Elizabeth Hernandez

1 week ago | denverpost.com | Elizabeth Hernandez

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of an Arvada idol who quite literally never stopped smiling, whose funny bone was always on full display and who always had a good head on his shoulders. Until this week. A decapitation has shaken this suburban community to the bone. Neighbors are leaving flowers at the gravesite. Someone started a GoFundMe for the impacted family. And a Facebook page dedicated to the victim is blowing up with equal parts sympathy and outrage.

1 week ago | denverpost.com | Elizabeth Hernandez

A Colorado speller was bested by tacos Wednesday morning. Blanche Li, an eighth-grader from Boulder’s Summit Middle School, incorrectly spelled “taqueria” — a Mexican restaurant specializing especially in tacos — during the sixth round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee outside Washington, D.C.The 14-year-old, sponsored by the Boulder Valley School District, was knocked out of the competition.

1 week ago | denverpost.com | Elizabeth Hernandez

The two brainiacs representing Colorado at the Scripps National Spelling Bee outside Washington, D.C., this week advanced through the first and second rounds of the competition Tuesday morning. Vedanth “Ved” Raju — a seventh-grader from Aurora Quest K-8 who is sponsored in the Bee by The Denver Post — correctly spelled “faipule,” a Samoan native councillor heading a political district and belonging to a fono, according to Merriam-Webster.

1 week ago | denverpost.com | Elizabeth Hernandez

Jacques Bailly took a razor blade to the dictionary in 1991, revolutionizing the mechanics of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Before then, the Scripps Bee pronouncers who bestowed tricky words on the brainiacs on stage had to flip through a dictionary looking for answers whenever a contestant requested the definition or language of origin.

3 weeks ago | denverpost.com | Elizabeth Hernandez

The founder of the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg — home to more than 950 rehabilitated animals, including lions, tigers and bears — says he’s concerned about an encroaching housing development that he believes could threaten the sanctuary’s existence. Pat Craig, executive director of the animal sanctuary, aired his grievances on social media, stirring up outrage over the building plans. Now, the developers say their lives are being threatened by supporters of the sanctuary.