Cold cases from 1984 in Lakewood and Aurora have just heated up. DNA evidence now suggests that the same person who killed Patricia Louise Smith in January of that year also slew three members of the Bennett family — parents Bruce and Debra, and their daughter Melissa, age seven –…
In August 2009, former Mormon church lay bishop Shawn Merriman earned Shmuck of the Week honors for Ponzi scheming millions from friends and acquaintances. But yesterday, he was awarded with an even more richly deserved prize: a twelve-and-a-half-year prison jolt, plus an order to pay $20.1 million in restitution. Will…
The Fourmile Canyon Fire near Boulder remains 100 percent contained, avoiding the potential flareups about which spokesman Greg Heule warned in yesterday’s update, linked above. But while the work continues to wind down, the costs keep ticking upward. Latest estimate: $9,439,583 — and still counting…
Much has been made of several high-profile incidents of alleged police brutality involving the Denver PD, culminating in the resignation of Denver Manager of Safety Ron Perea. Number crunchers even suggest Denver’s number-one for excessive-force complaints. But while the focus may be on Denver, the incidents may be tied to…
The lawsuit filed against Tom Tancredo has fallen short of its goal: A judge has ruled that Tancredo’s name will remain on the November ballot. The decision pleases Tancredo campaign operations manager Cliff Dodge — but he’s still irritated that his guy had to jump through this particular hoop…
It took the Fourmile Canyon fire and the Reservoir Road fire to convince Boulder County and Larimer County to put fire bans in place; click here to read about the former, here to learn about the latter. Kudos, then, to Jefferson County and Golden, which have prohibited burning prior to…
Contained herein: three Denver blog posts. Mile High Report fan poster waterboy31321 thinks Tim Tebow’s inconsequential plays on Sunday will cause opponents to waste game-planning time, thereby giving the Broncos an advantage. Denver Egotist: Are you ready for Snowboard on the Rocks? Colorado Independent’s John Tomasic notes that conservatives didn’t…
Although the Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder is 100 percent contained, the identity of the local resident suspected of accidentally starting it hasn’t been made public yet. However, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is sending signals that criminal charges are no cinch, and Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett does likewise…
What the hell’s going on around here lately? Hot on the heels of Michael Wade Jackson’s arrest in the slaying of Mohamed Abushahma and a shooting near a condo in Aurora, we’re learning about the discovery of two dead bodies — one male, one female — in a Thornton apartment…
All of the cool kids learn early on that good times will be had wherever the Zig-Zag rolling-paper dude is found. As seen in the photo above, the celebrated smoker peers from his tastefully painted portal onto a pleasant parking lot on South Federal Blvd. From his perch on high,…
Yesterday, Jay Marvin, a mainstay on local talk radio until he was felled by a horrific health crisis beginning in early 2009, marked his 58th birthday yesterday with a decision: to retire from radio. It’s a choice he doesn’t much like — and one that he feels was made for…
A few weeks ago news outlets across the nation, including Westword, reported on what appeared to be the first-ever pot commercial on regular TV, a spot for a California dispensary on Sacramento station KTXL. But as it turns out, irregular TV around Colorado has been running dispensary ads for some…
More fatal violence in Aurora. Just days after the arrest of Michael Wade Jackson in the death of Mohamed Abushahma comes word of another shooting last night, with a thus-far-unnamed man found near a condo complex later succumbing to his wounds. Look below for the Aurora Police release on the…
While the Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder is now 100 percent contained, the same can’t be said for the Reservoir Road fire, in the Loveland area. According to the latest update, that blaze’s containment percentage remains stuck at somewhere between 20 and 25, with authorities not ready to guess when…
Who’s to blame for the Colorado Rockies snapping their ten-game winning streak with a 6-4 loss to the San Diego Padres at home last night? The starting pitcher, who gave up a two-run shot to Miguel Tejada before many fans had found their seats? The bullpen, which allowed the Padres…
Aurora Police have confirmed reports about the principals in a weekend killing: Michael Wade Jackson is being held for investigation of homicide in the slaying of Mohamed Abushahma, who’s said to have been his longtime friend. Also critically injured in the altercation was Abushahma’s seventeen-year-old son, who had to be…
Now that, at long last, the Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder is 100 percent contained, attention is shifting to the homeowner whose fire pit is thought to have sparked the blaze, as well as the Reservoir Road fire near Loveland. But don’t forget about Fourmile yet. Risks continue to abound…
What started as a late-night drive-thru run last May for 49-year-old Lilian Verdonkschot, her daughter and her daughter’s friend turned tragic when Verdonkschot was hit by the driver of a Cadillac DeVille. The last thing Verdonkschot’s daughter heard before her mother was crushed under the Cadillac’s tires was, “Let’s just…
Every now and then local companies drop off their medical marijuana-related products at the Westword offices. Enough, actually, that we decided it would be a good idea to kick off a quasi-regular product review to showcase our Colorado Stoner MacGyvers…
It didn’t take long to get to the main event at the Denver District Court today. Tom Tancredo was the first witness called to the stand to defend his right to run for governor on the American Constitution Party ticket…
As the official public comment period ends for Christo’s “Over the River” project, the dialogue over the much-debated, $50-million landscape wrap seems to have devolved into two quite separate conversations. One has to do with the aesthetic merits and possible economic impacts of stretching six miles of silvery fabric over…
Twentieth century French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre was keen on constructing impenetrable monoliths of text about nothingness. But his notion that the absence of something is just as important to an experience as the presence of something ties directly into this year’s Colorado ballot initiatives…
