Wednesday, April 8, 2026

CoCo Rail Line, Whataburger, and 'The Pirates of Penzance'

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1909, American novelist John Fante was born in Denver. Fante is best known for his 1939 novel Ask the Dust, which follows an Italian-American from Colorado struggling to make it as a writer in Depression-era Los Angeles.

Colorado just picked CoCo as the name for its future Front Range rail line. Get the full breakdown in Top Stories. What do you think of CoCo—love it or leave it? Reply and let us know.

Did you know that the team that makes The Colorado Flyover also produces a national publication called The Flyover? Click here to sign up and stay up to date with the latest national headlines—without the bias of legacy media outlets.

As AI’s explosive growth drives an unprecedented energy demand, today’s sponsor, Frontieras, is giving investors a last chance to get in early on a breakthrough company transforming coal into clean energy alternatives.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Colorado Rail Line Named CoCo

Colorado officials announced the state’s future Front Range passenger rail line will be named the Colorado Connector, or CoCo, after more than 25,000 residents voted in a public naming contest.

The line is planned to connect cities from Fort Collins to Pueblo along the I-25 corridor. Initial service is expected to launch between Denver and Fort Collins in 2029, with expanded routes south toward Pueblo planned in later phases pending funding approvals.

Officials say the rail system aims to reduce highway traffic and provide an alternative for commuters and regional travel. The project could be partially funded through a future ballot measure, with leaders considering a small regional sales tax to support construction and operations.

Transit officials say the system may eventually include 10 to 15 daily round trips and multiple stops across the Front Range.

Federal Officials Seek Input on Wolf Program

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public comment on Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program, focusing on livestock conflicts, compensation, and coordination with local stakeholders. Comments are open through June 5 via the Federal Register as federal officials gather input on how the state is managing the effort.

The program, launched after a 2020 voter mandate, has reported more than 50 confirmed livestock attacks since reintroduction began in 2023 and paid over $700,000 to ranchers so far in 2025, with costs expected to exceed $1 million. Federal officials say feedback will help improve conflict prevention and support both producers and conservation goals.

The request comes as Colorado Parks and Wildlife also prepares for leadership changes, with wolf program manager Eric Odell set to retire after more than two decades with the agency. Officials say a successor search is underway, with plans for a transition period to maintain continuity in the program.

Breckenridge Co-Founder Dies at 93

Trygve Berge, a co-founder of Breckenridge Ski Resort and a longtime figure in Colorado’s ski industry, died April 2 at age 93 after a brief illness. The Norwegian native helped establish the resort in 1961 and served as its first ski school director.

Before building Breckenridge, Berge was a professional skier who won Norway’s downhill championship in 1954 and competed in the 1956 Winter Olympics. He also appeared in ski films and helped popularize the sport during its growth in Colorado.

Berge remained closely tied to the Breckenridge community for decades, with locals crediting him for shaping the resort’s early trails and culture. A celebration of life has not yet been announced.

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One Day Left to Invest in the ‘Nvidia of Energy’ at $7.77/share

Nvidia’s valuation surged by 1,092% in just three years when it became the backbone of AI. But AI has a massive energy problem Nvidia can’t fix.

As AI data centers begin consuming more power than entire nations like Sweden or Argentina, Frontieras, North America’s patented technology, reforms coal into high-value commodities like hydrogen and diesel without burning it. It creates a technical carbon to replace coal that burns as clean as natural gas. Under a White House that favors energy production on our home soil, it could unlock up to $2.1 Trillion in energy potential.

Here’s why you shouldn’t miss this last chance to invest at $7.77/share:

“FASF” ticker reserved on the NASDAQ
$850M flagship facility in development
$20 million raised from investors so far

As a perfect storm of breakthroughs sets up the company for potential valuation impact, you have just one day left to invest at the current price. Lock in the $7.77 share price before the window closes on April 9, 2026.

➤ Aurora: City officials declared a Stage 1 drought as reservoir levels sit near 58% capacity, triggering stricter enforcement and new limits on outdoor watering and high water use. (More)

➤ Statewide: Colorado lawmakers approved a bill strengthening water quality rules in mobile home parks, expanding enforcement to cover odor and discoloration while increasing fines for violations. (More)

➤ Statewide: Most Colorado cities could lose access to affordable housing funds under Proposition 123 due to unmet growth targets, as lawmakers push a bill to revise the requirements before the next funding cycle. (More)

➤ Meeker: Colorado Parks and Wildlife plans to increase elk hunting licenses for the 2026 season after herds in northwest Colorado rebounded to target population levels following recent declines. (More)

➤ Boulder: A dance studio owner was indicted on multiple fraud charges after prosecutors allege she staged a break-in and filed false claims to collect more than $560,000 in insurance payouts. (More)

➤ Clear Creek County: Deputies rescued two hikers near St. Mary’s Glacier after they reported being stalked by a mountain lion during a late-night snowstorm. (More)

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➤ Former Nuggets coach Michael Malone is set to be hired by North Carolina as the Tar Heels’ next men’s basketball coach. Malone, who led Denver to the 2023 NBA championship, was fired by the Nuggets last April. (More)

➤ A toxicology report found late Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he died in a car crash March 1. (More)

➤ Lauren Betts, a Grandview High School graduate, became the first player from Colorado to win the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award after leading UCLA past South Carolina in the national championship Sunday. (More)

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➤ A Whataburger franchisee submitted plans for a new Castle Rock location, marking a potential return to the Denver metro area after decades, with plans for a 24-hour restaurant now under city review. (More)

➤ Business owners in Fort Collins are pushing back against a proposal to introduce $2-per-hour paid street parking in Old Town starting in 2027, citing concerns about reduced customer traffic. (More)

➤ Durango officials say second homes and a roughly 12% vacancy rate continue to challenge housing access, as efforts to improve affordability and encourage full-time occupancy remain under discussion. (More)

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The Next $435 Billon Energy Empire Is Being Minted

In today’s dollars, John D. Rockefeller would be worth $435 billion. But “oil money” is old news, and what’s next might surprise investors in 2026: a $2.1 Trillion opportunity in “clean” coal.

Now is the “Rockefeller” moment for Frontieras as they reform coal into hydrogen, diesel, and other valuable commodities (just like Rockefeller did with oil). With a White House that favors domestic energy, the NASDAQ ticker FASF reserved, and land officially purchased for their flagship coal reformation plant, Frontieras is positioned for potential valuation impact.

You have until April 9 at 11:59 PM PT to invest in Frontieras at $7.77/share.*

This is a paid advertisement for Frontieras’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.frontieras.com/ Reservation of the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that we will be listed on the NASDAQ. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.

➤ The Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway is set to reopen to the summit over Memorial Day weekend, weather permitting, following construction, with timed reservations required for access. (More)

➤ Elitch’s Historic Theatre will host The Pirates of Penzance this May, marking 135 years since the operetta was first performed on the same stage. (More)

➤ Experts say Colorado’s mountainous terrain, stop-and-go traffic, and harsh weather—including wild temperature swings, hail, and potholes—can speed up wear on brakes, batteries, and other vehicle components. (More)

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Only big races or events: 19%
Yes, big fan: 17%

What famous showman was in the crowd on opening day when Elitch Gardens first opened its gates in 1890?

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Federal Grant Audit, Wildflower Awards, and the ‘Golf Coast’

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1949, American sportscaster, news anchor, film producer, and restaurant owner Jim Lampley was born in Hendersonville. Best known as the longtime announcer for HBO World Championship Boxing and for covering 14 Olympic Games, Lampley earned three Emmy Awards for his work on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

NCDOT announced its 2025 Wildflower Awards, honoring the highways featuring vibrant, flourishing blooms. Find out where they are in Top Stories.

Did you know that the team that makes Flyover North Carolina also produces a national publication called The Flyover? Click here to sign up and stay up to date with the latest national headlines—without the bias of legacy media outlets.

As AI’s explosive growth drives an unprecedented energy demand, today’s sponsor Frontieras is giving investors a last chance to get in early on a breakthrough company transforming coal into clean energy alternatives.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

NC Audits Use of Federal Grants

North Carolina’s Office of the State Auditor released its 2025 Single Audit Report for the state on April 6, examining $28 billion of the $43.9 billion in federal awards spent during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.

The audit identified 19 findings, including 18 related to federal awards. Medicaid accounted for more than half the total at $24.7 billion.

A key concern involved failures to report subawards under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, including all 228 Social Services Block Grant subawards totaling $39.4 million and 171 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families subawards totaling $99.4 million.

Auditors also flagged $342,093 in questioned costs from improper payments, ineligible expenditures, and unsupported documentation. No material noncompliance was found, a first in over two decades, but persistent internal control weaknesses remain.

School Districts Contemplate Closures, Merges

North Carolina school districts are grappling with severe budget shortfalls, prompting discussions of school closures, district consolidations, and staff reductions. Declining enrollment driven by lower birth rates, competition from charters and private schools, and outmigration has reduced per-pupil funding while fixed costs for buildings, transportation, and operations remain high.

Catawba County Commissioners will vote on a proposal on April 20 to merge Catawba County Schools, Hickory City Schools, and Newton-Conover City Schools into the new Catawba Valley School District, effective July 1, 2028.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools may cut $6.6 million, and Wake County’s superintendent plans to ask county commissioners for a $25 million funding increase, far below what he says the district needs.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is contemplating closing older elementary schools to save roughly $1.7 million annually. Durham, Cumberland, and other districts are similarly weighing closures and consolidations.

NCDOT Names Wildflower Award Winners

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has announced its 2025 Wildflower Award winners, celebrating 40 years of the popular highway beautification program.

The Best Overall Division award went to Division 4, which includes Edgecombe, Halifax, Johnston, Nash, Wayne, and Wilson counties. Division 4 earned additional wins for its daylily beds on I-587 and on Downing Street in Wilson County, and eastern region wildflower planting on I-42 at mile marker 361 in Wayne County.

First-place regional awards went to Division 9’s U.S. 52 at Perch Road in Stokes County for the Central region, and Division 12’s U.S. 321 at mile marker 19 in Gaston County for the Western region.

Second place overall went to Division 7, which includes Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Orange, and Rockingham counties. Regional second places went to plantings in Haywood, Rockingham, Lenoir, and Mecklenburg counties.

Flying together with our sponsor

One Day Left to Invest in the ‘Nvidia of Energy’ at $7.77/share

Nvidia’s valuation surged by 1,092% in just three years when it became the backbone of AI. But AI has a massive energy problem Nvidia can’t fix.

As AI data centers begin consuming more power than entire nations like Sweden or Argentina, Frontieras North America’s patented technology reforms coal into high-value commodities like hydrogen and diesel without burning it. It creates a technical carbon to replace coal that burns as clean as natural gas. Under a White House that favors energy production on our home soil, it could unlock up to $2.1 Trillion in energy potential.

Here’s why you shouldn’t miss this last chance to invest at $7.77/share:

“FASF” ticker reserved on the NASDAQ
$850M flagship facility in development
$20 million raised from investors so far

➤ Western NC: FEMA is spending over $26 million to buy out 75 Hurricane Helene flood- and landslide-damaged homes in Henderson, Polk, and Yancey counties through its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to lessen the financial burden on impacted survivors. (More)

➤ NC Schools: State Board of Education data shows that 54% of North Carolina's Class of 2025 public school graduates completed at least one college-level course or exam in high school—a record high for the state—through Advanced Placement, Career and College Promise, and International Baccalaureate programs. (More)

➤ Durham: Former Miss North Carolina 2024 Carrie Everett, a 22-year-old North Carolina Central University student, died Monday morning in Seattle after battling metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma. (More)

➤ Watauga County: Plaintiffs in the county’s election districts lawsuit, including the Voting Rights Task Force and Common Cause, dropped their malapportionment claim on Friday, narrowing the federal challenge to remaining partisan claims against Republican-drawn maps. (More)

➤ Rockingham County: Authorities are searching for 60-year-old Lori Bonnes Plummer, last seen walking into the woods near Pextile Plant Road in Stoneville around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Searches with drones and K9s continued on Sunday. (More)

➤ Gaston County: Joshua Hunsucker, 41, pleaded not guilty on Monday to first-degree murder in the 2018 poisoning death of his wife, Stacy Robinson Hunsucker, by adding lethal tetrahydrozoline from eye drops to her water. He also filed a second change-of-venue motion. (More)

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➤ NASCAR’s return to Rockingham Speedway over the weekend featured several drivers under 21 competing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and ARCA events. (More)

➤ Former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel continue battling for the best odds to win this season’s NBA Rookie of the Year award. Flagg is currently the favorite, but Knueppel is close behind. (More)

➤ A recent poll found that Carolina Panthers fans are split on the team’s top priority heading into the NFL Draft, with offensive line slightly edging out other needs like safety and linebacker. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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➤ Gov. Josh Stein announced $40 million in federal funding that local governments and nonprofits can apply for via the Commercial District Revitalization Program to aid Hurricane Helene-damaged business districts in the state’s most impacted counties. (More)

➤ Allegacy Federal Credit Union broke ground on a $5 million full-service office in Hickory along U.S. Highway 321, set to open in July, marking its continued expansion into Western North Carolina following a limited-service branch which opened in February 2025. (More)

➤ Shaw University professor Dr. Michael Harrington and his company Genoverde Bioscience, Inc., agreed Monday to pay $152,500 to settle federal allegations of false and duplicative expense claims on National Science Foundation grants plus improper paycheck protection program loan applications, without admitting liability. (More)

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Flying together with our sponsor

The Next $435B Energy Empire Is Being Minted

Now is the “Rockefeller” moment for Frontieras as they reform coal into hydrogen, diesel and other valuable commodities (just like Rockefeller did with oil). With a White House that favors domestic energy, the NASDAQ ticker FASF reserved, and land officially purchased for their flagship coal reformation plant, Frontieras is positioned for potential valuation impact.

➤ Raleigh’s Oak City Fish & Chips founder Isaac Horton’s franchise pitch was rejected by all “Sharks” on an unaired Shark Tank episode, but a later YouTube release of the episode sparked global inquiries, and the first franchisees are expected to be announced this summer. (More)

➤ Kinston Chick-fil-A employee Jaydon Cintron, 18, discovered two envelopes containing $9,333 in cash on the men’s restroom floor during his break on Good Friday. He turned it in, and the owner later rewarded him $500. (More)

➤ North Carolina’s “Golf Coast,” stretching from the Brunswick Islands to the Outer Banks, and including Wilmington and Beaufort, ranks among the best U.S. retirement spots for golf lovers thanks to dozens of courses, waterfront living, and a mild climate. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Tired of wasting weekends scrubbing with hoses or bulky pressure washers? HydroX5 makes cleaning effortless. This cordless, jet-powered washer blasts away grime, moss, and dirt in seconds. Lightweight yet powerful, it works with any water source—bucket, faucet, or hose—delivering impressive, mess-free results every time. (LEARN MORE)

Did you take college-level classes in high school?

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you seen the blue ghost fireflies in Pisgah National Forest?

No: 37%
Not yet: 23%
Not interested: 21%
Yes: 19%

Which Outer Banks restaurant was opened in 1937 by a local fisherman to serve breakfast to fellow fishermen, and is still famous today for its “Omie-lettes”?

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