A new economic study reveals the University of Colorado system generated $12.2 billion in economic impact across the state last year. This is an increase of more than half a billion dollars from 2024.
The report says most of that impact about $7.1 billion dollars, is right in the Denver metro area.
Campus by campus, CU Anschutz led the system with $5.7 billion in economic impact. That means it generated the most for nearby businesses.
CU Boulder followed with $5 billion, while CU Denver and UCCS contributed $667 million and $567 million.
Vibe Coffee & Wine is one of the businesses near CU Denver and staff say students play a major role in keeping their business steady.
“I think students play a significant role for small businesses. I think there’s also for this generation that’s coming up, they’re a lot more focused on the quality, and they’re willing to pay more for something that is created with care,” said Liza Giles, Vibe Coffee & Wine, brand operations.
Staff say student foot traffic drops during spring, winter, and summer breaks though, tourists make up for that loss, especially during the summer months.
For more information on the economic report, click here.
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DENVER — It’s been more than 40 years since Sid Wells, a 22-year-old student at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU), was murdered, but it feels like yesterday for his family.
“The older I get, the harder it is to stay composed,” said his older brother Robert Wells, his eyes growing misty.
Robert Wells described his brother as a gregarious person who treated everyone with dignity and respect.
“His sense of humor was amazing,” Robert Wells said with a smile. “He could be tenacious when he needed to be. He wanted to be an investigative journalist or fly jets for the Navy. What a great combination.”
“When he first called me, he said, ‘I met this beautiful girl, beautiful strawberry blonde hair, and we’ve been out on a couple of dates.’ And he was very excited about this new person in his life, and they’d gone out about three times,” Robert Wells recalled. “He said one of the cadets in the ROTC came up to him and said, ‘What’s it like dating Robert Redford’s daughter?’ He had no idea.”
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Hunt ongoing for killer in student’s ’83 murder
One of the Wells brothers, Sam, found Sid Wells dead from a gunshot wound to the back of the head on August 1, 1983. Investigators identified a suspect, Thayne Smika, who was a roommate of the Wells brothers at the time of the murder.
Smika was arrested in October 1983. However, during a grand jury process to determine if and what charges Smika might face, it was discovered in District Attorney Alexander Hunter’s case file that the office had reached an agreement with Smika that the grand jury would not be able to come back with a “true bill” charging Smika with any criminal conduct, meaning he wouldn’t face any charges no matter what the grand jury determined.
Smika was eventually let out of custody and stayed in the area for a couple of years. A warrant for his arrest on forgery charges was issued out of Denver in early 1986, but he was never arrested, and the warrant was eventually dropped.
Smika’s family said the last time they heard from him was in 1986, when he said he was leaving town. According to court documents, he told his family members to get passports in order to visit him, implying that he would be leaving the country, but his family claims they haven’t heard from him since.
An abandoned car registered to his father, who said he gave the car to Smika before he left town, was found in Beverly Hills, California, in 1986, but there was no sign of Smika.
A different Boulder County district attorney, Stan Garnett, put together a new arrest warrant for Smika, which was approved on Dec. 2, 2010. It carries first-degree murder charges, a $5 million bond, and the conditions that Smika have no contact with the Wells family should he ever be caught.
“In this case, we have answers. We know who did it,” Robert Wells said. “The day he’s found and brought to justice is the day we’ll find out the rest of the story. Until then, that story is cold.”
Wells family
Shauna Redford and Sid Wells before his death.
Sid Wells’ mother became one of the founding members of the nonprofit Families of Homicide Victims and Missing Persons (FOHVAMP), which has advocated for those impacted by such cases since 2001. Eventually, Robert Wells became the executive director of the organization, a position he held for more than two decades.
“We’re here to make sure that these families’ cases are never forgotten,” said Robert Wells. “That murderer living amongst us doesn’t make for a safe society, and they need to be held accountable, and they need to be brought to justice. And as long as we’re around, we’re going to do what we can to ensure that happens.”
On Wednesday, Robert Wells introduced the new executive director of the organization: Kirby Lewis, who previously worked as an assistant director of investigations at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“I couldn’t have found a better person for this. His heart is in it,” Robert Wells told Denver7. “I’ll be falling back to a senior advisor position and probably handle a little bit of media. And Kirby Lewis will be up to his elbows in cold cases and working directly with the families.”
Lewis said he is both excited and intimidated to take on this new role.
“Recently, with COVID-19 especially, some grant money dried up or went away, so the organization is limited financially,” Lewis explained. “We’re going to make a big push for fundraising so that we can, maybe, FOHVAMP can finance some forensic investigative genealogy. We can maybe do some age progression on photographs, work with the media partners and get some case information out there and try and generate leads or tips for law enforcement to follow up on.”
FOHVAMP connects the families of cold case victims with law enforcement, providing an outlet for dialogue between the two.
“I cannot speak for their law enforcement agency, but kind of tell the family what’s going on behind the scenes that they may not understand or may not see,” Lewis said.
For Robert Wells, this change within FOHVAMP is a new chapter, and one that warms his heart.
“Sid, much like my father, would probably say, ‘God, you’ve done a great job, Rob. What are you going to do tomorrow? What’s next?’” Robert Wells said. “I’m not going away. I will be quietly in the background, doing the best I can, given health concerns and challenges, until they throw dirt on me.”
The Boulder Police Department sent Denver7 a statement that said Sid Wells’ case is still open and active, adding that “the search for the suspect has never ceased.”
The statement continued to say that “no matter how much time goes by, Boulder Police are deeply committed to finding justice for this family and that will never stop.”
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BOULDER, Colo. — Excitement was roaming at the University of Colorado Boulder as the Buffs took on Brigham Young University (BYU) Saturday night at Folsom Field.
Fans of all ages were decked out in black and gold, feeling both confident and committed that their Buffs had a chance of beating BYU, though the night ended in heartbreak for the Buffs. The final score of the game was 24 to 21.
Buffs superfan Phil Caragol, also known as Buffalo Phil, has been dressing up in Buffs gear since 2010. He said it all started because they weren’t a ‘very good team’ and there were ‘so many sad faces in the stadium.’ Now, 15 years later, he explained what the energy is like during these late-night games and his role in keeping fans going.
Caleb Foreman
“These late-night games are killer, starts at 8:15 p.m., so we’re not out of there till like 12:30 a.m. Everbody’s great energized in the first quarter, second quarter, and then halftime comes and the energy level starts sinking. It gets cold and old people leave, so it’s rough. Afternoon game, it’s just much more everybody’s much more engaged,” Caragol said.
Before the game started, fans gathered for the Buff walk to cheer on the players and hear from the band. Becky Gamble could easily be spotted standing on top of a cooler to get a good view ahead of the game. She explained just how special Folsom Field is and the energy inside of it.
“This stadium is one of the best in the country, just because it’s small and it’s intimate and you got the flat irons in the backdrop,” said Gamble. “This is a pretty special place.”
Caleb Foreman
Tailgating was in full force before the kickoff, with kids throwing footballs and fans enjoying their favorite bites to eat. At the BYU Alumni tailgate, booths were set up for attendees to pick up free swag or take pictures in gear.
Jennifer Wise, chapter chair for the BYU alumni association in Denver, shared her favorite table is the CougsCare project as they were collecting donations for books and phonics games for the Family Learning Center in Boulder.
“People are donating books and phonics games and toys, things to the center that will help them sort of bridge that gap between Spanish and English and be able to, sort of take advantage of all of the amazing cognitive benefits that bilingualism gives them,” Wise said.
Caleb Foreman
When interviewing Wise, she said there were 300 items on their Amazon wishlist, and at last check, there were 253 donations. While the CougsCare project started back in 2019, Wise explained this was the first time for this tailgating tradition here in Colorado.
“It is definitely a distinctively BYU thing to do, so yeah, I love it. It’s fun to be a part of,” Wise said.
Next up, the Buffs will play Texas Christian University away in Fort Worth, and BYU will play at home against West Virginia.
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BOULDER, Colo. — Get ready Buffs fans. It’s game time! CU Boulder has their home opener Friday at 6 p.m. against Georgia Tech, and it’s a sold-out crowd.
Fans and students entering the stadium for the first time this season may notice some changes.
“We do have a brand new student section. It’s called ‘The Charge’, which is a new moniker this year,” Director of Strategic Communications Steve Hurlbert said. “[Students] can also register to be the student fan of the game and get honored during the during game on the field.”
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Athletes will notice, and feel changes too.
A brand new turf field has been installed using organic wood pellets, keeping the field cooler. Denver7 was previously told this is good for the environment and players.
College Sports
Good for the athletes and the environment: A look at Folsom Field’s new turf
Coach Prime will be on the sidelines of that turf field Friday, following a previous health scare.
“We’ve seen just a rapid upward trajectory of the team and the time that he’s been here. And we expect that to happen in year three too. We expect the team continue to get better and again, you know, just the excitement to keep, you know, to keep growing and growing,” Hurlbert said.
New changes ahead for CU Boulder’s home opener against Georgia Tech Friday
However, there is one less than exciting change. The team will not be led out by a live buffalo.
Ralphie Six has retired due to an “indifference to running.” The university is in the process, though, of training Ralphie Seven.
College Sports
CU Boulder’s Ralphie VI retires from kicking off football games
“She’s not quite ready yet. We’re on the buffalo’s timeline, and out of the you know, the safety and the happiness and the well being of Ralphie Seven, we want to make sure that when she’s out there, she’s ready,” Hurlbert said.
He said the team is hoping to have a new mascot at some point this football season, but there’s no timeline yet.
CU Boulder home opener Friday at 6 p.m. against Georgia Tech
As a reminder to students, there is a tailgate at Farrand Field before the game. Then you can walk to the stadium together.
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BOULDER, Colo. — The countdown to kickoff is on at CU Boulder.
On Friday at 6 p.m., the Buffs will play Georgia Tech for the first home game of the season.
And ahead of Coach Prime’s third season, Boulder is betting on an improved experience in and around Folsom Field.
CU Athletic Director Rick George said on X that the university is “committed to providing a top-notch experience for every fan that comes to a game” and that will include some big changes for fans.
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This season, a drone show is scheduled for Sept. 27 against BYU, with the possibility of several military flyovers. So far, military flyovers are planned for Aug. 29 vs Georgia Tech and Nov. 1 vs. Arizona.
Other new features to look out for include a revamped student section called “The Charge”, enhanced team field entrances including cold sparks, and a new tailgate area at Benson Field.
Another change involves game day concessions, according to CU Athletics.
70% of our restaurant partners working in and around the stadium are minority or women-owned.
New “round up” purchase options, fans can round up their food and beverage purchase to support CU student-athlete scholarships.
Flavor of Tabasco is a new food truck that will be in the plaza.
New chicken salad sandwich concept in the SE corner of the Field House
Blackjack Pizza, CU’s official pizza sponsor, will be selling pizza in the Gate 8 concession stand as well as on the NW plateau (Gate 19 area).
Frippers, a new restaurant partner that will be located at Gate 11 selling gourmet hot dogs.
Chicken and veggie Tamales available out of the Gate 10 concession stand.
New tater tot concept with Dill Pickle tots and buffalo chicken tots will be at Gate 7.
Denver7 visited the campus on Saturday as fans prepare to return to Folsom Field.
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Max Milano, a CU Boulder alumni & Toby Bock, a senior
“It’s loud, it’s proud, and it’s only gotten better each year,” said Toby Bock, a senior at CU Boulder.
First-year fans Jake Sommer and Max Pollack told Denver7 the “football experience” was a big reason they decided on Boulder.
“I think it’s going to be an incredible atmosphere,” said Sommer.
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Max Pollock & Jake Sommer, Freshmen at CU Boulder
“You get the best of everything here, including football now,” said Pollack.
Two games, Georgia Tech & Wyoming, are already sold out, according to CU Athletics.
Buffs fans told Denver7 they’re ready for football to be back in Boulder, especially with an enhanced game day experience.
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CU Boulder campus
“It’s hard to beat already,” said Bock. “I can’t say that’s going to dim it down. That’s only going to increase the spirit.”
CU Boulder gears up for sold-out season opener with enhanced fan experience
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BOULDER, Colo — It is Research & Innovation Week at the University of Colorado at Boulder. To celebrate, the university hosted a robotics showcase for the public.
The College of Engineering and Applied Science demonstrated some of its best technology in the engineering center. Students at CU Boulder are developing cutting-edge robotics to help with future search and rescue efforts and other dangerous, dark and dirty jobs.
Richard Butler
Dr. William Doe, CU Boulder Research development manager, said their goal is to find new solutions to the perplexing problems facing the world.
“Robotics is something that’s being used pretty much in every walk of life. It’s very interdisciplinary. We have students that have interest in electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, all of those kinds of degrees contribute to robotics,” said Doe.
Robotics lab manager Destin Woods and PhD student Miles Mena showcased a powerful dog-like robotic that would be useful in search and rescue operations.
Richard Butler
“It would use these cameras to find different objects within the environment that could detect a human presence of some sort. A 3D map is created from the lidar that sits on top of the robot. It would autonomously plan to create a path that will expand the map so it can explore more areas,” said Woods.
Spot, the four-legged robot, is capable of autonomous exploration. Parts and all, he is worth about $150,000.
“This robot was part of a program that was designed to place robots in dangerous, dirty and dark situations. All those environments you don’t want a human in because they’re detrimental to their health and their safety,” said Mena.
PhD student Heiko Kabutz demonstrated CLARI and mCLARI. It is an insect-sized robot that is capable of shifting. Changing its form allows for exploration and discovery in the tiniest of places.
“Our robot is a four-legged, small-scale robot, which is similar to an insect, but a robot. The body is soft, so the body can change shape, which allows the robot to squeeze into gaps where typically a robot can’t fit into,” Kabutz said.
Next, Kabutz and his team plan to further enhance the mCLARI by adding more features and advancing the shape-shifting and leg motions.
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DENVER — With the cost of a four-year degree on the rise, technical schools are becoming more viable options for those considering secondary schooling.
Enrollment at Emily Griffith Technical College (EGTC) is up 6% this year, according to Randy Johnson, the executive director.
He said the “immediate relevance” of a technical education is becoming more appealing to students like Aly Gombos.
She graduated high school in 2007, and took a two year gap before enrolling at Central Connecticut State University.
“I had been working in food service, really like living on my own, struggling to make ends meet,” Gombos said. “The only career advice anyone was interested in giving me was, ‘Go to university. Get a four year degree. Doesn’t matter what you get a degree in.’”
So she majored in English and graduated in 2014, and the narrative around the usefulness of her four year degree, she said, was changing.
This year, she decided to make a career change.
“I looked at program after program of all different price points. And this was the one that I landed on,” she said.
Gombos enrolled in the Multimedia and Video Production program at EGTC. An eleven-month, part-time program, that cost her less than $7,000.
She said that’s a mere fifth of the cost of what her bachelor’s degree cost.
“I’m only a week in, but so far, it absolutely feels worth the financial commitment,” Gombos said.
With her English degree, Gombos felt she was living paycheck to paycheck. EGTC prides themselves on offering programs that result in “livable wages.”
“85% of our students who start a program with us will complete that program. 93% of our students will get a job within their field, and we’re sitting it right at 100% of our students who sit for a professional exam, are passing that exam,” Johnson said.
The return on investment is clear, according to Johnson.
“Every one of our students that walk through the doors here, they are finding employment. And they’re finding not just a livable wage, but they’re finding a wage that they’re able to to really build their own families and their own communities as well,” he said. “This is where we’re that first step in the continuum of higher ed. The salary ranges, all of our salaries, we don’t offer any program that does not offer a livable wage.”
Gombos said it’s more than the wage. It’s the tangible skillsets she can point to, which makes the most difference.
“I really think that if this program had been accessible to me at 18, the entire trajectory of my career would have been different,” she said.
EGTC offers 19 different career paths and there’s no age limit on who can enroll.
“This is a really viable, a really important and a really clear next step in their career, in their life journey,” Johnson said.
Interest in technical colleges rises as cost of 4-year degrees increase
BOULDER, Colo. — A team from CU Boulder has partnered with Pixar Animation Studios to build an emotional learning platform based on the 2015 movie “Inside Out.” Now it’s giving students, parents and teachers access to free mental health tools.
The “Inside U” program, from CU’s Renee Crown Wellness Institute, helps kids and their caregivers who may be struggling with how to respond to certain feelings, building off the characters from the movie.
In the movie, it follows the main character “Riley” through the eyes of her emotions — Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear.
The “Inside U” storyboard platform use’s kids’ interest in the movie to create buy in for learning about their feelings.
“I’ve tried both strategies of coming in with more like the scientist-educator hat,” one of the app’s co-creators Dr. Sam Hubley said. “You get eyes glazing over, maybe even eyes rolling a little bit, and the engagement is just so much harder. But if we come in and lead with this really cool movie, and how it can be helpful, there’s this immediate leaning in.”
Children’s mental health awareness rose during the Covid-19 pandemic because of isolation and time away from friends. So CU’s Crown Institute was formed to help bridge the gap between the tools available and access to them.
They partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver to build the “Inside U” platform.
“We see kids can pretty easily relate to anger,” the Crown Wellness Institute director Julia Zigarelli. “And we find that fear and sadness right now with a lot of kids. Anxiety and sadness are bubbling up to the surface.”
The program was designed for kids 6 to 12 years old. They hope to expand it into school districts around the Denver metro area.
The Disney Pixar movie “Inside Out 2” is due out this summer which takes “Riley” through the teenage years.
CU Boulder partners with Pixar for emotional learning platfo
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