AURORA – The Aurora Police Department has increased the amount of a reward to help find the person who shot an officer during a traffic stop to $7,000.

The officer had surgery following the Friday night shooting and is expected to survive.

Two officers in a patrol car pulled the vehicle over, and a person in the car began firing at them. One of the officers returned fire. Police do not know if the suspect was hit.

The police officers have not been identified.

Police say the officers did not know the vehicle had just been reported stolen after it was left unattended in freezing weather.

The vehicle was found abandoned several blocks away.

Caution urged in backcountry

FRISCO – The Colorado Avalanche Information Center is urging mountain visitors to be cautious after up to 40 inches of new snow covered the ground from a series of storms.

An avalanche advisory has been issued for much of the state.

Avalanche center spokesman Brian Lazar says people can be fooled by the new snowpack and said some areas above tree line have a potential for up to 2-foot-thick slab avalanches.

According to the Summit Daily, even a small avalanche could be nasty because victims could be dragged along the ground where there is a lot of debris and rocks.

Flagstaff city manager to leave $170K job

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Flagstaff’s city manager is heading south to the Phoenix area.

The Arizona Daily Sun reported Saturday that City Manager Kevin Burke is leaving to become the city manager for Paradise Valley.

Burke told employees Friday, but he is expected to issue a formal resignation letter to the Flagstaff City Council within the next few days.

The council will meet Nov. 25 to discuss filling the position. Councilors say they will conduct a nationwide search and the process could take between six to eight months.

Mayor Jerry Nabours said Burke did a great job for Flagstaff and the city wishes him the best.

As city manager, Burke was earning a yearly salary of $170,000 as well as a car allowance.

He will begin serving as Paradise Valley city manager Jan. 19.

Utah to up speeds along Wasatch Front

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Transportation is moving ahead with plans to raise freeway speed limits along the Wasatch Front from 65 mph to 70 mph.

Utah Department of Transportation officials said while they’re seeking comment from affected cities and counties, they expect the increase to go into effect sometime in December.

They say they’re merely adjusting the speed limit to match drivers’ existing speeds.

The Utah Highway Patrol and AAA insurance company oppose the increase and hope the department will reconsider the matter.

The highway patrol says the speed limit should not be raised because it has handled 20 percent more fatal accidents this year than last year.

The Legislature this year passed a bill to allow UDOT to study speeds in Utah’s interstate highway system and raise them where appropriate.

Associated Press