Stories in this list received the most page views on postindependent.com from May 12-19.

1. Glenwood woman arrested for alleged drug use in closed Aspen hotel 

A Glenwood Springs woman was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly setting off a fire alarm while using drugs in a closed Aspen hotel.

The woman, 39, was picked up by Aspen Police around 11 p.m. outside of the Annabelle Inn, located at 232 W. Main Street, according to an affidavit. She is currently held in the Pitkin County Jail and has not posted her $1,000 cash surety bond.

On the night of the incident, a hotel property manager responded to the hotel’s general alarm and saw the suspect running down the internal stairs of the hotel into the courtyard. She grabbed the woman by the arm and notified the police. The building’s fire alarm was also triggered during the incident.

-Skyler Stark-Ragsdale

2. City of Rifle passes second emergency ordinance for Habitat for Humanity modular housing factory 

The city of Rifle passed another emergency ordinance Wednesday, May 7, to support Habitat for Humanity’s plan to build a modular housing factory on the Western Slope.

The move updates a previous ordinance passed in January, when the City Council first agreed to serve as a conduit for up to $25 million in private activity bonds to help fund the 65,000-square-foot facility. The factory is expected to produce modular housing units for communities across western Colorado.

Rifle City Attorney Jim Neu explained the need for the new ordinance during Tuesday’s regular council meeting, citing instability in national bond markets that delayed the original plan.

-Katherine Tomanek 

3.Final stretch: Sixth Street closure aims to speed construction, local businesses hang on 

After months of intermittent construction and traffic detours, a full closure of Sixth Street in Glenwood Springs is set to begin Monday — a move that will fast-track long-awaited improvements to the corridor but could pressure some struggling small businesses.

The closure will block through-traffic on Sixth Street from Maple Street through Pine Street for 10 days. Then, starting May 27, the closure will extend west to the roundabout and remain in effect through June 13. The detour is part of the city’s broader effort to transform what was once a highway thoroughfare into a vibrant downtown destination with wide sidewalks, fresh landscaping and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.

Construction originally began in August 2024 but paused over the holiday season out of consideration for the Hotel Colorado Tree Lighting Ceremony and the holiday season. Work resumed, weather permitting, in mid-January. Now, city and Downtown Development Authority officials say a concentrated, full closure is the best way to get the job done faster — and give businesses a fighting chance at salvaging the summer season.

-Taylor Cramer 

4. Judge orders competency evaluation for suspect in 2022 Glenwood Springs shooting, police standoff 

A Garfield County judge on Wednesday ordered an inpatient competency evaluation for Craig Allen Robbins, who is charged with two counts of attempted murder and multiple other counts stemming from a 2022 shooting and police standoff in Glenwood Springs.

Robbins appeared in 9th Judicial District Court before Judge Anne K. Norrdin, who granted a defense request to have him transported to the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo for a competency evaluation. Representing Robbins is private attorney William Trent Palmer, while District Attorney Eric Lund appeared on behalf of the prosecution.

Palmer argued that conditions at the Garfield County Jail — where Robbins is held in solitary confinement for more than 23 hours a day and must be restrained during interactions — are not conducive to a meaningful evaluation. He said Robbins’ mental state has deteriorated and that prior attempts to conduct assessments in custody have proven difficult due to logistical and behavioral complications.

-Taylor Cramer 

5. Glenwood Springs commits $1.5 million to help residents purchase mobile home park 

Glenwood Springs City Council voted Thursday to move forward with a $1.5 million contribution from the city’s 2C workforce housing fund to help residents of Mountain Mobile Home Park form a cooperative and buy the land beneath their homes.

The 40-unit park, located along U.S. Highway 6 adjacent to Bighorn Toyota, was recently listed for $4.5 million. More than half of its residents earn less than 20% of the area median income, according to city Housing Development Manager Kevin Reyes.

If purchased by a private investor, Reyes warned, the park could face significant rent hikes or redevelopment. Currently, there are no zoning protections or deed restrictions in place to prevent either scenario.

-Taylor Cramer