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Suspect in Custody Following Series of Intentional Fires in Aurora
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Suspect in Custody Following Series of Intentional Fires in Aurora

By Tori Mason | CBS Colorado A man is in custody after investigators say he set a string of fires over the past week in a residential area near East 16th Avenue and North Norfolk Street in Aurora. Michael Anthony Lopez, 30, was arrested Tuesday on multiple arson charges, including second and fourth-degree arson. Investigators say the fires targeted a wide range of property, including vegetation, portable toilets, vehicles, and both the exterior and interior of apartment buildings. Aurora Fire Rescue responded repeatedly over the last week, limiting damage while officers canvassed the neighborhood and gathered evidence. Neighbors say the fear of another attack kept them up at night. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
Federal Civil Rights Complaint Accuses Cherry Creek Schools of Race-Based Discipline and Retaliation
Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Federal Civil Rights Complaint Accuses Cherry Creek Schools of Race-Based Discipline and Retaliation

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Federal civil-rights complaints over equity policy are no longer confined to a single district in Colorado. Durango Public Schools is facing civil rights complaints, while a separate federal lawsuit challenges the state’s anti-discrimination law under House Bill 25-1312. A federal civil-rights complaint now puts Cherry Creek School District under scrutiny over allegations of race-based discrimination and retaliation. In its press release, America First Legal says Cherry Creek has “branded student misconduct ‘culturally appropriate’ and blocked discipline based on race,” claiming the district has replaced equal treatment with an unlawful double standard. Alleged Double Standard in Student Discipline ...
Evacuations Lifted After Wildfire Contained West Of Boulder
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Evacuations Lifted After Wildfire Contained West Of Boulder

By Austen Erblat, Sarah Horbacewicz | CBS Colorado Evacuations have been lifted for an area west of Boulder due to a wildfire on Monday evening, Boulder County officials said. County officials said the evacuation orders were in place in the area of 519 Wild Turkey Trail in Fourmile Canyon. As of 10:30 p.m. the fire was 100% contained with about 3 acres burned. Boulder County Evacuees are being told to avoid Wild Turkey Trail and take Evening Star Road for evacuations. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
Fort Lewis College Student Stands Firm After Turning Point USA Chapter Sparks Backlash
Colorado Politics, Approved, Local

Fort Lewis College Student Stands Firm After Turning Point USA Chapter Sparks Backlash

By Elizabeth Pond | Colorado Politics Before Fort Lewis College senior Jonah Flynn became president of the newly formed FLC Turning Point USA chapter, he described himself as a liberal-leaning atheist. Flynn, a senior studying philosophy and Spanish, gained local and national attention after the Associated Students of Fort Lewis College initially denied his request to start a Turning Point chapter at an Oct. 29 meeting. Outcry from conservative students and community members led to an emergency on Nov. 7 meeting, where the Associated Students decision was reversed. Since then, the 25-year-old has appeared in numerous news outlets, including CBS and Fox News, where he spoke on a panel alongside activist Jack Posobiec. Flynn said he has been heckled on campus and ...
Colorado Hockey Mom Says Whistleblowing Sparked Retaliation and Legal Threats
USA Today, Approved, Local

Colorado Hockey Mom Says Whistleblowing Sparked Retaliation and Legal Threats

By Kenny Jacoby | USA TODAY For months, Brooke Wilfley raised concerns that the president of her local youth hockey governing board was using his position for profit.  The Denver-area hockey mom discovered that the president, Randy Kanai, was secretly routing the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s money through his private company.  She reported his conflicts of interest and mismanagement to everyone she could: board members, club directors, coaches and four USA Hockey leaders who oversee the nonprofit. Little was done.  Then in January 2023, Wilfley received a letter from the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s attorney. The board, it said,&nb...
Feds Indict Two Suspected Tren de Aragua Leaders in Denver Racketeering Case
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Feds Indict Two Suspected Tren de Aragua Leaders in Denver Racketeering Case

By Nico Brambila | The Denver Gazette Denver and federal officials announced the indictment of two suspected Tren de Aragua (TdA) leaders in Denver on Thursday for racketeering that included robbery, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering and controlled substance abuse over a 14-month period in 2024. Indicted were Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano and Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas, aka “Chino San Vicente.” Gang members have been linked to a myriad of criminal activities that include human trafficking — specifically immigrant women and girls — drug trafficking, kidnapping, and money laundering. According to U.S. authorities, members of the Venezuelan prison gang hid in plain sight by infiltrating immigrants headed north. But the gang’s brutal reputation — ma...
Second Xcel Shutoff Looms as Evergreen Seniors Struggle Without Heat
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Second Xcel Shutoff Looms as Evergreen Seniors Struggle Without Heat

By Claire Lavezzorio | Denver7 With a second planned shutoff looming as part of Xcel Energy's fire prevention strategy, a group of Evergreen seniors reached out to Denver7 to voice their concerns. EVERGREEN, Colo. — Seniors at Green Ridge Meadows Apartments in Evergreen reached out to Denver7, worried about a second Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) by Xcel Energy. Residents of the HUD-assisted property just spent more than 24 hours without power, heat or hot water. A generator only powered their community room, hallway lights and elevator. The lights came back on around 5 p.m. Thursday, but now residents are preparing for a second preemptive power shutoff early Friday morning with high winds expected. "Our food is rotting in our re...
Yuma County Fires Race Across Plains Burning Tens Of Thousands Of Acres During 80 MPH Gusts
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Yuma County Fires Race Across Plains Burning Tens Of Thousands Of Acres During 80 MPH Gusts

By Stephanie Butzer, Robert Garrison | Denver7 Officials told us they believe these fires were caused by downed power lines. Denver7 is working to learn more and will have a crew reporting through the morning. YUMA COUNTY, Colo. — Emergency personnel have contained all but one wildfire in Yuma County overnight after multiple fires broke out Wednesday evening as strong wind gusts pummeled the state. The only fire that was currently active as of 2:30 a.m. Thursday was in a rural area of the county south of Eckley near the Heartstrong neighborhood. It had burned an estimated 40,000 acres as of then, according to Jake Rockwell, emergency manager for Yuma County Office of Emergency Management. By that point, the other fires had been contained. As of 7:40 a.m., the Color...
SUV Hit D51 Wrestling Team Bus At Over 90 MPH In Lakewood
DENVER7, Approved, Local

SUV Hit D51 Wrestling Team Bus At Over 90 MPH In Lakewood

By Jeff Anastasio | Denver7 The SUV that slammed into a Mesa County School bus injuring members of a Grand Junction wrestling team was traveling over 90 mph, or 52 mph over the posted speed limit 2 seconds before the impact. LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The driver of an SUV that slammed into a Mesa County School bus carrying members of a Grand Junction wrestling team was traveling over 90 miles per hour, or 52 mph over the posted speed limit, 2 seconds before the impact, according to an arrest affidavit from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. The driver of the SUV, 22-year-old Andrew Logan Miller, from Denver, was hospitalized with injuries as a result of the December 6 crash and later arrested on a list of charges. There were 12 people, including 10 students and 2 ...
Data Breach Fallout Leaves Douglas County Without Full Emergency Alert Coverage As Fire Danger Rises
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Data Breach Fallout Leaves Douglas County Without Full Emergency Alert Coverage As Fire Danger Rises

By Maggie Bryan | Denver7 The Douglas County Sheriff says his office is switching to Rave Alert to notify residents about local emergencies. The sheriff's office ended its contract with CodeRED last month after a data breach. CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — As high fire danger and strong winds are expected along the Front Range on Wednesday, a critical resource used to alert Douglas County residents to emergencies, such as fire evacuations, is in the midst of a transition. Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said his office signed a new contract to provide emergency alerts through Rave Alert, an emergency alert system owned by Motorola. In November, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) terminated its contract with CodeRED, an emergency alert system, after the company ex...