DENVER — A team at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science is hard at work piecing together a “remarkably complete” set of Triceratops fossils.
A team of paleontologists and student interns discovered the Triceratops skull, lower jaws and neck during the museum’s annual fieldwork in the Hell Creek Formation near Marmath, North Dakota. According to the museum, the roughly 67-million-year-old dinosaur is one of the heaviest fossils ever collected by the museum, second only to its Stegosaurus in the “Prehistoric Journey” preparation lab.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Close-up of the exposed horn and fossil jacket encasing the Triceratops’ shield. Inscription reads: “If you can read this, it means our Triceratops dreams came true.”
“We brought a ginormous front loader out to collect this fossil, and when they weighed it in the field, it was 5.4 tons,” said Salvador Bastien, fossil preparator with the museum. “We’re down to somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000 pounds now. Just a light block that’s easy to roll around, but we were hoping for a much smaller fossil when we went up there, and, man, we just kept finding bone after bone after bone.”
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Salvador Bastien, a fossil preparator and an excavation crew leader, pick axing at the dig site in North Dakota.
Even after trimming it down, Bastien said the team had to cut a hole in the museum’s wall to get the fossils to fit into the room.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Fossil Preparators Salvador Bastien and Natalie Toth in the parking lot of the Museum discussing logistics for moving the fossil off the trailer.
“We expect this dinosaur skull to be very three-dimensional, just like the one we have 3D printed right there,” Bastien said. “A lot of times, fossils are squished really flat, but based on looking sideways at the dimensions of this — what we call a fossil jacket — this is going to be a pretty blown-up three-dimensional skull.”
Maggy Wolanske
Fossil preparator Evan Tamez-Galvan said there is a lot of energy surrounding this discovery.
“I do feel that responsibility because there is such high hopes for it. So while it’s not on me how the fossil preserved itself, but it is on me to make sure that we take care of it, that we work… in a manner that makes sense as well, that we are being smart about our decisions about where to work, when to work,” Tamez-Galvan said.
Maggy Wolanske
The skull is expected to be 100% complete. Tamez-Galvan told Denver7 it should take their team about a year to work on this fossil.
For now, she’s enjoying every minute of working on this remarkable discovery.
“In terms of emotions, working on it, it’s very unreal,” Tamez-Galvan said. “Paleontology is not the easiest field to get in and stay in, and so the fact that I’ve been able to get in, stay in, and been trusted is such an incredible project, it’s like a very surreal kind of pinch myself sort of feeling.”
Maggy Wolanske
Sunday is a free day at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, where visitors can see the work firsthand and the process that goes into bringing these big bones to display.
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“EVERYONE WATCHES WOMEN’S SPORTS” seen as the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team plays the Korea Republic at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. June 1, 2024.
Denver Summit FC, the professional women’s soccer team that’s set to start playing in 2026, has started selling season tickets, and they’ll range from $375 to $4,500
The team emailed invitations this week to the thousands of people who have put down deposits for season tickets. More than 15,000 people paid deposits of $30 or $100 — a National Women’s Soccer League record, according to a team announcement in September.
Each season ticket will allow holders to watch all 15 regular-season home games. The team will play its first two seasons at a temporary stadium in Centennial. After that, the team hopes to be playing at a permanent new stadium in Denver’s Baker neighborhood.
It’s unclear whether latecomers still have a chance to get season tickets. The planned stadium would have only 14,000 seats — not enough, obviously, for everybody who placed a deposit on season tickets.
Meanwhile, the team is selling membership to “Club 5280,” which gets you on the season ticket waitlist. That will cost $52.80, naturally.
Here’s how the tickets are priced:
The team sent a graphic with prices to fans.
The cheapest season ticket is for the supporters section, right behind one of the goals. While it’s not the optimal viewing angle, a supporters section in soccer puts you among the team’s most passionate fans, who often dictate the stadium’s atmosphere. Those tickets would run you $375.
Other seats behind either goal cost between $435 and $615.
Sideline tickets are going between $600 and $1,335, depending on how close to the center pitch you want to sit. The most expensive seats would put you behind the home and away benches.
The club is also offering premium packages, which would be considerably more expensive. These packages would put you pitchside — as if you were Timothée Chalamet at a Knicks game — up in a suite or right behind the home bench, where broadcast cameras might capture you as they zoom in for a closeup of a satisfied — or dejected — head coach after a pivotal goal.
Those premium seats will run you between $2,175 and $4,500. Prices for suite packages aren’t listed.
There’s also a Loge Table package offered for $15,000, which would get you four seats opposite the supporter’s section.
Nearly all season ticket holders will get a merchandise discount, playoff ticket access (Ed. note: We can hope… – AK) and invites to members-only events.
Inaugural season ticket holders will also get first dibs on future season tickets, including when the team moves to its planned stadium at Santa Fe Yards.
How do these prices line up with other teams around town?
Summit FC season tickets would be one of the cheapest deals in Denver sports. But it should be noted that Denver’s professional sports teams play different numbers of home games, so the average price per game differs.
Instant observations as the Nuggets defeated the Raptors 112-108 in their second preseason game Monday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
More like it
Denver’s starters looked a little rusty as a unit in their first preseason minutes together Saturday. Two days later, the rust was gone for the most part. Turnovers still piled up — Nikola Jokic committed six — but ball movement was generally more fluid and crisp.
Peyton Watson and Christian Braun made smart reads as connectors (Watson started for Aaron Gordon, who took the night off for maintenance). Cam Johnson played on the ball a bit more than he did in the first exhibition. On an early possession, he recognized that no entry pass to Jokic was available, used his dribble to put pressure on the rim instead, kicked out to Watson, then relocated for an open catch-and-shoot 3-pointer.
And Jokic was in full experimentation mode. One of his most avant-garde passes was a side-armed, no-look fastball curling around the baseline to successfully reach Johnson in the corner. (He missed the 3.) Another was a reverse over-the-head attempt to find a cutter in stride, but that one was nowhere close to a completion. That’s what the preseason is for.
Pressure release search
The Nuggets finished at an extraordinary clip in Vancouver. They were shooting over 60% from the floor for most of the game, including an 8-for-8 performance from Braun (19 points, three 3s), a 5-for-5 night from Jokic and a mini-collection of tough 3s off the dribble from Jamal Murray, still the preseason MVP so far.
Starting plays, not finishing them, is the tricky part right now. Especially when Murray isn’t on the floor.
Toronto showed full-court pressure most of the night, and Denver’s backups often struggled to get the ball up the floor and initiate offense cleanly. Five bench players turned the ball over multiple times, led by Bruce Brown’s four. He might just need some time to reacclimate to his point guard role with the Nuggets, but handling intense ball pressure has been a collective issue for the bench so far. Can Jalen Pickett be a consistent answer? Julian Strawther? Even Peyton Watson is handling the ball more than ever through two games.
Bench notes
With Watson sliding into the starting lineup, David Adelman played a four-guard bench lineup around Jonas Valanciunas in lieu of slotting in a more size-appropriate backup four like DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji or Spencer Jones. (The main second unit was made up of Pickett, Strawther, Tim Hardaway Jr., Brown and Valanciunas.)
That might say more about the current pecking order than anything else. Back from his torn Achilles tendon, Holmes seems to understandably be a work in progress rather than an instant plug-and-play rookie. He did check in and knock down a couple of huge 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter as Denver held off a late comeback, though.
Also somewhat worthy note: Hardaway has been Adelman’s first sub into the game in both exhibitions so far (with Watson on Saturday, alone on Monday).
“You snap your fingers and your career is over, and it’s so short in the big picture of your life,” Johnson, who patrolled the Avalanche’s blue line from 2011-2023 and then again for a smidge earlier this year, mused at Family Sports Center. “And it’s so short in the big picture of your life, that I just figured that, ‘Why not come to the rink every day like it’s the best day ever?’ I hope that rubbed off on people over time.”
Sure did. But seeing the affable EJ call time on a stellar run was also a reminder, and not a sunny one, that the Avs’ current core is creeping closer to the end of the movie than the beginning.
The Avs’ roster as of Monday morning featured nine players 30 or older. It’s the first time a Colorado roster sported an average age over 29, according to the Elite Prospects database, since 2006-07. Joe Sakic was 38 then. That group totaled 95 points but missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the franchise relocated from Quebec City.
Coach Jared Bednar is juggling a few katanas while the Sword of Damocles dangles over his head this season. But load management is among the trickiest, given the annual grind of the Western Conference and the usual stratospheric stakes.
“I think Bedsy and the staff … are going to be smart, particularly with (Gabe) Landeskog, right?” Avs general manager Chris MacFarland replied Monday when I asked about the load. “We’re going to glean information on how (Gabe) does in back-to-backs, or three (games in four days), or four (in six days) and his practice schedule … He’s a really important player. So I think we’ll just we’ll glean that information … and we’ll read and react off that.”
For years, C-Mac’s Avs were young, to paraphrase noted philosopher Bob Seger, and they were strong, running against the wind. Only those winds blow even harder now, and they’re not so young anymore. Big Val Nichushkin turns 31 in March. Landeskog turns 33 in November. Brock Nelson turns 34 next month. Among the defense, Josh Manson turns 34 on Tuesday. Devon Toews turns 32 in February. Burns turns 41 in March.
Time is no longer on Bednar’s side. At one point Monday, MacFarland even sounded reflective, if slightly defensive, about the expiration date on what should’ve been an NHL dynasty.
“COVID hurt us,” MacFarland said. “There’s no ifs or buts about it. And then the uncertainty of Gabe’s situation and the unfortunate stuff with Val. But that stuff’s in the past.
“I think our guys, what Bedsy and our players have done is, that they have a chance. I think the organization’s job is to try and give them as good a chance as possible, and their play dictates that. I think over the last seven, eight years, their play (has) consistently dictated that. Hopefully, it will continue to do so this year as well.”
To his credit, MacFarland has been as dedicated to tweaking and shuffling the fringes of his roster as former Nuggets GM Calvin Booth was to sitting on his hands. Better to try and fail than to shrug, as Booth did, while Father Time coldly ripped the pages from Nikola Jokic’s desk calendar.
But Avs 1.1 (2023) and 1.2 (2024) never got as close as version 1.0 (2022 Stanley Cup champs) did in terms of bottling that combo of strong health, strong depth, strong special teams, strong goaltending, strong intangibles and strong matchups.
Although 1.3 (2025), on paper, flew awfully close. Wise puckheads looked at Stars-Avs last spring and declared that the winner was easily bound for, at worst, a Western Conference final — and that we were getting a main event far, far too early. They were right, in hindsight. Not that it should make anyone in burgundy and blue feel any better.
A long Cup run is a marathon, a two-month, uphill march of sweat, blood, guts, focus and willpower. It’s a battle of attrition and desperation; a story that inevitably demands a dozen hands and five or six heroes.
Lord Stanley is one of the hardest trophies in sports to win and even harder to keep. And yet the fact that the Florida Panthers have made it look even easier than the Lightning did does not reflect as kindly on MacFarland and Bednar, who have been good at their jobs at the same time some peers have been great.
It’s not unfair to assume the pair’s window might have already come and gone. If you’re curious, the last 14 teams with an average age of 29 or more from 2020-21 through 2024-25 averaged 95.2 points during the regular season. Eight of the 14 “old” squads reached the playoffs. And four of those eight got bounced out of the bracket in the first round.
Feast or famine. Which pretty well sums up the Avs’ postseason narrative since 2019, now that you mention it.
A few months ago, I asked Nathan MacKinnon about turning 30, about a core getting old.
“Cale’s 26,” MacKinnon cracked, nodding at Cale Makar’s locker across the way. “So I’ll probably be retired before we’re bad. Yeah, we’ll be fine. Cale will be all right.”
With that, he smiled. Time flies when you’re having fun. Just not always with a tailwind.
DENVER —Baggage theft at Denver International Airport isn’t all that infrequent, based on the number of incidents reported by police, including a July theft that police announced on Monday.
Police are seeking a man who allegedly stole baggage from the airport on July 24.
The man took the baggage from carousel 12 at approximately 9:30 p.m., according to police.
Crime
Denver police looking for a pair of DIA baggage thieves
Images of the suspect released Monday show the man riding down an escalator with luggage.
It appears the suspect has tattoos on both of his arms.
Anyone with information on the suspect’s identity is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
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The Denver Board of Ethics has cleared Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington of using his position for private gain when he flew himself and eight other executives to Madrid on a spring trip that cost about $18,000 per person.
But the board members said in a written decision that even if Washington technically followed city policy, they were “appalled” by the amount of money he approved spending for an aviation conference — and by his “seemingly cavalier attitude in responding to this complaint.”
The decision, issued Friday, came five months after CBS News Colorado revealed the cost of the tickets and other travel expenses after filing a request under the Colorado Open Records Act. Soon after the story came out in May, someone anonymously filed an ethics complaint about the report.
“While the Board of Ethics believes that officers, officials, and employees of the City and County of Denver should be better stewards of public funds, the Board must apply the facts to the law as it stands,” according to the ruling document.
In an interview with the board’s executive director, Washington said he wouldn’t have allowed the purchase of the airline tickets if he knew how much they would cost, according to the decision. But the board found that when Washington approved the expenses, the estimates he saw were mostly in line with the actual costs.
“Mr. Washington’s statement that he was unaware of the actual costs of the airfare is concerning,” the members wrote in the statement.
The airport’s travel policy allows employees to fly business class on flights longer than eight hours, and on this trip all nine flew business or first class. The group’s round-trip flights ranged in price from about $9,300 each for three officials to nearly $19,200 for the airport’s chief operating officer, Dave LaPorte. Washington’s flights cost about $12,000.
The board also took issue with Washington saying it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to attend the Passenger Terminal Expo and Conference, since it happens annually. Washington said the higher-class seats were necessary so that the executives could “hit the ground running” when they arrived, even though almost none of them had speaking engagements until one to two days after they arrived in Madrid.
The board found that Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s Chief of Staff Jenn Ridder also approved the estimated expenses but said she was compelled to do so because the costs came from the airport’s own budget, rather than the city’s general fund. The airport operates off revenue it generates, including from airlines and passengers.
Washington described the three-day conference, which began April 8, as an opportunity to learn from the “best in aviation” and a chance to bring ideas back to Denver.
The Board of Ethics is an independent agency established by the city charter that investigates ethics complaints and issues opinions on ethical responsibilities.
Denver police are investigating a fat hit-and-run crash on the east side of town that killed a pedestrian early Monday morning.
The department announced the incident on X shortly before 1 a.m., saying a pedestrian had been struck and killed in the area of East Colfax Avenue and Trenton Street in Denver.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and delays in the area were expected as an investigation was launched.
Denver city leaders cut the ribbon on the opening of the city’s 16th Street to symbolize its reopening after years of renovations, Oct. 4, 2025.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Politicians celebrated. Businesses open their doors. And protesters marched.
After three and a half years of fences and boarded-up storefronts, 16th Street fully reopened on Saturday as Denver’s central civic space – one where kids play, residents shop and dine, and protesters have a public forum to address their concerns.
“You can see all the way to the bridge,” Mayor Mike Johnston said, standing on a stage at Cleveland and 16th streets at the Saturday grand opening. “You will see there are no fences, no construction. What you see are open restaurants, open stores, open booths, and an open downtown Denver.”
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, center, snaps a selfie on 16th Street during festivities to mark the street’s reopening after years of renovations, Oct. 4, 2025.Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
The $175 million construction project brought nearly 1 million new pavers, public art and fresh infrastructure to the place formerly known as the 16th Street Mall. Work on the sprawling project began as the city tried to rebound from the pandemic. The closures tarnished the city’s image for visitors and residents, who wrote off the city center as a dangerous ghost town.
The goal of the project has been to revitalize downtown. At least on Saturday morning, there was life on the plaza. The city celebrated the partial completion of the project in May, but the full mile of the mall wasn’t reopened until now. Free shuttle service also returned to the entire street on Sunday.
“There are a lot of people who got a lot of narratives about downtown Denver,” former Mayor Michael Hancock told a crowd. “But it’s never really been about pavers or about the street. It’s about the people, the people who walk up and down this great street, this mall, if you will, and believe in the inherent greatness, that this is indeed the spine of our city.
“This is where we come together, not withstanding politics, race, color, creed or religion,” he continued. “This is where we come together and say simply, ‘We are Coloradans.’”
Bands like Guerilla Fanfare Brass Band, Flobots and Los Mocochetes brought a message of unity and joy to the city, espousing a vision of Denver where immigrants are welcome and the people are free to dream up the city they want to create together.
Flobots were among numerous bands that played during festivities marking the reopening of Denver’s 16th Street after years of renovations, Oct. 4, 2025.Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
While restaurants and shops were full and vendors lined the streets, some Denverites used the grand opening as a chance to voice their concerns.
Pro-Palestinian protesters against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza rallied by the hundreds. Housing advocates with the Housekeys Action Network Denver paraded a tent through the street, criticizing the mayor’s increase in what he calls “quality of life” enforcement, likening him to President Donald Trump. City boosters promoted Johnston’s proposed $950 million Vibrant Denver bond. And evangelists handed out comic books about Jesus.
V Reeves, of the Housekeys Action Network Denver, took the mic while Los Mocochetes performed, questioning whether spending $175 million on a street revitalization — and a third of the city’s general fund on the Department of Public Safety, including the police, fire and sheriff agencies — is a good idea when families are living without homes.
“We believe in making sure that everyone has somewhere safe to go,” Reeves said. “Our migrants, our houseless friends on the streets, our Black and brown communities do not deserve to be over policed. They deserve to be protected.”
The mall has served many functions over the years: a place for people to enjoy the fruits of Denver, a home for residents and unhoused people alike, a rallying point for demonstrations, and a place to spend an easy afternoon people watching.
Dan Hugill does a little sparring with 5-year-old Eliena Mac, of Arvada, at one of the many booths and kiosks set up along Denver’s 16th Street, marking its reopening after years of renovations, Oct. 4, 2025. Hugill is a co-founder of The Bridge, which uses physical fitness as a way to help transition out of correctional facilities and substance abuse.Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
“This has been the heart of the city for 40 years,” Johnston said. “This is about making sure it is the heart of the city for the next 40 years.”
With the fences down, Denverites can once again come together in a common space and express their civic identity – as messy as that can be.
DENVER — Denver’s Globeville neighborhood is set for a major transformation as the city breaks ground on a multimillion-dollar reconstruction of Washington Street.
Drive through Washington Street in Denver’s Globeville neighborhood and you’ll find yourself on a very bumpy ride.
“This area is very old. They haven’t fixed our streets. There are holes everywhere,” said Globeville resident Cristina Dominguez Espinoza.
Espinoza’s brother owns Taqueria El Valle, located directly on Washington Street.
“We get a lot of traffic here, and it’s hard. We don’t have many [traffic] lights,” she said.
More often than not, said Espinoza, restaurant patrons will see a crash happen outside their windows.
“The sidewalks are not that good for walking. There are a lot of people walking through here, and it’s not a good thing,” she said.
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A crumbling sidewalk on Washington Street.
Those days will soon be over as the busy corridor prepares to get a major facelift.
“This street is about to be transformed, truly transformed,” said Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Executive Director Amy Ford.
On Friday, the City of Denver broke ground on a multimillion-dollar project to transform Washington Street over the next three years by fully reconstructing the roadway from E. 47th Avenue to Denver’s northern boundary at E. 52nd Avenue.
The reconstruction will introduce modern pedestrian and bicycle facilities, safer intersections, expanded right-of-way, and new utilities designed to keep pace with Denver’s growth.
It will also improve connectivity from the neighborhood to nearby areas such as the River North District, Interstate 70, and the National Western Center.
“This is more than simply breaking ground on the street. This is actually providing the outcomes of the ask of this community. It’s ensuring that we as a city deliver on the promises that we have made,” said District 9 Denver City Councilmember Darrell Watson.
Discussions to improve Globeville have been ongoing for over a decade.
In a proposed neighborhood plan from 2014, residents shared their ideas on what would make the neighborhood better.
More connectivity, more investments, and cleaner streets — are just some of those needs.
Earlier this month, Denver7 | Your Voice visited the central Denver neighborhood, where residents discussed the tight-knit community and their concerns about being displaced by new development.
Neighbors told us they want the city to hear them and developers to invest in them.
Denver7 | Your Voice
Globeville residents feel left behind by Denver leaders: Denver7 | Your Voice
Transfiguration Orthodox Cathedral has been a part of the Globeville community since 1898.
“There’s always been kind of a parallel between the prosperity of the church, this particular church, and that of the neighborhood,” said Father Seraphim Robertson.
At one point in the 1980s, the church looked at relocating, but Globeville’s spirit kept them in place.
“The phrase was ‘bloom where we’re planted’. So the church community began to improve and clean up the church property, and that spilled over into the neighborhood, and that influence grew across the neighborhood,” said Fr. Robertson.
After more than a century of ups and downs, Fr. Robertson says he’s excited to see the growth and progress ahead.
“Those parallel paths I mentioned seem to continue to be parallel. The church has begun to thrive again. And it’s encouraging to see signs that maybe the neighborhood is on the way up as well, in certain ways,” he said.
Denver breaks ground on major Washington Street overhaul in Globeville
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“Every day, you see (MacKinnon) do 10-12 things that are like, ‘Holy (expletive),’” Burns, a veteran defenseman who came over from Carolina, cackled. “And usually I’m at the wrong end of it. So it’s not good.”
Practice had just ended. MacKinnon’s skates were inside his locker. The rest of him was gone. Grinding.
“Working out,” an Avs staffer told me.
Twenty minutes became 25.
“He’s riding the bike now,” another staffer said. “Will be a bit of time.”
Twenty-five minutes became 30.
Then 35. Then 40. Then 45.
My phone buzzed.
“He’s on the way,” a voice said.
Think this man is easing up at age 30? Think he’s satisfied with one Stanley Cup?
You must be joking.
“I enjoy the day-to-day grind of it,” the Avs’ iconic center explained. “I enjoy working out. I enjoy skating with guys back home — just relaxing and working hard and trying to get better. So that kind of keeps me in the moment. ”
The rocket never rests. MacKinnon stands 6-foot in socks. But if carrying the Avs on his back, if dragging them kicking and screaming, gets Colorado another Stanley Cup in 2026, he’s good with that, too. Hop on.
“Just trying to get my mind and body ready for a long season,” MacKinnon continued. “Each day I come here, I’m just trying to get a little better. Just try to win every day I have. And hopefully that takes me and the team to a good spot.”
He’s in a better place than last May. That’s when old friend Mikko Rantanen, in what we hope doesn’t become a recurring theme, tore into MacKinnon’s chest and ripped his heart out. Rantanen, a stalwart of the Avs’ 2022 Cup champs, scored a hat trick to lead his new team, the Dallas Stars, to a maddening, series-clinching Game 7 win over his old one.
“It’s like getting over a breakup,” MacKinnon said of last season’s ignominious end. “It just takes a long time. Time heals everything.”
Including the Avs. Last spring’s wounds are this fall’s scars. Last October’s concerns are this year’s colonnades.
“I think when you all lose together, you’re in a painful experience together, I think you can come out of it stronger,” MacKinnon said of the Avs’ first-round elimination by a depleted Stars roster. “No one (in this locker room) was blaming each other; it was all on each other. I think it was a tough loss. We lost to a really good team. But I think we’ll be better because of it.”
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) takes the puck down ice against Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) and Esa Lindell (23) in the first period of game four of the first round of the NHL playoffs at Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
One Cup? For Nate, it’s not enough. It was never enough.
Mighty MacK’s good pal Sidney Crosby went seven years between championships. Colorado’s Burgundy Bolide turned 30 on Sept. 1. Father Time is the only dude MacKinnon can’t beat to the goal line.
“This is our fourth year (since 2022), so you just never know when it’s going to come,” the Avs center mused. “It’s just … sometimes, you win a couple in a row. Sometimes, it took (the Penguins) seven. And (then) they won two in a row. Hopefully, that happens for us one day. But I like where we’re at.”
Enter Burns. Enter Olofsson. Enter new assistant coach Dave Hakstol to help put some pep back into Colorado’s special teams. The Avs’ power play buzzsaw of the ’22 postseason was positively toothless in ’25 against the Stars.
“It’s not a ton of turnover, like last season (when) we had like nine new guys,” MacKinnon said. “Most of those guys are back. So I think it’s going to be a positive year — positive that we have so many returning guys.”
The negative? Landy turns 33 in November. Val turns 31 in March. Nelson’s 34th birthday falls on Oct. 15. Burns is lurching toward 41.
There’s a lot of mileage in that locker room. And an awful lot of tread worn off an awful lot of tires.
“I won’t look at Nate any differently if he wins one (Cup) or if he wins three,” Eddie Olczyk, the Warner Bros. Discovery and TNT analyst, told me by phone. “He’s won. He’s separated himself from many, many great players who have played this game.
“In terms of game-breakers and difference-makers, (the Avs) have two of the very best at different positions in (MacKinnon) and (defenseman) Cale Makar. But you need to stay healthy.”
Fortunately, the big 3-0 for Big Nate is no big deal. Like traffic on South Broadway and snow at Wolf Peak, MacKinnon’s wheels feel eternal.
Last spring, No. 29 became the first Avs player to post three consecutive seasons of 100 points or more, and the first in Colorado/Quebec annals since Peter Stastny pulled it off six times from 1980-86. MacKinnon is 33 goals away from 400 for his career.
During that ill-fated Stars series, MacKinnon took things as far as he could. His scoring clip of a goal per game was a new postseason high over nine different Cup runs. His 1.57 points per tilt were the most he’d produced in the playoffs since the 2020 COVID-19 bubble (1.67).
The problem? MacKinnon was a one-man wolf pack. No. 29 accounted for seven of Colorado’s 24 goals that series. The next-closest scorers were Artturi Lehkonen and Nichushkin, with three apiece. Coach Jared Bednar got juice from his top line and from his fourth — get well, Logan O’Connor — but the middle six vanished.
Dallas, meanwhile, eliminated the Avs minus the services of top defenseman Miro Heiskanen or forward Jason Robertson. Could you imagine Colorado knocking out a top-4 seed without Makar or MacKinnon?
“They (were) missing their best (defender) and maybe their best forward,” a crestfallen MacKinnon had said in Texas. “We still couldn’t beat them. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
He knows now.
“Yeah, obviously, it was (emotional),” MacKinnon said. “Hopefully, we are better next spring. But we’ve got a lot of hockey before that.
“It was heartbreaking. It was definitely the most tough loss of my career. By a mile.”
The best revenge is living well, Lord Stanley cradled in your loving arms. Payback’s a stitch. And Hell hath no fury like a Nathan scorned.
Colorado Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon, right, and Gabriel Landeskog answer questions from reporters at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
DENVER — After three years of construction and business interruptions, the $176 million project to revamp 16th Street in downtown Denver was officially declared complete Saturday.
City leaders, including Mayor Mike Johnston, celebrated the grand reopening alongside residents and business owners at an event on Saturday.
“With the work now completed, we’ve renewed a vital piece of Denver, while making it more welcoming, vibrant, and accessible for all,” Johnston said.
The project, partly funded by a voter-approved bond back in 2017, upgraded 13 blocks of 16th Street from Market Street to Broadway, addressing deteriorating infrastructure, improving transit flow, and enhancing pedestrian safety.
The historic shopping corridor even got a name change in May of this year, going from “16th Street Mall” when it opened in 1982, to just “16th Street.”
Denver resident Kendall Rohach has been visiting 16th Street for the past 30 years and told Denver7 that the improvements are noticeable.
“Now it seems people have a reason to stop and sit,” he said. “It seems a lot cleaner now. It seems friendlier.”
For years, business owners have shared concerns about construction and crime, saying it’s led to a drastic decrease in customers, despite some help from the city during the project’s construction.
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Downtown Denver Partnership CEO Kourtny Garrett told Denver7 in May that the retail vacancy rate for the 16th Street area was 22% and the overall downtown retail vacancy rate is 15%.
Garrett and city officials hope that the project’s completion will bring more businesses back to downtown Denver and increase foot traffic.
After 3 years of construction, Denver’s 16th Street is officially reopened
Highlights of the renovation include:
Improvements Below the Surface Miles of underground water, sewer and fiber infrastructure have been modernized as part of the project, turning a “noodle soup” of underground utilities created over time into a reliable and organized network. This critical work ensures that 16th Street remains resilient and functional, ready to grow and evolve as our city does.
Improved Paver System Laid by hand by skilled craftspeople, more than 950,000 new pavers were installed as part of the renovation that offer improved drainage and better surface friction to prevent slipping and to enhance pedestrian safety. The granite paver design honors the original Navajo rug and diamondback rattlesnake pattern that has been a prominent feature of 16th Street.
Expanded Tree Canopy The project improved, diversified, and expanded 16th Street’s tree canopy with large, healthy trees that cool and create a welcoming environment. More than 200 new trees were planted along the corridor, increasing its tree canopy by 34 percent. Several of the original 16th Street trees were thoughtfully repurposed into beautiful benches now installed at the new Populus Hotel downtown. Also as part of the renovation, a new underground soil and irrigation system was installed to sustain the trees in their new home along the transitway. The system provides more soil for the tree roots, supporting healthier growth and a long canopy life.
Enhanced Walk and Transit Ways Transit lanes moved to the center of 16th Street, eliminating the median that ran between the buses on some blocks, and creating wider pedestrian walkways. Outside of the transit stops themselves, there is a new curbless configuration that facilitates the movement of people and enables a variety of uses, including events and festivals.
Enhanced Visitor Experience New interactive kiosks provide selfie opportunities, business listings, games, and free Wi-Fi. New lighting, comfortable seating, and open spaces promote people-watching and gatherings. A dazzling art installation at 16th & Glenarm Street called Aspen Light enhances the new Glenarm Plaza open consumption and seating area. Five new play structures foster a greater family atmosphere:
The Nest | Children’s climbing structure at 16th & Glenarm Street
Fallen Leaves play feature | Hop on the teal/yellow “leaves” to make fun sounds at 16th St. between Arapahoe & Curtis streets (by Rock Bottom Brewery)
The Beehive | Children’s climbing structure at 16th between Larimer and Lawrence streets
Howdy Trouty | Three ‘climbable’ trout, including one donning a western “troutfit” at 16th between Market and Larimer streets
Grasslands | Undulating prairie grass-inspired forms and integrated seating at 16th between Court and Cleveland places.
Prior coverage:
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Pedestrian deaths in Denver have jumped more than 50% in 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to city transportation officials.
As of Tuesday, 25 pedestrians had been killed in crashes so far this year in Denver, according to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. By that date last year, 16 pedestrians had died.
“It is breaking our hearts because we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of fatal crashes with pedestrians in Denver and around the state,” Amy Ford, executive director of the city’s transportation department, said Wednesday.
Pedestrian deaths account for nearly half of all Denver road deaths reported this year, city officials said.
The additional crash fatalities included 17 people in cars, six motorcyclists, seven people on scooters and three bicyclists — a total of 58 victims.
Motorists and motorcyclists killed in Denver crashes dropped between 2024 and 2025, but the increase in pedestrian deaths caused overall traffic fatalities to rise slightly, according to data provided by city officials.
Denver’s 16 pedestrian deaths during the first nine months of 2024 appear to be lower than the average over the past four years. City transportation data shows 24 pedestrians died in 2023, followed by 22 in 2022.
City officials are working to reduce fatal crashes in several different ways, Ford said.
Transportation staff started a speed-reduction program along Federal Boulevard and Alameda Avenue, which includes changing the timing of stoplights and adding radar speed signs that show drivers how fast they’re going.
On York Street, transportation crews reconfigured lanes between 18th and 40th avenues to add left turn lanes and reduce crashes, and new center medians on West Colfax and Hampden avenues make a shorter distance for pedestrians to cross the street, Ford said.
Vulnerable road user deaths have also spiked significantly across Colorado in the past 10 years, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in Colorado increased 78% between 2015 and 2024, while passenger vehicle deaths increased 7% during that same timeframe.
Last year was the second-deadliest year on record for pedestrians and bicyclists in Colorado, with 134 fatalities, state patrol officials said.
And October 2024 was the deadliest month on record for pedestrians, Colorado Department of Transportation chief of staff Sally Chafee said.
Part of that is because it’s getting darker earlier as the season changes, she said.
“Our Colorado lifestyle doesn’t stop because the sun sets earlier,” Chafee said. “People are still out walking, running and cycling, but in the dusk and darkness they’re incredibly difficult to see.”
Chafee urged drivers to always expect pedestrians to be present and for pedestrians and cyclists to wear bright, reflective clothing and pay attention to their surroundings
So far in 2025, crashes have killed 94 pedestrians and bicyclists across the state, according to CDOT’s fatal crash data portal. Those include four people who were struck and killed on highway shoulders in Denver this year after getting out of their vehicles because of car trouble.
Drivers should never get out of their vehicles on the shoulder and instead call a tow truck or roadside assistance and wait inside, Chafee said.
If someone must get out of their car, they should move to the other side of the guardrail and as far away from the roadway as possible, she said.
Two Denver-area companies face federal wire fraud charges in a scheme to sell imported Chinese forklifts to the federal government as American-made equipment, according to an indictment released Tuesday.
Endless Sales and Octane Forklifts, along with current executives Brian Firkins and Jeffrey Blasdel and former executive J.R. Antczak, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on Aug. 21, Department of Justice officials announced this week.
According to the indictment, Octane’s main business was buying forklifts made in China, rebranding them as American-made and selling them through Endless Sales to local, state and federal government clients.
The scheme started in Aug. 2018 and continued until at least July 2024. Investigators say the companies and executives also worked with a Chinese manufacturer to create fake invoices that undervalued the imported forklifts to avoid paying more than $1 million in tariffs and fees.
In a statement, Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari said the companies told the forklifts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Defense while claiming to comply with the Buy American Act.
“It is especially reprehensible that this alleged fraud involved a FEMA contract using disaster funds,” Cuffari said.
Both companies and Firkins, Blasdel and Antczak were indicted for conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to enter goods into the United States by means of false or fraudulent statements, federal officials said.
Firkins, Blasdel and Antczak also face charges of wire fraud, and Blasdel is charged with making false statements to the government.
DENVER – Denver Public Schools has launched a pilot program, using weapon detecting dogs as a safety tool for large district events.
Vivian, the black labrador, was one of several K-9s working the homecoming game at All-City Stadium Friday night. At 8-years old she’s already worked a few Super Bowls, major league baseball games, concerts and is now helping DPS.
“Vivian is imprinted on 29 different explosive odors and firearms, gunshot residue, ammunition that type of stuff. She’s pretty good at identifying those things just with the nose,” said her handler Bob Lovelace with K2 K9 Solutions.
The dogs are being used as a pilot program.
“We’re always looking at ways to ensure our schools, our events are safe and welcoming,” said Greg Cazzell, Chief of Climate and Safety for DPS.
Some locations of big district events, like All-City, do have metal detectors too.
“The metal detectors can be a little bit more intrusive to people than what the dogs are. We specifically use Labradors and a few a handful of German shorthair pointers, because they tend to be pretty friendly, pretty happy,” said Lovelace.
The dogs will work all large district events with big crowds until the end of the first semester. The pilot cost around $160,000 and feedback from community members at the events will be a strong indication of whether the district will extend the program.
In the last three weeks since the pilot launched, the dogs have not detected a weapon. Cazzell said that’s actually the point.
“We don’t know what we have prevented from coming in. So again, that is one of the benefits that we believe: it’s proactive preventative,” he said.
For Lovelace, it’s a full circle moment.
“I was actually a first responder to Columbine, and had a son that went there,” he said, “We responded after the tragedy, and now I get the opportunity to be out here with Vivian trying to prevent that from happening in the first place.”
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The Denver District Attorney’s Office failed to share police records with defense attorneys in as many as 756 criminal cases since 2022, potentially violating court discovery rules, a probe by the office found.
The prosecutors’ discovery software for years diverted Denver Police Department files that included a forward slash in the file name into an “error log that prosecutors were not aware of and could not access,” according to a statement from the office this week and notifications sent to defense attorneys in September.
The misrouted files were not shared with defendants — a potential violation of discovery rules, which require prosecutors to disclose evidence to defendants during a criminal case. The district attorney’s office uncovered what it called a “technical issue” with the software as it reviewed its own practices amid mounting serious sanctions for discovery violations across Colorado.
It was not immediately clear whether all of the files that were diverted into the error log were required to be disclosed to defendants, DA spokesman Matt Jablow said in a statement. But the office nevertheless notified defense attorneys and started the process of sharing all the files “out of caution and to avoid any delay,” he said.
“The DA’s office produced the files, even though, in many of those cases… the information appears to have been produced in a different format, may not have been legally required to be produced, or both,” he said in the statement.
Many of the misplaced files “contained information related to a defendant’s arrest, such as booking photos,” Jablow said. The error log issue most frequently impacted records that included dates in the file names, according to the notification sent to attorneys.
The impact of the technical glitch will vary from case to case depending on the severity of the case, the information in the undisclosed files and how far along in the legal process the case is, said Colin McCallin, a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor.
Little is likely to change for defendants who have already pleaded guilty and served their sentences in less serious cases, like misdemeanors and petty offenses, he said. But there could be a bigger impact in ongoing prosecutions or more serious cases.
“Obviously, if the evidence is exculpatory, if it suggests the person didn’t commit the crime, that is a big deal; that can lead to serious sanctions,” McCallin said. “…If it is a minor violation, like, ‘Oh, we didn’t get the person’s full criminal history or mugshot’ — that’s probably not going to be a big deal. I would imagine in most lower-level felony cases or misdemeanor cases, I don’t know if anything will happen at all. A lot of those folks will have moved on.”
If the undisclosed material includes exculpatory evidence, it could prompt judges to dismiss cases or defendants to seek post-conviction relief, he added. Judges in ongoing cases might also consider sanctions against prosecutors for the discovery violations alone, regardless of what type of evidence was not disclosed, McCallin said.
“It really does sound like this was a computer issue; it’s not like the DA’s office was sitting on evidence intentionally or purposely withholding evidence,” he said. “I don’t think anyone thinks that. But the problem is, it is still a discovery violation.”
Angela Campbell, co-chair of the Denver chapter of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, said the district attorney’s public statements about the software issue have inappropriately minimized the potential impact of the discovery violations.
“The Denver DA’s statement is concerning because it seems to fail to take accountability for the serious discovery violations committed by their office,” she said, adding that defense attorneys are just starting to investigate the missing files and it is too early to know the full impact of the misrouted records.
“Nobody is saying that every single discovery violation was tantamount to a Brady violation — a failure to produce exculpatory evidence — but minimizing the discovery violations that occurred, first of all by saying, ‘Well, it was over 756 cases’ — they’re not just cases. These are 756 human beings,” she said. “People, presumably, who went to prison and endured serious consequences for what may or may not have been material discovery violations that would have impacted the cases. The truth is, right now, that I don’t think we know. And I don’t think they know.”
In a statement, Denver District Attorney John Walsh said prosecutors took “rapid steps” to fix the discovery issue as soon as they recognized it.
“The Denver DA’s Office is fully committed to providing complete discovery to the defense in every case and understands its responsibility to ensure that software issues of this kind do not arise,” he said in the statement.
Campbell questioned why it took prosecutors three years to find the software issue, and compared the situation to the case of now-fired Colorado Bureau of Investigation scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods, who is accused of mishandling DNA testing in more than 1,000 criminal cases during her 29-year career.
“This is the concern that every criminal defense attorney has, which is, is this going to be another Missy Woods debacle where we don’t know the extent?” she said. “And that’s the problem. When you undermine trust in a public institution, it’s really hard to get back. And that’s why accountability is so important.”
From inside the pods – which served as the backdrop for the first five of six episodes that dropped on Oct. 1 – it was hard to tell if that sentiment would ring true of the guys cast for this unique matchmaking experiment. In fact, there were few clues at all that these folks lived in Mile High City.
None of the eligible bachelors had large beards or sported brewery T-shirts. Only a few mentioned the outdoors in pod dating conversations, and only one admitted to driving a Toyota 4Runner. (The woman he was courting, on the other hand, owned two different Jeeps.)
“He is not the mountain man I envisioned,” said one woman named Annie after meeting her partner Nick at the highly anticipated post-engagement “reveal,” where couples get to see each other for the first time since they started dating. “I was fully ready for him to have a beard down to his chest and his work boots.”
Still, there were hints of the Colorado aesthetic peppered throughout. One couple hosted a camping-themed date that included s’mores, and in a departure from past “Love is Blind” seasons, it was mostly women who had more than one option to choose for a partner. That led to a couple of guys desperately pitching themselves as “the one” in the final day or so before an expected engagement.
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In all, six couples ended up getting engaged and therefore earned the opportunity to meet their fiancée in the flesh. Only five made it to Mexico for the honeymoon phase of the experiment – more on that in a minute – and that’s where some of the Colorado bro behavior started to peek through.
After a few days spending time as individual couples, the entire cast met up for a pool party and after a few tequila drinks, several of the women were visibly perturbed that their partners were focusing more on their friends than their fiancées. The vibes were officially off with many of the couples and viewers then got to see how they handled conflict. For the most part, it did not go well.
Based on that insight and the initial chemistry, we’re rating how likely it is we think each couple will say “I do” at the altar. Warning: spoilers ahead.
Kacie Mcintosh (left) and Patrick Suzuki got engaged sight unseen on "Love is Blind." But before they could even reach the honeymoon phase of the experiment, they broke it off. But they swear it wasn't because of looks. (Provided by Netflix)
Kacie and Patrick
Likelihood of staying together: 0% chance
Even from within the pods, hair/makeup artist Kacie and construction manager Patrick seemed like an unusual match. Though they both like sports and seemed to laugh a lot, many of their interactions felt forced. Like the time Kacie was dirty-talking Patrick with sexually explicit language that seemed to make him squirm awkwardly. Nonetheless, the two got engaged, and at the reveal, it was clear on Kacie’s face that she had made a mistake. Before they could even get to the honeymoon, the two met in a hotel lobby where Kacie broke off the relationship. Patrick didn’t seem to get the hint, though, probably because she was jumping into his arms, kissing him and telling him it was definitely not his looks that made her want to quit filming. He fully expected to try to continue their relationship off-camera. But based on Kacie telling producers, “I don’t think my attraction to him can grow,” we aren’t buying it.
Edmond L. Harvey and Kalybriah Haskin meet for the first time after being engaged on "Love is Blind." Somehow they knew instinctually to coordinate outfits. (Provided by Netflix)
Kalybriah and Edmond
Likelihood of staying together: 75% chance
Kalybriah and Edmond seemed to hit it off and have natural chemistry. Edmond, who was raised in the foster care system, is a deeply sensitive dude, and that appealed to Kalybriah, who is a social worker. They somehow even showed up in matching red outfits for their reveal. Their candor with one another also showed a genuine willingness to figure out how to do life together. After the pool party, both agreed they were one of the strongest couples. But later in that conversation, things devolved when talking about intimacy. Kalybriah and Edmond were the only couple not to sleep together, and Kalybriah said she would likely wait until after they were married to have sex. Edmond, on the other hand, wasn’t keen on that. The night ended with many tears and much misunderstanding. Still, we think they have what it takes to find a middle ground.
Denverites Joe Ferrucci (left) and Madison Maidenberg enjoy a solo date sailing in Mexico, following their engagement on reality TV show "Love is Blind." (Provided by Netflix)5
Madison and Joe
Likelihood of staying together: 10% chance
From the moment of the reveal, it seemed like Joe wasn’t feeling the relationship with Madison. Perhaps he was unable to adequately express his emotions, but he came off as more surprised than delighted. Things continued to spiral downward in Mexico when he commented about “thinner women” being his usual type. And when Madison tried to confront him about not prioritizing her at the pool party, Joe shut down and went solo back to their room for a nap. The couple continually struggled to communicate thereafter, and given that they haven’t so far been able to resolve conflict effectively, we don’t see this relationship being sustainable.
Nick Amato (left) and his fiancée Annie Lancaster arrive at the group pool party in Mexico, where they connected with all the other "Love is Blind" couples from Denver. (Provided by Netflix)
Annie and Nick
Likelihood of staying together: 50% chance
Judging solely by their interactions together, Annie and Nick seem to have it all. Their chemistry was instant at the reveal and seemed authentic. They also seem to align on their values and enjoy being in the company of one another. However, Nick, a luxury watch dealer, raises a few red flags. For instance, in the pods, he abruptly broke it off with his top choice when she said she wasn’t religious – even after Nick had already said “I love you.” From what viewers have seen so far, he doesn’t appear to have been forthright with Annie with that information. In the pods, Nick says his mom once asked him when he was younger if he was gay. He said no but we’d be lying if we said the thought hadn’t crossed our mind.
Anton Yarosh (left) and Ali Iappe were the first Denver couple to get engaged on season nine of "Love is Blind." (Provided by Netflix)
Ali and Anton
Likelihood of staying together: 50% chance
Ali and Anton are the wildcard couple, who seem like a good match. Ali is a nurse with Brazilian heritage, while Anton works in transportation logistics and has Russian heritage. Both speak multiple languages and seem like well-traveled, well-rounded individuals. They were the first couple to get engaged, in episode one no less. But their time in Mexico showed where there may be a few fractures. When Anton says he spent $5,000 on the engagement ring, Ali insists it should have cost at least $10,000. After all, “it’s an act of appreciation for the future mother of your children,” she says. Still, all the other women were jealous of how attentive Anton is to Ali. We feel like it could go either way simply because the couple didn’t get as much screen time as others.
Jordan Keltner (left) and Megan Walerius enjoy a private date while in Mexico, following their engagement on reality dating show "Love is Blind." (Provided by Netflix)
Megan and Jordan
Likelihood of staying together: 75% chance
Megan and Jordan knew in the pods they were something of an unlikely match, but one that viewers were rooting for. “Sparkle Megan,” as she calls herself, is a wellness entrepreneur with a taste for the finer things in life. Jordan is a no-frills dad to a five-year-old. They bonded over the fact that Jordan’s son has Type 1 Diabetes, which Megan’s late father also dealt with. But at the pool party, Megan was not shy to say she was annoyed with Jordan after finding some of his jokes juvenile. He immediately promised to stop the banter, but Megan didn’t seem satisfied. We’re hopeful this won’t be a serious speed bump and that they can continue to level each other out.
“Love is Blind” drops new episodes on Wednesday, Oct. 8 on Netflix.
SAN DIEGO — Aaron Gordon telegraphed the prevailing ethos of Nuggets training camp the day before it began.
Prompted about balancing his focus between offense and defense after a breakout year shooting the 3-pointer, Gordon volleyed back a counterpoint: There will be no balance.
“I’m gonna just turn up on defense,” the power forward said. “We have so much talent on the offensive side, I’m not even really worried about it.”
Defensive intensity has since developed into the defining characteristic of Denver’s first two days together as a team. The first play of the first practice Tuesday resulted in a collision that forced two-way wing Spencer Jones to get stitches. Jamal Murray told reporters Wednesday that turnovers have been an obstacle while trying to get into an organized half-court offense. Bruce Brown said he and fellow bench player Peyton Watson have been picking up full-court to wreak havoc on the starters.
In the modern NBA, defense is vegetables. Especially for a team that has grown overly dependent on its effortless scoring efficiency over the years.
The Nuggets are eating their vegetables this week. Keeping the diet for a full season will be the tough part.
“I think defense sometimes in our league is so hard that it’s not how you drill it,” first-year coach David Adelman said. “It’s just, do you want to do it? It really is. … I would love to see our defense get better. If our offense takes a little step back, we’ll be fine. To have the depth we have, there’s no excuse (not) to play extremely hard. Put your hands on people. Not worrying about being in foul trouble like we’ve had to do in the past. So it’s a different way of looking at the game, and we have to demand it every day.”
Adelman was primarily responsible for Denver’s offense before his promotion this year. The Nuggets ranked no worse than seventh at that end of the floor during his eight seasons as an assistant coach.
But his emphasis has been on defensive accountability and schematic variety since he took over for Michael Malone. The Nuggets ranked unusually low in defensive rating for a championship-winning team back in 2022-23 (15th in the NBA) and regressed to 21st last season — their first as a bottom-10 defense since 2017-18. That was the year before their first playoff appearance with Nikola Jokic.
“Better communication between the players right now, just trying to focus on rotations and everybody covering for each other,” Murray said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, but as long as guys are talking and trying to put themselves in the right spots, that’s what it is. Defense is reactionary.”
“I think we’ve always had a good frame for defense,” said Christian Braun, who will match up against star guards when Denver plays within that man-to-man framework. “We’ve always had a good idea. … If we can get to a point where we’re playing at the playoff level every single night, we’re not trying to outscore teams, I think that’ll be good for us. Try to blow teams out a little more this year.”
The “frame” involves Jokic playing up the floor against pick-and-rolls while a “low man” rotates from the weak-side corner to prevent the roller from scoring an easy layup or dunk — at its best, setting up a series of high-energy help rotations around the perimeter. Problem is, the scramble mindset can grow exhausting, and Jokic isn’t always effective enough at deterring the ball-handler at the level of the screen. When Adelman took over as interim head coach in April, he started making adjustments more frequently, such as stationing Jokic farther down the floor or zoning up.
Now Jared Dudley has been hired to run the defense, and even if the base scheme remains the same, Adelman has labeled himself a believer in zone. He thinks if the Nuggets work at it more consistently, they can use it more often during the regular season.
“(Dudley) kind of started talking to me in the summer about the defense,” Brown said. “We’re just being more physical, picking up (the ball-handler at) three-quarters court, depending obviously on who you are. Just being more physical and being more assertive.”
Indeed, Nuggets role players have been venturing into the backcourt at training camp to apply extra pressure, to ratchet up intensity. Pressing consistently throughout an 82-game regular season is unsustainable — Adelman knows that — but the concept has its merits in a low-stakes preseason setting.
“It’s good in a competitive way, and I think if guys can do it, they should be doing it, if you’re not playing a lot of minutes,” Adelman said. “But I also think because we have so many lead ball-handlers on this team — not just Jamal — they’re going to get picked up. So it’s great practice for a guy like Peyton Watson who can initiate offense. Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Jamal, Jalen (Pickett). All these guys.”
The number to beat is 115.1. That’s how many points Denver allowed per 100 possessions last season.
Gordon has a more ambitious goal in mind, one that would require shaving three points off that number.
“If we get to around top-10 defensively,” he said, “it’s going to put us in a position to win it all.”
Staff at Colorado’s juvenile detention centers violated policies meant to protect youth during strip searches more than 1,000 times during nine months between 2023 and 2025, according to a new review by the Child Protection Ombudsman of Colorado released Tuesday.
There is no effective oversight to ensure strip searches at juvenile detention centers are justified and properly documented, the review found, and the vast majority of youth strip searches did not reveal any contraband, raising questions about how Colorado Division of Youth Services staff members are using the invasive procedure.
In one instance, five youth in a detention center were strip-searched because one of them might have been charging a vape pen in a computer classroom, the review found. In another instance, a 14-year-old boy was held in a room by himself for more than 10 hours until he consented to a strip search. Another time, a youth was strip-searched three times in one day because staff believed he possessed drug paraphernalia, the report found.
Nothing was found during any of those searches, the office reported.
AnneMarie Harper, a spokeswoman for the Division of Youth Services, said in a statement Tuesday that the agency would investigate the ombudsman’s findings.
“When it comes to searches of youth in our care, DYS staff is trained to balance personal privacy while also taking a trauma-informed approach,” she said. “These efforts help to make sure that dangerous materials and substances that could put all youth and staff at risk are not in our facilities.”
The ombudsman’s office discovered 1,006 policy violations across 1,009 youth strip searches statewide during three three-month stretches in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Division of Youth Services staff members failed to document supervisor approval for searches, conducted searches with just one staff member present when two are required, and failed to clearly document the reasons for searches or the results, according to the report.
“When you are talking about the strip search of youth, we have to be incredibly careful that we are documenting every detail and trying to treat these youth as safely as possible,” said Stephanie Villafuerte, the child protection ombudsman.
‘Reasonable suspicion’ for search
About 2,000 youth between the ages of 10 and 21 are housed at juvenile detention centers statewide, according to the report. They are strip-searched when they arrive at the facilities, after visits with family, and after returning to the detention centers from court or other appointments. But they are also subject to strip searches when a staff member has “reasonable suspicion” to believe a juvenile might have contraband.
The ombudsman’s review focused only on those searches for reasonable suspicion, which the report noted is “arguably the most subjective” reason for a search, a process during which youth fully undress and an adult staff member looks at their naked body.
The practice is inherently traumatic, even when done completely within policy, the report noted. Youth who are committed to a detention center are more likely than other juveniles to have suffered abuse and neglect, and strip searches can retraumatize them.
“Strip searches are traumatizing for anyone, and perhaps particularly for teenagers,” said Jessica Feierman, senior managing director at Juvenile Law Center. “They are very aware of their bodies, their bodies are changing, so it is a moment where a strip search can have unique harm.”
Strip searches should be used sparingly, she said, and ideally not at all — alternatives like handheld metal detectors or airport-style body scanners can often be just as effective at revealing contraband, Feierman said.
The sheer number of strip searches of Colorado youth, the missing documentation about how the searches were conducted and why, and the low amount of contraband recovered raise concern, she said.
“All of those things suggest a heavy overreliance on strip searches, even though they are so harmful to young people,” she said.
On average, DYS staff members found contraband in just 10% of the 1,009 strip searches for reasonable suspicion that the ombudsman’s office reviewed.
That low percentage suggests that detention center staff are misusing strip searches, said Dana Flores, senior manager for youth justice in Colorado at the National Center for Youth Law.
“The report indicates that DYS staff are treating strip searches as a mechanism to assert power and control, and that is not rehabilitative,” she said. “That is just an abuse of discretion by adults who are supposed to be providing trauma-informed care to young people we know have already experienced trauma. If only 10% are turning up contraband, and that is the rationale behind strip searches… there must be a motivation for staff to keep doing this that goes above and beyond simply seeking contraband.”
Contraband — in particular, cocaine and fentanyl — is a ubiquitous problem across Colorado’s youth detention centers, she added, noting that kids who are jailed often search for ways to escape reality. Strip searches of youth don’t address the big-picture problem, she said.
“That ultimately isn’t going to address the root cause of the problem, which is that this youth has access to contraband,” she said. “So you could strip search a kid on Monday and find drugs on their person — the larger question is what are you doing to provide that young person with the appropriate behavioral health treatment and education to address what may be a substance abuse disorder?”
‘We don’t have documentation’
Division of Youth Services workers document strip searches in handwritten logs, the review found. That log is supposed to include information on when the search was conducted, who approved and carried out the search, the purpose of the search and the outcome.
However, the Child Protection Ombudsman’s review found the information in the log was often missing, Villafuerte said.
“We don’t know whether these searches are being conducted in a way that is incorrect, because we don’t have documentation,” she said. “Oftentimes, we don’t know who conducted the search, we don’t know if one or more people were present, we don’t know the underlying reasonable suspicion behind the reason to search. Without having the information, it makes it incredibly difficult to understand whether these searches are being conducted in a way that is effective, and if not, what can we do to make them effective.”
The office’s review was prompted by a youth who filed a complaint in which he alleged he was being wrongly targeted for weekly strip searches. The lack of proper documentation in that youth’s case led the office to conduct a statewide review, which showed similar problems.
The ombudsman’s office recommended that the Division of Youth Services keep electronic records about strip searches instead of handwritten ones. The office also recommended more oversight of strip searches for reasonable suspicion by the Division of Youth Services Quality Assurance, a unit within the state Department of Human Services that is tasked with oversight of the juvenile detention centers.
The unit has previously reviewed strip searches for youth when they enter a detention center, but has not regularly reviewed practices around strip searches for reasonable suspicion, the ombudsman’s office found.
The ombudsman’s report comes as the Division of Youth Services shut down the long-troubled Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center in Golden last month amid escalating issues with violence and drugs.
RTD directors faced a barrage of public opposition and were locked in debate Tuesday night over how to restructure the agency’s Access-on-Demand service, which provides free rides to people with disabilities on commercial services such as Uber and Lyft.
The directors were wrestling with a staff proposal to impose a base fare of $6.50, reduce the maximum per-ride subsidy from $25 to $20 for up to 60 rides per month, and end the 24/7 availability across the Regional Transportation District’s 2,342-mile service area. They voted 10-5 to set the base fare at $4.50, but had yet to agree on other changes at 9:30 p.m.
For more than a year, RTD’s 15 elected directors have been unable to decide on the changes that Chief Executive and General Manager Debra Johnson recommended to make Access-on-Demand “financially viable.”
On Tuesday night, they heard more than three hours of appeals by metro Denver residents with disabilities who urged RTD to maintain a service they described as a lifeline.
A transit fare of $6.50 “may not sound like much to you. But it would make it so that I cannot afford to go to work,” Gabby Gonzales, who works part-time at a pizza restaurant and estimated her monthly income at about $1,100. “Please keep it as it is. Make it affordable for me.”
It’s a matter of “freedom,” said Molly Kirkham, who told directors Access-on-Demand “changed my life,” enabling her to live independently and work. “We want to be in the community.”
State Sen. Faith Winter referred directors to a letter signed by 30 lawmakers opposed to the changes that she said “will harm our community.” And James Flattum, spokesman for the grassroots advocacy group Greater Denver Transit, said doing the right thing means preserving the service as is. “Please do not raise fares for our disabled neighbors in this community,” he said.
RTD directors also were considering whether to order a new study of transit for people with disabilities in metro Denver encompassing Access-on-Demand and the separate, legally required Access-a-Ride service that demands day-before reservations for shared mini-bus rides with a standard fare of $4.50. A “peer review” of Access-on-Demand by national public transportation officials that RTD chief Johnson commissioned last year concluded RTD should restructure the program to ensure “financial sustainability.” Access-on-Demand costs about $17 million out of the RTD’s $1.2 billion annual budget.
The monthly ridership using Access-on-Demand reached 73,000 in July, according to RTD records. That’s more than 10 times the ridership when agency directors launched Access-on-Demand five years ago.
