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Ranger Accused of Creating False Stabbing Emergency Sparks School Lockdowns
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Local, Approved, Fox News

Ranger Accused of Creating False Stabbing Emergency Sparks School Lockdowns

By: Louis Casiano | Fox News A Colorado park ranger who claimed to have been attacked and stabbed has been arrested after investigators determined his story was allegedly part of a hoax that prompted authorities to launch a search and lock down several schools. Callum Heskett, 26, was taken into custody Thursday and charged with attempting to influence a public servant and tampering with evidence, both felonies. He also faces misdemeanor charges of false reporting to authorities, reckless endangerment, obstructing government operations and second-degree official misconduct. Investigators said inconsistencies in his story began to emerge during a probe of the incident. Heskett, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife seasonal ranger at Staunton State Park, radioed at 9 a.m. Tuesday saying...
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Self-inflicted wound leads to hoax investigation at Staunton State Park
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local

Self-inflicted wound leads to hoax investigation at Staunton State Park

By Olivia Prentzel | The Colorado Sun After launching a widespread manhunt for a person accused of stabbing a Colorado Parks and Wildlife ranger, officials said Thursday the ranger who claimed to be attacked in Staunton State Park this week was never in any danger.  Callum Heskett, 26, was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges Thursday for the “elaborate hoax” that sent Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies and other first responders out looking for the attacker, put thousands of residents on alert and placed several schools on a lockdown, the sheriff’s office said.Authorities say Heskett stabbed himself and was airlifted to a hospital after reporting the attack. Heskett, a seasonal ranger at the park, radioed for help at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, claiming he had been attacked a...
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Four candidates launch common-sense campaign for Douglas County school board
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

Four candidates launch common-sense campaign for Douglas County school board

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Platform centers on academic excellence, parental rights, teacher support and protections for female athletes In Douglas County, a new slate calling itself Common Sense DCSD is stepping into the school board race. The group — Matt Smith, Keaton Gambill, Dede Kramer and Steve Vail — says the district’s future depends on keeping academics and safety at the forefront. They argue that balanced leadership has helped produce high test scores, a strong graduation rate and standout career training programs, and they want to carry that momentum forward. Smith, a former sheriff’s deputy, military veteran, global IT leader and father of a Douglas County student, said his goal is to keep the district centered on students.  “I’m running for school...
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Grim Discovery Sparks Criminal Probe at Mortuary Run by Pueblo County Coroner
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Fox21, Approved, Local

Grim Discovery Sparks Criminal Probe at Mortuary Run by Pueblo County Coroner

By Chris Crymes, Ashley Eberhardt | FOX21 News (PUEBLO, Colo.) — At a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 21, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), along with multiple other agencies, provided more information on the investigation into Davis Mortuary, where improperly stored bodies were allegedly discovered on Wednesday, Aug. 20, during a state inspection. According to Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero, Davis Mortuary is operated by the Pueblo County Coroner, Brian Cotter, and his brother, whose name was not provided. Lucero said both were present during the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies’ (DORA) inspection on Wednesday and made statements to investigators that they believed there to be around 20 bodies inside a room at the mortuary, and that some had been awaiting...
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Gas Exposure Suspected After Six Found Dead On Weld County Dairy
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Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Gas Exposure Suspected After Six Found Dead On Weld County Dairy

By : Brooke Williams, Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — Six people are dead after what is being described by officials as a “dairy accident” in Weld County on Wednesday. Around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Southeast Weld Fire District responded to a confined space rescue at a dairy in the 32000 block of Weld County Road 18, which is the location of Prospect Ranch. In a press release on Thursday, the agency said that when crews responded, they prepared to enter the confined space to perform rescue operations. Crews ended up recovering the bodies of six people from the space. Later, the Weld County Coroner’s Office said that all of the victims were male, and that their names and ages will be released after they are identified and next-of-kin had been notified. The W...
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Aurora lands in top 5 worst-driving cities in America report
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kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Aurora lands in top 5 worst-driving cities in America report

By Brooke Williams | DENVER (KDVR) DENVER (KDVR) — A recent report ranked Aurora among the top five cities with the worst drivers in the United States, and Colorado as a whole ranked in the top three states with the worst road rage. The report by finance website ConsumerAffairs looked into traffic fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The administration estimates that 39,345 people were killed in crashes across the country last year, which is slightly down from 2023 and is the first time that the total fatalities have been below 40,000 since 2020. Some areas contributed to those deaths more than others, including Denver’s sister city, Aurora. The report ranked Aurora, Colorado, as the No. 4 state for the worst drivers in the nation....
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High-tech policing: Boulder officers use drones and cameras to nab car theft suspect
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Fox31, Approved, Local

High-tech policing: Boulder officers use drones and cameras to nab car theft suspect

By Aliyah Sims | FOX31 Denver BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — Technology and teamwork came together in Boulder to stop a dangerous suspect: Officers had an edge thanks to drones and license plate recognition cameras, also known as Flock cameras. All it took was a tip from technology, a drone in the air and quick thinking on the ground. This case was interesting because we wouldn’t have ever known this guy was in Boulder,” Chief Stephen Redfearn said. “The truck was stolen from outside of Boulder. The license plate readers let us know he was here. It allowed officers to kind of narrow down where he was.” The stolen red pickup truck pulled into a Boulder parking lot, with the driver asleep behind the wheel. Within seconds, an officer on the Unmanned Aircraft System Team launched a drone ...
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Colorado parents shaken as former school counselor faces assault charges
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Fox31, Approved, Local

Colorado parents shaken as former school counselor faces assault charges

By Parker Gordon | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A former Poudre School District counselor has been arrested after allegedly having an “inappropriate relationship with a student for several years”, said the city of Fort Collins. On Tuesday, the city of Fort Collins said in a press release that Cassandra Poncelow, 40, has been arrested on multiple charges, including sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, following an investigation into Poncelow’s employment at the school district. The city of Fort Collins said that a report was made to Fort Collins Police Services in July that a former counselor at the school district had an inappropriate relationship with a student while employed. Detectives, following the report, initiated an investigation into Poncelo...
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Same week, same county, different response: Inside the Elk and Lee fires
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

Same week, same county, different response: Inside the Elk and Lee fires

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Flames boiled the pond on Mike Clark’s ranch, scorched irrigated fields and melted fiberglass fence posts in minutes. On August 6, the Lee Fire came so fast friends were calling with warnings as his family scrambled to clear trees and pump water toward the house.  Just miles away on the Elk Fire side, air tankers and ground crews had been dropping water since early morning. Mike Clark is no stranger to high stakes. A fourth-generation Coloradan and CEO of Petrox Resources, he built his life and business in the same place he raised his children. For decades, Clark has run Petrox while also working the family’s ranch, a property he moved to more than 30 years ago for its open spaces, agricultural roots and the chance to raise his kids in a...
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Denver Eliminates Jobs but Preserves Core Public Safety Services
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Eliminates Jobs but Preserves Core Public Safety Services

By Deborah Grigsby and Dan Boniface | The Denver Gazette Denver's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure lost the most employees with 31 layoffs. The specifics of Denver's staffing layoffs became clearer on Wednesday, when Mayor Mike Johnston revealed the positions that have been eliminated within city agencies this week. Some agencies took a heavy hit, where the Johnston administration cut as much as a third of their budgeted workforce. The public safety agencies saw nearly 100 vacant positions eliminated, though no officer was laid off.   The mayor sought to guarantee no impact to several services, but he hinted that the cuts will affect programs. Even his own initiative on homelessness — he had promised to end the crisis in his first term as may...
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