Their town was ‘Almost Heaven.’ Residents say a proposed Buc-ee’s tore it apart.

Catch up with NBC News Clone on today's hot topic: Bucees Colorado Palmer Lake Gas Station Fractured Rcna601211 - Breaking News | NBC News Clone. Our editorial team reformatted this story for clarity and speed.

A plan for a Buc-ee’s gas station made their Colorado town the poster child of the nation’s fracturing civil discourse. Some residents are trying to get the charm back.

Oct. 6, 2026, 6:02 AM EDT

By Bracey Harris

PALMER LAKE, Colo. — To the stranger laying eyes on the welcome sign to this bedroom community of roughly 2,500 in the foothills of the Rockies, its message might have seemed too good to be true: “Almost Heaven,” it reads.

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Their town was ‘Almost Heaven.’ Residents say a proposed Buc-ee’s tore it apart.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis voting bloc holds the key to the midterms

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFlorida Democrats try to regain their mojo after years of Republican dominance

FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department tells employees to adopt Trump’s AI rebrand

FOR SUBSCRIBERSU.S. housing market sets a grim record as sellers swamp buyers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrance shuts down nearly 900 schools as violent student protests escalate

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTexts show worried Cornell fraternity brothers coordinating responses as accusations came to light

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFormer Olympic canoeist asks government watchdogs to probe ‘nightmare’ Reflecting Pool case

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA psychedelic drug could soon get approved in the U.S. What should the rules be?

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe Data Dive: Steve Kornacki on how Kansas became a surprise midterm battleground

FOR SUBSCRIBERSBaltic nations brace for Russian attacks as border threats escalate

FOR SUBSCRIBERSLatino voters feel buyer’s remorse in battleground Texas

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTips came in just minutes after Cornell alerted students to an alleged sex assault at a frat house

FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhat’s on the Supreme Court’s docket this term?

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFord CEO says ‘it’s our responsibility’ to make sure affordable cars are sold in the U.S.

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDOJ moves to revoke U.S. citizenship for 40 foreign-born Americans

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis voting bloc holds the key to the midterms

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFlorida Democrats try to regain their mojo after years of Republican dominance

FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department tells employees to adopt Trump’s AI rebrand

FOR SUBSCRIBERSU.S. housing market sets a grim record as sellers swamp buyers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrance shuts down nearly 900 schools as violent student protests escalate

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTexts show worried Cornell fraternity brothers coordinating responses as accusations came to light

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSA psychedelic drug could soon get approved in the U.S. What should the rules be?

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe Data Dive: Steve Kornacki on how Kansas became a surprise midterm battleground

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSLatino voters feel buyer’s remorse in battleground Texas

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