Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Local

ICE Asks for Tips in Ongoing Search for Second Suspect Accused of Ramming Vehicle
No Comments
Local, Approved, kdvr.com

ICE Asks for Tips in Ongoing Search for Second Suspect Accused of Ramming Vehicle

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still searching for a second man connected with an attempted ramming that spurred a large operation last week. However, the agency isn’t sharing many details. The federal agency first reported on Thursday, July 31, that two suspects tried to use their vehicle to ram an officer in Black Forest near Colorado Springs, prompting a second ICE agent to fire three shots into the vehicle. The two suspects fled and abandoned the vehicle. ICE said on Aug. 1 that it arrested Francisco Zapata-Pacheco, the vehicle’s passenger, at about 2 p.m. on July 31, and said he was cooperating with law enforcement. However, the suspect driver, Jose Mendez-Chavez, remains at large, according to ICE. On Wednes...
Read More
Governor Mobilizes National Guard to Fight Massive Elk and Lee Fires Near Meeker
No Comments
Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Governor Mobilizes National Guard to Fight Massive Elk and Lee Fires Near Meeker

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — On Wednesday night, Gov. Jared Polis authorized the mobilization of the Colorado National Guard to aid with fire response near Meeker. The authorization allows the state authority to use the National Guard assets in fire suppression efforts if necessary. The Governor’s Office noted that the wind has continued to drive the Rio Blanco County fires, pushing the Lee Fire to jump Highway 13 on Wednesday and leading to the area around Meeker being evacuated and the town of Meeker being placed on pre-evacuation status. The Lee Fire, as of Wednesday evening, was estimated to have burned 45,000 acres, according to the Colorado Governor’s Office. Over the weekend, Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency for the Elk Fire in Rio Blan...
Read More
Monument skips bids to fast-track emergency water well repair
No Comments
The Gazette, Approved, Local

Monument skips bids to fast-track emergency water well repair

BY SAVANNAH ELLER | THE DENVER GAZETTE Monument has bypassed its usual bidding process to complete emergency repairs on a well important to the town's water availability.  "We're living on borrowed time, potentially," said Jonathan Rigaud, Monument water manager.  Well 7 has been out of commission since July 9, when it unexpectedly shut down. After an investigation, the town discovered that wiring issues were to blame.  Wells are the main source of water for a portion of Monument residents west of Interstate 25, where the town's water enterprise is the main provider. The town has 13 wells, three of which went online in November. The other side of Monument is supplied by other water districts.  The well needs to be repaired to maintain the town's water ...
Read More
Trust under the siren: Colorado man arrested for using fake police vehicle
No Comments
Fox31, Approved, Local

Trust under the siren: Colorado man arrested for using fake police vehicle

BY PARKER GORDON, HANNA POWERS | KDVR - FOX 31 "DENVER (KDVR) — A man has been arrested after allegedly using “police-like lights” while maneuvering through traffic on Interstate 25. On Tuesday, the Lone Tree Police Department announced that Terry Ray Pendleton, 58, was arrested on a charge of impersonating a police officer The police department said that Pendleton’s vehicle, a black 2021 Ford Explorer, was allegedly equipped with “red and blue lights” and had an “audible siren and public address system.” The incident occurred on I-25, where the department said Pendleton allegedly used the “police-like lights” while driving through traffic “It is important to note that Pendleton has never been employed in law enforcement,” said the Lone Tree department. Lone Tree Police Chief Kirk...
Read More
Aurora Police Chief Praises ICE After Swift Arrest of Illegal Immigrant Murder Suspect
No Comments
Local, Approved, The Sentinel

Aurora Police Chief Praises ICE After Swift Arrest of Illegal Immigrant Murder Suspect

By Staff | The Sentinel Colorado AURORA | Aurora’s police chief credited Aurora investigators as well as ICE and Homeland Security agents in quickly tracking down a Venezuelan immigrant accused of shooting his wife and her sister in front of five children early Sunday inside an Aurora apartment. Investigators on Monday said they found and arrested Michel Jordan Castellano-Fonseca, 30, late Sunday, who they say shot and killed his 26-year-old sister-in-law and critically injured his wife at about 3 a.m. at Aurora Meadows apartments in the 1000 block of Cimarron Circle. “The one thing that I really want to detail…is the foundation of the incident itself,” Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain told reporters at a press conference Monday “This was a tragic loss of life. This event occu...
Read More
“We absolutely back the badge”: Mesa County defends deputy in federal suit
No Comments
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

“We absolutely back the badge”: Mesa County defends deputy in federal suit

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Mesa County is taking Colorado’s top political figures to court. On Tuesday, commissioners unanimously voted to authorize a federal lawsuit against Governor Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser over what they called “politically motivated litigation” targeting local law enforcement under a controversial new state law. The board’s action followed a detailed legal presentation from County Attorney Todd Starr and remarks from all three commissioners defending Sheriff Todd Rowell and other named deputies. “This action is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of our employees at the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office,” Starr said. “They’re  facing imminent threats of civil liability and penalties.” At issue is Senate Bill 276, which ...
Read More
Illegal Border Crossers Allegedly Attempt to Ram ICE Agents
No Comments
Local, Approved, Just The News

Illegal Border Crossers Allegedly Attempt to Ram ICE Agents

By Dave Mason - The Center Square | Just the News (The Center Square) - Local and federal law enforcement searched for two illegal immigrants who allegedly tried to ram their vehicle into U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement officers near Colorado Springs. The search was started in the Black Forest area, where ICE said the immigrants Thursday morning tried to run over officers from the agency's Denver office with a vehicle during an ICE operation at a construction site. ICE said one of its officers fired at the immigrants' vehicle in self-defense. “Two criminal aliens attempted to ram their vehicle into ICE officers during a targeted enforcement operation in Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 31,” an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. “As a result of their violent actions a...
Read More
Grand Junction says no to climate strings: City declines Urban Trails grant
No Comments
The Business Times, Approved, Local

Grand Junction says no to climate strings: City declines Urban Trails grant

By Brandon Leuallen | The Business Times Despite support from the Urban Trails Committee, the City of Grand Junction confirmed it is not pursuing a state-run climate grant that could have required new local policies, including a potential “vehicle climate fee.” At its July 9 meeting, the Urban Trails Committee, chaired by City of Grand Junction Mobility Coordinator Henry Brown, listed “support for Local IMPACT Accelerators grant” as its No. 1 action item. The grant is funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program and administered by the Colorado Energy Office. The grant encourages local governments to adopt “transformative” policies that go beyond current state standards in areas such as transportation, building codes, l...
Read More