This week in history: CDOT stops using artillery, internet outages impact vote reporting and more

1 year ago: CDOT retires use of WWII artillery for I-70 avalanche mitigation The test of a new remote avalanche system on Mount Bethel on Nov. 5, 2025, marked the end of an era in Colorado’s Northern Mountains and the Interstate 70 mountain corridor. For decades, CDOT has maintained slide paths like those on Mount Bethel using a World War II-era artillery weapon known as the M101 Howitzer. With the installation of a new Wyssen Avalanche Control system on Mount Bethel, this season will be the first in which the Howitzer isn’t used along I-70. The Howitzer will continue to be used in parts of the San Juan Mountains. — From the Nov. 8-9, 2025, edition of Summit Daily News 5 years ago: Smith Ranch work requirements deemed discriminatory by state The Colorado Civil Rights Division has decided that a provision in the Smith Ranch housing lottery requiring homebuyers to work 30 hours per week in the county is discriminatory against those with disabilities.

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