English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Fort Collins, CO

The Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins was closed on Friday, including all in-person, hybrid and remote classes as well as all operations. According to the university, crews continue to assess damage after high winds moved through on Thursday.

CSU said residence halls, dining facilities and the transit center on campus will remain open for students living on campus. Anyone who must be on campus should exercise caution outdoors and avoid areas with trees.

CSU said most wind damage is concentrated on the east side of the main campus near academic and administrative buildings. Campus officials said several pedestrian pathways are impacted.

The high school state basketball championship, held solely in the Moby Arena and the Moby parking lot will continue as scheduled.

CSU said more information regarding closures is listed online.

FORT COLLINS — The Colorado State women’s basketball team is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade, and the Rams are packing their dancing shoes for a trip to Norman, Oklahoma.

CSU earned a No.12 seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament and will face No. 5 Michigan State in the first round in Norman on Friday.

At a watch party at Canvas Stadium on Sunday evening, the Rams learned their fate and cheered along with their head coach when the school showed up in the bracket.

“Colorado State, on a national stage, that’s where we belong,” CSU head coach Ryun Williams said. “And for these young women to be representing this university, there’s nothing better than that. Their competitive makeup is right where it needs to be for an NCAA Tournament,”

The Rams earned a spot in the 68-team field by defeating Air Force 56-42 in the championship game of the Mountain West Conference tournament.

They have been waiting since winning that title Wednesday night to learn their tournament fate. Even Sunday, the Rams’ section of the bracket was one of the last to be revealed.

“I’ve been on a high a little bit since the championship and just kind of taking that all in and not looking too far into the future,” CSU senior Hannah Ronsiek said. “But now, I think it’s time to look onto the next team.

“I’ve wanted to do this for four years. Obviously, this is the goal, but I’m just super happy that we could get it done in my last year.”

This will be the first NCAA Tournament appearance for CSU since 2016, which was also the last time the Rams won the MWC tourney.

It will be CSU’s seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second under Williams. The Rams are 5-6 in the tournament, with their last victory coming in 2001.

The farthest CSU has advanced in the tournament is the Sweet 16. That occurred in 1999 when the Rams were led by Becky Hammon and Katie Cronin.

CSU is 22-7 on the season. The Rams went 15-5 in conference play and won three games in three days to win the league tournament, defeating Grand Canyon 61-59, UNLV 66-59, and then Air Force in the championship game.

The players and Williams believe what they did in Las Vegas earned them enough respect to earn the 12 seed they received.

“It was super overwhelming to know that they see our great determination, and they see how hard we work and just to gain that No. 12 seed is really promising for us,” CSU sophomore Kloe Froebe said.

The Rams have been led this season by senior Lexus Bargesser. The Mountain West newcomer of the year averaged 15.2 points per game for CSU but was injured in the conference semifinal game against UNLV and did not play in the championship game.

Sophomore Brooke Carlson averages 11.3 points per game and Froebe is averaging 10.7. Froebe is also the team’s leading rebounder, averaging 6.8 per contest.

If the Rams win their first-round game, they will face either host Oklahoma or Idaho in the second round.

The Denver Rescue Mission is working toward a solution for homelessness in Northern Colorado. Construction on a new facility is underway at the intersection of Mason Street and Hibdon Court in Fort Collins.

"The foundation is being poured. Stairwells are going up and framing should be happening very soon," said Seth Forwood, Denver Rescue Mission's Vice President of Programs, Northern Colorado. "It's not just a shelter. It is a Homeless Resolution Center that is aimed at keeping people safe overnight, but also pointing them in the direction of their long-term sustainability in a permanent home."

Denver Rescue Mission is hoping this facility will make a real difference.

"We have the first kind of purpose-built day shelter that Fort Collins has ever seen," said Forwood.

Not only will people be able to seek services during the day, the overnight guests can expect a high level of care.

"Instead of having large rooms that house as many people as we can, the shelter beds are broken up into neighborhoods that we can program according to the demographics and needs of the people that are coming into our doors," Forwood said.

There will be spaces for veterans and overnight workers.

"And if a whole neighborhood is dedicated to that, we can really protect it so they can get some good sleep and actually show up to work as their best self," he said.

Denver Rescue Mission is dedicated to breaking down the barriers and getting people in stable, permanent housing.

LINK: Spread the Warmth

Denver Rescue Mission needs donations of warm weather gear: hats, gloves, coats, boots, socks and underwear. You can also make a cash donation through CBS Colorado's Spread the Warmth campaign.

Fort Collins shoppers may not have to drive all the way to Centennial for minimalist Scandinavian furniture and Swedish meatballs much longer.

IKEA has set its sights on the city, with plans to open a small-format store in the Front Range Village Shopping Center, according to a Feb. 17 news release from the company.

The Fort Collins location is one of four recently-announced stores and one of 10 overall planned by the furniture retailer in 2026. Other recently-announced locations are planned for Culver City, California; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Gurnee, Illinois.

The 64,000-square-foot store is planned to occupy 4250 Corbett Drive, which has been vacant since August 2025 when the Urban Air Adventure Park closed after nearly six years, according to past Coloradoan reporting.

What an IKEA may mean for Fort Collins

When compared to retail stores of a similar magnitude — around 65,000 square feet — IKEA could be expected to bring in "multiple millions of dollars" in sales tax revenue for the city, Fort Collins Chief Financial Officer Caleb Weitz told the Coloradoan on Feb. 17.

Weitz noted that more specific revenue estimates are hard to calculate without hard sales figures from IKEA and more information about its smaller-format stores.

Still, IKEA has something that could be a boon for the city: a big name.

"It's great for the city to get a retailer that attracts regional shoppers," Weitz said.

Currently, Colorado's sole full-size IKEA store is located 80 miles away in Centennial, and there are none in Wyoming or western Nebraska, according to the company's website.

"It's great news for the city from a revenue standpoint," Weitz added. "Just the fact that we're able to get a large vacant commercial property filled with a revenue-generating business is going to attract people to come spend money in Fort Collins."

IKEA Fort Collins: When will it open?

The store is set to open in the fall, publicist Eden Zaslow said on behalf of the company.

IKEA Fort Collins' offerings: Swedish meatballs, small furniture items and more

Fort Collins' planned location will be about one-sixth the size of Centennial's mammoth IKEA. The smaller-format store will feature a central planning area where customers can plan out their kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.

It will also carry around 3,200 items, including home furnishing accessories and small furniture items, and sell popular IKEA foods like Swedish meatballs, hot dogs, veggie dogs, cinnamon buns and more, according to Zaslow.

IKEA unveiled more newly-formatted stores in 2025. Unlike full-sized IKEAs, they offer IKEA's home planning tools and a pick-up point for larger IKEA orders.

Want more Fort Collins development news? Subscribe to The Buzz, the Coloradoan's weekly dive into local business, development, real estate and restaurant news.

When planning a trip to Colorado, cities like Denver or Fort Collins almost always make the shortlist. After all, the former has been called the surprising "street art capital of the country" while the latter holds the title of the most peaceful place to live in America (and it's packed with outdoor charm). But what happens if you can't deal with the big city noise or just can't decide which one to visit? You should consider adding Evans to the bucket list, too. While considerably smaller, this often-overlooked gem provides the perfect solution to your conundrum. In Evans, you can stay someplace quaint, understated, and nature-focused while still being within driving distance of several of the state's most touristy attractions. And because this is a more secluded city, the Rocky Mountain views and nearby wilderness are hard to compete with.

Don't take "secluded" to mean "isolated," though. U.S. routes 34 and 85 intersect right at the northeastern part of Evans, so driving into town should be easy enough. Denver is roughly an hour away, and so is Boulder. Fort Collins, on the other hand, can be reached in under 50 minutes via I-25 S and E US-34. The closest major airport is Denver International, which sits 48.5 miles south. While you might find a way to cover the distance via public transport, there are no direct lines connecting Evans to the airport. That's why most people who fly in will either book an airport transfer, get a taxi, or rent a car. Because the former two can get a bit pricey and Evans itself is only somewhat walkable, the extra flexibility that comes with driving your own car would likely be worth the daily fee.

Evan's Rocky Mountain Views and nearby wilderness adventures

While places like Erie, Colorado's scenic town with walkable trails and mountain views, are slowly growing each year, Evans has stayed a bit more hidden despite promising a very similar array of outdoor attractions. So, let's take a moment to uncover the city's underrated charm. For starters, even though Evans isn't perched in the Rockies, their skyline is still visible, especially on clear days. And if you want to experience the famous Rocky Mountain National Park firsthand, all it takes is a 50-mile drive west. The views are beautiful, the hiking trails are well-kept, and you'll even get a chance to spot elk, moose, and mule deer.

When you want to switch things up, you can head east and drive the 60 miles to Pawnee National Grassland instead. Here, you'll get to experience some gorgeous rolling prairies and all the wildlife that roam free around them. Common sights include antelope, horses, and cattle. Just keep an eye out for scorpions and rattlesnakes, and try not to miss out on the Pawnee Buttes.

Those who want to keep their outdoor adventures more local will be happy to learn that Evans is home to a wide array of parks. Most include trails, picnic spaces, and sports fields, and Arrowhead Open Space even features a scenic overlook. If you want to rent a pavilion at City Park, the oldest in the city, you're looking at an $85 fee at the time of writing this article. For more of the region's outdoorsy charm, you can also plan a day trip to Loveland. This artsy town serves as an underrated gateway to the Rocky Mountains and is located just a little over 30 minutes west of Evans.

Take in Evans' quaint city charm

Evans is sandwiched between many great destinations, but a great way to decompress from an active day out in the wilderness is to stroll around town. Evans has several unmissable spots to add to the itinerary. Riverside Library and Cultural Center, for example, located in Old Town, is an 18,500-square-foot space that replicates the train depot that once existed there. It features a varied selection of literature, and you can even catch one of the many cultural events that take place here. Speaking of timing your visit, those coming to Evans in September can't miss out on the Heritage Day Festival. It's an annual, daylong event that usually starts with a fun run, pancake breakfast, and vendor fairs, and ends with a big party complete with live music, food trucks, and drinks. Families, in particular, will enjoy the free children's activities and fireworks show.

Want to explore the local eateries? Start with Chili Thai-Evans. It's one of the most popular local spots, with standout menu items including the orange chicken, Mongolian beef, pad Thai, sesame chicken, and spring rolls. The fried rice, however, receives mixed reviews. Still, considering that most customers pay between $10 and $20 per meal, the value is there. Just keep in mind that the restaurant is closed on Mondays.

If you've got some time for day trips and don't want to go the usual Colorado or Fort Collins route, Greeley makes for a great destination. Colorado's walkable, artsy town with soul and rodeo flair is just a short, 12-minute drive away. Consider Windsor, too. It's one of Colorado's safest cities and a quaint lakeside town with charming festivals surrounded by adventures.

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Read the original article on Islands.