Latest news with #highcountry
CBS News
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Westbound lanes of I-70 closed in Colorado's high country after crash involving semi
The westbound lanes of I-70 in Colorado's high country were closed Wednesday morning after a crash involving a semi and a box truck. The lanes were closed at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. The Colorado State Patrol told CBS Colorado that troopers responded to a crash in the westbound lanes at mile marker 212 at 4:18 a.m. The westbound lanes of I-70 were closed Wednesday morning after a crash involving a semi and a box truck. CDOT The crash involved a semi-trailer and a box truck. One driver was rushed to the hospital by a helicopter ambulance. The other driver claimed no injuries. What caused the crash is being investigated. There was a fuel leak with one of the vehicles. Troopers said it is unclear when the westbound lanes will reopen and that drivers should expect an extended closure. There were miles-long backups leading to the tunnel.
CBS News
26-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Xcel Energy tests drones for power line inspections in Colorado
Xcel Energy tested drone technology in Colorado with the goal of speeding up restoration times when lines have been deactivated because of fire danger. Xcel Energy tests a drone. CBS The technology is designed for customers in the high country. Xcel told CBS Colorado that it can power up a drone and use it to inspect the lines to determine whether it's safe to turn them back on. "It just allows us to eliminate the mobilization time of getting a lineman or a truck up to the site and allows us to immediately start inspecting as soon as we get notification of an outage," said Zach Roach, UAS Program Manager for Xcel Energy. An Xcel Energy drone. CBS Xcel said the drones would allow crews to restore power 10 to 20 times more quickly than they otherwise would be able to.
CBS News
05-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Silverthorne Fire Station for Summit Fire and EMS officially opens for growing Colorado community
After years in the making, Summit Fire & EMS has officially opened its newest fire station, bringing critical emergency services closer to the growing Colorado neighborhoods north of Silverthorne. This strategic new location will provide faster response times for neighbors previously relying on the Dillon station as their closest option. That closer location also has potential insurance savings for residents, as well as addressing long-standing concerns about traffic congestion and emergency access. CBS "Having this here eliminates a good mile of that traffic," explains Silverthorne resident Tim Boucher. "So it's really going to help a lot having the vehicles here, having the EMS here, you know, the medical, because there's so many homes around here that really need the medical." The new station, though starting with a small crew, is designed for immediate impact. "Right now, what we're running out of here is a two-person medic unit crew based off of one firefighter, paramedic, one firefighter/EMT," says Battalion Chief Ryan Cole of B Shift for Summit Fire and EMS. "They're still all hazards; they can still respond to any type of call that we would go to." While currently operating with a two-person crew, these highly trained individuals can operate a full fire engine, an ambulance, or a wildland truck -- a crucial asset in the high country. This nimble staffing ensures that even with a smaller initial footprint, the new station can respond effectively to a range of emergencies. Chief Cole notes that while the current call volume doesn't necessitate a full six-person crew, "it is growing that way." The "ribbon cutting" for the new Summit Fire and EMS station featured a fire hose instead of a ribbon. CBS Summit Fire and EMS has said the emphasis on speed and efficiency is intended to bring some peace of mind for the northern Silverthorne neighbors. "From the time the tones drop to the time the wheels are turning, we're looking for a 90 second turnout time," Chief Cole said. "It's being able to get there quickly for the people who are calling for what they're needing, whether that is simply a smoke detector set off by cooking or an actual medical emergency, we want to get there in a timely manner and provide the care that the people are expecting." For residents, they tell CBS Colorado the peace of mind is immeasurable. "Seconds away is a feel good for us older people because you never know what could happen," says Tim Boucher. "And having them here, having these vehicles here, the EMS here is wonderful. It's a big help." CBS Beyond immediate emergency response, the new station also offers a significant financial benefit: potentially lower insurance premiums. With quicker access to emergency services, residents north of Silverthorne can now demonstrate a reduced risk, which should have a positive impact on their insurance costs. This was one of the key factors residents advocated for in accelerating the station's development. As the neighborhoods continue to grow, Summit Fire & EMS anticipates expanding its crews to meet the increasing demand, ensuring the community remains safe and well-protected for years to come.
RNZ News
30-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
New Zealand's largest privately run ski field is up for sale
What began as a labour of love in the Canterbury high country almost 50 years ago is up for sale. Eighty-two-year-old Peter Foote is putting his family-owned Mount Dobson ski field on the market. He's told Jesse he'd love to see someone carry on the legacy. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
30-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Pilot has near-miss with radio tower on high country farm
A screen shot from the video posted by a pilot showing their near miss with a radio tower (to the right) which they failed to detect. Photo: Supplied / Screenshot Farmers are being urged to tell agricultural pilots about flight hazards on their farms, after a near-miss between a pilot and a radio tower that runs electronic farming systems. It comes as more high-tech devices are being used on farms. The video taken in high country central North Island showed a helicopter spray pilot narrowly missing a tall radio tower of technology company Halter for its virtual farm fencing and electronic cattle collar systems. Halter said its towers that were just under 10-metres tall enabled farm connectivity, and were compliant with Civil Aviation Authority rules. The pilot, who wanted to remain anonymous, sent the video to the New Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association, that then shared it on social media. Association executive officer Tony Michelle said poor light conditions meant the pilot did not know the tower was there, until they were right above it. "The towers vary in height from 3 to 10 metres, which is in the normal operating range for helicopters undertaking spray operations, so these are quite a significant flight hazard," he said. "But I'd like to reiterate they're no different to the other hazards that our pilots deal with everyday in the low level environment; wires, power poles, trees and the likes, pivot irrigators." Michelle said the association was pleased with the reponse it had from Halter, that promised to remind its clients to inform pilots about the location of towers on-site. "This isn't about a beat up at all on these on these systems, it's more about getting some awareness out there, particularly with farmers, so that they are aware of their obligations to notify our pilots of these hazards when they're on farm," he said. A Halter spokesperson said it was "proactive" at ensuring safe installation and operation of towers on farms. "Halter works alongside the New Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association to promote safe operations for farmers and agricultural aerial operators," they said. "Halter also educates farmers of the importance of informing agricultural aviation operators of tower locations before they commence operations on their farm." Meanwhile, Michelle said the farmer of the site in the video had since posted the tower's location to the New Zealand Defence Force's Flight Advisor platform for identifying local flight hazards. "There is some of the GPS systems that are used by agricultural aircrafts now where hazards can be loaded onto online platforms that then come up when the pilot is downloads the GPS files for any particular operation on farm," he said. "But the best way is for the farmer in a pre-operational brief, to have a map, identify with the pilot where the location of a tower or any other hazard, and actually do a fly around to make sure that they have identified all those hazards to the pilot." Civil Aviation Act rules showed agricultural aircrafts could operate below 500 feet above ground level, and low-level operations came with known risks like wires or other obstacles. A Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said agricultural pilots doing low-level work like crop dusting "must stay alert for hazards". "Sometimes small towers and poles can blend into the environment and can easily be missed in a recce flight which can be problematic," they said. "Pilots need to be informed about all hazards and associated risks by landowners and there is also onus on the pilot to ask about these. "As well, things like cabin configuration and the time of day (sunstrike - shade) can also be barriers to not identifying small obstacles." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
