Denver, CO
Denver Broncos think rookie Montrell Washington can unlock return game
![Denver Broncos think rookie Montrell Washington can unlock return game](https://a2.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/photo/2022/0517/r1014129_1296x729_16-9.jpg)
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — 12 months after yr, the Denver Broncos have wandered the particular groups wilderness in quest of a profitable returner with little to indicate for his or her effort.
In reality, their hopes to flip the sector within the third part of the sport have change into a first-rate downside. Lengthy-time NFL author/columnist Rick Gosselin compiles particular groups rankings, utilizing 22 classes, which have lengthy been a must-read for coaches and gamers all through the league. He ranked the Broncos final for kickoff returns final season and twenty seventh total.
“We should be higher on particular groups, a lot better,” mentioned Broncos common supervisor George Paton. “We all know that.”
Enter the smallest participant on the Broncos roster, the 5-foot-8 7/8-inch, 181-pound Montrell Washington, a rookie poised for a possible large impression. At Samford College in Birmingham, Alabama, Washington averaged 11.1 yards per punt return with one landing in 2021, however in 2019 averaged 21.9 yards per punt return with a landing.
The Broncos have not returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in the identical season since 2013 when the smallest-ever Broncos participant, the 5-foot-5 Trindon Holliday, had an 81-yard punt return landing to go along with a 105-yard kickoff return for a landing. Holliday, whilst he battled ball safety woes late in his tenure with the Broncos, was the final Broncos’ returner who constantly made opposing groups add a fear line or two.
Paton chosen Washington as one in all three fifth-round picks for the Broncos in final month’s draft. Washington was not among the many greater than 300 gamers invited to the scouting mix, however the Broncos noticed potential for one thing they have not had sufficient of.
“We really feel like he generally is a duel returner for us, he is explosive,” Paton mentioned. “He is explosive. He’s. It was a serious emphasis. I applaud [Broncos special teams coordinator] Dwayne Stukes for the work he and [assistant special teams coach] Mike Mallory put into it, their evaluations.”
Stukes mentioned it was Broncos broad receivers coach Zach Azzanni who first introduced Washington to his consideration within the weeks earlier than the draft. And it was Washington’s effort Nov. 13 towards Florida that jumped off the sport video.
In that sport towards the Gators, simply probably the most tough opponent Samford — an FCS faculty — confronted final season, Washington caught 10 passes for 124 yards to go along with a landing, accomplished a go for 16 yards and returned a kickoff 98 yards for a landing.
“Coach Z mentioned, ‘I’ve a receiver that I like, he is a small slot receiver. Would you thoughts watching him as a returner?”‘ Stukes mentioned. “I put the tape on, clearly. I do know there’s quite a lot of Florida graduates on the market, so I apologize. However anytime you might have a child at Samford that has manufacturing verses a giant program, it attracts your consideration, proper? … And I mentioned, ‘This child has expertise.’”
Washington arrives with probably the most expectations as a returner since Isaiah McKenzie within the 2017 draft. McKenzie lasted simply 12 video games with the Broncos after seven fumbles total.
Washington was a major a part of Paton’s particular groups theme because the draft moved by way of Days 2 and three. Fellow fifth-round decide, security Delarrin Turner-Yell, in addition to cornerback Faion Hicks, a seventh-round decide, had been chosen with particular groups duties on the prime of their rookie to-do listing.
All Washington needs is to be a part of an answer along with his pure return expertise.
“I do not know, I am unable to actually describe it, I might say it is identical to yard soccer,” Washington mentioned. “As children, you throw the soccer within the air, and also you catch it, and all your folks attempt to get you. That is form of how punt return is for me once I’m again there. I really feel prefer it’s a sport and I am within the yard. I simply should go rating.”
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Denver, CO
Suspect arrested after man shot to death outside Denver Rescue Mission
![Suspect arrested after man shot to death outside Denver Rescue Mission](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2b802dd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x672+0+24/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4c%2F00%2F239496f4403a8182a716ccf86600%2Fdenver-rescue-mission.png)
DENVER — Police in Denver arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a man outside the Denver Rescue Mission Monday night.
Officers arrested Julian Huggins, 40, at the homeless shelter in the 4600 block of E. 48th Avenue shortly after arriving on scene around 8 p.m.
The male victim, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the police.
Witnesses told police that the Huggins and the victim were involved in a verbal altercation before shots rang out.
Huggins is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder.
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Denver, CO
Rent-free housing: Denver real estate firm donates apartments to 10 early-career teachers
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Ten early-career Denver classroom teachers will get free rent for a year in a new upscale apartment building in the northwest part of the city — a novel, if incremental, approach to the problem of rising housing costs making it difficult for teachers to live close to where they work.
Real estate investment firm Grand Peaks, whose founders attended Denver Public Schools, are donating 10 apartments in the 533-unit Skyline at Highlands development in the Jefferson Park neighborhood. The teachers will be able to live there rent-free from August through next July.
Sara Hazel, the president and CEO of the Denver Public Schools Foundation, said the foundation chose the 10 teachers in a random drawing from among about 215 who applied. Only classroom teachers with zero to three years of experience were eligible.
“I got to have my Oprah moment sending emails to these 10 winners and sharing the wonderful news,” Hazel said. “The response we’ve gotten — the quotes are, ‘This is life changing for my family.’ ‘You have no idea how much this means to me.’”
Marc Swerdlow, president of Grand Peaks, said the company’s founders, the Simpson family, wanted to do something for Denver teachers after reading news about pay disparities and the struggle to find affordable housing. The average apartment rent in the gentrifying city was $1,875 a month in the first quarter of this year, the Denver Post reported.
“This property is not an affordable-housing project, but something we could do to provide affordable housing to teachers seemed so easy, so natural,” Swerdlow said.
The hope is that increasing access to affordable housing will incentivize early-career teachers to stay in Denver and in the teaching profession, Hazel said.
“Affordable housing is one of the barriers our Denver teachers are facing — and Denver teachers living in the Denver community is good for Denver and good for our students,” she said. “We hope other companies look at this and are like, ‘Wow, how do we replicate this?’”
Five of the apartments are studios that would otherwise rent for between $1,725 and $1,900 a month. The other five are one-bedrooms that would rent for between $2,300 and $2,450 a month. The salary for first-year Denver teachers this past year was $54,141.
DPS leaders have floated the idea of providing teacher housing several times in recent years, but no projects have come to fruition. In 2018, the district scrapped the idea of converting a then-empty elementary school into rental apartments for educators after neighbors pushed back. The district leased the building, the former Rosedale Elementary, to the Archdiocese of Denver instead. It now houses Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
Denver 7+ Colorado News Latest Headlines | July 2, 7am
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Denver, CO
Novo Coffee opens second location at Denver International Airport
![Novo Coffee opens second location at Denver International Airport](https://moodiedavittreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Novo-Coffee-Denver-Airport-2.7.24-thumb.jpg)
USA. Local specialty coffee roaster Novo Coffee has unveiled its second location at Denver International Airport in partnership with the AVE Group.
Located at Concourse B, the new coffee kiosk features Novo Coffee’s full coffee menu, including fresh baked goods and other takeaway items.
Popular local artist Pat Milberry was commissioned to design the coffee kiosk, as he did for the Concourse A location.
Novo Coffee is driven by its commitment to sustainability in producing its coffee and holds a Certifiably Green Denver certification.
Its partnership with the AVE Group started in October 2022, resulting in the first travel retail location at Denver International Airport. The opening formed part of the airport’s Small Business Enterprise Concessions programme – the first in its history. The programme was designed to level the playing field for small businesses which intend to participate in contract opportunities at the Colorado gateway.
The AVE Group was founded by experienced travel retail executive Kathleen Schafer to bring Novo Coffee to the airport.
For more than a decade, Schafer has seen her career grow at Denver-based concessionaire Mission Yogurt to become Vice President, establishing her own concessions company in 2015 while awaiting the right opportunity.
It came to fruition with this programme and partnership, and now the AVE Group closely collaborates with Novo Coffee to manage the daily operations of the two stores.
Schafer said: “We’re proud to again partner with such a relationship-based brand as Novo Coffee, and to continue bringing its high-quality products to travellers at the airport.
“We’re very grateful to Denver International Airport and the Small Business Enterprise Concessions committee for supporting small Denver-based businesses.”
Novo Coffee Co-founder and President Jake Brodsky added: “Novo Coffee is thrilled to bring more local, quality flavours to Denver International Airport.
“We’ve been working hard to sustainably grow and improve our small company since day one. We’re excited to share our coffees with even more guests travelling to and through our hometown.”
Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington commented: “We’re thrilled to welcome Novo Coffee into a second location at DEN. We know our passengers already value the great products and service that Novo offers and will appreciate having an additional location at the airport to visit.
“I am also pleased to report that the AVE Group, LLC., Novo’s operational partner, is a Small Business Enterprise Concession Operator and woman-owned and operated business, a value that’s deeply embedded within our Concessions programme.
“We know that as DEN continues to provide opportunities for more businesses to share in the airport’s success, we all contribute to the economic health of our region.” ✈
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