Melody Jacobsen, 12, of Grand Junction expresses her preference of one of the two handmade bowls her mother Lori is trying to decide between at the Empty Bowls fundraiser Saturday at Catholic Outreach.

Mesa County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt McChesney, left, busses a table with the help of Special Olympian Todd McCord during the Tip-A-Cop fundraiser at Red Robin restaurant on Saturday.

Having ceded their state to Republican challenger Mitt Romney in the presidential race, Utah Democrats such as John Griswold, above, say they can more impact politically in state where the race is a tossup.

The Colorado River flows Friday underneath Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon.

Photos from THE DAILY SENTINEL COLLECTION/Museum of Western Colorado—A car drives along Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon after the project was completed in 1992. Innovations such as building elevated westbound lanes to minimize impacts on the steep and beautiful canyon drew initial opposition from state highway officials in Denver because of the cost. BELOW: Before the project, the highway through the canyon was the scene of frequent head-on collisions. The road had sharp curves that, when icy, would occasionally result in vehicles sliding into the Colorado River.

The Colorado River is shown before Interstate 70 was built through Glenwood Canyon. The engineer who would become construction manager for the forthcoming project said it was as much about building consensus — among architects, engineers and environmental interests — as building roadways and viaducts.

Students leaving class walk past one of the ten emergency blue phones on the Colorado Mesa University campus. The university’s annual crime report shows that on-campus sex offenses shot up from zero in 2010 to five in 2011. The university responded by having a national speaker talk to incoming freshmen and athletes in August, and by launching a Sexual Assault Response Team of CMU staff members who are being trained to counsel victims of sexual assault about medical, legal and emotional steps to take.

Haleight Higgins, #5,  with a kill over the block of #8, Danielle Johnson-Hazlewood from the Colorado School of Mines in game one.

Ralph Moss, 84, hands a VFW “Buddy” poppy to a shopper outside Safeway, 681 Horizon Drive, as part of the organizations annual fundraiser aimed to catch some of the hunters stocking up for the season.

One person is dead after a two-car accident near Whitewater.

U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Daniel, right, joins Magistrate Judge Gordon Gallagher in chambers at the Wayne N. Aspinall federal building shortly after Daniels swore in Gallagher to his new position as magistrate with the U.S. District Court.

Marcia Hutson’s yard at 542 Grand View was chosen as the September Yard of the Month. The yard’s variety of vegetation attracts hummingbirds and connects Hutson with nature.

Local filmmaker Mara Ferris, who specializes in environmental documentaries at work in the Devil’s Canyon area west of Fruita.

Local filmmaker Mara Ferris, who specializes in environmental documentaries at work in the Devil’s Canyon area west of Fruita.

Gene Taylor’s Sporting Goods, 445 W. Gunnison Ave.

The boys race of the Western Slope Corss Country Championships at Riverbend Park in Palisade.

Brian Luff presents Cheryl Lucas, owner of Crystal Books and Gifts, with a bouquet of chrysanthemums to honor the store’s 25 anniversary. As a surprise, more than 50 customers filled five vases with fresh flowers Thursday.

A fisherman boats along the shore of Ward Lake on Grand Mesa.

The Palisade Branch of the Mesa County Library celebrated its first anniversary Thursday at their new location in downtown Palisade.

A Grand Junction firefighter cuts an access to a fire that spread to the attic of a house at 2937 Wellington Avenue today. The fire broke out before noon Wednesday and drew the attention of nearly all the resources of area fire departments.

A woman identified by a neighbor as a resident of the burning house sits on the ground against a patrol car as she watches firefighters battle a stubborn blaze at 2937 Wellington Avenue on Wednesday.

Department of the Treasury Internal Revenve Srvice Criminal Investigation team take boxes of paper work to trucks from the Colorado Community Dental 2795 Skyline Court Wednesday afternoon.

Palisade Chamber of Commerce new executive director, Julieann Adams.

Christian Otzen an outside hitter for the CMU Volleyball team with her mother Danette Otzen from Flagstaff, AZ.

This property at 286 Snyder Creek Drive was the house involved in a rental scam.

Montrose artist Johnny Ray paints a large mural on the east wall of Desert Bloom Hydroponics on Pitkin Avenue near Fifth Street. The mural will depict canyon country in the area.

County Commissioner candidates for District 1 Jana Gerow and John Justman at the GJ Lions Club at Two Rivers Tuesday. John Leane had a conflict, a news conference at the old courthouse.

Candidates for Mesa County Commission District 3, Dave Edwards and Rose Pugliese, talk at the Grand Junction Lions Club meeting at Two Rivers on Tuesday.

A new crack has recently developed in one of the cat rooms at the Mesa County Animal Services.

Paonia Dam sits nearly empty in this file photo from July 27.

A red-tailed hawk has no problem looking behind as it perches in an old cottonwood outside of Paonia. The birds feast on small ground animals and even birds including pheasant, blackbirds and starlings, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Jacque Collett, an angel-temp hired to help during the election season, answers questions about voter eligibility Tuesday afternoon. Many of voters questions could be answered online at http://www.govotecolorado.com.

Eames Peterson of Alfred Eames Cellars is looking forward to his 2012 vintage because a lack of water resulted in smaller grapes with intense flavor.

This Swiss Gourmet apple has what growers call “water core,” which occurs when the ratio of nitrogen to calcium is too high. An apple with water core often is sweeter than one without and some commercial growers are producing apples with water core to cater to the desire for sweeter apples.

Will and Steve Ela of Ela Family Farm near Hotchkiss make a few selections from a crate of Gala apples, one of the 23 varieties of apples the Elas raise and sell. Galas, which originated in New Zealand in the 1920s, now are among the most widely grown varieties and are popular for their sweet taste and keeping ability.

An excavator picks away on the east side of the old Police Department Building Monday as demolition continues on the structure. The new Police Station just west of the building is up and running.

Rev. Hollis Wright blesses a ferret named Mr. Bear as Abbey Channel holds her pet

From Left, students Adrian Lara and Alex Forsett mount the MAVrides logos at CMU.

Vehicles pass over one of the three bridges on 24 Road that will be replaced north of I Road.

Cultured marble can be molded into custom sinks, tubs, or shower inserts.

Randy DiDonato points out the many colors of TrueStone that are made at Infinity Surfaces in Grand Junction.