Allegiant Airlines will begin services out of Colorado Springs and new Denver routes next year, the airline announced Tuesday.

With 44 new routes being offered in cities throughout the U.S., this expansion is one of the largest in the airline’s history. The three new routes out of Denver will begin in May, and two service offerings out of the Colorado Springs Airport will begin in February.

Colorado Springs Airport was one of three new cities Allegiant Airlines will offer flights out of, alongside Gulf Shores International Airport in Alabama and Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina.

New routes at Colorado Springs Airport will be to Phoenix-Mesa Airport beginning Feb. 12, to Santa Ana via John Wayne Airport in Orange County starting on Feb. 13, and to Tampa, Florida, via St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport beginning Feb. 14.

Allegiant Airlines at Denver International Airport will also offer new routes beginning on May 22 to Idaho Falls Regional Airport in Idaho and Stockton Metropolitan Airport in California.

To celebrate this expansion, Allegiant Airlines, based out of Las Vegas, is offering one-way fares as low as $39 for some cities. The reduced fare rates will be offered until Wednesday for travel by July 25, 2025.

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter.

Originally Published: November 19, 2024 at 4:51 PM MST

Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig’s NFL draft stock continues to soar as the Colorado Buffaloes strong safety builds an impressive resume in his second season in Boulder. At 5’11 and 185 pounds, Silmon-Craig may be considered undersized by traditional standards, but his on-field impact defies those metrics. A team captain and defensive leader, he wears the “L” on his jersey for leadership, embodying the “dawg mentality” that Deion Sanders, values in his players.

Silmon-Craig’s journey began at Trinity Christian High School, where he caught the eye of Sanders, linebackers coach Andre’ Hart, and cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis. Despite being overlooked by many programs, the trio recognized Silmon-Craig’s physicality, ball-hawking skills, and leadership potential. Initially committed to Florida Atlantic University, Silmon-Craig decommitted to follow Sanders to Jackson State. The move paid off, as he earned All-SWAC First Team and HBCU All-American honors during his sophomore season, solidifying himself as a standout in the conference.

When Sanders and his coaching staff transitioned to Colorado, Silmon-Craig followed, making the leap to Power Five football. In his first season at Colorado, he tied with Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter for the team lead in interceptions (three) and finished sixth in tackles (44). This year, he’s elevated his game further, leading the team with 76 tackles, including three double-digit tackle games and a career-high 14 against Baylor. While he has yet to record an interception this season, his ability to track the ball and disrupt passing lanes suggests it’s only a matter of time before he adds to his turnover tally.

Where Colorado’s Travis Hunter stands in latest Heisman Trophy odds

If Silmon-Craig remained at Jackson State, his draft prospects might have been limited to a late-round selection or even undrafted free agency. However, his success at Colorado demonstrates his ability to compete and excel at the highest level of college football. Comparisons to NFL safeties like Jimmie Ward of the Houston Texans and Jordan Poyer of the Miami Dolphins highlight his versatility as both a box defender and a coverage safety. His leadership qualities, physicality, and football IQ make him a strong candidate for a mid-round selection in the upcoming NFL draft.

2025 Five-star Julian Lewis decommits from USC. Does Deion Sanders have his next QB?

With at least two games left in the regular season and potential postseason appearances, Silmon-Craig has an opportunity to surpass 100 tackles, a milestone that will further cement his NFL readiness. His combination of skill, tenacity, and leadership ensures he’ll not only be drafted but also become a cornerstone for an NFL defense in the years to come.

PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) – Ahead of their show over the weekend, a Ukrainian ballet group had to deal with a major set-back.

The Grand Kyiv Ballet had been passing through Colorado, performing shows and enjoying the mountains.

“Colorado is kind of a new adventure,” said Natan Lubow, a performer from Washington who joined the group. “The mountains are beautiful. The people seem very nice, that we’ve met.”

On Sunday, the group had been preparing to perform in Pueblo at the Memorial Hall after having a day off Saturday. They were set to perform the Nutcracker.

Before the performance, though, the group made a startling discovery.

“We came here for rehearsal,” said Lubow, “and that’s when we were into some of our own issues, with the [trailer] stolen. It was a big surprise for us.”

One of their two trailers was missing. The trailer in question was props and costumes for their production of the Snow Queen, as well as the belongings of many of the performers, including Lubow.

“That’s some serious aggravation, of course, because, you know, we’re constantly moving, and it’s hard to find time to do these things,” said Lubow, referring to the process of finding replacements for what was missing.

11 News reached out to Grand Kyiv Ballet’s founder and artistic director, Oleksandr Stoianov, after getting a tip about the missing trailer. He said that trailer had about $20,000 worth of equipment.

Soon after the phone call, Stoianov shared a Facebook post with 11 News. It was from someone claiming to have found a missing trailer. Just a little later, with help from police, he said they found the missing trailer.

But as they went through it, they found a lot of what was inside had been stolen.

This included clothing for dancers and pointe shoes, something the Grand Kyiv Ballet describes as essential in a ballerina’s performance.

Performer Marta Kalyandruk described this as a major setback.

“How much are pointe shoes?” Lubow asked Kalyandruk while speaking to 11 News.

“Like, $100,” Kalyandruk responded.

“$100 and even more,” Lubow said. He confirmed another performer lost three pairs of these shoes in the theft.

The group is working to move on after this loss, but that comes with tremendous pressure, they said.

“I’m burning that midnight oil, you know,” said Lubow. “That I’m rolling up my sleeves and getting getting some serious jobs done. I mean, we all are. Everyone’s pulling a lot of of weights.”

The group is performing as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. Kalyandruk said things back in Ukraine are in turmoil, bringing extra pressure for groups like Grand Kyiv Ballet to bring positive representation from their country to the world.

“My friends, especially for working in national group Ukraine, at another theaters of Ukraine, they are really very tired about it every day,” she said.

“There’s a lot on our shoulders, lot of expectations. We want to fill those seats,” Lubow said.

Through ballet, they said, they can bring that positive representation for Ukrainian culture to people around the world.

“Yes, love will save the world, they say. Right?” Lubow said.

“Yes, exactly,” Kalyandruk confirmed.

More so, they both said they want to carve a name for themselves in the world of theater and ballet, saying it can be hard as an international group to become well-known.

They added how crippling it is to lose a trailer full of their things, but said the show will go on, nonetheless.

“It’s not a one man job, you know, it’s like, it takes all hands on deck, you know,” Lubow said. “It takes people talking about it. It takes efforts of of people wanting to convey their own expression of what they experienced in the arts to somebody else, like their neighbor or something like that.”

If you would like to donate to the group, you can do so here.

You can also donate to their cause for restoring the main ballet college of Ukraine, the Kyiv State Choreographic College, here.

You can find more on the group and their performances here.

Copyright 2024 KKTV. All rights reserved.