One person is dead and another in critical condition after a boat hit three tubers at Navajo State Park on Saturday, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, a boat hit a tube that was being towed behind another boat near Windsurf Beach at Navajo State Park. People on the two boats called 911 and rangers, as well as Southern Ute police officers, arrived shortly after the incident. Three people were riding on the tube, according to a Saturday news release from CPW.
One person died at the scene and another was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. The third tuber was not injured, park officials said. The identity of the person who died has not yet been publicly released.
Windsurf Beach was temporarily closed for the investigation, according to the release.
World War II Air Force veteran Major Richard Olson never discussed his military service with his son, Dick Olson.
“I didn’t have all that much time to be asking these questions while he was at home,” Dick, a Westminster resident, told the Denver Post in an interview. “He was a distant father, and I imagine a lot of that came from what happened to him during the war and in service.”
After Richard died, Dick turned to military archives, old photos and interviews with the surviving members of his father’s B-24 Liberator airplane crew to learn about the veteran’s journey. Through his research, Dick discovered that his father, despite being seriously injured in a plane crash before enduring months as a prisoner of war, had never received a Purple Heart.
For seven years, Dick worked to correct the oversight. In April, the Air Force agreed to posthumously award Richard a Purple Heart.
The veteran was 22 years old when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in February 1941, according to his son. The service was renamed the U.S. Army Air Forces in June of that year and became the U.S. Air Force in 1947.
“He grew up through the Depression and everything else,” Dick told The Post. “I think he joined because he was looking for three square meals a day.”
Courtesy of Dick Olson
Richard Olson (bottom center) poses with a B-24 crew after completing a six hour training flight. (Photo credit: Courtesy of Dick Olson)
Olson later became the co-pilot of a B-24 bomber plane in the 484th Bombardment Group combat unit. A week after D-Day, while stationed in southern Italy, his crew was shot down over the Adriatic Sea by eight German fighter planes while flying to Munich.
“They lost an engine, and they couldn’t keep up with the rest of the bombers, so they had to turn around to go back,” Dick said. “Two of the gunners were killed on the plane. And then the plane was set on fire and I think they had two more engines shot out.
“But there was a big fire in the bomb bay so they had to get out of the plane. So they did, and everybody bailed out, the ones that were still alive.”
Shell fragments struck Olson’s leg and he sustained a back injury that left him with chronic pain.
Most of the men landed on the Italian coastline northeast of Venice, according to conversations Dick had with B-24 crew member John Hassan. He was transferred to two other POW camps and after 10 months of incarceration, Olson was liberated on April 29, 1945, from Moosburg, Germany.
“He just said it was a very dull existence and of course they were hungry all the time,” Dick told The Post. “There was not a whole lot to do there. They played sports and the American Red Cross supplied them with books and boardgames and sporting equipment and different things to keep their morale up.”
Courtesy of Dick Olson
Richard Olson’s identification card from his time as a POW in Stalag Luft III. (Photo credit: Courtesy of Dick Olson)
Olson stayed in the Air Force for 16 years after his liberation from the POW camp and became a major, father and husband before leaving the military in 1961, according to his obituary.
“My parents split when I was about 13,” Dick said. “He moved away from the household and they got divorced.”
After the divorce in 1969, Dick saw Richard three more times before the veteran passed away in 1996 from multiple myeloma.
“I was always interested in his Air Force career. And since he never talked about these other guys, I wanted to find them and talk to them myself,” Dick said.
He connected with John Hassan, the navigator in Richard’s B-24 crew, in 1997. “Going through some of his papers, I found a phone number for John and called him up and started looking for all the other crew members also,” Dick said, “I eventually did make contact with the ones that were living or family members for the ones who had passed away.
“John was my dad’s best friend on the crew and we became really good friends,” Dick added. “He pretty much had a photographic memory, so that’s how I know an awful lot about that crew.”
While researching the crew, Dick helped the plane’s bombardier, Walter Chapman, get a Distinguished Flying Cross he should have been awarded decades prior.
Like Chapman, Olson was also missing an award: a Purple Heart for sustaining an injury while in the line of duty.
“There was mention of everything else, like the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medals,” Dick said. “All the ribbons and medals that he was entitled to, except for the Purple Heart.”
A collection of medals, honors and other items made by Dick Olson for his late father WWII veteran Major Richard Olson at his home in Westminster, Colorado, on Jun 19, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Olson’s capture as a POW right after the B-24 crash meant his wounds went undocumented. In 2017, Dick decided to file a claim with the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records and prove that his father had been injured. “I thought to myself, this is unfinished business, I’ve got to see if I can get this thing,” Dick said.
After an extensive filing process, the Board for Correction rejected Dick’s request in 2020.
Brian Schenk, founder of Midwest Military and Veterans Law, agreed to work with Dick pro bono and together, they took the Board for Correction to federal court, determined to prove that Olson had been injured during active duty.
“Dick Olson’s father was a war hero and he had such extreme humility that he himself never sought a Purple Heart,” Schenk told the Denver Post.
“I thought to myself, the old man went through the wringer, and he deserves to have this,” Dick said. “I told the Air Force in the letter that I wrote with my first application that I’m doing it for his legacy and for posterity. People should know that he was injured fighting for his country.”
On April 23, Dick won his case and the Board for Correction agreed to posthumously grant Olson a Purple Heart Award.
“He would have been real happy to wear this purple heart,” Dick said. “I think he would have been pretty proud of the fight we put up to make this happen.”
A man in his 20s was underwater and had not resurfaced for more than nine minutes, according to the department.
Divers found the man around 5:34 p.m., according to officials, and first responders performed CPR. The man was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, according to a 5:41 p.m. update on X.
Severe thunderstorms with large hail, damaging winds, heavy rain and a tornado are possible in Colorado’s northeast corner Sunday and isolated showers are expected in the mountains and Denver metro area, according to the National Weather Service.
Severe thunderstorms are possible in the eastern plains this afternoon, especially east of Sterling and Akron from 3 to 7 p.m. Hail larger than 2 inches in diameter with damaging wind greater than 60 mph, heavy rain and an isolated tornado is possible. Weak showers and thunderstorms are expected in north central and western Colorado, according to NWS forecasters.
The Denver metro area will be mostly sunny today with a high of 89 degrees. Showers and thunderstorms between 3 and 5 p.m., with wind gusts up to 23 mph, are possible. The low tonight will be around 52 degrees.
High temperatures in the Denver metro area are expected to continue for much of the week, with a high of 87 degrees Monday, 84 Tuesday and 91 Wednesday. Showers and thunderstorms may return Thursday night and Friday, according to the NWS.
Thunderstorms are possible in portions of central, east central, south central and southeast Colorado Sunday. Storm may develop over the Raton Ridge this afternoon between noon and 1 p.m. and move east into portions of Kiowa, Bent, Prowers and Baca counties. Severe storms, especially east of Eads, with hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter, 60 mph wind gusts, cloud to ground lightning and heavy rainfall may be possible.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms may continue along the mountains in portions of central, east central, south central and southeast Colorado through much of the week. Gusty winds and lightning may also be possible.
Very warm weather is expected to continue in northeast and north central Colorado throughout this week. Wednesday may be the hottest day of the week, with highs in the lower 90s for most of the plains and the Interstate 25 corridor. Showers and thunderstorms may be possible Monday night, with dry conditions through Thursday, according to NWS forecasters.
Scattered thunderstorms may develop over the eastern slopes of the Front Range this afternoon with storms drifting east of the mountains this evening. Light rainfall is expected, but small hail and wind gusts up to 40 mph is possible.
Today will be sunny with a high near 80 degrees in the Denver Metro area and a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. and before 10 p.m. Tonight will dip to 52 degrees with gusts up to 18 mph.
Wednesday will be mostly sunny with a high of 83 degrees. Showers and thunderstorms may return with a 30% chance of precipitation after noon. Rain may continue into that evening with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight and a low of 51 degrees.
There will be a slight drop in temperatures Thursday with a high of 77 degrees and a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon and before midnight. Thursday night may dip to a low of 51 degrees.
Afternoon showers and thunderstorms may continue in the Denver Metro area on Friday and Saturday.
Weak storms with possible gusty winds and lightning are expected over the mountains late this morning in portions of central, east central, south central and southeast Colorado. Strong storms are expected in the southern plains and Pikes Peak region early this afternoon. The storms may become severe as they move eastward into portions of eastern Las Animas, Baca, Kiowa, Bent and Prowers counites late this afternoon. Large hail up to 2 inches in diameter, wind gusts up to 60 mph and lightning are possible.
Thunderstorm coverage will increase on Wednesday. Some thunderstorms may become strong to severe across the rural plains, according to NWS forecasters.
Thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening may bring hail and high winds to the rural plains in northeast and north central Colorado.
Strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible Wednesday and Thursday throughout the plains east of Interstate 25. Cloud to ground lightning, high winds and large hail may be possible. Weaker storms are expected over the mountains and interior valleys in central, east central, south central and southeast Colorado.
Drier weather is expected Friday into the weekend, but strong storms may linger on the eastern plains Friday afternoon and evening.
Northbound Interstate 25 has reopened after closing because of a crash in Colorado Springs, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The interstate closed between exit 139, Martin Luther King Jr. Bypass, and U.S. 24 at mile point 139 around 5 a.m. and reopened around 9:45 a.m., according to CDOT.
The Colorado Springs Fire Department was on scene at the crash around 5:20 a.m. Sunday, according to a post on X.
The body of a 3-year-old boy with special needs who was reported missing Saturday morning from Rocky Ford was found in a canal, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Officials searched the Catlin irrigation canal, which runs directly behind the child’s home, on foot. Amari’s body was found in the canal several miles downstream from his home around 5 p.m. Sunday, according to an update.
The mountains will see light showers this morning, with scattered showers and storms spreading to the urban corridor, plains and valleys this afternoon.
Today will be partly sunny and breezy in the Denver metro area with a high of 77 degrees and a 40% chance of precipitation, mainly after 2 p.m. Tonight will hit a low of 47 degrees.
Rain returns Wednesday with temperatures dropping to a high of 65 degrees. Storms may continue Wednesday night with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight and a low of 45 degrees.
Thursday’s forecast calls for a high of 71 degrees with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon.
Skies should clear Friday, with a sunny day around 80 degrees, and just a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms through the weekend, according to NWS forecasters.
Monday will be mostly sunny across northeast and north central Colorado with isolated and scattered showers and thunderstorms in the foothills and mountains later in the day.
Yesterday’s rain may continue in the Denver metro area this afternoon with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. and a high of 72 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low of 49 degrees.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to return after noon on Tuesday with a 40% chance of precipitation and a high of 77 degrees. Rain may continue Tuesday night, mainly before midnight.
Chance of precipitation on Wednesday rises to 70% with showers and thunderstorms possible in the morning and afternoon and a 40% chance of precipitation before midnight Wednesday night.
Rain and thunderstorms may continue in the Denver metro area throughout the week and into the weekend, according to the NWS.
Adre Baroz, nicknamed “Pyscho,” was sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 homicides of five people in the San Luis Valley, according to court records.
Korina Arroyo, Selena Esquibel, Xavier Zeven Garcia, Myron Martinez and Shayla Hammel were killed and their bodies dumped near the Colorado-New Mexico border.
Co-defendants Julius Baroz and Francisco Ramirez also pleaded guilty to charges related to the murders in February. Julius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and received 25 years in prison with credit for 1202 days served. Ramirez pleaded guilty to three counts of tampering with a deceased human body and was served three eight-year sentences.
The teenager fell into the silo, which is a concrete cylinder sunk into the ground, around 3:30 a.m. Sunday near 82000 East County Road 22 in Deer Trail, according to the sheriff. The boy’s friends, a group of teenagers, followed him into the silo after he fell, officials say.
The boy’s friends have been rescued, according to a 7:24 a.m. Sunday post on X. The rescue team is in the silo trying to recover the boy, who has been seriously injured, according to the sheriff’s department. A rescue helicopter is on standby, officials say.
The weekend-long series of thunderstorms and snowstorms across Colorado will linger Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Lingering rain showers may remain over the plains Sunday in northeast and north central Colorado. Mountain snow showers will diminish throughout the day but a few additional inches of snow is possible. Widespread rain showers may return Wednesday with a few inches of snowfall for the northern mountains, according to NWS forecasters.
There is a slight chance of rain showers in Denver on Sunday morning with possible showers and thunderstorms after noon. Sunday will be partly sunny with a high of 59 degrees and a 30% chance of precipitation. Wind gusts could reach 15 miles per hour.
Sunday evening will be partly cloudy with a low of 39 degrees and a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday are expected to be mostly clear with highs around 70 degrees. Rain and thunderstorms return Wednesday with a 40% percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon and may continue throughout the week.
Showers, high elevation snow showers and thunderstorms will develop later in the day in higher terrain portions of central, east and south central and southeast Colorado and move over the plains Sunday evening, according to the NWS.
Lingering snow showers with light accumulation will continue over the mountains and higher terrain of Teller and El Paso County. Freezing fog is possible for portions of the Palmer Divide.
There is a slight chance that some of these showers and thunderstorms may produce flash flooding for burn scar and urbanized areas. Wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour and dangerous cloud to ground lightning with hail up to half an inch in diameter is possible. There may be a few additional inches of snow over the southern Sangre de Cristo and Wet Mountains.
Critical fire weather conditions return to portions of the San Luis Valley and eastern plains on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Showers and thunderstorms are possible Sunday afternoon and evening in western Colorado. Dry conditions return Monday with a light chance of precipitation along the Wyoming and Colorado. More widespread precipitation may return to western Colorado Wednesday into Thursday.
The Regional Transportation District’s E and H line light rail trains will not operate on their regular routes from Tuesday, April 23 to Thursday, April 25 due to maintenance, according to an RTD news release.
E Line service will run as normal between I-25/Broadway and Union Station and at 30-minute intervals between Colorado Station and RidgeGate Parkway Station while RTD replaces overhead wires at the Louisiana/Pearl Station beginning April 23.
The H Line will run at 30-minute intervals between Colorado and Florida stations and will not run north of Colorado Station. Customers can transfer to the D Line to travel to central downtown.
Temporary bus shuttle service will be offered between I-25/Broadway and Colorado stations. Customers can board the buses at Colorado Station, gate C, University of Denver Station, gate B, Louisiana/Pearl Station, gate A2, and I-25/Broadway Station, gate A2.
Rain is expected in Denver on Monday, but high fire danger persists throughout the plains and Palmer Divide while heavy snow is possible in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service.
Denverites can expect breezy, sunny weather with a high of 74 degrees and wind gusts as high as 34 miles per hour on Monday. A 20 percent chance of showers after 3 p.m. increases to 60 percent with gusts as high as 37 miles per hour before 9 p.m. Monday night will hit a low of 48 with a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 p.m. and after midnight and a chance of showers between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Temperatures will continue to drop Tuesday and cloudy, breezy weather is expected. A high of 68 degrees with wind gusts around 38 miles per hour and a 50 percent chance of showers before noon Tuesday drops to 44 degrees that night with wind gusts decreasing to 31 miles per hour.
Warm, dry and windy weather will create critical fire weather conditions across much of the Colorado eastern plains Monday afternoon and evening with strong winds and low humidity increasing fire danger south of Interstate 76.
A red flag warning is in effect from noon to 8 p.m. Monday for the Palmer Divide and plains southeast of Interstate 76. Southwest winds with gusts up to 45 miles per hour and humidity as low as seven percent will create favorable conditions for rapid fire spread. Wind gusts may reach 50 miles per hour in Lincoln County.
Higher humidity levels decrease fire weather conditions north of Denver and throughout the mountains. A winter storm warning from 3 p.m. Monday to 3 p.m. Tuesday is in place for Rocky Mountain National Park, the Medicine Bow Range, the Mountains of Summit County, the Mosquito Range and the Indian Peaks. Total snow accumulation between 8 and 18 inches with and wind gusts as high as 60 miles per hour is expected.
Heaviest snow is expected to hit the northern Front Range mountains, while wind gusts will be strongest over the southern Front Range. Roads will likely become slick and blowing snow will reduce visibility.
A winter weather advisory is also in effect from 3 p.m. Monday to 3 p.m. Tuesday for the Park Range and Rabbit Ears Pass. Snow accumulation will be between 6 and 12 inches with wind gusts as high as 40 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
Two people were injured overnight in two shootings across Denver.
The first shooting happened in the 3700 block of North Peoria Street, Denver police reported at 11:28 p.m. Saturday on X.
One woman was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries and no arrests have been made, police say.
The second shooting happened at East 12th Avenue and Lincoln Street, police reported at 3:32 a.m. Sunday. One victim, an adult male, was found and taken to the hospital, according to police. The extent of his injuries is unknown at this time and no arrests have been made.
Anyone with information should contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
All northbound and southbound lanes are closed at 1st Avenue and Emery Street at mile point 315.4 in Longmont.
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe train is blocking multiple intersections, including 1st Avenue and Main Street, 1st Avenue and Coffman Street and 1st Avenue and Emery Street.
The derailment, caused by a detached wheel on a train car, is minor, but the train cannot be moved until it is repaired, according to the City of Longmont. The repair will likely occur after 8 a.m. on Friday.
Travelers should expect delays and detours in the area. The City of Longmont recommends finding an alternate route.
Part of the Regional Transportation District’s A Line light rail train will be replaced by shuttle buses on Saturday due to maintenance, according to an RTD news release.
Shuttle buses will run from 2:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. between Central Park and Denver International Airport stations while RTD performs necessary maintenance on the Interstate 70 bridge near Peña Boulevard and installs insulators for overhead lines that power the rail trains.
Travelers can board a shuttle bus at Central Park gate B3, Peoria gate E, 40th Avenue and Airport/Gateway Park gate A, 61st/Peña next to the platform, and Denver Airport station at gate 7 for departures and gate 6 for arrivals.
Direct rail service to the airport will resume Saturday evening after maintenance is complete. The first train with continuous service to Denver Airport station departs Union Station at 6:30 p.m. The first train with continuous service to Union Station departs Denver Airport station at 7:27 p.m., according to RTD.
RTD encourages customers to plan ahead using the Next Ride app and to allow extra time for bus shuttle transfers to and from the airport.
