Steamboat Pilot & Today

Topping the news this morning, City planning officials strongly criticized plans for the new Steamboat Springs Community Center on Thursday night, calling the building's proposed architecture "blatantly institutional" and "extremely bland." The Steamboat Springs Planning Commission voted against the plans for the 8,400-square-foot, $2.9 million center, planned for a 2.3-acre site bordering the Yampa River and adjacent to the Stock Bridge Transit Center, west of downtown Steamboat Springs. Officials said the center's architecture and site layout are not appropriate for a potential landmark building that will serve as a gateway to the city along U.S. Highway 40.

Yampa Valley Regional Airport is feeling the pinch of a labor shortage in Northwest Colorado. With just more than a month until winter airline service - and ski season tourism - begins, YVRA officials and the businesses that provide services at the airport are trying to fill a number of open positions. Because extensive advertising has done little to fill all the gaps, the airport is hosting a job fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Airport Administration Building.

Today is the last day for early voting. The polling booths in Conference Room 1 in the Routt County Courthouse annex are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today. Those who don't cast ballots today can do so on Tuesday's Election Day. As of Wednesday night, 1,741 people had voted early, and 1,486 absentee ballots had been cast. Routt County Clerk and Recorder Kay Weinland will be available for an online chat at 2 p.m. Friday to discuss the election and the new voting machines. You can participate in the chat or submit a question for Kay by clicking on the chat icon on the steamboatpilot.com homepage.

In Sports, the Steamboat Sailors football team heads into tonight's regular season finale against Battle Mountain. Although Steamboat has clinched one of the top two spots in the Western Slope League, the team still needs a win against Battle Mountain or needs Rifle to loose to lock up the league championship.

The Hayden Tigers begin their playoff run tomorrow against Sargent. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. in Hayden. Hayden athletics director Kevin Kleckler said as many as 3,000 fans could come to the game. Check out steamboatpilot.com for previews of both the Steamboat and Hayden games.

Here is your first look at weather. The temperature at 8 a.m. was 33 degrees under mostly sunny skies. The high today should be around 48 degrees with lows tonight in the 20s. Expect highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s through the weekend.