A contentious race for the White House dominated national headlines in 2024, but there wasn't much ballot suspense in Eagle County.

Kamala Harris secured nearly 61 percent of the vote among local voters, while races for two seats on the Eagle County Board of Commissioners weren't close. Incumbent Democrat Matt Scherr earned nearly 59% of the vote, and Democrat Tom Boyd cruised to victory in the general election with no Republican challenger vying for the seat vacated by Kathy Chandler-Henry, who opted not to seek a third term.

Amid the charged national and statewide debates, such as ballot measures to ban big cat hunting or a sweeping overhaul of Colorado's electoral system, Eagle County residents found plenty else to argue about. Large developments, school safety, taxpayer-funded art in public spaces and the return of wolves to the Western Slope dominated local headlines and generated piles of letters to the editor

There was also plenty of news to celebrate, from low-cost carriers finally landing at the local airport to Lindsey Vonn returning to World Cup racing at 40 -- more than five years after injuries chased her into retirement. Also, the mystery of a hiker who went missing on Eagle County's highest peak 19 years ago finally saw a major break in the case.

What did Vail Daily readers find important in 2025? We pored over all the stories that drew the most engagement from our digital audience to arrive at this year-end list. Here's a look back at the year that was, based on the stories you clicked the most and the ones you spent the most time reading.

The Eagle County Board of Commissioners in December had in-person seats for a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in which Eagle County was the lead plaintiff.

The case, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v Eagle County, Colorado, invalidated a U.S. Surface Transportation Board decision that cleared the way for a proposed Uinta Basin Railway. If approved, the rail line would have linked oilfields pumping "waxy" crude oil to the Union Pacific Railroad's main east-west line that roughly parallels Interstate 70 and the Colorado River.

That line runs through Glenwood Canyon and along the river through much of Eagle County, and ultimately through the Moffat Tunnel to the Front Range.

Eagle County was the lead plaintiff in what became a broad-based case against the Utah coalition.

An appellate court overturned the Surface Transportation Board's decision, and the Utah coalition appealed that decision to the nation's high court. The appeal asks whether the federal National Environmental Policy Act required the Surface Transportation Board to consider the potential environmental harm of the waxy crude cargo.

In addition to Commissioners Jeanne McQueeney, Kathy Chandler-Henry and Matt Scherr, county attorneys Beth Oliver and Christina Hooper also attended the oral arguments in the case.

A decision is expected by the end of the court's current term in June.

-- Scott Miller

When Lindsey Vonn officially announced her return to the U.S. Ski Team and World Cup racing five years after her 2019 retirement, she was greeted by a mix of excited anticipation and justified doubts.

After all, the 82-time World Cup winner cited chronic injuries as her main reason for leaving the sport in the first place. Plus, she's 40.

At a team press conference the night before the Birds of Prey World Cup races -- where Vonn acted as a forerunner -- the eight-time downhill Crystal Globe champion addressed both concerns.

"The last few years of my career were I think a lot more challenging than I let on," she said. "But I feel stronger now than I did in my mid to late 20s ... now that I have the chance to physically do what I love, why would I not try?"

Concerning her age, Vonn pointed to gymnast Simone Biles as one example of an athlete who exists "outside of the confines of what we believe is the right age" for a particular sport.

"I'm just doing what I feel is right for me but at the same time continuing on what other women have done before me," she added.

Vonn nervously stepped into the starting gate in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Dec. 21, rocketing to a 14th-place finish in her first World Cup race in five years. Fans who've followed the Minnesota-born, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail-raised star since the beginning likely were encouraged by the result. They also probably aren't surprised by Vonn's ambitious definition of success for her second go-round.

"Success is not just participating," she said. "I know my way back to a competitive level might take a race or two, but I certainly intend on getting back to where I was before."

-- Ryan Sederquist

For nearly two decades, Vail has been working to build a residency program for artists, and in 2024, it was beginning to look like that was going to come together with Danielle SeeWalker, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota, receiving an invitation to participate in the program.

SeeWalker was to create a mural, participate in a workshop and an artist talk, and exhibit a photo documentary project. Much of SeeWalker's work contains themes that focus on the loss of language her people are experiencing, with many of her pieces showing a native Indigenous person with no mouth, or pixelation occurring over the mouth of her subject.

In February, SeeWalker created one of those pieces for an exhibition in Denver, titling the piece "G is for Genocide." It depicts a native woman with no mouth, wearing a keffiyeh. In a March post on Instagram that displayed the piece, SeeWalker wrote a caption saying "Some days, I have overwhelming grief + guilt for walking around privileged while people in Gaza are suffering."

On May 9, she received a call from a representative from the town of Vail, saying the town was canceling her artist-in-residency program due to the political nature of her work.

The announcement sent shockwaves through the art community in Colorado, with one former muralist in Vail saying it was wrong for Vail to pull the residency out from under SeeWalker instead of having a conversation. Many agreed, but the town stuck by its decision, saying Art in Public Places did not want to "use public funds to support any position on a polarizing geopolitical issue."

SeeWalker later appeared at a Vail Symposium event in Vail, saying she was grateful that the Symposium had invited her to visit and "have a voice, which was something I wasn't given the opportunity to do."

In October, the American Civil Liberties Union announced that it had filed a suit against the town of Vail on SeeWalker's behalf.

"G is for Genocide" had no relationship with the AIPP program or SeeWalker's residency, the ACLU said, "Nonetheless, the town of Vail decided to cancel SeeWalker's residency because of the views SeeWalker expressed in her post. Vail's invidious viewpoint discrimination -- which violates the First Amendment and Colorado Constitution -- perpetuates a history of censorship of Indigenous people's perspectives in Colorado and the United States."

-- John LaConte

The Eagle County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9 closed out a summer of hearings by approving the massive West End project, a 275-unit apartment project in Edwards.

Just west of the Gashouse Restaurant, the West End will be developed by East West Partners. It is being built without government subsidies and will have 275 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, with deed restrictions on 207 of the units.

While supporters cited the need for workforce housing in the valley, many residents opposed the plan, expressing concerns about the size of the building and the impact it and its residents would have on the adjacent Eagle River Preserve open space. Critics also questioned the parking plan and the impacts of traffic on local roads, particularly on a proposed loop road intended to direct traffic to only right turns into and out of the complex, and through the roundabout at the intersection of U.S. Highway 6 and the Edwards Spur Road.

Other residents, and the commissioners, also asked about the potential affordability of the units. Several businesses, including Vail Health, intend to master lease units at the West End. Other units will be price-capped, geared toward those making no more than 80% to 100% of the area median income.

With the Sept. 9 approvals in hand, East West must now submit a "final plat application." That application requires a public hearing.

As of late November, East West had submitted that application but it had not yet been deemed "sufficient" by county planners. The application cannot move forward until any deficiencies have been addressed.

-- Scott Miller

The reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado has faced mixed reviews since 10 wolves were relocated from Oregon to the Western Slope in December 2023. The restoration, mandated by voters, aims to reinstate wolves to a region where they were eradicated over 80 years ago.

While Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials report positive biological outcomes, such as the birth of five wolf pups in the first established pack from the reintroduced wolves, the first year of reintroduction was fraught with tension, particularly among ranchers who describe the experience as painful and stressful, aggravated by livestock conflicts and management challenges. There have been calls for a pause in future reintroductions until effective conflict mitigation measures are implemented.

Environmental advocates argue the reintroduction supports wildlife biodiversity and ecosystem health, asserting that the program is on track despite reports of livestock conflicts and three wolf deaths. Yet, ranchers feel overwhelmed by the added stress and financial burdens, leading to heightened concerns about the safety of their herds. There are also worries over politics interfering with science-backed decision-making and a lack of support for ranchers from state officials.

Earlier this month, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Eagle County Board of Commissioners hosted a listening session regarding wolf reintroduction efforts. They got an earful.

District Wildlife Manager Matt Yamashita presented plans for introducing more wolves to the area, prompting a strong response from ranchers advocating for a pause in the program due to ongoing concerns over livestock safety and wildlife management.

Rancher James Bair emphasized the need for improved management strategies for both livestock and wildlife, especially in cases of depredation -- echoing requests made by agriculture and livestock groups seeking a pause in reintroduction. He also expressed worry that wolf reintroduction could potentially harm the growing moose population and negatively impact out-of-state hunters.

Other ranchers voiced their anxiety about the presence of wolves near their cattle, arguing that Western Slope dynamics differ significantly from the successful wolf management seen in Yellowstone. Jill Schlegel, along with others, highlighted the loss of property rights and the necessity of allowing ranchers to protect their livestock with lethal force if necessary.

Some ranchers dismissed preventive measures like range riders and drones as ineffective against the vast grazing areas they manage.

Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry affirmed the ranchers' vital role in the community and assured them that their concerns would be taken seriously. Yamashita acknowledged the composure of the ranchers during discussions, praising their commitment to responsible management in Eagle and Garfield counties.

Looking forward, CPW plans to introduce up to 15 additional wolves this winter, alongside new initiatives to address challenges faced by the agricultural community. The agency has said it is committed to enhancing educational programs and improving communication with impacted stakeholders."

-- Ali Longwell and Scott Miller

For just about as long as the Eagle County Regional Airport has brought countless visitors to the valley, locals have asked, "What's in it for me?"

We saw an answer to that question this year, with the announced arrival of Alaska Airlines and Frontier Airlines.

Frontier flights arrived first on Dec. 16, with flights from Denver and Dallas. A flight from San Francisco followed a few days later. Frontier is flying into Eagle County with full-size Airbus A320 jets.

Alaska Airlines followed suit on Dec. 20, when a pair of 76-seat "regional" jets arrived from Seattle and San Diego.

Alaska is coming to Eagle County with a "minimum revenue guarantee" common to airlines starting new routes. Those guarantees backstop airlines against losses if flights don't have enough flights to be profitable.

Frontier is coming to Eagle County without those guarantees and is instead putting various deals onto both its social media channels and its website, with fares to Denver as low as $19.

Locals were taking advantage of the initial flights.

One Eagle resident was getting aboard the first Frontier flight back to Denver to catch a connecting flight to Arizona, while an East Vail resident was ready to board the Alaska flight back to Seattle to visit family there.

The Alaska flight will be through the winter. The Frontier flight may stretch past the winter, with some seasonal interruptions.

-- Scott Miller

In September, the Eagle County School District was rocked by the dissemination of several messages that contained threats to students' safety. While the initial messages came through social media, follow-up threats were called in directly to the Vail Public Safety Communications Center.

Law enforcement agents from the Eagle County Sheriff's Office, the Eagle Police Department, the Avon Police Department and the Vail Police Department worked with state and federal agents to investigate the source of the threats and determine their credibility.

The majority of the threats were identified as "swatting" incidents, in which illegal prank messages are sent to emergency services falsely reporting a serious crime or criminal threat to initiate an armed police turnout to a specific location.

While the threats were under investigation, Eagle County School District Superintendent Phil Qualman opted to keep schools open.

Students' safety "is always our top priority," Qualman said during the Sept. 11 school board meeting, which came in the middle of the week of threats. "In an effort to provide support and normalcy for our students, we made the decision to continue with classes and extracurriculars today with an increased police presence out of an abundance of caution."

Qualman cited the lack of credibility of the threats, and the need to keep students in school to prevent learning loss from online classes similar to that which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, and said that although many students and families did ask to switch to remote learning, many also thanked him for the approach he took.

"This district is not going to shut down again because of some random, anonymous threats that come across social media, a forum that is too easy to make anonymous threats," Qualman said during the school board meeting.

In an interview with the Vail Daily the week following the majority of the threats, Qualman stood by his decision. "For the most part, we believe that our actions were appropriate," he said.

Still, students, teachers and families expressed concerns for their own and their children's safety to the school board and on social media, and some families chose to keep their students home from school.

"I have never been more scared to attend school (than) this past week ever, in my 16 years of school," said Victor Lopez, a student at Battle Mountain High School, during the school board meeting. "I was thinking 'I would rather skip class and be alive than be in a hallway where there's an active shooter.'"

The majority of threats were tracked down by law enforcement. While some came from outside of the United States, in Eagle, a juvenile was identified and arrested within days in connection to threats made to Eagle Valley Middle School students.

-- Zoe Goldstein

After years of fighting over a piece of land in town, the town of Vail and Vail Resorts agreed to settle the dispute for the greater benefit of the community.

The controversy surrounded a parcel of land in East Vail which is home to a native herd of bighorn sheep. The parcel was long thought to be state, but in 2016 the Eagle County assessor determined that the true owner of the land was Vail Resorts.

Vail Resorts paid back taxes for the property and in 2017 received new zoning for housing and conservation, followed by Town Council approval in 2019 for the construction of 61 units, including 49 deed-restricted apartments

However, a referendum vote that reshaped the Town Council eventually led the town to pursue acquiring the land through eminent domain. That resulted in a legal battle which was finally settled in 2024, with Vail Resorts agreeing to drop all appeals regarding the eminent domain acquisition, and the town agreeing to prioritize the redevelopment of the West Lionshead area.

The town agreed to partner with Vail Resorts to support the development of a base village on the site, which is anticipated to feature access to Vail Mountain along with new lodging, restaurants, boutiques, and skier services as well as community benefits such as workforce housing, public spaces, transit and parking.

Vail Mayor Travis Coggin, who grew up in Vail, said the plan represents a shared goal for all parties involved.

"We are in an era of renewed collaboration between the town and Vail Resorts," Coggin said. "The entire Vail Town Council and I are excited to partner with Vail Resorts and East West Partners in a process to enable this exciting new base village for Vail Mountain, which will bring significant benefits to our guests and community."

Beth Howard, vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain, said the development of the West Lionshead base village will benefit the community as well as the resort's employees and guests.

"We look forward to this next chapter of building the future together," Howard said. "And we appreciate that East West Partners is a part of the partnership, given they are known for creating meaningful places that bring people together, with creativity and expertise."

After almost 19 years, the mystery of Michelle Vanek's disappearance may have been solved by an all-female search team.

Vanek, a 35-year-old mother of four, went missing on Sept. 24, 2005 while on a hike to Mount of the Holy Cross -- Eagle County's tallest peak and only 14'er.

An intense, eight-day search in 2005 failed to turn up any signs of the missing woman before it was called off due to inclement weather.

In October 2022 a local man and his son were hiking off trail in a boulder field when they found a boot that was later identified as belonging to Vanek. That discovery prompted another search, but no other clues were found.

In the fall of 2023, Vanek came in a dream to Vail Mountain Rescue Group Board President Scott Beebe, who told him she didn't want to be found by men. Beebe turned over the case to the group's growing number of female members. Those women took a deep dive into maps and files from previous years of searching, and set Aug. 20 as the date of its first organized search.

On Sept. 13, team member Erika German and Zack Smith went into an area where they believed Vanek may have been, and found what are believed to have been Vanek's belongings.

While Eagle County Coroner Cara Bettis has not yet confirmed that the remains found at the site are those of Vanek, her family has been notified, and the belongings match those Vanek took into the backcountry with her.