Angela Rae Harris's Blog, page 12

Supreme Court is skeptical of Colorado’s ‘conversion therapy’ ban

Supreme Court justices grilled lawyers for Colorado on Tuesday over the state’s argument that counselors giving talk therapy should be subjected to the same medical regulations as doctors and therefore do not accrue First Amendment protections.

In Chiles v. Salazar, the justices heard a case involving Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor in Colorado, who claims that the state’s law banning “conversion therapy” unlawfully censors her ability to speak with children and families who seek her out by prohibiting her from trying to dissuade the minors from changing their gender identities or sexual orientations.

Chiles argued that the law violates her free speech rights, while Colorado defended it as regulating healthcare — a contention the justices appeared skeptical of during oral arguments.

Justice Clarence Thomas opened the questioning of Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson by asking why licensed counselors, such as Chiles, are subject to the restrictions, while ministers and life coaches are not.

“It is the relationship between a healthcare provider and the patient that establishes this special context,” Stevenson said. “If you go to a life coach, or you go to someone else, they’re not licensed by the state, you’re not expecting them to be complying with standards of care. You have a different expectation.”

Justice Elena Kagan later questioned Colorado’s argument in favor of holding counselors offering talk therapy and doctors offering medical advice to the same standards.

“When you’re going to see a licensed healthcare professional, who owes you fiduciary duties, your expectations are different,” she added. “You’re expecting information that is complying with the standard of care and not expecting the practitioner to just be exercising their right to say whatever they want to say.”

“Are you saying that there’s no distinction between what we’re dealing with here and the range of things that a doctor can tell you in her office about what kind of care is appropriate for any particular condition?” Kagan asked — to which Stevenson responded that, in Colorado’s view, there is not “any distinction.”

Justice Samuel Alito also said the Colorado law “looks like blatant viewpoint discrimination.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson questioned why the Colorado law should be struck down while the court upheld a different measure from Tennessee that bans transition-related treatments for transgender kids.

“I’m just, from a very, very broad perspective, concerned about making sure that we have equivalence with respect to these things,” she said.

The Justice Department countered that Tennessee’s law is different because it involves medical treatments, rather than conversations between a patient and their therapist.

Tuesday’s case marked the first major arguments of the new term. Other significant cases include challenges to President Donald Trump’s tariffs policy and race-based redistricting. The court is also expected to hear a case this term over which sports teams transgender athletes can join.

Chiles contended her approach is different from the kind of conversion therapy once associated with practices like shock therapy decades ago. She said she believes “people flourish when they live consistently with God’s design, including their biological sex.”

Her attorneys argued the Colorado ban makes it difficult for parents to find a therapist willing to work on gender identity — unless the counseling specifically affirms transition.

“Ms. Chiles is being silenced, and the kids and families who want her help are unable to access it,” said attorney James Campbell.

Violating the law carries potential fines of $5,000 and license suspension or even revocation.

As defined in a 2019 Colorado law, “conversion therapy” is a practice or treatment by a licensed physician aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or their gender identity, or to otherwise eliminate feelings of attraction toward members of the same sex.

In late 2022, a trial judge declined to grant a preliminary injunction blocking the law. U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney found the state was within its rights to prohibit specific treatment by those who obtain a professional license.

Last year, by 2-1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit agreed the law is a regulation on professional conduct that only “incidentally” affected speech. Meanwhile, the dissenting judge, Harris L Hartz, believed the state is effectively regulating Chiles’ speech and cast doubt on the scientific consensus against “conversion therapy.”

It’s not the first Colorado case implicating religion, speech and LGBTQ issues that has been litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case Masterpiece Cakeshop involved a Christian baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The Supreme Court didn’t answer the question of whether Colorado’s non-discrimination law unconstitutionally infringed on the baker’s exercise of his religious beliefs.

In another case, 303 Creative, the court addressed whether a Christian website designer could decline to create wedding websites for same-sex couples and advertise that restriction accordingly. The majority determined the plaintiff’s expressive activity is protected by the First Amendment.

The Arizona-based legal organization that litigated those cases is also litigating Chiles.

The high court is expected to release its decision in Chiles sometime before the end of June 2026.

Roybal-Smith denied bail in connection with Aurora double homicide

A man accused of fatally stabbing two men over 100 times in Aurora in late June was denied bail by an Adams County Judge Tuesday afternoon.

Ricky Roybal-Smith, 38, was arrested by Denver police in connection with a hit-and-run crash while under the influence of drugs on June 29. Investigators later named him the suspect in a pair of fatal stabbings that took place in Aurora earlier that morning. 

The stabbings, which occurred within a half mile and one hour of each other in the early hours of June 29, claimed the lives of Jesse Schafer and Scott Davenport, Aurora Police Department Det. Thomas Starz testified while on the stand during Roybal-Smith’s preliminary hearing Tuesday.

During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors present evidence to a judge to determine if there’s enough to send a defendant to trial on criminal charges.

Roybal-Smith is no stranger to the criminal justice system, as court records show he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a vehicular assault-DUI charge in 2016 before being arrested again for threatening a family with a knife at an Englewood Walmart in 2022. He also is suspected of killing his Denver Sheriffs Office Downtown Detention Center cellmate, Vincent Chacon, the night after his arrest — though charges have yet to be filed in that case. 

Surveillance footage of the stabbings published in court Tuesday by the prosecution — made up of 17th Judicial District Deputy District Attorneys David Ortiz and Jennifer Prince — captured Roybal-Smith at a 7Eleven store in the 1200 block of East Colfax Avenue around 12:30 a.m. that night. While inside, the man bought a bottle of water using a debit card that did not have a registered subscriber but was connected to a phone number matching that of a phone later found in Roybal-Smith’s possession, prosecutors said.

The appearance of the suspect in the videos also matched that of Roybal-Smith, Starz added, including the tattoos on his left hand and under his left eye.

After stopping at the store, surveillance footage then showed the suspect walking to and standing at a bus stop along Colfax Avenue for several minutes before he again started walking, this time in the direction of another stop along Peoria Street. That was where where he met up with Davenport.

The footage continued to show the suspect walking behind the bus stop — out of the view of drivers on Peoria — before Davenport followed him a few moments after. The ensuing footage was partially obstructed by a construction fence but depicts Davenport kneeling in front of the suspect before his body disappears from sight. 

The suspect can then be seen bending in and out of frame for the next few minutes of footage before he walks away. Davenport’s body was not seen on camera again after he initially disappeared.

Starz said that investigators believe Davenport was killed in that location around 12:45 a.m. His body was found about six hours later, with 90 stab wounds in his back.

After footage catches the suspect again walking past the same 7Eleven, he’s then seen walking alongside a parking lot in the 1500 block of North Moline Street joined by another man, whom prosecutors believe to be Scheffer. The two were then seen walking behind a row of bushes lining the parking lot when a fight broke out between the two of them.

The two tangled for a bit before the camera captured the suspect running away from the area. Scheffer was later found to have died from the 15 stab wounds he suffered to his chest, back and face, prosecutors said.

During cross examination, the defense — consisting of Public Defenders Amanda Miller, Nicole Kleiman-Moran and Lochlin Rosen — noted the lack of direct evidence connecting Roybal-Smith to the twin stabbings and highlighted that investigators had identified a few other potential suspects, but had not fully followed up with them as the investigation continued.

The defense also pointed the judge’s attention to an anonymous phone call the APD received that alleged the two incidents were connected and the suspect was someone other than Roybal-Smith. Starz said that, for various reasons, investigators determined that those leads were not as strong as the footage connecting Roybal-Smith to the crimes.

17th Judicial District Judge Brett Martin sided with the prosecution, determining that there was enough evidence to establish both probable cause and a great presumption of guilt, both needed to justify holding Roybal-Smith without bail.

After a break, Rosen requested a sequestration of the press, a Martin denied. The defense also declined to identify themselves and spell their names correctly to a Denver Gazette reporter after court was adjourned.

Roybal-Smith’s arraignment, where he is scheduled to enter a plea and a trial date could be set, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Evaluating Denver Nuggets’ key newcomers’ preseason performances | NBA Insider

Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets locker room:

NBA Insider

There’s still a couple of weeks for things to change, but the four newcomers in Denver’s first and second unit seem to have pretty clearly defined roles.

Here’s what the one new starter and three second-unit additions have shown throughout the final minutes of a training-camp scrimmage the media was allowed to watch and two preseason games:

Cam Johnson

The Nuggets’ new starting small forward got a crash course is playing alongside Nikola Jokic in Denver’s second preseason game. Jokic had the ball along the baseline on the right side of the court and fired a no-look pass the length of the baseline to Johnson in the opposite corner. The pass was a little off target, but Johnson was open enough he had time to regain his balance after reaching to make the catch and go up for an uncontested look. Johnson misfired, but his made 3-pointer earlier in the first quarter shows what he brings to the group.

Johnson initiated a pick-and-roll with Jokic in the first 30 seconds of the game. With a help defender preventing a driving finish and two defenders and Jokic behind the ball, Johnson kicked the ball to Peyton Watson in the right corner and relocated to the 3-point line. Watson’s drive occupied Toronto’s scrambling defense, and Johnson drained an uncontested 3 from the right wing to open the scoring. He finished 1 of 3 from 3 but made all three of his shots inside the arc, finishing 11 points and four rebounds in 20 minutes of playing time. The Nuggets won those minutes by 23 points, the best mark on the team.

It was a welcome development after a quiet debut, but Johnson’s a natural fit with the rest of Denver’s starting five. Johnson’s basketball IQ should help expedite the process of developing chemistry. As long as that’s the case, Denver’s starting five will again be one of the league’s best.

Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) goes to the basket during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Saturday, in San Diego. (The Associated Press)

Jonas Valanciunas

It hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been more than good enough to feel like the Nuggets have finally found their backup center.

Valanciunas’ assist to Julian Strawther in Denver’s preseason debut should’ve opened some eyes. Strawther passed to Valanciunas at the top of the key, curled around the big man and cut to the hoop. Valanciunas, palming the ball in his right hand, needled a pass through traffic to Strawther right in front of the rim for a three-point play. Valanciunas has also shown he can run dribble-handoffs in the training camp scrimmage and two preseason games. He’s made 5 of 9 shots from the field through two games. Valanciunas, a nearly 80% free-throw shooter for his career went just 2 of 5 from the line Tuesday. The only real concern is his seven turnovers in 26 minutes of playing time.

Regardless of the growing pains with a new team, the last time the Nuggets had a backup center with the size and skill set to help there be some continuity in style of play when Jokic was on the court, it was the short time DeMarcus Cousins spent in Denver. Valanciunas might not be in Denver beyond this season, but his addition elevates the Nuggets’ championship chances.

Toronto Raptors’ Gradey Dick, center left, and Denver Nuggets’ Bruce Brown, center right, vie for the ball during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday. (The Associated Press)

Bruce Brown

The second stint looks enough like the first through two games.

Brown’s energy and activity on the defensive end should be a perfect fit should Denver play the more aggressive brand of defense they talked about at training camp. He’s been disruptive with four steals and three blocks in two games off the bench.

The offense has been a mixed bag. He handled pressure well enough and hit a jumper but had one floater blocked and missed another in Saturday’s loss to the Timberwolves. He was more efficient inside the arc Monday but committed four turnovers in 18 minutes against the Raptors.

There’s been a lot of talk about Peyton Watson’s improved ability on the ball, but running the second unit will remain one of Brown’s most important roles. The Nuggets faced a lot of pressure to start the preseason, and Brown was far from the only player struggling to take care of the ball in the win over the Raptors.

As long as the defensive energy is consistent and the responsibility with the ball grows with the second unit’s chemistry, Brown will be well-positioned to hold off Jalen Pickett’s push for playing time.

Denver Nuggets forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) takes a free throw during the first half of a preseason NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Saturday, in San Diego. (The Associated Press)

Tim Hardaway Jr.

The veteran wing hasn’t done what he was brought to Denver to do just yet, but the approach is encouraging.

Hardaway, a 36% 3-point shooter over his 12-year NBA career, is 1 for 7 from deep to start preseason. The encouraging part is he’s kept shooting. After missing both his attempts against Minnesota, Hardaway got five more 3s up Monday. He’s 2 of 10 from the field in total.

The most-senior Nugget had an impressive finish for a three-point play off a dribble-handoff set with Valanciunas and dove for a loose ball in the scrimmage at training camp. The three assists and two rebounds he recorded in the opener show he’s capable of contributing even when the shot isn’t falling at its usual rate.

If the Nuggets run a nine-man rotation, Hardaway and Julian Strawther will likely be in competition for the final spot in the nightly rotation, and that could very well come down to who is making shots and providing space for the rest of the second unit to operate.

What I’m Thinking

David Adelman can do us all a favor and use Denver’s lone preseason home game as a dress rehearsal.

The Nuggets have had an interesting preseason schedule, opening the five-game slate in San Diego. That was convenient on two fronts – it was the site of the Nuggets’ training camp, and the game was held at Pechanga Arena. The Kroenke Group just so happens to be invested in the redevelopment of what was formerly known as the San Diego Sports Arena. The Nuggets then traveled to Vancouver to participate in the NBA’s Canada Series. True road games against the Clippers and Thunder leave Tuesday’s game against the Bulls as local fans’ only chance to score some cheap tickets to see the home team before prices and demand increase in the regular season.

It would be more than a nice gesture to the home fans. The Clippers and Thunder are among the top threats in Denver’s path back to the Finals. The same cannot be said of the Bulls. It makes the most sense to use the only game at Ball Arena as the truest tune of the preseason.

What They’re Saying

DaRon Holmes II hasn’t been part of the second unit through two preseason games, but he got some props for stepping up in the final four minutes of Monday’s win in Vancouver. Holmes hit both of the 3s he attempted – one that tied the game with 3:26 left and another that put the Nuggets up six with 41 seconds left – and grabbed a couple of defensive rebounds in fewer than five minutes of playing time.

“Way to be ready to play, man,” Adelman said in the postgame locker room. “When I put you in the game, you were ready to play. I thought everybody in here, when we put you in, again, you took advantage of your opportunity. That’s all that matters. All this is, is opportunity.”

Victor Wembanyama was asked about remaining unselfish after the Spurs’ preseason opener. He shared an outlook that should scare the rest of the NBA.

“There are some shots … I could make with my eyes closed, but that was to get one of my teammates a shot he can make in his sleep,” Wembanyama said after San Antonio’s exhibition against the Loong Lions.

“We have 24 seconds to find the best solution offensively. This is what we’re trying to do, because this is what great teams do.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick was not among those sweating LeBron James’ “decision,” which turned out to be an advertisement on Tuesday morning.

“I think most people that text me are also aware that it was probably an ad,” Redick said. “Nobody was freaking out.”

What I’m Following

The vibes in Milwaukee to start the season could certainly be better. Superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo missed media day, as he was stuck in Greece with COVID. Bucks governor Wes Edens made it sound like everything was copacetic in the Cream City, saying Antetokounmpo was committed to staying with the Bucks. Antetokounmpo couldn’t remember that interaction during his online media availability. Then came Tuesday’s report Antetokounmpo was open to playing to the New York Knicks if the two teams could reach an agreement in the offseason. The Bucks better get off to a good start or the outside noise could become quite the distraction.NBA commissioner said the Intuit Dome’s status as home of this season’s All-Star festivities is not at stake as the league continues to investigate possible salary-cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard’s endorsement deal with Aspiration.

DPS board candidates spar over trust and transparency at forum

While candidates will say every election is consequential, the four seats on the ballot next month could reshape the Denver Public Schools Board of Education and chart a new course for Colorado’s largest school district.

On Tuesday, EDUCATE Denver held a candidate forum along with ChalkBeat Colorado and CBS News at Regis University.

“We think leadership at the board level impacts the education of our students,” said Nan Baumbusch, EDUCATE Denver staff director.

Formed in 2022, EDUCATE Denver is a diverse coalition of civic leaders and community organizations whose mission is to advocate for a “high-quality DPS education,” according to the group’s website.

“For this reason, voting in a board election is important whether you have a student in DPS or not,” Baumbusch said.

EDUCATE Denver does not make political endorsements.

More than 100 people registered for Tuesday’s event.

Among the first questions asked during a 45-minute debate between the two candidates running for the at-large seat being vacated by Director Scott Esserman was to rate the job Superintendent Alex Marrero is doing.

“Overall, he’s missing it,” said Alex Magaña, who is the executive principal of Beacon Network Schools, when it comes to safety and the achievement gap.

The forum held four separate debates for each of these seats open for the election. Moderators asked the candidates similar questions about the student achievement gap, school safety, Marrero’s performance and whether his contract should have been extended early.

Thirteen candidates are vying for a seat this election.

Samari Royal Jelks Sr., who filed to run for the at-large seat held by Esserman, said he has withdrawn from the race, but remains listed as a candidate on the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. Deborah Sims Fard, who running for the at-large seat, dropped out, according to organizers.

With four of the seven seats up for grabs, voters could do what they were unable to do two years ago: flip the board.

Although voters elected three new candidates — Directors John Youngquist, Kimberlee Sia, and Vice President Marlene De La Rosa — only two have consistently broken with the board majority on controversial issues.

Frustrations are still simmering in the community over school closures, low test scores and transparency.

The election two years ago took place just eight months after a student shot two administrators at East High School, raising safety concerns and the community’s ire.   

A Keating Research poll released a month before the 2023 election found 71% of likely Denver voters held an unfavorable opinion of the school board.  

The sentiment has only worsened with time.

In April, a Keating Research poll found that the dissatisfaction has only deepened with just 22% of voters holding a favorable opinion of the board. The survey also found 89% of respondents were concerned about access to a quality public education.

“Voters and families are sounding the alarm,” Clarence Burton Jr., CEO of Denver Families Action, said in a statement at the time. “They want leaders who will restore trust in the system, who focus on solutions, and who put the right to a great public education above politics and infighting.”

Denver Families Action, the political arm of Denver Families for Public Schools, spent more than $1 million on the campaign two years ago to elect Youngquist, Sia and De La Rosa.

When Denver Families for Public Schools launched as a nonprofit organization in 2021, its board consisted of local charter school leaders.

In 2023, voters rejected the incumbents running, Directors Scott Baldermann (District 1) and Lindsay Charmaine (District 5). Board Vice President Auon’tai M. Anderson dropped out of the race for an unsuccessful run for the Colorado House.

The Denver Classroom Teachers Association had endorsed the incumbents. This election cycle, the teachers’ union has only endorsed one incumbent: Xóchitl Gaytán (District 2).

Typically, a teachers’ union endorsement holds greater sway.

A report that examined the effect of teacher union endorsements on voter support found union-endorsed candidates win school board races about 70% of the time.

Local school boards exert tremendous influence ranging from the billions in district spending each year to the effect policy decisions can have on shaping student outcomes.

Federal shutdown spurs Denver airport delays

The shutdown of the federal government has begun to palpably affect the country’s airports, including at Denver International Airport, which is seeing staffing shortages, according to officials.

By Monday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration was reporting that staffing shortages were creating delays at DIA, as well as airports in California and New Jersey.

Denver International Airport officials anticipate that more than 938,000 passengers will travel through airport checkpoints between Oct. 9 and Oct. 20, a 5.5% increase over the same time period in 2024.

Lawmakers, meanwhile, continue to disagree on funding the federal government, forcing air traffic controllers and other essential federal employees to work without pay.

More than 13,000 air traffic controllers are expected to continue working during the shutdown, according to U.S. Department of Transportation documents, and they are set to miss their first paycheck on Oct. 14.

In the meantime, some air traffic controllers have been calling in sick.

At a news conference on Monday in Newark, New Jersey, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the FAA is already seeing “a slight uptick” in controllers calling out sick since the federal shutdown began on Oct. 1.

Travelers walk through the terminal at Denver International Airport on Tuesday. (Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)

Whenever the situation worsens and creates a shortage of controllers, the FAA restricts the number of takeoffs and landings to ensure controllers aren’t overwhelmed and the system remains safe. 

“Our priorities are safety, and so if we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people,” Duffy said. 

This creates delays and, in some cases, cancellations. 

Ground Delay Program at Denver International Airport (DEN) due to STAFFING / STAFFING. This is causing some arriving flights to be delayed an average of 39 minutes..#DEN #FAA #AirportDelays

[2025-10-06 18:45 UTC]

— Air Traffic Control Alerts (@ATCAlerts) October 6, 2025

The worst problems occurred in Burbank, where California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that no controllers were on duty during the evening, resulting in flight delays of two and a half hours at that airport.

On Monday, FlightAware, a popular flight tracking app, reported that more than 4,000 flights in U.S. airspace were delayed, including 29% of arriving flights at Denver. In some cases, the weather and airport surface construction may have also contributed to the flight delays.

Denver airport officials said they recommend that passengers check with their airlines for updates and arrive at the airport at least two hours before their scheduled boarding time.

Travelers head through security at Denver International Airport on Tuesday. (Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)

The Transportation Department has been able to keep the Air Traffic Controller Academy in Oklahoma City open for now with funding from previous years. But Duffy said he is still concerned about the potential impact on efforts to hire and train new controllers to solve a longstanding shortage. 

Duffy said the support staff who train controllers after they graduate from the academy could be laid off.

Union extends a firm warning

Union officials have warned air traffic controllers that organized “sickouts” will not be tolerated. 

Sickouts are not official union actions, but rather the actions of individual controllers taking sick days.

“We must be clear, NATCA does not condone any coordinated activity that disrupts the National Airspace System or damages our reputation,” National Air Traffic Controllers Association Vice President Mick Devine said. “Such actions are illegal, risk your careers and destroy our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families.”

A statement on the NATCA website added a warning, stating that participating in such activities is not only illegal but also “could result in removal from federal service.”

Airline vows to keep servicing rural Colorado

While larger airports will likely suffer delays as long as the shutdown lingers, money from a program that is helping smaller airports in Colorado and elsewhere will run out on Sunday.

The Essential Air Service (EAS) program is a federal initiative that subsidizes airline service to smaller, rural communities, ensuring access to the national transportation network and vital services, such as medical care and economic opportunities.

Travelers check in for their flights at kiosks in the terminal at Denver International Airport on Tuesday. (Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)

“That money runs out this Sunday,” Duffy said. “So, there’s many small communities across the country that will now no longer have the resources to make sure they have air service in their community.” 

U.S. DOT documents said three airports in Colorado receive EAS funding and use Denver-based Denver Air Connection to provide services: 

San Luis Valley Regional Airport in Alamosa Cortez Municipal Airport in Cortez Pueblo Memorial Airport in Pueblo

The subsidies incentivize airline carriers to operate routes that are not economically viable for airlines to fly on their own.

A Denver Air Connection spokesperson said the company plans to continue normal operations at all of its EAS stations, nationwide, “even if appropriated funding runs out.”

“Denver Air Connection wishes to assure all our partner communities and guests that we have no intention of suspending service or cancelling flights,” stated Jon Coleman, the airline’s senior vice president for strategy and business development. “We understand how important these flights are for our passengers. For the foreseeable future, all DAC flights will operate as scheduled.”

Gred Pedroza, Pueblo Memorial Airport director of aviation, lauded Denver Air Connection for its commitment to continue its service, keeping residents and travelers connected to Denver International Airport.

“Denver Air Connection will still fly according to their press release, and they will do so at risk, which means, you know, they’re going to be doing it without the added subsidy,” Pedroza told The Denver Gazette on Tuesday.

Pedroza added that Transportation Security Administration agents, as well as the airport’s air traffic controllers, must report to work amid the shutdown.

Duffy said that the long-standing EAS program enjoys bipartisan support and is “an important program, but we don’t have the money for that moving forward.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

As new apartments arrive at Fiddler’s, Portland developer doubles down on south I-25 corridor

A football field’s length from center stage at Fiddler’s Green in Greenwood Village, a Portland-based developer is seeing the first move-ins for 337 luxury apartments it completed earlier this summer, just across the street from the amphitheater.

The developer describes the Avant as the “ultimate live-work-play experience … blending urban convenience with suburban comfort.” It offers starting prices from $1,800 for a one-bedroom, one-bath plan that ranges in size from 558 to 745 square feet.

But numbers of those units are luxury-sized 2-bedroom/2-bath plans from $3,400, and 3-bedroom/3-bath plans, just under 1,700 square feet, from $5,000 monthly.

Largest amphitheater

Fiddler’s Green, the project’s prominent landmark, is by far the largest outdoor amphitheater in the metro Denver area, seating some 17,000-to-18,000 concert goers, almost twice the capacity of the City of Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheater, which seats 9,525. (Empower Field at Mile High and Coors Field can each seat much larger concert crowds.) 

But just as important to the project’s success is the very close access to large employment-base offices at Denver Tech Center locations in the broader Greenwood Plaza corporate area that has grown around Fiddler’s, including Fidelity Investments. In that area, west of I-25 between Orchard Road and Arapahoe Road, the city limit between Centennial and Greenwood Village meanders between individual properties.

Some campuses, like Fiddler’s itself, lie in Greenwood Village (Plaza Tower One and Fiddlers Green Center), while others like Avant itself are just across the line into the city of Centennial.

A music lounge at Avant includes an outdoor listening patio where one could listen in on concerts across the street at Fiddler’s Green. (Credit Schnitzer West)

Joint-venturing the Avant project with Schnitzer West is Mitsui Fudosan America, Inc., a subsidiary of Japan’s largest real estate company, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. — described as a publicly-traded company with approximately $65.2 billion in assets.

The Avant project fits the description of a “transit-oriented development,” lying a relatively short walk from the Regional Transportation District’s Arapahoe Light Rail Station on the E and F Lines to downtown. TOD development has been a priority of the city of Denver and RTD for two decades, as a means for meeting increased housing demand while keeping down vehicle congestion.

Although the developer declined to provide specific numbers on the lease-up of the five-story apartment, another source familiar with commercial real estate in DTC told The Denver Gazette that less than 20% of units had been leased as of this week.

Interest in larger floorplans

“Leasing activity has been strong since opening earlier this year,” Schnitzer’s Luke Schroeder, senior investment and development manager, replied in a written statement to The Denver Gazette, following requests for information on sales.

“We’re seeing steady demand across floor plans, with particular interest in larger homes and those offering mountain or city views. Overall, leasing is tracking right in line with our expectations.”

Promotional copy on behalf of Schnitzer describes Avant’s location across from the amphitheater as ideally situated.

“Residents are just a short walk from the growing Arapahoe Entertainment District, home to dining, shopping and entertainment destinations such as Comedy Works South, Shanahan’s Steakhouse and Pindustry.”

Shanahan’s Steakhouse on East Belleview Avenue at Interstate 25 is actually two miles from the site and Comedy Club is a mile-and-a-half. But Pindustry, a popular rooftop entertainment venue that offers food, cocktails, music and other entertainment, shows as a 15-minute walk. It has emerged as a prominent offering in what is being branded as the Greenwood Entertainment District, with burgeoning dining and other attractions along Arapahoe Road that are walkable from the new apartments.

The economic development group Denver South said that the surrounding corridor along south I-25 has an outsized presence in the state’s economy. At a recent conference, Denver South President & CEO David Worley told attendees that the corridor houses 5% of Colorado’s population but offers 8.3% of its jobs and 11% of the state’s gross regional product.

Avoid barriers to ownership

Asked why the Avant was developed for luxury rentals rather than for-sale condos, Schnitzer’s Schroeder replied “we saw a real opportunity to create something special in the rental market.

“Denver continues to show strong demand from professionals who want flexibility, great design, and a walkable, connected lifestyle without facing the high barriers of entry currently associated with ownership,” he added.

Pool deck at Avant (Courtesy photo, Schnitzer West)

“The pricing reflects the quality of the design, the finishes, and the overall experience we’ve created here,” Schroeder said.

He noted that in addition to the location, renters are provided a rooftop pool and lounge, a fitness and wellness center, wine lockers, and “comfortable gathering spaces that highlight the building’s city and mountain views.”

Listening patio

Residents are also provided an outdoor listening patio where they can listen in on the live music drifting over from Fiddler’s, Schroeder noted.

“Leasing across Denver’s Southeast market has been resilient despite recent elevated supply, especially for well-located properties that offer a great living experience,” Schroeder told The Denver Gazette.

“We’ve seen new communities open around the city, but The Avant’s positioning really stands out,” he added. His reply also cited the location’s access to Cherry Creek Schools as an attraction for the project.

Meanwhile, Schroeder said that Schnitzer West has plans for two complementary projects, each similarly close to Fiddler’s, both in the predevelopment phase.

Westray would be a “hospitality-inspired office project designed to encourage collaboration and connection.” The Rider would be an eight-story mixed-use project that would add another 368 residential units along with ground-floor retail.

Ongoing investment

“Together, they represent Schnitzer West’s ongoing investment in the future of this corridor,” Schroeder said.

In its promotional materials, Schnitzer West LLC describes itself as a leading real estate investment, development and property management company in the Seattle and Denver markets.

It cites a development history of over 12.5 million square feet of office, flex, industrial and bio-tech space, and 1,250 units of luxury multifamily residential in Seattle, Portland, and Denver. It also includes an Asset Operations group and has a portfolio of office holdings around Fiddler’s Green.

What to Stream: John Candy and Victoria Beckham documentaries, Battlefield 6 and ‘Family Guy’

Documentaries on comedian John Candy and pop artist-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham as well as a “Family Guy” Halloween special are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Keira Knightley stars as a journalist in “The Woman in Cabin 10,” Electronic Arts is ready to get back in the fight with the game Battlefield 6 and hip-hop group Mobb Deep will release “Infinite,” their ninth and final album.

New movies to stream from Oct. 6-12

— More than 30 years after his death at age 43, John Candy might be even more beloved than he was during his all-to-short career. “John Candy: I Like Me” (Friday on Prime Video), a documentary directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, is a kind of eulogy and tribute to the actor of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Uncle Buck” and “Stripes.” The film, made with the cooperation of the Candy family, includes many famous faces, from Bill Murray to Mel Brooks.

– In “The Woman in Cabin 10” (Friday on Netflix), Keira Knightley stars as a journalist aboard a luxury yacht for an assignment. In the middle of the night, she sees a woman go overboard, but the ship has no record of her, and no one believes her. Simon Stone, who directed 2021’s underrated “The Dig,” directs this thriller, based on Ruth Ware’s bestselling novel.

— It being October, just about everything streaming service has by now trotted out their best horror offerings. By why mess around when you can go to the source? Or, at least, one of the richest B-movie legacies of synths and scares? In Directed by John Carpenter, the Criterion Channel gathers some of the filmmaker’s most vivid nightmares, including “The Fog,” “Escape Form New York” and “They Live.”

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

New music to stream from Oct. 6-12

— Mobb Deep hath returned. On Friday, the hardcore New York hip-hop duo will release “Infinite,” their ninth and final album and first since the death of Prodigy in 2017. It features P’s distinctive flow on a few posthumous tracks, produced by his other half Havoc and their frequent musical collaborator, the Alchemist. It’s clearly a labor of love.

— Indie fans might remember the upcoming and coming folk-rocker Avery Tucker from his previous project, the primitive punk duo Girlpool. His debut album, “Paw,” out Friday, couldn’t be further from that material — but both lead with the heart. Start with “Big Drops,” “Like I’m Young,” “Malibu,” and the ascendant closer “My Life Isn’t Leaving You.” The album was co-produced by A. G. Cook, the hyperpop virtuoso best known to many as one of Charli XCX’s “Brat” collaborators. This is not a release for the club, but it one that grows and grows more bodily with each listen.

— It has been six years since Jay Som, the project of multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Melina Duterte, released a new album. On Friday, the wait is over. “Belong” is an expansion of her once nascent talents, a rush of electro-synths, punk-pop and other variously nostalgic indie genres, presented in a new way. Perhaps it has a little something to do with how Duterte has spent the last few years: ranking up production credits on a number of beloved albums, including the Grammy-winning boygenius’ “The Record” and Lucy Dacus’ “Forever Is A Feeling.”

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

New series to stream from Oct. 6-12

— It’s spooky season and “Family Guy” has a new Halloween special debuted Monday on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. The episode, titled “A Little Fright Music,” features Brian and Stewie’s attempt to write a hit Halloween song and Peter learning about the dangers of lying about trick-or-treating.

— David Beckham’s 2023 Netflix docuseries was both an Emmy Award winner and internet fodder thanks to a scene where he repeatedly told his wife Victoria to “be honest” about her family’s economic status as a child. It’s only fitting that the filmmakers turned their sights on her next and she agreed. “Victoria Beckham” is a three-part docuseries launching Thursday on Netflix. Viewers will see the former pop star-turned-fashion designer share her story — and it’s TBD whether David weighs in.

— On the subject of Emmys, Kathy Bates didn’t win this year for best actress in a drama series as predicted for her work on “Matlock.” The award instead went to Britt Lower for “Severance.” You can still watch the performance that got Bates nominated though when the show begins streaming its second season Friday on Paramount+. A third season of “Elsbeth” will also begin streaming then, too.

— Tubi debuts another docuseries Friday that also follows a celebrity but this one’s on the come-up. “Always, Lady London” features the rising rapper, Lady London, as she records her first album and gets ready to go on tour.

— Alicia Rancilio

New video games to play from Oct. 6-12

— When it comes to video-game warfare, there are two superpowers: Call of Duty and Battlefield. The latter hit a rough patch with its last major installment, 2021’s Battlefield 2042, but Electronic Arts is ready to get back in the fight with Battlefield 6. You are part of an elite Marine squad trying to stop a private military corporation in a single-player campaign that bounces around the globe. There’s plenty of gut-wrenching infantry combat, but you also get to drive tanks and fly helicopters and fighter jets. And there will be the usual assortment of multiplayer mayhem, including the new Escalation mode, in which the territory shrinks every time a team captures a control point. Take up arms Friday, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

— Bandai Namco’s Little Nightmares games specialize in the kind of things that terrified when you were a kid, presenting them in a gloomy yet vivid world reminiscent of Tim Burton’s stop-motion animation. Little Nightmares III promises more of the same, with one major addition: You can now confront your night terrors with a friend in co-op play. One of you gets a bow and arrow, while the other uses a wrench to fix things or clobber enemies. Britain’s Supermassive Games, the studio that has taken over the series, is known for horror gems like Until Dawn and The Quarry, so don’t expect pleasant dreams. The haunting begins Friday on PlayStation 5/4, Xbox X/S/One, Switch and PC.

England native Bobby Howfield, a pioneer soccer-style kicker in 1960s, keeps low profile as Broncos play in London

Bobby Howfield no longer pays any attention to the Broncos, his former team. He has lived the past two years at Brookdale Senior Living in Highlands Ranch and hasn’t watched a Denver game in person or on television this century.

But on Sunday, his son Ian Howfield will make sure his father, 88, is up at 7:30 a.m. and tuned in when the Broncos’ game against the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London kicks off.

“We’re definitely going down there and making sure we’ll watch it all together,’’ said Ian, who plans to drive with his wife Lisa from their home in Grand Junction.

So why is it important for Howfield to watch this game played in England? The soccer-style kicker 57 years ago became the first player to come directly from Great Britain to play pro football in the United States and suited up for the Broncos from 1968-70. And the game is between his two former teams.

Kicker Bobby Howfield, who played for the Denver Broncos from 1968-70, with an attempt from the hold of wide receiver Mike Haffner. (Photo courtesy of Denver Broncos)

Howfield is a native of Watford, which is outside of London. He was a soccer star in England’s Premier League who was found during a kicker tryout there and eventually made his debut with the Broncos during a season in which he turned 32.

The Broncos were in the AFL during Howfield’s first two seasons before entering the NFL in 1970. After that season, he was traded to the Jets, kicking for them from 1971-74.

“It was just a game for me, just a way to make a living. That’s it,’’ Howfield said at Brookdale about his football career.

Ian Howfield, also a former NFL kicker, said his father was diagnosed with dementia last year and has “good and bad days” with his memory. Howfield is in the Brookdale memory care program that is paid by the “NFL 88” plan for pension-vested players with diagnoses of dementia, ALS or Parkinson’s disease.

Howfield is grateful for the help from the league but hasn’t paid attention to any NFL games for several decades.

“I’m not interested,’’ Howfield said. “I don’t watch it anymore. … Once you get to the stage (of playing in the NFL), you didn’t want to be around it anymore.”

Nevertheless, Howfield is regarded as one of pioneers in an era long before all kickers in pro football would be sidewinders.

Bobby Howfield, left, walks down the hallway from his room with his son, Ian Michael Howfield, at a retirement home in Highlands Ranch on July 31. (Stephen Swofford, Denver Gazette)

In 1964, Pete Gogolak, a native of Hungary who moved to the United States in 1956, became the first soccer-style kicker with the Buffalo Bills in the AFL. He later jumped to the NFL with the New York Giants, kicking for them from 1966-74.

Gogolak soon was followed by some other soccer-style kickers, with his brother Charlie Gogolak, joining the Washington Redskins in 1966; Cyprus native Garo Yepremian first kicking for the Detroit Lions in 1966; and Norwegian Jan Stenerud joining the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967 and eventually making the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

With the success of these players, then-Chiefs coach Hank Stram went to England in 1968 to find possible kickers to come to the United States. Howfield said until then he had never heard of American football.

“My dad was sitting in a pub with a bunch of buddies and heard about it,’’ said Ian, 59, a graduate of Columbine High School who kicked in the NFL for the Houston Oilers in 1991 and later became a star in the Arena Football League. “They made a bet with him that he couldn’t make it, and my dad said, ‘All right, I’ll go.”’

Ian, born in 1966 in Watford, was 2 at the time. He is well versed in his father’s history. The bet apparently was for a pint of beer.

Bobby Howfield when he was a forward for Fulham in England’s Premier League from 1963-65. Howfield went on to be an NFL kicker from 1968-74, including spending 1968-70 with the Denver Broncos. (Photo courtesy of Ian Howfield)

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Howfield already was a sports star at the time of the tryout. He had played pro soccer with a number of clubs in England, including spending time in the Premier League. He had stints with hometown Watford from 1957-59 and 1962-63 and scored 23 league goals for Aldershot in the 1961-62 season, which stood as a club record for many years.

“It was my life back then,’’ Howfield said of his pro soccer career. “I loved the heck out of it but you enjoyed it and you moved on.”

With his powerful right leg, the 1968 kicking tryout in England went well for Howfield, who was by far the best of several hundred candidates who showed up. He pepped up after Ian told a story about how he almost drilled a man with a kick who was behind a goal post on a tower.

“I had to apologize to him,’’ Howfield said. “If he had come off that tower and dropped about 30 feet, he would have been dead.”

Stram opted to bring Howfield to Chiefs training camp in 1968 even though there was little chance he could beat out Stenerud. Howfield kicked for the Chiefs in the camp and during the preseason but didn’t make the opening-day roster.

Howfield was still in Kansas City when the Broncos arrived and fell to the Chiefs 34-2 in their second game of the regular season Sept. 22, 1968. Bob Humphreys, a straight-on kicker then in his second Denver season, had a rough day. He missed two field goals, both inside 30 yards, making him 1 of 5 on the season.

“After the game, my dad sneaked into the (Broncos) locker room and the equipment manager kicked him out,’’ Ian said. “But then he saw the equipment manager go to the bus and my dad sneaked back in and runs into the special teams coach, who remembered him from being in camp (with the Chiefs). He brought him right to (Broncos coach Lou Saban) and my father was on their plane ride home for a tryout.”

Kicker Bobby Howfield, who played for the Denver Broncos from 1968-70, with an attempt from the hold of wide receiver Mike Haffner. (Photo courtesy of Ian Howfield)

Howfield looked good in his tryout, which included him booming kickoffs, and the Broncos cut Humphreys and signed him. He made his debut Sept. 29, kicking a 27-yard field goal and making two extra points in Denver’s 20-17 home loss to the Boston Patriots.

Kicking for the Broncos from 1968-70, Howfield made 40 of 79 field goals at a time when many pro kickers converted only about 50% of their attempts. He had two boots of 51 yards and one of 53, which was impressive for those days.

“He had a really strong leg,’’ said Billy Van Heusen, a Broncos punter and wide receiver from 1968-76. “And he had a fun personality. He liked to tease people with his English accent.”

Yes, Howfield did.

“They used to look at me as an oddity, but you just let it slide,’’ Howfield said. “They used to look at me and listen to my accent.”

Al Denson, a Broncos wide receiver from 1964-70, didn’t deny many of the players were suspicious when Howfield became Denver’s first soccer-style kicker.

“We never had seen that stuff before,’’ Denson said. “We didn’t accept him right away and then once he won a couple of games kicking soccer style, we knew we had us a great kicker.”

Come 1971, the Jets were looking to replace Jim Turner with a longer-distance kicker after he had made just 2 of 13 attempts from 40 yards or longer in 1970. So Turner, despite having made a then-pro record 34 field goals in 1968 and concluding that season with three field goals in the Jets’ stunning 16-7 win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, was shipped to the Broncos for Howfield.

“I had the distance,’’ Howfield said. “(Turner) didn’t have the distance. They knew that once I was kicking off they weren’t going to return that ball.”

New York Jets players celebrate by hoisting kicker Bobby Howfield after he made a 42-yard field goal on the final play for an 18-17 win over the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 3, 1972. Howfield made six field goals in seven attempts. (Photo courtesy of Ian Howfield)

But the trade worked out better for the Broncos than for the Jets. Turner spent nine seasons with Denver, through 1979, when he was one of the NFL’s last straight-on kickers. He made 65.1% of his Broncos field-goal attempts and was 3 of 13 on boots of 50 yards or more, including making a pair of 53-yarders in 1975 in Denver’s high elevation. He was named to the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988.

Howfield played 3 1/2 seasons with the Jets, making a strong 66.7% of his field-goal attempts. But the Jets surprisingly didn’t utilize him for many long attempts. He was 0 of 2 on attempts of 50 yards or more, and his long for them was 44 yards.

Howfield did have some very good moments. In a Dec. 3, 1972, home game against New Orleans, he made six field goals (in seven attempts), including a 42-yarder on the final play that gave the Jets an 18-17 win. His teammates swarmed him after the boot.

“That was the game that made me fall in love with football,’’ Ian said. “He makes the game-winner and the team surrounds him and then you see this little guy from underneath the pile run out and leave the stadium.”

Ian, who had moved to the United States on a permanent basis in 1966 when he was 3, was 6 at that time. And he was having the time of his life.

In 1974, a New York radio station had a promotion to see if Ian, then 8, could kick a 20-yard field goal after a Jets practice.

“They were live on the air and I hit the crossbar and it went in,’’ Ian said. “I got high-fives from everybody on the Jets. The first one out there to give me a high-five was Joe Willie (Namath).”

Bobby Howfield, holding the two boys, at the 1973 New York Jets’ Thanksgiving dinner with his family. (Photo courtesy of Ian Howfield) 

Namath, the legendary quarterback known as “Broadway Joe,” was the most famous sports figure then in New York and was all over television nationally on commercials. Ian developed a good relationship with him.

“I followed him around,’’ Ian said. “He was my hero. I would hand him his knee brace when he got out of the Jacuzzi. My dad would say, ‘Is Ian bugging you?’ And he would say, ‘No, he’s good.”

Howfield’s Jets tenure ended when he missed four extra points in the first seven games of 1974, and he was released in favor of Pat Leahy. After that, Ian said, Oakland Raiders coach John Madden called the house at one point, wanting to sign Howfield but he declined because he sought more money.

Howfield settled in Denver after his NFL career, saying it was a good place to “relax.” He had stints working in the insurance business and owning a dry-cleaning business and coached soccer for a few years at Mullen High School. He also had great success playing in amateur soccer leagues, with Ian saying he put much younger players “to shame” well into his 60s and played the game until was 83.

Bobby Howfield talks with his son, Ian Michael Howfield, about his time as a placekicker for the Denver Broncos in the late ’60s as they relax at a retirement home in Highlands Ranch on July 31, 2025. (Stephen Swofford, The Denver Gazette)

Ian also was an adept soccer player. He starred at Columbine High but said he wasn’t allowed to also kick for the football team since rules did not permit a student to play two different sports at the same time in the school year.

Ian earned a soccer scholarship in 1984 to small-college Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas, but after two years there got the bug to follow in his father’s footsteps as a kicker. Midwestern State didn’t have a football team but Ian got the opportunity to walk on at Tennessee. After two years at Tennessee without getting into a game, he opted to turn pro.

Ian had NFL tryouts with Miami in 1988, Seattle in 1989 and the Broncos in 1990 without making a team. His Miami stint included the Dolphins traveling to play a preseason game against San Francisco at the original Wembley Stadium in London, which opened in 1923 and stood for 80 years.

“My dad never made it to Wembley,’’ Ian said of the legendary soccer venue. “He was playing for Fulham (in a tournament in the early 1960s) and he broke his leg in the semifinal and never got to play in the final at Wembley.”

With Ian returning to his native land and in position to be the first Howfield to play at Wembley, he was interviewed by many newspapers and television stations prior to the game. But Dolphins coach Don Shula elected in the game to use only Fuad Reveiz, the team’s incumbent kicker who would end beating out Ian.

“I got all this press and never got on the field,’’ said a disappointed Ian Howfield.

Ian finally made the NFL with the Oilers in 1991. And the Howfields remain the only father-son combination of kickers in NFL history.

“I was happy for him,’’ the father said of his son’s accomplishment.

Ian’s journey really hit home when the Oilers played the Jets on Oct. 13, 1991. The Jets’ kicker was Leahy, who had beaten out Howfield in 1974 and was in his 18th and final NFL season.

“Have you ever heard of any kind of story like that where you’re playing against someone who took your dad’s job?’’ Ian said. “He was such a nice guy. He looked at me and said, ‘I hope that my kids get to kick against you.”’

Three weeks later, though, Ian Howfield’s NFL career would be over.

Ian entered a Nov. 3 game at Washington having made 11 of 15 field goals on the season. One of the misses was a 45-yard attempt the previous week against Cincinnati when the Oilers replaced holders midway through the game, with punter Greg Mongomery taking over for wide receiver Frank Miotke. The Oilers then cut Miotke before the Washington game.

While Ian said he had good chemistry with Miotke, he said he never meshed well with Montgomery. In the game at Washington, the 7-1 Oilers had a great chance to knock the 8-0 Redskins from the unbeaten ranks.

But with Montgomery holding the laces to the left rather than straight ahead, the kicker missed a 33-yard field goal wide left with 1 second left in regulation and the score tied 13-13. The Redskins, who would go on that season to win the Super Bowl, eventually won 16-13 in overtime. And Ian was cut the next day.

“When you do something like that, you feel like a huge disappointment,’’ he said of the miss in one of the most-hyped games of the 1991 season. “You feel like you disappointed your teammates and your family and your fans.”

Ian Howfield makes a field goal for the Houston Oilers against the New England Patriots on Sept. 22, 1991, at Foxboro (Mass.) Stadium. (Photo courtesy of Ian Howfield)

Despite being 13 of 18 on the season on field goals and 25 of 29 on extra points, Ian wasn’t that surprised by his release since “being a free agent, I had a short lease.” Ian then gave an emotional interview to the media in which he started crying. He regrets that, saying he should have simply “snuck out the back and left.”

Ian had tryouts with Philadelphia in 1992 and Tampa Bay in 1993 but never again made an NFL roster. The missed kick against Washington continued to be brought up.

“It seems like that kick was following me wherever I went,’’ he said.

Ian did find great success in the Arena Football League, which had goal posts that were 9 feet wide by 15 feet high compared to NFL dimensions of 18.5 feet by 10 feet. He became one of the league’s most successful kickers ever, making about two-thirds of his kicks at a time when converting about half was considered excellent.

Ian initially played Arena Football from 1993-97 before he sustained serious injuries in a 1997 auto accident. His car was stuck by a truck in Las Vegas, and he needed surgery to have two of his lower vertebrae fused and to have cartilage replaced in the knee on his right kicking leg.

Ian eventually received $3.8 million in a lawsuit filed against the trucking company and after years of rehabilitation returned to Arena Football in 2003, when his Tampa Bay Storm won the league championship. He also played in 2004 before retiring just shy of 38.

“I really enjoyed it,’’ Ian said of Arena Football. “They respected me in that league. … My dad thought I was too good for that league and was kind of bitter for it.”

Ian said his one regret as a player was not focusing on being a kicker earlier in life. He said by initially playing soccer and never having been a kicker in a high school or college game, he had to take the “hard road.”

Ian went on to become very successful while living in Las Vegas in radio and television sales, including spending five years as a national sales manager for CBS before retiring in 2022. Wife Lisa Howfield was president of a group that managed nine television stations in the West. She also retired in 2022.

In 2023, the Howfields moved from Las Vegas to Grand Junction. And about once a month, they drive to meet Bobby Howfield at Brookdale, where he keeps a low profile.

Kicker Bobby Howfield, who played for the New York Jets from 1971-74, running with the ball against the Baltimore Colts. Howfield also played for the Denver Broncos from 1968-70. (Photo courtesy of Ian Howfield)

Sue Crawford, executive director at Brookdale, doesn’t believe any of the other 50 or so residents there know Howfield once played pro football.

“He just plays it down,’’ Crawford said. “He’s very quiet and enjoys his time by himself. He’s not one who’s going to sit down and share stories and toot his own horn.”

Crawford said around 10 residents gather to watch on television whenever the Broncos play, and Howfield never has been among them.

That will change Sunday.

Bobby Howfield, left, and his son, Ian Michael Howfield, talk with a reporter about Bobby’s time as a place kicker for the Denver Broncos in the late 1960s as they relax at a retirement home in Highlands Ranch on July 31, 2025. (Stephen Swofford, The Denver Gazette)

Company bids less than a penny per ton in biggest US coal sale in over a decade

The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. • A Navajo tribe-owned company bid $186,000 to lease 167 million tons of coal on federal lands in southeastern Montana on Monday in the biggest U.S. coal sale in more than a decade.

The offer from the Navajo Transitional Energy Co. (NTEC) equates to one-tenth of a penny per ton, underscoring coal’s diminished value even as President Donald Trump pushes to mine and burn more of the fuel.

Federal officials did not immediately say if they would accept the offer. It was the only bid received. Two NTEC representatives attended the sale at the Bureau of Land Management local office in Billings, Mont. They declined to comment after it was over.

At the last successful government lease sale in the region, a subsidiary of Peabody Energy paid $793 million, or $1.10 per ton, for 721 million tons of coal in Wyoming.

It’s uncertain how much demand there will be for the coal offered Monday next to NTEC’s Spring Creek mine near Decker, Mont. The five power plants using fuel from Spring Creek mine are scheduled to stop burning coal in the next decade, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

The lease is in the Powder River Basin, the most productive coal fields in the nation. Officials under the Democratic administration of then-President Joe Biden banned sales from the region because of coal’s contribution to climate change but Republicans are attempting to reverse that decision.

NTEC argued in favor of a low market value for coal in the lease area, pointing to government studies that predict coal markets will decline significantly over the next two decades as fewer utilities buy the fuel.

The company bid $147 per acre for tracts of land totaling 1,262 acres. Another sale is planned Wednesday in central Wyoming, where the government is offering 440 million tons of coal next to NTEC’s Antelope Mine.

The sales are going forward despite the government shutdown because the Trump administration did not furlough workers responsible for reviewing fossil fuel projects.

Many coal plants have been retired over the past two decades as utilities favored power from natural gas and renewable sources such as wind and solar energy.

Selling new coal leases does not necessarily mean the tracts will be mined, said James Stock, a Harvard University economist and former member of the White House Council on Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama.

Despite Trump’s declaration of an energy “emergency” and his calls to expand mining and burning of coal, Stock said it’s unlikely any new coal plants will be built. That means much of the coal that’s being sold under Trump is unlikely to ever be mined, he said.

“I don’t expect these leases to have much real-world impact,” Stock said.

Spring Creek also ships coal overseas to customers in Asia. Increasing those shipments could help it offset lessening domestic demand, but a shortage of port capacity has hobbled prior industry aspirations to boost coal exports.

With Sean Payton issuing a ‘no sightseeing’ edict, Broncos arrive in London to face Jets

LONDON — Broncos coach Sean Payton has issued a “no sightseeing” edict in London, but that is fine with tight end Evan Engram.

Engram played the past three years for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have been going to London for an annual game since 2013 with the exception of a 2020 season limited by COVID-19 restrictions.

So when Denver faces the New York Jets on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it will be his fourth game in the city.

“I’ve told the guys, ‘Like, look, you’re not going to see me outside the hotel,’’’ Engram said. “I’m locked in. I’m chilling. I’m resting. I’ve been here four years in a row, so good luck.”

That sort of talk would seem ideal for Payton, who has said the Broncos going to London is a business trip. He was asked about the voyage after Denver (3-2) on Sunday knocked Philadelphia (4-1) from the unbeaten ranks with a 21-17 win at Lincoln Financial Field.

“It’s going to be exactly like a practice week,’’ said Payton, whose Broncos left Philadelphia after Sunday’s game and arrived in London on Monday morning. “Exactly. You want the schedule? No sightseeing. We’re staying in the middle of nowhere (with) no sightseeing.”

Monday’s schedule included running and lifting and watching tape of the upset of the Eagles. Players will be off Tuesday and have practices Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

OK, Payton did acknowledge that some players perhaps will go out to “have some dinner.” But this trip to London looks to be different from the last time the Broncos played here, a 21-17 win over Engram’s Jaguars on Oct. 30, 2022, at Wembley Stadium.

“We were probably like 15 to 20 minutes the last time (from central London),’’ defensive tackle D.J. Jones said of where the team stayed in 2022. “It’s like an hour (now).

Jones, who joined the Broncos in 2022, said he did a lot of shopping in Denver’s previous visit to London under coach Nathaniel Hackett.

“Bought a bunch of stuff that was cheaper than in America,’’ Jones said. “Like a Goyard bag and some clothes.”

Jones said the Broncos staying far away from central London will probably cut down on his shopping but that he “packed too heavy to buy anything, to be honest.”

Jones is one of 11 players on Denver’s 53-man roster who played in London against the Jaguars three years ago. The others are wide receiver Courtland Sutton, guard Quinn Meinerz, center Luke Wattenberg, outside linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, inside linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, cornerback Pat Surtain II, safety P.J. Locke and long snapper Mitch Fraboni.

Strnad said he and several players on the last visit were able to slip out to attend a Premier League match.

“We actually went to Tottenham to watch the soccer team last time,’’ Strnad said of the seeing the Hotspurs in action at the stadium where the Broncos will play Sunday. “We hope to get around and see something this year, too.”

Well, that might depend on how much Payton actually does restrict sightseeing.

Facing the 0-5 Jets will mark the third time Payton has coached a game in London, his first two when he headed the New Orleans Saints. He wasn’t amused when he took his first team to London in 2008 and tight end Jeremy Shockey came up wth a plan for some recreation.

“Shockey tried to get all the passports and take the team to Amsterdam,’’ Payton said. “So we put the kibosh on that.”

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton leads his team onto the field for the Broncos game against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

On that trip, the Saints defeated the San Diego Chargers 37-32. In Payton’s second visit, they beat the Miami Dolphins 20-0 in 2017.

The Broncos are 1-1 in regular-season games in London, which have been held since 2007. They lost 24-16 to the San Francisco 49ers in 2010 before beating the Jaguars in 2022.

“I love London,’’ Jones said. “The fans support us. It’s a special place, so they welcome us with open arms. So I’m excited to play there.”

Sunday will mark the 41st regular-season game played in London, and the second of three this season.

“I think it’s cool to touch that fan base (in London) and get those people seeing the NFL and getting a couple of games a year,’’ said Strnad, who joined the Broncos in 2020.

Then again, Strnad wasn’t enthralled with one thing in 2022 visit.

“I wasn’t a big fan of the food,’’ he said. “But hopefully it’s a little better this time.”

Engram offered no complaints about the food when he went to London with the Jaguars. In addition to the game against the Broncos in 2022, he played for Jacksonville in a 25-20 win over Buffalo in 2023 and in a 35-16 loss to Chicago last season.

In three London games, Engram has caught 18 passes for 185 yards. He scored a touchdown on a 22-yard reception against the Broncos and against the Bears had 10 receptions for 102 yards, one of his six 100-yard games in nine NFL seasons.

“I do think it’s really cool,’’ Engram said off the NFL playing games in London. “We’ve been playing football our entire lives and for us to go across to another country and a different place to be able to play the game we love in front of new fans and give them that experience, I think it is really cool.”

Engram feels “like a local” having been to London regularly when the Jaguars stayed near the center of the city. This time he said the Broncos are staying in the “boondocks,’’ but he’s fine with that.