Mayor John Hickenlooper will no longer be the owner of Wynkoop Brewing Co., the Cherry Cricket or the other restaurants across Denver that established Hickenlooper as an entrepreneur.
Ownership members of Wynkoop Holdings Inc. voted Friday to buy the mayor out of the group, a source close to the deal confirmed Sunday.
Details of the deal were not available Sunday night.
Hickenlooper has kept his ownership in Wyn koop Holdings in a blind trust since he took office in 2003 to avoid conflicts of interest.
Other restaurants include Gaetano’s, Goosetown Tavern and the Wazee Supper Club.
COMMERCE CITY
Girl, 11, in car crash taken off life support
A sixth-grade girl who was hospitalized after a driver ran a red light and hit the car in which she was riding Friday was taken off life support Saturday night and died, police said.
The 11-year-old girl, Mercedes King, died shortly after life support was removed at Children’s Hospital.
She was being driven by her 19-year-old brother, Marcus King, to Kearney Middle School in Commerce City about 7:30 Friday morning when they were hit.
The two were westbound on East 60th Avenue in a Dodge Neon when a Pontiac Grand Prix headed south on Monaco Parkway ran a red light and broadsided the Neon on the passenger’s side, said Sgt. Joe Sandoval of the Commerce City Police Department.
Police said one of Marcus King’s arms was broken.
Yesica Moreno, the 24-year- old driver of the Grand Prix, was not injured.
All three people were wearing seat belts, Sandoval said. An investigation is ongoing to determine what charges, if any, will be filed.
BOISE, Idaho
Ski resort fights fire by making snow
The legendary Sun Valley ski resort began running snowmaking equipment Sunday to protect against surging flames from a wildfire driven by winds so high they couldn’t be attacked by aircraft.
The famous resort town of Ketchum near Sun Valley, in central Idaho, took the unusual step of asking people to stay away as the fire prompted officials to tell people to evacuate from more than 1,000 homes.
Air tankers were grounded for the second straight day by winds up to 45 mph; the only hospital in the region ran with a reduced staff because it is in the evacuated area; and emergency responders had to deal with accidents caused by sightseers on key State Route 75.
The Sun Valley Resort began its snowmaking machines on Bald Mountain to protect the ski area from embers shot ahead of the advancing flames, which were within 2 miles.
“There’s a lot of activity up here on this single highway in and out of this valley,” said Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. “We really need people to stay away from up here and let these folks work.”
The lightning-caused Castle Rock Fire ballooned to 54 square miles and was being fought by 1,400 firefighters and managers, including 11 helicopters, said Bob Beanblossom, fire information officer.
He said 100 engines were in the region protecting evacuated homes, some worth millions, with access being controlled by Idaho National Guard soldiers. About 100 homes received mandatory evacuation orders last week, and another 1,000 homes were ordered evacuated Saturday.
TRINIDAD
Thousands attend annual blues festival
The ninth annual Trinidad Blues Festival drew thousands to the border town, filling every available room and some as far away as Walsenburg, 35 miles to the north. The event, sponsored by the Trinidad and Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce, averages 5,000 attendees a year, The Pueblo Chieftain reported.
Festival founder Neil Sexton moved to New York this year but came back for the Saturday event.
“I’ll always be involved in this festival,” he said. “We’ll be daddio-ing out here for as long as they let us.”
His original goal for the festival, he said, was to raise money for local charities.
PUEBLO
Hail caused at least $19 million in damage
A storm that brought hail the size of half dollars caused at least $19.4 million in damages in the Pueblo area, based on claims made to one insurance company.
May Hendershot of State Farm Insurance said almost 5,000 claims were filed by customers because of the storm Thursday. State Farm has between one-fourth and one-fifth of the total insurance market, Hendershot said.
Hendershot said her company received about 3,500 claims for damaged automobiles at the Colorado State Fairgrounds, amounting to an estimated $12.2 million in damage.
