1 year ago: Local abandoned pet numbers spike, adoptions lag

In 2023, the Summit County Animal Control and Shelter recorded 157 abandoned pets. The shelter’s data shows this is the highest number of surrenders the county has seen in a decade. Animal control supervisor JJ McGill said while people were adopting pets in droves during the pandemic, there were hardly any in-person resources available for new pet owners or opportunities to socialize pets. Now, McGill said the shelter is “getting a lot more behavioral-type surrenders,” especially when it comes to dogs. While the shelter saw a record number in surrender, it was a different story for adoptions. In 2023, the shelter had 492 adoptions, which is a drop from the past two years. The shelter had 521 adoptions in 2022 and 573 in 2021. 

— From the Jan. 10, 2024, edition of the Summit Daily News

5 years ago: County sheriff lands acting, advising role on cop drama

On Jan. 2, 2020, Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons made his television debut on the new primetime Fox cop drama, “Deputy,” in which he served as an adviser for the pilot and was featured in a brief acting role in the opening scene. With the latest gig, FitzSimons now has 15 film credits to his name on IMDB, serving as an adviser on movies including Jake Gyllenhaal-led crime thrillers “End of Watch,” “Prisoners” and “Nightcrawler” in addition to coaching Will Smith on how to be an LA patrol cop in the Netflix flick “Bright.” As far as acting, he also has performed a variety of roles in movies like “End of Watch,” “Sabotage,” “Fury” and “Suicide Squad.”

— From the Jan. 6, 2020, edition of the Summit Daily News

10 years ago: Breckenridge Main Street reopens after weeklong gas leak

Crews with Xcel Energy fully contained a natural gas leak on Jan. 10, 2015, that put nearly 15 Main Street businesses out of commission for a week. The leak was first detected late on Jan. 4 in front of the Red, White and Blue Fire Protection District station at 316 N. Main St. It led to immediate evacuations and closed Main Street for nearly 24 hours. Once the leak was discovered, Xcel sent five crews to work around the clock to assess and contain the leak. Xcel officials said the leak didn’t pose an immediate public health hazard, but because the gas is odorless and invisible, it’s difficult to track. 

— From the Jan. 11, 2015, edition of the Summit Daily News

10 years ago: Community center celebrates grand opening in Breckenridge

More than 1,000 people attended the grand opening of the Breckenridge Grand Vacations Community Center & South Branch Library on Jan. 10, 2015. The event celebrated the culmination of more than 16 months of work to restore the building on Harris Street, which was once a schoolhouse.

— From the Jan. 11, 2015, edition of the Summit Daily News

15 years ago: Home near Peak 8 sets Summit County price record

The most expensive home sale in Summit County history occurred at the end of 2009 with the transfer of an $8.285 million residence near the base of Peak 8. The 6,565-square-foot residence sold for about $2.7 million more than the previous record-breaker, which occurred in July 2008. Both are in Timber Trail subdivision. Overall sales and dollar values of local homes were down from previous years in 2009, but transactions for the $2 million-and-above segment of local homes did increase from 2008.

— From the Jan. 6, 2010, edition of the Summit Daily News

30 years ago: Keystone Resort donates land for fire station

Keystone Resort officials recently committed to donating a 1.2-acre parcel of land for the Snake River Fire Protection District to build a new station. A new station will likely be located at the site of the old Tenderfoot Campground area east of the Keystone Conference Center on Highway 6. At present, the land is zoned Natural Resource-2, however, a request for rezoning to permit commercial and residential use is being pursued by the resort as part of its consolidated Planned Unit Development proposal currently being considered by the Board of County Commissioners. It is hoped that construction would begin in summer 1995.

— From the Jan. 5, 1995, edition of the Summit Daily News

125 years ago: Breckenridge photographer shows work to rail agent

Breckenridge photographer O. Westerman headed to Denver on Jan. 9, 1900, with a fine collection of large photographs showing the beauty spots along the South Park Railroad. He will be showing his collection to general passenger agent Fisher with an aim to have them framed and hung in the corridors of the leading Eastern hotels. These photos, true to nature and finished with an artistic eye, would do more to advertise the grand scenery along the line than all the books and descriptive matter that could be written. Once placed where the traveling public can see them, the pictures could increase the tourist travel over the Park line tenfold.

— From the Jan. 13, 1900, edition of the Summit County Journal