportation says the Grand Avenue Bridge should reopen early next month. That’s sooner than the anticipated opening date the week of Thanksgiving.

(credit: CBS)

Crews have been working on the bridge since August. That construction has created a lengthy detour for drivers who take Highway 82 to Aspen.

The bridge replacement project in Glenwood Springs (credit: CBS)

CDOT says they don’t have an exact opening day but should have that by next week.

(credit: CBS)

By Mark Ackerman

DELTA, Colo. (CBS4) – CBS4 has confirmed police have raided another “game of skill” parlor on Colorado’s Western Slope as part of an ongoing illegal gambling investigation.

CBI raided “Slick Ricks Entertainment 2” on Tuesday, seizing gaming machines, cash and video equipment from the storefront on Delta’s Main Street.

(credit: CBS)

The Delta raid followed similar police crackdowns of “game of skill” parlors in Denver, Evans, Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

“We are not doing anything illegal,” said Jennifer Hoke, who owns Slick Ricks with her father, Rick Vezakis. “It’s all games of skill.”

Hoke argues their business model is more similar to Chuck E Cheese than a casino, where patrons play video games and win prizes.
The difference at game of skill parlors — the prizes are typically cash payouts.

A newly formed Colorado Skill Games & Entertainment Association contends games of skill are legal, citing state statutes where contests of skill, speed, strength or endurance are exempt from gambling laws.

“There seems to be an ongoing concerted effort by government and law enforcement agencies to shut down small operators of these skill games entertainment centers based on a dubious interpretation of current state law,” said Chris Howes, Executive Director for Colorado Skill Games & Entertainment Association.

“We see this as an effort to do the bidding of big casinos and shut down these small businesses by being bullies, even though the businesses are perfectly legal,” Howes said.

Two jurisdictions – Colorado Springs and Pueblo have filed criminal charges against game of skill parlors. So far, none of the prosecutions have been successful. Yet, after eight raids across Colorado, none of the parlor owners have received their seized cash or property back.

“They tell you they are not pressing any charges, but they are taking all your stuff,” said Hoke.

Susan Medina with the CBI confirmed it is taking part in active investigations across the state – but would not comment further.

Mark Ackerman is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. Follow him on Twitter @ackermanmark

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) – Locals in Glenwood Springs call the construction on Grand Avenue “Bridgemageddon.”

Backups from the Grand Avenue Bridge in Glenwood Springs (credit: CBS)

Fortunately, the new bridge will be reopen to traffic on Tuesday.

The Colorado Department of Transportation had to replace the bridge which led to the major detours that started this summer.

Drivers trying to get through town to Aspen and other areas south of Glenwood Springs have clogged side streets for months.

RELATED: Section Of Bridge Being Demolished Comes Crashing Down Unexpectedly

By Matt Kroschel

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) – After months of frustration, the new Grand Avenue Bridge in Glenwood Springs is opening to traffic.

It’s much to the relief of downtown business owners who have felt the impact of the massive construction project.

(credit: CBS)

The project began early 2016, but all traffic has been forced on a lengthy detour around the area since August as the old Grand Avenue Bridge was demolished making way for the larger, reconfigured bridge.

The project has impacted communities from New Castle to Aspen.

(credit: CBS)

The vital link connecting them will open late Monday evening or Tuesday morning to vehicle traffic, depending on weather.

(credit: CBS)

On Monday, the community gathered for a walk across the newly finished structure a sign of relief and coming together that has altered so many lives during the project.

The new bridge and roadways will open some lanes as work continues in the area on landscaping, parking and other pedestrian area projects.

(credit: CBS)

“It’s just an improvement to the whole feel of Glenwood Springs,” said John Pataky, owner of Rosi’s Little Bavarian Restaurant.

Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (CBS4)– There is an effort to move the Bureau of Land Management headquarters from Washington, DC out West.

Officials on the Western Slope are working on a proposal to get the agency to move to Mesa County instead of the Front Range.

State lawmakers have already introduced a bill that would allow the move from the East Coast.

The Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado hopes the proposal will convince BLM to make its home in Colorado.

DENVER (AP) — Environmental groups have asked a federal judge to block oil and gas drilling at 53 sites on public land in western Colorado, saying the U.S. Department of Interior didn’t fully analyze the risks to people and the climate.

(credit: Diego J. Robles/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Denver.

It challenges decisions by the Interior Department in 2016 and 2017 to sell drilling rights on a total of about 70 square miles. The sites are about 30 miles east of Grand Junction.

The Interior Department declined to comment.

The suit was filed by the Wilderness Workshop, the Center for Biological Diversity, Living Rivers and the Sierra Club.

They say at least one drilling site is within a half-mile of a school.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)