July 2nd 2025
New State laws go into effect yesterday in Colorado.
A number of new state laws went into effect yesterday. Here are some more of those new
laws: SB25-236 will make it easier for people who are experiencing a mental health or
substance use crisis to get the help they need by consolidating colorado crisis services
and 988 Colorado. HB25-1138 provides more protections for survivors of sexual
misconduct during civil court cases. The survivor's hairstyle, speech, lifestyle and what
they were wearing can no longer be used as evidence of consent. SB25-024 adds five
new judges to courts throughout Colorado to help address the court case backlog. An
additional 10 new judges will be added next year. And, HB24-1304 eliminates minimum
parking requirements for certain new multifamily developments, meaning that local
governments cannot enact or enforce minimum parking requirements for most new
multifamily residential properties within a quarter mile of a transit stop. Many of the new
laws taking effect yesterday were passed last year and one was passed in 2023.
Morphew case suspect makes first court appearance.
Barry Morphew made his first court appearance yesterday afternoon in Alamosa District
Court. Morphew is accused of killing his wife, Suzanne Morphew, and burying her body
in a shallow grave near Moffat in Saguache County, in The San Luis Valley. Morphew,
who was dressed in orange and white jail clothing, smiled at one of his daughters while
being led into the courtroom. During the hearing yesterday before 12th Judicial District
Judge Amanda Hopkins, Morphew waived the reading of the criminal charge. His
attorneys said they would not contest the high bail amount, but asked to reserve the
opportunity to do so. Most of the hearing focused on anticipated heavy media coverage
with Hopkins issuing a strict order heavily governing media coverage of the case.
Morphew was arrested on June 20th in Arizona, where he was living under the Alias Lee
Moore. His next court date is set for September 2nd.
Inmate currently on the run from Costilla County Jail.
An inmate at the Costilla County Jail escaped on Monday and is currently on the run.
According to The Costilla County Sheriff's office, the inmate, Dallas Hayes, escaped
custody during his booking process at the jail on Monday around 10:30am. Hayes is
facing burglary charges. Hayes was last seen wearing black pants and a white muscle
shirt with no shoes, near the area of Costilla Street and 8th Street in San Luis. If you have
any information about Hayes' whereabouts or know where Hayes may be, you are asked
to call 911.
Custer County officials handed out free frozen groceries yesterday.
Custer County officials handed out free frozen groceries to the community yesterday
following a semi truck rollover near Westcliffe on Monday Night. According to The
Custer County Sheriff's Office, the semi rolled over on Colorado 69, near Mile Marker
52, south of Westcliffe. No one was injured in the crash. The semi had been carrying
frozen hot dogs and other frozen products, however, the company said that those products
could no longer be sold and could be shared with members of the community. So, crews
brought the products to The Custer County School and Alta store in Westclifee to keep
things frozen overnight. The products were distributed yesterday.
City of Alamosa announces City Council positions available this fall.
The City of Alamosa has announced that four positions are available on The Alamosa
City Council. Candidates will be elected during this fall's November 4th election.
Positions include: mayor (currently held by Ty Coleman), at large (currently held by Jan
Vigil), ward 2 (currently held by Dawn Krebs), and ward 4 (currently held by Jamie
Dominguez). To qualify as a candidate, you must be a U.S. Citizen, at least 21, be a
registered elector of the City of Alamosa for at least one year and live in the respective
ward. A candidate orientation session will be held on Monday, August 4th, at 6pm in The
City Council Chambers. Call 719-589-2272 for more information.
July 1st 2025
Major gun laws take effect today in Colorado.
Two major gun laws take effect today, July 1st. HB1353 now requires Colorado gun
stores to have a state firearms dealer permit. Under the new law, gun businesses that
have not obtained the state-issued permit by today could face a fine of up to $250,000.
The new law also mandates training courses for firearms dealers. HB1174 also begins
today. The new law requires 8 hours of training for people to apply for and renew
permits to carry a concealed handgun. Applicants are now also required to pass a written
exam and a live-fire exam. Those in support of the new laws say that they emphasize
responsible gun sales and ownership. Gun store owners say they are frustrated as the
state has not fully figured out how to implement both new laws, which makes selling
guns to customers much more difficult.
Suspect in alleged stabbing found dead in Colorado Springs.
A 50-year-old man, who was the suspect in the alleged stabbing of his wife in Colorado
City, has been found dead. According to The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, deputies
originally responded on June 19th at 9am to the 5100 Block of Isabella Drive, east of
Beckwith reservoir, in Colorado City, on the report of a woman suffering a medical
emergency. When deputies arrived, they learned that the woman had been stabbed
several times. The 32-year-old woman was taken to the hospital and later transferred to
Colorado Springs where she continues to recover from multiple serious stab wounds.
Detectives determined that the woman's husband was the lone suspect in the case. On
Monday, June 23rd, deputies responded to the same home on Isabella Drive on a reported
suicide. Upon arrival, deputies found a man, identified as the victim's husband, dead in
the home. The man and woman have not yet been identified.
Suspect in Morphew case extradited to Colorado.
Barry Morphew has been extradited from Arizona to Colorado, according to The 12th
Judicial District Attorney's Office, and is now in custody at the Alamosa County
Detention Center in Alamosa. Morphew had been in custody in Arizona since his arrest
on June 20th. He waived extradition in his case and will face a murder charge in the death
of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, after he was indicted by a 12th Judicial District Grand
Jury last month. This is the second time Morphew has been charged in his wife's death,
following the discovery of her body in a shallow grave near Moffat in Saguache County.
The initial charges were dismissed without prejudice. Morphew is scheduled to make his
first appearance in court this afternoon at 1:30pm.
Former Pueblo County Sheriff's Sergeant arrested for theft and misconduct.
Former Pueblo County Sheriff's Sergeant Jason Hanratty, 43, has been arrested for felony
theft and first-degree official misconduct. According to the sheriff's department, a
warrant was issued for Hanratty stemming from an independent investigation into reports
that he had unlawfully retained and misused funds collected from Pueblo County
Sheriff's employees' paychecks. Hanratty is reportedly accused of misappropriating over
$17,000 in union dues from 41 Pueblo County Sheriff's employees for over two years.
The arrest warrant also alleges that Hanratty had deposited the money into personal and
business accounts under his control while he was vice president of the union. Hanratty
had been employed at the Sheriff's Department since April of 2007. He resigned from
the sheriff's office on April 15th. The 10th Judicial District Attorney's office is handling
the investigation.
Tribute to Jim Bishop to take place this weekend.
A tribute to James Roland Bishop, better know as just Jim Bishop, the man who spent
close to six decades constructing and designing Bishop’s castle located north of Rye, will
be held this Saturday. Jim passed away on November 21st of last year, having turned 80
years old earlier in 2024. The celebration of life is open to everyone and will be held at
Bishop’s Castle, located at 12705 Colorado Highway 165, north of Rye, this Saturday,
July 5th, from 10am to 2pm. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
June 30th 2025
CO Gov Polis announces sale of Evras North America Friday.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Friday announced the official sale of Evraz North
America. Atlas Holdings, an investment company headquartered in Connecticut, has
purchased the major steel producer. Evraz is a leading steel producer in both the U.S.
and Canada, and the sale of Evraz includes Rocky Mountain Steel in Pueblo. Atlas
Holdings says the facility in Pueblo is the world's largest solar-powered steel mill and the
largest rail supplier in North America. Polis said the steel plant is an important employer
in pueblo and a major economic contributor to our state. He said he has been assured that
both new jobs and the expansion efforts will continue at the plant. The closing of the sale
is expected to take place before the end of the year.
Penrose Funeral Home owner sentenced federal case.
Jon Hallford, the co-owner of a Penrose Funeral Home where 189 decomposing bodies
were found in 2023, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Friday. Denver
Federal Judge Nina Wang handed down the maximum sentence in the case where
Hallford plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with the
remaining 14 counts to be dismissed. Hallford's defense team had asked for a 10 year
sentence. Prosecutors had wanted 15 years. Jon Hallford was also ordered to pay more
than $1 million in restitution. A sentencing hearing on the state charges Hallford is
facing is expected to take place in August. Carie Hallford, Jon Hallford's wife, has had
her federal trial date reset to September 8th. A court date for Carie's state charges has not
yet been set.
Human remains found in Sagauche County identified.
Human remains found in Saguache County have been confirmed to be those of 55-year-
old Edna Quintana, according to The Colorado Bureau of Investigation. CBI says that a
hiker in a remote area of Saguache County contacted The Saguache County Sheriff's
office after finding what they believed to be human remains on June 17th. Sheriff
deputies, along with CBI agents, investigated the scene the next day. The remains were
recovered and taken to The El Paso County Coroner's office for examination. Quintana
went missing around May 3rd of 2023, while rock hunting on Saguache County Road
46AA. The cause of death remains under investigation, and autopsy results and forensic
testing are pending. If you have any information regarding Quintana's disappearance or
death, you are asked to call The Sagauche County Sheriff's Office at 719-655-2525.
Earthquake strikes Weston area Saturday Morning.
A 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck The Weston area of Southern Colorado on Saturday
morning. According to The U.S. Geological Survey, the quake hit at 10:19am Saturday,
centered 17 kilometers south of Weston, at a depth of 5 kilometers. The shaking was
classified as light and was felt by residents across Las Animas County and parts of
Northern New Mexico, including residents in Trinidad, Hoehne, Aguilar and Raton.
While rare, minor quakes, like Saturday's quake, are not unprecedented in Southern
Colorado.
Investigation into San Luis case continues.
Last Monday, June 23rd, a visitor to the shrine of the stations of the cross in San Luis
found a deceased body on the steps. The deceased has been described as a man in his
60's. While his identity is known, and next of kin have been notified, his name has not
yet been released. An autopsy is being performed on the body. Foul play has been ruled
out and there is no threat to the community at this time. The investigation into the
incident continues.
June 27th 2025
CPW releases latest Gray Wolf activity map.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has released the latest activity map showing where gray
wolves have traveled in the past month, specifically between May 27th and June 24th. In
the past month, wolves have stayed mostly centered in the high country, to the north and
west of most of the KSPK listening area. Wolves continue to show up in Saguache,
Mineral, Hinsdale, San Juan and Gunnison counties, however. The most remarkable
advances show wolves roaming quite close to the Denver Metro Area now, with wolves
approaching the Boulder area as well as in Jefferson County between I-70 and U.S. 285
and reaching into the Lakewood area. While wolves may not have actually made it to the
Denver area, the most current map shows them to now be the closest to the metro area as
they have been since reintroduction began a year and a half ago.
Former TSC wrestling coach makes court appearance.
Former Trinidad State College wrestling Coach John Lewis appeared in 3rd Judicial
District Court in Trinidad on Wednesday for a status hearing and filing of charges. Lewis
was arrested for various charges, including criminal extortion, however, those charges
changed on Wednesday. Lewis is now facing charges of tampering with a witness or
victim, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and providing alcohol to a minor.
Lewis was a coach at Trinidad State College in 2023 and was "separated from
employment" in December of 2024. He took a coaching job this year at a college in
Missouri. Lewis turned himself in at The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office on June 10th
and posted bond the same day. Lewis will appear in court again at 10am on Monday.
New fire breaks out on Custer/Fremont County line yesterday.
What is being called the Grape Creek Fire broke out yesterday evening near The Custer
and Fremont County line. According to Fremont County officials, the fire was about 3
acres in size last night and is burning on Bureau of Land Management land. There are no
evacuations at this time and no structures are threatened. Those in the area are asked to
drive safely and to use caution as there are firetrucks and support vehicles in the area.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Douglas County Coroner identifies victim found along I-25 near Larkspur.
The Douglas County Coroner has identified the woman whose body was found along the
Southbound Interstate 25 lanes about a half mile north of the Larkspur exit, Exit 173.
The woman has been identified as Brenda Jackson, 65, of Austin, Texas. Investigators
had asked drivers in the area to review their dash camera footage for any suspicious
activity in the area. The woman had brown or black hair and was found wearing grey
leggings and a black long sleeve shirt. No car was left near the body. The death is
considered suspicious. The cause and manner of death remain under investigation.
CPH officials announce WNV positive mosquitoes in Larimer County.
Colorado Public Health officials have confirmed that mosquitoes have tested positive for
West Nile virus in Larimer County. These are the first mosquitoes to test positive in
Colorado during 2025. Individuals are urged to protect themselves from mosquitoes.
The recent rainfall and high temperatures have resulted in an increased number of
mosquitoes throughout the state. To protect yourself from mosquito bites, eliminate
standing water in pools, ponds, or tires. Avoid outdoor activities at dusk and dawn.
Wear insect repellent that contains deet. and, if outside when mosquitoes are most active,
cover up by wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, shoes and socks.
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