Dillon Earl is congratulated by Mayor Ken Henry of the Fruita City Council after the council created a proclamation honoring him and declaring May 25, Dillon Earl Day, in a tribute befitting a boy who may have saved his own life, the life of his grandmother and the lives of other motorists on Interstate 70 when he guided his grandmother’s speeding truck to a safe stop.

Grand Junction firefighters and National Guardsmen assist the WWII Honor Flight veterans, wearing their green shirts, as they disembark from the jet at Grand Junction Regional Airport on Wednesday.

Three-year-old Kale Potter participates in the obstacle course during Youth Athletes Event Day at Columbine for children ages 2 1/2 to 7 this morning. Close to 60 children from Kidden Around Learning Center participated in the event designed to teach able-bodied athletes to play sports with Special Olympic athletes before disabled children are eligible to participate in Special Olympics.

After circling into a spiral at the north end of the field, Grand Junction High School students throw their caps into the air at the end of Tuesday’s graduation ceremony at Stocker Stadium.

The Fleet Reserve Association Memorial Day ceremony at the Blue heron boat ramp along the Colorado River.

Ryan Clifton raises his hands in celebration after the Plateau Valley 2010 graduating class turned their tassels. the school graduated 23 students.

Grand Junction High School sophomore Hannah Trackler was recognized for her volunteer service last spring with emergency responders.

Cabela store employees Whitney Fox and Kaleb Bell, swing dance to a live band right before the opening.

Jim Sheets of Las Vegas stops to photograph Mary Mansfield’s sculpture “Gathering Soul” in the four hundred block of Main Street. Sheets stopped to get a cup of coffee and had to walk the downtown to see the art. “It’s an outstanding little city”, Sheets said.

Sharing their grief, Cullen Robertson holds Natalie Thomas as friends of Andrew von Guerard gather at Colorado Java House Sunday to ride in honor of the 21-year-old Andrew, who was killed in a bicycling accident in Newton, Mass., on May 17. Thomas was Von Guerard’s girlfriend, while Robertson was his friend through high school and college. About 40 people participated in the ride, which wound through downtown Grand Junction and ended at Lincoln Park.

Jon Rizzo built this whimsical lawn mower because a neighbor threw away an old push mower and he had previously thought of the idea.

The headliner Hazel Miler band, a favorite with the 2010 Downtown Art & Jazz Festival goers, sings tune to a packed crowd. The fest continues Saturday at noon and with Lipbone Redding & the Lipbone Orchastra playing at 8 p.m.

Bryce Harper signs a copy of the Sports Illustrated Magazine with him on the cover.

Dusty Copeland of Gateway High School raises his fists in celebration after the key he drew started the 2010 Subaru Impreza. He was one of five students who were received a key in the Subaru dealership’s “Be cool. Stay in School” program, and Copeland won the car.

Rescuers watch as a man, center, is helped out of a trench after he was freed Monday night on a pipeline construction site on 32 Road just north of C Road. The man had been trapped 23 feet down since the afternoon.

Wingate Elementary students fill a raised garden bed with dirt, with plans to grow their own vegetables.

Barbara Green, left, and Ellen Roberts, wear chicken hats at the Mike the Headless Chicken Festival at the Fruita Civic Center. A 5K run, car show, games, live music and good food were part of the fun at the festival.

Fruita resident Tony Finnerty chows down on a huge burrito totally nearly two feet in length at The End Zone in Fruita Wednesday afternoon. Finnerty, along with Luke Hayes of Mack, Larry Cathey of Fruita and Daniel Feuerborn of Grand Junction were in a race against a 90-minute clock in the “Intimidator Challenge,” for a grand prize of $50 for the first man to finish the plate in the allotted time.

Marley the therapy dog is admired by Kathy Smith, left whose mother Dorothy Brown, center,  lives at the Atrium . The dog owned by Annette Beeler of Fruita visits various retirement centers in the valley to huge rave reviews.

Eleven-year-olds Trevor Nielson, left, and Roper Nelson play in the spray from an open copper pipe at the Ute Water’s water tap and piping demonstration during the Water Festival Tuesday at Mesa State College. Area fifth grade students descended on the college to learn about and play in water.

Children from Wingate Elementary do a routine to a patriotic number during the 2010 District 51 Physical Education Jamboree at Stocker Stadium. Between 500 and 600 students from 12 elementary schools demonstrated physical activity with different props.

Brianna Slater, from Grand Junction, receives her Bachelor of Arts degree from Tim Foster, President of Mesa State College during the Mesa State Commencement Saturday morning at Stocker Stadium.

Kids enjoy a ride on one of the elephants at the 65th Annual Western Colorado Shriners’ Circus at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. The circus will have two shows on Saturday, 10a.m. and 8p.m. Proceeds from the shows benefit the work of the Western Colorado Shrine Club.

Matthew Lindstrom and Laura Bradley dance at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens.