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Local businesses are preparing for Small Business Saturday, an event to encourage holiday shopping at brick-and-mortar stores during one of the busiest times of the year.

The pandemic forced Colorado industries to shut down storefronts and put up with supply chain issues and inflation. Despite the financial squeeze, the state’s new business filings have skyrocketed during the last three years, nearing a 10-year peak last quarter. And the economic development is happening in urban and rural communities alike.

Colorado restaurants are thriving in the front of the house, but behind the kitchen doors is a major worker shortage.

Back in June, Tattered Cover opened up a new location across the street from Coors Field in Denver, complete with a new collection of baseball books to boot. Thus, reminding fans to engage with what is often considered the most written-about sport there is.

With the blessing of health officials, many businesses have dropped mask requirements that have been in place for nearly a year. Meanwhile, other institutions, such as schools and hospitals, are holding on to theirs, taking a more cautious approach to returning to normal life.

The owners of Casa Bonita have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. While the move may have fans fearful that it means the beginning of the end for the iconic Lakewood restaurant, it actually may pave the way to its reopening.

A little over a year ago, Mayor Michael Hancock announced the closure of liquor stores and recreational marijuana dispensaries due to COVID-19 restrictions, only to walk that back two hours later once he saw his residents descend into a prohibition panic. KUNC's Alana Schreiber revisits the shortest prohibition in Denver history that sent the city into a frenzy.

A long list of restaurants, gyms and movie theaters in Larimer County gained the first round of approvals for the program, which allows businesses to operate at one level lower on the state’s COVID-19 dial than the county’s current status.

Some public officials are pushing back against state restrictions, arguing that COVID-19 is not the only health concern facing their communities. Among them is Steve Johnson, a Larimer County commissioner.

Today on Colorado Edition: As coronavirus cases surge and counties ramp up health restrictions, we’ll explore the impact on schools, which are increasingly moving to fully remote learning. We also learn about an innovative way one community is helping holiday shoppers find local COVID-conscious businesses. We'll hear from a forestry expert about how this year’s record-breaking fire season could change the Colorado landscape, long-term. And, we talk with a Baltimore artist who created a touching tribute to Elijah McClain over the holiday weekend.