KSPK NEWS
June 24th 2026
Former CBI Forensic Scientist pled guilty in evidence case yesterday.
Yvonne "Missy" Woods, 65, The Former Colorado Bureau of Investigation Forensic
Scientist who is accused of altering and deleting DNA evidence in criminal cases across
Colorado for years, yesterday pled guilty to four criminal counts in Jefferson County.
Woods changed her plea rather than face trial on 102 felony charges that included one
count of cybercrime, one count of perjury, 48 counts of attempt to influence a public
servant and 52 counts of forgery. Jefferson County District Judge Andrew Poland
accepted the pleas. Woods had initially pleaded not guilty to all charges in February,
more than a year following her arrest. Her trial, which was expected to last more than a
month, had been scheduled for September. Woods is now facing up to 16 years in prison.
Her sentencing is scheduled for September 8th.
Initiative 175 measure officially qualifies for the November Ballot.
Initiative 175, a measure that would dedicate all transportation-related revenue to
Colorado's roads and bridges, has officially qualified for the November ballot.
Proponents of the measure submitted about 189,000 signatures to The Secretary of
State's Office for review last month. About 143,000 of those signatures were declared
valid, surpassing the required threshold of 124,000. Backed by the coalition "Restore
Our Roads", Initiative 175 would require all transportation-related revenue to be used
exclusively for building and repairing roads and bridges, improving safety, conducting
transportation planning and engineering and supporting Colorado State Patrol operations.
State Lawmakers passed a bill last month to effectively nullify the initiative, subverting
the will of voters, if the initiative becomes law in November.
Morphew arrest report from AZ Department of Public Safety.
According to an arrest report from The Arizona Department of Public Safety, Barry
Morphew, who is charged with murdering his wife Suzanne on Mother's Day of 2020,
was living with a woman in Arizona and using a fake name when he was re-arrested last
summer. The report also states that The Colorado Bureau of Investigation asked The
Arizona Department of Public Safety to keep track of Barry Morphew's movements in
the months leading up to his arrest. June 18th of last year, CBI informed Arizona DPS
that a warrant had been issued for Morphew's arrest, which included a $3 million bond
and nationwide extradition back to Colorado. Morphew was arrested June 20th during a
traffic stop. The woman Morphew was living with said Morphew told her his name was
Lee Moore. Morphew pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in January. His next
court appearance is scheduled for today in Alamosa.
CDOT announces I-25 Pueblo speed cameras will be active on Tuesday.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has announced that, in an effort to improve
safety in a construction zone on I-25 in Pueblo, speed cameras will be active on the
interstate between 29th and 13th streets in the I-25/US50 interchange construction zone
beginning on Tuesday. For the first 30 days, speeding drivers will receive warnings
instead of tickets. The cameras have been put up due to complaints of speeding in that
section, according to CDOT. Once the 30-day grace period ends, if the cameras catch
you speeding, the fine is $75, but no points will be put on your driving record.
Monte Vista PD investigating death at Rio Grande Hotel Saturday Evening.
The Monte Vista Police Department is investigating the death of a 45-year-old man who
was found with a gunshot wound on Saturday Evening, June 20th. Officers responded
about 7:37pm to a report of a gunshot near The Rio Grande Hotel at 25 North Broadway.
Upon arrival, police attempted emergency aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the
scene. Investigators have not yet determined the cause or manner of death. The man's
identity is being withheld until The Rio Grande County Coroner notifies next of kin.
Anyone who was near the hotel Saturday evening or who has information regarding the
case is asked to call 719-852-5111.
June 23rd 2026
Pueblo County Sheriff's Office announces 74 fire under control yesterday.
The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office said early yesterday that what was being called the
"Applewood fire" burning in Colorado City was under control. The fire began at 6:20pm
Sunday as a Wildland fire near Milemarker 74 on the southbound side of Interstate 25.
Winds swept the fire west toward Applewood estates. The Sheriff's Office said that
Colorado 165 and Interstate 25 were all open yesterday morning and that evacuations for
those living in Applewood Estates had been lifted. However, a total of seven homes were
completely destroyed in the blaze and two others were damaged. Fire officials believe
that the fire was started by a vehicle traveling along Southbound I-25. The fire was three
to five acres in size in total and has now officially been named The 74 fire.
Alamosa City Council passed motion to enter into new agreement with Axon Enterprises.
The Alamosa City Council last week passed a motion to enter into a long-term agreement
with Axon Enterprises, which will include the purchase of Axon's "officer safety plan"
and the "AI era bundle" over a period of 10 years to support officers working in law
enforcement. Alamosa Police have been using a suite of axon enterprise technology for
the past 6 years, including bodycams, tasers, in-car video systems and recording systems
for interview rooms, however, some components are set to expire later this year,
prompting the city to review its contractual agreements with axon. Agreeing to purchase
the suite of services also includes the expansion and use of Artificial Intellignece, or AI,
in completion of certain duties police officers have to carry out, like transcribing
interviews, and writing reports.
Semi truck rollover causes major delays on I-25 south of PPIR yesterday.
A semi truck rollover caused major delays on Interstate 25 southbound south of the Pikes
Peak International Raceway yesterday. According to The Colorado State Patrol, the
crash took place at 1:18pm yesterday between Rancho Colorado Boulevard and County
Line Road in El Paso County, and resulted in the closure of all southbound lanes. The
crash involved a semi that was hauling cars and a pickup truck. Troopers are unsure how
the pickup truck came into contact with the semi. Initial reports show that the semi went
off the road into the median and hit a guardrail. The semi overcorrected and rolled. One
person was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. It is not known how many
people were in both vehicles. Once one lane was reopened, traffic moved slowly through
the area into the evening.
Tornado and large hail produced by thunderstorm yesterday in SOCO.
A single thunderstorm moving through Southern Colorado yesterday afternoon produced
damaging hail and a tornado. The storm dropped hail in the Security-Widefield and
Fountain areas, with hailstones up to 2 inches in diameter. Then, The National Weather
Service issued a tornado warning at 4:26pm as the storm moved through Otero, Crowley
and Pueblo counties. A tornado was spotted 1-1/2 miles west of Fowler around 5:25pm
yesterday. It is not believed that there was any damage or injuries from the tornado.
Toxic algae blooms showing up earlier than usual this year according to CO State Health officials.
While toxic algae blooms aren't a new thing, Colorado State health officials say they are
showing up earlier than usual this year, something that those who recreate on or near the
water could notice throughout the season. CDPHE says that warmer temperatures are
part of the reason that they expect more blooms this year. The blooms can produce
toxins that are harmful to people and pets. Some recreation areas in Colorado have
already placed restrictions on some activities due to the blooms. Not every algae bloom
is toxic, but the harmful algae are often thick and comes in a variety of colors. People,
children and pets should not contact or ingest the algae in any way.
June 22nd 2026
President Trump's nominee for Denver based federal court recused himself from nine cases.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Daniel D. Domencio, President Donald Trump's nominee
to fill a vacancy on the Denver-based federal appeals court, recused himself from nine
cases against the executive branch while he was undergoing vetting by the White House
this spring. Of the nine cases, most are "habeas corpus" cases brought by individuals in
immigration custody challenging the lawfulness of their detention. The ninth case is a
lawsuit from a self-represented Littleton Man who is suing The U.S. Department of
Justice and Google for first amendment violations related to multiple executive branch
directives. Domenico explained that he recused in the 9 cases "because they sought
immediate relief while he was awaiting advice from the ethics office about whether he
should handle similar matters.
Alamosa man arrested after shooting at Love's Convenience Store in Alamosa.
Terry Lawson, 24, of Alamosa, was arrested on Thursday afternoon following a shooting
at a convenience store and a police pursuit. According to The Alamosa County Sheriff's
office, deputies responded to a report of shots fired at The Love's Convenience Store at
138 Broadway in Alamosa at about 4:50pm. Before arriving at the scene, deputies were
notified that a vehicle linked to the shooting was fleeing the area. Alamosa Police and
sheriff's deputies located and stopped the suspect vehicle near county road 6 south and
the north river road. Investigators determined that there were multiple shots fired during
a disturbance at the store. Lawson was booked into the Alamosa County Detention
Center on charges including two counts of criminal attempt to commit second-degree
murder, two counts of felony menacing, reckless endangerment, reckless driving,
prohibited use of a weapon and disorderly conduct. The incident remains under
investigation.
Multiple fire agencies respond to Wildland Fire in Colorado City last night.
Multiple fire agencies responded to a Wildland Fire in Colorado City last night.
According to The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, the fire prompted the evacuation of the
applewood mobile home park in Colorado City about 7:30pm last night. The fire began
around 6:20pm near Interstate 25 at mile marker 73 and 74. winds reportedly swept
flames west toward Applewood estates. Colorado 165 was shut down at I-25 due to the
fire activity, but has since reopened. The sheriff's office has not determined a cause and
does not have an estimate on the size of the fire, although the sheriff's office reports that
several structures have burned, including several homes. No injures have been reported
so far due to the fire.
Three small earthquakes took place in Las Animas County Saturday.
Three small earthquakes took place in western Las Animas County on Saturday,
according to The U.S. Geological Survey. The strongest of the three, with a magnitude
of 3.8, struck at 11:32am Saturday, about 9 miles south-souheast of Stonewall gap at a
depth of roughly 4 miles. A second, smaller quake followed at 12:15pm, measuring a
magnitude of 2.4, and was centered around 10 miles southwest of Weston at a depth of
roughly 5 miles. The third quake struck at 3:04pm, a magnitude 2.9 quake, located about
9 miles south-souheast of Stonewall gap at a depth of about 3 miles. The quakes were
centered in the Raton basin, a coal- and gas-rich region that straddles The Colorado-New
Mexico line west of Trinidad that has become one of the most seismically active areas in
the state. No injuries or damage were reported. The USGS encourages anyone who feels
an earthquake to file a "did you feel it? Report at earthquake.usgs.gov.
Driver killed in crash in Pueblo Thursday morning identified.
21-year-old Javien Aaron Miller has been identified as the man who died in the deadly
crash that took place on Interstate 25 in Pueblo Thursday morning. Police say that Miller
was entering Southbound I-25 at City Center Drive around 9:45am Thursday when he
struck the rear of a semi trailer that had pulled off onto the shoulder near the on-ramp.
Miller was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are still investigating the incident.
June 19th 2026
Former Walsenburg City Administrator accused in April Pueblo hit and run.
Former Pueblo City Manager, Former Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority Executive
Director, and now Former Walsenburg City Administrator Jerry Pacheco is accused of
striking an unattended vehicle in April with his vehicle and then failing to report it.
Pacheco, 51, is charged with careless driving and leaving the scene of a crash in
connection with the April 9th incident in the 900 block of Ford Place in Pueblo. Pacheco
allegedly failed to leave required information before leaving the scene and failed to notify
police of the crash. Pacheco resigned as Pueblo City Manager in May of 2012 following
a hit-and-run incident at that time. Pacheco declined to seek a contract renewal as the
Director of the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority after Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham
alleged he had engaged in a "continued pattern of egregious unprofessional conduct".
Pacheco offered a 60-day resignation notice to the City of Walsenburg in April, effective
on June 10th, saying his wife had full time employment in Denver.
Low turnout reported so far in Colorado Primary elections.
Just under 6% of Colorado's 4 million active, registerd voters, have returned their
primary ballots, with just under two weeks to go before the state's June 30th primary,
according to The Colorado Secretary of State's office. as of noon on Wednesday, a total
of 230,436 ballots have been received with 87,790 cast in The Democratic Primary and
70,145 cast in The Republican Primary. Another 71,701 ballots from Unaffiliated voters
– who can cast a ballot in either major parties' primary – are awaiting processing. With
only 5% of Unafiliated ballots processed, more than twice as many unaffiliated voters
have voted in The Democratic primary as have in The GOP primary. Ballots began going
out on June 8th. Ballots must be returned via mail, drop box, or to your local county
clerks office by no later than 7pm on Tuesday, June 30th.
Hidden Creek fire near Rye now 95% contained.
The Hidden Creek Fire burning near Rye is now considered 95% contained and remains
at 4 acres in size. Due to the current weather conditions, the fire was placed into monitor
status through the weekend. Firefighters completed construction of a fire line around the
entire perimeter of the fire and addressed remaining hot spots within the incident area on
Wednesday afternoon. The Rye Fire Protection district will continue to monitor the fire
area and will respond to any observed fire activity or hot spots as needed.
I-25 shutdown in Pueblo yesterday following fatal crash.
The Southbound lanes of Interstate 25 were closed in Pueblo for around 5 hours
yesterday following a fatal crash. According to Pueblo Police, officers responded to the
scene around 9:40am. The driver of a semi truck and empty flatbed trailer pulled onto
the shoulder of I-25 just south of the City Center on-ramp, believing he had a mechanical
problem, and parking out of the lanes of travel. Shortly thereafter, a 2001 Pontiac Grand
Prix entered the interstate from The City Center drive on-ramp, drove onto the shoulder
of the road and struck the rear of the trailer. The driver of the Pontiac was pronounced
dead at the scene. The southbound lanes were closed until just after 2:40pm yesterday.
the incident marks the 10th fatal traffic crash in Pueblo this year.
Quartz fire north of Pueblo cleared as of yesterday morning.
What is being called the "Quartz fire" at C&C disposal north of Pueblo was cleared as of
early yesterday morning. The fire started Wednesday evening in a trash pile before
spreading to 11 vehicles and a small shed on the property. Multiple fire agencies worked
on the fire for more than 7 hours in hot temperatures with winds gusting up to 40 mph at
times. There were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
June 18th 2026
10th District Circuit Court grants request to dismiss Tina Peters challenge.
The 10th District Circuit Court in Denver yesterday granted the state's unopposed request
to dismiss Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters' challenge to her confinement as moot.
While Peters received a commutation of her prison sentence last month from Governor
Jared Polis, and has since been released, her federal proceedings addressed whether she
could be freed on bond while she appealed the lawfulness of her state convictions and
sentence. Peters was convicted in 2024 for her role in a security breach of her office's
voting equipment while she was Mesa County Clerk and Recorder. She received a 9 year
prison sentence. The state, in arguing for dismissal of the federal case, noted that Peters'
habeas petition revolved around the original decision not to release her pending appeal.
Peters' attorneys agreed with the state's position, prompting the 10th Circuit to dismiss the
appeal.
New wildlife assessment/mitigation plan recommends fence changes at CV Ranch.
A new wildlife assessment and mitigation plan has been released that recommends a
series of changes to The Cielo Vista Ranch Fence in Costilla County. The 83-page report
was contracted by Ranch Owner William Harisson's attorneys and Costilla County as
part of a mediated settlement agreement between the two. The fence was evaluated for
its "wildlife friendliness". The wildlife assessment looked at what species of animals
regularly interact with the fence, how the fence is built through habitats, and how animal
movement might be disturbed by the fence. The report recommends removing the fence
entirely along El Poso Creek, entirely at the end of Vallejos Creek where the fence
crosses Torcido Creek, and the entirety of the fence near Jaroso. Other recommendations
include adding 176 large mammal jumps, adding 132 small mammal openings, raising
the bottom of the fence up to 16 inches off the ground and opening the cell size of the
fence wire to be at least 12 inches by 12 inches.
Multiple agencies respond to trash pile fire north of Pueblo last night.
Multiple agencies responded to a trash pile fire burning north of Pueblo last night.
According to The Pueblo Fire Department, the fire came to life at the C&C Disposal
yard, to the north of Loves and the T-A truck stop, north of the City of Pueblo. As of
7:30pm, crews reported that they were throwing water on the "heavy" fire. The fire also
extended to some outbuildings and vehicles, but the fire had not reached any grassland
and was entirely contained on C&C property. While firefighters said they were having
success with the fire last night, they expected the fire to burn for a while and for crews to
be in the area overnight due to the fire’s size.
CO Judicial officials warning Coloradans of fraudulent texts.
Colorado Judicial officials are warning Coloradans of fraudulent texts about district court
appearances impacting the community. Texts claim to be from Colorado District Courts,
show "unusual" case numbers and claim that the recipient must appear in district court
for a traffic violation. Instead, a ligitimate court appearance notice will arrive by mail, in
person, by counsel or by initial summons. If you need to verify a court appearance, you
are urged to use the docket search at www.coloradojudicial.gov, or call your local district
court.
RG National Forest implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions effective today.
The Rio Grande National Forest has implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions effective today
due to dry conditions across The San Luis Valley and Southwest Colorado. Stage 1
restrictions prohibit building a fire unless it is in a permanent fire pit or solely fueled by
liquid or gas and can be turned off. Using an explosive. Smoking, except in an enclosed
area. Welding or using a torch. Violations could result in fines and/or jail time,
according to the forest service.
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