Associated Press - The Durango Herald

American rock climber Alex Honnold reaches top of Taipei 101 skyscraper without ropes

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — American rock climber Alex Honnold ascended the Taipei 101 skyscraper on Sunday without any ropes or protective equipment. Cheers erupted from a street-level crowd as h...

DATE: Jan 25, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Rescuers recover more bodies from landslide in Indonesia, with 72 still missing

BANDUNG, Indonesia (AP) — Improved weather on Sunday helped rescuers on Indonesia's main island of Java recover more bodies as they dug through mud and debris in search of scores of missing ...

DATE: Jan 25, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Sleep-tracking devices have limits. Experts want users to know what they are

ATLANTA (AP) — Your watch says you had three hours of deep sleep. Should you believe it? Millions of people rely on phone apps and wearable devices like rings, smartwatches and sensors to m...

DATE: Jan 25, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Protests inside churches are unusual despite long history of civil disobedience in the US

American religious history is rife with protest movements and civil disobedience. Yet it is rare for political protests to happen inside a house of worship. That is part of what makes the n...

DATE: Jan 25, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

How Americans are using AI at work, according to a new Gallup poll

American workers adopted artificial intelligence into their work lives at a remarkable pace over the past few years, according to a new poll. Some 12% of employed adults say they use AI dail...

DATE: Jan 25, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Getting to 'no': Europe's leaders find a way to speak with one voice against Trump

LONDON (AP) — No more fawning praise. No more polite workarounds and old-style diplomacy. And no one is calling Donald Trump “daddy” now. European leaders who scrambled for a year to figure...

DATE: Jan 25, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Aryna Sabalenka beats 19-year-old Mboko, faces 18-year-old Jovic in Australian Open quarterfinals

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — TikTok influencer and top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka is having to work her way through some rising teenage stars in her bid for a third Australian Open title in four ...

DATE: Jan 25, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Gaethje upsets Pimblett to win interim lightweight title at UFC 324

LAS VEGAS (AP) — One of the storylines entering UFC 324 was whether Justin Gaethje would retire after facing Paddy Pimblett on Saturday night. Looks like Gaethje has plenty left if he wants ...

DATE: Jan 24, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Natalie Portman, Seth Rogen debut new movies at Sundance Film Festival

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — The comedy streak at the Sundance Film Festival continued Saturday with the world premieres of the art world satire “The Gallerist,” with Natalie Portman, and Oliva Wi...

DATE: Jan 24, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Chris Komin scores 24 as Northern Arizona turns back Northern Colorado 81-77 to end 7-game skid

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Chris Komin scored 24 points to help Northern Arizona defeat Northern Colorado 81-77 on Saturday night, snapping a seven-game losing streak. Komin went 9 of 10 from t...

DATE: Jan 24, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Man is shot and killed during Minneapolis immigration crackdown, National Guard activated

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal immigration officer shot and killed a man Saturday in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigid streets and ratcheting up tensions in a city al...

DATE: Jan 24, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Patriots' Drake Maye faces Broncos' D and Jarrett Stidham steps in for Bo Nix in AFC title game

New England (16-3) at Denver (15-3) Sunday, 3 p.m. EST, CBS/Paramount+ BetMGM NFL odds: Patriots by 5. Against the spread: Patriots 13-5-1; Broncos 8-9-1. Series record: Broncos lead 31-24. ...

DATE: Jan 24, 2026 | CATEGORY: Associated Press

Colorado history gets weird, wild, wacky at Fashion Do’s and Don’tsAnnual Snowdown event has become so popular, auditions are now required

Cowboys. Fancy ladies. Gold miners. Even-toed ungulates that some in Durango might consider more like rats.Where can you find a runway show that takes you on a whirlwind tour through the weird, wacky and wildly exaggerated 150 years of Colorado history? Only at Durango’s annual Fashion Do’s and Don’ts, held Wednesday, where models and audience members donned costumes celebrating Colorado’s sesquicentennial – the theme of this year’s two-week Snowdown celebration.Standout acts included the Ghosts of Durango, which featured four of Durango’s most famous ghosts: a Rochester hotel ghost in a Victorian get-up of a more “modern” variation; the Strater Hotel’s head of housekeeping, also head of more discreet services; a young girl haunting El Rancho bathroom; and Sheriff Bob Thompson, killed in a 1906 gunfight. according to emcee Suzan Lane. A Another act was the secret circus society, featuring Rubi Starr, Jeni Gross, Tabatha Joy Bettin, Adrienne Young and Ethan Deffenbaugh dressed as a car and the roadside pests better known as deer. Group members said the inspiration for the costume came from lived experiences driving the Durango roads. The two-person Cantine Couture act starred Leslie Ponce and Tyler Frakes in an homage to the plentiful variety of Mexican restaurants found in any Colorado town. Ponce, dressed in comically large Mexican pointy cowboy boots, ambled down the runway as if taking a stroll under the hot, dusty, high-altitude sun, while Frakes flitted about the stage in a bright yellow salsa dress. Ponce said this years costume had been tough to decide, but the final decision was inspired by TikTok videos of Mexican cowboys in pointy boots. This was the duo’s third year strutting down the runway. Why they keep coming back for more, Frakes said laughing, was, “for the fame, the glory and the attention.”

Fashion Do’s and Don'ts has been one of the most highly anticipated Snowdown events since it’s inception in the 1990s. It has more than doubled in size over the past several decades. Last year, there were a record number of models, and in order to keep the event at a manageable size, this years fashion show was the first one to require the acts to audition. But many of the models were unphased by the change. “It was actually easy,” said Jodi Zuber, one part of the two-person duo that made up the 1950s Texas Invader Ski Couple. Her partner-in-costume, Danny Jaques, said they had been doing this for several years, and it’s good with everything going on in the world to “get some levity and let your hair down.” The performers were not the only ones in costume. Audience members also dressed in a wide variety of unique takes on what makes Colorado, Colorado. JonBenet Ramsey made a miraculous appearance, being played by an 82-year-old woman, as did Casa Bonita, an ensemble that included a taco, sopaipilla and gorilla in chains – to name some of the characters. By the end of the show, people were in high spirits, as usual. “It was just delightful,” said a first-time audience member. If blessed with the chance to get the much coveted tickets – he said he would jump on it. jbowman@durangoherald.com

Annual Snowdown event has become so popular, auditions are now required

Photos: Snowdown 2026 Fashion Do’s and Don’ts

Photos: Durango High School basketball teams lose to Montrose High School

Photos: Local girls high school wrestling at La Plata TriDurango girls wrestling went 2-0 to win Tri on Thursday night at Bayfield

Durango girls wrestling went 2-0 to win Tri on Thursday night at Bayfield

Photos: Fort Lewis College women’s and men’s basketball take on Westminster UniversityBoth Skyhawks teams were victorious on Saturday afternoon

Both Skyhawks teams were victorious on Saturday afternoon

Photos: An afternoon in 2004 with the late Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell as he works on Capitol HillDurango Herald Photo Editor Jerry McBride had the chance to spend an afternoon with the late Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell in 2004, photographing him during meetings and around the Capitol.

Durango Herald Photo Editor Jerry McBride had the chance to spend an afternoon with the late Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell in 2004, photographing him during meetings and around the Capitol.

Photos and video: ICE protests return to DurangoAbout a dozen protesters tried to block federal agents from leaving with a detainee on Thursday

About a dozen protesters tried to block federal agents from leaving with a detainee on Thursday

The Durango Herald’s year in photos 2025

Photos: Chapman Hill fires up the snow guns

American rock climber Alex Honnold reaches top of Taipei 101 skyscraper without ropes

Rescuers recover more bodies from landslide in Indonesia, with 72 still missing

Sleep-tracking devices have limits. Experts want users to know what they are

Protests inside churches are unusual despite long history of civil disobedience in the US

How Americans are using AI at work, according to a new Gallup poll

Getting to 'no': Europe's leaders find a way to speak with one voice against Trump

Aryna Sabalenka beats 19-year-old Mboko, faces 18-year-old Jovic in Australian Open quarterfinals

Gaethje upsets Pimblett to win interim lightweight title at UFC 324

Natalie Portman, Seth Rogen debut new movies at Sundance Film Festival

Chris Komin scores 24 as Northern Arizona turns back Northern Colorado 81-77 to end 7-game skid

Man is shot and killed during Minneapolis immigration crackdown, National Guard activated

Patriots' Drake Maye faces Broncos' D and Jarrett Stidham steps in for Bo Nix in AFC title game

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