DENVER — A new Rockies season is on deck, with the team’s first game of the 2026 campaign set for Friday night in Miami. The home opener is next Friday at Coors Field.

It’s also a new season for the Ballpark neighborhood’s General Improvement District (GID) and its street ambassadors.

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Those ambassadors, dressed in maroon shirts and jackets, patrol the streets around Coors Field and the Ballpark neighborhood. They are tasked with helping with cleaning, maintenance, security, outreach to those experiencing homelessness, and general hospitality for neighbors and visitors.

How Denver’s Ballpark District now has ties to Chicago’s Wrigleyville

This week, Denver7 spoke with Kate McKenna, who stepped in as the GID’s executive director last summer. McKenna said while she works in the office, the district has six full-time ambassador employees through programming partner block by block. She said the team patrols the area year-round, but adds staffing for big events like St. Patrick’s Day and Rockies home games.

McKenna comes to Denver from a similar role in Wrigleyville, the iconic neighborhood outside Wrigley Field in Chicago. She said that serves as a source of inspiration for the future, but adds that Denver’s ballpark neighborhood has its own unique advantages.

“All of our businesses are independently-owned and operated,” McKenna told Denver7. “There is no chain, there is no commercial sort of large entity here in Ballpark that you’re going to see… To have a true small, hyper-local-owned economy is what really sets this district apart, both in Denver and then nationwide.”

Even after the Rockies set a franchise record with 119 losses in 2025, McKenna said the on-field product does not make the District’s job harder.

“I like to think win or lose, they’re the best neighbor you could possibly have, regardless of their season,” McKenna said. “They continually have one of the highest attendance rates for home games, as well as walk-up ticket sales.

McKenna said there continues to be good conversations between the district and local businesses. Property owners pay a fee based on property value that goes into the GID’s annual budget.

“Folks are coming out. Folks are patronizing local businesses. They’re bringing their families down here, and they’re enjoying their time, which is all you can really ask for in terms of community… Bringing people together is at the core of what we’re doing here.”

A state investigation has found that a Denver assisted living facility took 13 minutes to locate a resident who collapsed and begin CPR — failures regulators say placed all residents in “immediate jeopardy.”

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment concluded that The Argyle assisted living facility violated multiple rules in connection with the January death of 73-year-old Robert Dutkevitch. The violations were classified at the CDPHE’s most serious level, indicating 125 Argyle residents were at immediate risk of harm, according to the agency.

The findings stem in part from the facility’s own surveillance video system, which captured the events leading up to Dutkevitch’s death. CBS Colorado obtained copies of the same videos reviewed by state investigators.

According to police reports, video footage, interviews and the state investigation, Dutkevitch — who used a wheelchair — went outside to a designated smoking patio at about 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 6. Roughly 2 minutes later, the video shows him slumping forward and falling from his wheelchair onto the ground. He remained there for about 8 minutes before another resident noticed him and alerted staff. Surveillance footage shows several staff members arriving at the patio and determining Dutkevitch had no pulse. However, investigators say staff did not begin CPR immediately, waiting approximately five additional minutes before attempting lifesaving measures.

In total, 13 minutes passed from the time Dutkevitch collapsed to the start of CPR.

State investigators cited the delay as a critical deficiency, noting that trained staff are required to provide CPR promptly. According to Denver police call logs obtained by CBS Colorado, one staff member told a 911 operator she did not want to perform chest compressions because she had the flu.

After CPR was finally initiated, Denver Fire personnel arrived and continued lifesaving efforts for approximately 30 minutes before Dutkevitch was pronounced dead.

The death was later classified as natural, with acute coronary syndrome and atherosclerosis listed as the immediate causes, according to the death certificate.

Colorado investigators finds monitoring problems 

The state investigation also found problems with how the facility monitored its outdoor smoking area.

A surveillance camera was positioned on the patio, but The Argyle said the video feed was not continuously monitored. State regulations require that designated smoking areas “shall be monitored whenever residents are present.”

According to the report, the facility administrator acknowledged there was “no official process” in place to monitor the area. The administrator told investigators he was unaware of the regulation and said the facility did not have enough staff to continuously monitor the patio.

The department concluded the facility failed to meet CPR requirements because it “failed to require all staff certified in CPR to provide CPR services promptly.”

Investigators found gaps in training and preparedness. One staff member was described in the CDPHE report as “unaware of how to respond,” while others said they had not been trained on what to do if a resident becomes unresponsive.

“I did not respond very well, I’m sorry,” one staff member told investigators.

CPR delay leaves widow devastated

Dutkevitch’s widow, Sharon Dutkevitch, said the delay in care has left her devastated.

“My heart aches. I cry every night,” she said. “Every second that went by, he didn’t have a chance that way. I wish I had been there to help him.”

After watching the surveillance video, she questioned why staff did not act immediately.

“I don’t understand why caregivers stand around and do not give him CPR,” she said. “Those people are standing around him doing nothing to help him. That’s what really hurts.”

 She believes her husband might have survived if CPR had been started sooner.

“You’re losing brain cells every second that goes by without CPR,” she said.

Dutkevitch had been a resident at The Argyle since 2022 and, according to his wife, generally liked living there. He had several health conditions, including high blood pressure and cognitive decline.

He also had written directives on file stating that he wanted life-saving measures, including CPR, performed in an emergency.

Anita Springsteen, an attorney representing Sharon Dutkevitch, said the response by staff fell far short of expectations.

“They took so long to respond and didn’t seem to be aware there was an emergency going on,” Springsteen said. “Once they were aware, they lingered around and didn’t do anything, didn’t immediately give CPR, didn’t do the things you would think a facility like that — with trained staff — would do on an immediate basis.”

Springsteen said a lawsuit is likely.

“It seems like there was a window in there where something could have been done — he could have been saved,” she said.

The state issued an immediate $2,500 fine and ordered The Argyle to correct multiple deficiencies related to the case.

A spokesperson for the facility said those issues were addressed by Feb. 12 and that the “immediate jeopardy” designation was lifted that day.

The Argyle challenges some of state report’s conclusions

Since Dutkevitch’s death, the facility says it is no longer accepting residents who smoke and now closes its outdoor smoking patio each night at 10 p.m.

The Argyle administrators declined an on-camera interview request from CBS Colorado. In a written statement, administrators said they take resident safety and regulatory compliance “extremely seriously” and have implemented additional training, communication protocols, and oversight measures.

The facility said some conclusions in the state report are being challenged.

Argyle officials maintained that staff members who were CPR-certified responded promptly once they became aware of Dutkevitch’s condition, contacted emergency services immediately, and followed instructions from 911 operators.

The Argyle also defended its training practices, saying it maintains comprehensive onboarding and ongoing instruction in CPR certification and emergency response procedures, and is reinforcing those processes.

Regarding the “immediate jeopardy” designation, the facility said it does not reflect the overall safety and care provided and noted it was lifted shortly after the state required the addition of an “Unresponsive Resident Policy.”

The facility also disputed findings related to monitoring the smoking area, stating that regulators agreed a camera system could be sufficient for monitoring during discussions about the rule.

A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said the investigation is continuing.

“The investigation of Argyle Living Residence is still ongoing,” said spokesperson Alexandrea Kallin. “Until it’s complete, we cannot provide any additional information. Investigations vary in their complexity and can take some time to complete.”

Sharon Dutkevitch said she chose to speak publicly in hopes of preventing similar incidents.

She said she wants accountability and change — “so no one else goes through this.”

DENVER — It was another record-breaking day in Denver Tuesday as the high temperature topped 80 degrees, crushing the previous record of 76 degrees set in 1896. It’s going to be even hotter Wednesday!

As this ridge of high pressure moves closer into Colorado, temperatures will climb about 30 degrees above normal. It’ll be the hottest day of the week with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s across the plains.

Denver will easily break the current record of 75 degrees, set in 2012. And the city could even challenge its all-time March record high of 86 degrees on Wednesday. It will likely be the fifth record breaking day of the month so far.

Gusty winds, hot temperatures and low humidity values will lead to high fire danger in south central Colorado Wednesday. A Fire Weather Watch and Red Flag Warning are posted for much of that area.

Temperatures will cool a bit on Thursday as a cold front moves into the state bringing a slight chance of showers, mainly to the mountains. Highs will still stay in the upper 70s to low 80s, with some gusty winds around the Denver metro.

Cooler air will settle in behind the front on Friday. Temperatures will dip into the 50s. It seems chilly compared to what we’ve seen, but it’s very seasonal for late March. Enjoy the brief break from the heat while it’s here. Warmer air and possibly more record-breaking heat return just in time for the weekend.

More record breaking temperatures across the Denver metro area

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