Author: reporter

Somebody recently told me that birding is basically a modern-day dinosaur safari, and that statement really rings true with greater and lesser sandhill cranes.Sandhills are ginormous (that’s the scientific term) prehistoric creatures with wingspans bigger than your couch. Weighing in at about 12 or 13 pounds, and measuring up to 4 feet tall, these long-necked, gray beauties are an easy species for novice birders like me to identify thanks to their size and distinctive “red crown patch” (a bald spot over the forehead).Related: See photos of sandhill cranes migrating through ColoradoUpward of 27,000 greaters and lessers migrate through south-central Colorado…

Five months after Seattle completed its three-year construction project for a new bus rapid transit line along a main thoroughfare, neighbors are beginning to take stock.Nearly 1.5 miles of dedicated bus-only travel lanes. At least 5,000 daily riders. About $144 million spent.More than a dozen local businesses gone for good.“We had more businesses close because of the BRT construction than close during the pandemic,” said Nat Stratton-Clarke, the president of the Madison Valley Merchants Association in Seattle, using the common shorthand for bus rapid transit.Across the country, Cleveland is celebrating its BRT line’s impact on businesses. The nearly 7-mile HealthLine, completed…

The tableau of defeat burned in Kate Doughty’s mind for a whole year.In last season’s 130-pound finals, the Canon City junior was pinned in the first period by Pomona superstar Persaeus Gomez, who became the first four-time state champion in CHSAA girls wrestling history with the win.“I distinctly remember the feeling of the ref slapping the mat, and then hearing the crowd go wild for her,” Doughty said. “That was the most humbling thing because it was so exciting to get into the finals, and then to lose the way I did — which was pretty quickly — I wanted…

Big Black is the warden of the wrestlebacks. The baron of the blood rounds. The king of the finals.They are the reigning, undisputed Colorado high school wrestling dynasty. And so the juggernaut rolls on.Pomona won its seventh straight Class 5A wrestling title, and ninth in the last 10 years, Saturday at Ball Arena. The Panthers were neck-and-neck with fellow powerhouse Ponderosa for much of the tournament but dominated the final day to pull away.Big Black was a perfect 15 for 15 across the consolation semifinals, consolation finals and finals on Saturday, including 5 for 5 in the night’s title matches.“It’s…

The champ wore his heart on his sole. Traven Sharon stalked the center mat at Ball Arena Saturday night with two letters and a number, faded by sweat and toil — BB1 — scribbled on the outside of his left shoe. The same three characters were written on the outside of his right.BB, for Blevyns Brown. “1,” for BB’s old number in football, basketball and baseball.“He’d be climbing over the fence,” Sharon, a senior at Fowler, told me after becoming the 35th four-time CHSAA state wrestling champion by fall in the Class 2A final at 126 pounds. “He’d be on…

SAN FRANCISCO — Life in the NBA inherently involves almost constant travel, but Dalton Knecht’s ever-changing itinerary this February has been enough to make even a seasoned veteran’s head spin.Much less a rookie.Knecht, 23, was traded from the Lakers to the Hornets on Feb. 5, the night before the NBA trade deadline. He flew across the country to Charlotte the next morning, then to Detroit for his debut.In an unexpected and unceremonious twist, the trade was rescinded after the Lakers, who had intended to pair Hornets center Mark Williams with newcomer Luka Doncic as a lob threat, reportedly balked at…

MONTREAL — Cale Makar will not play Saturday night in the biggest men’s hockey game in nine years. The Colorado Avalanche star is out of the lineup for Canada in its titanic showdown with the United States at Bell Centre in the 4 Nations Face-Off because of an illness. He missed practice Friday as well but was on the ice for Canada’s morning skate Saturday. Thomas Harley of the Dallas Stars, who just joined the team yesterday, will draw in for Makar. The Canadians are now missing three of the original defensemen named to the roster for this tournament. Alex…

The Colorado high school wrestling state tournaments take place Thursday through Saturday at Ball Arena in Denver. Our staff will be there throughout the weekend providing live coverage. Refresh this page for the latest updates and results.Tournament info: Schedule, returning champions, undefeated wrestlers and storylines to watch | Day 1 | Day 2Day 3 headlinesUpdates8:02 p.m.: A fight broke out in the stands at Ball Arena. Security quickly came over and the conflict subsided. It was in a section filled with Brighton fans. There were a handful of fan ejections as a result. — Kyle Newman7:19 p.m.: Pomona junior 140-pounder Timberly Martinez is one…

An Aurora dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife allegedly tried to pay another inmate $20,000 to kill the lead detective on the case and pay the inmate’s ex-wife to bear false witness at his trial, prosecutors said in court Friday.James Craig is charged with first-degree murder in the 2023 poisoning death of his wife, 43-year-old Angela Craig.But shortly before his trial was set to begin in November, his attorney abruptly quit the case over ethical concerns and the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office sought to file new charges in the case — solicitation to commit murder and solicitation to…

Oh, we wobbled, sure. But we never lost faith, Uncle Vic. The film guys up in the Grading The Week cubicles knew your day would come against Patrick Mahomes. We knew it was only a matter of time.Granted, we didn’t think it could come three years and two franchises after the Broncos kicked you to the curb. But hey.A toast to Vic Fangio, for finally landing that Super Bowl ring at age 66. For bringing a parade back to his home state. But mostly for giving Broncos Country hope. For dragging Mahomes, the Tom Brady of his generation, down from…