COLORADO, USA — Prediction for the coming winter, property tax increases, scams and a fast-food restaurant bringing back an iconic menu item.
There was a lot that happened in 2023.
These are the news stories you read the most over the last year.
A Taste of Colorado, Colorado's signature Labor Day weekend event, was not held this year.
The Taste of Colorado festival had traditionally been held over the Labor Day holiday weekend at Civic Center in downtown Denver to celebrate the food, artisans, musicians and vendors of the Centennial State.
This year, the event was incorporated into ¡Viva! Streets, a new downtown Denver experience.
The Kansas Highway Patrol must stop using a tactic known as the “Kansas Two-Step” to detain out-of-state drivers long enough to find a reason to search their vehicles for illegal drugs, a federal judge ruled in November.
A new climate model developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) predicted that warming would continue into December, becoming one of the warmest or strongest El Niños in history.
When an El Niño warms to a wintertime average of more than 2 degrees Celsius above normal, it's often referred to as a super El Niño. There have only been three occurrences of super El Niños since 1950, when sea surface temperature records began.
Authorities in Colorado confirmed an investigation into claims that actor John Amos is the victim of elder abuse, even as the actor's representative refutes the accusations.
#6: Wife of slain man says police didn't respond to her 911 report that he had been taken hostage (June 7)
An El Paso County woman who received a desperate text from her husband indicating he had been taken hostage said that she called 911 but that police did not respond until about an hour later, after he had been shot and killed.
#5: Scammers are drilling holes into gas pump payment machines (Sept. 27)
The Aurora Police Department began warning the public about a new scam involving contactless payment processes at gas stations: scammers are drilling holes in contactless payment screens and damaging the sensor.
The holes force customers to swipe their card for payment. Thieves have then placed skimming devices on these damaged machines and are stealing card information.
#4: Man in Colorado appealed his increased property valuation. The county assessor then raised it by another $300K (July 26)
Property owners in Colorado sent in a record number of property value appeals this year. The hope was to convince their county assessors to reduce the value of their home and shrink the increase they received on their property tax bill.
There's one little problem, though. Appealing your property tax value could also put you at risk of getting an even higher bill.
#3: Iconic KFC item is back after 10-year hiatus (March 1)
Kentucky Fried Chicken announced it would bring back the KFC Double Down Sandwich for the first time in nearly a decade.
The legendary sandwich features two pieces of extra crispy chicken, two pieces of bacon, and either mayo or a spicy sauce — and no bread.
The sandwich was only on the menu for four weeks.
The Farmers' Almanac released its extended weather forecast, predicting that after a warm winter last year, cool temperatures and snowy weather conditions will return to the contiguous United States this winter.
The Almanac said because there are indications that an El Niño will begin later this year, its forecast formula predicts cold temperatures could prevail throughout the country, along with snow, sleet and ice.
In April, search crews found the bodies of Lotus band member Chuck Morris and his son Charley, weeks after they went missing while kayaking on a lake in Arkansas. Crews began searching for the pair when they didn't return from a kayaking trip on Beaver Lake on March 16.
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