'vanish' Mystery Deepens

Matthew Ball, Denver’s policy director, won election to represent central and eastern Denver in the state Senate on Tuesday night, the third person elected to the legislature via a vacancy committee appointment in the past four days. Ball beat six opponents over five rounds of voting to replace outgoing Sen. Chris Hansen, who announced shortly after his reelection in November that he was taking a job leading the La Plata Electric Association.

A backcountry skier was caught, buried and killed Tuesday in an avalanche near Red Mountain Pass in southern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, officials said. Related Articles Colorado News | New pizza spots take over Benny Blanco’s Capitol Hill storefront Colorado News | Colorado weather: Sub-zero wind-chill temperatures, snow return Wednesday night Colorado News | Denver official wins seat in state Senate, the third legislator selected by vacancy committee in recent days Colorado News | Colorado legislature begins 2025 session, with budget cuts — and Trump administration — looming Colorado News | Denver auditor plans new DIA probe after finding risk of overpayment The avalanche happened around 11,300 feet on the northwest-facing slope of Red Mountain Number 3, in an area locally known as Bollywood, according to a preliminary report from the Colorado Avalance Information Center. Investigators will visit the accident site on Wednesday to figure out what happened, but they believe the skier accidentally triggered the avalanche, according to the report. The mountain is about 13 miles north of Silverton. Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.

Lawmakers were set to gather Wednesday morning at the State Capitol in Denver for the 120-day marathon of the upcoming legislative session. Stay tuned for updates on new developments by The Denver Post’s state government reporters. This story will be updated throughout the day. Democrats held onto strong majorities in both legislative chambers in November’s elections — one seat shy of a 2-to-1 supermajority in each — though Republicans clawed back from superminority status in the House by reducing Democrats’ margins. Some of the proposals the Democrats have previewed so far include new efforts on labor reform, a ban on selling semiautomatic firearms with detachable magazines and measures to improve housing attainability.

By NICOLE WINFIELD ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders. The appointment marks a major step in Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church.

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and MARK SHERMAN WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to call off Friday’s sentencing in his hush money case in New York. Trump’s lawyers turned to the nation’s highest court Wednesday after New York courts refused to postpone the sentencing by Juan M. Merchan, the judge who presided over Trump’s trial and conviction last May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Trump’s attorneys asked for an immediate stay of Friday’s sentencing “to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the Presidency and the operations of the federal government.” Related Articles National News | Colorado legislature begins 2025 session, with budget cuts — and Trump administration — looming National News | Colorado soldier who exploded Cybertruck outside Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative AI, police say National News | Tesla data helped police after Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion, but experts have wider privacy concerns National News | Colorado soldier who blew up Cybertruck in Las Vegas told ex-girlfriend of pain and exhaustion after Afghanistan National News | Congress is ready to certify Trump’s election win, but his Jan.

Denver auditor Tim O’Brien plans a fresh review of a large portion of Denver International Airport’s $2.1 billion expansion after a follow-up of a 2023 audit found persistent oversight problems. “I’m concerned,” O’Brien said. “What we are recommending goes beyond just documentation. The whole procurement of contracts and subcontracts needs to be open and fair and competitive.” DIA officials on Tuesday said they aren’t considering any changes. “The airport remains confident that it has adequate controls in place to ensure proper oversight of its projects,” airport officials said in an emailed response to Denver Post questions. Launched in 2018, DIA’s expansion was budgeted to cost up to $770 million and be done within five years.