MAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING TO RUN DOWN COPS WITH STOLEN AUTO

xxx In Pueblo, Brandon Brown, 35, was arrested after allegedly threatening to run down police officers with a stolen Jeep Cherokee. "Officers were able to take Brown safely into custody," police said. The incident occurred Saturday.

PERSON SHOT DEAD IN GLENDALE

A person was shot dead early Monday in the small Denver suburb of Glendale.

Several people were detained in the aftermath of the incident in the 5000-block of East Mississippi Avenue, according to police.

The chain of events leading to the shooting were under investigation. No other details were released by police.

ARVADA HOUSE CAT 'SMOKEY' TAKES REFUGE IN AUTO'S COZY WHEEL WELL

In Arvada, police and firefighters netted a house cat named "Smokey" who took up residence in the cozy wheel well of his owner's auto. The 9-year-old domestic longhair is fine - and back indoors where he belongs. [Photos: Arvada Police]

'FILL 'ER UP FOR YA, COPPER?' CRITTER ASKS

A deputy sheriff fueling their patrol car encountered a racoon scavenging for a snack - or perhaps a discarded winning lottery ticket - in Douglas County.

[Photo: Douglas County Sheriff]

COPS SEIZE KID'S LASER AIMED AT PLANE LANDING AT CENTENNIAL AIRPORT

Authorities seized a child's laser light that momentarily blinded the flight crew of a state patrol aircraft - forcing the plane to abort landing at Centennial Airport to avoid a potential crash.

Evidence suggests the youth - in the company of an adult - pointed the high-intensity green light, interfering with the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft. Lasers can also blind a flight crew.

A state trooper aboard the endangered aircraft said: "A laser strike is not a harmless prank."

No one was hurt.

In the Aug. 19 incident, "the cockpit was illuminated by a green laser coming from the left side of the aircraft," the patrol said. "The flight crew aborted the landing and began circling the area to locate the source." 

"While circling, the laser struck the aircraft a second time" and "the aircraft’s onboard camera system, identified the source and location as a second-story balcony at a nearby apartment complex," the patrol said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the close call.

"Parents and guardians should talk with children about the dangers of lasers and ensure laser devices are stored and used responsibly," the patrol said. "Anyone who sees a person pointing a laser at an aircraft should immediately contact local law enforcement."

Such abuse can be considered a felony.

[Photos: Colorado State Patrol]

STATE TROOPER HURT RAMMING WRONG-WAY AUTO ON I-76

A state trooper stopped a wrong-way driver by ramming her auto with his patrol car on I-76 near Fort Morgan, the state patrol said Monday.

The trooper "activated his emergency lights and used his patrol vehicle to stop the Honda by colliding with it front-first to avoid it from colliding with any other vehicles," the patrol said.

The incident occurred early Sunday and the state trooper suffered minor injuries. He was treated at hospital and released.

The wrong-way driver, Claudia Z. Rodriguez, of Sterling, was charged with DUI and other violations. She was treated at hospital and booked into the Morgan County Jail. Her auto was traveling west in the eastbound lane of I-76. 

WOUNDED STATE TROOPER IS BACK HOME

State Trooper Skylar Hoehn, seriously wounded in last Monday's shooting in Teller County, was released from hospital and is "recovering well at home," the state patrol said.

2 YOUTHS ARRESTED IN DENVER SHOOTING

Two youths were arrested as suspects in a shooting in the 460o-block of North Cornish Way in Denver, police announced Sunday. One person was injured and transported to hospital. The shooting occurred Friday. No other details were released by police.

BRAIN SURGEON INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO KILL FEDERAL AGENTS IN SHOOTOUT

Fugitive Colorado brain surgeon Thomas Earl Steffens was indicted by a federal grand jury of attempting to murder five deputy U.S. marshals during a gun battle in Vero Beach, Florida.

Steffens, 72, of Grand Junction, was wanted for drugging a woman and assaulting her.

"As the Deputy U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force moved to arrest him, Steffens allegedly opened fire, striking one deputy in the chest and leg," according to federal prosectors in Florida.

The marshals returned fire and wounded Steffens, who was driving an auto. He was hit four times. The shootout occurred in March. The crime occurred in January.

Steffens fled Colorado on a bus. His Colorado medical license is currently listed as active but restricted.

Upon arrest, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said: "He was still defiant. He was still raising his middle finger at our deputies."

[Photos: Martin County Sheriff, Indian River County Sheriff]

MATERIAL WITNESS IN DENVER MURDER LOCATED IN NEW MEXICO

Jayde Guerrero, 22, considered a material witness in a recent homicide in Denver, was arrested hiding in a closet in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Denver investigators traveled to Carlsbad to interview her, according to New Mexico State Police. No information was provided on the Denver murder or the victim. The woman, who was also wanted on warrants issued in Texas, was arrested without incident, state police said. She was apprehended Aug. 25. [Photo: Colorado State Police]

NO ONE HURT AS FLAMES RAGE IN CARBONDALE

 

In Carbondale, fire destroyed three sheds as well as industrial equipment Sunday at 455 Buggy Circle. No injuries were reported, Carbondale Fire said. The Glenwood Springs Fire Department also responded. No homes were damaged. [Photos: Carbondale Fire]

ARMED MAN ARRESTED IN BERTHOUD

Deputies arrested an armed man Sunday who was reported to be "acting erratically" in Berthoud, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said. A caller reported the man "was outside of a home, had a gun, and was behaving in a threatening manner," officials said. "When deputies arrived, the man had gone inside. They contacted him by phone and successfully convinced him to come out." The man was safely taken into custody. No injuries or damaged property were reported. Neighbors were directed to shelter in place. Officials provided no other information. The case is being handled by the sheriff's Berthoud Squad.

DRIVER KILLED IN HIT & RUN IN GREENWOOD VILLAGE

A motorist was killed in a hit-and-run crash on I-25 in Greenwood Village, police said.

"Despite life-saving efforts, the driver was pronounced deceased at the scene," police said. "The other driver fled before officers arrived." Northbound lanes of I-25 were closed for several hours after early Sunday's crash north of East Orchard Road. No other details were released by police.

TRUE CRIME: MURDERED NORTH DENVER PRIEST HAD SECRET WIFE AND SON

After years of legal wrangling, a probate judge ruled a North Denver priest slain during a card game was married to a woman who bore him a son.

The ruling, in September 1907, came in the strange case of the Rev. Felix Mariano Lepore, who was shot in his study on Nov. 19, 1903, according to the Rocky Mountain News.

After the slaying, Evelyn Benns - who acted as the priest's private secretary - came forward and testified that the pair had married in 1896 and she gave birth to a child, Victor, in 1898, the News said.

The court ruled in her favor, and she was awarded a portion of his $20,000 estate, which included bank accounts, real estate and patent rights. That's roughly $700,000 in 2026 dollars. 

Giuseppe Lorice of Philadelphia, Lepore's alleged killer, was also fatally injured in the shooting, however, Denver police detectives were never able to conclude which of the men fired the shot that felled Lorice at Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Church, which then had an address of West 36th and Palmer avenues in North Denver's Little Italy, according to the News.

"The death of Father Lepore and Sorice was one of the city's darkest tragedies, and the surrounding mystery has never been cleared away," the News said. "The priest, upon assuming his duties at Mt. Carmel church had incurred much enmity. He was bitterly hated by one faction in the church and his life was threatened several times.

"On the day of the murder Father Lepore and Sorice were playing cards. Without warning Sorice is said to have drawn his revolver and begun firing. The weapon was finally wrested away by the priest who turned it on his assailant and mortally wounded him. From the ante-mortem statement made by Father Lepore it is believed Sorice came to Denver from the East for the express purpose of putting the pastor out of the way. At any rate the murder did not occasion much surprise in the Italian colony." 

The priest's secret marriage and child did, however, surprise his flock.

[Photos: Public Domain]

FIRE GUTS HOME ON ZION STREET IN AURORA

Firefighters battled leaping flames that gutted a house in the 700-block of North Zion Street in Aurora. No one was injured in Friday night's fire, Aurora Fire said, and the blaze was declared under control in about 15 minutes. "Four residents have been displaced and are being assisted by the American Red Cross," officials said. The cause was under investigation. [Photos: Aurora Fire]

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY TO DENVER ZOO'S DRAMA QUEEN

The Denver Zoo's "Siska" - described by her keepers as a "silly, goofy, absolutely unhinged" orangutan - is celebrating her third birthday. [Photo: Denver Zoo]

HORROR IN FORT COLLINS AS TRUCK KILLS 1, INJURES FIVE ON SIDEWALK

Fort Collins is in mourning after a truck reversing from a downtown parking spot, hit an auto, jumped a sidewalk and slammed into a tree - killing one pedestrian and injuring five others, during Saturday's annual Tour de Fat bicycle parade, festival and fundraiser. 

Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said: "This was a tragic day for many in our community. We recognize the impact that this incident will have on those involved, the witnesses, and the responders."

The precise cause was under investigation. Police said they "do not believe that these pedestrians were intentionally targeted" in the morning incident in the 100-block of West Mountain Avenue.

Police victim advocates assisted those involved.

Witnesses said the horror occurred in front of the popular Walrus Ice Cream shop.

On Facebook, Bike Law - a bicycle safety organization - said Tour de Fat is an annual "'wacky and weird,' bike-forward event - which attracts tens of thousands of costumed participants who parade through the city on foot and by bicycle."
"This is probably the biggest day of the year for Fort Collins," Kim Sewald, a downtown business owner, told Denver 7. "People make a specific effort to have their day completely free to celebrate."

[Photo: Bike Law Facebook page]

AIRCRAFT BOLTS FROM RUNWAY; 1 PERSON INJURED

A small aircraft bolted from a runway and flipped over at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield. "Two people were on board and exited the aircraft without assistance," North Metro Fire said. "One patient was transported to a local hospital."
There was no smoke or flame when crash trucks reached the site, officials said.

The aviation accident occurred Friday morning.  

[Photos: North Metro Fire]

ONE MISSING, ONE FOUND; BOTH 5-FOOT-3 WOMEN WITH BROWN HAIR; COLD CASES

Quite by chance, the Daily Sketch noted similarities in two of our Cold Case features - and immediately notified the authorities. We are not trained investigators. They are.

Neither case has been solved. This discovery may - or may not - be a potential or possible lead. We don't know. That's confidential police information.

Elaine Fauver, 38, a mother of three children, went missing from Denver on July 24, 1967. A little over five years later, skeletal remains of a "Jane Doe" were discovered by hikers on a forestry road near Bailey. The date was Aug. 27, 1972.

These are sad tales. If you know something, contact the police. Not us. The cases are in online databases. That's where we gathered basic information. We also scoured old newspapers for additional details.

Both women stood 5-foot-3, had brown hair and apparently wore pierced earrings. Fauver's purse, meantime, was found in her abandoned auto. ... Jane Doe had no purse.

Please read on.

If you have information, call the confidential Metro Denver Crime Stoppers telephone line (720) 913-7867.

The full Daily Sketch Cold Case stories follow in sequence on our main blog scroll - and we are also providing links here for social media readers.

STORY LINKS:

• MISSING MOM 1967
• JANE DOE 1972

COLD CASE FILE: ELAINE FAUVER, MOM OF THREE, LAST SEEN IN DENVER IN 1967

UPDATE

On the evening of July 24, 1967, Elaine Fauver, 38, left her home on Corona Street in Denver to visit a friend, who later told police she departed his residence in the company of another man.

Fauver was never seen again.

After weeks with no leads, the Denver Police Department issued a statewide missing person alert in October 1967.

Her son, Paul, located his mother's Chevrolet days later parked on East 17th Avenue, between Emerson and Ogden streets, in Denver - as well as her purse and keys. The keys were on the floor.

The divorced mother of three was employed by the Mountain States Telephone Company for 13 years.

Fauver was 5-foot-3, with brown eyes and hair and weighed 125 pounds, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. She was born on April 9, 1929. Photos indicated she wore pierced earrings.

She also went by the last name of Jones, said Paul Chism, a Denver police detective, quoted by the Rocky Mountain News on Oct. 27, 1967. Her maiden name was Lyons.

Her daughters, Mary, 17, and Joyce, 19, stayed with friends in Aspen after the disappearance, Chism said.

Her former husband, Edward Fauver, 1050 Downing Street, and her son, who was in the Army and home on leave from Vietnam, reported her missing shortly after her July disappearance.

It wasn't until Oct. 26, 1967, though, that Detective Captain George Beaton, commander of the Denver police detective bureau, ordered homicide detectives Morris Mullins and Kenneth Wright to investigate the woman's disappearance for "possible foul play," the News said.

Fauver had told family she was going to visit a male friend but would be home in "a short while" and the friend told police Fauver "left with another man, whose identity is not known, shortly after she arrived at his home," the News said. 

Elaine and Edward, her ex, married in 1946, and he passed away in May 1976 at age 65 at St. Anthony Hospital North after a brief illness, according to an obituary printed in the News. He had retired from Rocky Mountain Dental Products and called Adams County home by that time. 

If you have information, call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers (720) 913-7867

Originally published July 1, 2025

COLD CASE: MYSTERY OF 'JANE DOE' IN APOLLO SHOES

UPDATE

The "Jane Doe" in the Apollo shoes was dead between one and three years when two hikers found her skeletal remains on a trail in unincorporated Jefferson County near Bailey on Aug. 27, 1972.

Deputies recovered a set of thin, round, gold pierced earrings. Her shoes were about size 6.5

Her identity has never been established, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. There was no obvious evidence of foul play, the county coroner said.

Jane Doe - discovered on Forest Road 554, about one mile east of the border between Park County and Jefferson County - was aged between 17 and 23, stood about 5-foot-3 with brown hair.

In addition to the black Apollos with single straps and 1 inch heels, deputies recovered four small pearl buttons and a large brass button, according to CBI.

Her death was estimated to have been in 1969, 1970 or 1971 or so, according to the coroner.

She carried no purse. She carried no wallet. She carried no car keys.

Why was she wearing 1-inch heels in rugged terrain - a very, very remote place called Road 554? How did she get there?

According to a Google online search, Road 554 connects "deep within" Pike National Forest's trail networks and is accessed via the broader South Platte Ranger District trail corridors. For example, remote areas branching off Jefferson County Road 126 and Forest Road 550 networks, south of Pine Junction. (We don't know if this land has been altered by development projects.) 

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office led the investigation in 1972.

If you have information, contact their Cold Case unit (303) 271-5195.

[Photo: CBI, Sears]

BIRD IN HAND? TINY OWL FOUND HIDING IN HOME'S PANTRY

This little Flammulated Owl was found hiding inside a pantry possibly after escaping from the grips of the homeowner's cat, Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance said. "Thankfully, he made it to us and is now receiving the care he needs," officials said.

[Photo: Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance]

ARMED FUGITIVE ARRESTED WEARING STOLEN BODY ARMOR

Deputies and federal marshals arrested violent fugitive Rodrigo Ruiz, 35, who was donning stolen body armor and armed with a stolen gun at a home in Pueblo.

Deputies also found 2 grams each of meth and fentanyl and a stolen motorcycle at the residence in the 1600-block of Anthalie Street, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

Ruiz was arrested on felony warrants as well as fresh charges of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, aggravated motor vehicle theft, two counts of possession of a controlled substance and unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon.

A woman, Rita Valdez, 28, who accompanied Ruiz, was arrested on unrelated warrants, the sheriff's office said.

[Photo: Pueblo County Sheriff's Office]

WOUNDED TROOPER 'DOING WELL,' STATE PATROL SAYS

Colorado State Trooper Skylar Hoehn, who sustained serious injuries in this week's ambush in Teller County, is recovering in hospital and "doing well at this time," the state patrol reports. 

Trooper Clark Tinan, who sustained minor injuries, was treated and released, according to the patrol.

The gunman in Monday morning's attack - Robert Rudolf Richards Jr., 51, of Loveland - was shot dead by Teller County deputies after a two-hour manhunt. 

[Photo: Colorado State Patrol]

FARMING FIREFIGHTER RESCUES THREATENED PASTURES

By Sara Millhouse
Special to the Daily Sketch

Farming isn’t easy in the high-altitude dryland prairie of El Paso County, Colorado. William Vogl learned that at a young age. At 13, he saw his family’s cattle operation “screech to a halt” after an epic drought. Their farm went nine months without a drop of rain.

Vogl became a firefighter, a demanding and rewarding career that he loves. Firefighting depends on understanding how wildfire ecosystems function – just as he learned to do as a kid on the farm. When Vogl bought a seven-acre parcel in the open prairie of Black Forest, Colorado, he started gardening and raising chickens. One thing led to another.

“The next thing I know, we had over 100 birds, and we could sell eggs and whatnot,” Vogl said. “About that time, I was introduced to regenerative agriculture, and it really, really clicked with me. Watching how my parents’ operation did so poorly in a major drought, the goal of regenerating your soil to where it can handle those stresses really made a lot of sense to me.”

Today, Vogl runs 200 sheep on his farm and leased land, selling the meat and using the sheep for prescribed rotational grazing that rejuvenates the soil through stomping hooves and rich manure. 

Vogl brings a spirit of constant experimentation to his business, land and animal husbandry. “I’ve always been a big fan of just trying things and seeing what works,” he said.

With the gardener’s old friend of compost, he’s found scalable success in his pastures. Each year, Vogl gathers tons of yard waste, manure from a local horse rescue and more than 1,000 rotting jack o’ lanterns to create compost that he spreads to enrich the soil.

“It almost seems unbelievable how well it actually works,” Vogl said. “We’ll see, within a growing season, two to three times the amount of biomass growth, and it’s simply because of the water retention capacity that compost added to our pastures.”

His hungry sheep attest to the multi-year benefits of a single treatment of compost. “They attack that grass way faster than the areas we hadn’t treated yet,” Vogl said. 

Through the Quivira Coalition, Vogl joined other farmers and ranchers who wanted to demonstrate the benefits of compost and biochar on rangelands. Quivira received a $3.9-million Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant from the USDA, which was going to support livestock producers to transform agricultural and wood waste, finish livestock and poultry on grass, and help enhance biodiversity and potential carbon sequestration on the land.

Besides measuring the efficacy of compost and biochar application on rangelands, the grant would have paid for equipment for Vogl to develop an aerated static pile (ASP), a piping system that delivers the air necessary to break down waste into compost. The ASP would reduce time-consuming pile turning and allow Vogl to scale compost production as he fights fires, cares for his kids and moves his sheep.

In early 2025, the Trump administration canceled the already-obligated grant, ending this support for producers. Since Quivira had already enrolled many livestock producers into the program, the organization was dedicated to supporting Vogl and others through their journey to create resilience on their lands; Quivira was able to raise funds to cover Vogl’s costs for soil monitoring and report completion.

Vogl also applied for and received a Colorado Department of Agriculture Soil Health and Optimizing Water (SHOW) grant to continue demonstrating the benefits of compost. 

“If we can get to doing this on a big enough scale, we might actually see some countering to ecological problems that we’re seeing in our community,” Vogl said. “Water is our biggest limiting resource here, so anything we can do to help capture natural precipitation and keep it there on the land and prevent it from either evaporating or running off is just a huge benefit.”

By retaining moisture, composting and other regenerative soil practices can even help replenish Colorado’s besieged water tables. “We’re actually seeing the water table rise again,” Vogl said. “That’s huge here, because we were seeing water tables drop with development coming in, with more wells going into our aquifers and pulling water out that doesn’t replenish or replenishes very slowly.”

As a firefighter, Vogl sees how his grazing animals can also reduce the undergrowth that fuels massive forest fires. “We liken it to going into a hoarder house,” he said. “When we bring the sheep in, we’re able to restore one of those natural functions that our ecosystem used to have, which was huge herds of migratory animals.” 

On a small scale, Vogl’s sheep mimic the millennia-old movements of elk, deer and bison across the American West. As he builds his business, he acknowledges that his work is personally as well as ecologically fulfilling. His “cherry on top” is being able to connect people with food, agriculture and the environment.

“When you see how sheep interact with the grasses, how the grasses respond to these rotational grazing cycles, how the forest reacts to these mitigative measures and the subsequent rest and recovery periods, and then seeing the wildlife moving, it all starts to click how nature functions, and why it functions that way,” Vogl said. “Being a part of that cycle, it fills me up, spiritually.”

HOLY VISITOR: FRANCIS SCHLATTER, DENVER'S CHRIST-LIKE 'HEALER'

With his long hair, beard and gentle manner, Francis Schlatter resembled portraits of Jesus Christ.

A cobbler (Jesus was said to be a carpenter), Schlatter visited Denver in 1895 and bestowed miraculous cures upon the infirm from the yard of a bungalow owned by ex-alderman E. D. Fox at "625 Witter (cq) Street" in North Denver, according to the Rocky Mountain News.

Schlatter possessed a "strange light in the eye" and "a directness and earnestness" in his speech, the News said. The public hailed him as "The Healer."

News of his cures drew thousands. Lines stretched around the block daily. Schlatter claimed his powers were a gift from the "Father" and faith was all that was necessary for a cure, according to contemporary accounts.

He refused money - and one night vanished from Denver, leaving a note saying his mission here was complete.

Schlatter walked "with a dignified air that commanded a certain respect," the Rocky Mountain News said on Aug. 23, 1895. "His whole demeanor is of one who believes thoroughly in himself, no matter what any others may say." 

The next day, Aug. 24, the News reported: "To the direct question, `Are you the Christ?' he answers 'I am.' Without the question, he makes no pretense as to who or what he is."

[Photos: Public Domain]

Originally published on Aug. 15, 2025

TRUE CRIME: TRAGIC LIVES OF COLORADO'S 'BABY HOPE' AND 'BABY FAITH'

"Baby Hope" was born alive and left for dead. Fishermen found the newborn girl's body in the Arkansas River in Pueblo County on Aug. 24, 1996.

An autopsy determined she drowned.

She was buried in Mountain View Cemetery - and the case went cold for more than two decades.

In October 2019, a fresh analysis of the baby's DNA led detectives to a suspect. Her name was LeeAnne Hed, 52, of Pueblo West. She refused to cooperate.

Days later her body was found in an auto set alight at the parking lot of the Southern Colorado Gaming & Events Center. She took her own life, too.

Investigators determined Hed "was solely responsible for the death of Baby Hope based on facts and evidence collected throughout the entire case," according to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

The Pueblo County case was eerily similar to another infant's death - discovered that very same day, Aug. 24, 1996 - about 190 miles to the north in Larimer County. It was dubbed the "Baby Faith" mystery.

Two boys found day-old Faith's tiny body at Horsetooth Reservoir.

The tragic baby girl "suffocated after being wrapped in a plastic garbage bag," according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's cold case unit.

The Baby Faith case also went cold until 2019 when fresh DNA evidence led investigators to the neonate's mother, a Larimer County woman who pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 - the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

[Photo: Wikimedia]

BARKHAUS GETS 40 YEARS FOR STABBING SPREE IN PARKER, AURORA

Luke Barkhaus, 33, convicted of stabbing two adults and a child in Parker and Aurora, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, the Parker Police Department said Wednesday.

The January 2025 attacks were unprovoked.

Police said: "Barkhaus first stabbed a restaurant employee in the face. Approximately an hour later, he attacked a child inside a Walmart, slashing the child in the head. In the third attack, Barkhaus attacked another random victim inside a store, stabbing her in the head." Barkhaus, who has an extensive criminal record, pleaded guilty to felony child abuse and two counts of first-degree assault, police said. He will be eligible for parole in December 2051, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections. [Photo: Parker Police]

LIFE RETURNS TO ASPEN ACRES BURN SCAR

This summer's ferocious Aspen Acres Fire devoured more than 100,000 acres of Pueblo, Custer and Huerfano counties. Today, the land is already in the early stages of recovery.

Planet earth is an amazing place. After the historic inferno, "crews focused heavily on repairing fire damaged areas which helps control erosion and improve drainage," fire officials explained. "This work helps support early stages of natural regrowth."

"As vegetation returns, insects, pollinators, and wildlife follow, marking the gradual restoration of the local ecosystem," officials said. "Wildfire recovery takes time, but each new sprout is a powerful reminder of nature’s resilience," they said.

[Photos: Aspen Acres Fire 2026 official social media]

FIRE ENGULFS CAMPER AMID PROPANE RISK

Firefighters battled a camper fire in Greeley as the doomed vehicle's two large propane tanks vented the volatile gas, firefighters Local 888 said. No one was hurt. [Photo: Greeley Fire]

COLD CASE FILE: GROCERY STORE OWNER KILLED IN ARVADA

Grocery store owner Rosetta Witt, 75, was shot to death during a robbery in Arvada on Oct. 2, 1961 - and a man with a pompadour haircut may have pulled the trigger.

The store was attached to her home at 5050 Carr Street - and the cash register was emptied of bills, the Jefferson County undersheriff, Charles Morris, said.

Two runaway teens were arrested in Seattle days later - but they had alibis. Another suspect was cleared of the killing in 1964.

The murder has never been solved.

According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation: "Shortly before the shooting a white male about 30 to 35 years of age, 5'8 to 5'10, 165-175 pounds, with dark hair in a pompadour style, was seen in the store. The man got into a two-tone blue or bluish green 1950 to 1954 Oldsmobile type car with a female."

The Jefferson County coroner said Witt was shot twice in her neck and once in her abdomen with "small caliber bullets," the Rocky Mountain News said.

A customer, Hazel Yousse of 7221 West 48th Avenue, found the shopkeeper's body behind a counter at about 10:30 a.m., the Arvada Enterprise reported. She first thought Witt had suffered a heart attack.

Witt was born in McCook, Nebraska, in 1887 and moved to Arvada in 1918. Her husband, Charles, passed away in 1958. Survivors included a son, a daughter, four' grandchildren and three great grandchildren, the Enterprise said.

If you have information, contact the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. 

[Photo: CBI]

ARREST IN HOME INVASION ROBBERY IN AURORA

John Cutlip, 63, of Bennett, was arrested as a suspect in a violent home invasion robbery in Aurora, police said Tuesday. Several valuables, including firearms, were reported to have been taken in early Saturday's robbery from the dwelling in the 900-block of Ouray Street. "The victim told officers he was entertaining friends," police said. "At 5:20 a.m., shortly after his friends left, an adult male armed with a handgun entered the residence, ordered the victim to lay down, and bound his wrists behind his back." Police said they contacted Cutlip near his home in the 300-block of East Colfax Avenue in Bennett. He was jailed in Aurora facing charges of aggravated robbery, first-degree burglary and menacing.

THORNTON FELINE FINDS PURRRRR-FECT SHOULDER TO LEAN ON

A kitten cuddled with a police officer who rescued it near 88th Avenue and Washington Street in Thornton. It's "surprisingly quick, showing off some impressive speed and evasive maneuvers before finally being rescued," police said. "It didn’t take long for her to realize she was in good hands." [Photos: Thornton Police]