DNA from coffee cup leads to arrest in decades-old rapes

• April 28, 2023

By Celina Tebor, Gili Remen and Nouran Salahieh | CNN

A Michigan man is facing felony charges after DNA from a coffee cup linked him to two rapes in different states from more than 20 years ago, a prosecutor said.

Kurt Alan Rillema, 51, was arrested last week and arraigned in Michigan on charges of first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He also faces felony charges in Pennsylvania, according to court documents.

The charges are the latest stemming from advances in investigative genetic genealogy leading authorities to a suspect in a decades-old cold case.

The first rape Rillema is accused of was reported at a golf course in Michigan in 1999. Someone came in through an employee-only door and sexually assaulted a young woman who was working at the course’s food stand, said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard at a news conference last week.

Investigators at the time obtained DNA but didn’t have a suspect, the sheriff said.

Then, another rape was reported in 2000 at a golf course at Penn State University, where a woman was attacked while she was jogging and raped at knife point, court documents say.

Investigators in both states, who had submitted DNA samples to a national database, got a match linking the attacks to the same suspect, Bouchard said.

“Now you’ve got people that are victims in different parts of the country with the same kind of M.O., both on a golf course,” the sheriff said.

It wasn’t until years later — thanks to advances in genetic genealogy — that investigators got a lead.

Investigators in both states solicited the help of DNA technology company Parabon NanoLabs, which can use genetic genealogy and other research methods to find suspects using DNA by searching for relatives in public databases and building family trees.

The lab concluded it was likely one of three brothers who were responsible for both rapes, according to Centre County First Assistant District Attorney Sean McGraw.

Authorities were able to narrow the list to Rillema after Michigan police obtained a DNA sample by following him and taking his DNA from a Styrofoam coffee cup, according to McGraw.

“That was sent off to the lab and the DNA taken from the coffee cup matched the DNA of the perpetrator of the 1999 and 2000 rapes,” McGraw told CNN.

Rillema was ordered to be held in a county jail in Michigan without bond until a probable cause conference on Thursday, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said.

If convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Michigan, he could face up to life in prison, the sheriff’s office said.

In Pennsylvania, he faces charges of rape by forcible compulsion, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, unlawful restraint, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, McGraw said.

Rillema has been arraigned and pleaded not guilty, his attorney, Deanna Kelley, said in a statement to CNN. “Regarding the allegations: There are two sides to every story and Mr. Rillema looks forward to telling his,” Kelley said.

Rillema’s next court appearance in Michigan is Thursday. Pennsylvania and Michigan authorities are in the process of discussing the timing of the respective trials, according to McGraw.

Bouchard described Rillema as “an avid golfer” who apparently played all over the US. The sheriff asked anyone who was victim of a similar crime at a golf course to call their local police department.

The arrest was made possible by advances in technology, Bouchard said.

“A lot has changed since 1999,” the sheriff said. “Investigators worked side by side … and found a person that clearly wasn’t on our radar for any reason, has no criminal history, but now has been positively identified in two very violent sexual encounters.”

It isn’t the first time DNA from a coffee cup led investigators to a cold case suspect in Pennsylvania: A man was charged last year with the stabbing death of a 19-year-old woman from 1975 after investigators got his DNA from a cup he used and threw into a trash can at an airport, authorities said.

​ Orange County Register 

Todd Pletcher has his strongest Kentucky Derby contingent yet

• April 28, 2023

There’s way more to the Kentucky Derby than who’s going to win the race on May 6. Sure, that’s what draws most people to America’s most famous horse race, but there are so many other sidelights to the Run for the Roses other than whether a 3-year-old can get a mile and a quarter.

None of the 20 horses that will run in the 149th Kentucky Derby have run a mile and a quarter. Some might never do it again. Whether they can successfully navigate the classic distance is as unknown as some of the prop bets someone can take a swing at if they feel so inclined.

Consider, courtesy of BetUS, the number of unique wagers a bettor can place that have nothing to do with the race itself:

• Will the national anthem be sung by Carly Pearce in over or under 2 minutes and 2 seconds:?

Over -105 and Under -135.

• Will Pearce forget a word during her rendition:?

No -600 and Yes +350.

• Color of the winning horse:

Dark Bay -115, Bay +150, Chestnut +300, Gray +400 and Brown +700.

• Who will the winning jockey thank first?

Horse owner, trainer, horse, family or higher power +275 each.

• Jockey’s celebration method:

Fist pump +150, Kissing the Horse +150, Waving to the crowd +300.

• Margin of victory:

3 lengths to 5¾ lengths +200, Head +800, Neck +800, Nose +1,000.

Now, there’s no wagering involved, but since I most likely have some readers who look forward to Derby Day because of the food and drinks, let’s take a look at americangambler.com’s list of favorites:

The most popular dish nationwide is pimento cheese, the top choice in 11 states. Roughly one in four who show up for the Derby dress to impress, making it one of sports’ most stylish affairs. The mint julep is still the go-to cocktail, a tradition that dates to its first Derby in 1937.

See what I mean about so many other talking points than just the race itself?

But of course, none of these sidelights would exist if not for the magical Derby, so let’s touch on an aspect of the race – the fact trainer Todd Pletcher, who went so long before winning his first Derby in 2010 with Super Saver then had to wait only seven years more to win his second with Always Dreaming.

Pletcher might have four in this year’s running, including two of the three favorites in Forte and Tapit Thrice, and he believes it’s his strongest Derby brigade ever.

“I would say, in terms of para-mutual support, it’s probably going to be the strongest team that we’ve brought,” Pletcher said on a national teleconference this week. “I think only one time have we started a favorite and that was in 2017, with Always Dreaming, where I think you could argue it was possible that Forte and Tapit Trice could be the favorite and second choice, or close to it.

“So I think, in terms of that, it’s probably our strongest group, and their accomplishments on the way, having a champion 2-year-old, to follow that up with a Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby win. And then Tapit Trice with the Tampa Derby and a Blue Grass win, I think you could say that’s the deepest squad we’ve put up so far.”

Pletcher, the 55-year-old Dallas native who has won eight Eclipse Awards as the nation’s top trainer, likes one of his longshots, Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns, who won at the marathon distance of 1-3/16 miles in only his third start. Major Dude would be Pletcher’s fourth starter if he draws in off the also-eligible list.

“In an ideal world, you’d have a little more seasoning into him, another start or two, but this is kind of the way it’s unfolded,” Pletcher said. “And, based on the strength of that race, he certainly deserves an opportunity.”

Follow Art Wilson on Twitter at @Sham73

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​ Orange County Register 

West Virginia Gov. Justice announces run for Senate

• April 27, 2023

By Shania Shelton, David Wright and Manu Raju | CNN

Republican Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia announced his Senate candidacy on Thursday, setting up a potential challenge to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, among the most vulnerable incumbents in 2024.

“I am officially announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Justice told a roomful of supporters in White Sulphur Springs. “And I absolutely will promise you to God above that I will do the job, and I will do the job that will make you proud.”

The term-limited governor was joined by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who praised Justice during introductory remarks.

“We need help in Washington. We need a winner. We need somebody that can win in a general election. A conservative who can move the ball forward in Washington, DC,” Graham said. He added that “we’ve made mistakes in 2022. We didn’t nominate maybe the right person for the state in which they were running — I promise you, Jim Justice is the right person for West Virginia.”

CNN has reported that GOP leaders are expected to close ranks behind Justice in the primary, which also features Rep. Alex Mooney, who has the backing of the influential conservative group Club for Growth.

“Jim Justice is a proven winner whose record of creating jobs, cutting taxes, and fighting for conservative values has made him one of the most popular governors in the country,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines said in a statement Thursday.

Justice avoided mentioning Mooney or Manchin in his remarks, instead focusing his criticism on the Biden administration.

Manchin, who has not yet said whether he is running for a third full term, responded to Justice’s announcement by saying he was “laser focused on doing the job West Virginians elected me to do — lowering healthcare costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, shoring up American energy security and getting our fiscal house in order.”

“But make no mistake, I will win any race I enter,” the Democrat said in a statement.

Manchin later told CNN that Justice’s move “doesn’t change anything at all” but that he would take the challenge seriously.

“Every opponent I’ve had is strong and threatening or they wouldn’t jump in,” he said. “Anybody that basically discounts their opponent could have a problem.”

Manchin would face a difficult reelection race next year in a heavily Republican state, which backed President Donald Trump in 2020 by nearly 40 points. West Virginia topped CNN’s most recent list of the Senate seats most likely to flip next year.

Justice was first elected governor in 2016, as a Democrat. He switched parties the following year, announcing his move at a rally alongside Trump. It wasn’t the first time he had changed his political affiliation — he had previously been an independent and a Republican until 2015, when he ran for governor as a Democrat.

Justice easily won a second term in 2020. He has recently focused on conservative issues. Last year, he signed into law a measure that prohibits nearly all abortions in the state, except in certain medical situations or in cases of rape or incest. Last month, he signed a bill that will allow West Virginians who have a concealed carry permit to carry certain concealed weapons onto college and university campuses.

Justice highlighted a few policy priorities on Thursday, touching on abortion, gun rights and the growing conservative focus on education and parental involvement. “We have absolutely crafted laws against abortion in this state that are the toughest of the toughest,” he said.

“I have never seen a gun kill anybody. Ever,” Justice said when discussing Second Amendment rights. “But there’s a heck of a lot of people that kill people.”

Justice entered politics after a long career in his family’s coal and agriculture businesses. He joined his family’s Bluestone Industries in 1976 and officially took over upon his father’s death in 1993. He was the president and CEO of more than 100 companies before 2016, according to the governor’s website.

Manchin, also a former governor, has served in the Senate since 2010. He has spent much of the past two years at the center of the action in the narrowly divided Senate, where his vote has been pivotal. He’s blocked some of President Joe Biden‘s more ambitious agenda items, such as the Build Back Better plan, and stood firm against Democratic calls to gut the filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation and other bills. But his support has been critical to passing other key parts of the Biden agenda, including a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan in 2021 and a sweeping $750 billion health care, tax and climate measure last year.

​ Orange County Register 

20-year-old Marine dies during pre-deployment training at 29 Palms

• April 27, 2023

A 20-year-old Marine, Lance Cpl. Jackson Forringer, died during pre-deployment training at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, officials confirmed, saying his death is under investigation by the Navy Criminal Investigation Service.

The Marine from Chesnee, S.C., was part of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He and his unit were at the Southern California base as part of routine training.

“I can confirm that NCIS is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Lance Cpl. Forringer, as we do in response to any non-combat, medically unattended fatalities of Department of the Navy service members,” said Jeff Houston, a spokesperson for NCIS. “Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS will not comment further while the investigation remains ongoing.”

Forringer was killed on April 20, while taking part in Integrated Training Exercise 3-23 at the base, said Sgt. Alexa Hernandez, a spokesperson for the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. The training exercise is designed to provide large forces the opportunity to put Marines through a live-fire program incorporating the various elements of an assault – including both units on the ground and aircraft in the sky – simultaneously.

Forringer enlisted in the Marines in July 2021. He had just turned 20 on April 9. His awards and decorations consist of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

Related links

Marines unveil city-size urban warfare training at Twentynine Palms
DESERT TORTOISE: Marines to move hundreds from training area
Marines practicing full-scale air, sea and ground assault on Southern California bases
First lady Jill Biden visits Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms

Forringer’s death follows a separate all-terrain vehicle crash at the base at the end of March in which three Marines, also from the 2nd Regiment, were injured.

In an online obituary posted by Andrea and Todd Foringer, the couple said their son graduated from Chesnee High School in 2021 and that serving in the Marine Corps was his “lifelong dream.”

“He never met a stranger and was one of the humblest, kind-spirited individuals you could meet,” they said. “He loved to give back and help others. Jackson loved his family and his friends unconditionally.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Montana House spat: ‘Blood on your hands’ not that unusual

• April 27, 2023

By Paul J. Weber and Amy Beth Hanson | Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. — The swift punishment brought down on Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker in Montana, began over words that others in American politics have used without hesitation or consequence: saying opponents have “blood” on their hands.

The governor of Texas. A GOP congressman in Florida. A city councilwoman in Denver. Just in the past few years, they are among the elected officials who have chastised colleagues in government with the same pointed rhetoric almost word for word — accusing them of bearing responsibility for deaths — over everything from immigration policy to gun laws.

None faced blowback, let alone retribution. But not Zephyr, who on Thursday began legislative exile after Montana Republicans barred her from the state House floor a week after saying those who voted to support a ban on gender-affirming care would have blood on their hands.

“I don’t remember until now that there’s been a controversy over that cliche,” said Republican Lou Barletta, a former Pennsylvania congressman who used the same words to attack the state’s Democratic governor in 2021 over nursing homes. “I’ve never had anyone make a huge issue out of it.”

In retaliating against Zephyr, Montana Republicans accused her of crossing a line that is faint at best in political debate that happens daily in the U.S., particularly in statehouses where it is not uncommon for legislators wading into heated issues like abortion or gun rights to be scolded about “blood on your hands” by protesters or even fellow representatives.

The case that Zephyr went too far in her remarks is a stretch, said one scholar who studies American political speech, even though the Republican majority in Montana had the power to impose discipline. The confrontation is the latest example of lawmakers punishing dissent, an increasingly prevalent move.

“The phrase ‘there’s blood on your hands’ is not necessarily that controversial,” said Jennifer Mercieca, a professor at Texas A&M University who studies political rhetoric. “It’s not necessarily an insult. It doesn’t cross the line. In fact, it’s a polite way of saying that there are consequences to these decisions.”

The fallout began April 18, when Zephyr made a reference to the body’s opening prayer while speaking against what is part of a wave of Republican efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights across the country this year.

“I hope the next time there’s an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” she said. The remark provoked outrage from Republicans who said the language was belittling and an affront to civil discourse.

In an interview with The Associated Press after losing her access to the House floor on Wednesday, Zephyr said she expected the House’s majority leader to object in the moment but did not think the pushback would escalate. By that point, she said opponents had “closed their ears” to the harms posed by the bill.

Multiple studies have shown that transgender youth are more likely to consider or attempt suicide in general but are less at risk for depression and suicidal behaviors when able to access gender-affirming care.

“So you say what is on your heart, which is this bill is going to kill people, and if you vote for it, you are complicit in that,” she said.

Zephyr, a first-term Democrat, has plenty of company among both parties in her choice of words.

When Texas Democrats broke quorum in 2021 in protest of new voting laws, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott fumed that their absence was also stopping passage of a crime bill. “The Democrats have blood on their hands for failing to step up and do their job,” he said.

When Alabama last year moved toward ending state permits to carry concealed handguns, then-state Rep. Merika Coleman, a Democrat, spoke to her colleagues directly. “And I tell you, some of you are going to have blood on your hands because this piece of legislation passes,” she said.

The comment doesn’t always slide. When Grant Cramer, a Colorado high school freshman whose schoolmate was killed in a shooting, spoke in support of a sweeping ban on semiautomatic firearms earlier this month, he addressed four Democrats on the committee who would help decide the bill’s fate: “Our blood is on your hands,” Cramer said.

The chairman gently admonished the teenager.

“I thought you were going to call out all 13 of us, which I would have allowed,” Rep. Mike Weissman said, referring to the rest of the committee. “I want people to have their say, and that kind of testimony is on the line of what I feel is appropriate.”

In Florida, state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat, said he has heard remarks about blood on hands many times in debate, sometimes more than once a day. He said language is often ignored, including once when he cursed at a state agency head giving testimony.

Florida Republican Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she didn’t know whether Zephyr’s comment was inappropriate to use in floor debate.

“It’s probably not senatorial,” she said. “I’ve heard it from different people, but we just move on.”

Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writers Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Jesse Bedayn in Denver contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Jeremy Roenick breaks down Kings vs. Edmonton going into Game 6

• April 27, 2023

Every playoff series has had its singular degrees of separation and intersections, and ahead of Saturday’s Game 6, the Kings and Edmonton Oilers were no exception.

Edmonton winger Zach Hyman and Kings forward Trevor Moore forged deep mutual respect as teammates with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

Kings captain Anze Kopitar and Edmonton’s top playoff producer, Leon Draisaitl, played together at the World Cup of Hockey for Team Europe while sharing the blessings and burdens of being the face of their respective national programs in Slovenia and Germany.

There’s also the mentor-protege relationship between Kings head coach Todd McLellan and Edmonton bench boss Jay Woodcroft. At the outset of their careers with the San Jose Sharks, not only did they work together, they coached former Kings center Jeremy Roenick and current Kings general manager Rob Blake, then a defenseman, as they wound down their pro tenures.

“They’re different but they’re very similar. They both have the same kind of mannerisms and the same kind of mentality in terms of their coaching styles. They’re very poised,” said Roenick, a nine-time All-Star. “Todd was one of my favorite coaches, unfortunately it wasn’t until the last year of my career.”

Roenick also lauded Blake’s ability to construct a deep, balanced roster, even making key adjustments on the fly within the season. Such meticulous preparation proved necessary when facing Edmonton, however, as the Oilers were also aggressive at the trade deadline despite getting career years from forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman and, among others, their two brightest stars, Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.

“They’re built better now, and I think the coaching is fantastic. There’s a very, very smart guy behind that bench that knows the game extremely well,” Roenick said.

Roenick, whose career spanned the two decades from 1989 to 2009, estimated that Woodcroft’s captain, McDavid, would have been capable of scoring “300 points” in the ’80s and ’90s. Roenick described his prime years as an era when scoring was higher, goalie equipment was smaller, and methods of improving skating, strength and overall fitness were nowhere near where they were in the contemporary game.

“I’ve just never seen a player of his magnitude, and I’ve played against the greatest. Mario, Wayne, Messier and all the guys who are Hall of Famers and on the top of the all-time scoring lists. Not one person has the traits and the abilities of Connor McDavid on two blades,” Roenick said.

“It’s incredible to watch his speed, his accuracy, his edge work and his ability at extremely high speeds to not only handle a puck, but turn on a dime and also make plays in very, very tight quarters, to do things that most guys have trouble doing standing still.”

Yet McDavid was held off the scoresheet in the Kings’ Game 1 win and didn’t get his first even-strength points in the series until Game 4. Though he’s been effective, like his two power-play goals in 100 seconds during a Game 3 Kings victory, McDavid hasn’t flat-out terrorized the Kings or provided any signature moments where he burst across three zones and five defenders for a goal. Compared with his nearly two-points-per-game pace of the regular season, he’s been relatively well-contained.

“The fact that the Kings were able to shut him down in his own building said a lot,” Roenick said. “But they’re now down, in part, because Connor got his game back.”

McDavid and his mates have been even better than advertised on the power play, where they were only the most efficient team in NHL history this season. They’ve upped their percentage from 32.4% to an incomprehensible 57.1% during the playoffs. And yet here are the Kings, hanging tough for a second straight season in a seven-game series.

“They’ve gone through another year where they haven’t gotten a lot of attention because of other teams that have played really well,” Roenick said. “But the Kings have done a good job of putting themselves in a good position and now they’re playing a team that everybody thinks could possibly win the Cup, and they’ve played them pretty strong.”

The Kings will try to extend their campaign Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena as they seek to stave off elimination and send the series back to Edmonton for a decisive seventh game. They’ll have every player available to them with spark-plug center Blake Lizotte’s return to practice Thursday after missing three games, and were excellent this season with two or more days off, posting a 14-4-1 record in such situations.

Though home ice didn’t offer any assurance in last year’s Game 6, a potential clincher, the Kings have often made good on that advantage, both recently and historically. They had the best home record in the Western Conference this season and hoisted their 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cups on home ice.

“I think the L.A. fans are vastly underrated. People don’t understand how awesome that building can get going and how loud it can be and how passionate they are,” Roenick said.

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Mike Pence testifies before election probe grand jury, source tells AP

• April 27, 2023

Former Vice President Mike Pence testified Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The person requested anonymity to discuss the private appearance before the grand jury.

Pence’s appearance before a grand jury in Washington scrutinizing the president he once loyally served is a milestone in the Justice Department’s investigation and likely gives prosecutors a key first-person account about certain conversations and events in the weeks preceding the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It also carries significant political implications, coming as Pence hints at entering the 2024 presidential race and a potential run against Trump, the Republican front-runner.

The testimony came hours after a federal appeals court in a sealed order rejected a bid by Trump’s lawyers to block Pence’s appearance.

Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Trump’s lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns. A judge in March refused to block Pence’s appearance, though he did side with the former vice president’s constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role as presiding over the Senate’s certification of votes on Jan. 6.

“We’ll obey the law, we’ll tell the truth,” Pence said in an interview with CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday. “And the story that I’ve been telling the American people all across the country, the story that I wrote in the pages of my memoir, that’ll be the story I tell in that setting.”

Pence has spoken extensively about Trump’s pressure campaign urging him to reject Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory in the days leading up to Jan. 6, including in his book, “So Help Me God.” Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress’ counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Trump’s contention otherwise.

Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman, has said that Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him “accountable.”

“For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well,” Pence wrote, summing up their time in the White House.

Lawyers for Pence had raised their own, more narrow challenge to the subpoena. They argued that because Pence was serving in his capacity as president of the Senate as electoral votes were being counted in Congress on Jan. 6, he was protected from being forced to testify about that process under the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause, which is intended to protect members of Congress from being questioned about official legislative acts.

A judge agreed with that argument, effectively narrowing the scope of his expected testimony.

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The Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a broad net in interviews and has sought the testimony of a long list of former Trump aides, including ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former adviser Stephen Miller.

Smith is separately investigating Trump over the potential mishandling of hundreds of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as well as possible efforts to obstruct that probe. On Wednesday, Trump’s lawyers in that investigation called the Department of Justice investigation “severely botched” and “politically infected” and urged the House Intelligence Committee to step in by holding hearings and introducing legislation to correct classified document handling procedures in the White House and to standardize procedures for presidents and vice presidents for when they leave office.

“DOJ should be ordered to stand down, and the intelligence community should instead conduct an appropriate investigation and provide a full report to this Committee, as well as your counterparts in the Senate,” the lawyers wrote.

It is unclear when either of the special counsel’s investigations will end or who, if anyone, will be charged.

​ Orange County Register 

Tableside bong service? A Denver weed lounge aims to reinvent nightlife

• April 27, 2023

When Denverite Arend Richard looks at the local and national landscape for cannabis lounges, he sees a homogenous smattering of spaces designed for men. That’s why when Richard opens his own hospitality establishment this fall, the aesthetic and amenities will be specifically curated to attract women and gay individuals, as well as the canna-curious looking for a comfortable environment where they can try some of Colorado’s locally grown herb.

Cirrus Social Club, opening in Denver, combines Richard’s experiences teaching people to smoke weed on YouTube under the moniker The Gay Stoner and working in high-end restaurants. And the way he describes it, the 420-friendly lounge is posed to be unlike anything else in Denver with lavish decor, custom furniture and florals, and a pink Steinway & Sons player piano to help set the ambiance.

Arend Richard is founder of Cirrus Social Club, a lavish new weed smoking lounge coming to Denver in fall 2023. (Provided by Coryn Nelson Photography)

Think of the aesthetic as the “Ritz Carlton of the cannabis industry,” he said. The club will offer a tea service during the day and shared plates at night, both of which come with “seshware” like bongs and volcano vaporizers served tableside.

“I love cannabis, I love everything about the plant,” he said. “But my one true love and my one true specialty has always been getting people high and making sure they have a great time.”

Cirrus Social Club will be among the first marijuana hospitality lounges to open in Denver and while patrons will not be able to purchase cannabis products there (you bring your own), they can receive a discount on their check by shopping at one of Cirrus’ partner dispensaries. (His partners are TBA, Richard said.)

While Cirrus Social Club isn’t expected to open until September, a recent pop-up he held in Los Angeles offers some insight into what’s to come. Cirrus Social Club’s 4/20 High Tea welcomed cannabis enthusiasts to enjoy finger foods while puffing on bongs and vapor bags. The place was glamorously adorned with pink, white and yellow flowers, long colorful candlesticks, stemware and artisanal-looking china.

Locals can expect the vibe to be similar at Cirrus Social Club permanent home in Denver. The 1930s building will feature a communal lounge with personal living room spaces around the edges that fit up to six people, Richard said. One of the walls will feature a big bar, but instead of displaying liquor, it will display handblown glass smoking pieces, including several Cirrus has custom-made for its brand.

The lounge’s centerpiece will be a 10-foot floral arrangement overflowing with flowers like a fountain, Richard said. He’s working with floral designer Conner Nesbit, who recently won the HBO competition series “Full Bloom,” to bring his vision to life.

Additionally, Cirrus Social Club will have a private room that holds up to 12 guests and another 3,000-square-foot ballroom, deemed the Rose Room, where Richard anticipates booking private events and hosting vendor pop-ups.

“I am pretty uncompromising in bringing something beautiful to the world. It’s not just trying to develop a beautiful business for the cannabis industry, I’m trying to take over social nightlife,” Richard said. “I’m literally trying to convince the world there’s an alternative to alcohol and socialization, and it’s a better one.”

Cirrus Social Club will offer high tea service from 11 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. daily, during which time guests can sample three teas and then choose one to pair with snacks like scones and miniature sandwiches, including a peanut butter-and-jelly-and-Cheetos sandwich – one of Richard’s original recipes he invented when he was a kid. After 4:20 p.m., the lounge will offer snack and seshware pairings in three tiers. (Seshware is a term Richard coined to describe the tools used for a smoking session, akin to dinnerware or flatware.)

The first tier is expected to include one shared plate and access to one volcano or bong, including PuffCo products for patrons who bring concentrate. The middle tier includes two shared plates, plus chocolate fondue for dessert, and access to two pieces of seshware. And the top tier features the same food offerings plus access to Cirrus’ premium glassware collection with pieces exceeding $1,000 each.

Instead of paying a cover, patrons pay a flat fee for the experience they want and close out at the end of their session. Cirrus Social Club will not permit smoking joints or blunts, but will allow flower for smoking in pipes and bongs.

If a lot of this plan sounds like a dance club, Richard assures there will be no dress code. And while Cirrus Social Club will be a safe space for LGBTQ+ locals, it’s not billed as a gay club.

“I want everyone and their mother – literally their mother – to come be able to experience and I want them to come as they are,” Richard said. “As a gay business owner, as a person with a team led mostly by women and queer people, we understand what being judged is like and we want every single person who walks through the door to feel very much embraced however you come.”

Richard and his partners are currently in the midst of a $3.5 million build out to bring Cirrus Social Club’s historic building up to the cannabis hospitality code in hopes of opening in late September. Until then, Cirrus will be hosting pop-ups in other states where marijuana is legal to build hype. Eventually, Richard wants to expand the brand beyond Denver, too.

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Cirrus Social Club joins JAD’s Mile High Smoke, Tetra Lounge and The Coffee Joint in allowing locals and tourists access to a public place where they can smoke weed. (Tetra Lounge is currently closed to upgrade its ventilation system to permit smoking inside) Bed-and-breakfast The Patterson Inn is also in the midst of building an onsite cannabis lounge.

Other hospitality companies are also popping up in Denver, such as The Cannabis Experience tour bus, which takes patrons toking tours around the city.

The city of Denver is issuing new marijuana business licenses exclusively to social equity applicants, meaning folks who have been directly impacted by a marijuana arrest or conviction; individuals who have lived in an economic opportunity zone for at least 15 years between 1980 and 2010; or those whose household income falls 50% below the state median.

Richard previously co-founded and co-owned WeedTube, one of the largest social networking platforms for the marijuana community, which registered significant losses during the pandemic before folding permanently earlier this year. Richard qualified under the social equity income stipulation.

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​ Orange County Register