During this week's Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama badly needs to accomplish four tasks:

LOS ANGELES - Bob Denver, whose portrayal of goofy first mate Gilligan on the 1960s television show "Gilligan's Island," made him an iconic figure to generations of TV viewers, has died, his agent confirmed Tuesday. He was 70.

LOS ANGELES - Bob Denver, whose portrayal of goofy castaway Gilligan on the 1960s TV show "Gilligan's Island" made him an iconic figure to generations of TV viewers, has died. He was 70.

DENVER - It was a miracle that no one was killed when an airliner veered sharply off a runway during takeoff, burst into flames and nearly broke apart, firefighters said Sunday.

DENVER - A Continental Airlines jet taking off from Denver veered off the runway into a ravine and caught fire Saturday night, forcing passengers to evacuate on emergency slides and injuring nearly 40 people, officials said.

DES MOINES, Iowa - A mystery is unfolding in the world of college fundraising: During the past few weeks, at least nine universities have received gifts totaling more than $45 million, and the schools had to promise not to try to find out the giver's identity.

Alexandra Letzt of Scottsdale and Andy Nguyen, who will be a senior at Phoenix Mountain Pointe, each claimed U.S. Tennis Association National Open event titles this week.

PHOENIX - Scientists at the University of Arizona have been awarded a $325 million NASA grant for an upcoming mission to Mars, beating out Arizona State University and two other finalists.

Smashburger, a Denver-based burger chain, opens its first Arizona location Wednesday on College Avenue north of University Drive next to Arizona State University.

“Rain”: A Beatles tribute traces the Fab Four from their early years to their long-haired, hard-rocking days. This multimedia, multidimensional performance includes historical footage and television commercials from the 1960s and was called “the next best thing to seeing The Beatles” by The Denver Post.  The show is appropriate for all ages.

DENVER - Stranded holiday travelers lined up at ticket counters at snowbound Denver International Airport early Thursday, hoping to get out of town amid a powerful snowstorm that paralyzed Colorado's biggest cities with up to 2 feet of snow.

The University of Arizona was hoping for favorable publicity when it agreed to participate in a PBS documentary two years ago.

DENVER - Government offices and schools were closed and mail delivery suspended for a second day Thursday after a powerful blizzard dumped more than 2 feet of snow along Colorado's most populous region and stranded travelers.

Former Arizona State University and Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer backed out of his wedding this past weekend on the day it was to take place, multiple sources confirmed Wednesday.

A Desert Vista High School alum has been confirmed to be one of the victims in the mass shooting in Aurora, Colo., last week, according to officials in that state.

DENVER - A tuberculosis patient says today's surgery to remove his left lung is not much to worry about.