Email Author Melanie Asmar

Awards

• 2012 - GLAAD Media Awards, published May 5, 2011

  "Coming Out in America"

• 2012 - National Association of Black Journalists Awards, published March 17, 2011

  "Say What?"

• 2012 - Clarion Awards/Association of Women in Communications, published May 26, 2011

  "Passing on Education"

• 2011 - Education Reporting Awards/National Education Writers Association, published June 10, 2010

  "Teacher's Fret"

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2010 Stories by Melanie Asmar

• Darrent Williams murder trial, day two: Perjury debates and tales of a "Georgia boy"

  published Feb 24, 2010

  Westword is covering the trial of Willie Clark, accused of murdering Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early on New Year's Day 2007. The most recent updates for the day will be at the top; t... More >>

• Darrent Williams murder trial, day one: Opening statements and denials of Willie Clark's guilt

  published Feb 23, 2010

  Westword is covering the trial of Willie Clark, accused of murdering Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early on New Year's Day 2007. The most recent updates will be at the top; to check out ... More >>

• Darrent Williams murder trial: For jury selection, security is ultra-tight, the press pool only fits one, and the audio feed in the overflow room isn't working

  published Feb 22, 2010

  Update, 7:38 p.m.: Ten men and eight women were chosen today to sit on the jury in the Willie Clark case. Clark, 26, is accused of killing Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams in a drive-by shooting ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Darrent Williams murder trial: A preview of the trial of accused killer Willie Clark

  published Feb 22, 2010

  Tomorrow, a jury of eighteen Denver County residents will begin to hear evidence that Willie Clark killed Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams on New Year's Day 2007. They'll also hear evidence ... More >>

• Darrent Williams murder trial: Accused killer's lawyers question whether Denver police hid evidence

  published Feb 20, 2010

  Do Denver police detectives hide evidence in secret foldersr Lawyers for accused murderer Willie Clark say they do. Other defense attorneys agree. But prosecutors do not; they say attorneys regularl... More >>

• Joan Cougar Menstrualcramp!: Top ten roller derby nicknames in the U.S.A.

  published Feb 19, 2010

  One reason roller derby can seem campy is the nicknames the skaters give themselves, which are sometimes witty and sometimes cute and sometimes downright pee-your-pants intimidating. Though some ultr... More >>

• Bad-ass roller derby slide show features plenty of bone-crushing action

  published Feb 18, 2010

  Denver's first roller derby bout of the season went down on February 6 at the Fillmore Auditorium -- site of today's speech by President Barack Obama. It was a sold-out intra-league face-off between t... More >>

• Badass roller derby action, Denver-style

  published Feb 17, 2010

  Want to see some of the bone-breaking roller derby action described in this week's feature, "Denver's Roller Derby Rivalry Could Start The Sport Rolling Across The Country"r Today's your lucky day. (... More >>

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  COVER STORY

  Denver's roller derby rivalry could start the sport rolling across the country

  published February 18, 2010

  Tryouts for the Denver Roller Dolls aren't scheduled to start until 7 p.m., but when I get there at 6:10, the dirt parking lot of the Wagon... More >>

• The Asian Brad Pitt gives out "screamin' deals" for juvies with warrants

  published Feb 16, 2010

  A tall, seventeen-year-old boy wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of deejay earphones around his neck stood facing Judge Kerry Hada in Division 191-J of the Denver County Juvenile Court, a small w... More >>

• Carmelo Anthony and La La Vazquez announce their wedding date with giant Valentine's Day cards

  published Feb 16, 2010

  Carmelo Anthony and La La Vazquez have set a date for their New York City nuptials: July 10, 2010. And to make sure none of their important guests schedule a backyard barbecue for the same day, the Nu... More >>

• DPS superintendent wants to hear parents' feedback

  published Feb 15, 2010

  Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg wants to hear from parents. Next month, he's launching the Superintendent's Parents Forum, an every-other-month gathering between district officials ... More >>

• New survey asks what it's like to be LGBT in the Centennial State

  published Feb 03, 2010

  One Colorado, a new statewide gay-rights organization that's actually an umbrella for a trio of organizations including an advocacy group, a non-profit education group and a political action committe... More >>

• Do the Denver Zoo's elephants need giant Snuggies now that Punxsutawney Phil has predicted six more weeks of winterr

  published Feb 02, 2010

  Are the elephants at the Denver Zoo freezing their giant butts offr In Defense of Animals says they are. The zoo says no way. According to a Groundhog Day-themed report issued today by the animal wat... More >>

• New locally-driven food shop opens in the Highland neighborhood

  published Feb 01, 2010

  The newest food-related addition to the Highland neighborhood, In Season Local Market, is a tiny shop with big ideas. Located at 3210 Wyandot Street, In Season opened its doors this past Saturday. Ac... More >>

• Boulder asks its residents: Will pot shops ruin the neighborhoodr

  published Jan 29, 2010

  Cities and towns all over Colorado are flummoxed over how to regulate the state's booming medical marijuana industry. Several have instituted moratoriums on new dispensaries until they can hammer out... More >>

• Denver's roller derby leagues switch venues

  published Jan 28, 2010

  Denver's roller derby leagues are on the move. The Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, who formerly bouted (that's what you call a roller-derby-off) at the Bladium Sports and Fitness Club in Stapleton, just a... More >>

• Superintendent Tom Boasberg: DPS doing a better job of keeping its kids

  published Jan 27, 2010

  More kids are enrolled in Colorado schools than ever before: 832,368 to be exact, according to numbers released this week by the state Department of Education. And Denver Public Schools is contributin... More >>

• Urine drinker will have to hold it -- his hope that he's not convicted, that is -- a little longer

  published Jan 26, 2010

  The world will have to wait a little bit longer to learn the fate of the Niwot urine-drinker. According to the Boulder Daily Camera, the retrial of Joseph Cardillo has been postponed because his new ... More >>

• For Christ's sake: Local Evangelicals plan Civic Center Park rally for immigration reform

  published Jan 22, 2010

  Jeff Johnsen, the executive director of Mile High Ministries, a collaboration of urban churches in Denver, thinks its time that Evangelical Christians spoke up about immigration. "The way we've worke... More >>

• Denver County Juvenile Court judge to cut delinquents a break

  published Jan 20, 2010

  He knows if you've been naughty. He knows if you've been nice. And now Denver County Juvenile Court Judge Kerry Hada is giving bad kids a chance to get on the court's good side with a post-Christmas p... More >>

• School board races (and school reform, in general) sure are expensive

  published Jan 19, 2010

  The final tally of money raised in last November's contentious Denver Public Schools school board election is in. And according to Education News Colorado reporter Nancy Mitchell, that tally is "jaw-d... More >>

• Dad hopes son's tragic story will prevent other drunk-driving deaths

  published Jan 18, 2010

  In November 2007, Mark Nichols of Highlands Ranch sat down with his teenage son, Matthew, and one of Matthew's friends. He had a pair of dice in his hand. He told them that if he rolled anything othe... More >>

• Denver has a date with the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

  published Jan 15, 2010

  The Denver Marathon is now the Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon -- and it has a 2010 date: October 17. So what exactly is a Rock 'n' Roll Marathonr Is it like a Rock 'n' Roll McDonaldsr Not quite. Ac... More >>

• Doctor, doctor! Cyclists mad at being shut out of July's Triple Bypass ride

  published Jan 14, 2010

  Want to ride in this year's Triple Bypassr Well, you likely can't. Registration for the 120-mile bicycle ride from Evergreen to Avon -- and over three mountain passes -- sold out yesterday in under ... More >>