Who Had the Worst Week?

• Hurricane Ian has caused a once-in-500-years flooding event in Florida, and officials estimate at least 21 Floridians are dead.
• The body of Colorado’s Hilaree Nelson, a legend in the ski climber community, was found by Nepalese searchers on Mount Manaslu. She apparently was caught in an avalanche as she scaled the mountain in an attempt to then ski down it.
• Rent in Denver is among the most expensive in the country, driven by a 45% increase since August 2021. And in what may be a leading indicator that benefits renters in the future, Colorado home prices saw some of the steepest price drops in the nation this summer.
• Former NFL QB Brett Favre‘s troubles continue. After reports surfaced that he helped steer $5 million in welfare funds to build a volleyball stadium at his alma mater, he has now been dropped by SiriusXM and ESPN Milwaukee as they seek to distance themselves from him.
• Speaking of the NFL, the Miami Dolphins are under intense scrutiny for letting QB Tua Tagovailoa play Thursday night after he appeared to suffer a concussion four days earlier in last Sunday’s game. In Thursday’s game, Tagovailoa was again slammed to the ground and this time he had to be carted off the field on a stretcher.
• You will no doubt be shocked to learn that Shotgun Willie’s has been accused of unethical behavior related to a wrongful death lawsuit.
• Air Force is the best college football program in the state, and now we may know why. The NCAA has put the school on probation for recruiting violations.
• Pop star Shakira has been ordered to stand trial in Spain on tax fraud charges that could net her an eight-year prison sentence.
• Satellite images show a 10-mile-long traffic jam to leave Russia following Vladimir Putin’s efforts to conscript and mobilize 300,000 additional troops to fight in Ukraine.
• Fast Company had to shut down its website after it was hacked and used to send obscene and racist messages through its Apple News feed.
• Here’s hoping Coolio has a Fantastic Voyage to a Gangsta’s Paradise.
• The CEO of Clearwater, Fla.-based PostcardMania held a staff meeting to encourage employees to defy Hurricane Ian evacuation orders and instead remain at work because, “It’s not going to be that bad.” Following a social media backlash, the company said the CEO’s remarks – delivered at a staff meeting – were “personal opinions” that did not reflect “an official PostcardMania position in any way.”

So, who won the week?

• John Hall has launched Hallway Communications, a Denver-based agency focusing on wireless and future-of-work clients. Hall previously worked at Dish Network, CenturyLink and Clear Channel Radio.
• Elaine Reddy has joined The Ad Hoc Group as Senior Communications Manager.
• Tracy Weise has joined Cisco as Executive Communications Manager.
• Lu Stasko announced that she has returned full-time to the Stasko Agency following two years battling cancer.
• Lori Lizarraga, the former 9News reporter who alleged the station racially discriminated against employees of color, has been named co-host of NPR’s “Code Switch” show.
• Jon Ekstrom of Deft Communications and the “Jon of All Trades” Podcast has partnered to create the “Happy Friday” podcast, a new weekly show “focusing on cool stuff to do around Colorado, good vibes, and fun banter.”
• Professional wrestler-turned-actor John Cena completed his 650th wish for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. No other person has granted more than 200 wishes in the organization’s 42-year history.
• Edelman, the largest independent PR agency in the world, passed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time.
• The Top 5 favorite brands among Gen Z: YouTube, Google, Netflix, Amazon and M&Ms.