Editor’s note: Stories in this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com from Feb. 5-11.

1. FBI works with Summit County Sheriff’s Office in wake of threat alluding to bomb, AR-15 rifle made to high school Monday

Law enforcement discovered no danger to students or staff at Summit County schools after a threatening call led to a district-wide lockdown Monday morning, Feb. 6, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 9:20 a.m., a caller reported they were outside the high school and armed with a bomb and AR-15 rifle, Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said. But law enforcement were quickly able to determine nobody was there.

Still, a thorough search of the interior and exterior of the high school had to be completed, and the building remained on lockdown until around 1 p.m., when law enforcement personnel completed the search, according to the sheriff.

— Ryan Spencer

2. A pure soul with a bright smile: Summit County community members reminisce on the life and impact of Silverthorne’s Tyler James Updegraff

Silverthorne resident Tyler James Updegraff, 27, died on Thursday, Jan. 26, after being involved in a skiing accident at Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort. 

During his time in Summit County, Updegraff made a huge impact on the community. He was a running back and special teams coach with the Summit High School football team, a mentor to Summit County youth, an outdoorsman, a cook and a friend with a smile that could light up anybody’s day. 

“His smile was so bright and impactful,” former Summit High School student and running back Aidan Collins said. “Every single time I saw him smile it would make my day a million times better.”

— Cody Jones

3. Heavy bands of snow predicted in Summit County through Thursday evening as snowstorm potential grows for next week

Wind gusts up to 55 mph and bands of heavy snow were expected to make driving difficult until Thursday evening, according to National Weather Service of Boulder reports. 

The incoming storm was expected to bring hazards mostly to the High Country, including Summit County, as a cold front moves across the state and mountains from late Wednesday until Thursday evening. 

“Travel may be difficult at times if experiencing one of these bands due to rapidly decreasing visibility,” National Weather Service meteorologists wrote in their report. “Winds will also lead to blowing snow hazards as well in the mountains.”

— Summit Daily staff

4. What drove a 29-year-old Colorado social studies teacher to jump from the classroom to the state Capitol

Last fall, about 25 Steamboat Springs high schoolers received an unexpected knock at the door. Standing in front of them upon opening it?

Their social studies teacher.

Meghan Lukens wasn’t there to confront her students about poor grades or attendance but instead to campaign for their families’ support in the race to represent Colorado House District 26.

Now, the 29-year-old teacher-turned-lawmaker has stepped outside her classroom to practice what she previously taught: how to write a bill and turn it into a law, how to find consensus amid controversy and how to represent constituents effectively at home and under the gold dome.

— The Colorado Sun

5. As public officials applaud, some anglers are protesting the Blue Valley Land Exchange over concerns about losing access to a prized fishing spot

On Jan. 16, the Bureau of Land Management — which is part of the U.S. Interior Department — issued a record of decision approving the exchange. Blue Valley Ranch first proposed some form of the land swap in 2001 to address the “checkerboard nature” of ownership in the area.

As part of the deal, the federal government will convey nine parcels totaling 1,489 acres to Blue Valley Ranch, while the ranch will transfer nine parcels of private land totaling 1,830 acres to public ownership.

The exchange has seen wide support from government officials including both of Colorado’s senators, both the Summit County and Grand County commissioners, and those at the Bureau of Land Management. Meanwhile, some local residents and outdoors groups, like the Colorado River Confluence chapter of Trouts Unlimited, have also come out in support of the exchange.

Still, others have expressed their opposition to the exchange, including the advocacy group Colorado Wild Public Lands, and those who regularly recreate in the areas that are currently public.

— Ryan Spencer