Editor’s note: Stories in this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com for the past week.

1. Breckenridge to step up public health order enforcement

The Breckenridge Town Council discussed stepping up enforcement of public health orders in town at last week’s town council work session. 

Mayor Eric Mamula said there have been several complaints of businesses that are out of public health compliance. He speculated that some businesses have either given up or have realized that the town isn’t enforcing the public health orders, and said the town needs to do something about these businesses and in turn support businesses that are following health guidance.

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Breckenridge Police Chief Jim Baird said the department is beginning an organized push on Wednesday, Oct. 14, when officers will reeducate people by contacting businesses to remind them of public health orders. Then, certain businesses that are open after 7 p.m. that have received complaints or have been found out of compliance in prior checks will stay on a frequent schedule and will be assigned to staff to continue to follow up with. He noted that most complaints the department receives are related to restaurants and bars.

— Taylor Sienkiewicz 

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2. Local ski areas share current plans for the upcoming season

Details on reservations, opening and ski area amenities were discussed at a group meeting of Colorado resorts via Colorado Ski Country USA, which represents 22 ski areas. While methods differ, the two things ski areas are trying to do to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 this season is to limit the number of people that visit the ski area and move things outside wherever possible.

While Arapahoe Basin Ski Area passholders will not need a reservation to ski or snowboard on any given day, Ikon Pass holders will have to make a reservation at A-Basin in advance. A-Basin installed new RFID gates for this season that will eliminate the need for ticket scanners in the lift lines. 

Copper Mountain Resort spokesperson Olivia Butrymovich said the resort’s Nov. 30 opening day is on a Monday, which will help the mountain ease into the season. Butrymovich said that details about the parking reservation system will be available in coming weeks, including how many spots will be available, but that the resort is moving forward with a touchless transactions system where people can reserve tickets online and pick them up from boxes at the resort instead of a ticket booth.

— Taylor Sienkiewicz

3. Breckenridge officials discuss COVID-19 case rise and prevention measures in community update

Breckenridge and Summit County officials discussed a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, the virus in the workplace and enforcement of public health ordinances at a community update meeting. 

As Summit County is currently in safer-at-home Level 2, which is labeled “concern” by the state’s dial dashboard, Breckenridge Mayor Eric Mamula called on community members to help keep Summit County open. 

“No matter what your opinions of the disease (are) … there is another concern here that is not about the health, and that’s about keeping our community open,” Mamula said.

Public Health Director Amy Wineland noted it would be very extreme for the county to return to a shutdown. She explained that during the shutdown, hospital capacity was increased and testing capabilities were expanded, so if the county moves to a more restrictive level of safer-at-home, officials will start by taking targeted approaches to mitigate spread, such as a last call curfew for restaurants. 

— Taylor Sienkiewicz

4. Public Health investigates COVID-19 outbreak at Summit County Government

An outbreak of COVID-19 has been reported within a department of Summit County Government as the department has two confirmed cases among employees.

According to a release from Summit County Government, the two employees who tested positive frequently traveled together in a work vehicle without wearing masks. 

The release noted that all positive cases have been isolated and that close contacts have been investigated by Public Health’s Contact Tracing Team and have been quarantined. One positive employee went to work while symptomatic and reported that they did not understand the public health protocols. One positive employee also hosted a residential gathering while symptomatic, after being tested and prior to receiving results. 

— Taylor Sienkiewicz

5. Missing hiker found dead below summit of Mount Silverthorne

The Summit County Rescue Group recovered the body of missing hiker Ken May from a couloir below the summit of Mount Silverthorne Friday night.

A rescue team found May’s body at about 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, in very technical terrain below the ridge between Mount Silverthorne and East Thorne.

The Summit County Coroner’s Office has since ruled May’s death as accidental. The official cause of death is multiple blunt force trauma injuries, Coroner Regan Wood said in an email on Saturday, Oct. 10.

— Sawyer D’Argonne