Denver officially ends Flock contract; Thornton grass fire closes I-25; Introduced bill would protect minors using AI chatbots

Headlines Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026

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    02-26-2026 Headlines KGNU News

Denver officially ends Flock contract

Mayor Mike Johnston announced Tuesday that the city will be ending its controversial agreement with Flock Safety. Their contract expires Mar. 31 of this year. Mayor Johnston proposed a new contract with Axon, a company that currently provides technology for the Denver Police Department. 

Despite reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were using Flock’s database to aid in the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, Mayor Johnston extended the contract multiple times in the last year, leading to criticism from Coloradans.

Effective Oct. 22, access to Denver’s Flock license plate reader data will be shut off to all agencies and will only be accessible by law enforcement that signs a memorandum of understanding with the City and County of Denver. 

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Thornton grass fire closes I-25

A grass fire sparked in Thornton yesterday afternoon, following high temperatures and 40-mile-per-hour wind gusts across central Colorado. Thick, dark smoke spread from the site to the surrounding area, temporarily closing I-25 and calling for the evacuation of local schools, homes and businesses. 

Much of the state along the I-25 corridor was under a red-flag warning for high winds and fire danger until 6 p.m. Wednesday. I-25 reopened both ways around 1:30 p.m. as visibility improved. No injuries have been reported.

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Introduced bill would protect minors using AI chatbots

Tuesday, a bipartisan group of Colorado Representatives introduced House Bill 1263, Protecting AI Chatbot Users from Harm, to address the danger of unregulated AI chatbot use, especially for youth, in Colorado.

Effective January 1, 2027, the bill creates requirements for the people who develop and make available conversational artificial intelligence services, referred to as “operators.” Operators will be required to provide specific disclosures and institute measures that prevent chatbots from producing sexually explicit content or statements that simulate emotional dependence.

They will also be prohibited from providing users with points or rewards to encourage engagement with the chatbot and required to provide tools to manage privacy and account settings.

Sen. John Carson, a republican from Highlands Ranch, said in a recent news release, “The evidence is there: conversational AI has been shown to encourage suicidal ideation and expose young users to sexually explicit content.

Protecting Colorado youth transcends partisanship; my colleagues and I are coming together to pass common-sense regulations so that AI users can trust that the technology is continuing to develop with their safety in mind.”

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Former Colorado Parks and Wildlife Ranger sentenced to three years of probation

Former Colorado Parks and Wildlife Ranger Callum Heskett was sentenced to three years of probation on Monday for falsely reporting he was stabbed in a state park. The false report resulted in various agencies deploying resources to aid in the manhunt that ultimately had no real target. 

In August, Heskett claimed to have been stabbed and was immediately transported to the hospital. While at the hospital, law enforcement searched for the alleged assailant, detaining two people for the crime. Following discrepancies in Heskett’s story, it was revealed that he had stabbed himself in the abdomen. He pleaded guilty and will be barred from serving as law enforcement in Colorado.

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City of Fort Collins to expand ‘Affordable Housing Land Bank’ Program

The city of Fort Collins has purchased two more acres of land for redevelopment, the newest addition to the city’s Affordable Housing Land Bank Program. After city leaders add land to the Affordable Housing Land Bank Program, they wait a few years for the surrounding development and infrastructure to influence the type of affordable housing that will be placed on the property. 

The program began in 2002, and since its creation, the city has purchased seven properties through the program, selling two for affordable housing. Sue Beck-Ferkiss, the social policy and housing programs manager for Fort Collins, cited the two developments as the Village on Horsetooth and Birdwhistle Townhomes.

Beck-Ferkiss told Denver7, “As our city develops and starts to look at infill and the last of the greenfields, it’s really important to us that we preserve opportunities for future affordable housing.”

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You can hear daily headlines on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show, with coverage of local and regional public affairs and news with headlines and commentary. Click here to listen to full episodes of the Morning Magazine.

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