Tag: Colorado

This Colorado muni has been losing millions because of a leaky water system, and now it’ll cost millions to fix it

The sprinkler system would also need a new pump station, which can monitor water use.

The Desert Hawk Golf Course in Pueblo West is losing millions of gallons of water due to leaks from its 60-year-old sprinkler system. It will cost an estimated $3.5 million to replace it.

During a March 20 meeting of the Desert Hawk Management Board, the board voted unanimously to outline the scope of work and put out a request for bids to obtain an engineer’s proposal and design to replace the sprinkler system. The report is expected to cost about $60,000.

Representatives of CPS Distributors, which offers irrigation supplies, told the board that 40 years is the normal life expectancy for a sprinkler system. Desert Hawk’s 60-year-old system features an asbestos mainline which other golf courses are moving away from due to inefficiency and safety concerns for workers.

The sprinkler system would also need a new pump station, which can monitor water use and allow for shut downs to lines that are leaking.

Golfweek’s Best: Top public and private courses in Colorado

Desert Hawk was purchased in 2000 by Pueblo County and the Pueblo West Metro District with $7.2 million in certificates of participation as part of an intergovernmental agreement designed to save the failing golf course, which was previously operated by a string of private owners.

Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news for the. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via X, formerly Twitter, at twitter.com/tracywumps. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

Potential Thunder draft prospect Cody Williams’ tournament run ends in loss to Marquette

Potential Thunder draft prospect Cody Williams’ tournament run ends in loss to Marquette.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to come to OKC than the latter.

As the NCAA Tournament progresses, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Colorado forward Cody Williams, whose freshman season ended in an 81-77 loss to No. 2 Marquette in the round of 32 on Sunday.

Williams finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting and two blocks in 28 minutes off the bench.

Williams has been highly touted as one of the best prospects in his class. The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 12.6 points on 57% shooting, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He’s projected as a complimentary scorer and playmaker with a nice feel around the basket. At 19 years old, he has plenty of room to grow at the next level.

The Thunder will likely need to trade up to pair Williams with his older brother, Jalen Williams. He could provide OKC with another versatile wing, which is a hot commodity in the league.

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Potential Thunder draft prospect Cody Williams contributes in Colorado’s win over Florida

Potential Thunder draft prospect Cody Williams contributes in Colorado’s win over Florida.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to go to OKC than the latter.

As the NCAA Tournament progresses, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national eyes for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Colorado forward Cody Williams, who helped them advance in their 102-100 win over Florida in the Round of 64 on Friday.

Williams had nine points on 2-of-3 shooting, three assists and two rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. He shot 5-of-7 from the free-throw line.

Colorado’s KJ Simpson knocked down a game-winning baseline jumper to give them the late two-point lead with two seconds to spare.

Williams has been highly touted as one of the best prospects in his class. The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 12.6 points on 57% shooting, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He’s projected as a complimentary scorer and playmaker with a nice feel around the basket. At 19 years old, he has plenty of room to grow at the next level.

The Thunder will likely need to trade up to pair Williams with his older brother Jalen Williams. He could provide OKC with another versatile wing, which is a hot commodity in the league.

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Golf and ski in paradise at this $13M Colorado home on a Tom Fazio-designed course

The Valley course sits a little lower, meaning warmer temperatures and a longer playing season.

Just 20 minutes past Vail Ski Resort on the road from Denver, Cordillera Valley Club has gorgeous mountains, a lush valley and contains one of the gems of the Colorado golf scene.

The Valley course, designed by Tom Fazio, sits a little lower than the neighboring Mountain and Summit courses, meaning warmer temperatures and a little longer playing season.

This home that’s currently for sale for just under $13 million has sweeping views of the Sawatch Range, sits just in front of Spring Creek and according to a listing at Sotheby’s has an enormous heated patio that will allow its owner to enjoy the seasons a little longer.

The home also has a four-car garage with its own car wash, as well as a private path that leads out to the golf course.

Here’s more from the listing:

A favorite in the Vail Valley, the community of Cordillera Valley Club is one of the few neighborhoods with private roadways allowing residents to own and drive their own carts enjoying a ”golf cart lifestyle” unique in the Vail Valley. In addition to golf, the newly remodeled Club’s local amenities include restaurant, pro-shop, pool, hiking trails, tennis courts and gym.

In addition to the golf course and the amenities, Cordillera Valley Club residents savor the surrounding natural beauty with panoramic views stretching from the Back Bowls of Vail over to the New York Mountain, Sawatch Mountain Range and Lake Creek Valley.”

Here’s a look at the property.

 

 

 

Add Coach Prime and Colorado to Those Trying to Poach Notre Dame Quarterback

Hands off, Buffs!

The biggest name to date in Notre Dame’s star-studded 2025 recruiting class is quarterback [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag].  Knight committed to the Irish back in September and has been a vocal leader in helping recruit more talent to Notre Dame’s 2025 class.

Despite this, other programs are trying to swoop in and get Knight to flip his commitment.  The latest to do so is none other than the Colorado Buffaloes and head coach Deion Sanders.

Colorado doesn’t yet have a quarterback commitment in the class.  They were in on top quarterback prospect Bryce Underwood, but he ultimately committed to LSU.

This past Friday, Knight announced on social media that Colorado had extended him an offer:

Knight is rated as a four-star prospect by the 247Sports composite.  The same outlet ranks him as the 62nd overall player in the class and fifth overall quarterback.

Pac-12 women’s basketball report: Colorado beats Washington State, ties Stanford for first place

Colorado and Stanford are tied for the Pac-12 league at 8-2, with UCLA and Oregon State 1.5 games back.

USC’s win over Stanford was the headliner on Friday night in Pac-12 women’s basketball, but other big results emerged in the league. Colorado defeated Washington State on the road in Pullman. That result, combined with Stanford’s loss, puts CU and Stanford at 8-2 in the Pac-12, 1.5 games ahead of third-place UCLA and Oregon State. Colorado would be the top seed in the Pac-12 Women’s Tournament if the season ended today, due to a head-to-head win over Stanford.

Buffaloes Wire has more on CU’s 63-57 win at Wazzu:

“Most of CU’s offensive output came from two players: Frida Formann and Aaronette Vonleh. Formann tied a career-high with 27 points while going 6-for-9 from the 3-point line. Vonleh complimented Formann’s outside shooting by outworking the Cougars in the paint, finishing with 20 points and eight rebounds. The rest of the Buffs went a combined 8-for-33 from the field.”

Elsewhere in the Pac-12 on Friday, UCLA handled Cal in Berkeley. USC faces Cal on Sunday. Utah went to Seattle and defeated Washington.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders opting out of 2024 NFL Draft

Shedeur Sanders could be the top quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft.

In a move that was largely expected, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders took to X on Friday to inform football fans of his intention to spend 2024 in Boulder Colorado with his father and brother.

Sanders had a shot to be a top-five quarterback in an already loaded draft class at the position. After a breakout season quarterbacking what became one of the most hyped college football teams in recent memory, Sanders showed he had everything it took to be a signal caller at the next level. With yet another year at Colorado, and hopefully more talent this time, Sanders can potentially cement himself as the top quarterback in the 2025 class.

The 2024 NFL Draft class of quarterbacks still remains stacked at the top even without Sanders and could get even more loaded should fellow signal-caller Caleb Williams announce his intentions to enter this year’s draft. Should Williams declare we could see as many as five quarterbacks go in the first round.

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‘Careless’ coyote hunter cited after accidentally shooting partner

A 70-year-old hunter was hospitalized in Colorado after one of his partners shot him while swinging his shotgun toward a coyote.

A 70-year-old hunter was hospitalized in Colorado on Thursday after one of his partners accidentally shot him instead of the coyote they were pursuing.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife stated in a news release that three hunters, all from Iowa, took aim at a coyote that appeared 50 feet in front of them in Baca County.

One man fired first, and missed the coyote. He then swung his shotgun and fired again, hitting his 70-year-old partner.

“This is a classic example of failure to maintain ‘zone of fire’ awareness,” said Todd Marriott, CPW area wildlife manager based in Lamar. “Hunters must always know where their target is and where the rest of their party is at all times.”

The unidentified victim was hospitalized in Colorado Springs and released after being treated for pellet wounds.

The shooter was identified as Matthew Mullenix, 48, of Urbandale, Iowa. He was charged with careless hunting, an unclassified misdemeanor, and will be fined up to $1,000.

–Coyote image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Kayak angler lands record crappie while bass fishing

Eric Allee was targeting bass when he reeled in perhaps the largest crappie ever caught in the state.

A Colorado angler who landed perhaps the largest crappie ever caught in the state last November has been awarded a catch-and-release record.

Eric Allee was targeting bass from a kayak at McKay Lake on Nov. 12 when he spotted what he assumed were three large crappie on his forward-facing sonar unit.

Allee, a marketing director at Eagle Claw Tackle in Denver, hooked one of the fish with a 3.6-inch Berkley Flat Worm and soon realized that he might have a record crappie on his line.

On Friday, after being informed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife that his 18.25-inch black crappie had broken the previous catch-and-release length record, Allee told FTW Outdoors what went through his mind during the fight:

“It all happened so fast, but it felt like slow motion if that makes any sense. My heart was pounding, I was trying to remain tactful, and I was petrified at the same time.

“When she breached the surface, I would cringe every time her head would shake. Anyone who’s ever chased crappie knows they’re notorious for having paper-thin skin around the framework of their jaw; with a fish that heavy, if she was hooked in the thin-skinned parts of her mouth, it’s a recipe for disaster.

“After what seemed like forever, I felt instant relief when I scooped the net under her and lifted her out of the water.”

Eric Allee poses with 18.25-inch black crappie before releasing the fish. Photo: Eric Allee

Allee said the crappie weighed 3 pounds, 15 ounces on a scale he keeps on his kayak. He knew he could also shatter the Colorado weight record (3.48 pounds, set in 2017) if he killed the fish to have it weighed somewhere on a certified scale.

But Allee told FTW Outdoors that the fish was so large and magnificent-looking that he chose to toss it back after immortalizing the catch with a photograph.

“I didn’t want to kill the fish for the record,” he said. “It’s not that I’m against killing fish, I eat crappie often, but didn’t want to kill the fish just for the record.

“There’s more to it for me, too. I practice selective harvest and there’s something special about watching big fish go back.”

Colorado is not known for giant crappie, but any crappie topping three pounds is a giant.

For comparison, the all-tackle world-record black crappie in the weight category stands at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. That fish was caught at Richeison Pond in Tennessee in 2018.

The International Game Fish Assn. lists as the length (release) record a tie between five catches measuring 37 centimeters, or about 14.6 inches.

Allee said he did not consider applying to the IGFA for a possible length record and bemoaned the fact that he missed the 60-day limit for record submissions.

Raccoon fight caught on home trail camera; ‘not a usual occurrence’

A Colorado woman who monitors nocturnal wildlife activity with trail cameras on Saturday shared footage of two raccoons fighting near a water station.

A Colorado woman who monitors nocturnal wildlife activity with trail cameras on Saturday shared footage of two raccoons fighting near a water station.

“When good raccoons go bad,” Camera Trap Sue, who lives in Hartsel, joked via X. “This isn’t a usual occurrence in the garden, typically they all get along just fine but every once in a while this happens.”

The footage shows one raccoon emerging from the darkness to launch a frontal attack against the raccoon at the water station, and a second attack by the same raccoon from the rear.

The animals do not appear to have been injured.

Raccoons are the stars of Sue’s X account. At times they’re shown passing swiftly past the camera in such numbers that she has dubbed the passageway the “Racoonobahn.”

Earlier Sunday, Sue shared footage showing 30-plus raccoons “toing and froing” along the Raccoonobahn at a time when the temperature was 1 degree Fahrenheit.

The raccoons’ antics – and those of other critters – are so entertaining that Sue has garnered more than 13,000 followers.