Colorado State News

1 person killed in Lakewood Walmart parking lot, suspect killed by police nearby

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 18:03:12 +0000

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) – One person is dead after a shooting outside the Walmart at 4th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard in Lakewood.

Police said the victim, a man in his 20s or 30s, was killed in the parking lot

A spokesperson with Arvada police said a witness at the scene was able to identify the shooter as the shooter fled from Walmart.

Police say the suspect crossed Wadsworth Blvd. and started firing rounds at cars, homes and police.

Officers then shot the suspect, who was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

APD said the suspect was a man in his 20s or 30s. His identity has not yet been released.

No officers were injured, according to Lakewood police officials.

This is a breaking story. SkyFOX is going to the scene as are a reporter and photojournalist on the ground.

John Hickenlooper’s legal defense against ethics complaint cost taxpayers $150,000, a final tally shows

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 18:00:42 +0000

Taxpayers spent $150,000 to defend former Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper’s against an ethics complaint that led to two violations of the state’s gift ban, records show.

The final cost of the legal expenses matches the maximum allowed in a contract with Mark Grueskin. The prominent Democratic election attorney represented Hickenlooper on behalf of the state after a conservative nonprofit filed two ethics complaints against him in late 2018 just months before he left office.

A preview of this story appeared in The Unaffiliated, the political newsletter from The Colorado Sun. Join now or upgrade your membership to get exclusive political news and insights first.

The practice of hiring an outside counsel for such matters is routine, but the cost of the defense is a political touchpoint in the U.S. Senate race, where Hickenlooper is challenging Republican incumbent Cory Gardner. Hickenlooper is facing a barrage of attacks from Gardner’s Republican allies related to the violations and the cost of his legal defense.

Gardner has called on Hickenlooper to repay the legal costs from his own pocket, but Hickenlooper has rebuffed the suggestions even as he said he accepted responsibility for the violations. A campaign spokeswoman did not return calls Thursday seeking comment on the expenses.

The case concluded Aug. 19 with the release of the 19-page written opinion from the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission that determined Hickenlooper violated the state’s ban for elected officials when he took a flight on a corporate jet owned by a top political donor and a ride in a Maserati limousine at an exclusive conference in Italy. Four other flights on private jets were found not to be violations.

The expenses are detailed in a series of invoices obtained by The Colorado Sun from the governor’s office. The records are incomplete — and other reports estimate a slightly different total — but Jenna Goldstein, the office’s deputy legal counsel, told The Sun the final cost amounted to $150,000 and no additional costs are expected.

The final invoice came in late July and covered the hearing before the commission and a subsequent June 12 penalty phase, during which the commission fined Hickenlooper $2,750. Grueskin earned $525 an hour for his work and a legal assistant at his firm Recht Kornfeld billed $150 an hour, the records show. The ethics commission discussed the case at virtual hearings in July and August but no comments from either side were allowed and Grueskin did not bill the state for listening to the meetings.

Hickenlooper initially defied a subpoena to appear at the hearing and was held in contempt by the commission. But it’s not clear from the records whether additional legal expenses were incurred by the state related to Hickenlooper challenging the subpoena.

In addition to the state-paid counsel, Marc Elias, a prominent national Democratic Party attorney, joined Hickenlooper’s defense for the ethics case. Hickenlooper’s federal campaign finance records show $151,000 in payments to Elias’ firm Perkins Coie through June 30, including $83,300 from April through the end of the reporting period when the ethics case neared a hearing. It’s not clear if any of the payments to Perkins Coie were related to the ethics case. The campaign also said at one point that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is supporting Hickenlooper, hired Elias.

The state money for Hickenlooper’s legal defense came from an account with leftover federal dollars provided to Colorado in the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. The legislation included the second round of tax cuts from President George W. Bush, as well as fiscal relief for states after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the recession that followed.

Gardner and his Republicans allies misleadingly label the money as a 9/11 economic recovery fund even though the legislation was more expansive.

The federal package allowed the state latitude to use the money on essential government services and the type of expenses permitted in the state budget, but U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, filed a complaint with the U.S. treasury in August alleging misspending of federal dollars. A Lamborn spokeswoman said the complaint is still pending.

Lindsey Singer, a spokeswoman for Colorado Rising Action, a conservative group that is using the ethics complaint to undercut Hickenlooper’s campaign, said the candidate should repay the legal fees incurred by the state.

“Hickenlooper is a millionaire, and he’s more than able to pay back Coloradans,” she said, referring to his net worth. “He lost his case and Colorado’s budget is struggling right now, so there’s lots of things that Colorado could use that money for right now.”

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Police investigating homicide in Northeast Denver

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:58:27 +0000

DENVER (KDVR) — A man was shot in the 4000 block of Quebec Street in north Central Park early Friday morning, according to Denver police.

Officers responded just after 2 a.m. to the location where they found an adult male with a gunshot wound(s). He was transported to the hospital where he later died.

Police do not have any suspects in custody and continue to investigate the incident as a homicide. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers, 720.913.STOP (7867).

Colorado reaches settlement with USPS to have remaining mailers destroyed, input on election media

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:56:34 +0000

DENVER – Colorado and the U.S. Postal Service agreed Thursday to settle a lawsuit over pre-election mailers sent to Colorado voters that the secretary of state said contained misleading information.The settlement comes five days after the suit was filed and a judge issued a temporary restraining order barring the Post Service from sending more of the mailers out, which said that voters should request a mail ballot 15 days before the election. While the fliers were sent to every household and P.O. Box in the country, the information is all the same and some states like Colorado have varying election models.Registered Colorado voters are automatically mailed ballots for every election and can return them by mail, though around 75% of voters drop them off at drop boxes around the state. Ballots for the November election will start being mailed Oct. 9.As terms of the settlement, the Postal Service will “take all reasonable measures” not to deliver any of the pre-election mailers that have not yet been delivered and to destroy them, then send notice within 30 days that they have been destroyed.Griswold and her office will also have input on any changes to the Postal Service’s voting information website that might mislead Colorado voters and can object to changes, which will force the USPS to withhold them for at least 24 hours.A designee from the USPS will also have to check with Griswold and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser before releasing new components of its media campaign to be sure any new media does not “cause voter confusion in Colorado.” The state can also object to said media being released, which will further delay it, according to the agreement.The Postal Service will maintain editorial control over its online and other media content.The settlement led to Colorado dropping its case. But it does not prohibit Colorado from taking the Postal Service to court again should it find the USPS is spreading information not useful to Colorado voters. Both parties will pay their own costs and fees.“I am pleased with the settlement we reached today with the U.S. Postal Service. Voters deserve accurate election information. The terms of the settlement mandate that all reasonable effort be taken to remove all undelivered misleading mailers from the mail stream, and it requires collaboration between the Colorado Department of State and the USPS to make sure all future Postal Service communication includes correct information,” Griswold said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the U.S. Postal Service to ensure every Colorado voter is equipped with the information they need to successfully participate in the November 3 election. I appreciate the partnership of Attorney General Weiser to achieve this positive outcome,”Weiser in a statement said he appreciated USPS for working with states to ensure the voter information was accurate for Coloradans.An email sent to two USPS spokespersons requesting comment was not immediately returned Friday morning.It was the state’s second court win against the Postal Service in two days. On Thursday, a judge in Washington issued a nationwide preliminary injunction stopping changes at the Postal Service that have slowed mail, calling the effort by the USPS and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy politically motivated and “voter disenfranchisement.” Colorado was one of 14 states that sued over the changes.“I will continue to fight for Colorado to prevent the Postal Service, or any agency, from hindering Coloradans’ right to vote and am pleased we reached an agreement that results in the misleading notices being destroyed and giving Colorado the unprecedented ability to review and improve future media campaigns by the Postal Service related to elections,” Weiser said in a statement Friday. “I want to thank Secretary Griswold and her team as well as the dedicated professionals in our office who worked hard on this matter over the past week.”

USPS to destroy remaining flyers with incorrect mail-in voting information, consult with Colorado elections official in future

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:51:59 +0000

The U.S. Postal Service has agreed to destroy any remaining flyers it has containing incorrect information on mail-in ballots in Colorado and to consult with state elections officials before putting out any future guidance on voting as part of a settlement announced Friday.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, sued the USPS last weekend after it delivered of thousands of flyers to Coloradans about mail-in voting that incorrectly said voters must request a ballot to receive one in the mail.

Every registered voter in Colorado receives a ballot and doesn’t need to request one. Griswold accused the agency, which has been in hot water for changes to its operations that slowed down mail delivery ahead of the November election, of attempting to suppress the vote.

A federal judge on Saturday night ordered the Postal Service to stop delivering the flyers. The judge, William J. Martinez, said that the flyers would “sow confusion amongst voters by delivering a contradictory message.”

The USPS asked Martinez to reconsider this week, but he refused.

MORE: Read the settlement.

Griswold and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser applauded the settlement.

“The terms of the settlement mandate that all reasonable effort be taken to remove all undelivered misleading mailers from the mail stream, and it requires collaboration between the Colorado Department of State and the USPS to make sure all future Postal Service communication includes correct information,” Griswold said in a written statement. “I look forward to working with the U.S. Postal Service to ensure every Colorado voter is equipped with the information they need to successfully participate in the Nov. 3 election.”

Weiser, a fellow Democrat, echoed Griswold’s sentiment.

“I appreciate the Postal Service’s recognition of the importance of working with states to ensure that voters receive accurate information about using the mail for voting,” he said in a written statement of his own.

Colorado’s lawsuit against the USPS has been withdrawn in light of the settlement.

Despite the settlement, the USPS says it has already delivered about 75% of the flyers it printed for Coloradans.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold on Sept. 12, 2020, sued Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the postmasters in Denver and Albuquerque to keep this flyer from being delivered to customers in Colorado because it contains misinformation about voting. She alleges in her lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Denver that the flyer was sent to attempt to confuse and disenfranchise voters because it says people must request a mail-in ballot. In fact, all voters in Colorado receive their ballots in the mail.

Under the settlement, Colorado has the right to temporarily block the release of any new USPS material on voting that could confuse Coloradans and, if necessary, seek court review.

Meanwhile, a federal judge in Washington state on Thursday issued an order blocking the Postal Service from implementing changes that have slowed down nationwide. The order came after Colorado and other states sued the USPS to prevent it from moving forward with more alterations.

Colorado and a coalition of 13 other states challenged the Postal Service’s so-called “leave behind” policy, where trucks have been leaving postal facilities on time regardless of whether there is more mail to load. They also sought to force the Postal Service to treat election mail as first class mail.

The judge noted after a hearing that President Donald Trump had repeatedly attacked voting by mail by making unfounded claims that it is rife with fraud. Many more voters are expected to vote by mail this November because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the states have expressed concern that delays might result in voters not receiving ballots or registration forms in time.

“The states have demonstrated the defendants are involved in a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service,” Bastian said.

He also said the changes created “a substantial possibility many voters will be disenfranchised.”

Colorado will begin mailing ballots to registered voters on Oct. 9.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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CU Boulder: Students must move out of dorm to create more isolation space for positive COVID-19 cases

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:46:53 +0000

In an effort to increase the amount of space needed to isolate students who tested positive for COVID-19, all residents of a University of Colorado Boulder dorm have been directed to move.Students living in the Darley North Hall, which stands out as one of the tallest buildings in the city of Boulder, received a letter from the school's housing department about the change on Thursday. Students were directed to move out by 5 p.m. on Sunday. The spokesperson with CU Boulder confirmed that the purpose of this change is to increase isolation space on campus. The spokesperson said students in Darley North Hall will receive additional information from the school's housing department on Friday, which will include a new room assignment.The school has reported a spike in positive COVID-19 cases on campus and as a result, has increased how much of its isolation spaces it is using. As of the end of the day Thursday, 67% of the school's isolation spaces were in use, according to CU Boulder's COVID-19 Dashboard, which is available by clicking here. This is part of a growing trend — the percentage was 57% on Wednesday, 46% on Tuesday and 24% on Monday. University officials said the initial plan was for those isolation spaces to be for single occupancy. If more space is needed, they'll place two people per room.According to data from the dashboard, 671 on-campus people have tested positive since Aug 24 as of Friday at 8:45 a.m. On Tuesday, Boulder County Public Health issued a letter saying it strongly recommends all CU Boulder students self-quarantine for two weeks to contain the outbreak. The letter to Darley North students reads that Residence Life and Student Housing are working to create additional isolation spaces for campus residents."We know that moving mid-semester is challenging, and we are doing everything we can to minimize the impacts of this change for our residents," the letter reads. "We will do our best to keep your community together, though we will not be able to move roommates together due to space availability."A $250 credit will be issued to the Darley North students' Bursar's accounts. All students from that hall will need to complete their weekly COVID-19 screening by Friday.This is a developing story. Stay with Denver7 for updates.

WATCH LIVE: Polis To Provide Update On Colorado’s Coronavirus Pandemic Response

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:45:53 +0000

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is scheduled to provide updates on the state’s efforts as it deals with the coronavirus on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. from Front Range Community College in Westminster.

CPR News will carry live coverage online only. There will be no radio coverage of Polis’ remarks. Watch the video below or watch it on our Facebook page.

Note: The governor’s briefings don’t always start on time.

Two Dead In Lakewood Shooting Involving Police

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:40:07 +0000

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) – Lakewood police agents have been involved in a shooting at a Walmart. It happened Friday morning.

(credit: CBS)

Two people are dead. One was killed in a shooting in the Walmart parking lot at 4th and Wadsworth. The second, the suspect in that homicide, was shot by Lakewood agents and was pronounced dead. The Lakewood agent is not hurt.

(credit: CBS)

They are asking people to stay away from the scene, which includes the parking lot of the Walmart as well as a Grease Monkey and a street in a neighborhood nearby.

1 person killed in Lakewood Walmart parking lot, suspect shot by police nearby

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:27:08 +0000

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) – One person has died after a shooting outside the Walmart at 4th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard in Lakewood.

Police said the victim was killed in the parking lot, and officers were able to track down the suspect nearby.

Officers then shot the suspect, who was taken to a hospital in unknown condition.

Lakewood Police are currently working a homicide and officer involved shooting near 4th and Wadsworth. Please avoid the area. There is no danger to the public.
— Lakewood Police (@LakewoodPDCO) September 18, 2020

No officers were injured, according to Lakewood police officials.

This is a breaking story. SkyFOX is going to the scene as are a reporter and photojournalist on the ground.

WATCH: Air-Drop Fish Stocking Operations Bring Trout To Colorado Alpine Lakes

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:20:38 +0000

(CBS4) – Employees of Colorado Parks and Wildlife are using planes to bring fish to hundreds of alpine lakes in the northern half of the state. On Thursday they dropped 70,000 fish from the air into lakes in the following counties: Grand, Boulder, Jackson and Larimer.

(credit: Jason Clay/CPW)

“We can get a large quantity of fish into high mountain lakes that are basically only accessible by foot or horseback,” said fish culturist Doug Sebring in a CPW news release.

Cutthroat trout and golden trout are released out of the plane when it is about 100 to 150 feet above the lake, then they just float down into the water.

“They are so small and they don’t have a lot of mass to them, so their acceleration rate is pretty low. Their heads are the heaviest parts, so they tend to go head first and drop straight into the water,” CPW wildlife pilot Larry Gepfert said.

A total of 330 lakes will be getting the fish this year. Next year the operation will continue and will focus on the southern half of the state.

Containment grows at Cameron Peak Fire, hazy conditions persist along Front Range

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:05:06 +0000

LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — The Cameron Peak Fire, burning in Larmier County, is now 15% contained after crews successfully connected fire lines along its east side, fire officials announced late Thursday evening. While conditions around the 102,596-acre fire remain smokey, the fire did not grow Thursday. As with the past few days, the Green Ridge area along Highway 14 — around The Thumb — has been the most active. Crews both on the ground and in helicopters are working in this region, according to the Southwest Area Incident Management Team.In addition, crews are continuing to construct direct and indirect lines and structure protection for the Crystal Lakes, Red Feather, and Glacier View subdivisions.The fire lines along Highway 14, Pingree Park Road, Long Draw Road and Buckhorn Road to Comanche Reservoir held up against the fire, which allowed some resources to go to other areas of the fire, according to the Southwest Area Incident Management Team.Friday's focus will remain relatively similar to the rest of this week as crews continue constructing fire lines with a goal of tying them together. More crews will arrive over the next few days to help expand containment while keeping the fire in its current footprint. Temperatures will hover around 70 degrees Friday around the fire, with low humidity and mild wind. These conditions will cause smoke to settle around nearby communities. A storm system will move in over the weekend, which could bring big thunderstorms to the area. The cooler temperatures and higher humidity could provide better conditions for firefighting. The fire, in addition to the Middle Fork Fire north of Steamboat Springs and wildfires in states along the West Coast, is making the Front Range hazy.The air quality will be unhealthy in Fort Collins, Greeley and Longmont on Friday, just as it was on Thursday.More details are below for the impacted areas.Multiple mandatory and voluntary evacuations, as well as road closures, are in place around the Cameron Peak Fire. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said fire officials have downgraded the evacuation status from mandatory to voluntary for Highway 14 from Stove Prairie Landing west to Kelly Flats, and County Road 44H from Pennock Pass to County Road 27. Officials also lifted the voluntary evacuations for Stove Prairie Landing south along County Road 27 to County Road 44H and east to include Stratton Park.Click here for a full list of evacuations, or explore the map below.To sign up for emergency alerts in Larimer County, visit NOCO Alert's website here. For updates for people who have been forced to evacuate, text the word LCEVAC to 888777 from your cell phone.The fire is the fourth-largest in Colorado history. It has surpassed the High Park Fire that damaged hundreds of homes and killed one person in 2012 just east of where the Cameron Peak Fire is currently burning.The state's 10 largest wildfires in history, ranked by acreage, are:1. Pine Gulch Fire (2020): 139,007 acres2. Hayman Fire (2002): 137,760 acres3. Spring Fire (2018): 108,045 acres4. Cameron Peak Fire (2020): 102,596 acres5. High Park Fire (2012): 87,284 acres6. Missionary Ridge Fire (2002): 72,962 acres7. 416 Fire (2018): 54,000 acres8. Bridger Fire (2008): 45,800 acres9. Last Chance Fire (2012): 45,000 acres10. Bear Springs/Callie Marie fires (2011): 44,662 acres(Note: The 2013 West Fork Complex is not included on this list because it was a series of different fires close to one another.)The fire ignited on Aug. 13 in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests near Cameron Pass and Chambers Lake. Its cause is under investigation. Fire officials said the estimated containment date is Oct. 31.A statewide open fire ban is in effect for all of Colorado through Oct. 7.

Lakewood Police Involved In Shooting At Walmart Along Wadsworth

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:00:07 +0000

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) – Lakewood Police agents have been involved in a shooting at a Walmart. It happened Friday morning.

(credit: CBS)

Very few details are available as the investigation is just beginning, but agents are currently at the Walmart at 4th and Wadsworth in Lakewood. The incident started as a homicide call when the shooting then happened involving the Lakewood Police agent. One person is dead and the agent is unhurt.

They are asking people to stay away from the scene.

Lakewood police exchange gunfire with homicide suspect near 4th and Wadsworth

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:59:54 +0000

DENVER – Lakewood police exchanged gunfire with a person Friday morning suspected of killing another person outside the Walmart at 4th Ave. and Wadsworth Blvd., according to police.The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. Friday. Lakewood police spokesperson John Romero said a person was killed outside of the Walmart.The suspect in that homicide fled the scene and started shooting at officers, who returned fire, according to Romero. Video from AirTracker7 showed a host of police vehicles near a Grease Monkey at 4th and Wadsworth and that 4th Ave. was blocked in the area.The suspect in the murder and the exchange with officers was taken into custody, Romero said, though it was also unclear whether the person was hit by officers’ gunfire or injured. Romero said that no officers were injured.This is a developing news story and will be updated.

CU Boulder Making Students Move Out Of Dorm To Create Isolation Spaces After Spike In COVID-19 Cases

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:56:13 +0000

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) — Students living at a high-rise dormitory at the University of Colorado-Boulder are being required to move out this weekend, as the university works to “create additional isolation spaces for campus residents.” Notification was recently send to students in Darley North — one of the towers in Williams Village. Students will not be able to stay with their roommates, “due to space availability,” university officials stated in an email sent to students.

“We know that moving mid-semester is challenging, and we are doing everything we can to minimize the impacts of this change for our residents. We will do our best to keep your community together, though we will not be able to move roommates together due to space availability,” the notice stated.

Students are being given a $250 credit to their Bursar’s account, “for the inconvenience of this short notification.”

CU Boulder Making Students Move Out Of Dorm To Create Isolation Spaces After Spike In COVID-19 Cases

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:56:13 +0000

A group of incoming freshmen walk through campus after moving into dormitories at University of Colorado Boulder on August 18, 2020 in Boulder, Colorado. (credit: Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Students are being given a $250 credit to their Bursar’s account, “for the inconvenience of this short notification.”

Earlier this week, Boulder County Public Health issued a strong recommendation to every CU Boulder student living in Boulder to self-quarantine in their Boulder home or residence hall for 14 days to contain the outbreak.

Nuggets-Lakers: What to watch for in the Western Conference Finals

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:45:15 +0000

DENVER — The Nuggets' run to the Western Conference Finals shouldn't come as a shock — this was, after all, a team that finished 3rd in the West and won 100 regular-season games over the last two years. But it was a shock because of how they got there, overcoming a 3-1 series deficit twice, the second time against a Clippers team that mortgaged its future to win a championship now.In the process, we've seen Jamal Murray's superstar status on the biggest stage and Nikola Jokic at his best, showing why he might be the best passing big man ever.Now Denver meets the LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Friday night. Here's how Denver got here and what to watch for:Jamal Murray just keeps scoring. Murray carried his unconsciousness from the Utah series to the Clippers, especially when Denver needed him most. In the Nuggets' four wins, Murray shot 15-for-30 from three-point range, including 6-for-13 in Tuesday night's Game 7. For the playoffs, Murray is averaging 27.1 points per game on 50.2% shooting from the field.Nikola Jokic's production as a passer. Jokic in Game 7 showed how dominant an elite passer can be at the center position. He scored 16, but dished out 13 assists and grabbed 22 rebounds. He'll face a challenge in Lakers center Anthony Davis, one of the top defenders in the league. But if Jokic can continue to set up scoring opportunities for Murray and others, the Nuggets offense can keep churning.Guarding LeBron. Eric Spyropoulos of the Nuggets team website dove into the possibilities of who might be tabbed to defend LeBron James. Torrey Craig, Jerami Grant and Paul Millsap are the likely candidates, with Craig having success against James in the regular season. Oh, and if you're wondering, this is still Playoff LeBron: He's averaging 26.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists this postseason.Can Michael Porter Jr. make an impact? The emergence of Michael Porter Jr. as a scoring threat has given Denver another weapon. Porter has been up and down, scoring only two points in Game 7 against the Clippers. But when he gets minutes, he provides Denver with a streaky scorer, and that will be valuable against a top defensive team in the Lakers.The last time we were here. The Nuggets have met the Lakers twice before in the Western Conference Finals. Those trips didn't end well for Denver. In 1985, the Nuggets lost the series 4-1. In 2009, Denver lost to L.A. 4-2. About those 3-1 comebacks...Down-to-the-wire seven-game series might seem commonplace for the Nuggets lately. But here's how rare their postseason run has been: Since 2003, we've seen only seven 3-1 series comebacks in the NBA playoffs. The Nuggets now have two of those.

Things To Do In And Around Denver This Weekend: Art In RiNo, Barks And Brews

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:37:44 +0000

(CBS4) – If you’re looking for something fun to do with your family this weekend, there are plenty of events happening around the Denver metro area. Some are virtual, while others are in-person.

The walls of RiNo will once again be transformed with new works of art. CRUSH WALLS is a weeklong celebration of graffiti and street art, which has helped to curate hundreds of murals in RiNo over the last decade. This weekend, the outdoor gallery is free, as people can take a self-guided tour to look at the art. To keep people safe there will be sanitation stations, and everyone is asked to wear masks and maintain social distancing while watching the artists work.

Fritzler Farms is opening up for fall activities on Saturday, September 19th! This includes a fall favorite, the corn maze! This year’s maze design shows two hands holding a heart shaped Earth, with a plant sprouting from the top. The Fritzler Family said its meant to be a big thank you to those who have made sacrifices during the trying times. The Fritzler Farm Park also offers a pumpkin patch and other fun activities for the entire family. A day pass costs $11.95.

On Saturday, you can raise money for man’s best friend, by drinking beer! The Outlets at Castle Rock are hosting an event called “Barks and Brews” to raise money for the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley. From 2-6pm, people can bring their pups to the pop-up Breckenridge Brewery Beer Garden. For every $5 donation to the humane society, you’ll get a free beer. To ensure social distancing you are asked to preregister for this event online.

It’s National Cheeseburger Day; Here are 31 of Colorado’s favorite options

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:10:50 +0000

DENVER– Friday is National Cheeseburger Day. So where can you find the best burger in Colorado?

From Green Chile, to layers of gooey cheese, to fried jalapenos, to ketchup and the list goes on. Why not add a fried egg to the top? Or how about a doughnut to make the bun? The toppings on a burger can really be whatever you’re craving at that moment.

Here’s a list of 31 different burger stops in Colorado in no particular order.

Skirted Heifer– Colorado Springs
Cherry Cricket– Denver
Crave Real Burgers– Multiple Colorado locations
Big Al’s Burgers & Dogs– Fort Collins
Stuft Burger Bar– Multiple Colorado locations
Bingo Burger– Multiple Colorado locations
Highland Tap & Burger– Denver
Blackbelly Market– Boulder
Bent Fork Grill– Multiple Colorado locations
Fatbelly Burgers– Carbondale
Tag Burger Bar– Denver
House Rock Kitchen– Buena Vista
Larkburger– Multiple locations in Colorado
Two Bears Tap & Grill– Idaho Springs
Back Door Grill– Steamboat Springs
Flip Side– Breckenridge
5280 Burger Bar– Denver
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar– Multiple Colorado locations
Steuben’s– Denver
Crown Burgers– Denver
Park Burger– Denver
My Brother’s Bar– Denver
Bud’s Cafe & Bar– Sedalia
CityGrille– Denver
Hopdoddy Burger Bar– Denver
Meadowlark Kitchen– Denver
Stanley Beer Hall– Aurora
Drifter’s Hamburgers– Colorado Springs
The Green Line Grill– Colorado Springs
Juicy Burgers & Dogs– Centennial
Smashburger– Multiple locations

Proposition 118 Provides Colorado Voters With Important Choice On Paid Family, Medical Leave In November

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:02:05 +0000

DENVER (CBS4)- The November election is now under seven weeks away, and Colorado voters will soon be deciding whether to approve an initiative that could provide extended paid family or medical leave to the state’s workers.

The measure, Proposition 118, would give almost every family in Colorado 12-16 weeks of paid family or medical leave with wage replacement starting at 90%. Whether you use it or not, you pay for it. The ballot measure would create a $1.3 billion per year state run insurance program.

Democratic state Sen. Faith Winter and Democratic state Rep. Matt Gray penned an opinion piece for Colorado Politics that argues that the need for a program like this is “clearer than ever” amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“For the essential workers in our community, like nurses, grocery workers, delivery drivers, and more, we need to ensure they’ll be able to take care of themselves or their loved ones should anyone in their family contract a prolonged illness. Giving workers paid leave to recover from a serious illness like COVID-19 will keep our communities safer and prevent the spread of this devastating virus, all while making sure businesses don’t lose the employees they depend on.“

However, there are questions about the stability of the potential program when considering the costs to employees and businesses.

“It’s important to know what’s the financial stability of a billion dollar program like this. What are the potential risks associated with the program?” asked Kristin Strohm, an associate at the Common Policy Institute.

The biggest risk, according to Strohm, is if too many people use the benefit. The insurance is paid for with a tax or premium of 0.9-1.2% that would be split between the employee and employer. For businesses, that would mean an increased cost of $570-880 million per year. For a worker making the median wage of about $50,000, it would mean an extra $225-300 per year.

“You have to ask yourself as a voter, how much are you willing to pay into this program. And, as an employer, could you afford to do that,” said Strohm.

There are also questions about how many people the program can afford to support. Some analysts expect higher levels of utilization due to the benefits the program provides, while others think it’s more likely it will stay within a reasonable range.

“We’re talking about between $1 and $4 per week for the average worker,” said Dr. Jennifer Greenfield of the University of Denver. “Utilization is, I think, very likely to stay within that 5%.”

Analysts at the Common Policy Institute think that the utilization will be higher because Colorado’s program is the most generous in the country. The Institute found that if 6.5% of workers use the benefit in the first year, taking an average leave of nine and a half weeks, the program would be insolvent.

In the second year, the Institute says that it couldn’t go above 7.5% utilization and 10 weeks leave. If it does, the Institute says that either costs would have to go up or the state would have to bail the program out.

If the proposition passes, the first year of the program would begin in 2023.

It’s National Cheeseburger Day. So where’s the best burger in Colorado? Here’s a list of 31 options

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:51:59 +0000

DENVER– Friday is National Cheeseburger Day. So where can you find the best burger in Colorado?

Here’s a list of 31 different burger stops in Colorado in no particular order.

Skirted Heifer– Colorado Springs
Cherry Cricket– Denver
Crave Real Burgers– Multiple Colorado locations
Big Al’s Burgers & Dogs– Fort Collins
Stuft Burger Bar– Multiple Colorado locations
Bingo Burger– Multiple Colorado locations
Highland Tap & Burger– Denver
Blackbelly Market– Boulder
Bent Fork Grill– Multiple Colorado locations
Fatbelly Burgers– Carbondale
Tag Burger Bar– Denver
House Rock Kitchen– Buena Vista
Larkburger– Multiple locations in Colorado
Two Bears Tap & Grill– Idaho Springs
Back Door Grill– Steamboat Springs
Flip Side– Breckenridge
5280 Burger Bar– Denver
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar– Multiple Colorado locations
Steuben’s– Denver
Crown Burgers– Denver
Park Burger– Denver
My Brother’s Bar– Denver
Bud’s Cafe & Bar– Sedalia
CityGrille– Denver
Hopdoddy Burger Bar– Denver
Meadowlark Kitchen– Denver
Stanley Beer Hall– Aurora
Drifter’s Hamburgers– Colorado Springs
The Green Line Grill– Colorado Springs
Juicy Burgers & Dogs– Centennial
Smashburger– Multiple locations

What's That?: New Broomfield community development to fuse outdoor and urban living

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:39:46 +0000

Editor's Note: 'Our Colorado' helps us all navigate the challenges related to growth while celebrating life in the state we love. To comment on this or other Our Colorado stories, email us at OurCO@TheDenverChannel.com. See more 'Our Colorado' stories here.BROOMFIELD, Colo. — A new community development that hopes to fuse outdoor adventure with urban living is moving forward with plans to open in Broomfield.The development is called Baseline and it’s located near the junction of Interstate 25 and E-470.According to the development’s website, the community will include smart homes, farm to table restaurants, a butterfly pavilion, and scientific institutions.Within the next few years, McWhinney Real Estate, the company behind the project plans to work with the Adams 12 School District to open a STEM school within the community.Single-family homes in the community are currently for sale and apartments will be available later this fall.Denver7 is committed to exploring the growth we are all experiencing in Our Colorado. We want to know what you're seeing and what questions you have about what's to come in your community. If you notice a new project and you want to know more, email us at OurCO@TheDenverChannel.com and ask, "What's that?" Every week, we'll take your questions and see what we can find out.

Denver Police Searching For Suspects After Deadly Overnight Shooting

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:36:38 +0000

DENVER (CBS4) – One man is dead after an overnight shooting in Denver. It happened early Friday morning.

(credit: ThinkStock)

Police were called to the 4000 block of North Quebec street, where responders found an adult male with gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries early Friday morning.

Police are investigating the shooting as a homicide.

Denver Police Searching For Suspects After Deadly Overnight Shooting On Quebec Street

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:36:38 +0000

DENVER (CBS4) – One man is dead after an overnight shooting in Denver. It happened early Friday morning.

Police were called to the 4000 block of North Quebec Street, where responders found an adult male with gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police are investigating the shooting as a homicide.

RTD Makes Plans For More Buses Where People Are Still Riding — And Cuts Where They Are Not

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:35:08 +0000

The Regional Transportation District is looking to tighten up its pandemic-era services.

While ridership has plummeted across its system since March, the declines have been most notable on its commuter-focused services to and from downtown Denver. So RTD staff are proposing the agency suspend or reduce some of those lines and redirect those resources to lines where more people are riding.

Local bus lines carrying essential workers have been crowded during the pandemic.

“For every trip that we continue to provide carrying three or four passengers, we are going to be leaving passengers standing on Colfax,” RTD’s special projects director Bruce Abel told the agency’s board of directors in early August.

RTD has limited the number of passengers allowed on each bus to allow for social distancing. More than $200 million in federal funding allowed RTD to run back-up buses where they are needed. But with that money running out, the agency now needs to rebalance its services to keep the most popular lines running.

Specifically, RTD wants to increase service on the 16 bus on West Colfax and the 31 on Federal Boulevard in Denver. The CS/CV between Pine Junction and Denver, the ES/EV between Evergreen and Denver, and the GS between Golden and Boulder would be suspended entirely.

Staff are recommending those lines be replaced by van-pools organized by the Denver Regional Council of Governments, taxi vouchers or perhaps even an Uber/Lyft partnership.

The 20, 51, 205, 225, 16th Street Mall shuttle, H, R, and W light rail lines would all see service reductions. Other routes could see minor changes too, including the limited addition of some lines cut earlier in the pandemic. More details are in this document.

The RTD board will consider the changes at a meeting next Tuesday. Board members have said they don’t want the changes to be permanent.

CU Study Confirms Singing Unmasked Inside Spreads COVID Through Particles

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:28:21 +0000

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) – A new study done by University of Colorado scientists confirms that singing without a mask inside can spread COVID-19 particles easily. The study examined a March rehearsal in Washington.

The study, which has been peer reviewed and published in the journal Indoor Air, proves that aerosols projected by singing unmasked spreads the virus. Researchers studied a choir rehearsal in Skagit Valley, Washington on March 10th. One person with mild COVID-19 symptoms attended the 2 and a half-hour indoor rehearsal. In the weeks that followed, nearly everyone who attended the practice – more than 50 people – contracted the disease. Two people ultimately died.

(credit: University of Colorado)

Those who attended had sanitized surfaces and avoided touching each other. That observation led scientists to conclude that particles spit into the air during the singing, spread the disease.

No one in attendance was wearing a mask.

Researchers interviewed a chorale representative and calculated the rate of infection based on details of the rehearsal and known facts about the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Scientists concluded that there was not a large enough window for droplets and infected surfaces to transmit the number of people who contracted the disease. However, poor ventilation in the practice space did lead to what researchers called a “build-up of aerosols produced by the singers themselves mixed the air within the room.”

“The inhalation of infectious respiratory aerosol from ‘shared air’ was the leading mode of transmission,” Jose-Luis Jimenez, co-author of the study, professor of chemistry and fellow at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), said.

The infection rate in the two and a half-hour practice was 87%, or 52 people. Researchers found that shortening the practice to 30 minutes would have dropped that infected rate to 12%, or 5 people.

Before that event, there were known cases in Skagit County. Other superspreader events related to choir practices have been recorded in the Netherlands, Austria, Canada, Germany, England, South Korea, Spain, and France.

“The research adds to the overwhelming body of evidence that aerosol transmission is playing a major role in driving this pandemic and especially to superspreading events,” Jimenez said.

CU Study Confirms Singing Unmasked Inside Spreads COVID Through Particles

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:28:21 +0000

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) – A new study done by University of Colorado scientists confirms that singing without a mask on inside can spread COVID-19 particles easily. The study examined a March rehearsal in Washington.

The study, which has been peer reviewed and published in the journal Indoor Air, proves that aerosols projected by singing unmasked spreads the virus. Researchers studied a choir rehearsal in Skagit Valley, Washington, on March 10. One person with mild COVID-19 symptoms attended the 2-and-a-half hour indoor rehearsal. In the weeks that followed, nearly everyone who attended the practice — more than 50 people — contracted the disease. Two people ultimately died.

(credit: University of Colorado)

Those who attended had sanitized surfaces and avoided touching each other. That observation led scientists to conclude that particles spit into the air during the singing spread the disease.

No one in attendance was wearing a mask.

The infection rate in the practice was 87%, or 52 people. Researchers found that shortening the practice to 30 minutes would have dropped that infected rate to 12%, or 5 people.

“The research adds to the overwhelming body of evidence that aerosol transmission is playing a major role in driving this pandemic and especially to superspreading events,” Jimenez said.

All aboard! Nuggets release bandwagon fan application

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:21:29 +0000

DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Nuggets will play in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2009. They have never made the NBA Finals. Denver will take on the Lakers in Game 1 on Friday.

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals tips off at 7 p.m.

The Nuggets playoff run has been historic and exciting, so it makes sense that people would want to jump on the fan bandwagon.

The Nuggets released a bandwagon application. And while we know everyone in Colorado is a Nuggets fan (wink), maybe you know someone who needs a team to root for. The Nuggets will take all the fans they can get!

Get your applications in now!#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/mKhgiUThyT
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) September 16, 2020

CU Boulder students forced to move out of Darley North Hall due to COVID-19 outbreak

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:05:17 +0000

BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — The University of Colorado at Boulder announced Friday that students living in the Darley North Hall on campus will have to move to other residence halls by 5 p.m. Sunday due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

On Friday, the university announced that it recorded 130 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing total cases to 671 positive cases since Aug. 24.

The letter sent to students on Thursday night says in part:

Dear Buff,

As you have heard from the chancellor’s recent announcement, we are experiencing a spike in the number of positive COVID-19 cases on campus and an increase in the utilization of isolation spaces. Residence Life and Student Housing are working to create additional isolation spaces for campus residents.

To support the health and safety of our students, all residents of Darley North will need to move to other residence halls within the Williams Village community by 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20. You will be receiving an email Friday afternoon, Sept. 18, from Student Housing with specific information on your new room assignment and new roommate (if applicable).

We know that moving mid-semester is challenging, and we are doing everything we can to minimize the impacts of this change for our residents. We will do our best to keep your community together, though we will not be able to move roommates together due to space availability. You will continue to have dedicated staff in your new building to support your needs. Additionally, we will issue a $250 credit to your Bursar’s account for the inconvenience of this short notification.

Read full letter here.

Every CU Boulder student is being asked to quarantine for 14 days with exceptions for essential activities like going to class or getting food. Public gatherings, however, should not be happening.

One More Bad Air Day! Smoke Will Decrease In Colorado For The Weekend

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:01:45 +0000

DENVER (CBS4) – Heath advisories related to wildfire smoke have been expanded to 41 of Colorado’s 64 counties on Friday. Air quality will remain unhealthy for everyone through Friday afternoon before significant improvement arrives this weekend.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the smoke in the air on Friday is expected to be similar to Thursday with even more counties in Colorado being impacted.

(source: CBS)

Much of the smoke is coming from the West Coast but some of it is originating from in-site fires including the Cameron Peak Fire near Red Feather Lakes, the Middle Fork Fire north of Steamboat Springs, and a new wildfire in Wyoming north of Walden.

The air has been declared unhealthy for everyone (not just sensitive groups) through at least 4 p.m. on Friday and Colorado residents are encouraged to spend more time indoors than outdoors. Avoiding outdoor exercise until Saturday is also recommended.

(source: CBS)

Smoke forecast models agree there should be considerably less smoke across most of the state on Saturday compared to Friday. Air Quality will likely be upgraded to unhealthy for only sensitive groups (older adults, very young children, and those with asthma) and perhaps even better.

The shades of while on the map below is where smoke is expected to be at 5 p.m. Friday.

(source: CBS)

24 hours later the same model shows far less smoke.

(source: CBS)

As the amount of smoke decreases, temperature will increase and the Denver area should come close to 90 degrees Saturday afternoon.

1 dead after shooting in Denver early Friday

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 14:40:19 +0000

DENVER — Denver police are investigating a fatal shooting along the 4000 block of N. Quebec Street Friday morning. One man was shot and transported to a hospital with serious injuries, according to the Denver Police Department. At 8:20 a.m., the department announced he had died. The case is now being investigated as a homicide. No other information was available Friday morning. This remains an open investigation. Anybody with information on this crime is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

Dogs shot, poisoned in Fremont County, sheriff’s office seeking information

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 14:40:03 +0000

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information on animal cruelty cases involving dogs being poisoned and/or shot.

According to the sheriff’s office, one case involves dogs being shot in the Lincoln Park area of Canon City. Another case involves dogs being poisoned in the Whitehorn area of CR 2 near the Chaffee/Fremont county borders.

FCSO said the owner of the dog in the case in the Whitehorn area is willing to pay $500 for suspect information on the person who poisoned their dogs, on top of the Crime Stoppers reward.

If you have information, please call 719-784-3411. Your information could earn you a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.

One More Day Of Bad Air! Smoke Should Finally Decrease In Colorado Saturday

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 14:32:45 +0000

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the smoke in the air on Friday is expected to be similar to Thursday with even more counties in Colorado being impacted.

(source: CBS)

Much of the smoke is coming from the West Coast but some of it is originating from in-site fires including the Cameron Peak fire near Red Feather Lakes, the Middle Fork Fire north of Steamboat Springs, and a new wildfire in Wyoming north of Walden.

(source: CBS)

The shades of while on the map below is where smoke is expected to be at 5 p.m. Friday.

(source: CBS)

24 hours later the same model shows far less smoke.

(source: CBS)

As the amount of smoke decreases, temperature will increase and the Denver area should come close to 90 degrees Saturday afternoon.

BIG Tiger Muskie Caught At Gross Reservoir Projected To Be 6 Years Old

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 14:10:25 +0000

(CBS4) – A 34 inch, 11 pound tiger muskie was captured and released at Gross Reservoir this week, and a photo tweeted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife shows one of the smiling state workers who caught it as part of their fish surveying operations. Tiger muskies are predatory species that are stocked into reservoirs across the state to help control a specific fish population.

(credit: Colorado Parks And Wildlife)

Tiger muskies go after white and longnose suckers. If those fish are left unchecked they might dominate Colorado’s waters.

CPW has numerous aquatics teams who monitor how the fish populations are doing in reservoirs and other bodies of water across the state. The biological info they gather helps with management of the state’s fisheries. The team that caught this fish estimates that it must have been swimming around in Gross Reservoir for about 6 years. Gross Reservoir is located in the Boulder County foothills.

The tiger muskie looks huge in CPW’s photo. But it is actually 2 inches smaller than a tiger muskie has to be in order for an angler to catch one and bring it home.

You can read more about the role played in the state’s aquatic ecosystem by the tiger muskie — “a silent predator” — on a special section of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.

Chiefs-Chargers Preview: Chargers Look To Contain Chiefs In Home Opener

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 14:02:07 +0000

(CBS Los Angeles) — The Kansas City Chiefs seemed to continue the 2019 season in Week 1 to 2020. The defending Super Bowl Champions, led by Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, handled a strong Houston Texans team en route to a 34-20 win at home. It was their 10th straight win dating back to the second half of last season.

The Texans jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the notoriously slow-starting Chiefs. But Kansas City soon showed the benefit of continuity in this strange season. With the same coaching and system and similar player personnel in place, finally got going late in the first quarter with beginning of its first scoring drive. They would go on to score 31 unanswered points. By the time Houston scored again in the fourth quarter, the game was already well out of reach.

Mahomes finished off the evening going an efficient 24-32 for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Sammy Watkins hauled in one of them; Travis Kelce added another. Rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a new addition who seems to have improved the running game, piled up 138 yards on his 25 attempts and added a touchdown of his own. The offense hummed right along, as if a preseason was completely unnecessary.

Stream your local NFL on CBS game live with CBS All Access.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs defense limited Deshaun Watson and the Texans high-powered offense for much of the game. While Watson ultimately threw for a respectable 253 yards, much of that came after the game was essentially over. The Kansas City defense seemed a little vulnerable against the run. Running back David Johnson, hoping to jump start his career in Houston, looked sharp. He ran for 77 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and added three catches for 32 yards.

Kansas City will now turn their attention to Los Angeles, where they’ll face a Chargers team this Sunday that doesn’t present quite the offensive punch of their previous opponent. The Chargers slipped by the Cincinnati Bengals, 16-13, in their opener. It’s hard to put much stock in the win, however. The Bengals won two games last season and kept rookie quarterback Joe Burrow on a tight leash, and the Chargers still needed to come back in the fourth quarter.

There were some positives, however. The running game was productive, with Austin Ekeler picking up 83 yards on 19 carries, and Joshua Kelley adding 60 more on his 12 carries. The defense also turned in a strong performance against the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner, sacking him three times, hitting him four times and forcing an interception on a scramble.

Tyrod Taylor, who took over for the departed Philip Rivers, was his usual pedestrian self, avoiding mistakes but also missing out on big plays. The Chargers quarterback threw for just 208 yards on 16-30 passing.

That sort of performance from Taylor won’t be enough for the Chargers to keep pace with Mahomes and the Chiefs. They’ll need the running game and defense to defense to step up as well. The Texans showed in Week 1 that the Chiefs run defense is still susceptible. The Chargers D showed last season that they can play the Chiefs tough. In both their matchups last season combined, Mahomes completed just 35 of 57 passes for 356 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. If the Chargers offense can control the clock and limit Mahomes’ opportunities, and Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram can contain him somewhat with the pass rush when he is on the field, the Chargers might just have a chance. Not a big chance, but a chance.

The Chiefs are currently favored by 8.5 points, and they’ve enjoyed a few extra days of rest since their opener last Thursday. But the Chargers will be playing their first game in the new SoFi Stadium, and they played the Chiefs tough in their last two meetings.

Still, “how can you go against the Chiefs, asks CBS Denver sports anchor Michael Spencer. “Their offense seemed to pick up right where it left off after the Super Bowl. And I think they maybe got even better with the addition of Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The Chiefs are every bit as dominant as they were last year at least they were in Week 1.”

The Chiefs play the Chargers Sunday, September 20 @ 4:25 pm ET on CBS.

Colorado man charged with hate crime after allegedly stabbing Black man in Oregon

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:54:29 +0000

ONTARIO, Oregon — A Colorado man has been charged with a hate crime after allegedly stabbing a Black man in a fast food restaurant in Oregon, and telling an employee he did it because "I don't like Black people."A federal grand jury in Portland returned a one-count indictment charging Colorado resident Nolan Levi Strauss, 26, with a hate crime involving an attempt to kill, according to an announcement Thursday by the Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams of the District of Oregon.According to the indictment, on the morning of Dec. 21, 2019, a 48-year-old Black man walked into an Arby's restaurant in Ontario, Oregon, located inside the Pilot Travel Center, so he could provide final documentation for his job application. While waiting for the manager, he sat down in the lobby of the restaurant. Without warning, Strauss, who was also in the lobby, approached the man from behind and stabbed him in the neck, according to the indictment. After a struggle, the man was able to free himself. Store employees grabbed ahold of Strauss. A store employee asked why Strauss attacked the man. He replied he did so because the man “was Black, and I don’t like Black people," according to the indictment.The injured man had two lacerations to his neck and was light-flighted to Boise, Idaho for emergency surgery. Strauss will make his first appearance in federal court on Oct. 19. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

2 Coloradans’ 20-Year Search For Extinct Fruit — The Colorado Orange Apple — Finally Pays Off

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:49:56 +0000

(CNN) – On a crisp December afternoon, as the sun slowly fell behind the nearby Sawatch Range, Addie and Jude Schuenemeyer stared at a nearly dead tree, a few apples dangling off its last living branch.

“In that moment, I felt hope,” recalls Addie.

But was this moment when the sun finally set on their nearly 20-year hunt for something many long believed was extinct?

‘We knew it was something unusual’

Growers will tell you Colorado is not the easiest place to grow fruit. The high altitude and extreme temperature fluctuations in spring and fall cause problems for farmers trying to grow apples, peaches, pears, cherries and plums in the Centennial State.

But, despite the thin air, late frosts, lack of rain and abundance of grasshoppers, fruit orchards have long adorned the valleys across the state.

“When many people were coming in to go after gold in the Pike’s Peak gold rush in the late 1800s, other people realized those miners and those folks would need to be fed,” explains Jude, Addie’s husband and her Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project co-director. “People thought they were insane and laughed at them for thinking that you could even grow fruit here.”

The couple created MORP after they purchased a nursery in 2001. Their mission: to create and preserve a genetic bank of Colorado heritage apples and reintroduce those varieties into current orchards.

“Preserving genetic diversity of the apple is historically important and provides a valuable resource to today’s farmers and consumers,” says Addie.

“These varieties represent a real economic opportunity for growers in rural Colorado to put orchards back in these historical areas and give them a chance to make a living on the legendary quality fruit that was once a hallmark for our state,” adds Jude.

One of those fruits the Schuenemeyers hoped to preserve: the Colorado Orange apple.

“We first saw the Colorado Orange in a county fair. When we saw it, we knew it was something unusual,” says Jude. “It had tremendous complexity to it. It was sweet but had the taste of tangy subtleties to go with the sweetness,” the Schuenemeyers explained, though their assessment at the time was based solely on what they had read — not what they’d tasted.

When industrial farming took root in the US at the turn of the 20th century, the appetite for fewer apple varieties, grown in more favorable climates, increased.

“When the Red Delicious came out around 1900, it was just another apple,” explains Jude. “By 1920, it became the dominant apple. It was a shiny red apple that grew pretty well everywhere. And even though other places couldn’t grow as high a quality of Delicious as Colorado could, Colorado couldn’t grow as many, especially since [the Red Delicious] is a little more frost sensitive.”

Orchards that grew a wide range of different apples slowly disappeared.

“We’ve documented over 400 varieties of apples historically grown in Colorado, 50% are now considered lost,” says Addie. “The Colorado Orange was one of these.”

It’s been long-believed the Colorado Orange apple was extinct.

Going crazy to find it

In doing research to find apples grown in Colorado, Jude and Addie discovered the Colorado Orange in an old county fair record as having won several awards. But there was no indication where the apple originated. In the late 1800s, apples were grown all over the state … from the Denver metro area, all the way to the state’s far southwest corner in Montezuma County where the Schuenemeyers live.

They had no specific location to start looking.

“It took us a couple of years trying to realize what is, where it was, and then going crazy trying to find it,” explains Jude.

Looking through state horticulture records, they eventually narrowed down that the variety was first planted in Fremont County, about a two-hour drive south of Denver.

Many trips to the county, visits with farmers and samples of possible Colorado Orange apple tree all ended in disappointment.

Then, in December of 2017, while returning samples taken of other trees to a man in Fremont County, he wanted to show the Schuenemeyers another tree in his orchard … one that his father-in-law once told him was a Colorado Orange.

“This was the exact age and location of an orchard where we would expect to have a chance of finding this elusive apple,” says Addie. “The apples looked the part: oblate, ribbed, yellow and orange in color, obviously a late winter apple. We realized the owner had taken us to the wrong tree before. This one just might be the one we were looking for.”

Apples to apples

The Schuenemeyers collected several apples hanging from, and lying around, that tree. Having experienced disappointment before, they were guarded in their excitement but moved to prove what they may have finally found.

The couple’s next step was to dig into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s collection of pomological watercolors. Amongst its library of nearly 4,000 watercolor paintings of apples, the USDA had four depictions of Colorado Orange apples. The Schuenemeyers cut open their apples and compared them with the paintings. They were extremely similar.

DNA samples of the apples and tree were sent to horticulture scientists at the University of Minnesota to be compared against other apple varieties in their vast databank.

More than a year after they first saw the tree, the Schuenemeyers received the results: “unique, unknown.” The apples they had found in Fremont County matched none of the thousands of apple genotypes in the scientists’ DNA databank. It was good news.

“There was no control. They had no DNA for the Colorado Orange because it was believed to be extinct,” says Jude.

But Jude and Addie were not ready to tell the world the extinct apple was not actually extinct. They needed more proof.

The day before the DNA results had arrived, Addie and Jude received an email from an archivist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. She had the possible key to solving the Colorado Orange apple mystery.

“We became aware of a wax apple collection sitting in boxes in a retiring professor’s office,” says Linda Meyer, a CSU archivist. “And the apples had a listing with them. One of the apples listed was a Colorado Orange.”

The Schuenemeyers knew this could be the moment for which they had long waited. “We were able to compare apples to apples,” says Jude.

Nearly seven months passed before Jude and Addie could drive the eight hours from their home to Fort Collins to meet with Meyer.

They were eager to see the wax collection created in the early 1900s by Miriam Palmer, a former professor at the school. Palmer had been tasked by the school’s agriculture department with making wax replicas of the state’s popular, award-winning apples. Each apple was meticulously crafted, painted and marked with a number as a reference guide.

“She inscribed a very tiny number on the bottom side of each apple,” explains Meyer. “She then made a card with that number, identifying the apple, which orchard it had come from, and the year she had collected it.”

Amongst the collection of 83 apples the university found was #30 – Colorado Orange. Once the Schuenemeyers were able to compare the wax apple with real ones from the tree that December afternoon two years earlier, they could finally celebrate.

“98% sure, give or take 3%,” says Addie. A nearly 20-year journey scouring the state, trying to find a small piece of Colorado history and prove it still existed, had finally paid off.

“The Colorado Orange is the greatest thing we’ve ever found,” proclaims Jude.

An apple with a story

Since their discovery, Jude and Addie have taken samples from the old tree and begun growing new Colorado Orange apple trees.

“We are the beneficiaries of the gift given to us from 150 years ago,” says Jude. “But, it does us no good to be the only persons growing [the Colorado Orange apple]. Our steps now are to get it out to the people.”

The Schuenemeyers say they have given some of their new trees to a half-dozen Colorado farmers to be planted and grafted in much larger orchards, with the hope that in the next five to 10 years, the Colorado Orange apple will appear in grocery stores, farmers markets and restaurants for consumers to enjoy.

“This apple has a story,” says Steve Ela, a fourth-generation fruit grower in Hotchkiss, Colorado, who received some of the new Colorado Orange trees this spring. “You need to get people in the door and get them excited for the food. It’s local, it’s rare, and it grows late in the fall. That adds value.”

With issues such as climate change and the global pandemic, Ela believes consumers are demanding more produce grown closer to their homes. And, he believes, if consumers are wanting to buy more Colorado apples, grocery stores will want more of what’s growing in his orchards.

“This is a commodity market. We can’t compete against China and Washington in terms of size,” says Ela. “But there are people out there that really care about the taste of their food and relish something different. When we have something like [the Colorado Orange apple], we can compete because we’re the only ones that have it.”

The-CNN-Wire
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Would Leaf Peepers Still Love Trail Ridge Road If There Were Fewer Aspen?

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:47:23 +0000

The highest continuous paved road in North America sits atop the Colorado Tourism Office’s top 10 list of places to see fall color. What would this famous stretch of highway that winds through Rocky Mountain National Park be without the blazing fall colors of aspens?

That’s a question about Trail Ridge Road a new computer model wants to answer.

Researchers from North Carolina State University predict that that leaf peepers will see fewer aspen trees along some scenic Colorado byways — Trail Ridge, the Peak-to-Peak and the Cache la Poudre — as the climate warms. The study is published in the October Ecosystem Services.

“Those big views that you actually see for a much longer time as you’re driving along, they’d see about one-third loss of aspen,” said Jelena Vukomanovic, the study’s senior author and an assistant professor at North Carolina State University.

By computer modeling different climate scenarios, the simulations project that in the next 100 years the distribution of aspen will change with rising temperatures. The hotter it got, the fewer trees there were visible on these scenic drives.

When she was a research associate at the University of Colorado Boulder, Vukomanovic became fascinated by aspens as a “cultural phenomena and a beautiful part of the landscape.”

“A lot of my work involves the idea of viewscapes, so the understanding of what it is that people see on the landscape and what is it about that view that they value,” Vukomanovic said. “What is it that gives them that personal connection to the landscape?”

With climate change, she said it can easily seem like it’s a problem elsewhere, “or it’s too big like we don’t have a personal connection to it.” To her, it’s important to draw that connection between landscape-level changes and something that affects people. In this case, it’s three beloved fall drives down popular scenic byways.

The models also showed a slight increase of aspen growth at lower elevations, because aspen tend to move into recently burned areas. “But in terms of the overall landscape, that’s a very small number of aspen,” Vukomanovic said.

She said it’s hypothesized that what makes aspens vulnerable to climate change is their shallow root system, which can’t handle drought and increased heat. She said there’s already a decline in the number of trees, and the big question is how the loss might impact tourism.

“Aspen are incredibly important for the economic engines of many mountain communities, and so I think that will be really something to wrestle with,” she said.

In Summer Of Racial Reckoning Jeremiah Attaochu Found Voice With Broncos

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:41:59 +0000

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Jeremiah Attaochu is like those sharply dressed seat fillers at the Oscars. He replaced an injured Bradley Chubb last season and is filling in for an injured Von Miller this year. He had 3½ sacks in a dozen games last season after signing on Oct. 1 and the seventh-year pro collected Denver’s only sack in the Broncos’ opener against Tennessee on Monday night.

Ryan Tannehill #17 of the Tennessee Titans is hit by Jeremiah Attaochu #97 of the Denver Broncos in the first quarter of a game at Empower Field at Mile High on Sept. 14, 2020. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

“He can set an edge and he’s physical and he plays with lights-out effort,” defensive coordinator Ed Donatell said Thursday. “He has good length, good power. … I thought he was a great find by our personnel department to pick a guy up at that time of the year.”

The Broncos signed former Steelers outside linebacker Anthony Chickillo off the Saints’ practice squad on Thursday, and coach Vic Fangio said it will be between Chickillo and practice squader Derrk Tuszkas to serve as the fourth pass rusher behind Chubb, Attaochu and Malik Reed at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

This being his seventh season, Attaochu is the veteran of the group.

A second-round draft pick by the Chargers in 2014 after recording a school record 31½ sacks at Georgia Tech, Attaochu got off to a good start in San Diego. He appeared in 11 games his rookie year and recorded career bests in tackles (52) and sacks (six) his second season, when he started a dozen games.

He didn’t start again in two more seasons with the Chargers and one with the Jets before starting five games in Denver last year.

“I expect him to be a big part of the team,” Fangio said over the summer. “We really like him. He’s the right kind of guy. He plays hard, plays tough, very prideful and a great teammate. We’re happy to have him.”

Attaochu hasn’t just found his place in Denver, he’s found his voice.

Jeremiah Attaochu (credit: CBS)

Autaochu was one of the most outspoken and well-spoken Broncos during this summer of racial reckoning following the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis. When the Broncos gathered as a team in downtown Denver for a peaceful protest, the normally soft-spoken Attaochu kicked things off with a moving speech and heartfelt prayer.

“When he spoke up and spoke out about that stuff, I wasn’t surprised,” teammate Justin Simmons said. “Jerry’s been a guy that I’ve looked up to since I’ve gotten to know him. He’s such a great accountability partner and really helped me navigate through the different things that are happening in society now.

“I was just happy because he can sometimes be maybe a little bit on the quiet side, but he understands his platform, too. I’m really glad he did it.”

When team president Joe Ellis addressed the team in the aftermath of Floyd’s death and safety Kareem Jackson called for the Broncos to put their words into action, Attaochu volunteered to speak at the gathering before a march through downtown.

“I wanted to bring a sense of togetherness and really focus in on the fact that we all in this younger generation have dealt with certain things that our parents lived with and didn’t necessarily step out to change,” said Attaochu. “So, I just wanted to speak on the need for all of us to have some level of solidarity, some level of understanding that the issues that face our society today will require the help of a higher power because these are things that have been going on since before we were here.”

Attaochu said he began to speak out in Zoom meetings when the Broncos took a break from football to focus on the social unrest and racial reckoning sweeping the country.

“Our team president, Joe Ellis, got on the Zoom calls for a team meeting with us. We were doing something that the whole of America should have been doing and that’s really empathizing, finding common ground and understanding on a human level and listening to others,” Attaochu said.

He began sharing his story with teammates.

A native of Nigeria, he moved to Washington, D.C., at 8 years old.

“I experienced America through the lens of an outsider,” Attaochu said. “Obviously, I’m a citizen and I’m an American now, but at first moving to this country as an 8-year-old from Africa, it’s a completely different perspective. I just wanted to offer that perspective.”

When the Broncos broke down into smaller groups to continue their discussions, “a lot of the guys in my position group understood that I had a voice and offered a different perspective in a lot of issues we were discussing. So, talking to Kareem, Von and Todd Davis motivated me to step forward and speak.”

Attaochu had reservations about speaking in front of thousands of people at first, but he knew he had to.

(credit: CBS)

“We live in a very diverse country and not choosing to listen to a certain group of people because you come from a different background is not excusable anymore, especially in the NFL or any other industry where you’re interacting with people from different backgrounds, different cultures,” Attaochu said.

“You need to understand that America is not the same for everybody and the same freedoms that you enjoy, somebody else might not enjoy.”

In speaking out, Attaochu found inner peace.

“I’ve been in spaces where I never completely felt comfortable and I never really felt like I belonged,” he said. “So, hearing my teammates talk, listening and doing my research, then stepping out and speaking on what I think we all need to be doing, I definitely found my voice in that way.”

By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Pro Football Writer

Paul Hernandez, aka The ‘Powder Puff Bandit,’ Now Suspected In 5 New Denver Area Bank Robberies

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:14:35 +0000

(CBS4) – A man and a woman are wanted in connection with several different bank robberies in the Denver metro area over the past three weeks and authorities say the man, Paul Hernandez, is well known to law enforcement. He is a federal ex-convict who served time for bank robberies where he was known as the Bleach Blonde Bandit. More recently, he was arrested and is facing charges for robbing banks under the “Powder Puff Bandit” moniker. The woman’s name is Mary Bannigan.

Mary Bannigan (credit: Metro Denver Crime Stoppers)

The two people are suspected in the following robberies:

– Aug. 25 at 3 p.m. TCF Bank 2084 South Broadway in Denver
– Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m. TCF Bank 7206 Federal Boulevard in Westminster
– Sept. 3 at 4:30 p.m. TCF Bank in Denver
– Sept. 8 at 4:30 p.m. TCF Bank in Arvada
– Sept. 15 at 2:46 p.m. Key Bank 7372 West Chatfield Avenue in Littleton

Paul Hernandez (credit: Metro Denver Crime Stoppers)

Hernandez, 33, showed a gun during one of the robberies, according to authorities. He was wearing a face mask inside the banks in the surveillance images authorities released on Wednesday. So was Bannigan, 27, in one of the surveillance photos that was released.

Authorities sent out a Crime Stoppers alert in hopes that the public can help them find both suspects.

“We are desperate to get the community’s help to bring this guy in,” District Attorney George Brauchler said.

Hernandez has extensive, identifiable tattoos on his face and his shaved head. He is Hispanic and is approximately 5-foot-7. Bannigan is also Hispanic and was described as being 5-foot-2 with long dark hair she sometimes colors blond. She wears glasses.

Anyone who has information that might help investigators in this investigation is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. People who provide tips that lead to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of as much as $10,000.

The “Bleach Blonde Bandit (Hernandez) was convicted of a few bank robberies in the Denver metro area in 2016 and 2017 and served time. Then in February of 2020 Hernandez was arrested in an Arapahoe County case where he was suspected of being the “Powder Buff Bandit.” He got that nickname because he allegedly covered his tattoos with makeup during three different January 2020 bank robberies. In June he was released from custody on bond in the case and he didn’t show up for a court hearing a week ago.

Police Release Photos Of 3 People Wanted For Assault, Shooting At Apartment Complex Near Tower Road & 63rd

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 12:52:04 +0000

DENVER (CBS4) – Denver police have released photos that show three people wanted for an assault and shooting that happened last Saturday. The photos also show a vehicle that was driven by the criminals. Police say the car is a silver or light colored Toyota Camry.

(credit: Denver Police)

The shooting happened at an apartment complex off Tower Road and East 63rd Avenue.

Anyone who has information that might help investigators in this case is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. People who provide tips that lead to an arrest may be eligible for a reward.

Deadline for DPS students to enroll in remote or in-person learning

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 12:35:50 +0000

DENVER (KDVR) — Friday is the deadline for families of students in Denver Public Schools to notify DPS of their preference to return for in-person learning or continue with remote.

Elementary students will return for 100 percent in-person learning while secondary students will utilize of hybrid model of in-person and remote learning.

Elementary students will be phased in, with kindergarteners and some first graders starting the week of September 28.

All elementary students will be in class by Oct. 21. Secondary students will return for a mix of in-person and remote learning on Oct. 21.

DPS said it needed families to submit their preference by Friday to give the district time to determine staffing for its schools and virtual learning program.

If DPS does not receive a student’s preference by Friday’s deadline, that student will be automatically enrolled in the district’s virtual program.

Families can select their preference within the Parent Portal on DPS’s website. Families can also complete a PDF form and return it to their student’s school or call the front office of their student’s school and make their selection over the phone.

Dodgers use big 7th inning to beat Rockies 9-3

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 12:24:40 +0000

DENVER (AP) — Corey Seager homered and had three hits, Edwin Rios also went deep and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the struggling Colorado Rockies 9-3. Mookie Betts had an RBI single and scored on a wild pitch during Los Angeles’ six-run seventh inning that put the Dodgers ahead 8-2. Los Angeles is 36-15, best in baseball, and increased its lead in the NL West to four games over idle San Diego with nine games remaining for each teams. Dylan Floro got the win with an inning of relief for starter Julio Urias.It’s a season of big sports events airing this fall on Denver7. Check out our upcoming schedule:Sept. 21: NFL Monday Night Football: Saints vs RaidersSept. 29: MLB Wild Card SeriesSept. 30: MLB Wild Card SeriesSept. 30: NBA Finals Game 1 on Denver7Oct. 1: Broncos vs Jets on Denver7Oct. 1: MLB Wild Card Series (If needed)Oct. 2: NBA Finals Game 2 on Denver7Oct. 4: NBA Finals Game 3 on Denver7Oct. 6: NBA Finals Game 4 on Denver7Oct. 9: NBA Finals Game 5 on Denver7Oct. 11: NBA Finals Game 6 on Denver7Oct. 13: NBA Finals Game 7 on Denver7

Colorado employers added nearly 37,000 jobs in August

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:46:25 +0000

Colorado employers ramped up their hiring in August, adding 36,900 non-farm jobs and helping push the unemployment rate down to 6.7% from 7.4% in July, according to an update Friday from the Colorado Department of Labor and Unemployment.

“The state has regained 178,500 of the 342,300 payroll jobs lost in March and April,” said Ryan Gedney, a senior labor economist with the state, during a press call Friday morning. Gedney said that works out to a job recovery rate of 52.1%, which exceeds the U.S. recovery rate of 47.9%.

The August gains amid the pandemic were especially strong in the hard-hit leisure and hospitality sector, which added 10,000 jobs between July and August. The public sector added 10,400 jobs as teachers and staff returned to school and the federal government hired temporary census workers.

Year-over-year, employers reported 147,800 fewer non-farm jobs on a seasonally-adjusted basis, and there were 123,200 more unemployed people in the state

Of the decrease in payroll jobs measured over the past year, 45% was concentrated in leisure and hospitality, 16% in government and 12.2% in trade, transportation and utilities, a broad category that includes retailers.

Employment counts in leisure and hospitality and in mining and logging, which includes oil and gas, are down by nearly a fifth from year-ago levels, while manufacturing and professional and business services have held flat.

Payroll counts also were adjusted higher for July, from the 6,200 initially estimated to 13,600. The share of the adult population either working or actively looking for work remained steady at 66.7% and the size of the labor force held steady after shrinking by a record amount in July.

Gedney noted there was a surge in the number of workers who described themselves as working part-time but who would prefer to work full-time. They accounted for 240,000 individuals in August or about 8% of employed workers.

Colorado counties with the highest unemployment rates in August, unadjusted for seasonality, included Gilpin at 10.7%, Huerfano at 9.4%, Summit at 8.1%, Costilla at 7.9% and Denver at 7.9%. Colorado’s unadjusted unemployment rate was 6.6%.

Denver joined the top five list for county unemployment rates after Eagle and Pitkin counties dropped off, a sign that its recovery isn’t as robust as what is happening in other hard-hit areas of the state.

Colorado seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate of 6.7% is significantly better than the 8.4% rate nationally, and Colorado had the 20th lowest unemployment rate among states in August, Gedney said. Nebraska had the lowest unemployment rate at 4% and Nevada the highest at 13.2%.

Nuggets battle Lakers in Western Conference Finals; see 15 facts, share your fan photos

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:42:40 +0000

DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Nuggets will play in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2009. They have never made the NBA Finals. Denver will take on the Lakers in Game 1 on Friday.

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals tips off at 7 p.m. Friday.

While 2020 has already been a year of historic proportions, the Nuggets are also having a playoff run of historic value.

Here are 15 facts:

This is the Nuggets first Western Conference Finals since 2009
The Nuggets have never won a series against the Lakers in the playoffs
The Lakers hold a 21-7 game record against the Nuggets in the playoffs
The Lakers beat the Nuggets in 7 games in 2012 in the first round of the playoffs
In the 2009 Western Conference Finals, the Lakers beat the Nuggets in 6 games
Nikola Jokic had 16 points, 13 assists and 22 rebounds in Game 7 against the Clippers, which were the most by a nuggets player in an NBA playoff game
The Nuggets are the third team in the U.S. major pro sports to rally from a pair of 3-1 deficits in the same playoffs, joining the 1985 Kansas City Royals and 2003 Minnesota Wild
Denver became the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit twice in the same postseason
According to analyst Darren Rovell, 38.5% of bets at MGM were on the Clippers to win the NBA Championship
On the flip side, only 2.9% of bets made at MGM for the 2020 NBA Champ were for the Nuggets
Jamal Murray outscored both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in Game 7 40-points to 24 points
The Nuggets have won 6 straight elimination games, tying an NBA record
The most points the Nuggets have scored against the Lakers in the NBA playoffs was 136 in Game 2 of the 1985 Western Conference Finals
Nikola Jokic (16 PTS, 22 REB, 13 AST) becomes the first player in NBA playoff history to record a 20+ rebound triple-double in a Game 7
Jokic told coach Mike Malone before Game 7 Tuesday night, “I’m going to get you a nice birthday present, you either get to go home or you get to go to the conference finals.” Happy birthday, coach!

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<h1>First round of $300 Lost Wages Assistance payments headed to Coloradans</h1>
<p>Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:42:40 +0000</p>
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Desert escape: Del Webb has a $130 casino/hotel package to come see four new model homes at Sun City Mesquite

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:36:14 +0000

Going a little nuts after six months of social distancing? Resort Developer Del Webb has an idea for a socially distanced getaway that could not only improve your outlook this fall, but give you a whole new way of looking at life after the Coronavirus retreats.

For $130, Del Webb will put you up for two nights at Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite, Nevada—a golf/sports haven that’s wrapped by the canyon country north of Las Vegas. You’ll tour Sun City Mesquite, an age 50-plus community with four new model homes to show; along with a lifestyle that’s been very successful in attracting Coloradans to sell the house here and move west.

“COVID hasn’t dampened business here at all,” says Del Webb’s Annette Forgie, who will be one of the team arranging your visit.

Like many other resort communities, the virus crisis is having the unintended consequence of making people think about where they want to be as the virus fades. Forgie says average Denver home prices, which have climbed into the low $600,000s as the summer ends, are giving one more incentive to consider a move now; along with hugely attractive interest rates.

Mesquite is no desert backwater. The town has seven golf courses, and a very active senior sports scene including softball, and off-road vehicle clubs focused on scenic trails leading into the national parks nearby.

Del Webb’s community, set beside 7,200-yard Conestoga Golf Club, has been built around a very active social calendar that makes for quick friendships, including with numbers of Colorado expatriates who have already made this move.

You’ll see four newly introduced Del Webb single-family ranch models, such as a ‘Canyon’ model, two bedrooms/two baths plus a 2-car garage, just under 1,300 sq. feet, priced from just $234,990—less than half of the median Denver area home now. Also, a wide-open Bellwood ranch with a big covered patio, over 1,860 feet, from only $315,990.

You’ll also find a handful of homes ready for quick delivery, including a Pursuit ranch, over 2,000 feet. If you’re still more comfortable doing an exploration of Mesquite remotely, Del Webb has video and virtual tours available via the web site.

But if you’re coming out the 660-mile ten-hour drive to see for yourself, you’ll find lots of safety precautions in place, both in Sun City and at the casino. You’ll hear about the great golf and the amenities including clubs, pools, fitness facilities and classes, but you won’t be able to tour those until this is over.

Sun City Mesquite is just off I-15 at Falcon Ridge Parkway. To line up a weekend for your Explore Del Webb Special, call Del Webb at 702-345-4187, or visit SunCityMesquite.com.

The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this post’s preparation.

Thick smoke, high of 86° Friday; 90° possible Saturday with less smoke

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:30:14 +0000

DENVER (KDVR) — Air Quality Warnings remain in effect today for most of the Foothills, Front Range, and Eastern Plains of Colorado. There will be unhealthy concentrations of smoke and small particulate matter for even healthy people.

Air quality improves Saturday-Sunday. Smoke thins out.

Today stays dry across Colorado. Front Range highs around 86 degrees. Mountain highs in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

The normal high right now in Denver is 78 degrees.

A storm system slides into Wyoming between Saturday and Sunday. This storm system will spark 10% chances for afternoon t-storms across Colorado. It will also slide cooler air into Colorado Sunday-Tuesday.

Highs on Saturday surge to almost 90 in Denver. Sunday in the mid-80s; Low 80s Monday.

Hot and hazy again across northern Colorado

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:13:36 +0000

DENVER — A Weather Action Day is in effect again today for the hot and hazy conditions we'll see along the Front Range.Air Quality Warnings have been issued for the Front Range and much of the eastern Colorado as smoke from the western wildfires returns to the area.People with respiratory conditions should try to avoid being outdoors for extended periods of time and stay indoors when possible.It will be a hazy and cool start to the day, with 50s and 60s this morning for your kids as they head off to school. We'll see highs in the low to mid-80s along the Front Range today, with 70s in the mountains. Today's temperatures are about 5 to 10 degrees above normal. Expect a slight drop in temperatures this weekend, with mid 80s Saturday, then upper 70s to low 80s on Sunday. A few showers will be possible on Sunday, which will be a welcome sight with our worsening drought conditions.The recent cooler and wetter weather did ease fire danger somewhat across Colorado, but the return to hot and dry conditions means we still have to be extremely careful!Click here to watch the Denver7 live weather stream.Click here to watch the Denver7 live weather stream.

Colorado’s economic recovery is ahead of schedule but far from complete, new forecasts say

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:11:47 +0000

Colorado’s economic turnaround has a long way to go but appears to be well ahead of schedule, state budget analysts say.

In a quarterly presentation at the Capitol, economists working for the legislature and the governor’s office shared an encouraging update Friday: sales tax and income tax collections were stronger in recent months than they previously projected, and state budget writers may have significantly more money to spend this year than they feared at the onset of the pandemic.

The analysts also stressed, however, that much remains unknown. It will be March before state budget writers can feel confident knowing how much money they have to spend in this year’s budget.

In late spring, the state legislature finalized a 2020-21 budget by closing a roughly $3 billion shortfall — a devastating, across-the-board reduction that left lawmakers in tears and key programs unfunded or underfunded. State budgeting will remain a difficult exercise in Colorado — perhaps for years to come — but the latest forecast shows it may be a bit less painful moving forward.

New forecasting data shows the state’s reserves collected $1.3 billion more than analysts previously expected for fiscal year 2019-20, which ended in June, and for the current fiscal year budget writers are now expected to have close to $1.7 billion more to spend.

“We’re not out of the hole yet,” said state Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, who chairs the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee. “This looks like it’s great news, and I don’t want to downplay it. It’s good that we’re doing better than we thought we’d be, but were still digging out of a hole, and we’re going to continue to be digging out of a hole. The hole might not be as big as we thought it was.”

While the forecasts are improving, they’re still ugly relative to pre-pandemic expectations. General fund revenue — money that covers core services — will bottom out in this fiscal year, economists expect, and are likely to lag behind pre-pandemic forecast levels for years to come. The governor’s budget director, Lauren Larson, told lawmakers she predicts a $1.6 billion shortfall in the 2021-22 fiscal year. That shortfall grows to $2.2 billion in 2022-23, she said.

And so, amidst the relatively good news shared Friday, Larson reminded lawmakers, “We’re nowhere near what we were forecasting back in December.”

Overall, state analysts said, Colorado has regained 39% of jobs lost since the pandemic began in March.

Colorado’s poorest suffered the most profound job losses and continue to do so, the analysts reported. Employment among low-wage earners dropped rough 25% below pre-pandemic levels in April. That sector is on the rise, with job rates now about 12% underwater — halfway to recovery.

The struggles of low-wage workers then and now contrast with much milder pains for mid- and high-level earners. According to the governor’s analysts, the employment rate of Colorado’s high-wage sectors never dropped more than 5% below pre-pandemic levels and currently sits about 2.5% underwater. Employment in medium-wage sectors dipped about 10% below pre-pandemic levels in April, but employment in that sector is now only down about 5%.

“The economy fell further and faster than we ever thought possible. It has also recovered further and faster than we expected,” state economist Elizabeth Ramey told members of the Colorado Joint Budget Committee.

“This recession is unlike any that we have seen before,” she cautioned, “and there is still a lot of uncertainty about the lasting damage, and we are still a long way from the recovery.”

Colorado’s economy is performing slightly better than the national economy. In a statement, the governor’s office said this is “because coronavirus cases are comparatively low, and Colorado has a high percentage of the workforce that can work remotely.”

Letters: Growth is not sustainable (9/18/20)

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:08:47 +0000

Growth is not sustainable

Re: “Growing need — Aurora and Colorado Springs take the ﬁrst steps to build $500 million dam, reservoir near Holy Cross Wilderness,” Sept. 6 news story

We read that Colorado Springs and Aurora are planning on spending $500 million dollars to tap the environment for more water to serve a growing population. You would think that as we see the results of the climate crisis in wildfires, drought, floods, etc. we might start thinking of the cause.

On a finite planet that some scientists say can only support 2 billion to 3 billion people sustainably, it seems only logical that the more humans, the more human-caused climate crisis. There are only two ways that I can see that will bring our population to a sustainable level. The first is to empower women and girls and provide them with education and birth control. The other way is to accept mass migration and the wars that will likely follow, and to accept starvation and disease which will come as the climate crisis grows.

It appears that human hubris is causing us to chose the latter.

Don Thompson, Alamosa

It’s beyond my simple powers of logic to understand why we continue to inject even more growth and development into an increasingly arid and fire-prone area like Colorado. Colorado Springs has become particularly voracious in its demands for more water.

When visiting the eastern Colorado Springs area, I see many acres of land under development that begs the question of where the city will find the water to support its otherwise unsustainable growth rate.

While land development immediately increases local tax revenues and creates new jobs in the upscale real estate and construction markets, it also tends to displace lower-wage earners and retirees living on fixed incomes.

Colorado already has a growing population of working poor and unemployed homeless, which calls for even more taxes to fund the social safety net required to support these
unintended consequences of extreme growth.

Last but not least, recklessly changing an ecological system that Mother Nature has spent tens of thousands of years building is not a wise practice.

To the contrary, draining our underground aquifers and depleting the run-off from our mountain valleys for the sheer sake of profit is equivalent to a farmer selling his seed corn for pennies on the dollar.

Once gone, the seed corn can’t be replaced, and neither can the water.

Gary E. Goms, Buena Vista

American people are still in need of help from Congress

Re: “Moderate Dems sign on to $1.5 trillion package,” Sept. 16 news story

More than three months have elapsed since the House passed the Heroes Act pandemic relief bill and the American people are still waiting for a solution.

While Trump has sat out the debate, the opposing sides can’t get a deal done. Perhaps the self-described “Art of the Deal”-maker should get involved to bring the sides together and help the many suffering people across the country.

I fear we already are seeing the early warning signs that we are headed for a disastrous recession/depression as the pandemic drags on with no real sign of abating.

Kevin Mindenhall, Denver

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