New Colo. wildfire prompts evacuations of homes

DENVER — A new wildfire in the foothills southwest of Denver forced the evacuation of dozens of homes Wednesday as hot and windy conditions in much of Colorado were making it easy for new fires to start and spread. The new fire burning near Pine was small, but it was still a concern because it was producing large flames and headed toward a ridge. The fire began in an area of the Pike National Forest that is not heavily populated but dotted with cabins and homes along the few ...

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Fitzgerald Mosley comes back to USOC

COLORADO SPRINGS — The U.S. Olympic Committee is hiring 1984 Olympic gold medal hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Mosley to a new position, chief of organizational excellence. Fitzgerald Mosley, who won the gold in 100 meter hurdles at the Los Angeles Games, will move to the USOC after spending four years as chief of sport performance at USA Track and Field, which took home 29 medals from last year’s Olympics. Fitzgerald Mosley will oversee athlete career programs and the athlete ...

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New wildfire burning in foothills west of Denver

COLORADO SPRINGS — A new wildfire in the foothills west of Denver is forcing the evacuation of dozens of homes. The fire was burning near Pine Wednesday afternoon. Jefferson County sheriff’s spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said it’s small but it’s a concern because the flame lengths are high and it’s headed toward a ridge. Hot and windy conditions in much of Colorado are making it easy for new fires to start and spread.  ...

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Minn. mother, son accused of stealing gopher feet

PRESTON, Minn. — A Minnesota mother and her 18-year-old son are accused of stealing nearly $5,000 in frozen gopher feet and selling them for a bounty. Thirty-seven-year-old Tina Marie Garrison and Junior Lee Dillon, both of Preston, were charged last month with receiving stolen property and theft. They allegedly gave the feet to local townships that offer rewards as they try to limit the gopher population. Garrison has pleaded not guilty. Her son has a hearing next month. The ...

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Editor who lost home in fire doesn’t stop presses

COLORADO SPRINGS — Three days after she lost everything, Judy von Ahlefeldt’s newspaper rolled off the presses like it has for the last 53 years. Nothing stops the Black Forest News. Gone was her home of 43 years, her beloved mustang, Monty, and years of research on Black Forest. But the most destructive wildfire in Colorado’s history could not take away the Black Forest News and Palmer Divide Pioneer. Von Ahlefeldt, 70, knows everything about Black Forest. Absolutely ...

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90th Missile Wing has 1st female commander

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base has a female commander for the first time. Col. Tracey L. Hayes formally took command of the wing and its 150 nuclear missiles in a ceremony Monday. Hayes previously served as vice wing commander of the 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports Hayes replaces Col. George Farfour, who temporarily took over command duties when Col. Chris “Boots” Coffelt ...

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10 Things to know for Wednesday, June 19

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:1. OBAMA TO PUSH NUCLEAR CUTS   A senior administration official says Obama will propose reduce the U.S. and Russian stockpiles by up to one-third at a speech in Berlin. OBAMA-NUCLEAR 2. TALIBAN STRIKE ON US TROOPS AFTER PEACE TALK AGREEMENT The insurgent group took responsibility for the rocket attack at the Bagram Air Base hours after announcing U.S. talks to end Afghanistan’s ...

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San Juan Wilderness Act gets congressional support

DURANGO — A federal proposal to turn portions of the San Juan Mountains into a wilderness area is drawing support in the U.S. Senate, while carving out some areas for special treatment. The San Juan Wilderness Act passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday and now goes to the full Senate. The bill would designate 61,000 acres as wilderness in the San Juan Mountains in San Juan, Ouray and San Miguel counties. A wilderness designation prohibits permanent ...

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Yoga instructor sentenced to jail in sex assaults

ASPEN — A former Aspen yoga instructor convicted of groping students during his classes has been ordered to serve a two-month sentence in the county jail. A jury in 2010 found Steven Roger guilty of two counts of unlawful sexual contact and he must now register as a sex offender. Roger’s appeal of the conviction was denied by a district court judge and he was ordered Tuesday to report to jail by July 18. According to the Aspen Daily News (http://tinyurl.com/lfq3wla ), two ...

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United 787 heading to Tokyo diverted to Seattle

SEATTLE — A Boeing 787 flying from Denver to Tokyo diverted to Seattle because of an oil filter issue, a United Airlines spokeswoman said. An airline maintenance team was inspecting the jet after Flight 139 landed normally Tuesday afternoon at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, United spokeswoman Mary Ryan said in an email statement. United just put its 787s back in the air May 20 after smoldering batteries on two 787s owned by other airlines prompted authorities to ground the ...

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Authorities name casualties in Colorado fire

DENVER — Bob and Barbara Schmidt dashed to their home on a dirt road in a heavily wooded area northeast of Colorado Springs as smoke from what would become the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history filled the air. After quickly grabbing a few items, they spotted their neighbors. “They were sitting on their porch, watching TV,” said Bob Schmidt, adding his wife urged their neighbors to immediately flee as smoke rolled in at 4:35 p.m. on June 11. “They said ...

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La Plata County, Southern Utes set fire rules

DURANGO — La Plata County officials and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe are setting restrictions in southwest Colorado to prevent wildfires. The restrictions that begin Wednesday include using permanent fire rings or grates for campfires in campgrounds, limits on outdoor smoking and requirements that vehicles have spark-arresters in areas at risk. According to the Durango Herald, the agencies are taking action because of a half-dozen wildfires burning across Colorado.  ...

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Radar shows tornado touched down at Denver airport

DENVER — The National Weather Service says radar shows a tornado briefly touched down over the east runways of Denver International Airport, where thousands of people took shelter in bathrooms and stairwells until a tornado warning passed. There are no immediate reports of damage. Weather service meteorologist Kyle Fredin says a 97 mph gust was measured at the airport before communications with instruments there were briefly knocked out Tuesday. Dark clouds blanketed parts of the ...

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Gold for Colorado Capitol dome back from Italy

DENVER — The gold that will be used to replace the gilding on the state Capitol dome is back in Colorado after being transformed into gold leaf in Italy. Gov. John Hickenlooper is set to accept the gold during a ceremony Tuesday morning at the Capitol. About $120,000 worth of donated gold was mined from the Teller County Mine in Cripple Creek and shipped to Florence, Italy, in March. Sixty-five ounces will be used to re-gild the Capitol dome. Another 10 ounces will be held in ...

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Family sues over Colo. woman’s death in TV project

DENVER — The survivors of a woman who died during the production of a reality TV show pilot have filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against Discovery Communications Inc. and Anthropic Productions Corp. Terry Flanell’s husband and daughter filed the lawsuit last week in federal court in Denver. It says the companies were producing a pilot focusing on the family’s Colorado Springs business, Dragon Arms. The suit says the opening sequence was to have Dragon Man ...

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Tornado causes minor damage in La Junta

LA JUNTA — A tornado caused minor damage when it touched down briefly in La Junta (lah-HUN’-tah) on the Colorado eastern plains and another day of severe weather is expected. Nezette Rydell said Tuesday the tornado knocked down power poles, but no injuries have been reported. Rydell says the Front Range and the eastern plains can expect another round of severe weather on Tuesday like the storms that pelted Colorado on Monday.  ...

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Colorado senators seek federal train horn limits

LONGMONT— U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Mark Udall are asking a Senate panel to reconsider Federal Railroad Administration safety regulations requiring trains to sound their horns when approaching and passing through crossings. The lawmakers say municipal leaders from Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Greeley, Windsor and Denver have expressed concerns that train horn noise is a nuisance for local residents and that it stifles economic development. According to the Longmont ...

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Army faces roadblocks on Pinon Canyon expansion

DENVER — Congress has approved a plan that would bar the U.S. Army from expanding into the prairielands of Pinon (PIN-yun) Canyon. The U.S. House also approved a measure that would require the Army to complete an environmental impact study and receive federal money as a backup plan before it could happen. According to the Denver Post, local residents have complained for years that the threat of an Army training expansion has depressed land values and disrupted plans for land ...

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Xcel bills rising with price of natural gas

DENVER — Xcel Energy says gas and electricity bills are beginning to creep higher as the price of natural gas rises in Colorado. The average electricity bill for the 2013 summer quarter is projected to rise almost 6 percent to $76 a month when compared with the summer of 2012. According to the Denver Post, the spot price of natural gas on the New York Mercantile Exchange has risen more than 47 percent to $3.90 for a million British Thermal Units.  ...

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Gatlin finding his groove as nationals approach

Justin Gatlin talked a big game before a recent race with the world’s fastest sprinter, stepping up his boasting simply to bait Usain Bolt. Usually, that’s not a wise move. And yet the American backed up running his mouth by churning his legs as he blazed right by the Jamaican during a competition in Rome nearly two weeks ago. Bolt rarely gets caught — especially after an early lead. With that, Gatlin believes he may have energized his adversary. But Gatlin’s ...

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Galaxy acquire midfielder Mastroeni from Rapids

CARSON, Calif.  — The Los Angeles Galaxy have acquired six-time MLS All-Star midfielder Pablo Mastroeni in a trade with the Colorado Rapids. Under the deal announced Monday, the Galaxy also received the rights to midfielder Baggio Husidic. The Rapids received an international roster slot through the end of the 2014 MLS season and Los Angeles’ second-round pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. Mastroeni will be eligible to make his Galaxy debut when Los Angeles hosts the ...

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10 Things to know for Monday, June 17

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. SYRIA, ECONOMY HEADLINE G-8 SUMMIT Thousands of police are securing the summit from protests. G8 SUMMIT2. REPORT SAYS BRITISH SPIES HACKED DIPLOMATS AT G-20   The Guardian newspaper cited documents provided by NSA leaker Edward Snowden in a report that diplomats’ emails and phones were bugged. BRITAIN-SURVEILLANCE 3. RIOT POLICE PUSH BACK TURKISH PROTESTERS Roadblocks, tear ...

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Cortez city employees getting raises

CORTEZ — Cortez Police Department employees and others on the city payroll are getting raises after a survey found they were earning less than the recommended minimum. The Cortez Journal reports that nearly half the city’s 100 employees will get raises ranging from 1.25 to 5 percent starting July 1. Mayor Dan Porter says Cortez sometimes loses police officers to higher-paying departments after the city provides them with the certification they need. Police Chief Roy Lane says ...

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Montrose wins All America City Award

MONTROSE — Montrose has won a 2013 All America City Award. The Montrose Daily Press reports the award was announced late Sunday. The Denver-based National Civic League chooses 10 cities each year for the award. It recognizes cities for innovation, inclusiveness, civic engagement and collaboration. Montrose stressed its program to welcome returning veterans, its down development efforts and the reopening of a lumber mill. The winning cities were chosen from 20 finalists.  ...

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Construction permits soaring in Aspen

ASPEN — Construction is rebounding in Aspen, with city-issued permits reaching their highest level since 2008. The Aspen Times reported Monday that the city issued 585 permits for construction, electrical, plumbing and related work in the first five months of 2013. That’s up 13 percent from the same period last year. In 2008, the city issued 665 permits during the same period. The value of the work covered by this year’s permits was $89 million, up 16 percent from last ...

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Southwestern Colo. fires prompt health warning

PAGOSA SPRINGS — Two backcountry wildfires in southwestern Colorado are expected to continue sending smoke into nearby towns, including Pagosa Springs. The largest is the West Fork Fire, which was estimated to be burning on 1,700 acres in the Weminuche (wehm-ih-NOO’-chee) Wilderness on Sunday. The nearby Windy Pass Fire, southwest of Wolf Creek Pass, is burning on about 100 acres. The state health department says smoke could move into South Fork, Del Norte, Saguache ...

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Fracking fuels water fights in nation’s dry spots

SAN FRANCISCO — The latest domestic energy boom is sweeping through some of the nation’s driest pockets, drawing millions of gallons of water to unlock oil and gas reserves from beneath the Earth’s surface. Hydraulic fracturing, or the drilling technique commonly known as fracking, has been used for decades to blast huge volumes of water, fine sand and chemicals into the ground to crack open valuable shale formations. But now, as energy companies vie to exploit vast ...

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Crews battle hot spots in Colo. wildfire

COLORADO SPRINGS — Firefighters are getting a better handle on the most destructive wildfire ever in Colorado, but they’re still struggling against hot spots that could threaten homes that have been spared by the massive blaze. Teams got help Sunday from the weather as steady rain moved through the densely wooded Black Forest near Colorado Springs in the afternoon. “Every bit of rain helps the crews mop up. It’s just adding another nail in the coffin,” fire ...

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Tulowitzki to miss up to 6 weeks with broken rib

DENVER — Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will be out between four and six weeks with a broken rib. Colorado Rockies spokesman Nick Piura said an MRI Thursday night revealed a right rib fracture. Tulowitzki was injured diving for a ball in the eighth inning of a 5-4 loss Thursday to the Washington Nationals. Tulowitzki told the Denver Post in a text that he was in a lot of pain and was upset after working so hard to come back from an injury-plagued 2012 season. Tulowitzki underwent ...

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Rapids, Santos Laguna to play friendly in NM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids and Mexican first division club Santos Laguna have scheduled a game in Albuquerque. The Rapids announced Friday that the two clubs will play an international friendly at University Stadium on July 12. The move is part of efforts by MLS and La Liga MX to expand to new markets. Interest in soccer has grown in Albuquerque, partly because of the success of the University of New Mexico’s men’s soccer team. The ...

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Governor declares emergency for national park fire

DENVER — Gov. John Hickenlooper has declared a disaster emergency due to the Big Meadows Fire in Rocky Mountain National Park. The order issued Friday offers $15,000 from the Disaster Emergency Fund to help pay for the use of a National Guard helicopter. The fire started Monday, and over the next two days, extreme fire weather conditions caused the fire to grow in size from less than 10 acres to over 400 acres. Firefighters are now deployed in steep, rugged terrain with limited ...

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Encana shuts down 32 gas wells due to wildfires

GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Encana Corp. has shut down 32 natural gas wells in central Colorado because of a nearby wildfire. Company spokesman Doug Hock said Friday the shutdowns are just a precaution. Garfield County officials say two wells owned by WPX Energy have also been shut down. Maria Pina of Colorado River Fire Rescue says the fire is located about a quarter mile from some of the wells, but no structures are currently threatened. She said the fire is expected to be under control ...

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High winds divert some flights headed to Denver

DENVER — High winds have diverted 23 flights that were scheduled to land at Denver International Airport. Airport officials say winds up to 48 mph Thursday night diverted the flights to other airports, but the planes were returning to Denver once they refueled. The airport averages about 1,700 flights per day. The Denver Post reports that on Wednesday evening, as smoke from fires around the state reduced visibility, the airport closed two of four runways and briefly trimmed the ...

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2 found dead in area burned by Colo. wildfire

COLORADO SPRINGS — Firefighters have at least temporarily battled to a “draw” with a fast-moving fire that has already killed two people and destroyed 379 homes, giving weary authorities and residents the first glimmer of hope after three days of mounting damage, a sheriff said. After nearly doubling in size overnight, the fire held at about 25 square miles Thursday despite more swirling winds and bone-dry conditions, said El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa. “If it ...

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Ex-Colorado parole director feared retribution

DENVER — Former Colorado parole director Tim Hand says he feared retribution from gang members who were in state prison and he got police protection. Hand tells the Denver Post Fort Collins police installed a new alarm system in Hand’s home and assigned officers to guard his residence after his name came up as part of an investigation into the shooting of Department of Corrections chief Tom Clements in March The Colorado Department of Corrections said Thursday Hand has been ...

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Several homes damaged in Westminster gas explosion

WESTMINSTER — Two homes have been damaged but no injuries are reported following a suspected natural gas explosion in Westminster. Westminster Fire Department spokeswoman Diana Wilson says both homes were evacuated by the time firefighters got on the scene on Thursday. Wilson says fires erupted after the explosion, but they are under control.  ...

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10 Things to know for Thursday, June 13

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:1. GRIM NEW DEATH TOLL IN SYRIA   The UN says at least 93,000 have been confirmed killed in the civil war, with the real number likely being far higher. SYRIA 2. NSA HEAD SAYS SPY PROGRAM STOPPED TERROR ATTACKS Army Gen. Keith Alexander told Congress that the collection of millions of telephone and Internet records foiled a 2009 plot to bomb New York’s subways. NSA ...

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Broncos release top rusher Willis McGahee

ENGLEWOOD — The Denver Broncos have released Willis McGahee, their leading rusher last year. The 31-year-old running back is the NFL’s active leader with 33 100-yard games. McGahee is coming off a right knee injury that sidelined him for the final two months last season. The 11-year veteran was set to make $2.5 million in 2013. McGahee skipped all of the team’s 10 voluntary workouts but returned to Dove Valley for their three-day mandatory minicamp that ends ...

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Poll shows strong Colo. support for death penalty

DENVER — Colorado voters overwhelmingly back the death penalty and are evenly split on whether Gov. John Hickenlooper, who last month blocked the execution of a convicted multiple-murderer, deserves re-election, according to a new poll released Thursday. The Quinnipiac University poll said that 69 percent of the state’s voters think the death penalty should stay on the books while 24 percent want it replaced by life in prison without parole. The split is almost identical for ...

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Parole assessments to determine returns to prison

DENVER — An assessment tool that determines when parole officers should try to send parolees back to prison has the support of Colorado Parole Board officials. The state in 2011 set up a new assessment program called the Colorado Violation Decision Making Process that is designed to help parole officers decide how to handle violations of parole restrictions. A 2011 report found that parole officers felt overwhelmed by using the guidelines, which involves a detailed review of ...

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Woman found dead in submerged car

DENVER — The Jefferson County coroner is trying to identify a woman found dead in a submerged car in Clear Creek. The vehicle was spotted by a passer-by Wednesday morning. It was submerged in high, swift water, about a quarter of a mile from the place where it ran off the road west of Golden. According to the Denver Post, crews from the Golden Fire Department and West Metro Fire Rescue pulled the car out of creek and recovered the body.  ...

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Thousands flee Colo. wildfire; 92 homes destroyed

COLORADO SPRINGS — Jaenette Coyne estimates she had five minutes to leave home after calling 911 to report forest fire smoke behind her home. There was no time to grab wedding albums, fingerprint artwork by her 20-month-old daughter, quilts her grandmother made, her family’s three cats. “We left with nothing,” she said. She and her husband later watched on television this week as flames engulfed their house. “I don’t know how to tell you in words what ...

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Man who faked driving tests gets prison sentence

DENVER — A federal judge has sentenced a man to 30 months in prison for falsifying driving tests to get driver’s licenses for unqualified applicants, forcing up to 1,400 drivers to retake the tests. Sikiru Fadeyi pleaded guilty Tuesday to mail fraud. He told the judge he falsely certified that applicants for a Colorado driver’s license had passed written and driving skill tests. According to the Denver Post, prosecutors say the violations occurred between February 2009 ...

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Homes burned near Colo. Springs could approach 100

COLORADO SPRINGS — A pair of U.S. Defense Department cargo planes was mobilized Wednesday to help battle wildfires in Colorado and elsewhere in the West as crews surveyed the damage from a large blaze burning near Colorado Springs that already has destroyed dozens of homes. Authorities initially estimated between 40 and 60 houses burned in Black Forest, a heavily wooded residential area northeast of Colorado Springs. El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said Wednesday he believes ...

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Homes burned near Colo. Springs could approach 100

COLORADO SPRINGS — The number of houses destroyed by a wildfire near Colorado Springs could grow to around 100, and authorities fear it’s possible that some people who stayed behind might have died. Authorities initially estimated that between 40 and 60 houses were destroyed in Black Forest, a heavily wooded residential area northeast of Colorado Springs, but they are still surveying the damage. El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said Wednesday he believes around 80 have been ...

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10 Things to know for Wednesday, June 12

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:1. TURKEY PRIME MINISTER TO FACE PROTESTERS   Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with activists today comes after hours of clashes in Istanbul between protesters and police who fired tear gas into the crowds. TURKEY-PROTESTS 2. NSA HEAD TO FACE CONGRESS Gen. Keith Alexander will field senators’ questions about the surveillance by U.S. spy agencies after many called for an end ...

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More high temperatures for Colorado

DENVER — More weather records are being broken as a heat wave continues across Colorado. Denver and Pueblo broke high temperature records for the second straight day Tuesday. Denver reached 100 degrees, topping the old record high for June 11 of 95 degrees in 1956. Pueblo’s high Tuesday was 103. The fire danger was high across much of the state Tuesday because of low relative humidity, strong winds and the heat.  ...

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NY hearing on reporter’s sources in Colo. shooting

NEW YORK — Lawyers for a New York City-based reporter who’s being asked to name her sources in a story on the Colorado theater shooting are asking an appellate court to quash a subpoena that requires her to testify. The lawyers for Fox News reporter Jana Winter are scheduled to make their arguments Wednesday afternoon in New York state’s Appellate Division. Attorneys for theater shooting suspect James Holmes are trying to learn the identity of her confidential sources ...

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Colorado wildfire forces prison evacuation

COLORADO SPRINGS — A wildfire forced the evacuation of more than 900 prisoners at a state prison southwest of Colorado Springs early Wednesday, one of four blazes across the Front Range that destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of people to flee. Department of Corrections spokeswoman Adrienne Jacobson said prisoners from the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility were taken to other prisons around the Front Range overnight. The evacuation was ordered because of the ...

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Colo. corrections released killer by mistake

DENVER — The Colorado Department of Corrections says it has revised procedures after a white supremacist killer who was supposed to be serving life in prison was released by mistake. According to the Denver Post, Clifton Blecha was serving life in prison without parole when he was released on parole and fled to the East Coast. He was later recaptured. Corrections officials say a key sentencing document got lost in a bureaucratic shuffle. Officials say they fixed the error and an ...

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