Wildfire near Chautauqua contained; Benavidez appointed to Colorado Senate; CU quarterback Dominiq Ponder dies in car crash

Headlines Monday, March 2, 2026

  • cover play_arrow

    Wildfire near Chautauqua contained; Benavidez appointed to Colorado Senate; CU quarterback Dominiq Ponder dies in car crash KGNU News

Wildfire near Chautauqua contained

On Saturday, a wildfire broke out near Chautauqua Park that took nearly 100 firefighters and five hours to contain. Although hundreds of hikers were in the area, no injuries were reported. Boulder Fire and Rescue Chief Michael Calderazzo said, “There were hundreds of people on the trails when this fire came in, and all those people were safely brought down.”

In total, nine agencies responded to the fire, and the state’s $26 million Firehawk helicopter was deployed, which made seven drops of 560 gallons of water to calm the fire.

All trails at Chautauqua Park, Green Mountain, and Enchanted Mesa remained closed until Sunday. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department

READ MORE

 

Benavidez appointed to Colorado Senate

Former State Representative Adrienne Benavidez has been appointed to the Colorado Senate. A Democratic party vacancy committee selected Benavidez to represent Senate District 21, which includes parts of Adams and Arapahoe counties.

Former Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet  resigned from the seat earlier this month. Benavidez will serve through the end of this year, but voters will decide in November who completes the remainder of the term. She previously served in the legislature for six years and stepped down in 2022. More than two dozen current Colorado lawmakers were at one point appointed by vacancy committees.

This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance

 

CU quarterback Dominiq Ponder dies in car crash

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died on Sunday morning at the age of 23 following a single-car crash on Baseline Road. Ponder was reportedly driving his 2023 Tesla Model 3 around 3 a.m. before losing control of the vehicle on a curve. The Tesla hit a guardrail and a post before rolling and catching fire. The preliminary investigation indicates that speed may have been a factor in the collision.

Ponder was a redshirt sophomore who transferred from Bethune-Cookman and appeared in two games for the Buffs last season.

READ MORE

 

Greeley residents opposed a $1 billion entertainment district

The residents of Greeley opposed the project, which would have built a nearly $1 billion entertainment district in West Greeley. The district would have included a

water park, a luxury conference hotel, and a new arena for the Colorado Eagles hockey team. Residents in favor of Ballot proposal 1A, which aimed at repealing the project, outvoted those against it 11,342 to 9,506.

Although the vote result doesn’t kill the project, it will delay it for at least another year. Stakeholders have already filed a lawsuit that argues that the result of the vote was unconstitutional.

READ MORE

 

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.

Picture of KGNU News

KGNU News

Search

Now Playing

play_arrow

Live Broadcast

Recent Stories

Upcoming Events

KGNU PARTNERS

Want to help us build a better radio station?

We’re conducting a survey to help us understand how our listeners are using new technology. Please spend 15 minutes to let us know what you think.

Public media moves forward because you listen, watch, share and support. Thank you for being part of this community — and for helping us continue the journey during Public Media Giving Days.