| By Marco Cummings, mcum...@denverpost.com Happy Saturday, Rounduppers! Today is April 18, which marks National Columnists' Day. In today's column from sports columnist Troy Renck, he explores how Denver Broncos GM George Paton makes second-round NFL draft picks matter. It
's something to ponder ahead of next week's NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. And now, here are today's headlines: The RundownToday's Weather: Sunny, with a high near 55°.
Editorial: Growing Cherry Creek Schools scandal is a signal to districts to scrutinize education consultants (Editorial) Asking Eric: Motherless is shocked by her mother's continued interactions with her stalker ex-fiancé. Is this forgivable? Horoscope: If you're a Gemini, "Competitive sports and physical activities will appeal," Georgia Nicols writes. Today in History: On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere began his famous ride from Charlestown to Lexington, Massachusetts, warning colonists that British Regular troops were approaching. 
Water from an unknown source flows from a pipe several feet above the South Platte River in Commerce City on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The discharge is
contaminating the soil and water with arsenic, manganese and other heavy metals, and has turned the ground orange as microorganisms consume iron that was also in the water. Commerce City officials are investigating the source of the pipe. (Photo by Harmon Dobson/The Denver Post)
A mystery
pipe along the banks of the South Platte River in Commerce City is leaking toxic levels of arsenic and other heavy metals into the riverbank and waterway, but no one knows where the pipe originates, how long it has been pouring the dangerous chemicals into the river and who is responsible for it, Noelle Phillips reports. City officials have not developed a plan to stop the discharge as they investigate the source of water polluting one of the Front Range’s most important rivers. Arsenic can be toxic to people, animals and aquatic life. It’s not a huge problem because it’s not a major flow of water into the river, said John Spear, an environmental engineering professor at the Colorado School of Mines.
Fox Hollow Elementary School teachers Caitie Gutstadt, left, and Amy Vitale, second from left, pet Riley, a 10-month-old Labrador retriever therapy dog, brought
to the school by Arapahoe County sheriff's Deputies Adam Nardi, second from right, and Candace Gray, right, to help Cherry Creek Schools students with stress during finals, on May 24, 2023 in Aurora, Colorado. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
People treating mental health problems at Children’s Hospital Colorado don’t have to look at the calendar or the weather to know that April has arrived. Kids and teens who previously felt fine are seeking outpatient help, existing outpatients need more support and the number of young people showing up in mental health crisis is growing, Meg Wingerter reports. Typically, emergency department visits for mental health reasons are about 20% higher in April at than the annual average, though last year, that gap narrowed to 12%, said Dr. Lauren Eckhart, director of patient care services for the hospital’s Pediatric Mental Health Institute. “This is something that we talk about a lot every time April rolls around,” she said.
Forward Cameron Johnson (23) of the Denver Nuggets celebrates a three with forward Aaron Gordon
(32) of the Denver Nuggets during the second half of a 136-134 overtime Nuggets win on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)
Nuggets forward Cam Johnson is obsessed with the concepts of space, time and theoretical physics, Nuggets beat reporter Bennett Durando writes.
Since the Michael Porter Jr. trade, Johnson has experienced a series of ups and downs, trying to find his role in the Nuggets' system, all while pondering his place in the universe during his downtime.
Can the stars align for Johnson, Nikola Jokic, and the Denver Nuggets during this year's NBA playoffs?
By the Numbers
FILE: The Colorado Lottery provides funds to Great Outdoors Colorado, which uses the money to help
preserve and enhance the state's parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces.
$1 million$40,000 settlement5 years in prison
Quick Hits
The Colorado State Capitol building in Denver on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
Sports Digest
Head coach Jared Bednar of
the Colorado Avalanche works the bench during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Ball Arena in Denver on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
What I'm Enjoying Lately
- 🎬 Normal - This action film and gory dark comedy stars Bob Odenkirk of Better Call Saul fame. Odenkirk plays a disgraced small-town sheriff on a temporary assignment as the lawman in a small Minnesota town that has been taken over by nefarious interests. The story builds slowly but pays off with John Wick-style action sequences. I would recommend it to audiences who appreciate dark, gory comedy akin to the
"Shaun of the Dead" films. This film is rated R and runs 90 minutes.
Song of the Day
Song: "We don't need" Artist: Cyril Sounds like: Australian DJ Cyril remixes Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 into a Deep House remix with higher BPMs. Follow our Spotify playlist for an endless fountain of tunes: Click this link or search "Mile High Roundup" in your app. | 
