Denver7 recounts 7 biggest stories of the year

Denver’s mayoral race

The biggest story of the year was the Denver mayoral race to replace term-limited Michael Hancock.

Seventeen candidates threw their hats in the ring for the chance to be Denver’s next mayor. In the end, former educator and state senator Mike Johnston claimed victory in June against Kelly Brough.

Death of Alexa Bartell

Three 18-year-olds were arrested in April after they allegedly threw a rock at a car in Jefferson County, killing the 20-year-old driver, Alexa Bartell.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies investigated the fatal case late on April 19. They determined that Bartell had been on the phone with her friend around 10:45 p.m. when Bartell “abruptly stopped talking,” the affidavit reads.

When the friend was able to leave work, around 11:05 p.m., she used the Find My iPhone app to find Bartell. Through the app, she saw her friend’s phone was stationary in a field on the east side of Indiana Street, just south of State Highway 128, according to the affidavit.

The friend drove to that location and found Bartell with a serious head injury in the driver’s seat of her Chevrolet Spark. She was not moving, according to the affidavit. The friend called Bartell’s mother and then 911.

According to court documents, the 18-year-olds returned to the scene of the crash and took a photo as a memento.

Ryan Partridge reaches settlement with Boulder County

A man who gouged his eyes out during a mental health crisis while incarcerated at the Boulder County Jail in December 2016 reached a $2.55 million settlement with the county in August.

Ryan Partridge named then-Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle and 21 others — including administrators of the jail, deputies and sergeants of the jail and other jail staff — in a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2017, claiming they should have known something like this would happen. Partridge’s attorneys argued that the jail let his mental health go untreated and the incident could have been prevented.

According to the lawsuit, Partridge experienced a “deep, severe, schizophrenic psychosis” and had previously harmed himself while incarcerated. He also had a history of refusing to take medication, the lawsuit states. Attorneys claimed the jail “simply left his psychosis untreated.”

Bad check almost ruins Longmont toy store

A man came into Longmont’s St. Nix Collectibles, Toys & Antiques in December 2022 and bought out the store for a toy drive he was heading up. He wrote a check for $56,000 and hauled the inventory.

However, the Christmas miracle turned bad when the check bounced. The store owners were left with no money and empty shelves.

Thankfully, there was a happy ending in 2023. The store received an outpouring of community support and opened a new location in May.

Denver Nuggets win NBA championship

For the first time in the team’s 47-year history, the Denver Nuggets were crowned NBA champions.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led an insanely talented team to beat the Miami Heat 94-89 in Game 5 of the best-of-seven championship series. The city capped off an amazing run with a parade and rally downtown.

Hail pummels Red Rocks concertgoers

Seven people were taken to a hospital and dozens more were hurt as a hailstorm pummeled concertgoers at Red Rocks Amphitheater in June.

According to West Metro Fire, those who were taken to the hospital had non-life-threatening injuries. As many as 80 to 90 more people were treated for injuries at Red Rocks. Injuries included cuts and broken bones, according to the agency.

The hailstorm pounded the famous Colorado venue ahead of a Louis Tomlinson concert.

Two deans shot by student at Denver’s East High School

Two deans were shot at Denver’s East High School in March, sparking a safety discussion that led to the reintroduction of school resource officers in Denver Public Schools.

The body of the suspect, identified as a 17-year-old student, was later found in Park County.

Bonus: Casa Bonita reopens

Let’s end this recap on a positive note.

Casa Bonita closed down food service in 2020 after its owner at the time, Summit Family Restaurants, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was eventually purchased by the “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker for $3 million.

The two cleaned up the place, hired a new chef and, of course, brought back the cliff divers.

After three long years, the restaurant finally reopened (on a limited basis) this summer.

Bonus bonus: Taylor Swift rocks Empower Field

It was the hottest ticket in town. Taylor Swift brought her “Eras Tour” to Denver for two nights.

She played to 70,000 Swifties each night and provided more joy per square foot than ever seen before at Empower Field at Mile High. Those concerts injected an estimated $140 million into the local economy and created enough friendship bracelets to bring world peace.

What a year it has been. We thank you for watching (and reading) Denver7 through it all.

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