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Readers and writers: After 34 years, Patty Wetterling tells the story in her own words

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

As I worked to help my kids feel less scared, I was finding my own way to rebuild our world. It felt like everything that had ever been meaningful to me — every gift, every cherished moment — had been tossed up into the air and was swirling around me like money in a wind machine. Day by day, I pictured myself reaching out and grasping for one thing at a time, clinging to it, then desperately reaching for another one as the storm raged all around me. — from “Dear Jacob”It’s been 34 years since Jacob Wetterling was kidnapped by a masked man as he and his brother, Trevor, and a friend biked near their home in St. Joseph, Minn. The 11-year-old boy’s abduction from a small, peaceful community shocked Minnesota and the nation. And at the center of that story is determined Patty Wetterling, Jacob’s mother, and his dad, Jerry.(Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society Press)We know what the media told us, but now Patty Wetterling tells her ...

Blues nation gathers at Union Station for season kickoff celebration

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

St. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues made their return to home ice and celebrated the occasion with a massive party at Union Station. Fans gathered with high anticipation as the new season of St. Louis Blues hockey kicked off at the Enterprise Center. After a disappointing 2022–2023 season, fans are eager to see how their favorite players will perform this year.Many believe it will be a different team this season, and they have high hopes for the new leadership. The team is considered a favorite to contend for the top spot in the Central Division. Fans are especially excited to see how the team plays on home ice under the guidance of the new team captain.   Three metros on the verge of passing St. Louis in size The party at Union Station featured live music, local food and drinks, games, and prizes, including pucks autographed by the players. While St. Louis hopes for another Stanley Cup victory, some fans still vividly remember their triumph in 2019. The Blues will have a few da...

Improving Investor Behavior: Where were you 50 years ago?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

October 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most tumultuous months in American history. Do you recall the events of October 1973?• Oct. 6, 1973 – On Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar, Arab states led by Egypt and Syria and supported by the Soviet Union launched an all-out war to exterminate Israel. This developed into the proxy war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.• Oct. 10 – The Watergate investigation shifted to the White House. Then-Vice President Agnew walked into a federal courthouse and pled no contest to felony tax evasion (bribes), thereby resigning from office.Steve Booren• Oct. 19 – Arab OPEC members embargoed oil exports to the U.S., driving long lines and skyrocketing prices for gasoline. By the time the embargo ended in March 1974, oil prices had jumped four-fold, and energy-induced inflation was roaring.• Oct. 20 – Under a Watergate investigation subpoena, President Nixon ordered Attorney General Richardson to fire Special Prosecutor...

One River North’s distinctive “canyon” coming to life as plants are added to RiNo tower

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

One River North, a 16-story apartment tower nearing completion in the River North neighborhood, has drawn attention for its facade’s distinctive “canyon” for the past several weeks.Now the highly anticipated building is filling that multi-story canyon with trees, bushes and plants, essentially inviting the great outdoors into the building in a way no other structure ever has in Denver.“Plant material is the soul of the building,” said Kevin Ratner, co-founder and managing partner of The Max Collaborative, which is developing the project.Normally, when nature pierces the frame of a building and trees and plants take over the interior, it isn’t a good thing. But at One River North, the facade was ripped open by design, making it among the most architecturally distinct buildings in the city’s history.Denver was an early adapter of green roof ordinances, but One River North isn’t content to wear a green hat. It has ripped its shirt open wi...

Kiszla: From Elway to Joker, dusty old cowtown has grown into city of champions during course of 40 years

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

Forty years go by too fast to count, if you don’t keep score.When I stumbled into this dusty old cowtown 40 years ago as a clueless young reporter for The Denver Post, John Elway was a confused rookie who once sauntered to the line of scrimmage and stuck his hands under the rump of left guard Tom Glassic to take the snap, before the goosed Glassic shouted at his young quarterback: “Wrong guy, wrong guy!”Well, look at us now. Elway owns a bronze bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And I’m still holding down a seat in the press box, where I’ve kept score as Denver transformed itself from dusty old cowtown into a city of champions.During the past 40 years, we’ve seen some stuff, you and me. I was there when the CU Buffs needed five downs to win and couldn’t believe it when 184 points weren’t enough for the Nuggets in a loss. We’ve watched Mr. Big Shot and the Joker hold court, as well as witnessing football miracles during The Drive in Cleveland and The Miracle in Michig...

Broncos Journal: The 10 months between Jerry Rosburg and Sean Payton coaching at Kansas City show gulf between AFC West rivals

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On the first day of 2023, the Broncos rang in the new year right here at Arrowhead Stadium.They found themselves on that cold day in a full-on state of flux. Interim head coach Jerry Rosburg made his debut six days after Nathaniel Hackett had been fired. The initial contact with Sean Payton and other coaching candidates came soon after.At that point, the Broncos knew they had a big project on their hands, but thought perhaps a new face at the front of the team room would be the catalyst for swift change.On the 285th day of 2023, the Broncos returned to the home of their division rival and were served a reminder that not only is the gap between themselves and Kansas City wider than the Missouri River Valley, but also that it’s going to take more than Payton’s coaching resume in New Orleans to even think about narrowing the gulf.In the 10 months between the matchups, the Broncos traded away yet another first-round pick in order to hire Payton and an almost ent...

Broncos’ youth movement at OLB looks promising so far. But what about other positions if Denver ramps up its sell-off before trade deadline?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nik Bonitto grasped at Patrick Mahomes’ ankles and held on as long as he could. The Broncos outside linebacker got to Kansas City’s star quarterback at least enough to have his feet, but not with any way of getting him to the ground.Mahomes, though, was impacted enough that when he threw for the end zone, the ball wobbled end-over-end into the waiting arms of Denver safety Justin Simmons.A young guy and an old guy — OK, a veteran — teaming up to make a key play early in a turnaround game for the Denver defense Thursday night.Except the Broncos in the end lost, 19-8. They’re 1-5. There’s roughly two weeks before the NFL trade deadline. Denver is still short on draft picks for next spring. And the Broncos have several veteran players who could draw interest.The Broncos certainly look like trade deadline sellers and soon must decide whether to attempt to acquire draft picks, shed salary and jumpstart a roster rebuild that could land anywhere between a re-...

Nuggets Journal: Few recent defending champs have been this reliant on same starting five during repeat attempt

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

It’s surprisingly not too often that a team is able to win an NBA championship by deploying the same starting five for the majority of the regular season and the majority of the playoffs, and even less so that said team returns and uses the identical starting five the next season.Generally, the most common starting unit shifts at one or two positions between the regular season and playoffs, whether due to injuries or otherwise. Or a starter becomes a free agent the ensuing offseason. Someone new has to start out of necessity.But the Nuggets’ biggest salary cap casualty was their sixth man. They’re a somewhat rare case in that regard: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic were the five leaders in games started, in both the regular season (62 or more each) and the postseason (same five, all 20 games). And now they’re all back, reprising the unit that won the championship. That’s been difficult to achieve in recent years.From 20...

Even after 40 years at The Post, columnist Mark Kiszla rarely pulls his punches: “I must be in trouble — Kiz is here”

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

If local professional coaches and athletes didn’t know at first, they realized it pretty quick: When Mark Kiszla comes around, look out.The longtime Denver Post sportswriter, who is celebrating four decades at the paper and three decades as a columnist, always has a take. And those takes are often critical of, or at odds with, the people and teams he covers.“He was tough on me as manager, and he’s always been tough on everyone (in local pro sports),” said former Rockies skipper Walt Weiss. “I used to joke that during the years I was managing, when he would show up and be part of the media scrum, I’d start out the scrum by saying, ‘I must be in trouble — Kiz is here.'”Manager Walt Weiss waits for the start of the game in the dugout. The Colorado Rockies took on the San Diego Padres on Opening Day at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)Kiszla, 66, is known to pull no punches in his writing.In recent ye...

Me & My Car: Pleasanton man owns first-, last-generation Thunderbirds

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:45 GMT

Looking back, I think it’s fair to say that up until 1953-1955, the American auto industry was pretty bland.General Motors was clearly the leader, selling approximately twice as many vehicles as Ford, and Ford was selling approximately twice as many vehicles as Chrysler. All three companies built nice family cars — sedans and wagons, with the most glamorous always being a convertible.Then General Motors upset the apple cart when in January 1953 the first Chevrolet Corvette was introduced at GM’s Motorama Show in New York. It created a lot of excitement and interest around the world, and I suspect it also created some panic at the Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford set a goal for a true sports car for the 1955 model year.The idea for the Thunderbird came from George Walker and Louis Crusoe. Their concept was a two-passenger car with a convertible top using as many off-the-shelf parts as possible. It wasn’t to be a radically styled car but one that would have the Ford look so ...