Falcon Heene

In Idaho Springs, bathing suits are no longer optional

Wake-Up Call: My life has gone to pot

​It's been three weeks since we first posted news of our search for a medical-marijuana reviewer. Within five minutes of that posting, we had our first application for this extremely part-time job. Within ten minutes, our first media inquiry. And the applications and media calls keep coming. ... More >>

Balloon Boy gets highbrow, thanks to NPR

And we thought Balloon Boy coverage was beneath NPR.​At last, the Balloon Boy saga has reached metaphysical ubiquity, with the last national media outlet seemingly immune to the appeal of little Falcon Heene -- National Public Radio -- finally surrendering. Of course, NPR being NPR, the appro ... More >>

Kenny Be's Worst-Case Scenario: Balloon Boy reveals the global threat of hoaxsterism

In response to the Balloon Boy hoax, The Cell reopens its, "Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere -- Understanding the Threat of Terrorism exhibit as... ​ Upon entering the exhibit, each visitor will receive a card with the biography of someone whose life has been forever ruined by an act of hoaxsterism. ... More >>

Most Balloon Boy songs blow -- in an excellent way!

The text block accompanying the video above, which was posted earlier this morning, asks, "Surely the first song ever to be written and recorded about Balloon Boy?" Hell to the no. The number of parodies about young Falcon Heene's non-flight has exploded like overinflated Mylar, littering YouTube w ... More >>

Balloon Boy family lawyer David Lane: Child-abuse-investigation release breaks the law

David Lane, attorney for Richard Heene, has got some fancy lawyering to do. And he's ready.​David Lane, attorney for Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene, says he doesn't have enough fingers to plug all the info leaks coming from the office of Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden. On Friday, Alderden ... More >>

Ghoul-d eats, drinks at Interstate's Haunted Highway shindig

​Don't have any plans for Halloween night? How about partying while getting your eat and drink on at the same time? Interstate Kitchen and Bar is hosting a "Haunted Highway" Halloween party on Saturday from 9 p.m. until close with unlimited food and premium well drinks for $30 per person. The ... More >>

How America's favorite crime dramas will tackle Balloon Boy

What will happen when David Caruso gets his hands on Balloon Boy?​It'll happen any day now: You'll come home from work, sink into your couch and flip on your TV, hoping for a Real World-Road Rules marathon or something equally vapid, and there it will be: that damn balloon, flying through the ... More >>

Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene gives baby beer and cigar, makes Nancy Grace even crazier than usual

The Balloon Boy story is the gift that keeps on giving thanks to paterfamilias Richard Heene's proclivity for recording every stupid thing he did -- or at least enough of them to keep the tabloid press quivering with censorious excitement for the foreseeable future. The latest exhibit: Nancy Grace ... More >>

Happy Halloween, Falcon: Behold the Balloon Boy tribute pumpkin

A Flickr photo.​ Spotted over at Boing Boing, this wonderful piece of art, submitted in an office pumpkin contest, almost makes the whole Balloon Boy saga worthwhile. Almost. Go Falcon, go!

Ugly Betty, looking good at Lola

Nancy LevineUgly Betty, looking good -- if blurry -- at Lola.​There wasn't a Balloon Boy in sight, but Ugly Betty would no doubt have blown away any Heene outfit at Saturday's Halloween costume contest at Lola. Perhaps in deference to the site of the contest, the coastal Mexican restaurant lo ... More >>

And Colorado's prettiest town is... you must be joking

​It's been at least a week since our fair state made it on any Most Livable, Charming, Fittest or Drunkest list. So thank heavens for the folks at ForbesTraveler, the "luxury travel authority from inspiration to reservation." Its latest ingenious and largely predictable compilation of "America ... More >>

Boulder DA Stan Garnett goes from the Naked Pumpkin Run to Balloon Boy

With the Naked Pumpkin Run over, Stan Garnett has a new focus: Balloon Boy.​Just because this year's Naked Pumpkin Run has come and gone without mass arrests doesn't mean Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett is done with high-profile cases for a day or two. He's been appointed a special pros ... More >>

Fast-track this: Five untapped Colorado energy sources

Thar she blows: The Penry-Huttner Geothermal Project.​The Department of the Interior just designated six renewable energy projects, including a 400-megawatt solar tower, as "fast-track" developments deserving of the highest priority. All six of the projects happen to be in California. Hard t ... More >>

Denver Blogs: The Million Baby Crawl (probably) won't be as horrifying as it sounds

A Flickr photo"How many more miles to go, mom?"​Local blogs need love, too. The Mile High Mamas are demanding stronger protection against household toxins via an event called "The Million Baby Crawl." Hope somebody invests in a whole lotta kneepads... 5280's Michael de Yoanna tries to figure ... More >>

Are charges finally about to be filed against Richard Heene in Balloon Boy case?

David Lane represents Richard Heene. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.​Update below: Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett was appointed as special prosecutor after lawyer David Lane accused Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden of breaking the law by talking about a child-abuse inv ... More >>

Richard Heene and wife Mayumi to plead guilty in Balloon Boy hoax

Richard Heene during the infamous Today Show appearance when son Falcon puked for the nation.​That e-mail blast attorney David Lane mentioned around this time yesterday came through at 12:51 a.m. today. In it, Lane confirms that Richard Heene and his wife Mayumi will enter guilty pleas tomorro ... More >>

Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene pleads guilty, wants to look for work in New York and L.A.: reality-TV producers await with bated breath

As you can see by the Associated Press footage above, Balloon Boy parents Richard and Mayumi Heene weren't forced to do a perp walk when turning themselves in to Larimer County authorities, as their attorney, David Lane, had feared. Instead, the process was orderly and low key, unlike pretty much ... More >>

Denver Blogs: You know the Nuggets kicked ass when Renaldo Balkman gets eleven minutes

"Don't you... forget about me."​These three worthy local blogs are just a click away. Denver Stiffs' Nate Timmons makes note of Renaldo Balkman sightings during the Nuggets' evisceration of the Raptors last night -- including some in the first half! What the hell? The folks at Coyote Gulch r ... More >>

The Balloon Boy meme: deconstructed

This video by the folks over at Rocketboom Institute for Internet Studies is a great hour-by-hour delineation on how the Falcon Heene/Balloon Boy saga went from a local news oddity to international media frenzy, and then to the kind of fast-spreading cultural virus known as a "meme." Oh yeah, it' ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: Calling all Colorado turkeys

​Who's the biggest turkey in Colorado? We're accepting all nominations, fair or fowl, for the most unsavory characters in the state this year, and will post our Top Ten Turkeys of 2009 list here later today. And although it's hard to imagine anyone topping the antics of Richard Heene, whose ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: Top Ten Turkeys for 2009

​There's still a month to go before the year ends -- plenty of time for more people to join the elite flock of fuck-ups for 2009 (and for Josh McDaniels to get back on the list, after his last-second reprieve with yesterday's win). Still, there's been no shortage of Colorado turkeys this year ... More >>

Introducing Twitterpated: the most captivating tweets from our favorite follows

​Unless you're a willful and adamant luddite or a conscientious dissenter pop culture trends, you've undoubtedly noticed how Twitter has steadily and unceremoniously unseated all the other social networking sites to become the primary means of communication and information dissemination in the Oba ... More >>

Denver Blogs: The campaign to trade Jay Cutler, even though he's still got that new quarterback smell

"How could they be sick of me already?"​C'mere, Denver blogs. We've made a safe place for you. Colin at South Stands Denver interviews the Chicago Bears fan behind the website TradeJayCutler.com. Who apparently feels Sweet Baby Jay is a "sniveling NFL superdouche." The Colorado Independent's ... More >>

2009 Hall of Shame

"How could they be sick of me already?"​C'mere, Denver blogs. We've made a safe place for you. Colin at South Stands Denver interviews the Chicago Bears fan behind the website TradeJayCutler.com. Who apparently feels Sweet Baby Jay is a "sniveling NFL superdouche." The Colorado Independent's ... More >>

2009 Year in Review: When the lows were lower and the highs were really, really high

"How could they be sick of me already?"​C'mere, Denver blogs. We've made a safe place for you. Colin at South Stands Denver interviews the Chicago Bears fan behind the website TradeJayCutler.com. Who apparently feels Sweet Baby Jay is a "sniveling NFL superdouche." The Colorado Independent's ... More >>

Balloon Boy dad's balls bigger than his "experimental craft"

You knew Richard Heene had to have a helluva nerve (or severe brain damage) to even attempt to pull off his now-infamous October stunt -- insisting that his son, Falcon Heene, was inside an inflatable silver chef's hat that floated away from his Fort Collins home. But even the guilty pleas he and h ... More >>

Balloon Boy dad's latest bitch: Restitution costs are too high

"On second thought, you guys should pay me!"​We knew Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene wouldn't go away quietly. But with the help of attorney David Lane, he's managing to make noise even while serving a jail sentence for pretending that his son, Falcon, had floated away in an inflatable silver ch ... More >>

Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene returns to his home/launch site: Watch out for next "experimental craft"

Next time the Today Show crew stops by, they'll know where to set up the camera.​It seems like only yesterday that a silver balloon floating across Colorado caused a nation to stop -- and celebrities to tweet -- about Richard Heene and his young son Falcon, who reacted to the publicity his non ... More >>

Richard Heene, Balloon Boy dad: His hard-ass home detention, complete with ankle bracelet

"I've got to do what?"​Yesterday, we told you that Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene had been given permission to serve the remainder of his ninety-day sentence for attempting to influence a public servant (by insisting that his young son Falcon was in an "experimental craft" floating over Norther ... More >>

Ten things on your roof worse than a fox

Today, the Denver Post reports that a Park Hill homeowner named Ken was backing out of his driveway on Saturday when he spotted something strange on his roof. Was it a cardboard box? A cat? No, no. Upon closer inspection, Ken realized it was a fox! A tired fox, who yawned and lay down for a nap. By ... More >>

Balloon Boy goes mad -- as in Mad Magazine

The Heenes go "Mad" (click to enlarge).​Months after the ill-fated flight of Richard Heene's "experimental craft," the Balloon Boy saga remains almost as fresh in the nation's consciousness as the vomit that spewed from young Falcon Heene live on the Today show last November. For proof, look ... More >>

Seven-year-old boy pretty sure God hates Jews

​See more photos at westword.com/slideshow. The traveling hate circus of Westboro Baptist Church swung through Capitol Hill on its current Denver-Boulder Tour of Brightly Covered Disparagement, unloading its Kia full of signs outside the offices of the Intermountain Jewish News. It was prett ... More >>

Top 5 reasons Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene wanted his "experimental craft" back

Will Falcon soon be taking flight?​Channel 9 reveals that the Larimer County Sheriff's Office has returned Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene's "experimental craft". Heene reportedly measured the balloon before accepting it, presumably to make sure the LCSO hadn't swapped his brilliant creation for ... More >>

Euforquestra, Danielle Ate the Sandwich and Something Underground got spins this past week on local radio. See who else got played.

​Here what the area's local-centric specialty radio shows were spinning this week. We're currently tracking the playlists a number of different shows including, Radio 1190's Local Shakedown*, KTCL's Locals Only*, KBCO's Local Edition, The Colorado Sound, which originates at KRFC and is re-bro ... More >>

Fort Collins sixth best place to live, says Money magaziners -- and they try to prove it

​The folks at magazines and websites love to cook up city lists -- rosters proclaiming that a certain burg is the best this, or the worst that. Doing so makes sense, given that people with a connection to those places will click, and the towns themselves will promote the links, garnering even ... More >>

Douglas Bruce linked to Balloon Boy and Ward Churchill by group fighting 60, 61 and 101

Douglas Bruce.​Coloradans for Responsible Reform has tons of money to fight tax-cutting amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, not to mention some heavy hitters in its corner; for instance, its spokesman, Dan Hopkins, used to do the same job for Governor Bill Owens. So what's one of its key ... More >>

J.R. Smith: Lawyer David Lane cites allegations "so-called victim" is shaking down J.R., Nugs

J.R. Smith.​As speculation ramps up about where Carmelo Anthony will be traded (not if), ugly reports have surfaced about another Denver Nugget who may not be long for the team: J.R. Smith. But Smith attorney David Lane says assault accusations made against him are without merit and predicts ... More >>

Balloon Boy, Heene family fly to Florida: Here's our favorite videos to remember them by

Falcon Heene heaving.​Balloon Boy alert!: Richard Heene, Falcon Heene and the whole Heene gang have reportedly moved from their home in Fort Collins to Bradenton, Florida, where paterfamilias Dick is said to be working in construction, not starring in the TV-reality show of his (deflated) drea ... More >>

Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene's Bear Scratch ad shows he's crazier than we thought (VIDEO)

Richard Heene.​You figured former Fort Collins resident Richard Heene was a little off after that whole Balloon Boy hoax thing that got a little bit of attention a while back, right? But the way he's pimping his latest money-making plan, the Bear Scratch, is so off-the-charts loony that it ma ... More >>

"I hate the Raiders!": We understand, but don't give up on football, little man! (VIDEO)

​Fans angered by the Broncos' 59-14 loss to the dreaded Oakland Raiders -- and by the destruction of the team by Coach Josh McDaniels -- will relate to this video, in which a kid responds to the walloping by wailing, "I hate the Raiders!" over and over again. But then he transitions into "I ha ... More >>

Balloon Boy's band needs a name -- allow us to, uh, float a few suggestions

​The Heene family is still doing its best to extend its fifteen minutes as long as possible. The latest effort: A new boy-band featuring all three kids. It's not the first time balloon boy and his brothers have ventured into the world of pop music. Who can forget "Not Pussified"? Yeah, didn't ... More >>

How does our Hall of Shame 2010 compare to previous years? Read them and weep.

Remember this shameful character from 2007?​Names like Josh McDaniels, Scott McInnis and Jamie Paulin-Ramirez made us cringe this year, committing dastardly deeds or generally making fools of themselves and the Centennial State. And as such, they've been inducted into our Hall of Shame 2010 ( ... More >>

Six great Colorado hoaxes

Remember this shameful character from 2007?​Names like Josh McDaniels, Scott McInnis and Jamie Paulin-Ramirez made us cringe this year, committing dastardly deeds or generally making fools of themselves and the Centennial State. And as such, they've been inducted into our Hall of Shame 2010 ( ... More >>

Balloon Boy stars in Peeps diorama! (PHOTO)

Big pic below.​'Tis the season for Peeps dioramas, and the Washington Post's contest brought in some astonishing entries, led by an amazing recreation of a scene from the movie Up. But this winner wasn't the only diorama that took flight. A previous semi-finalist recreated the October 2009 For ... More >>

Balloon Boy family auctioning their helium-filled hoax: Now if only the Heenes would float away

Richard Heene.​Balloon Boy hoaxers Richard and Mayumi Heene have been prohibited by a judge from making money off their story until 2013 (and make no mistake, they will start trying one tick into New Year's Day). But that doesn't mean they can't still make some hay. Earlier this week, the Heen ... More >>

City Spirit Picnic flier is the best flier ever created by a city worker's 6-year-old kid

Is that Balloon Boy?​One could argue that e-mail, Evite and Facebook have killed the art of hand-crafting kick-ass posters to advertise your housewarming party or backyard barbecue. But if that's true, nobody bothered to tell the city of Denver -- which has gone on tempting the children of cit ... More >>

Richard Heene's $1 million charity balloon sale reportedly nets $2,502 (VIDEO)

Video below.​Shockingly enough, the latest crackpot scheme by Richard "Father of Balloon Boy" Heene didn't exactly go as planned. As we reported last month while designating Heene Shmuck of the Week, the former Fort Collins resident planned to auction off his "experimental craft" to earn mone ... More >>

"Balloon Boy" balloon flying high at an Aurora store

The new owner of the balloon boy ballon.​Almost two years after Falcon Heene did not float away in his father's homemade helium balloon, the legend is still flying high. And Michael Fruitman, the owner of Mike's Stadium Sportscards in Aurora, plans to enjoy the ride. He just bought this "uniqu ... More >>

Reader: Tebow on your Year in Review cover was a bad call

The new owner of the balloon boy ballon.​Almost two years after Falcon Heene did not float away in his father's homemade helium balloon, the legend is still flying high. And Michael Fruitman, the owner of Mike's Stadium Sportscards in Aurora, plans to enjoy the ride. He just bought this "uniqu ... More >>