Angela Rae Harris's Blog, page 10
October 9, 2025
Scott Wedgewood steals one for Avalanche in home opener
If opening night in Los Angeles for the Avalanche was a masterpiece, the home opener at Ball Arena was closer to a flop. Scott Wedgewood saved it from being a full-blown disaster.
Colorado’s netminder, who is filling in as the starter until Mackenzie Blackwood gets healthy, was stellar in net, stopping 31 of 32 shots to lead the Avalanche to a 2-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Several of those 32 shots were grade-A opportunities, including multiple breakaways.
There is no other way around it, he stole the game for the Avalanche. If you ask him, he’s just doing what he’s supposed to do.
“I mean, second period I made some saves that we needed, and it’s kind of my job, right? Keep the puck out of the net and give the guys a chance to find whatever wall they’re in to get out of.” Wedgewood said after the game.
His coach was a little more straightforward.
“We don’t win without him tonight, for sure,” Jared Bednar said.
It looked like there was a chance Colorado would run the Mammoth out of the building early. The Avalanche’s third line, which was quiet in Los Angeles, came together for a really pretty goal a little over halfway through the first. A nice cross-ice pass by Victor Olofsson found Jack Drury, who one-touched the puck back to a streaking Ross Colton to make it 1-0.
Instead of giving the Avalanche life, their game crumbled after.
The second period was one to forget for the Avalanche. For over 14 minutes, four of which Colorado spent on the power play, the Mammoth held the Avalanche without a shot on net. At the other end, they were giving up chance after chance, with Wedgewood making big stops on Brandon Tanev and Dylan Guenther to keep the home team ahead. A late goal by Guenther tied the game up heading into the third.
“Not moving in the second period and then lots of turnovers in the neutral zone,” Bednar said. “We kind of got going a little bit at the end of the first and then in the second, we got cute with it.”
Colorado’s power play, which has struggled through two games, took advantage of an early penalty by the Mammoth. Rather than setting up in the zone, which wasn’t working, Colorado went to work off the rush, with Cale Makar hitting a late-streaking Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche superstar beat Karel Vejmelka far-side to give Colorado the lead.
From that point on, it was the Wedgewood show.
A few more breakaway stops from Wedgewood and then a late blocker save on Guenther sealed the deal for Colorado, who walked away with the 2-1 win. They’ll need a much better performance on Saturday when Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars come to town.
They might be a perfect 2-0 in the standings, but the coach certainly wouldn’t describe their actual play as perfect.
“The execution five-on-five with the puck has not been good for the first two games,” Bednar said.
Avalanche 2, Mammoth 1
What happened: The Avalanche walked away with a 2-1 victory thanks to their goaltender.
What went right: Colorado dominated in the face-off circle, winning 68% of the draws on the evening. Winning all those face-offs didn’t lead to a whole lot of chances for, but the team may be improved in that area this season.
What went wrong: It took the Avalanche over 14 minutes to get a shot in the second period. At one point, a fan in the crowd yelled, “Do something! I’m bored!” That about sums up the middle period for Colorado.
Avalanche goal scorers: Colton (1), MacKinnon (1)
Mammoth goal scorers: Guenther (1)
Between the pipes: Wedgewood was a monster in net, stopping 31 of the 32 shots sent his way.
What’s next: A rematch with the team that eliminated the Avalanche five months ago, as the Stars will be in town on Saturday night. That game starts at 7 p.m.
ACLU sues Trump administration over ICE arrests in Colorado
The ACLU of Colorado has sued the Trump administration, alleging that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials carried out unlawful, warrantless arrests as part of a broad effort to detain immigrants living in the United States without legal status.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of a legal permanent resident, a “Dreamer” brought to the country as a child, and an asylum seeker, all of whom have lived in the country for more than a decade.
A “dreamer” is a colloquial term for an immigrant who was brought illegally to the United States as a child and is eligible for protection from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunction relief.
“They are going door-to-door, sweeping apartment parking lots, and confronting residents and neighbors walking near their homes or jobs,” the complaint claimed, referring to immigration agents. “They are pulling over workers and college students going about their daily lives. ICE agents are then arresting Latino people without warrants, without probable cause, and without assessing legal status and flight risk as required by law.”
Since assuming office in January, President Donald Trump has embarked on a mass deportation effort, a key campaign promise. That effort has drawn lawsuits.
Federal data suggest that arrests have more than doubled since the spring, according to TRAC Immigration at Syracuse University.
Nearly 60,000 people across the United States were being detained in August.
To make a dent in the 14 million immigrants estimated to be living illegally in the U.S. — according to the Pew Research Center — House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller instructed ICE in June to make 3,000 arrests a day.
That’s up from the 650 arrests a day in the first five months of Trump’s second term.
ICE agents arrested nearly 2,000 people in Colorado alone in the first half of the year, according to the complaint.
“There’s no realistic way ICE can meet their quota numbers without breaking the law,” said Hans Meyer, a Denver immigration attorney.
Meyer represents the four immigrants named in the suit.
Meyer added: “They’re not going to change unless a court steps in and makes them change.”
Hans Meyer, an immigration attorney in Denver. (Courtesy photo)Supporters of the immigration crackdown said they trust that federal immigration agents are following the law.
In an earlier interview, Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky said she was aware of at least one person detained and later released on bond by ICE at Whispering Pines, one of three troubled apartment complexes owned by CBZ Management, which nabbed headlines last year over the activities of a Venezuelan gang that gained a foothold in metro Denver.
Jurinsky said she doesn’t believe federal agents have acted inappropriately.
“If they are doing things without judicial oversight, that would be concerning to me,” Jurinsky said. “I have to trust that they are; that they are doing things the right way.”
Meanwhile, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, had noted ICE can lawfully enter if given consent or under other legal authorities, including criminal warrants, administrative code inspections or exigent circumstances.
“I would be shocked if ICE were attempting to forcibly enter private residences on an administrative warrant,” Matthew O’Brien, FAIR deputy executive director said in an email to The Denver Gazette, in reference to questions about the warrants used in Colorado.
The ACLU’s complaint relies on national media outlets that have reported a change from “targeted and investigation-based operations” to the administration encouraging “immigration agents to ‘turn the creative knob up to 11’ when it comes to enforcement including through arrests collateral to anyone actually identified in a warrant.”
The roughly 200,000 immigrants living unlawfully in Colorado “now live in fear and at daily risk because of federal immigration agents’ indiscriminate practices,” the complaint said. “ICE’s arrest scheme is tearing families apart and terrorizing communities.”
Two of the plaintiffs — Refugio Ramirez Ovando, a 43-year-old construction worker and Caroline Dias Goncalves, a 19-year-old University of Utah college student — were pulled over while driving.
In the case of Ramirez, ICE agents pulled him over on May 19 looking for someone else.
Dias was pulled over by a Mesa County Sheriff’s deputy near Fruita on June 5.
J.S.T, a 36-year-old asylum seeker, was detained by ICE agents while pulling out of the parking lot at the Whispering Pines Apartment complex in Aurora on Feb. 5, while on his way to work. J.S.T was held in the Aurora Detention Center for four weeks, according to the complaint.
G.R.R., a 32-year-old was arrested on April 27 outside the nightclub raided by federal agents in Colorado Springs. According to the complaint, G.R.R. was held for six weeks in the Aurora Detention Center.
None has a “criminal” record, the complaint maintained.
The Trump administration has said its operations target criminal aliens and, specifically, “the worst of the worst.”
As previously reported by The Denver Gazette, federal agents from a joint operation that included the Rocky Mountain Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), ICE and the FBI earlier this year appear to have largely carried out immigration raids with limited judicial oversight.
The Rocky Mountain Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration conducts raids in the Denver metro area in a joint operation crack downing on illegal immigration in this X post on Feb. 5, 2025.DEA agents executed two judicial search warrants at a property, according to Steffan Tubbs, a spokesperson for the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division. More apartments than that, however, were breached that day.
In the days following the Feb. 5 raid, The Denver Gazette submitted Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to ICE, DEA and the FBI seeking copies of the warrants used to justify the forced entry into private residences.
After touting the immigration raids on social media, both the DEA and FBI have refused to release the warrants, citing what’s called a “Glomar” denial — a response that allows agencies to neither confirm nor deny the records exist.
One of the individuals represented in the lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Colorado was detained as part of the Feb. 5 raids, which included the Whispering Pines Apartment complex in Aurora, one of three said to have been overtaken by the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).
Authorities have said TdA gang members have been involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping, money laundering, extortion and human trafficking.
The organization has an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 members, according to Ronna Rísquez, a Venezuelan investigative journalist.
Trump cited the gang during a campaign stop in Colorado, in which he unveiled his plan to crack down on immigrants unlawfully staying in the U.S. and who have been found to be guilty of violent crimes or facing such charges.
“We are a country under tremendous distress” Trump said at a campaign stop in Aurora last year. “We will send elite squads from ICE to deport every single gang member.”
Roughly 600 miles from the southern border with Mexico, Denver hasn’t always been the magnet for immigrants that it became three years ago when the Mile High City began to see an influx.
In the ensuing months, roughly 43,000 immigrants — mostly from South and Central America, particularly Venezuela — came in Denver. About half, when considering the number of tickets for travel purchased, have stayed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jeff Daniels sends best wishes to Golden’s ‘Diva Royale’
Arts news: Rateliffe on Kimmel; local pens Julia Roberts movie; reaction critical of decision to end DCPA’s Off-Center programming
Award-winning actor Jeff Daniels is best known for his roles in the Colorado-made film Dumb and Dumber and the lauded HBO series The Newsroom, but he has carved out an additional, full life as the founder of the non-profit Purple Rose Theatre Company in his home state of Michigan.
And Golden’s Miners Alley Performing Arts Center is becoming something of a partnering theater company. The two troupes have a shared sensibility favoring fresh, handcrafted productions rooted in America’s heartland.
Last year, Miners Alley staged the sleeper comedy hit “A Jukebox for the Algonquin,” which is only the most recent Purple story Rose it has staged. Next up is “Diva Royale,” which not only began life at the Purple Rose in 2018 – it is written by Daniels himself.
Jeff Daniels“Diva Royale” is a gentle farce about three Midwestern stay-at-home moms who take a spontaneous trip to New York City to see Celine Dion in concert. (What could possibly go wrong?) It stars a powerhouse trio of Emily Paton Davies, Amy Arpan and Lisa DeCaro.
Daniels himself sent a personal video message wishing the Miners Alley team a happy opening. “Audiences loved it (here), and I am sure Colorado audiences are going to love it, too,” Daniels said. “This is the fifth production Miners Alley has done of a Purple Rose play, and I am thrilled they are doing it. I hope there are many more.”
It’s now playing through Nov. 9 at 1100 Miners Alley in Golden. Tickets at https://minersalley.com.
Off-Center’s demise seems … off-center
Reaction to the Denver Center’s decision to end its Off-Center (adventurous) programming spans from sadness to outright anger. Most are having difficulty reconciling how the DCPA can look boldly into the future without its boldest programming initiative. “Seems shortsighted,” was a common reader response.
Emily Tarquin, who co-founded Off-Center with Charlie Miller in 2010 and last month was named Managing Director of the Actors Theatre of Louisville, called the news “sadly predictable. Science that your brain can’t hold both curiosity and fear simultaneously. And we need more curiosity.”
Other reactions:
• “How disappointing,” wrote former Theatre Aspen Executive Artistic Director Paige Price. “Theatermakers from all over looked to Off-Center as a beacon of innovation and a source of fresh experiences.”
• “Off-Center was really what Denver theater was known for around the country in the last several years,” wrote former Curious Theatre Managing Director Katie Malthais. “What a void.”
Nathaniel Rateliffe performs on ‘Jimmy Kimmel: Live!’ on Monday, and turned 47 the next day. That’s Denver’s Patrick Meese on drums. SCREENSHOTRateliffe’s national birthday party
Nathaniel Rateliffe and his band The Night Sweats performed “Get Used to the Night” Monday on ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel: Live!’ one day before turning 47. The song was watched by an estimated 1.6 million, not including online viewers.
Julia Roberts’ Colorado connection
The new Julia Roberts movie will be released in theaters on Oct 17, and it is written by Denver School of the Arts alumna Nora Garrett. It’s called “After the Hunt,” and it also features Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, Chloë Sevigny and Ayo Edebiri. Roberts has said the reason the film was able to assemble such an all-star cast is because Garrett wrote characters worthy of an all-star cast.
“After the Hunt” is a psychological thriller that follows a college professor (Roberts) caught in between a sexual abuse accusation involving one of her students (Edebiri, of “The Bear”), and a colleague (Garfield). The director is Luca Guadagnino.
Tom Hanks has a Colorado castmate
Miki Abraham as Lulu and Denver’s Ryan Fitzgerald in ‘Shucked,’ visiting the Buell Theatre through Oct. 19. PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY AND EVAN ZIMMERMANJamie Ann Romero, a graduate of Chatfield High School in Littleton and the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, is about to perform in an Off-Broadway play starring, ho, hum: Tom Hanks and Kelli O’Hara. “This World of Tomorrow,” opening Oct. 30 in New York City, is the story of a disenchanted scientist from the future who travels back in time to the 1939 New York World’s Fair, which revives his dream of what the future could be. The director is another bigshot: Tony Award winner Kenny Leon (“A Raisin in the Sun”). The play is co-written by Hanks, based on his own short stories. Romero plays two characters: “ELMA” (External Learning Machine Associate) and Sylvia. Runs through Dec. 21 at The Shed, 545 West 30th St. …
The national touring production of “Shucked” is playing through Oct. 19 at the Buell Theatre, and the cast includes Denver School of the Arts grad Ryan Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald previously played Neil Sedaka in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and was in the ensemble of “Cinderella,” both at the Arvada Center, in 2023.
“Shucked” was an underdog breakout hit on Broadway in 2023. It’s a pun-filled musical comedy about a small town’s fight to preserve its corn-based livelihood. Of his first opportunity to perform in a musical on the Buell Theatre stage, Fitzgerald told CBS Denver: “It’s gonna be “amaizing” to be on that stage after seeing so many shows there.” Tickets at denvercenter.org …
Veteran Denver film actor Marty Lindsay wrapped shooting last week in New Mexico on an upcoming film called “Coyote.” It stars Mel Gibson and Esai Morales in the story of an ex-smuggler on a quest for redemption who aids a mother and daughter through some perilous borderlands.
Yonder Mountain String Band. PROVIDEDMake way for Boulder Roots
There has been a lot of talk this year about music festivals coming to an end in Denver. But a major new one called Boulder Roots Music Fest will feature more than 800 musicians on 15 stages over three days coming up Oct. 17-19. What’s crazy about that is when the fest was first announced, it was going to be ”only” 400 artists across 10 stages – so that’s how big it has grown just in the planning stages.
“This is the start of a decades-long music tradition in Boulder,” said Executive Director Dave Kennedy. “Our goal is to make this the Bolder Boulder of music festivals.”
Headliners include the Yonder Mountain String Band, Andy Frasco and the U.N., Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and the North Mississippi Allstars. Game on. Passes at rootsmusicproject.org …
Elsewhere, some big show announcements: Seth Meyers, May 8 at the Paramount Theatre; “Dancing with the Stars: Live!” April 12 at the Bellco Theatre; “Samantha Bee: How to Survive Menopause,” March 5 at the University of Denver’s Newman Center. All go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
Dancer in the dark
I had to ask AI if John Summit is indeed a global dance star and it told me he has more than a billion streams, so that would be a yes. Summit will perform at Folsom Field in Boulder on Oct. 18 in what will be the largest headlining show of his career. Also on the lineup: Tchami, Max Styler, Roddy Lima and B/AN/K. Tickets: cubuffs.evenue.net.
Remembrances
Christin Mason Martin, who founded a small local company called Invictus Theatre, will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Vintage Theatre in Aurora. Martin, a local director, producer, designer and actor for more than 20 years, died Sept. 14 from a heart condition. She was 48. Martin founded Invictus in 2018 with the premise that theater should not only be good, but accessible to anyone who wants to experience it …
Meanwhile, friends will gather at 11 a.m. Friday (Oct. 17) to remember Ronnie Lee White, who died Aug. 21 at age 77. Lee was a longtime legacy stagehand for the Denver Center Theatre Company. He did all things in the former Space (now Kilstrom) Theatre, and was beloved by fellow tech folks. “He was a loveable grumpy guff of an old stagehand,” said his friend, DCTC Production Manager Matthew Campbell. “And he had a true love of sandwiches.” The gathering is at Danny Ray’s Food and Spirits, 11353 W. Colfax Ave., in Lakewood.
And finally …
The governor’s office has opened nominations for the next Poet Laureate of Colorado, a daunting position to fill in the wake of the July 14 death from cancer of predecessor Andrea Gibson. The Poet Laureate serves as the state’s ambassador for poetry, engaging with Colorado communities, conducting readings and workshops, and inspiring a love for the art form. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 27. Check out the eligibility criteria at coloradohumanities.org.
PHOTOS: Great American Beer Festival Day 1
People cheer as they enter the main hall before the start of the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette
Bart Hauptman tries a sample during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
Jeff Beer tries a sample during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Beer, and that is his real name, said he’s been coming to the beer festival for over 30 years now.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
Volunteers pour beer for participants during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
Cans of Cold Front, a Winter Lager from Avery Brewing Co. sit in an ice bath during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
People stand in line before the start of the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
Award trophies sit backstage during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
Beer samples from Launch Pad Brewery sit on a table ready to pour during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
Volunteers pour beer for participants during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
Kevin Harris, dressed as a CareBeer, tries a beer sample from Full Frame Beer during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
Beau Langston tries a sample of beer during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
Jeff Beer tries a sample during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Beer, and that is his real name, said he’s been coming to the beer festival for over 30 years now.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
People walk between booths beneath a large inflatable astronaut during the first night of the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.(Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)
How to watch: Colorado State Rams football vs. Fresno State
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
TV: CBS Sports Network
Broadcast crew: Chris Lewis (play-by-play), Randy Cross (color analyst)
Radio: 104.3 FM (Denver), 99.1 FM (Fort Collins)
Internet Radio: Sirius XM 388 or Varsity Network App
Rams broadcast crew: Brian Roth (play-by-play), Ricky Brewer (color analyst), Marty Cesario (sideline reporter)
Jay Norvell, Colorado State being ‘realistic’ amid difficult start to season | Rams Gameday
FORT COLLINS — Jay Norvell sought the advice of a trusted friend this week.
As the Colorado State coach gets ready for a difficult home game against Fresno State on Friday night (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network), he’s just trying to right the ship.
Fresno State running back Elijah Gilliam (33) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kansas on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)So, Norvell reached out to Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard.
“When things aren’t going good, the key is (to) emphasize great effort and eliminate mistakes, and that’s what we’re doing as a program as a team,” Norvell said Ballard told him.
The tone and rhetoric coming out of Fort Collins have changed drastically and quickly.
Even one week into the season, after an encouraging performance in a loss at Washington, Norvell boldly said he believed his Rams roster had “championship DNA.”
CSU has promptly responded by going 1-3 over the next four games, barely beating FCS Northern Colorado in the home opener before losing three straight against UTSA and Washington State at home, and then last week at San Diego State in the Mountain West opener.
The Rams are 1-4, which already matches the amount of regular season losses the program had during what seemed like a breakthrough in 2024.
But less than a year after winning eight games for the first time in a decade, Norvell is saying he and his coaching staff need to be “realistic” about the 2025 Rams. That word ‘realistic’ is one he used multiple times this week as his group is set to be home underdogs again versus a Fresno State team that comes in at 5-1 overall and with a 2-0 record in the Mountain West.
Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell walks on the sideline during an NCAA college football game against Washington, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)“As excited as I was about this roster a month ago, we’re a little bit different now,” Norvell said. “From a roster perspective, we gotta be realistic with where we are. Right now, when I look at our roster, we only have starters that were starters last year that are playing for us and that’s Aaron Karas and Armani Winfield. The rest of the starters on offense are all new. We don’t have any returning starters on defense, and we don’t have any returning starters on special teams.
“We still have a lot of kids that need to be brought up to speed.”
Yes, the injuries continue to mount. Veteran defensive end Mukendi Wa-Kalonji was supposed to be the lone returning starter on defense, but he’s been lost for the season. So has left guard Tanner Morley, a sophomore and team captain who might just be the most talented player on the offense.
In all, CSU has already ruled out 10 players for this week’s game and half are listed as out for the rest of 2025.
But the Rams just haven’t played well enough, either. The offense got to a point where Norvell had to bench third-year starting quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi during the first month in favor of redshirt sophomore Jackson Brousseau, who will continue to start going forward.
Colorado State redshirt sophomore quarterback Jackson Brousseau (7) celebrates a first down in the second half of a game against UTSA on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins. (Courtesy of Yesenia Enriquez, CSU Athletics)Defensively, bringing in new coordinator Tyson Summers hasn’t really worked. CSU has only forced five total turnovers and has by far the fewest amount of sacks in the conference, with 30.
On both sides of the ball, simple is better right now.
“Just trying to get some spark with this group,” Norvell said. “The biggest thing that we’ve tried to do is limit what we’re doing, play with great effort, and play without making mistakes. We feel like if we do that, we can continue to get better, but from a roster perspective, we gotta be realistic about where we are.
“The margin for error is not big and it just forces you as a coach to be right on every goal. It’s challenging, but it is what it is. We’ll continue to probe and put the right schemes on the field to help our guys execute.”
The definition of success in Fort Collins has simplified, too.
“I think we gotta improve and play better every time we walk on the field,” Norvell said.
King’s Prediction
Fresno State 27, Colorado State 17
Jay Norvell said the quiet part out loud. The Rams have to focus on making improvements on both sides of the ball before they can focus on winning football games at this point of the season. It’s disappointing for a team that had high expectations coming into the year, but this has quickly become a season of development at CSU. Trying to build around a growing young core is objective No. 1 — and that likely means another loss against a Fresno State team that will be a Mountain West contender the rest of 2025.
King’s Players to Watch
Colorado State: QB Jackson Brousseau, OLB JaQues Evans
CSU is going to continue leaning into what Brousseau does best, but the young quarterback still learning his way as a starter, has to continue to show signs of improvement in other areas, too. Last week was encouraging for the Rams’ offense, even if they were playing catch up the entire time, and Brousseau could really benefit from a few solid drives to begin Friday’s game. On defense, CSU is just desperate for any sort of big play. On a banged-up defensive line struggling to generate pressure, it’s on someone like Evans to step up.
Fresno State: RBs Bryson Donelson and Rayshon Luke, LB Jadon Pearson
You can’t separate one Bulldogs running back from the other. Both Donnelson and Luke have over 340 rushing yards so far this season and they’ve combined for eight touchdowns. Against a Rams defense that couldn’t stop the San Diego State rushing attack in any way last week, expect Fresno State to lean into this talented duo. Defensively, Pearson is one of just three Mountain West players with over 50 tackles so far this season and he’ll be relied upon to limit a CSU rushing attack that is gaining momentum behind Jalen Dupree.
Israel, Hamas peace deal celebrated
With the peace plan pushed by President Donald Trump set to be implemented over the weekend, celebrations broke out on the streets of Israel and the Palestinian territories.
In Denver, rabbis welcomed the news, even as they remained cautious, noting the hostages have yet to be released.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s security Cabinet was set to meet Thursday night to discuss the plan, according to Shosh Bedrosian, an Israeli government spokeswoman. The deal is expected to be approved, and 24 hours after its conclusion, the “first phase” of the ceasefire would take effect.
“I believe that should bring the end to this war,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Thursday.
Once the security Cabinet has approved the plan, Israeli forces will pull back from certain areas in Gaza, maintaining control over a firm 53% of the territory.
The start of the ceasefire will also initiate a 72-hour window for Hamas to release its hostages.
Based on the timing, it appears likely the hostages will be released on Monday as long as there are no disruptions. It’s unclear what would happen if the hostages are not released in that timeframe.
“They should be released on Monday or Tuesday. Getting them is a complicated process. I’d rather not tell you what they have to do to get them,” Trump told his Cabinet secretaries at a meeting on Thursday.
Einav Zangauker, center, mother of Matan Zangauker, who is being held hostage by Hamas, reacts along with other families and supporters of Israeli hostages after the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan, as they gather at a plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)Releasing the last 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive, would be a massive leap of faith for Hamas. The terrorist group has held the prisoners as leverage in negotiations since Oct. 7, 2023.
“I’m equal parts happy and equal parts worried,” said Rabbi Yaakov Chaitovsky at Congregation BMH-BJ in Denver. “How can we not be cautiously elated about a conclusion of this long process? We have to give credit to the president for spearheading this effort. We always have to be cautious, but we’re certainly elated to know that the hostages are going to be coming home.”
Rabbi Sarah Shulman, the senior rabbi at Congregation HEA also in Denver, noted the families are still waiting for the return of their loved ones.
“Until every living hostage returns to the arms of their family, until every deceased hostage returns to receive a proper burial and gives their family much needed closure, we wait and hope, pray and worry,” Shulman said. “This is not the time for a victory lap yet, this is a time when we can see the light of hope, the light of reconnection, the light of peace and yet we don’t fully celebrate until everyone is home.”
Shulman added: “A weight has been lifted for the entire Jewish community and the world. We wait together for the day of return, the day of peace, the day that begins a new tomorrow.”
Others echoed that sentiment — a mixture of optimism and cautiousness, noting the Middle East is a volatile region.
“What was just locked in was a crucial first step that could actually one day yield more salubrious effects in the Middle East, but let’s not start popping the champagne yet, because this is the Middle East, it’s not the Midwest,” said Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
During previous rounds of negotiations, Hamas sought to release hostages in batches, instead of all at once, as they were its best bargaining chip. However, a crippled military and decapitated leadership structure have left the group with few options.
In preparation for the hostages’ release, Israeli hospitals are readying themselves to meet the health needs of those who have suffered ill treatment, malnutrition, or other ailments during their years of imprisonment. Such resources, and other services such as counseling, were offered to hostages released during previous temporary ceasefires.
In exchange, Israel agreed to release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and some 1,700 people detained from Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.
However, there are still conversations about who will be included in the swap.
Hamas wants to secure the release of Marwan Barghouti, one of the most prominent Palestinian prisoners, who is serving five life sentences.
The group has also sought to reclaim the bodies of Yahya Sinwar and his brother. Sinwar led Hamas in the Gaza Strip beginning in 2017 and is believed to have been the architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. He was killed in a violent engagement with the Israel Defense Forces in October 2024. His brother briefly took up Sinwar’s mantle before being killed in an airstrike in May 2025.
Palestinians celebrate following the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting, outside Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Celebrations remain limited, as relief is mixed with mourning and concern for what comes next. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)Israel has rejected requests for the Sinwar brothers’ bodies to be turned over, likely to ensure the remains are not venerated or celebrated by Hamas sympathizers.
Even if the “first phase” of the ceasefire is completed, the implementation of the subsequent stages raises a variety of questions about the future of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has not yet agreed to completely disarm itself, one of Israel’s most crucial, nonnegotiable demands.
It’s unclear whether Hamas will choose to lay down its weapons, and if so, what that process will entail. If it doesn’t, Netanyahu has threatened to continue military operations, and Trump has signaled he would allow the IDF to “unleash hell” on the region.
“While yesterday’s agreement marks an important breakthrough, significant challenges remain. Three immediate points of tension revolve around questions of Hamas disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, and a permanent end to hostilities,” said Will Todman, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Major outstanding questions center around the disarmament of Hamas, where the agreement is quite vague with no clear indications of timelines or benchmarks, let alone exactly how disarmament will be accomplished.”
Even with these details unaddressed and the first phase yet to be implemented, Palestinian refugees have flocked en masse to return to the ravaged cities that were once their homes.
The tipping point in getting this deal across the table was Israel’s unexpected strikes targeting senior Hamas officials in Qatar last month. The IDF launched the strike on Doha without preapproval from the U.S. Trump was reportedly furious with the operation and ordered military officials to abandon it.
His intervention did not work, and the Israeli operation was a political disaster — it did not kill the intended targets, and one Qatari serviceman died in the strike.
President Donald Trump speaks upon departing a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in foreground, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)Trump seized the opportunity to strong-arm Netanyahu into the current deal, which demands serious concessions from the Israeli side. Specifically, still-living Hamas militants would be spared if they peacefully disarm and forfeit any right to governance in the Palestinian territories.
Netanyahu, who announced at the White House that he agreed with Trump’s plan, apologized to the Qatari prime minister over the phone for killing the Qatari servicemember. He offered this apology, seated just feet from Trump, reading from a document that was prepared for him.
Trump applied similar pressure to the Hamas end of negotiations, positioning himself as the only power standing between Netanyahu and a total conquest of the Palestinian territories.
Both parties were told this agreement would be a “take it or leave it” proposal and were offered little wiggle room for negotiation.
Trump has expressed his wish for this deal to establish an “everlasting peace” in the Middle East, and he intends to travel to Israel next week for a brief series of on-the-ground meetings.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have already touched down in Israel as the security Cabinet meeting is underway.
Netanyahu recommended Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in resolving the conflict.
He has been nominated by a slew of world leaders who have credited him with diffusing tense and possibly violent conflicts on the global stage.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have all endorsed Trump for the prize. The Pakistani government has already nominated him for next year.
Netanyahu reaffirmed his support on Thursday via a social media post, urging the Nobel committee to “give (Trump) the Nobel Peace Prize — he deserves it!”
Jets GM Darren Mougey off to winless start since leaving Broncos front office
Darren Mougey rose the NFL ranks from a Broncos scouting intern to become Jets general manager.
His past and present collide Sunday in London when the Broncos and Jets meet as teams trending in opposite directions. Denver (3-2) just beat the reigning NFL champion Eagles in Philadelphia. New York (0-5) is still searching for its first win of the Mougey era.
Mougey spent 13 seasons with the Broncos (2012-24), with his final three years as assistant general manager to GM George Paton. The Jets introduced Mougey as their next general manager at a January news conference. He took an aggressive approach in his first year on the job with Aaron Glenn as head coach.
The Jets moved on from future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and signed quarterback Justin Fields on a two-year deal with $40 million. Mougey also secured long-term contracts with cornerback Sauce Gardner ($120.4 million, four years) and wide receiver Garrett Wilson ($130 million, four years).
“I feel really good about the roster right now,” Mougey told Jets media in August after 53-man roster cuts. “Throughout training camp, we were able to evaluate and see the pieces that fit. And add some guys here late at the end. So, I feel really good about the roster today.”
But stabilizing a long-struggling franchise hasn’t happened yet.
The Jets have the unfortunate designation as the last winless NFL team entering Week 6. They’ve been in a few close games — against the Steelers (34-32), Buccaneers (29-21) and Dolphins (27-23) — but proved unable to close any of them out.
“I think I’m handling it as well as you can,” Wilson told Jets media in London on Thursday. “It’s obviously a tough thing to put so much into something, and then to not have a win to show for it at this point, right? When you really break it down on Sunday, it’s a tough thought. … The reality is that we’ve still got a lot in front of us and a lot to prove.”
Mougey expressed confidence in Fields at quarterback after training camp, telling New York media in August: “The command. His leadership. Obviously, (being) named a captain.” Field missed one start with a concussion but has been solid, throwing for 754 yards over four games with four passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and no interceptions.
Wilson is a primary Jets target with one receiving touchdown in four of five games. The No. 10 overall draft pick from 2022 has at least 1,000 yards receiving in all three of his three previous NFL seasons. Wilson is relishing the opportunity to face Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain.
“I think he’s a great, great player, man. Every time I get reps against him, for me, it’s like the game within the game,” Wilson said of Surtain. “The No. 1 thing that I respect about his game is just his feet, man. He truly trusts his feet. I would say that it’s rare that you see that nowadays. The way people teach it nowadays is how to get away with cheating in a way. Nah, this dude is playing defense. It’s really special to see. With that, I feel comfortable going against (defensive backs) like that, and I’ve always embraced the challenge.”
October 8, 2025
Utah violinist’s deportation drama officially over
John Shin was detained for more than two weeks while working a side telecom job at Fort Carson
The deportation saga of Utah violinist John Shin, who was recently detained in Aurora for more than two weeks, ended quietly and happily for Shin and his family on Wednesday when the government essentially dropped its interest in his case.
“That means John is not in deportation proceedings anymore,” South Salt Lake attorney Adam Crayk told the Denver Gazette. “We won entirely. He’s out.”
Shin, a married father of two, was picked up by Department of Homeland Security agents in Colorado Springs on Aug. 20 and taken to the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, where he faced possible imminent deportation. It was his wife’s birthday back in Utah.
“I was in constant panic a little bit every night,” Shin said at a press conference. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen tomorrow or the following day.”
Shin was given one phone call, he said, “and it was one of the worst moments in my life to hear my wife cry on her birthday.”
Shin, who was born in Korea, came to Utah as a child with his father – first on a tourist visa, then a student visa. He earned his master’s degree through the University of Utah Music Program while under DACA protections and was pursuing permanent legal status at the time of his arrest. That’s what brought him to Colorado Springs in August.
Shin, 37, married Denae Snow, a fellow musician and childhood friend in Utah, in 2021. That made Shin both stepfather to and provider for Snow’s two children, now 17 and 12. “With our marriage, we had every reason to believe that John deserves to be here,” she told the Denver Gazette.
Snow was laid off from her software job during the pandemic, and Shin’s performance opportunities similarly dried up. But the couple is required to maintain a financial threshold to support Shin’s bid for legal status through an I-130 visa. So Shin started taking side jobs in telecom. Shin was in Colorado Springs in August to do installs at the Fort Carson U.S. Army post when he was flagged while checking in. That’s because, back in 2019, shortly after his father had died of brain cancer, Shin was arrested for impaired driving.
At his initial court hearing in August, the government argued that Shin’s detention was justified by his impairment arrest, which they said invalidated his DACA protections. They said Shin has had six years since his arrest to obtain the green card made necessary by his arrest, and he hasn’t gotten it done. Crayk says there have been extenuating circumstances.
“His wife lost her job, John was having to put together piecemeal jobs, his father passed away of cancer, and they were in a little bit of financial disrepair,” Crayk said. But also, because of DACA, he added, Shin wasn’t on any kind of clock before the 2024 presidential election.
“Under the former administration, John was in no way, shape or form a priority for removal,” Crayk said.
Violinist John Shin performs with the Utah Symphony. COURTESY UTAH SYMPHONYSupporters from the human-rights and performing-arts communities held daily vigils during his detainment and rallied public support. Shin was released after 15 days on a $25,000 bond, which only meant that his deportation proceedings would shift to Utah.
Crayk immediately filed a petition to terminate the case entirely, which gave the government 30 days to appeal. That window ended Wednesday with no action taken.
That, Crayk said, means the government cannot now pursue deportation. He expects Shin to have his green card in about 16 months.
Why did the government give up the fight? Crayk said he believes it just wanted this particular immigration case to go away.
“I’m really glad that our government didn’t choose to fight this and didn’t waste valuable resources on somebody that is ultimately going to be a green-card holder and a citizen,” Crayk said.
Crayk said that while this ends Shin’s case, it’s far from over for tens of thousands of others. That’s because on Sept. 5, the Board of Immigration Appeals came out with a decision called The Matter of Yajure Hurtado.
“That decision says anybody who came across the border at any time, ever, regardless of having children who are born here, is mandatorily detainable without bond,” Crayk said. “So you could have lived here for 50 years, and now you’re subject to staying in jail for no matter what – and you can’t get out.”
Crayk is in the process of filing lawsuits questioning the constitutionality of that decision in at least three states.
“In the history of immigration law, this is probably the single worst decision I have ever seen since the Japanese internment camps,” he said.
“I’m glad it’s over for John Shin’s case. But there will be more.”
John Moore is the Denver Gazette’s Senior Arts Journalist. Email him at john.moore@denvergazette.com
Denver area events for Oct. 9
If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.
Thursday
Family Promise Annual Warming Ways for Winter Gala & Auction — 5-9 p.m., Cherry Creek Reservoir, The Lake House, 4800 S. Dayton St., Greenwood Village, go online for prices. Registration: tinyurl.com/36u6dbzy.
Yung Lean — 7 p.m., Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St., Denver, $54 and up. Tickets: ticketmaster.com.
The Revivalists — With Wilderado, Hans Williams, 7 p.m., Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, go online for prices. Tickets: axs.com.
The Dead and Down — With Caleb Schwing & the Lil Mamas, 7:30 p.m., Skylark Lounge, 140 S. Broadway, Denver, $18.08. Tickets: skylarklounge.com.
Birdtalker — With Boy Golden, 8 p.m., Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, $32.68. Tickets: axs.com.
Hudson Westbrook — With Jacob Stelly, 8 p.m., Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver, $43.49-$85.41 Tickets: axs.com.
King Falcon — With Liquid Chicken, Redamancy, 8 p.m., The Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues, 1624 Market St., Denver, $19.04. Tickets: theblackbuzzard.com.
Durry — With Gully Boys, 8 p.m., Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood, $36.81-$78.20. Tickets: axs.com.
Bluehouse — With The Speeks, Squash, 8 p.m., Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder, $27.54-$30.63. Tickets: axs.com.
Thursday-Saturday
Michael Rapaport — 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 6:30 and 8:45 p.m. Friday, 6 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Comedy Works South at the Landmark, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village, $30-$40. Tickets: comedyworks.com.
Moshe Kasher — 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7 and 9:15 p.m. Friday, 6:30 and 8:45 p.m. Saturday, Comedy Works Downtown in Larimer Square, 1226 15th St., Denver, $20-$35. Tickets: comedyworks.com.
Great American Beer Festival — Explore America’s best breweries and discover new beers, Denver, go online for prices. Tickets: greatamericanbeerfestival.com.
CARLOTTA OLSON, The Denver Gazette
