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Colorado - Tue. 09/01/26 |
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FAMILY IDS TEXAS MAN AMONG THOSE KILLED IN GRAND CANYON FLOOD AS RESCUERS SEARCH FOR MISSING
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The bodies of a Texas chiropractor John Giusti, 53, and at least one other person have been found after a major weekend flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon, and forecasters warned more flooding was possible as heavy rain shrouded the canyon walls. Saturday’s flash flood severely damaged the only water pipeline into the canyon. Officials barred tourists from staying at lodges and hotels inside Grand Canyon National Park and issued emergency water restrictions for year-round residents. More than a dozen hikers, including two on a dream trip with their chiropractor friend, remain missing Monday following waves of rain in the Bright Angel Creek area of the tourist destination that hosts 4.4 million visitors a year. The flood happened deep in the canyon near where the Colorado River flows, around popular lodges and camping areas where people hiking from one rim of the Grand Canyon to the other stop for the night.
Scores of visitors had to be evacuated from the area by helicopter. Searchers on the air and ground continue to look for Texas martial arts studio owner Brent Rosenkranz, 42, and Wyoming pilot Timothy Smith, 53. Park officials said they recovered the body of a 46-year-old man Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River and were trying to recover a second body. More than a dozen people remained missing, and officials urged anyone who was in the park when the flood happened to contact park rangers or anyone else to let them know they are OK.
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COLORADO SYMPHONY PLANS $120 MILLION RENOVATION OF BOETTCHER HALL
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The Colorado Symphony will spend $120 million to renovate its nearly 50-year-old Boettcher Concert Hall, following approval from Denver City Council on a naming-rights deal that could raise $15 million of that total. The project is slated to include upgraded acoustics, a new education center and improvements to the lobby, restrooms and other parts of the building. After the City Council approved it last week, the symphony will pursue separate naming rights for the building’s external façade at the Denver Performing Arts Complex downtown, “along with additional naming opportunities, i.e., for the stage, seating, lobby, education center and other interior spaces,” officials wrote. The Boettcher Concert Hall name is protected permanently under a previous City Council resolution and will continue to represent the interior concert hall itself.
Construction is expected to begin in June 2028 and finish in fall 2029, with funding also coming in part from the $950 million Vibrant Denver Bond program that voters passed on Nov. 4, 2025. The bond allocates $20 million for the project, which, along with naming rights, only covers the first $35 million. The overwhelming majority — or $85 million — is flowing from Denver Arts & Venues, the city agency that owns and operates the performing arts complex, as well as other city funds and allocations. That even includes a $16.8 million surplus left over from a 2008 voter-approved bond. The Colorado Symphony Association, as it’s formally known, performs more than 150 concerts each year and serves about 340,000 people through its shows at Boettcher, Red Rocks Park Amphitheatre, and other venues.
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DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE'S HISTORIC EAST ENTRANCE REOPENS WITH NEW LOBBY
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A major new wing is opening at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, refreshing the City Park institution’s historic east entrance and adding a sleek new lobby and handsome indoor-outdoor gathering place for visitors. The newly named Sturm Family Wing project was supported by a $20 million donation from the Sturm Family Foundation — the largest private donation in the museum’s history. That paid for the complicated, four-year renovation and construction of both visible and behind-the-scenes aspects of the museum. The renovation, which was the museum’s largest project since redesigning the popular Space Odyssey exhibit in 2020, took place in two phases. The first upgraded the theater, where large-format documentaries and other films are screened, and included replacing the bowl-shaped stage with a flat one and adding technical enhancements such as a hearing loop that delivers audio directly to seats.
The second phase included the lobby and exterior renovation, some new construction, and new outdoor seating and landscaping. A ribbon-cutting for the new wing is scheduled for 10:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1, preceded by remarks from George Sparks, the museum’s president and CEO, and Susan Sturm, chair of the Sturm Family Foundation. A grand opening for the public runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Museum admission is free all evening, although theater tickets are sold separately. The large-format screen is hosting the Denver premiere of “Penguins: A Love Story” as well as “T. Rex 3D” in the Sturm Infinity Theater.
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COLORADO'S FAT MARMOT WEEK CROWNS INAUGURAL WINNER
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On Sunday, one yellow-bellied marmot was crowned the undisputed winner of the inaugural Fat Marmot Week — a competition meant to raise awareness and funds for the nearly 65-year research project of the whistling mammals at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic. Dawn — “a very special boy who enjoys the taste of rocks” — won both titles granted during the competition. The marmot earned both the people’s champion title as well as the merit-based crown for the most weight gained over the summer. Dawn started the summer at 8.5 pounds and rounded out August at around 13 pounds. “Dawn’s weight gain is impressive and critical for his survival over the winter,” said Katie Adler, a third-year PhD candidate at UCLA in her third field season with the marmot project. “When marmots spend eight months underground, they really rely on those fat reserves to sustain them until flowers start blooming again in May or June.”
Dawn beat eight other marmots from the Gothic colony in the competition, defeating runner-up, G, in the final round of public voting on Friday, Aug. 28. According to the research lab, nearly 23,060 votes were cast during the weeklong event, which they hoped would help engage people with the lab’s marmot research, which is threatened by federal funding cuts. In addition to launching Fat Marmot Week, the researchers created an “OnlyMarms” page on the adult content subscription site OnlyFans.
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HOME DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED WEST OF GLENWOOD SPRINGS
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A proposed subdivision of around 98 homes outside Glenwood Springs won the support of the Garfield County Planning Commission last Wednesday. The commission unanimously voted to recommend that Garfield County’s Board of County Commissioners approve sketch plans for the Mitchell Creek Community, which would replace Ami’s Acres Campground, an RV park just outside Glenwood Springs’ city limits that’s existed since 1973. The homes would take up about 25 acres off of Hwy. 6 and Hwy. 24, with each unit getting a quarter acre.
Each build would be a detached, 1,000- to 2,600-square-foot home with a garage. Ten of the houses would be designated as workforce housing for households making 70 percent to 110 percent the area’s median income. The development would require the BOCC to rezone the land from its current “rural” tag — which allows for one home every 2 acres and a maximum building height of 25 feet — to a residential tag that would allow homes to be built on a minimum 2,000 square feet and as high as 35 feet.
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UNITED AIRLINES ADDS SEASONAL, NONSTOP FLIGHTS BETWEEN DURANGO & HOUSTON
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United Airlines is adding seasonal, nonstop flights between Houston and Durango beginning in December. For the first time, United will offer twice-weekly flights between George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Durango-La Plata County Airport during the winter months. The service will begin Dec. 19 and run through March 27 on Wednesdays and Saturdays, on a 70-seat aircraft. Service to Houston has steadily grown over the past several years, but primarily in the summer, said Tony Vicari, aviation director for DRO. It began with weekend service before expanding to daily service. Daily service continued this summer but on a larger aircraft than before.
In July, the airport saw just shy of 61,000 passengers pass through. That surpassed the previous monthly record established just a month earlier in June with roughly 59,000 passengers. The July record showed a 4 percent growth from July 2025, which is smaller than previous year-over-year growth. June 2026 showed a 15 percent increase in passengers compared to June 2025.
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EAGLE COUNTY BEGINS CLEAN-UP ON SWEETWATER & COLORADO RIVER ROADS AFTER MUDSLIDES & BOULDER BLOCKAGE
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Flash flood warnings came from the National Weather Service on Sunday morning and by midday, both Sweetwater Road and the upper area of Colorado River Road were officially closed. The rainfall became so heavy that large boulders began sliding down with the mud, blocking the roads area residents use to get home. The official closure started around 1:30 p.m. and was lifted around 6:20 p.m. for both roads, in order for the Sheriff’s Office and the county’s road and bridge crew to clear up the blocked-off areas. There were no injuries or incidents where people were stuck in the mudslides, just large deposits of rocks and mud on the road.
County crews are currently working on clearing both roads. They worked through the night and will be spending most of the week making sure both roads can be used and allow residents to safely leave and get to their homes. No homes were impacted by the debris. In 2012, Sweetwater Road faced similar damage from mudslides, and Eagle County estimated $190,000 in cleanup costs.
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WARNER BROS. AXED 'COYOTE VS. ACME' THREE YEARS AGO TO TAKE A TAX WRITE OFF; IT'S FINALLY IN THEATERS
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Three years after Warner Bros. abruptly canned “Coyote vs. Acme,” the Looney Tunes feature film that was given a new lease on life by Ketchup Entertainment debuted with an estimated $15.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend. For the fifth weekend in a row, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” topped the North American box office. It grossed $22.2 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, bringing its worldwide total to $2.33 billion and making it the fourth highest-grossing film of all time. “Coyote vs. Acme,” which had been relegated to the dust heap, fared best of the newcomers, debuting in second place. In 2023, Warner Bros. canceled any release of the completed film, preferring to take a tax write off on a movie originally produced for its streaming service, HBO Max.
“Coyote vs. Acme,” based on an Ian Frazier “Shouts and Murmurs” New Yorker column, is about Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation for its faulty products. It stars Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor and Eric Bauza. The film, a hybrid of live-action and animation directed by Dave Green, cost $70 million to make. But despite good test screening scores, Warner Bros. opted to ax the completed film. After an outcry, the studio put the film up for sale. Early last year, Ketchup Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights for about $50 million. Reviews and audience scores were also good. Moviegoers gave it an “A” CinemaScore. Critics were just as enthusiastic. On Rotten Tomatoes, it rated 95 percent fresh.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office:
- “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $22.2 million
- “Coyote vs. Acme,” $15.5 million
- “The Odyssey,” $14.3 million
- “Insidious: Out of the Further,” $10.1 million
- “The Dog Stars,” $8 million
- “Buddy,” $5.4 million
- “The End of Oak Street,” $5 million
- “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie,” $4.9 million
- “Mutiny,” $2.8 million
- “Tony,” $2.2 million
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COLORADO BANKRUPTCIES INCREASE 11% IN JULY
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Colorado bankruptcy filings increased 11 percent in July compared with the prior year but decreased or held steady in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado. That’s according to a BizWest analysis of U.S. Bankruptcy Court data. Numbers cited include all new filings, including open, closed and dismissed cases. Data are derived from the federal Public Access to Court Electronic Records, or PACER, system and may differ slightly from official bankruptcy statistics. Colorado recorded 859 filings in July, compared with 771 for the same period a year ago. Individual filings totaled 831 in July, up from 755 a year ago. Business filings increased from 16 in July 2025 to 28 this year. Year-to-date filings total 5,654, up 16.5 percent from 4,855 through July 2025.
In the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado:
- Boulder County recorded 22 bankruptcy filings in July, down 31 percent from 32 in the same month the prior year. The county saw 36 bankruptcy filings in June. Year-do-date filings total 183, compared with 194 through July 2025.
- The City and County of Broomfield recorded seven bankruptcy filings in July, compared with 14 in the same period in 2025. Broomfield recorded 10 bankruptcy filings in June. Year-to-date filings total 65, down almost 6 percent from 69 from a year ago.
- Larimer County filings totaled 38 in July, down 16 percent from 45 the prior year. Larimer recorded 49 bankruptcy filings in June. Year-to-date filings total 280, down 5.7 percent from 297 through July 2025.
- Weld County bankruptcy filings totaled 73 in July, up 3 percent from 71 the same month a year ago. Weld recorded 68 bankruptcy filings in June. Year-to-date filings total 465, up 13.7 percent from 409 through July 2025.
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$108 MILLION IN PRIZE MONEY, 700,000 HONEY DEUCES SERVED: THE 2026 U.S. OPEN BY THE NUMBERS
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Top-ranked men’s player Jannik Sinner is out with a knee injury, and Serena Williams, making her return to tennis this summer after a nearly four-year layoff, decided to compete in doubles but not singles at the U.S. Open. Still, whatever star power might be missing from the year’s final major, fans’ passion for tennis has not dimmed. As the U.S. Open begins Sunday in Queens, New York, ticket prices are soaring. Last week, the get-in price for the first round was $197, according to TicketData.com, up 33 percent from 2025, and seats for the women’s and men’s finals were listed at an average of $534, a 19 percent increase. And as of Thursday, those numbers were even higher. A grounds pass for Sunday’s opening session started at $277 on SeatGeek—more than quadruple the $65 face value—and the cheapest listing for the men’s final on Sept. 13 was $617.
Here a few of the numbers to know about the 2026 U.S. Open:
- $5.5 million: The amount to be paid to the men’s and women’s singles champions at this year’s tournament. The figure tops the record $5 million winner’s checks that were handed out at the 2025 U.S. Open and also beats the prize at the other three Grand Slams this year: Wimbledon’s $4.9 million, the French Open’s $3.3 million and the Australian Open’s $3 million.
- $1 million: The prize for the winning mixed doubles team. The U.S. Open ratcheted up the reward for the event in 2025, from $200,000 for the champion duo the prior year, in an effort to attract more top players and more interest.
- $108 million: The total compensation being offered to players at this year’s U.S. Open. The figure, up 20 percent from 2025’s $90 million and 44 percent from 2024’s $75 million, includes not only the purses for the singles, doubles, mixed doubles and wheelchair tennis competitions but also payments to players toward their air travel and accommodations, as well as $2 million to establish a “player support program” to assist with mid-career life events and retirement transitions. Even players who lose in the first round of the singles main draw this year will collect $140,000, a 27 percent increase over last year’s $110,000.
- $560 million: The operating revenues of the 2024 U.S. Open.
- 66: The number of hours it takes Tiffany & Co. to create the U.S. Open’s singles trophies.
- 315: The number of ball crew members at the U.S. Open.
- 905,255: The attendance for the main draws of singles and men’s and women’s doubles in 2025.
- 738,459: The number of Honey Deuce cocktails sold at the 2025 U.S. Open. The Open’s signature drink—a spin on a raspberry lemonade with Grey Goose vodka and a garnish of honeydew melon balls—was introduced in 2007 and has continued to grow in popularity. Sales were up 32 percent last year from 2024, aided by a draft system that allows bartenders to make the cocktail in just 12 seconds. The price has been raised a half-dozen times since the drink made its debut, but fans heading to the 2026 tournament can snag one for $23 (including a souvenir cup) for the third straight year.
- $2,333: The face value of a courtside club seat at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
- $100: The cost of 1,000 tickets that mayor Zohran Mamdani secured for New York City residents.
- 23: The number of years since an American man won the tournament.
- $194.7 million: Novak Djokovic’s career ATP Tour prize money.
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MARKET UPDATE - 08/31/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 08/27/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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