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Colorado bill would require licenses for funeral service professionals • Colorado Newsline

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Colorado bill would require licenses for funeral service professionals • Colorado Newsline


A bipartisan group of Colorado lawmakers wants to reinstate licensure requirements for people who work in the funeral industry, coming off a year with two high-profile funeral home mismanagement incidents in the state.

If passed, the bill would require a license to work as a funeral director, mortuary science practitioner, embalmer, cremationist or natural reductionist who converts human remains to soil.

Colorado is the only state that doesn’t require a professional license to work in the industry after the Legislature sunsetted the requirement in 1983.

“Establishing licensure of those who are entrusted with caring for our loved ones during a family’s time of grief and mourning will ensure that Coloradans can trust the businesses and people that they go to, and not have to worry about whether their loved one will be mistreated or their remains disrespected,” said Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Frisco Democrat.

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Roberts will run the bill in the Senate with Republican Sen. Bob Gardner of Colorado Springs. In the House, it will be sponsored by Republican Rep. Matt Soper of Delta and Democratic Rep. Brianna Titone of Arvada. The bill had not yet been formally introduced at the time of publication.

“It’s clear that Colorado needs additional regulation to rebuild the public trust and integrity of the death care industry,” said Patty Salazar, the director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies. “We all know the several egregious incidents that have been highlighted on a national scale, which demonstrates how the legislative and regulatory framework has failed Coloradans who have experienced loss and unfortunately sought funeral services from grossly incompetent funeral professionals.”

Last year, authorities found nearly 200 decaying, improperly stored bodies at a funeral home in Penrose that purported to offer natural burial services. Some customers believe they were given fake ashes instead of the cremated remains of their loved one.

In February, authorities found the cremated remains of at least 30 people and the corpse of a woman at the Denver house of a former funeral home owner who was being evicted.

“Colorado is the laughing stock of the industry because we don’t have licensing,” said Shelia Canfield-Jones, whose deceased daughter had been improperly stored at the Penrose funeral home for four years.

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“This bill has the potential to bring accountability and to bring credibility to an industry that needs to be regulated. Self-regulation for the funeral industry does not work. They tried, and this is what happens,” she said.

The bill would require new funeral industry professionals to obtain a license beginning in 2026. To be eligible, a person would need to have a degree from an accredited institution, pass a national board exam, pass a criminal background check and complete a one-year apprenticeship.

Funeral professionals already working in the state would immediately be eligible for a provisional license if they pass a background check, have worked at least 6,500 hours in their field and completed an apprenticeship at some point in their career.

“This is one of the big issues — because we haven’t had any licensure for over 40 years, we have to do something for the people who have already been working here and might not have gone to school for it,” Joseph Walsh, the president of the Colorado Funeral Directors Association, told Colorado Newsline. He doesn’t want a new law regulating the industry to kick people out of their careers because of an educational requirement.

Walsh said CFDA has been working with Soper and Roberts for over a year on the legislation and is in “basic agreement with it.”

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The requirements for a provisional license and the higher state involvement in general could act as a deterrent for bad actors, sponsors say, and push them out of the industry, while at the same time identifying the people who are doing good work.

A related bill from the same sponsors, House Bill 24-1335, would require regular inspections of funeral homes and crematories. It has its first committee hearing on March 7.



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Colorado community reels after police say driver with revoked license hits three pedestrians, killing one

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Colorado community reels after police say driver with revoked license hits three pedestrians, killing one


A man already driving with a suspended license from a DUI is now accused of intentionally plowing into three people on a sidewalk in Colorado.

This happened near the intersection of East Wildcat Reserve Parkway and Willowbridge Way in Highlands Ranch around 10:30 a.m. Monday.

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Witnesses say that after the crash, the driver made a U-turn, went back to the scene, slowly drove past the wreckage, then left. That allowed another witness to follow him 5.5 miles down to Daniels Park, where just 15 minutes later, 28-year-old Adam Bauserman was taken into custody.

Bauserman’s demeanor was described by deputies as “unusually quiet.” At one point, he apparently asked, “Do you know if I killed the man?”

As it would turn out, the man survived, but his girlfriend did not. Flowers are piling up at the scene of a morning walk that turned deadly.

Right now, investigators don’t believe the driver knew any of those victims.

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“You expect to be safe when you’re walking on the sidewalk,” said neighbor Beth Chitel, who lived just yards from the crash site until she moved last month. “These are very highly trafficked pathways around here; it could have happened to any of our friends, any of our neighbors, any of our children.”

“This was a horrific scene,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly.

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CBS


Thirty-five-year-old Corrine More died in the crash. Her sister tells CBS Colorado she lived in the neighborhood and was out on a walk with her boyfriend. She describes Corrine as a nursing student with a big heart who was loved by everyone who knew her, and who was beautiful inside and out.

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Corrine’s boyfriend, 30-year-old Kyle Vasey, was seriously injured. He has undergone multiple surgeries and was described by a doctor in the affidavit as being at substantial risk for permanent disfigurement or death.

The other victim is 72-year-old Dianne Windes. The sheriff says she was walking in the opposite direction from the couple. She was also hospitalized with serious injuries.

Witnesses believe the driver who crashed into the three pedestrians did so on purpose.

“If we can prove that, we’ll certainly do that, but at this point we have no indication of that,” Weekly said.

It was thanks to a witness who followed that truck that deputies arrested Bauserman, who was driving with a revoked license after a DUI last year.

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“Mr. Bauserman has had several revocations and suspensions of his license over the last 10 years,” Weekly said. “He should never have been on the roadway, and as a result of that, somebody is now deceased.”

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Douglas County Sheriff’s Office


Deputies did not detect immediate signs of intoxication but are waiting on blood test results.

Right now, investigators believe Bauserman was only traveling 3 mph over the speed limit, at about 48 mph in a 45 mph zone. That will need to be confirmed in the investigation.

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“He should never have been on the roadway, period. And so, the fact that somebody in our community has been lost in such a tragic, horrible way. How many lives have been destroyed by this selfish act?” Weekly asked.

“I want to express my sympathies to the families, and yeah, we’re here to support you as a community, and we’re by your side,” said Chitel.

Neighbor Beth Chitel started an online fundraiser for the victims.

“The last thing that the family should be having to worry about right now is the bills that are coming,” said Chitel.

The sheriff says that 15 to 20 community members stepped up to help in the aftermath of this tragedy.

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Chitel says the community has been hurt by other recent tragedies, like the death of 13-year-old Alex Mackiewicz, who was hit while in the crosswalk on his way to school. That fatal crash happened just over a mile away from this one.

“Something really needs to be done. The community is well aware of the safety issues posed there, of course. Again, we don’t expect them on the sidewalk,” said Chitel. “We need more crosswalks; we could use more stoplights. We need more safety measures put in place because, in general, it’s really not a safe road. People speed on it.”

“It’s absolutely horrible. As the sheriff, I have done a lot to increase traffic enforcement. We’ve almost doubled the size of our traffic unit. I expect my folks to be out there and be productive and ensure the safety of our citizens. These tragedies, certainly back to back, are heartbreaking for everybody involved, it shouldn’t happen,” Weekly said.

Three families are forever changed, a community is left with questions, and the investigation is just beginning.

“We need to make sure that we do our job well, and that we get justice for all these victims,” Weekly said.

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Bauserman is being held on charges including vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Preliminary charges Bauserman is facing include the following seven felonies and one misdemeanor:

  • Vehicular homicide
  • Failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving death
  • Failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury (two counts)
  • Vehicular assault (two counts)
  • Assault in the second degree – crimes to at-risk persons
  • Driving a motor vehicle with a license is under restraint (express consent refusal/DUI conviction)

These charges could change based on the results of the blood tests and additional information that is garnered through the investigation.

A judge set Bauserman’s bond at $100,000.

As the investigation continues, the sheriff’s office says anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Detective Pereira at bpereira@dcsheriff.net or call (303) 660-7537.

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Eagle Rock Ranch

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Eagle Rock Ranch


When Dave and Jean Gottenborg met as teenagers wrangling horses in Estes Park, they dreamed of one day running a ranch together. That dream fell by the wayside for decades until 2012, when the couple purchased Eagle Rock Ranch in the Tarryall Valley.

Talking about the Gottenborg’s ranch means deliberately avoiding words like “owners” and “ownership.” The couple “manage” their land — their preferred term — through the conservationist lens of thinkers like Wendell Berry and Aldo Leopold. Visitors are welcome on the land (see some basic guidelines here), and they sell their beef by the cut, box and share at their family-owned mercantile in Fairplay.



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Where to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels: TV channel, start time, streaming for Jun. 02

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Where to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels: TV channel, start time, streaming for Jun. 02


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The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.

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The MLB action continues on Tuesday as the Colorado Rockies visit the Los Angeles Angels.

Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels?

First pitch between the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Jun. 02.

How to watch Colorado Rockies vs Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

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Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for Jun. 02 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.



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