COLD CASE: NO ARRESTS AFTER JURY ACQUITTED MAN IN DENVER COP MURDER

In 1972, a jury acquitted the suspect in the murder of Denver police officer Merle Nading at an East Colfax Avenue diner - and no one else was ever arrested.

Today, a street sign on Colfax honors Nading, who was 30. The slaying occurred Oct. 3, 1971.

The murder suspect, Kenneth Ray Green, 23, testified in his own behalf at trial, saying he was standing in a crowd that gathered near the crime scene, according to United Press International.

He was arrested after traveling to Texas.

"Jurors agreed with the defense that witness identifications of Green as the gunman were not credible," according to the Denver Police Museum. "The prosecution was hindered by the unwillingness of some witnesses to testify, and by other witnesses who recanted on the stand."

Two of Green’s brothers were charged with witness intimidation.

The killing occurred during a scuffle in the parking lot of Clark's Diner at 2201 East Colfax Avenue.

In the immediate aftermath, Patrolman Daril F. Cinquanta, 23, was shot and wounded questioning a possible suspect in the case in the 4400-block of Mariposa Street, according to the Rocky Mountain News.

That gunman was ruled out in the Nading murder.

[Photo: Officer Down Memorial]

2 DEAD IN AIRCRAFT CRASH IN BOULDER COUNTY

UPDATE

Searchers Monday located two bodies in the wreckage of a small aircraft that went missing in rocky terrain in Boulder County on Sunday night.

The flight originated in Longmont. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said:  "A MedEvac helicopter and the Civil Air Patrol located the crash site of the missing aircraft south of the City of Boulder. Aircraft were further assisted by the Boulder Emergency Squad drone team. "The crash site is situated north of Eldorado Canyon State Park and south of the Flatirons, in an area of difficult terrain. Rescuers reached the crash site at about noon today."

The single-engine aircraft disappeared from air traffic control radar screens at about 9:42 p.m. Sunday.

An emergency radio beacon aboard the aircraft was activated leading searchers to the area.

FIREFIGHTER FALLS THROUGH FLOOR AT 2-ALARM BLAZE IN AURORA

A floor collapsed at a raging two-alarm house fire in Aurora, briefly trapping a firefighter.

The blaze broke out early Friday in the 16000-block of East Ithaca Place.

"Shortly after crews entered the home, a mayday was declared when a portion of the floor collapsed, causing a firefighter to fall with the floor," Aurora Fire said. "The firefighter was quickly removed from the structure and evaluated for injuries" and transported to hospital as a precaution, officials said. The blaze was declared under control after 40 minutes. The home wasn't occupied.

In a separate incident Friday, firefighters extinguished a fire in a room on the first floor of a Motel 6 in the 1000-block of South Abilene Street. Crews rescued a dog in an adjacent hotel room. One person suffered minor injuries.

[Photo: Aurora Fire]

FEMALE SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER STANDOFF NEAR GRANBY

A female suspect was apprehended Sunday after a standoff with deputies and police near Granby, authorities said.

The incident occurred at the Granby Jones Trailer Park located at 925 East Garnet, according to the Grand County Sheriff's Office. No injuries were reported. The Grand County Emergency Response Team - which is staffed by members of Granby Police, Fraser Winter Park Police, Kremmling Police, and Grand County EMS - assisted the sheriff's office.

CROOKS RUSTLE METAL BISON SCULPTURE, TRAILER IN PUEBLO

Crooks in a white pickup truck towed away a homemade trailer carrying a bison sculpture from the Spring Hill Suites in Pueblo. The theft occurred at about 3:38 a.m. Saturday. "Video surveillance shows a white four door short bed pickup entered the parking lot," police said. "A short time later the pickup is seen leaving the parking lot with the trailer attached.

"The homemade trailer is described as black and had a passenger side access panel that was painted red with two pink ladder hooks on the side of the trailer." police said. Spring Hills Suites is located at 170 South Santa Fe Ave. It's not clear if the thieves were targeting the trailer, the metal sculpture - or both. If you have any information, contact Pueblo police Department (719) 553-2502 or Crime Stoppers (719) 542-STOP. [Photo: Pueblo Police]

SAFE AND SNUGGLING AT HOME AFTER TREK ALONG CONTINENTAL DIVIDE

Summit Lost Pet Rescue reports this adorable poodle terrier mix is safe and snuggling at home after wandering Boreas Pass, which is located on the Continental Divide near the border of Summit and Park counties. Elevation about 11,000 feet. [Photo: Summit Lost Pet Rescue]

'WINNIE' GIVES BIRTH TO HEALTHY PUP AT DENVER ZOO

The Denver Zoo's southern tamandua Winnie gave birth to a healthy pup in September after losing her first pup a year ago, the zoo announced Friday.

"Though this little one arrived nearly a month ahead of schedule, it was born fully developed and at a healthy weight," officials reported. "Winnie showed good maternal instincts, but nursing didn’t come quite as naturally to mom and baby at first."

Staff provided around-the-clock bottle feedings following the Sept. 7 birth.

"The pup is now nursing regularly from Winnie while our team continues to provide supplemental feedings and closely monitor their progress," the zoo said. "Winnie has been patient and attentive throughout, spending nearly all of her time with her pup in their nest box.

"This moment is especially meaningful for Winnie, who lost her first pup last year," the zoo said. "Seeing her care for this little one has been incredibly exciting and rewarding for our dedicated teams."

The father, named Santiago, also gets credit.

[Photo: Denver Zoo]  

PEDESTRIAN DEAD, STRUCK TWICE ON I-76 IN BRIGHTON

A man was struck by two vehicles while crossing I-76 on foot near East Bromley Lane in Broomfield on Saturday night.

The accident occurred in the eastbound lanes of the interstate.

The victim, 33, was pronounced dead on the highway, according to police. The motorists remained on the scene and cooperated with accident investigators.

AUTO SLAMS INTO FIRE ENGINE IN EL PASO COUNTY

In El Paso County, an auto slammed into a fire engine Friday. The auto crossed lanes near Vollmer Road and Glider Loop. The driver was transported to hospital. The firefighters were checked and "thankfully, everyone is okay," Black Forest Fire said. [Photo: Black Forest Fire]

ELDERLY MAN HURT IN ROAD RAGE SHOOTING AT I-70 AND COLFAX AVENUE

An elderly man was wounded by a road-rage gunman who blasted his auto with bullets in the vicinity of I-70 and Colfax Avenue, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

The incident occurred at about 9 p.m. Tuesday. "The victim’s vehicle was struck by five bullets," officials said. "One traveled through the vehicle and the driver’s seat, striking the victim in the back. Despite his injury, he was able to drive to the hospital." The suspect’s vehicle was described as a red four-door sedan, make and model unknown. "The victim told investigators that he and his wife were returning home to Arvada from a friend’s house in Golden when they had an altercation with the driver of a red car," officials said. "According to the victim, the suspect then pulled behind their vehicle and fired multiple rounds." The victim is in his 70s. He was treated at Lutheran Hospital. If you have information, contact the sheriff's office at (303) 980-7300.

COPS FIND MURDER VICTIM IN DENVER LODO

The body of a male murder victim was discovered in Denver's Lodo district, police said Thursday.

The location of the incident is in the 2100-block of North 15th Street. The victim is an adult.

The case was initially classified as an "outdoors death investigation." Detectives changed the classification several hours later to homicide.

Police provided no other details.

DOPE SUSPECTS ATTEMPT TO FLEE IN BROOMFIELD

Cops spotted an auto with a shattered windshield parked at a Kings Soopers in Broomfield - and the driver and passenger fled as they left the store and spotted the law.

The two - a man and a woman - were arrested and the police seized 84 grams of methamphetamine from beneath the auto's center console on Tuesday at the supermarket on Sheridan Boulevard. Officers became suspicious when they noticed the steering wheel had been tampered with. "Suspects sometimes go to great lengths to conceal drugs inside vehicles, hiding them behind panels, underneath consoles and in other compartments," police said.
The woman was also found to be in possession of a "small amount of fentanyl," police said. The two were booked into the Broomfield Detention Center.

[Photo: Broomfield Police]

BIG TRUCK HITS AUTO NEAR LIMON; 1 DEAD

A semi-truck slammed into an auto early Thursday south of Limon, killing the car's driver and injuring his teenage passenger.

The truck driver was also injured in the crash at the intersection of Highway 71 and Highway 94, according to the state patrol.

The semi apparently failed to stop at a stop sign and struck the auto's passenger's side, the patrol said.

The injured passenger, a girl, was airlifted to Denver. Limon is 90 miles southeast of Denver. 

DRONE SPOTS MEN POINTING GUNS AT EACH OTHER IN BOULDER

With the help of a drone, police located and arrested two men pointing guns at each other in south Boulder. One man was released. The other was detained - a felon with a gun and nearly 30 grams of drugs. He was also wanted by police in Denver.  

A police drone responding to a 911 call arrived overhead in a minute and spotted the men in separate trucks stopped at a traffic light on Baseline Road near Broadway. Police identified the suspect as Quinn Sims, 38, of Commerce City. The incident occurred Wednesday.

1 INJURED IN BELMAR BLAZE, DOGS SAVED

A person was sent to hospital from an apartment fire in Belmar early Thursday and rescuers saved two dogs, West Metro Fire said.

The blaze broke out at 6:20 a.m. in the 7200-block of West Center Avenue.
Firefighters "found heavy smoke coming from a ground-floor unit" and "quickly contained the fire to the room where it started," officials said. [Photo: West Metro Fire]

TODAY'S SERENE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL NATURE PARK ONCE WAS FIERY INDUSTRIAL HELLHOLE

The old Rocky Mountain Arsenal - today a serene nature preserve - was once an industrial hellhole plagued by major fires that posed potentially catastrophic consequences for the Denver area.

The sprawling, secretive U.S. Army site in Commerce City was used to manufacture and store a variety of weapons. It was built during World War Two and closed 50 years later. Sections were leased to private industry after the war.

The popular nature preserve opened to the public in 2011 after an extensive cleanup.

A giant inferno at the old site threatened the wellbeing of the surrounding community on July 27, 1947, erupting in coal bunkers and spreading toward towering chlorine storage tanks and eight railroad chemical cars.

A hero locomotive engineer, James Priller, braved the heat and moved the cars and their volatile cargo - cutting the risk of all-out catastrophe.

"We'd have been powerless if those tanks exploded," Denver Fire Chief Allie Feldman said.

Miraculously, no one was hurt. The situation had been so bad that at one point that journalists covering the blaze were told they did so at their own risk, the Rocky Mountain News said.

On Oct. 11, 1951, a gasoline bomb fuse triggered an explosion that injured nine women. Two succumbed to their injures at Aurora's Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Aurora.

On Feb. 28, 1952, fire destroyed a three-story building on the arsenal grounds operated by the Julius Hyman Chemical Company. On July 20, 1952, a worker died in an explosion on the fourth floor of another building on the arsenal used by the Hyman company.

On Oct. 24, 1953, flames erupted at a building housing the U.S. Army Chemical Corps. The Rocky Mountain News described the blaze as spectacular "with phosphorous bombs shooting hundreds of feet into the air."   

And on July 4, 1953, appropriately enough, there were more fireworks at yet another Hyman company operation on the arsenal grounds. "Flaming chemicals spurted out of pipes," the News said.

[Photo: U.S. Air Force]

COLD CASE: NICHOLAS DOLCE WANTED IN 1986 SLAYING OF HIS MOM IN TRINIDAD

Nicholas Joseph Dolce - AKA "Marty Whitehorse" and other aliases - is wanted for the murder of his mother more than 40 years ago in Trinidad.

Dolce, born Jan. 12, 1950, had a violent history prior to the slaying and started using heroin and speed as a youth.

His mother, Rebecca Bates, 64, was struck with a stick and stabbed on May 2, 1986, at her home at 218 East Johnson Avenue. After the killing, he showered, packed his belongings in his mother's auto - and set fire to the dwelling with gasoline. He was 36 at the time.

Dolce was last seen on Sept. 2 of that year. A potential sighting was reported in Trion, Georgia, in 2021. There was also a possible sighting at the 1987 Colorado State Fair in Pueblo.

In addition to Marty Whitehorce, Dolce used other aliases: Ed Velencia, Edward Bear, Amos A Maes, Richard Jake DanKert, Eddie Valcia, Edward Valcia, Eli Velasquez, Nick Dolsi, Dale Valicia, Edward Dale Valicia, Edward Dale Valcia, John McGregor and others.

At the time of the killing, Dolce was described as 5-foot-6, 130 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. 

His left or right pinky finger had an untreated break and was shorter than the other. He also had a scar on his buttocks, a scar on one of his knees from a possible gunshot wound and a scar above his right eye.

Dolce may have been armed with a .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

[Photos: CBI]

PATROL SEEKS DRIVER IN GRUESOME I-270 DEATH

State troopers investigating the death of a man darting between autos on I-270 are seeking a motorist who believes they may have struck a deer or roadway debris.

They are also seeking witnesses.

The bizarre accident occurred on the westbound off-ramp to I-76 in Adams County on Aug. 20 at about 8:24 p.m.

Shortly thereafter, a second vehicle struck the downed pedestrian who "was believed to be already deceased," according to the state patrol. The driver of the second vehicle remained on scene. 

The victim, age 45, was reported to be running "back and forth" on the ramp, the patrol said. "No description is available of the vehicle that originally left the scene of the crash."

If you have information, contact the state patrol (303) 239-4501 in reference to case number VC260290. 

LAKEWOOD DRIVER PUTTERED THROUGH GOLF COURSE IN CHEYENNE

Motorist Gust Martinez Jr., 48, of Lakewood, was arrested after his GMC Sierra puttered through the golf course at the Cheyenne Country Club in Wyoming, police said. The suspect allegedly refused to stop and drove through a fence in what was described as a "slow-speed pursuit" on Monday evening. "Officers pursued the truck, following south on Randall Avenue," according to Cheyenne police. "As they followed, Martinez drove recklessly, at times on the wrong side of the road and running red lights.

"The pursuit ended when Martinez stopped the truck at the intersection of West 25th Street and Pioneer Avenue," police reported. "He continued to actively resist and fight with officers until he was taken into custody." Officers searched the Sierra and discovered a rifle with a modified stock. The suspect is a previously convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. Police made no mention of alcohol or drugs. The suspect faces a variety of charges including felony a weapons violation, destruction of property, reckless endangering, running a red light and stop sign. He was booked into the Laramie County Jail.

PERSON DIES IN APARTMENT FIRE IN FORT COLLINS

A person was pronounced dead after being pulled from a burning apartment in Fort Collins on Tuesday.

The incident occurred the 1000-block of Cunningham Drive, according to Poudre Fire Authority.

"Firefighters located the person, carried them to a safe location and began CPR," officials said. "A cat was also found deceased inside the unit."
There were no other casualties. A person in a neighboring apartment call 911 after smelling smoke. "Our hearts and thoughts are with all those affected by the loss," officials said.

[Photo: Poudre Fire]

KITTENS FOUND CUDDLED BENEATH HOME IN BROOMFIELD

Animal wardens rescued six newborn kittens cuddling beneath the side of a house in Broomfield and reunited them with their mother. "Mom and her kittens are now safe at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley," Broomfield police said. "Once the kittens are weaned and old enough to be spayed or neutered, they will all be available for adoption." The felines were taken into custody earlier this month after neighbors alerted Broomfield's Trap-Neuter-Return program, police said. [Photo: Broomfield Police]

NOT THEIR CANDIDATE: POLICE SEEK POLITICAL SIGN THIEF IN VAIL

Police in Vail are seeking a person responsible for snatching campaign signs for Eagle County Sheriff candidate Rebecca Anderson. The signs were plucked from traffic roundabouts on the morning of Sept. 24. Nine are missing, valued at about $100. Johnson is a Vail police sergeant. "A surveillance camera video shows a person exiting a customized green Ford Bronco at approximately 12:45 a.m. and then driving away moments later with one of the signs," police said Tuesday. If you have information, contact Vail police (970) 479-2200 or vailpolice@vail.gov. [Photo: Vail Police]

MORGAN MAYHEM: DRIVER OF STOLEN AUTO NABBED AFTER WILD CHASE

A stolen auto smashed through fences, tore up farmland, veered onto I-76 in the wrong direction, spun around and collided with cop cars in a wild chase in Morgan County.

The driver, identified as Samuel Curtis, 28, was arrested. He was sent to hospital and then booked into jail. A deputy located the vehicle - which had been stolen in Aurora - at the Flame Steakhouse on Highway 34 on Monday afternoon. "The driver initially appeared to comply with the deputy’s commands but then entered the vehicle and fled," the sheriff's office said. "Despite the vehicle traveling through fields, private property, county roads, and Interstate 76, no serious injuries were reported." A number of Morgan County sheriff’s vehicles sustained damage as did the stolen auto and agricultural property. Morgan County is located 80 miles northeast of Denver. [Photos: Morgan County Sheriff]

CAR SMASHES CONVENIENCE STORE IN GRAND JUNCTION

In Grand Junction, a car crashed into the Golden Gate gas station at 2395 G Road - causing major damage. Minor injuries were reported. "Alcohol is not suspected," police said.

[Photo: Grand Junction Police]

FORMER SUMMIT VIEW HOA CHIEF LYLE QUINT ACCUSED OF $150K THEFT

Lyle Quint, 72, longtime president of the Summit View Homeowners Association in Severance, was charged with stealing almost $150,000 from the organization, the Weld County District Attorney's Office said Monday.

The association alerted police in November 2025. Quint surrendered at the Weld County Jail on Friday. The thefts occurred between 2017 and 2025.

"Quint had served as president of the HOA since 2004 and was the sole board member beginning in 2020," the DA's office said. "A new HOA board was elected in April 2025."

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation led the probe and "identified approximately $147,635 in funds that were used for unauthorized expenses attributable to Quint," the DA's Office said.

[Photo: Weld County DA]

FEDS, LOCAL COPS CAPTURE 4 TEXAS MURDER SUSPECTS IN NORTHGLENN

A regional fugitive task force captured four Texas murder suspects in Northglenn, the U.S. Marshals Service announced Monday.

They were arrested at a house in the 3400-block of 105th Court on Sept. 21. The slaying occurred 10 days earlier in an apartment in Lewisville, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.

The task force - consisting of federal, state and local agencies - "executed a search warrant of the premises where a semi-automatic handgun and other evidentiary items were located, several of which were believed to be tied to the murder," the Marshals Service said.
  
The suspects were identified as Gabriel Olivo-Olivo, 28, Erian Espinoza-Martinez, 20, Carly Guerrero-Aguero 20, and a juvenile.
The adults were booked into the Adams County Jail pending extradition to Texas.

U.S. Marshal Kirk Taylor said: “When state, local, and federal partners work hand-in-hand, there becomes nowhere to run for those attempting to flee from justice.”

[Photo: U.S. Marshals Service]

OFFICER DIES WAKEBOARDING AT LAKE PUEBLO

Corporal Stephen Biggs of the Pueblo Police Department died Sunday in an off-duty wakeboarding accident at Lake Pueblo State Park, officials said. Biggs - who joined the agency in October 2010 - served as a Patrol Training Officer and a member of the SWAT team. He received 10 letters of commendation, three Medal of Valor awards and the Distinguished Service award. “Working with Stephen was an honor, and his loss is deeply personal,” Police Chief Chris Noeller said. “His courage, dedication, and commitment to his fellow officers meant so much to our department." Searchers recovered his body early Monday. [Photo: Pueblo Police]

FORMER DEPUTY WIELDING ASSAULT WEAPON BLASTS SHERIFF'S HQ IN BOULDER COUNTY

A former deputy armed with an assault weapon blasted the entry way of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office early Monday, authorities said.

No one was injured and the man - apparently suffering from a psychiatric condition - was arrested without incident without gaining access to the building on Flatiron Parkway.

Investigators also suspect he fired shots outside Broomfield police headquarters on Descombes Drive. No injuries were reported there.

The former deputy "resigned on May 25, 2024, in lieu of termination for cause," the sheriff's office said.

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

[Photo: Boulder County Sheriff]

FIREFIGHTERS FACE WALL OF FLAMES IN FORT COLLINS

Fire ripped through a home's detached garage over the weekend in the 1300-block of West Stuart Street in Fort Collins, according to Poudre Fire Authority. No injuries were reported. [Photo: Poudre Fire]

BIG MESS SHUT DOWN I-70 IN GARFIELD COUNTY

A semi-truck was slashed open in a collision with another big rig Sunday on westbound I-70 at Canyon Creek in Garfield County, the sheriff's office said. Spilled cargo shut down the westbound lanes for hours. No injuries were reported.

[Photo: Garfield County Sheriff]

BIKER AND PASSENGER DIE IN DOWNTOWN DENVER

UPDATE

An auto struck a motorcycle in downtown Denver, killing the biker and fatally injuring the passenger, police said.

Sunday's accident occurred at Speer Boulevard and Wewatta Street. The biker was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident while the passenger died at hospital, police said. No other details were released.

MAJOR FIRE IN GREENWOOD VILLAGE

Firefighters from South Metro, Denver and Aurora battled a two-alarm fire in a commercial building Saturday at 8081 East Orchard Road in Greenwood Village. No one was injured. [Photo: South Metro Fire]

GLENDALE MURDER SUSPECT CAPTURED IN MEXICO

A suspect in a murder in the Denver suburb of Glendale was arrested in Mexico and returned to the United States.

Robeiker Mejias-Gonzalez, a Venezuelan citizen, was detained Sept. 17 for "not having legal status" to be in Mexico, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Mexican authorities "learned he had an active arrest warrant for homicide in Colorado," the marshals service said. A male youth was fatally shot Aug. 31 at 5001 East Mississippi Avenue in Glendale, according to local police.

Federal agents executed a search warrant at the address last week with the assistance of the Arapahoe County SWAT team.

The suspect was jailed in Miami pending extradition to Colorado, the marshals service said.

[Photo: U.S. Marshals Service]

BATTLE OF BOISE CITY: FLIERS MISTAKENLY DROPPED 6 BOMBS ON SLEEPY TOWN

John Adkins, a World War Two air raid warden in an Oklahoma county bordering southeast Colorado, wired the adjutant general’s office in Oklahoma City on July 5, 1943: “Boise City bombed 1 a.m. Baptist Church, garage hit.”

Student fliers aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress mistook the lights of the Cimarron County courthouse square for a practice range 30 miles away.

"The explosions caused minor terror among the sleeping populace, who ran into the streets in their night clothes," the United Press reported.

The B-17's payload of training of bombs each contained only four pounds of powder. The rest was sand. 

The bombs nonetheless ripped craters in the streets and sidewalks of Boise City, which then had a population of about 1,100, according to the news agency.

Thankfully, no one was hurt but plenty of windows were shattered.

A worker at the local electric plant had to the good sense to black out the community.

"Five bombs were dropped around the courthouse while the sixth one was dropped further southeast," burrowing harmlessly into a sand pile along railroad tracks - without detonating, according to the Cimarron Heritage Center.

A railroad worker named Jerry Shannon unearthed the dented dud, took it home and stored it in his barn for many years.

Today, it is on public display at the heritage center.

The Army Air Force blamed the navigator for the snafu and reprimanded the crew, then based at Dalhart, Texas.

The bomber crew went onto glory though, leading the first daylight bombing of Berlin - and the navigator even earned the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Cimarron County, Oklahoma, is located about 20 miles south of Baca County, Colorado - and as far as is known, the Battle of Boise City was the first and only such aerial snafu during World War Two.

[Photos: Oklahoma Historical Society]

STUBBORN BLAZE TESTS DENVER FIREFIGHTERS

In Denver, firefighters battled a blaze at a vacant property near 4th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard. No injuries were reported. The fire broke out early Wednesday. [Photos: Denver Fire]

YES, YOUR DOG DREAMS TOO, VETS SAY

Dogs dream too. Vets call it "sleep running" - a snoozing canine's recollection of the day's events, i.e. chasing a squirrel or rabbit or fetching a much-loved toy.

A dog’s size affects the number and length of its dreams. A toy poodle, for example, may dream every 10 minutes. A Labrador retriever may dream once every hour or so.

"Puppies, who have a lot of new information to process as they explore their new world every day, tend to dream more often than adult dogs," according to VCA Animal Hospitals.

"Dogs who are tuckered out from staying active may sleep more soundly and experience longer phases of REM sleep, giving them more time to dream," VCA reports.

Use caution rousing fido. "Many of the dog bites thar occur in children happen because the child wakes a sleeping dog," VCA cautions. "So always remember to let sleeping dogs lie ... and dream."

[Photo: Wiki Commons]

BRIGHTON'S BRAVEST SAVE CAT AND DOG ON 5th STREET

 

T was a close call for a pair of pets when smoke from a basement dryer fire filled their home in Brighton.

"Firefighters quickly located the family’s dog and brought it outside to safety," the fire department said. "Crews then searched throughout the home for the family’s cat and deployed an aerial ladder to expand the search outside." The feline was located, too, spared by one of its nine lives.

No injuries were reported in Wednesday's blaze in the 200-block of North 5th Street. [Photo: Brighton Fire]

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE CHRISTMAS ... ON PIKE'S PEAK

A snowy scene Thursday morning from Pike's Peak. Down yonder in Colorado Springs it was about 66 and cloudy. 

[Photo: Denver & Front Range Weather Facebook]

1962 TRAGEDY: BLAZE KILLED WAITRESS, INJURED 50 AT DENVER'S ALBANY HOTEL

Coffee shop waitress Stella Bruce resting after a busy shift when fire struck the Albany Hotel in downtown Denver on Sept. 2, 1962.

The four-alarm blaze started in the basement of the seven-story hotel at 17th and Stout streets and burned for more than four hours.

Bruce, 35, was discovered dead on a dressing room cot where she was napping.

"She had apparently just finished a hard day's work," Deputy Fire Chief Cassio Frazini told the Rocky Mountain News. "Mrs. Bruce had unfastened the top button of her blouse and lay down on the cot with her glasses in her hand."

The blaze injured 50 people. Firefighters saved three trapped in an elevator. Some were brought down by ladders. Denver Firefighter Frank LaSasso rescued Captain Jack Lynch who was overcome by smoke. Once revived the captain returned to battling the fire.

The Albany Hotel had 300 rooms. Parts of the interior collapsed, including in the ballroom.

Assistant Fire Chief Vernon "Bud" Parrahm said: "It seemed like we had it under control as we fought our way to the basement when suddenly the fire broke free and shot to the back of the building and up to the first floor."

Hotels of the post-World War 2 era were plagued by a lack of maintenance and investment owing to the Great Depression and shortages of building supplies during the war.

Immediately following the war, in 1946, fires killed 19 people at the Canfield Hotel in Dubuque, Iowa, 61 at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago and 119 at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta.

A total of 26 Denver fire crews, including a civil defense reserve, battled the stubborn blaze at the Albany Hotel.

One firefighter said: "We just couldn't get to the damn thing."

Fire crews from Skyline, Arvada, Aurora, Englewood, Littleton, Bancroft, Pleasant Valley, College View and Evergreen helped cover the rest of the city on that terrible day in September 1962.

The hotel closed in 1976 and was demolished to make way for a skyscraper. 

[Photo: Post Card]

FIVE VEHICLES CRASH ON I-70 IN DENVER

Five vehicles crashed on I-70 in Denver, snarling traffic during the Thursday morning rush hour.

One person suffered serious injuries.
Police said the crash occurred in the westbound lanes of the interstate near Central Park Boulevard.

CASTLE ROCK COPS CAPTURE FUGITIVE WANTED FOR MURDER

Police captured a fugitive wanted in connection with an out-of-state murder in the shadow of Castle Rock.

The suspect was apprehended when police vehicles blocked the getaway car.

Police released no other details in the case or the suspect's name, gender, location or date of the killing.

The arrest, near downtown Castle Rock, occurred last week, according to police.

[Photo: Castle Rock Police] 

MAJOR DRUG BUST NETS 13 IN SAN LUIS VALLEY

Local, state and federal authorities arrested 13 suspected members of a drug ring dealing in deadly meth and fentanyl in southern Colorado, the Alamosa Police Department said Wednesday.

A 14th suspect eluded capture. "This investigation was initiated due to the organized crime distribution network plaguing the San Luis Valley with illicit narcotics," police said. Arrests were made in city of Alamosa and the Sanford, Antonito, and Bountiful sections of Alamosa County. "Information provided by community members plays an important role in helping law enforcement identify and address illegal drug activity," police said.

ADAMS COUNTY DEPUTIES PLACE NEW FLAG AT WW2 CRASH MEMORIAL

Two members of the Adams County Sheriff's Office replaced a weathered American flag flying at the site of a World War 2 bomber crash on the eastern prairie.
The B-24E “Liberator” bomber slammed into the ground while on a training mission near 96th Avenue and Shamrock Road and close to the border with Morgan County on July 28, 1943, killing the entire crew of 12.

"While patrolling the area a few weeks ago, one of our sergeants stopped by the memorial," the sheriff's office said. "The American flag flying at the memorial was torn and worn from the weather.

"Last week, our sergeant returned with another deputy and a new American flag provided by our Honor Guard, replacing the old one," the sheriff's office said. "It was a simple act, but an important one." The crash was believed to have been the result of mechanical failure. Reports said the aircraft was at 5,000 feet when it went into a dive, slammed into the ground at an 85-degree angle and burrowed a 10-foot crater.
The rural farming communities nearest to the 1943 crash site - Shamrock in Adams County and Adena in Morgan County - are long gone. [Photos: Adams County Sheriff]

PICKUP TRUCK DRIVER DIES IN COMMERCE CITY

A pickup truck driver died overnight after slamming into the rear of a semi-truck in Commerce City, police said. The accident occurred on northbound Highway 2 near 96th Avenue. The driver of the semi was checked for injuries.

NINETY FIREFIGHTERS RACE TO LIGHTNING BLAZE IN DOUGLAS COUNTY

UPDATE

A raging fire caused by a lightning strike gutted a home Tuesday night in unincorporated Douglas County.

Three occupants, a dog and a cat escaped the flames at 7724 Aeroshaft Drive, South Metro Fire said. Another cat was missing.

Ninety firefighters responded to the alarm.

The nearest fire hydrant was almost two miles away and emergency water tenders from South Metro, Aurora, Buckley Space Force Base and Franktown shuttled water to portable reservoirs set up at the fire scene. "The home’s unconventional structural layout and roof design added complexity to firefighting operations as flames spread throughout the home, including through the ceiling, ventilation system and attic," officials said. "A portion of the roof also collapsed."
[Photos: South Metro Fire]