Denver, CO
YMCA of Metro Denver offers free community swim lesson
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 5-14. The folks at the YMCA of Metro Denver believe that drowning deaths are completely preventable.
“Drowning is a silent killer, but we can prevent that through education and encouraging parents and adults around to put their phones down and be water watchers,” said Breezy Bolden, President & CEO of YMCA of Metro Denver.
In recognition of the Y’s 150th anniversary and the 5th anniversary of the Aurora YMCA, the Y is offering a free community swim lesson for up to 150 children ages 3-12.
“We are teaching sidewalk CPR and how to apply a life vest, and also what happens if you unexpectedly find yourself in water … you fall in … you want to swim to the side … so we’ll be teaching those water safety skills,” Bolden explained.
YMCA of Metro Denver is working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver and the Wheatlands Metro District to fill up that community swim class, but anyone is welcome to register up to 150 participants. For families who aren’t able to get into the free class, the YMCA of Metro Denver offers swim lessons throughout the year. The Y is actually the national provider of swim lessons and created group swim lessons.
“I believe and many of us believe at the Y that swimming is a life skill, just like riding a bike. It gives you an opportunity to be physically active, safe around water, and enjoy the beautiful outdoors of Colorado and all the lakes and reservoirs we have around here,” Bolden said.
LINK: Register for the free Community Swim Lesson
The YMCA of Metro Denver’s free Community Swim Lesson is Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Aurora YMCA at Wheatlands, 6100 Kewaunee Way.
Denver, CO
Two Denver police vehicles hit by separate drivers during traffic stop
DENVER (KDVR) — Two Denver police vehicles were hit by separate drivers during a traffic stop last week, according to a social media post from the Denver Police Department.
On May 7, officers responded to a crash on northbound Interstate 25 near the exit for Alameda Avenue.
The officers were parked with their emergency lights on to direct the traffic away from the scene of the crash. Despite the lights being on, two separate vehicles crashed into the officers’ vehicles.
One driver caused minor damage to a Denver police vehicle and was cited for careless driving. The second driver caused extensive damage to a police vehicle and was cited for careless driving, as well as arrested for allegedly driving under the influence during the crash.
Officers were in their vehicles during the incident, with one uninjured and the other taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility! If you come upon flashing lights, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles while driving, move over at least one lane or slow down if it’s not safe to move over. And don’t drive under the influence,” said the department in the post.
Denver, CO
Denver testing outdoor sirens, emergency alert system this week
Denver’s outdoor warning sirens will sound for three minutes on Wednesday morning as officials test the city’s emergency systems.
All 86 outdoor sirens are scheduled to go off at 11 a.m., and at the same time the wireless emergency alert system will send a test text message to all mobile phones in Denver.
People in neighboring counties may also receive the emergency alert message, the Denver Office of Emergency Management said in a statement.
“Speed and clarity are critical in an emergency,” Executive Director Matthew Mueller said in a statement. “This test helps ensure Denver can deliver alerts across multiple platforms, so people know what to do right away.”
Denver officials have mistakenly sent emergency alerts about isolated police activity to the entire city twice in recent months — once in January when a person was barricaded near the University of Denver and once in April when two armed robbery suspects ran into a nearby home in Ruby Hill.
Denver emergency response officials may start using the outdoor sirens more often, including for destructive thunderstorms or flash flooding, instead of just for tornado warnings, city leaders said in a news release.
While Denverites don’t need to take any action during the test on Wednesday, the sirens are usually a sign to seek shelter indoors immediately and check for updates from the city and local news outlets, according to Denver officials.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
Denver, CO
Former Denver Bronco Craig Morton, who became the first quarterback to start Super Bowl for 2 franchises, dies at 83
Craig Morton, who spent 18 years in the NFL and became the first quarterback to start the Super Bowl for two franchises — the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos — has died. He was 83.
Morton died Saturday in Mill Valley, California, the Broncos confirmed through his family.
Morton is one of only four QBs to start the NFL’s biggest game with two organizations. The other three — Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Kurt Warner — all ended up with at least one win. Morton’s only Super Bowl ring came as a backup.
His first Super Bowl start was in a turnover-plagued Super Bowl V to end the 1970 season — a 16-13 loss by the Cowboys to the Colts. Morton threw the Cowboys’ first touchdown pass in a title game.
Seven years later, and after an unsuccessful stint with the New York Giants, Morton led the Broncos to a matchup against his former team. He threw for 39 yards and four interceptions before getting pulled for Norris Weese in a 27-10 loss, which marked the first of four straight Super Bowl defeats for Denver.
Known for his strong arm, Morton turned in a college football Hall of Fame career at California, where he played for coach Marv Levy and assistant Bill Walsh. Morton went fifth in the 1965 NFL draft to the Cowboys. Oakland also took him in the 10th round of the AFL draft.
He joined a Cowboys team coached by Tom Landry that had veteran Don Meredith at QB. Morton played in four games that season. He then split time with up-and-coming Roger Staubach in 1970-71, the year the Cowboys went to their first Super Bowl.
The next season, Morton and Staubach also split time — at some points, even alternating every play. But ultimately, it was Staubach who took over the starting job, then led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl and a 24-3 win over Miami. Staubach was the MVP of that game and it wasn’t hard to imagine the end of Morton’s time in Dallas.
The Cowboys dealt their backup to the Giants in 1974 for a package that included a pick Dallas would use to take defensive lineman Randy White, who became a Super Bowl MVP and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Morton struggled in New York, but enjoyed a renaissance after getting traded to Denver before the 1977 season — the season that put the Broncos on the map.
The veteran QB became the final piece for a Broncos team under a new coach, Red Miller, who inherited a strong defense that would become known as the Orange Crush.
Morton led the Broncos to a 12-2 record and playoff wins over the Steelers and Raiders. He famously spent the week in the hospital with a hip injury before spearheading the win over rival Oakland.
Four years later — and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves. In 1981, Morton threw for 3,195 yards and 21 TDs, both career highs (he matched his best mark in TDs).
He retired after starting three games in the strike-shortened 1982 season. Denver would trade for John Elway, who supplanted Morton as the franchise’s most famous and revered No. 7.
Morton threw for 27,908 yards over his career with 183 touchdowns and 187 interceptions. Morton ranked in the top 20 all-time in yards passing and TD passes when he retired following the 1982 season.
He was voted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988, along with two other standouts from that ’77 team — Haven Moses and Jim Turner.
-
Entertainment6 minutes agoAt LACHSA, L.A.’s most important public arts school, the ‘misfits’ become superstars
-
Lifestyle12 minutes agoTaste New Mexico at two colorful stops along Albuquerque’s Route 66
-
Politics18 minutes agoTrump marvels at Chinese display of power as summit kicks off
-
Sports30 minutes agoHigh school baseball: City Section Wednesday playoff scores, Thursday schedule
-
World42 minutes agoIran war: Why the BRICS foreign ministers meeting in India matters
-
News1 hour agoDenise Powell wins Democratic primary for Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district
-
New York3 hours agoMan Convicted of Running Illegal Police Station Tied to China’s Government
-
Los Angeles, Ca3 hours agoDeputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people