Rod Smith/Facebook

The Denver Broncos have been around since 1960, and have had a lot of great teams and players in their 52 years. But only 22 players have ever received the teams highest honor by being inducted into the Ring of Fame. That number will increase by one this season for the first time in three years as the Broncos will honor wide receiver Rod Smith by inducting him into the Ring of Fame.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection set franchise records in receptions (849), receiving yards (11,389) and receiving touchdowns (68). He also owns the club’s career postseason receiving marks with 49 receptions for 860 yards and six touchdowns in 13 playoff games (12 starts), including the Broncos’ back-to-back Super Bowl championships following the 1997 and ’98 seasons.

Smith’s induction ceremony will be Sept. 23 at halftime of the Broncos’ home game against the Houston Texans. It’s probably not a coincidence Smith will be inducted against the Texans. Houston coach Gary Kubiak was Smith’s longtime offensive coordinator in Denver.

Smith’s first NFL quarterback, John Elway, had this to say about Smith’s election to the Ring of Fame:

“You couldn’t ask for a better teammate than Rod Smith. His work ethic, the way he competed and the positive influence he had on others were all qualities that made him one of the best. What a great Bronco who is so deserving of being honored as a member of the Ring of Fame.

“Although he had plenty of catches and touchdowns in his career, the only things that mattered to Rod were winning and competing for Super Bowls. That’s what was most important to him, and it showed in everything he did. Whether it was in the passing game or running game, you always knew Rod would give 100 percent on every play and do whatever it took to help his team win.

“Rod brought his lunch pail to work each day, took nothing for granted and made himself into an elite player. He’s a true pro. In addition to being one of the greatest undrafted players of all time, he’s one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the position.

“I’m thrilled Rod has been elected to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, and I look forward to celebrating his induction this season.”

The Hewlett Fire northwest of Fort Collins in the Poudre Canyon is now 7,300 acres.   Meanwhile, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office has lifted a mandatory evacuation order for 65 homes in the area of Bonner Springs Ranch Road, Deer Valley Road, Obenchain Road, Ingleside Road. The mandatory evacuation for the 15 homes along Highway 14 from the Greyrock Trailhead to the North Poudre diversion dam (approx. mile markers 113 to 115) is still in effect.

Thanks to Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests / Pawnee National Grassland for the latest updates.

• The Evacuation Center is established at Cache La Poudre Middle School, 3515 West County Road 54G in La Porte, Colo. If you have large animals, you may take them to The Ranch off of I-25.

• Highway 14 is still closed at Ted’s place. Residents may leave the area but will not be allowed to re-enter until the road is reopened.

• A FIRE WEATHER WATCH is in effect for the Front Range and northeastern plains for today, due to the warm, windy and dry conditions.

• Both the Weld and Larimer County Health Departments have issued Wildfire Air Quality Advisories.



John Metcalf’s “Loveland Colorado: Everything You Love” campaign was chosen. The red-and-purple iteration of the tagline and logo that, with some tweaking, was embraced by everyone who viewed it Wednesday could have rolled out as soon as this week, silk-screened on T-shirts and printed on glossy brochures. But in a moment of political discretion, commissioners opted to let Loveland city councilors deliver a final endorsement at a June meeting.

It seems as though most of the backlash and confusion over the new logo and slogan has to do with the “Sweetheart City” identity that some say was threatened. But the cities response, is it is essentially a totally different animal. The new brand is not going on city trash trucks. It will not appear on Miss Valentine’s sash. The “Everything You Love” message is targeted much further abroad — to travelers within Colorado and well outside the region, and to businesses viewing Loveland for potential relocation or expansion.

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Already at more than 5,000 acres, growing, and with no containment in near sight, the Hewlett Fire has already become one of the largest wildfires Larimer County has ever seen. The Bobcat Fire west of Loveland back in 2000 is the largest the county has seen, and the Hewlett Fire could be on it’s way to those numbers. 

This very same area has seen a fire not too long ago that was just as big. In 2004, the Picnic Rock Fire burned 8,995 acres and forced the evacuation of the Bonner Peak area.

Other large fires in Larimer County include:

• Crystal Fire west of Fort Collins (2011) – 2,940 acres; 13 structures destroyed

• Reservoir Road Fire west of Loveland (2010) – 740 acres; two homes destroyed

• Big Elk Fire near Estes Park (2002) – 4,413 acres; three fatalities

• Bobcat Fire west of Loveland (2000) – 10,600 acres; 22 structures destroyed

As the most beautiful of all horse breeds, this guy, aka William, was in a photo clinic on the beach near Santa Barbara when he bolted and swam 2 miles out to sea.

Rescue crews were able to help the horse who was exhausted, had some water in its lungs, but is doing fine. He managed to stay afloat despite having his long tail wrapped around one of its legs for almost three hours. It’s a bit like the rescue in ‘The Black Stallion’ movie.

William (April Visel/KSBW)

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Today is National Pizza Party Day! All you have to do to get my mouth salivating and my gut growling is to say the word pizza. So, to celebrate I am here to find out from you who has the best pizza. After all, everyone likes pizza right? Where is your favorite?

In my opinion pizza has become overdone because everyone loves it so much. Every restaurant or food manufacturer has their own version, and many just really aren’t up to par. It’s simple to make a good pizza, but it does take a little effort. You can’t throw processed cheese and sauce with more water than tomato on a sheet of cardboard. You have to use real fresh ingredients, and after that, you can be as creative as you like and end up with a great pizza.

Here are some fun pizza facts;

• Pepperoni is America’s favorite topping, (36% of all pizza orders). We eat approximately 251,770,000 pounds of Pepperoni per year. Other popular pizza toppings are, mushrooms, extra cheese, sausage, green pepper and onions.
• Mozzarella cheese represents 30% of total cheese output. Production of Italian cheeses such as mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, parmesan and romano by U.S. cheese makers more than doubled between 1980 and 1992, (from 688.6 MILLION pounds per year to nearly 2 BILLION pounds per year. (Source: Cheese Market News)
• Cheesy pizza fact: Manufacturers’ sales of pizza cheese has topped $32 BILLION. U.S. per capita consumption of mozzarella cheese was 7.93 pounds in 1994 and is predicted to reach 14 pounds soon. (Source: Business Trend Analysts, BTA)
• 62% of Americans prefer meat toppings on their pizza, while 38% prefer vegetarian toppings. (Source: Bolla Wines)
• Barbeque pizza emerged as one of the more popular pizza variations in a 1994 study by the National Restaurant Association. Nearly 33% of menus offered some form of this dish. Other popular variations were Mexican pizza, five-cheese combos, cheeseless pies and traditional Italian pizzas such as Margherita, Florentine and New Potato Pizzas. (Source: NRA)
• Anchovies are Americans’ least favorite topping.

John Elway Dealers

Keep in mind this is a one of a kind event.  Part Poker Run and part Toy Run.  Your registration fee at the Summer Series event entitles you at a chance at the $3000 in cash up for grabs. {$1500 to win, $1000 for 2nd and $500 for 3rd}  The toys you bring entitles you to raffle tickets for a chance to win the prizes including this one of a kind signed football to the Sleigh Riders from NFL Legend…John Elway.

One toy = one ticket; five toys = five tickets and so on.

The day starts and ends at Thunder Mountain Harley Davidson. Registration and breakfast start at 8am, riders out by 10am, Saturday June 30th. This years after party invades The Boot Grill starting at 3pm with live music and some great prizes to pass out in addition to awarding $3000 in CASH to the top 3 hands of the day!

Pre-register now {link below} and save some money plus you get free breakfast and a free Sleigh Riders shirt. Let’s face it, $10 for a single rider and $15 for two-up is a no brainer to win this kind of cash is insane plus free breakfast and a free SR shirt.  Day of registration is $15 single and $20 two-up. A limited number of breakfast burrito’s and shirts will be sold the day of for those not pre-registered so get registered today and save some money and get FREE stuff!

In the event of a tie like we had last year, those people will sit down at a table and play out one hand of 5 card draw to determine the winner.  Bring your poker face…

The poker run will be a full 5 run stop and this year we again break out the BB Guns for the stop at Beavers Den Leather and you have to shoot the card you want, or attempt to. The day ends with the after party at The Boot Grill off I-25 and Crossroads with live music from Psycho X, prizes, food & drink from 3pm to 7pm and the $3000 cash payout to the top 3 hands of the day!

National recording artist Whiskey Myers plays starting at 9pm and those tickets can be purchased through The Boot Grill for only $15. If you love Southern Rock and country…your gonna love Whiskey Myers.  You can also check ‘em out via their Official FB Page and they are also rocking CMT.  This is a band you are going to want to see.

Best Hands will be awarded at 6PM’ish…all hands in by 4PM!

[button href="http://k99.com/event/2012-sleigh-riders-summer-series-pokertoy-run/" title="Register Now" align="center"]

Thanks to our Corporate sponsors: K99 and Max FM Radio

Thanks to our Title Sponsors: Thunder Mountain Harley, Jacks Auto Service Center, John Elway Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and The Boot Grill.

Thanks to our Ride Sponsors: King Contracting Inc., Fort Collins Fit Body Boot Camp, Advantage Banks, Signature Signs & Designs, Assist to Sell/Ortiz Realty & Beavers Den Leather.

If you are attending please visit our FB Event page and click “Attending”

For those of you coming from out of state here is some helpful hotel information: Value Place - Best Western Crossroads – Comfort Inn – Super 8 – Quality Inn

Frank Micelotta/Evening Standard-Hulton Archive,Getty Images

After a long battle with cancer, disco icon Donna Summer succumbed to the illness today (May 17) at age 63. Her music influenced a long line of her fellow performers, and you might be surprised to learn David Bowie was among those artists.

Disco, long the enemy of rock and rollers, hit its peak in the late-’70s, and oversaturated the market with more plastic puppets than you could shake a mirror ball at. Donna Summer, however, was not plastic.

Early in her career, Summer was hired to sing on demo recordings by record producer Giorgio Moroder, who took her under his wing and thrust her into the disco spotlight with 1975′s ‘Love To Love You Baby,’ a 17-minute trance like dance floor hit that would set the template for everything from disco to house music.

The electronic pulse of her next record, ‘I Feel Love,‘ was one of the most influential records of the era. It’s robotic, motorik production was a second cousin to the pioneering works of Kraftwerk and would impact Bowie and producer Brian Eno as they were recording the classic ‘Low’ album in 1976.

In the liner notes to his ‘Sound And Vision’ retrospective collection, Bowie explains, “One day in Berlin, Eno came running in and said, ‘I have heard the sound of the future’ … he puts on ‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer … He said, ‘This is it, look no further. This single is going to change the sound of club music for the next fifteen years.”

He was right — the record would later influence acts like Depeche Mode and New Order. Even the Red Hot Chili Peppers covered the song on their ‘Live In Hyde Park’ album. Summer went on to have fourteen Top 10 hits, including four No. 1 records. She was nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010, but did not get the nod.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/2012-deaths-donald-duck-dunn/" title="Next: See Other Rockers We've Lost in 2012" align="center"]

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Central Press / Christopher Polk, Getty Images

A biopic about Mick Jagger and Keith Richards called ‘Exile on Main St.’ is in the works, with the casting stage reportedly underway. Rumor has it that Harry Styles, one of the members of British boy band One Direction, is in the running to play the Rolling Stones‘ frontman in the project, which is being funded by Virgin’s Richard Branson.

Why Harry Styles? Well, for one thing, there is some physical similarity between the teen and this weekend’s ‘SNL’ host. A source said, “Harry on stage can pass as a dead ringer for Jagger. If he can transform this image into a movie role, then he’s going to be a serious candidate to get the part. The signs so far are good.”

Styles also has some serious time commitments in terms of band touring, though, which could prohibit him from taking the role. Word is that the powers-that-be might even delay the project if need be in order to accommodate Styles’ schedule. That’s pretty impressive and indicates just how badly the producers want him for the role.

One Direction are the hottest thing in pop music, so this casting isn’t a shock. It could actually be a good thing to boost the film and get tons of Styles’ younger fans into the multiplex to get their classic rock education!

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

via City of Greeley

The Hewlett Fire northwest of Fort Collins has grown to approach Greeley’s Milton Seaman Reservoir.  The Forest Service has evacuated city buildings, including the home of the reservoir caretakers there. The Milton Seaman Reservoir provides water for the City of Greeley and there is potential for the water supply to be affected. 

Ash and sediment runoff into the Poudre River could compromise the City’s water quality, both during and after the wildfire.  At this time, Greeley’s water supply is not affected.  To avoid any impacts to drinking water quality for Greeley residents, the City has the ability to close the Poudre River intakes and draw water from Horsetooth Reservoir.  Residents will notice no change in water quality.

“We have planned for situations like this.  Because we have multiple water sources, we have alternatives when one or more sources are threatened,” said Jon Monson, Director of Water and Sewer for Greeley.

Greeley is cooperating with the Forest Service, allowing them to draw water from Milton Seaman Reservoir to try to control the fire.  The amount of water is relatively small and does not compromise Greeley’s water supply.  “We are glad to help,” Monson added.

Impacts on Greeley’s Water Quality

The extent of impacts to water quality are not known at this time.  Sooty water affects quality, so if residents notice any change in the smell or appearance of their water, you can call the City of Greeley Water Department at 970-350-9811.

[ via City of Greeley ]

TwitPic User: @TyCBS4

The Hewlett Fire northwest of Fort Collins continues to spread and more evacuations have been ordered this afternoon.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office has issued a mandatory evacuation order for 65 homes in the area of Bonner Springs Ranch Road, Deer Valley Road, Obenchain Road, Ingleside Road, and 15 homes on Highway 14 from the Greyrock Trailhead to the North Poudre diversion dam (approx. mile markers 113 to 115). All residents are asked to evacuate immediately.

An Evacuation Center has been established at Cache La Poudre Middle School, 3515 West County Road 54G in La Porte, Colo. A public meeting is tentatively scheduled for tonight at the evacuation center for 6:30 p.m. tonight.

If you have large animals, you may take them to The Ranch off of I-25. Highway 14 is closed from Stove Prairie to Ted’s Place until further notice. Residents can use the road to leave.

As of this afternoon the fire is estimated to be at 5,090 acres and growing.

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road closuresand updates:

Residents along Hwy 14 between MM 110 to 115 are being asked to get ready to evacuate.

In an update from the offices of Larimer county this morning officials have started pre-planning and coordination with the Livermore and Glacier View Fire Protection Districts in the event the fire moves in that direction.

Road closures are expected along hwy 14. Specifically hwy 14 will be closed this afternoon at the intersection of hwy 287/Ted’s Place. CDOT will also close SH 14 eastbound traffic to Stove Prairie Campground.

Health warning:

Children, Elderly, and People with Respiratory Conditions

If you can see or smell smoke, children, elderly, pregnant women, and people with pre-existing respiratory conditions should stay inside with the windows and doors closed. If it is hot outside, run an air conditioner if you have one, but keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere.

Complete information about this emergency can be found by clicking here.

flikr/Dana Dean

Natural disasters such as tornadoes can bring out the best in people, as strangers reach out to help others in need. Unfortunately, crises also bring out those who choose to take advantage of the victims. According to the Better Business Bureau, one of the most common “after-disaster” scams involves roofs.

Whether your roof got hit hard by a natural disaster or just needs to be replaced due to time, take precautions when it comes to hiring a roofing contractor. In 2011, BBB received more than 3.3 million inquiries from consumers looking to find a roofer they could trust – making it the top inquired industry in the BBB system.

If you need a new roof or just a repair, your BBB advises:

Do your research. Check with your insurance company about policy coverage and specific filing requirements. Save all receipts if temporary roofing repairs are necessary.

Stay calm. Although you may be anxious to get things back to normal, avoid letting emotions get the better of you. Don’t be pressured into making an immediate decision with a long-term impact.

Shop around. Get three to four estimates based on the same specifications and materials. Check out references and verify that the contractor is required to be licensed and/or registered to do work in your area. Also, check with your local building inspector to see if a building permit is required.

Avoid high-pressure sales tactics. Be wary of door-to-door workers who claim to have leftover materials from a job “down the street” or who do not have a permanent place of business.

Get everything in writing. Clearly written proposals that are detailed and broken down into separate line items are a good sign that the contractor is thorough and has prepared an accurate estimate. Require a written contract that includes their name, address, license number and phone number. Read and understand the contract in its entirety, don’t sign a blank contract, and make sure you get a copy of the signed contract at the time of signature.  Some contracts include a clause where substantial cancellation fees or liquidation damages are required if the homeowner decides not to use the contractor after insurance approval of the claim. In some instances you may be required to pay the full agreed price if you cancel after the three-day cancellation period.

Start With Trust. For trustworthy consumer tips and information, visit wynco.bbb.org or call 970-484-1348 or 800-564-0371.

[BetterBusinessBureau.org]

 

A sad day in music as we are getting information that Donna Summer has died this morning after a battle with breast cancer.

According to TMZ Summer was in Florida at the time of her death. She was 63-years-old. Summer was a 5-time Grammy winner who shot to superstardom in the ’70s with iconic hits like “Last Dance,” “Hot Stuff” and “Bad Girls.”

[ Global Grind ]

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The Hewlett Gulch fire grew in size over night from about 1,000 to about 5,000 acres. Highway 14 could be closed from time to time today to facilitate fire fighting. Officials have also released an air quality health advisory because of excessive smoke in the atmosphere.

Detailed information on the fire can be found at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2863/ or by calling the Forest Service Information line at 498-1030.

Two old men had been best friends for years, and they both live to their early 90′s, when one of them suddenly falls deathly ill. His friend comes to visit him on his deathbed, and they’re reminiscing about their long friendship. The friend says, “Listen, when you die, do me a favor. I want to know if there’s baseball in heaven.”

The dying man responds, “We’ve been friends for a lifetime, so yes, I’ll do this for you.” And then he dies.

A few days later, the surviving friend is sleeping, when he hears his friend’s voice.

“I’ve got some good news and some bad news,” it says. “The good news is: there’s baseball in heaven.”

“What’s the bad news?”

“You’re pitching on Wednesday.”

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Coffee drinkers no longer need to fret over health concerns and their beloved beverage, according to a new study by the National Cancer Institute. In fact, feel free to pour an extra cup in the morning because, the study suggests, coffee may actually prolong life.

Over the course of a 14-year study, researchers found that men who drank at least six cups of coffee a day had a 10 percent lower chance of dying than those who drank none. Women had a 15 percent lower chance.

“I would say it offers some reassurance to coffee drinkers,” said Neal Freedman, a nutritional epidemiology researcher and one of the authors of the study. “Other studies have suggested a higher risk of mortality with coffee drinking and we didn’t see that in our study.”

The study looked at the coffee habits of 229,000 men and 173,000 women from 1995 to 2008. It found that even people who drank between two and five cups of coffee daily seemed to have a lower risk of mortality. This applied to both regular and decaffeinated coffee.

It’s important to note, however, that the study highlights only a potential connection between coffee and decreased risk of death. Simply put, researchers aren’t quite sure why their findings highlight an uptick in longevity.

Still, Freedman said, it’s entirely possible that coffee may be beneficial in some unknown way. “Coffee has more than 1,000 compounds and we really don’t know what effects those compounds have on health,” he said.

[MSNBC]

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Being the huge sports fan that I am, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t catch an episode or two of Sportscenter on ESPN before bed. There was a story yesterday that caught my attention, and yanked my chain a little. It involved an “unwritten rule” in Major League Baseball that basically says it is acceptable to hit one another with baseballs. It is not OK, and it needs to stop!

The story in a nutshell goes something like this… The New York Mets were playing the Milwaukee Brewers Monday night. The Mets were losing big and the Brewers had just hit a home run off of Mets pitcher D.J. Carrasco. Next up was the Brewers best player and last years National League MVP, Ryan Braun. First pitch, Braun gets hit by a pitch from Carrasco. Carrasco is in turn ejected from the game. The next half inning, Mets manager Terry Collins takes his best player, David Wright, out of the game to protect him from getting hit in retaliation. Collins said the Brewers had every right to retaliate, and figured they would go after his star, Wright, who was due to lead off the next half-inning. “I’m not accusing anybody of the possibility of retaliation. But I don’t blame the umpires for doing what they did. I don’t blame the other team for any perception they had of what happened. But I’ve got news for you: In this game, there are unwritten rules. And one of the unwritten rules is you hit my guy, I’m hitting your guy.”

So, you are suspending players and coaches in the NFL for entire seasons for bounties in a sport that is supposed to be violent, but in the rather peaceful game of baseball there are these “unwritten rules” that are accepted?

Think about how vulnerable a hitter is. You have pitchers that can throw a ball that is as hard as a rock 100 miles per hour. What defense does the hitter have? A bat that does no good when the ball is coming at your body, and a helmet that protects your head if it stays on, but not your face or any other bone that could break due to a ball hitting it.

Sure, guys get thrown out of games for throwing at hitters, but that is it. Like the Mets coach said, it’s expected, if I throw at your guy, you have every right to throw at mine. Are we in elementary school? No, we are talking grown men playing professional baseball here. Guys have and will continue to get hurt if this idiocy continues. Suspensions, and long ones need to be enforced. Yes, people will get hit on accident that’s part of baseball, but the blatant plunkings are not part of baseball. Let’s teach the millions of youth who watch and look up to these guys how to play the game correctly and break the history of these childish “unwritten rules.”

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The month of May is recognized as National Military Appreciation Month and this Saturday is Armed Forces Day. What better time to show our appreciation and say thank you to those who keep us safe. That is exactly what is going on at Bittersweet Park in Greeley on Saturday morning.

War veterans will be celebrated in a ceremony at the Weld County Veterans Memorial and Armed Forces Day on Saturday at Bittersweet Park, 35th Avenue and 12th Street in Greeley. The event will gather Iraq and Afghanistan veterans from Weld County for recognition. Veterans are welcomed to sit on stage to join special guest Tom Landis, an Iraq veteran MedEvac helicopter pilot. Music will be provided by the Brentwood Middle School band.

Starting at 11 a.m., ceremonies will begin and veterans will be recognized for their service overseas.  Following the ceremony, everyone is invited to a soup lunch organized by the Greeley VFW Post 2121.