Good evening. Here's a look at how AP’s news coverage is shaping up in the Rockies. Questions about coverage plans are welcome and should be directed to:

The Denver AP Bureau at 303-825-0123 or apdenver@ap.org

The Cheyenne AP Bureau at 307-632-9351 or apcheyenne@ap.org

The Helena AP Bureau at 406-442-7440 or apmontana@ap.org

Rockies News Editor Matt Volz can be reached at 406-442-7440 or mvolz@ap.org.

A reminder: this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Advisories and digests will keep you up to date. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit Coverage Plan at newsroom.ap.org.

All times are Mountain.

Some TV and radio stations will receive broadcast versions of the stories below, along with all updates.

___

COLORADO:

MYSTERY DRONE SIGHTINGS

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — An official investigation into reports of large drones flying in groups over the western U.S. plains in the hours after sunset has confirmed nothing illegal or out of the ordinary, a finding of little solace to folks who say the truth is still out there. Investigators will scale back flights of a heat-detecting plane to try to corroborate reports as they're made but will continue to look into new reports, Colorado officials said Tuesday. By Mead Gruver. SENT: 700 words.

STABBINGS-COLORADO SPRINGS

COLORADO SPRINGS — Two of the people who were approached by a suspect accused of stabbing eight people during an apparent random rampage in Colorado Springs said the man asked them about their faith before attacking. Police have not released any details about the suspect because investigators said they are still interviewing people involved. SENT: 320 words, photo.

CRYPTOCURRENCY-BUTTE

BUTTE, Mont. — A U.S. judge has appointed a receiver to oversee a Bitcoin plant in Montana after the majority owner was indicted on federal charges alleging he was running a Ponzi scheme involving cryptocurrency investments. U.S. District Judge Brian Morris on Friday appointed retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch as the receiver for CryptoWatt in Butte, The Montana Standard reported. Lynch will oversee the company's finances and assets. SENT: 270 words.

COLORADO-BUSINESS FINE-SUPREME COURT

DENVER — The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by Colorado to close what it calls a loophole that allows businesses to avoid some regulatory sanctions by, in part, saying they’re too poor to pay penalties. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, said Monday’s decision could hurt the state’s ability to ensure businesses are following regulations and laws. By Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun. An AP Member Exchange. SENT: 540 words.

RUSSELL STOVER-CONSOLIDATION

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Russell Stover Chocolates plans to close some facilities and stores nationwide but the expected loss of about 400 jobs will be offset by new jobs resulting from expansion in other areas, the company announced Tuesday. The company will close distribution and fulfillment centers in Butler, Missouri, and Cookeville, Tennessee, with work from the Tennessee plant moving to a plant in Corsicana, Texas. SENT: 210 words.

IN BRIEF:

— OFFICER SHOT-COLORADO SPRINGS — A police officer who was shot during a traffic stop in Colorado Springs has been released from the hospital, police said Tuesday.

— DRUG ROBBERY HOMICIDE — A former soldier stationed in Colorado received a life sentence for a drug robbery that ended in a deadly shootout.

— SKI RESORT SALE — The deal to sell Vermont's Sugarbush ski resort to Denver's Alterra Mountain Company has been completed, the company announced Tuesday.

— PAYPAL-CHARITY SETTLEMENT — The attorneys general of Nevada and 20 other states have reached a $200,000 agreement with PayPal Charitable Giving Fund Inc. to settle complaints over its handling of charitable contributions through the company's online fundraising platform.

SPORTS:

DENVER — The Dallas Stars go for the four-game season series sweep of the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. By Pat Graham. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos from 7 p.m. game.

____

MONTANA:

SAWMILL CLOSING

HELENA — A Montana timber company has announced it will indefinitely suspend operations at one of its two sawmills, citing chronic timber supply problems due to litigation. RY Timber Inc. said layoffs are expected to begin in April at its Townsend location, with about 70 employees affected, the Independent Record reported Monday. SENT: 260 words.

CRYPTOCURRENCY-BUTTE

BUTTE — A U.S. judge has appointed a receiver to oversee a Bitcoin plant in Montana after the majority owner was indicted on federal charges alleging he was running a Ponzi scheme involving cryptocurrency investments. U.S. District Judge Brian Morris on Friday appointed retired U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch as the receiver for CryptoWatt in Butte, The Montana Standard reported. Lynch will oversee the company's finances and assets. SENT: 270 words.

DILLON HOMICIDE

DILLON — A 49-year-old man was found dead at a residence in Dillon over the weekend and a woman is charged with deliberate homicide, officials said. Larry Coon was found Saturday after Dillon police were asked to do a welfare check, ABC Fox Montana reported. Officials have not released his cause of death. SENT: 200 words.

MONTANA-REAL ID

HELENA — Seven driver license offices will be open on Martin Luther King Day to provide additional times for residents to renew or replace Montana driver's licenses or to obtain state identification or REAL ID cards, the Montana Motor Vehicle Division announced Tuesday. Offices in Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell and Missoula will be open on Jan. 20 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. SENT: 220 words.

LEGISLATURE-ANNUAL SESSIONS

HELENA — Montana lawmakers and members of the public weighed in Tuesday on whether the Legislature should switch to annual 45-day sessions rather than meeting every other year for 90 days, as they do now. The 2019 Legislature passed a bill to study the idea of holding one session to address policy and another to set a two-year budget. Montana is one of four states without an annual legislative session. SENT: 240 words.

COMPANY-HIGHWAY TROOPER SETTLEMENT

CODY, Wyo. — A Montana food distributor reached a settlement with a former Wyoming Highway Patrol officer stemming from a 2015 collision that forced the trooper into medical retirement from field duty. Sysco Montana notified a U.S. judge on Dec. 23 that the case involving Rodney Miears was settled, the Cody Enterprise reported Monday. Terms of the settlement are confidential. SENT: 250 words.

IN BRIEF:

— MEDICAL MARIJUANA-BALLOT INITIATIVE — A campaign to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana use has submitted two proposed ballot initiatives for state review, the group “New Approach Montana” announced.

____

WYOMING:

MYSTERY DRONE SIGHTINGS

CHEYENNE — An official investigation into reports of large drones flying in groups over the western U.S. plains in the hours after sunset has confirmed nothing illegal or out of the ordinary, a finding of little solace to folks who say the truth is still out there. Investigators will scale back flights of a heat-detecting plane to try to corroborate reports as they're made but will continue to look into new reports, Colorado officials said Tuesday. By Mead Gruver. SENT: 700 words.

SCIENTOLOGY LAWSUIT

CASPER — A Wyoming company has settled a federal lawsuit by a former employee who claimed she was pressured to take Scientology courses as a condition of her employment. Julie A. Rohrbacher filed the lawsuit in 2018 against Teton Therapy, which operates physical and occupational therapy offices in four Wyoming locations. SENT: 290 words.

COMPANY-HIGHWAY TROOPER SETTLEMENT

CODY — A Montana food distributor reached a settlement with a former Wyoming Highway Patrol officer stemming from a 2015 collision that forced the trooper into medical retirement from field duty. Sysco Montana notified a U.S. judge on Dec. 23 that the case involving Rodney Miears was settled, the Cody Enterprise reported Monday. Terms of the settlement are confidential. SENT: 250 words.

TOXIC BEETLES-HORSE DEATHS

MAUSTON, Wisc. — Hay tainted by a toxic beetle is blamed for the deaths of 14 horses and illnesses to dozens of others on a Wisconsin ranch. Steady rain and flooding this past summer left the hay in fields at Red Ridge Riding Stable in Mauston unusable. So, the owners, Cindy Kanarowski-Peterson and her husband, Lyle Peterson, purchased six semi loads of hay and alfalfa from farms in South Dakota and Wyoming to feed their horses. SENT: 300 words, photos.

HUMANITIES-GRANTS

SANTA FE, N.M. — The National Endowment for the Humanities is seeking to inspire private and local matching investments in cultural institutions as it designated $31 million in public grants Tuesday to support humanities projects in 45 states. Federal funding for the humanities is growing despite repeated budget proposals from President Donald Trump that suggest closing down national endowments for the arts and humanities — but haven't. By Moran Lee. SENT: 510 words, photos.

IN BRIEF:

— ANIMALS REMOVED FROM HOME — Prosecutors plan to pursue criminal charges against a woman who had 61 animals removed from her home last week.

— GILLETTE-MURDER-SUICIDE — A 36-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man are dead in an apparent murder-suicide in northeastern Wyoming, police said.

SPORTS:

DENVER — The Dallas Stars go for the four-game season series sweep of the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. By Pat Graham. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos from 7 p.m. game.

___

If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to apdenver@ap.org, apcheyenne@ap.org or apmontana@ap.org. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to the AP state photo center in New York, 888-273-6867. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477.