HOA ANGER: TO HAIL WITH THIS!

The Denver Post reports a Colorado Springs HOA sent residents invoices for $20,752 to repair damage from a hailstorm - and they're in revolt.

A lawyer for the residents said: “My clients are just reeling from the fact that… without their authorization, without their knowledge, and without any power to change it, (they) have been subjected to this astronomical deductible."

The HOA is called the Soaring Eagles Townhomes Association. The storm struck in Aug. 2024.

DRAGNET FOR ARMED AND DANGEROUS BIKERS

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office is hunting for three armed and dangerous bikers who opened fire on a motorist Saturday afternoon in a road rage attack - and eluded pursuing police cars on U.S. 36.

The brazen crime occurred in the 3800-to-6000 blocks of Flagstaff Road. No injuries were reported.

If you have information, call (303) 441-3674. The case number is 25-04867. [Photo: Boulder County Sheriff's Office]

FACING THE LAW

The Denver Gazette reports the Aurora Police Department will ask the city council for permission to employ facial recognition technology as a crime-fighting tool. 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTO

By Mayo Clinic Press Editors

Butternut squash risotto is a delightful and nutritious dish that combines the creamy texture of traditional risotto with the wholesome goodness of brown sushi rice and a medley of vibrant vegetables.

Perfect for a cozy dinner or a special occasion, enjoy a hearty and healthy meal that will leave you feeling satisfied and nourished.

Servings: 6
Serving Size: ¾ cup

Nutritional Information Per Serving

• 171 calories 
• 5 g total fat
• 3 g saturated fat 
• 0 g transfat
• 0 g monounsaturated fat 
• 13 mg cholesterol 
• 362 mg sodium
• 24 g total carbohydrate 
• 3 g dietary fiber 
• 4 g total sugars 
• 8 g protein

Ingredients 

• ½ cup uncooked brown sushi rice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 cups roasted butternut squash, chopped
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 5 chopped crimini mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon chopped sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• ½ cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

PREDICTING PRECIPITATION

Precipitation will develop in and near the Front Range late Sunday afternoon and into the evening, the National Weather Service forecasts.

COTTAGE FIRE

In Colorado Springs, firefighters battled a blaze Saturday night at 2028 Roanoke Street. The fire department said: "Fire was in a small cottage at rear of property. No injuries reported. The fire was under control shortly after arrival." [Photo: Colorado Springs Fire Department]

EMERSON STREET STABBING

A person was stabbed Sunday in the 1700-block of North Emerson Street in Denver, police said.

MOTORCYCLE, AUTO COLLIDE IN DENVER

A person was injured Sunday when a motorcycle and auto crashed in the vicinity of First Avenue and Downing Street in Denver, police said.

INTERCEPT REDS OFF ALASKA

The North American Aerospace Defense Command - headquartered in Colorado Springs - detected and tracked four Russian military aircraft in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Sept. 24. Nothing bad happened. "The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace," NORAD said.

"This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat," NORAD said.
[Photo: NORAD]

TODAY'S CHUCKLE

"My psychiatrist told me I was crazy, and I said I want a second opinion. He said OK, you're ugly, too" - Rodney Dangerfield

ALAMEDA HIT & RUN CRASH

A person was injured in a hit-and-run crash between a motorcycle and an auto Saturday at 4500 East Alameda Avenue in Denver, police said.

GHOST HUNTERS: SEARCH FOR HAUNTING BURGLARS

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is hunting for a trio of ghostly burglars who struck on Oakview Place and Glen Ridge Drive in Castle Pines. "Despite an extensive search using patrol deputies, K9s and drones, no suspects were located," official said. "At this time, the only description of the suspects is three males wearing hoodies, masks, and backpacks." The burglaries occurred Friday night. If you have video or information, call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867. [Photo: Douglas County Sheriff's Office]

COLFAX STABBING VICTIM EXPIRES

A person stabbed Friday night in the 8700-block of East Colfax Avenue in Denver has died, police said Saturday.

WORLD NEWS: FELINE ADEPT WITH TAROT CARDS, OWNER SAYS

London's Daily Star reports an adopted black cat named Cole paws at tarot cards - and his forecasts are eerily accurate.

Says owner Emily Cook: "He just started ‘shuffling’ like a litter box toss and picked one with his little cat teeth and laid it on the carpet ... I was like, ‘Holy sh*t, he's not just doing it, he’s accurate!’”

The 7-year-old feline - rescued from a shelter as "a sickly kitten" - is featured on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, the Star reports.

[Photo: Public Domain]

MMMMM ... OATMEAL COOKIES

Fannie Merritt Farmer, in her 1896 Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, published the first recorded oatmeal cookie recipe in the U.S. - and she avoided raisins.

Here's a contemporary take with or without raisins:

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 10 min
• Servings: 24

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups oats
• cranberries/raisins/coconut/nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Whisk butter, eggs, vanilla and sugar together
2. Add and combine flour, cinnamon, salt, oats, and optional add-ins
3. Mold and place ~24 golf sized balls of dough on trays with parchment paper
4. Cook for ~10 minutes or until edges begin to brown
   
   [Photo: Wikipedia]

ARMED AND DANGEROUS

A Colorado State Patrol aircraft tracked and located a parolee suspected of burglary after a car chase.

The man was considered armed and dangerous - and threatened to engage in "suicide by cop," the patrol said.

He was arrested without incident in Aurora on Friday. Troopers had tried to grapple his 2017 Subaru WRX during the chase.

RESCUE BABY SQUIRREL

Arapahoe County Animal Control rescued a newborn squirrel that tumbled from a tree at Putter's Pride Mini Golf and gently transferred the neonate to Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance. Sadly, there was no sign of its mother.

PERSON HIT BY AUTO ON I-25

UPDATE

In Denver, a person struck by an auto Saturday on southbound I-25 at 20th Street. In Thornton, police reported a wreck at northbound I-25 and 84th Avenue.

BODY FOUND ALONG BROADWAY

A body was found in the vicinity of Broadway and Viginia Avenue in Denver, police said. The medical examiner will determine the manner of death.

RITE AID STORES CLOSED FOREVER

Bankrupt Rite Aid - once with pharmacies in Denver, Aurora and across the U.S. - has gone out of business.

Its website reads: "All Rite Aid stores have now closed. We thank our loyal customers for their many years of support." 

The website also features a "Find Your New Pharmacy" locater directing customers to the addresses of supermarkets and chain stores where prescriptions have been transferred.

$2 MILLION WINNING LOTTERY TICKET SOLD IN PARKER

The Colorado Lottery's website shows a $2 million winning ticket was sold at King Soopers at 12959 Parker Road in Parker. The lottery didn't disclose the game or drawing data.

BINGO NO NO

The Denver Gazette reports at least three organizers of charitable Bingo renumerate volunteers who help out at games - despite a Colorado law prohibiting the practice.

WORLD NEWS: SHE WAS 'MARRIED' TO VICTORIAN GHOST

London's Daily Star reports a woman named "Brocarde," who says she was once married the ghost of a Victorian soldier, embarked upon a new - and seemingly appropriate career - as a paranormal detective, snooping around venues including a supermarket.

[Photo: Brocarde website]

NATIONAL NEWS: 'BURNING BUSH' OVER REAGAN

London's Sun newspaper reports sailors witnessed a glowing orange orb leap over the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. A sailor on watch said it reminded him of the Bible's "burning bush." The sighting occurred off the East Coast two decades ago.

60 YEARS FOR REVENGE KILLING

Marquise Daniels was sentenced to 60 years in prison for murder and robbery, the Weld County DA's Office said. Daniels, 30, and a woman, broke into a Greeley home "in retaliation for stolen property" on Dec. 18, 2020, the DA said.

[Photo: Weld County DA]

PARKING LOT SNAFU

9News reports a man's credit card was charged $19,824 for 27 minutes of parking at Denver International Airport due to a technical glitch with a license plate reader. He got the money back and as well as a refund of the actual fee.

EAST COLFAX STABBING

A person was stabbed Friday night in the 8700-block of East Colfax Avenue in Denver, police said.

$10,000 WINNER IN DENVER

The Colorado Lottery reports Griselda G. scored a $10,000 touchdown with her Orange Cash scratch ticket purchased at King Soopers at 825 South Colorado Boulevard in Denver.

[Photo: Colorado Lottery]

DOPE'S DOPE

Westminster police nabbed a fugitive and - as a bonus - confiscated 108 fentanyl pills. Fentanyl is among the cheapest opioids on the street today, selling for 50 cents to $5 per dose, website Addiction Resources says. [Photo: Westminster Police Department]

WANDERING IN LAKEWOOD

Police hope to reunite this pup - found wandering the streets of Lakewood - with his family. He's boarding for now at Foothills Animal Shelter.

[Photo: Lakewood Police Department]

WORLD NEWS: U.S. READY TO HIT; VENEZUELA SAYS IT'S READY, TOO

London's Sun newspaper reports the U.S. military is ready to seize ports and airfields in Venezuela as it wages war on drug cartels.

Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, warns he's mobilized 2.5 million troops to defend the country.

President Trump says smuggling "constitutes an armed attack against the United States" - arguing imported dope kills tens of thousands of Americans every year.

Violent Venezuelan gangs have also infiltrated U.S. cities, like Denver and Aurora.

[Photo: Wiki Media]

ROLLOVER!

A rollover accident Friday in Northglenn resulted in minor injuries, police said. The wreck occurred at 104th Avenue and Irma Drive. [Photo: Northglenn Police Department]

18 YEARS IN HOOSEGOW

The Denver DA's Office reports Isaiah Vigil, 24, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for drug trafficking and racketeering. His co-defendants received prison sentences ranging from 16 years to 19 years.

WW2-ERA POEM 'THEN THEY CAME ... FOR ME'

The World War Two-era poem "First They Came" by German pastor Martin Niemoller is a stark reminder today - make that especially today - that men, women and children do not fit neatly into categories.

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

[Photo: WLS Chicago]

PRE-SCHOOL KIDS

Chalkbeat Colorado reports a federal appeals court ruled little kids with LGBTQ parents can’t be barred from religious preschools that take state funds - a defeat for the two Catholic preschools at the center of the case.

PEDESTRIAN DEATHS UP

Reports say pedestrian deaths across Denver are up 50% from a year earlier, rising to 25.

WORLD NEWS: YET ANOTHER AMELIA EARHART EXPEDITION

Armed with fresh satellite images, researchers suspect they pinpointed wreckage of lost aviator Amelia Earhart's aircraft, which disappeared in 1938.

They'll make an inspection tour in November, according to Perdue University. The site is in waters off tiny, uninhabited Nikumaroro Island in the Pacific Ocean.

The so-called "Taraia Object" was spotted by satellite five years ago and then determined to be visible in aerial photos dating back to the 1930s - a surprise discovery.

[Photo: Perdue University] 

TODAY'S CHUCKLE

"Hors D'oeuvre: A ham sandwich cut into forty pieces" - Jack Benny

CELEBRITY NEWS: THIEF GRABS BEYONCE HARD DRIVE

Globe magazine reports a thief broke into a rented Jeep Wagoneer used by Beyoncé’s choreographer and snatched a flash drive containing her unreleased music.

The flash drive is missing. The accused isn't. He's been arrested. 

Gone, too, are clothing, sunglasses and laptops. The window-smashing auto break-in occurred while the superstar was on tour in Atlanta, the Globe reports.

[Photo: Wikipedia]

55 YEARS AGO

A charter flight ferrying Wichita State's football team plowed into a mountain near Silver Plume and burst into flames on Oct. 2, 1970. The aircraft carried 37 passengers and a crew of three, with 29 dying at the crash site. Two others died later.

11TH AVE. CRASH

A motorcycle and auto collided Thursday night in Denver, seriously injuring one person, police said. The crash occurred at 11th Avenue and Delaware Street.

CHURCH BURGLAR TO PRISON

Robin Nosaka, 42, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for burglarizing a church and a home, the Denver DA's Office said Thursday.

WAYWARD BULLET STRIKES SCHOOL

Bradley Fox, 42, was arrested on suspicion of illegally discharging a firearm after a bullet struck the exterior of Ranch View Middle School, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said Thursday. "A staff member and a student had reported hearing a loud pop and observing a puff of smoke coming from the bedroom window of a home," officials said. "While deputies were on scene, the resident of the home voluntarily approached them at the school and self-reported the incident," officials said. "The resident believed the firearm was unloaded while handling it inside the home." The incident occurred Wednesday.

LITHIUM ION BATTERIES KEEP ON BURNING

Burning Lithium ion batteries damaged a duplex Thursday in the 3700-block of South Ensenada Street in Aurora, the fire department said. No injuries were reported. The hazmat team removed the batteries. [Photo: Aurora Fire Rescue]

IT'S MATING SEASON! KEEP YOUR HANDS UPON THE WHEEL

Wildlife in the throes of passion pose a hazard on Colorado's roads and highways this time of year - peak mating season, the Colorado State Patrol warns.

"They are more mobile, easily distracted, and more likely to be crossing roadways," the patrol says.

In 2024, "troopers responded to 3,777 crashes involving wildlife, with October, November and December as the most active months,” reports Colonel Matthew C. Packard, the patrol's chief officer. 

High-risk zones, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, include:

• Interstate 70 (Floyd Hill, Mt. Vernon Canyon and Eagle)
• US 285 (Morrison)
• Highway 160 (Durango to Pagosa Springs and Durango to Mancos)
• Highway 550 (north of Durango and from Montrose to Ouray)
• Interstate 25 (Castle Rock to Larkspur)
• Highway 82 (Glenwood Springs to Aspen)
• Highway 36 (Boulder to Lyons)
• Highway 93 (Golden to Boulder)
  
  [Photo: istock]

WORKING DOWN AT THE CAR WASH

Transit authority cleaning and service crews work around-the-clock scrubbing trains, rail platforms and buses.

[Photo: RTD]

ACCUSED OF STABBING HER MOM

UPDATE

Prosecutors filed a first-degree murder charge against Sarah Riste, 37, accused of stabbing her mother inside a home in Westminster on Sept. 28. Child welfare authorities took custody of a youngster in the home.

[Photo: Westminster Police Department]

WHAT A BELLY RUB! ADOPTED FAT CAT ON STRICT DIET

An Instagram user reports they adopted a genuine fat cat and put him on a feline Weight Watchers regime.

 @lasagnaandbug / instagram writes Buggy "is on a controlled diet." He was "rescued from overfeeding."

Buggy is under veterinary care, too. The Daily Sketch staff cat expert estimates he weighs roughly 50 pounds.

[Photo: @lasagnaandbug / instagram]

NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE CRAZY TO DRIVE BLACK BEAR ROAD - BUT IT SURE HELPS!

UPDATE

Ignoring warnings from locals, a visitor driving a KIA took on the switchbacks of Colorado's dangerous Black Bear Road and lost.

"About three to four switchbacks passed the falls, he got stuck with wheels off the side of the road, leaving the vehicle unstable," the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Succinctly, it was "teetering off the edge," officials said - and there it sat for 24 hours. The man, who resides in South Carolina, escaped - lucky to be alive. The one-lane knifing, dirt and gravel road is dangerous for off-road vehicles, let alone KIAs. "It is not safe for cars to drive around it," officials said. The vehicle was finally towed Thursday afternoon. San Miguel County is 363 miles southwest of Denver. [Photos: San Miguel County Sheriff's Office]

SHOTS FIRED DURING DOPE RAID

Gunfire erupted during a federal drug raid in Aurora. No injured were reported. The raid occurred Wednesday in the vicinity of East Colfax Avenue and Sable Boulevard.

I-70 SHUT DOWN

A fatal motorcycle accident early Thursday shut down I-70 in both directions in the vicinity of North Tennyson Street in Denver.

TODAY'S CHUCKLE

“It’s so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don’t say it” - Homer Simpson

FOOD AID FOR MOMS AND KIDS SAFE - FOR NOW

Colorado secured emergency funds to keep a nutritional program for women, infants and children operating during the federal shutdown, Governor Jared Polis said Wednesday.

Families will not see an abrupt end to benefits, however, "the state cannot fill the void left by the federal government" in a prolonged shutdown, Polis said.

Regular funding ran out Sept. 30.

PETS HELP

Harvard Medical School advises: "Owning a pet has been linked to having lower blood pressure. The effect is small but could add up to better heart health."

HUNT ELK POACHERS

Poachers killed four large bull elk on ranches in southern Colorado, wildlife officials said Wednesday. They were shot Sept. 13, 26 and 27 in Las Animas County. If you have information, call (877) 265-6648.

FUNERAL HOME FROM HELL: BODIES DECAYING FOR MORE THAN DECADE

UPDATE

The news on Pueblo's funeral home from hell is increasingly nauseating.

Forensics identified six of 24 bodies hidden in Davis Mortuary and determined they "are from the years 2010 to 2012" and "allegedly never cremated as promised," the Colorado Bureau of Identification said Wednesday.

The former Pueblo County coroner owned the mortuary.

Addressing misinformation surrounding the case, CBI said: "There is no reason to believe the Free Masons are suspects; Davis Mortuary merely rented the building from them." 

COPS RESCUE PUP FROM STOLEN CAR

 

Lone Tree police rescued a puppy trapped in a stolen car and arrested two women suspected of theft, officials said Wednesday.

[Photo: Lone Tree Police Department]   

TEEN GETS 35 YEARS FOR PARTY HALL SLAYING

Xavier Garcia, 17, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of Joseph Martinez, 19, at an Adams County party hall.

District Attorney Brian Mason said: “This young defendant shot and killed a fellow teenager for nothing.” Garcia had organized and promoted an event at the venue on March 23, 2024.

"Martinez was standing against a wall, next to a fight that had broken out, when Garcia approached Martinez, pulled out a .45 caliber handgun, and shot the victim in the chest," prosecutors said. "Chaos erupted as party goers fled the scene and additional shots were fired." 

The crime scene was located near the 2000-block of Tower Road, prosecutors said.

HOOT-HOOT RESCUE OWL WITH INJURED WING

Park rangers and animal control officers rescued an injured owl lodged in a fence Wednesday, police said.

The owl suffered what appeared to be a broken wing, according to the Lakewood Police Department.

The owl's close call occurred at Morrison Road and Bear Creek Boulevard, police said. [Photo: Lakewood Police Department]

UNDERTAKERS MUM ON HELLISH DISCOVERIES

A former county corner and his brother have yet to meet investigators after two dozen skeletal remains were discovered in their funeral home, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.

"The CBI has not questioned Brian and Chris Cotter, as both men have retained legal counsel," officials said Wednesday.

It took days to remove the remains ditched in a room at the now-shuttered Davis Mortuary in Pueblo.

WORLD NEWS: ANIMAL PSYCHIC COMMUNICATES WITH REPORTER'S CHATTY CAT

A London Daily Mirror reporter invited an animal psychic - you read it right - to engage with her cat and he had a lot to say.

Psychic Jackie Weaver (pictured above) consults exotic animals, too. 

The reporter's cat, he's named Humphrey, shared stories about felines in the neighborhood, including a "cute tabby," and a love of snacks and curling up under blankets, the Daily Mirror reports.

On her website, Weaver, a former veterinary nurse, writes: "I do think I have one of the best jobs in the world. It comes with a lot of responsibility but when you can help an animal, or give them a voice, it is the best form of communication to me."

The animal psychic adds: "To be able to help animals and even change their lives, is a dream come true for me - I know that my work has made dreams come true for many other people too." 

[Photo: Animal Psychic website]

PICKUP TRUCK PLOWS INTO TWO AUTOS

A pickup truck plowed into two autos Tuesday night in rural Adams County, killing one person and injuring three others - including a child, the Colorado State Patrol said. One person was unharmed at East 120th Avenue and Sable Boulevard.

[Photo: Colorado State Patrol]

PLANE CRASH LANDS ON ROADWAY; 3 SURVIVE

UPDATE

A small aircraft made a crash landing early Wednesday on a major roadway in Colorado Springs, the fire department said.

The three occupants survived. No serious injuries were reported.

The propeller-driven aircraft just missed slashing through a utility pole on Powers Boulevard near Barnes Road, photos show, and firefighters contained a fuel leak.

Police spokesman Ira Cronin told KKTV: "There’s probably three individuals who were on that plane who had some very intense moments and are feeling very lucky this morning.”

[Photos: Colorado Springs Fire Department, Colorado Springs Police Department, Tom-Tom]

CONCUSSIONS: NOT JUST FOR KIDS AND ATHLETES

By Kyle McKenzie, M.D.
Mayo Clinic

Concussions can make headlines, especially when it comes to kids and athletes. Many parents are vigilant — ensuring seat belt use, helmet use and carefully weighing the risks of contact sports. But what about adults? Brain injuries can happen at any age.

Whether it's slipping on ice, a car accident, falling off a bike, or bumping one’s head on a cabinet door, adults are also at risk of a concussion. Those who are 65 years old and older tend to be more vulnerable to the effects of head injuries. Even what might seem like a minor bump can cause a concussion — and recovery may also take longer.

SCOOTER FIRE DAMAGES BUILDING

Fire in a scooter's lithium battery caused a building fire Tuesday at 8250 East Harvard Avenue in Arapahoe County, South Metro Fire Rescue said. Earlier Tuesday, an overheated lithium battery in a phone caused the evacuation of a Colorado Springs school.

[Photo: South Metro Fire Rescue]

LIFE BEHIND BARS

Randy Housch, 62, was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole for murdering Gertrude “Birdie” Seawalker, 65, who was attacked in a parking garage on East Colfax Avenue four years ago, the Denver DA's Office said.

COPS TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT HUNTER S. THOMPSON CASE

UPDATE

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation opened a review of the suicide of renowned "Gonzo" journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson following a request from his widow, Anita Thompson, officials said Tuesday.

Thompson, 67, died at his home in Woody Creek from a gunshot wound to the head on Feb. 20, 2005, and CBI said it's acting at the suggestion of the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.

While there is no new evidence, “We understand the profound impact Hunter S. Thompson had on this community and beyond,” Sheriff Michael Buglione said.

“By bringing in an outside agency for a fresh look, we hope to provide a definitive and transparent review that may offer peace of mind to his family and the public,” Buglione said.

[Photo: Wikipedia]