1. Former Steamboat police chief would have been fired if she had not resigned, documents show

Former Steamboat Springs Police Chief Sherry Burlingame resigned Jan. 27 after an internal investigation found she violated the city’s code of ethics and police policy.

According to documents obtained by Steamboat Pilot & Today through an open records request, had Burlingame not tendered her resignation on Jan. 27, Steamboat Springs City Manager Gary Suiter had decided to fire her from the role at 5 p.m. that day.

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2. Letter: We’re grateful to call Steamboat home, but we can’t hang on much longer

Steamboat Springs, I’m begging you. My husband told me not to write this letter, and if I do, he made me promise not to read the comments. Please be kind because I’m not sure I can keep that promise.

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The thing is, Steamboat, we’re losing our home.

We’ve lived here almost 10 years. My husband worked for the bus and the ski resort before the last nine-plus years in sales. No doubt you’ve seen his smiling face at the grocery store. I previously worked in hospitality and spent eight years working for the state.

3. Steamboat surgeon, adventurer moving after 24 years of service

Longtime Steamboat Springs surgeon Dr. Michael Sisk is an adventurous, full-of-life guy who seems to have already lived multiple lives.

Professional bronc rider, Everest climber, wrangler, competitive freestyle skier, hunting guide, avid big game hunter, airplane pilot and noted orthopedic surgeon, Sisk has done it all. A few times he went directly from riding a bucking horse at Howelsen Rodeo Grounds to the hospital emergency department to evaluate a trauma case for a fellow cowboy.

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4. UPDATE: US Highway 40 reopens with alternating lanes of traffic

U.S. Highway 40 is operating with alternating lanes of traffic as the highway remains partially closed.

Colorado State Police are still in the initial investigation phase, but troopers reported a Subaru Legacy occupied by two people was headed east on the highway when the car veered into the westbound lane for an unknown reason.

5. Owners press forward as Steamboat Social Club prepares for Friday launch party

It’s going to be a busy week for entrepreneurs Michael Britton and Tim Hickory as they press forward to get their venture, the Steamboat Social Club, ready for a Friday, Feb. 10, launch party.

On Monday, Feb. 6, the men were looking forward to introducing their new business concept to the Steamboat Springs community as they set up desks and tables, and cleaned up after all of the construction.

6. Officials convene, Steamboat considers lawsuit as frustrations with U.S. Postal Service continue

After meeting with the U.S. Postal Service last week, residents and government officials are looking for new approaches to resolve delivery problems in Steamboat Springs and other Colorado mountain communities.

“It’s just sporadic,” said Susie Allen, a South Routt resident who has not seen regular deliveries to her mailbox since early December. “They keep saying it’s getting better, but I haven’t seen it.”

7. Steamboat resident dies following crash on US 40

The Routt County Coroner’s Office confirmed Thursday, Feb. 9, that one of the people involved in a car wreck Monday, Feb. 6, on U.S. Highway 40 has died.

Cadence Tilton, 20, died in Larimer County after being taken to the hospital with serious injuries sustained in the wreck, according to the coroner’s office. Tilton died Wednesday, Feb. 8, two days after the collision. An official cause of death is not available at this time.

8. Harsh winter conditions can take a toll on wildlife in Routt County, Colorado

Big game wildlife in Northwest Colorado are condensing in the last sections of winter range refuge, trying to find any vegetation and grazing areas not buried in snow.

Wildlife typically move from higher to lower elevations when the weather turns colder, going from the mountains to the valleys, and from Routt County west toward Moffat County, said Kyle Bond, Colorado Parks and Wildlife district wildlife manager in the Steamboat Springs area.

9. “We know”: Postal Service acknowledges growing mail problems in Colorado mountain towns

Paula Black realized what a sad state her local Steamboat Springs post office was in when she started seeing junk mail piles avalanching to the floor from tables in the lobby. She noticed cobwebs draping corners, dust coating everything, and parts hanging off old heaters.

So, she called on some friends to meet her at the post office with brooms, dust rags and trash bags last Saturday afternoon when the counter was closed and mailbox traffic minimal. They spiffed up the lobby so that it no longer looked like a place that had been without custodial services for months.

10. Two Mind Springs workers arrested in Mesa County on extortion charges

A senior director at Mind Springs Health and a former worker at its Circle Program were arrested and jailed late Thursday on criminal charges, local and state documents show.

Megan Navarro, senior clinical director, and Gary Swenson, a former peer counselor at Mind Springs’ residential treatment program in Grand Junction, were arrested and placed in the Mesa County Jail — each charged with criminal extortion and attempting to influence a public servant.