Who Michael Sura Tried to Blame After Bone-Breaking Ski Accident Lawsuit

Last January, we told you about an unusual ski-injury lawsuit in which the man accused of injuring another skier while racing in a reckless fashion was 72 years old. That defendant, Michael Sura, has now settled the suit, but not before his attorneys attempted to blame the accident that broke Stuart Pendleton’s ankle on Snowmass, the ski resort where the incident took place, as well as the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and a charity group, the Disabled American Veterans.

RiNo Double Murder Has “Gang Overtones”

Detectives with the Denver Police Department decline to provide anything other than the most basic details about the January 5 double murder at RiNo’s New Welcome Inn bar, which remains under investigation at this writing, and the Reverend Leon Kelly, a prominent anti-gang activist who’s been in contact with the DPD regarding the thus-far-unsolved case, is also cautious with his words. But following the January 19 funeral for victim Guillermo Ornelas, which saw a slew of police officers strategically deployed in the neighborhood around the church where it was held as they kept a watchful eye on mourners, Kelly acknowledges that the incident has “gang overtones.”

Kratom: Libertarian Party of Colorado Rips Denver Human Use Ban

In November, Denver Environmental Health issued a human-consumption ban on kratom, a plant-based substance that advocates tout as a pain reliever lacking the well-known negative effects of more powerful opioids. Now, the Libertarian Party of Colorado is formally decrying the move, and the organization’s spokesperson reveals that it’s a very personal subject for her. After all, she’s a user of kratom who believes her life would be infinitely worse if she could no longer take it.

Rashaan Salaam’s Heisman Sells for Nearly $400K, More Than O.J. Simpson’s

The 1994 Heisman Trophy won by CU Boulder running back Rashaan Salaam, who killed himself in a Boulder park circa December 2016, has been sold at auction for $399,608.40. This total is reportedly the most ever for a Heisman, topping the cash paid for O.J. Simpson’s, among others. A likely reason for the high price was its now-former owner’s pledge to donate a significant portion of the windfall to research of CTE, a brain disease common among NFL players from which Salaam may have suffered.

Funniest and/or Most NSFW Signs We Saw at 2018 Denver Women’s March

The second annual Denver Women’s March attracted thousands upon thousands of women (and men) to downtown Denver on Saturday, January 20, but mainstream news coverage of the event had to be cautious about what images of the enormous throng to show. That’s because many of the most memorable signs we saw over the course of the morning weren’t exactly family friendly, as evidenced by the reference to First Lady Melania Trump’s clitoris above. But the best of them were both passionate and hilarious.

Ten Killings or Attacks at Colorado Strip Clubs

A year ago this month, a homicide outside Players Club in Adams County anchored a roundup of eight slayings or attacks at Colorado strip joints. And the violence connected to such venues didn’t end there. In recent months, there have been two more incidents at metro-area strip clubs, with the latest, at Dandy Dan’s on South Federal Boulevard, resulting in a first-degree murder charge against Jared Chavez.

First Avalanche Death of 2018, Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim

The first avalanche death in Colorado circa 2018 took place on Sunday, January 21, during a weekend that saw the most significant winter storm of the season in a relatively snow-starved period hit large sections of Colorado. The incident, which took place between Red Mountain Pass and the Town of Silverton in an area known to locals as Sam’s Trees, serves as a tragic reminder about the importance of safety, as spelled out in ten tips from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center about how to avoid being killed in such a slide.

Reader: Saying Trump’s First Year Was Great Is a Right-Wing Alternative Fact

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Barlock made his case to our Michael Roberts last week: Trump’s first year has been full of greatness, he argued, and will make him one of the country’s greatest presidents. Barlock cited such accomplishments as nominating Denver-native Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and passing the tax overhaul bill.