Goat Trail & Cougar Run fires contained; Federal funding freeze threatens Boulder’s NOAA Global Monitoring Lab scientists; New measles cases connected to Colorado Springs drive-thru restaurant

Headlines Thursday, April 9, 2026

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    Goat Trail & Cougar Run fires contained; Federal funding freeze threatens Boulder’s NOAA Global Monitoring Lab scientists; New measles cases connected to Colorado Springs drive-thru restaurant KGNU News

Goat Trail & Cougar Run fires contained

The Goat Trail and Cougar Run fires have been fully contained as of Wednesday morning.

The Goat Trail Fire in North Boulder reached 1.7 acres and was 100% contained as of 8:50 a.m., according to Boulder County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Vinnie Montez. The blaze prompted an evacuation warning for areas in north Boulder, but was lifted by 8:04 a.m., per BOCOalert, the county’s emergency notification system.

Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that the Cougar Run fire in Berthoud was fully contained by 10 am. The fire was first reported just after 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, and spread 3.5 acres. 

No injuries were reported and no structures were damaged in either fire.

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Federal funding freeze threatens Boulder’s NOAA Global Monitoring Lab scientists

About half of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Global Monitoring Lab’s staff in Boulder will be furloughed come May if federal funding is not released.

The lab tracks and analyzes greenhouse gases, solar radiation, aerosols and ozone levels. The majority of the scientists work through CU Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). Their work and salaries are funded through federal grants that were paused on Feb. 27.

Funding officially ran out for CIRES Global Monitoring Lab employees on March 24. The university informed 42 employees this week that they would be furloughed without pay on May 15, unless federal funding comes through, in which case the furloughs would be rescinded.

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New measles cases connected to Colorado Springs drive-thru restaurant

Two Weld County residents are confirmed to have measles, and may have exposed patrons of a Chick-fil-A restaurant to the virus. 

The pair may have exposed people to the virus who were at Chick-fil-A at Citadel Crossing Shopping Center, 505 North Academy Boulevard, from 5-8 p.m. on March 25.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Weld County Public Health said in a news release Wednesday that the two are unvaccinated adults and household contacts of a previously confirmed case.

According to state officials, those who were exposed may develop symptoms any time through April 15. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually starts on the face and spreads.

The cases were found to be unconnected to a recent outbreak in Broomfield.

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Brighton is the latest city to roll out drought-induced water restrictions

City leaders in Brighton are aiming to reduce water use by 20% with a new set of drought restrictions now in effect, joining many Front Range cities in limiting outdoor watering this season.

Brighton City Council approved the first stage of drought restrictions on irrigation and outdoor water use at a Tuesday meeting, making them effective immediately and until further notice.

City officials said in a news release, “Water restrictions play a critical role in reducing demand during the irrigation season, protecting our limited water supply for essential needs and preventing strain on the system during peak use.”

The drought restrictions include limiting outdoor watering to twice a week on scheduled days, no irrigation use by city water customers between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., no sod installation or replacement in areas larger than 200 square feet and no water runoff or pooling.

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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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