Stories in this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com from May 11-17. 

1. Suspect arrested following Meadow Creek fire that burned 6.3 acres in Frisco on Saturday

A suspect was arrested by the Frisco Police Department on Saturday, May 10, on suspicion of being involved with the Meadow Creek wildfire, which sparked Saturday near Whole Foods in Frisco. The suspect is not believed to be from the area, according to a news release from the town of Frisco, and is currently in custody. The investigation is ongoing and no further details will be made available at this time, the release states.

Summit Fire & EMS was on-site Sunday performing mop-up duties and investigating the cause of the wildfire.

Summit Fire & EMS battalion chief Ryan Cole said that crews have successfully contained the fire and consider the possibility of a rekindling low.

“We are currently investigating as we speak … We have multiple crews doing mop-up of the fire areas from yesterday,” Cole said late Sunday morning.

— Matt Hutcheson and Kit Geary

2. A-Basin announces draft master plan with 2 new gondolas, a new lift, a new learning area and expanded snowmaking

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area has released a draft master plan for future upgrades to the ski area, including additional parking, two new gondolas, a new lift, and a new learning area and expanded snowmaking and avalanche technology.

The 103-page draft master plan published Friday, May 16, outlines A-Basin’s long-term vision, according to a news release from the ski area, which describes the plan as “a dynamic document” that could be amended.

A-Basin president and chief operating officer Alan Henceroth first announced the draft master plan at the annual Ski Area COO Summit in 2023. But the ski area then put the plans on hold as it underwent the process of being sold to Alterra Mountain Co., the owner of the Ikon Pass

Henceroth said Friday that the ski area recently submitted the draft plan to the U.S. Forest Service for review. Henceroth said once the Forest Service accepts the plan, A-Basin can begin working on the project approval plan, hopefully by this fall.

“I don’t think we’re going to propose all the projects at once,” Henceroth said. “We’ll work our way through that over time. Today, the things we’re really focused on are the avalanche control system, the parking and the pedestrian bridge, and the snowmaking upgrades. That’s probably what we’ll start with first.”

— Ryan Spencer

3. One injured, evacuation lifted following ‘high-pressure gas’ line rupture in Silverthorne

Editor’s note: This was a breaking news story published on Tuesday, May 13.

The evacuation has been lifted and those impacted are welcome to return home, Silverthorne a communications director Kristina Nayden said in a statement.

Xcel Energy crews are on-site assessing damage before repairs can be made, a spokesperson for the utility company said in an email. Customers served by this line will be without natural gas service until repairs can be made, according to the utility company. No timeline for when gas would be restored to the area was immediately provided.

— Summit Daily News staff report

4. Frisco just got a new fast food restaurant, and now a 24-hour McDonald’s is eyeing the town as residents share concerns

The Summit Boulevard area in Frisco houses fast food establishments including a Wendy’s, a Taco Bell, a Kentucky Fried Chicken and, now, Dunkin’.

Dunkin’, formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts, fully opened on Summit Boulevard on Saturday, May 10. 

A franchisee group called Avalanche Coffee owns the location and is the same team that took over the Silverthorne Dunkin’ around five years ago. Eagle County-based managing owner Dan Eckard said the Frisco store is years in the making and the ownership group is happy to finally have the doors open.

A site plan for a Dunkin’ was approved back in 2022, and a building permit was also submitted that year. The project secured a new contractor in late 2024, Jeremy Hufford, according to town of Frisco representatives. Hufford took on the project from there and was able to get it wrapped up in spring 2025, with finishing touches completed in early May. 

Eckard said this Dunkin location will look different from others people might be used to because it is a part of the “Next Gen” line of stores. The initiative is one started on the national level to modernize newer stores — or in some cases like one with a store in Loveland, modernize existing stores — and make them more energy efficient. According to the owners, the Frisco Dunkin’s is designed to save 25% more energy.

— Kit Geary

5. She’s behind some of Colorado’s favorite farmers markets. A Breckenridge restaurateur convinced her not to hang up the hat yet.

If there’s one thing most Coloradans can get behind, it’s a good farmer’s market. 

Nicole Jarman said that became clear early on in her now 19-year run organizing and managing them as she watched their popularity skyrocket. It is perhaps most evidenced by the event that helped stake her claim in the industry, the South Pearl Street Farmers Market in Denver, where she helped grow a market with 20 vendors into one with over 180. 

She was ready for this past year to be her company Jarman and Co. Events’ last organizing farmers markets, but a request from a friend is changing that. Her next project will be in downtown Breckenridge, and it’s mostly thanks to a James Beard award-winning chef who wanted the community around him to have more access to fresh produce. 

Palisade peaches, wagyu beef and farm-grown herbs are just some of the items that will be found at the new Breckenridge Farmers Market in the Exchange Lot this summer. The weekly Thursday event will coincide with Breck Create’s Airstage Concert Series, which kicks off June 19.

— Kit Geary