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Colorado AG Weiser sues Mesa County deputy for helping ICE make arrest
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Colorado AG Weiser sues Mesa County deputy for helping ICE make arrest

By Colleen Slevin | Fox31 DENVER (AP) — Colorado’s Democratic attorney general on Tuesday sued a sheriff’s deputy for allegedly helping federal immigration agents find and arrest a college student who had an expired visa. Attorney General Phil Weiser also disclosed that his office is investigating whether other law enforcement officers on a regional drug task force the deputy worked on have been sharing information to help federal agents make immigration arrests in violation of state law limiting cooperation in immigration enforcement. The federal government has sued Colorado over such laws. On June 5, Mesa County Deputy Alexander Zwinck allegedly shared the driver’s license, vehicle registration and insurance information of the 19-year-old nursing student in a Signal chat us...
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Polis Push for Legacy Bridge Meets Overwhelming Public Backlash
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Polis Push for Legacy Bridge Meets Overwhelming Public Backlash

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — A proposed pedestrian bridge that would have connected Civic Center Park to the base of the Colorado Capitol building in celebration of Colorado’s 150th anniversary will not be built after the governor’s office received overwhelming results in a survey. According to the Colorado Governor’s Office, almost 94% of respondents (over 82,000 votes) were against the initiative. The results showed that over 3,000 voters (3.8%) were in favor of the project, while another 2,043 people (2.3%) voted “maybe” on the bridge. The survey was open through midnight Monday. The project has drawn criticism from numerous groups, including veterans who said their monuments and memorials where the bridge would be located would be “desecrated” by the projec...
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Colorado Sheriff Turns to Community to Revive Mounted Patrol
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Colorado Sheriff Turns to Community to Revive Mounted Patrol

By Jacob Factor | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — Western Colorado has a rich history with horses, from cowboys and ranchers to mounted law enforcement. Today, a Western Slope sheriff’s office is hoping to revitalize a tradition going back more than 140 years. Though never officially disbanded, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office has had a mounted patrol of deputies from at least 1884 until budget constraints in the 1980s caused the posse to fade away. Now, the sheriff’s office wants to restart and revitalize the unit. “We live in western Colorado, our heritage is tied to the effective use of the horse for agriculture, transportation, recreation, ‘search and rescue’ and for many years past as a part of effective law enforcement,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. “A wo...
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Colorado Falls to Bottom Ten in School Safety Despite High Spending
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Colorado Falls to Bottom Ten in School Safety Despite High Spending

By Brooke Williams | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — While Colorado has some of the best quality of education opportunities in public schools of any state in the U.S., the Centennial State ranks among the worst when it comes to safety in education, according to a new report. Researchers from the personal finance website WalletHub analyzed public education in each state and the District of Columbia, looking at things like graduation rates and test scores as well as accessibility and safety, to determine which states are the best for public education. Overall, East Coast states like Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey were found to be the best places for public education, according to the study. Colorado ranked just below the top half at No. 28 overall. However, the report also...
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Colorado Child Care Crisis: Nearly Half of a Single Parent’s Pay Goes to Care
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Colorado Child Care Crisis: Nearly Half of a Single Parent’s Pay Goes to Care

By Brooke Williams | KDVR Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — Amid a rising cost of living, caring for a child is expensive anywhere in the U.S., but especially in Colorado, according to a new report. Personal finance website WalletHub conducted a study on all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Researchers analyzed the prices of family-based and center-based child care and made adjustments based on median income to rank the states with the highest and lowest costs of child care for both couples and single parents. The study found that in some parts of the country, couples could spend up to 13% of their income on child care, and a single parent could spend 51%. The report notes that both parents are employed in more than two-thirds of families with children, according to the Bureau of Labor Statisti...
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As Texas reels from deadly floods, Colorado rescue teams ready to deploy
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As Texas reels from deadly floods, Colorado rescue teams ready to deploy

By Jacob Factor | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A federal search and rescue task force made up of firefighters from Colorado agencies is preparing for potential deployment to Texas to assist in response efforts following catastrophic Fourth of July holiday weekend flooding that has claimed nearly 90 lives. Colorado Task Force 1 is supported by 23 different fire agencies across Colorado, including Denver and Colorado Springs fire departments and North, West and South Metro fire rescues, said in a Facebook post Monday morning its members had been advised of potential deployment to Texas. Team members, if activated, would work in water rescue and recovery. The devastating floods started early Fourth of July morning, and rescue efforts have been ongoing across several parts ...
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RTD Crackdown: Board Strips Director of Duties Following Internal Probe
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RTD Crackdown: Board Strips Director of Duties Following Internal Probe

By Maddie Rhodes | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — A Regional Transportation District director was stripped of several duties after an internal investigation found “unprofessional” and “demeaning” conduct with staff members. In a document FOX31 obtained, RTD Board Chair Bouquet on Friday, June 27, revoked several duties of JoyAnn Ruscha, RTD Director for District B who uses the pronoun they. The document included an investigation into Ruscha’s alleged actions, finding that they violated several agency and board values and guidelines. After the investigation, Ruscha was removed from the OSS committee chair position and as a member of the committee but can still attend any standing committee meeting as a non-voting director. They’re not eligible for director expense allocations or reimb...
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Colorado’s New Gun Dealer Law Slaps Small Business With Big Government Red Tape
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Colorado’s New Gun Dealer Law Slaps Small Business With Big Government Red Tape

By Gabby Easterwood | KDVR Fox31 LONGMONT, Colo. (KDVR) — A portion of House Bill 24-1353 has gone into effect as of July 1, and firearm dealers say it’s just another burden for their businesses. The portion taking effect requires firearm dealers to have a state permit. Lawmakers have said the goal of the bill is to crack down on illegal firearm sales. Part of the law went into effect in 2024, and the final part went into effect starting in July, requiring that firearm dealers have a state firearms dealer permit, where they must hold a federal firearms license and other requirements. But firearm dealers like Rod Brandenburg, owner of Grandpa’s Pawn and Gun, say it’s just another unnecessary hoop they have to jump through. “They’re putting a huge burden on us and they can enforc...
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Colorado Teen Rescued in Las Vegas, Authorities Suspect Human Trafficking
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Colorado Teen Rescued in Las Vegas, Authorities Suspect Human Trafficking

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A 14-year-old girl is safe and two men are facing charges after law enforcement found her Wednesday in Las Vegas, and police say a third suspect is under investigation. The girl was last seen by her family June 15 and was still in Las Vegas when police provided an update in the case Thursday. The Aurora Police Department said Christian Williamson, 26, and Cameron Scruggs, 25, face charges in the case. Williamson was arrested in Kremmling, while Scruggs was arrested in Las Vegas. Williamson is facing charges of internet sexual luring of a child and internet sexual exploitation of a child. Scruggs is facing one charge of kidnapping out of Colorado and statutory sexual seduction by a person 21 or older out of Nevada. Police are also ...
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Denver Smash-and-Grabs Surge as Soft-on-Crime Policies Backfire
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Denver Smash-and-Grabs Surge as Soft-on-Crime Policies Backfire

By Alliyah Sims | KDVR Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver liquor store in the Sunnyside community has become the latest target of a bold smash-and-grab. The burglary happened in the early morning hours in the 2700 block of West 38th Street and it was all captured on surveillance video. Police are now hoping to catch the suspects, who appear to be teens, while neighboring businesses are sharing their concerns. The owner of the latest smash and grab did not want to speak on camera out of fear of retaliation, but nearby business owners told FOX31, they experienced a similar fate. For Ram, owner of Federal Cut Rate Liquors, running his small business at the intersection of 37th and Federal is his livelihood. “Been here almost 10 years,” he said. That’s why it was hard for him to ...
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