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Maryland Senate confirms Roland Butler head of state police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland Senate confirmed Lt. Col. Roland Butler on Friday to be the first Black superintendent of the Maryland State Police, a department under a federal discrimination probe.The Senate voted 43-4 to confirm Gov. Wes Moore’s appointee, who came under questioning largely because he has worked at the department for nearly three decades and held a significant leadership post in the agency under scrutiny.The governor, however, said Butler’s experience in the department is what it needs. Moore said in a statement Friday after Butler’s confirmation that he “is the best person to move the Maryland Department of State Police forward.”“Lt. Col. Butler will work in partnership to execute his vision and reform the department by increasing morale, building trust, and addressing the concerns that were raised both prior to his tenure and during the nomination process,” Moore said, adding that Butler “has my full confidence...

Marseille held 1-1 at home by Montpellier in French league

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

MARSEILLES, France (AP) — Marseille missed the chance to put pressure on French league leader Paris Saint-Germain after being held at home by in-form Montpellier to 1-1 on Friday.Matteo Guendouzi’s first-half penalty was all Marseille had to show for dominating possession and chances as the visitors stayed unbeaten in the seventh game since coach Michel Der Zakarian returned last month.Marseille’s draw means PSG can move nine points clear on Sunday with a win at home over Lyon.The visitors made a better start and Arnaud Nordin fired Montpellier ahead in the 12th minute, though he had to wait for a VAR check to celebrate after he was initially flagged offside. Wahbi Khazri made a fine turn to elude Guendouzi and set off on a run that sucked in four Marseille defenders before he played the ball to Elye Wahi, who sent it straight on to Nordin for the French forward’s fifth league goal.There was a lengthy holdup for treatment to Montpellier defender Boubakar “Kiki” Kouyaté after a clash...

Brush fire in Aurora contained

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) -- A brush fire in Aurora is contained but crews will be mopping up the area for an extended time and handling hot spots, Aurora Fire Rescue said. The Aurora Police Department went door to door telling people in the area of a wildfire to evacuate immediately.Several crews responded to a brush fire north of the intersection at Parker Road and Chambers Road. Brush fire burning off Parker and Chambers roads in Aurora (Photo credit: Aurora Fire Rescue)Fire off Parker and Chambers roads burned a bridge (Photo credit: Aurora Fire Rescue)Firefighter using hose on brush fire burning off Parker and Chambers roads in Aurora (Photo credit: Aurora Fire Rescue)Firefighter works on blaze off Parker and Chambers roads in Aurora (Photo credit: Aurora Fire Rescue)Only vegetation and a bridge in the open space have burned, and no structures are on fire, according to Aurora Fire. FOX31 has sent a crew to the area and expects to have more information and live video in the 4 p....

Wind gusts near 90 mph in Denver area: See list of top wind speeds Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- On a day when the Denver metro area and southeast Colorado were under a red flag warning for fire danger, wind gusts topped 80 mph along the Front Range.Parts of Jefferson, Boulder and Larimer counties saw the highest wind gusts Friday. The Rocky Flats area recorded an 89 mph gust just after 2 p.m., the highest recorded in the National Weather Service's local storm reports in Colorado.Wildfires were burning Friday afternoon in Jefferson County, as well as in Aurora. The high winds tossed semitrucks off of highways, shutting down some roads. Why is Colorado so windy in the spring? The hurricane-force wind gusts were most frequent in the late morning and early afternoon of Friday. A Category 1 hurricane has sustained winds of at least 74 mph.Friday's top wind gusts in ColoradoThis list includes top wind gusts as of 3:30 p.m. at locations in local storm reports through the National Weather Service.Wind GustLocation (miles)CountyTime89 mph3 SW Rocky FlatsJefferson Cou...

Denver airport to close 2,000 parking spots through October

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

DENVER — Denver International Airport is getting ready to close more than 2,000 parking spaces for the next six months. Beginning Monday, April 3, about half of the east economy lot will be off-limits to anyone wishing to park at the airport. During the closure, crews will be performing maintenance work in the lot including paving, curb work and upgrading shuttle shelters. The work will help the facility remain compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “It’s routine maintenance, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We do this kind of thing every few years,” airport spokesperson Stephanie Figueroa said.  Colorado cities rank highest for DUI arrests per capita However, DEN is serving more passengers now than ever before. In 2022, the airport set a record with more than 69 million passengers. It expects to exceed those numbers in 2023. “The reality is, even without the closure a lot of our lots have been filling up,” Figueroa said.Denver airport parking ...

Over a dozen SROs bound for Denver high schools, including East

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Denver Police Department will send over a dozen officers to serve as school resource officers beginning next week in various Denver Public Schools high schools. The police plan to have the officers employed in these schools through the end of the academic year. East High School shooting suspect found dead near car in Park County Denver East High School, which is the largest school in DPS and one of the largest in the state, will have two armed SROs beginning Monday. All of the high schools scheduled to have an SRO include:EastWestNorthSouthManualThomas JeffersonGeorge WashingtonAbraham LincolnJohn F. KennedyMontbelloDr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early CollegeNorthfield Evie Dennis CampusAccording to the release, Denver Police Department will also have an officer serving as a middle and high school liaison in each of the city's six police districts. "The liaisons act as a point of contact and resource to discuss safety concerns for school leaders who do not have ...

Denver weather: Strong wind, high fire danger through the evening

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver's weather will stay dry and windy, leading to increased fire danger through Friday evening. Red flag warnings will stay in effect through 7 p.m. ahead of a warmer weekend. Weather tonight: Breezy and cool Dry and breezy weather will stick around through Friday night. Wind speeds will calm some to 5-15 mph with gusts at times around 40 mph as low temperatures fall to around 30 degrees. Weather tomorrow: Warm and breezy Saturday will be sunny, breezy and warmer. High temperatures will reach the mid-60s with wind gusts reaching 20-25 mph. Looking ahead: Nice weekend ahead of rain, snow showersWarm, breezy weather will continue on Sunday as high temperatures climb to the upper 60s alongside wind gusts reaching around 30 mph. Dry, breezy conditions will continue into Monday and help highs climb into the mid to upper 60s. The next chance for showers moves in Monday night into Tuesday. This will be followed by much cooler temperatures and another chance for sho...

1,200-acre wildfire forces evacuations in Park, Teller counties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

PARK COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Evacuations have been ordered for a wildfire in Park and Teller counties.The fire had grown to around 1,205 acres as of 3:47 p.m. Friday.High winds meant air resources could not fly to help with the fire response, but the U.S. Forest Service said they may be able to get air support up on Friday "if winds cooperate."Local law enforcement agencies are working with the U.S. Forest Service to determine the cause of the fire.Evacuations in Park CountyIn Park County, evacuation orders were issued for:the 1-mile area of County Road 403 and Alpine Meadow LaneAn emergency shelter was opened at the Lake George Community Center located at 39141 U.S. 24, Lake George.For large animals and livestock, a shelter was opened at the Lake George Fairgrounds located at 37371 U.S. 24 in Lake George.Residents were advised to call the evacuation line at 719-836-4200 for updates.Evacuations in Teller CountyThe Teller County Sheriff's Office said evacuation orders were issued for:...

Rock guitarist who suffered heart attack thanks 911 dispatcher, surgeon who helped save his life

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

A South Florida musician expressed his gratitude toward the 911 dispatcher and Broward Health surgeon who helped save his life after he suffered a heart attack.Rock ‘n’ roll guitarist Sal Italiano jams his bass on stage. His musical career has taken him around the world. But on Friday, there was a much quieter moment at Briward Health Medical Center.Italiano and his wife Christine thanked the people who kept his heavy metal heart beating after his medical emergency back in December.“I woke up and my husband wasn’t breathing, and I grabbed my phone and I called 911,” Christine said.Dispatcher Jason Savitt would answer that call, and what he did over the next several minutes saved Italiano’s life.“When she said he wasn’t breathing, I knew I had to get right into the CPR and help him out,” Savitt said.A new Florida law mandates that dispatchers are able to walk callers through CPR.Italiano’s surgeon, Dr. Kenneth Herskowitz, said it was the difference...

At Final Four, UConn in familiar territory as it faces Miami

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:45:31 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — All this buzz about how a wildly unpredictable March Madness led to a Final Four nobody could’ve possibly seen coming overlooked one small detail.UConn.When the Huskies tip off against Miami in Saturday’s second semifinal, they will be two wins away from their fifth national title since 1999. No other school has won more over that span.When the name “UConn” came up with a “4” seed next to its name three weekends ago on Selection Sunday, nobody raised too much of a stink. Four wins later — after no opponent came within 15 points of the Huskies — it’s becoming apparent this is a team that might have been overlooked. Or underestimated.“A lot of things happened,” coach Dan Hurley said in explaining how UConn’s profile went from world beater to middle of the pack in midseason.Most of that had to do with a string of six losses in eight games starting on New Year’s Eve. It was a dry spell that coincided, according to the coach, with a stretch wh...