DENVER (KDVR) — Police found no signs of suspicious activity at a middle school in Broomfield Thursday morning.
Just before 8:30 a.m., the Broomfield Police Department tweeted that officers were at Westlake Middle School on reports of suspicious activity. The middle school is a part of the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District and is next to Westlake Park.
When officers received the call, the school was not occupied by students.
Broomfield police said they conducted a thorough search of the school and did not find any signs of suspicious activities.
Classes are still in session on Thursday, but officers will remain at the school as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and security of students and staff.
DENVER (KDVR) — Meet Deputy Lupita Vega. This November will mark three years on the job at the Denver Sheriff Department.
The Denver Sheriff Department is unique in Colorado. There is no unincorporated land in Denver, so the department does not patrol the county. Their work is exclusively in the jail, the courts, inmate transportation, extradition and K-9 units.
And speaking of K-9 units, they have nothing but kind words when describing Vega.
“She has always supported us,” said Deputy Clark Jones, of the K-9 unit. “If a dog likes you, that says a lot. And the dogs love her. They are always happy to see her.”
Meet Deputy Lupita Vega. This November will mark three years on the job at the Denver Sheriff Department. (KDVR)
‘Sharp mentality, that attention to detail, that analytical mindset’
Vega loves dogs — and horses, too. She is a member of the Denver Sheriff Department mounted unit, and she has her own quarter horse named Tequila.
But Vega spends most of her time working in the records department. That operation is 24/7.
“Someone we would like to have over here has got to have that sharp mentality, that attention to detail, that analytical mindset. That would be our perfect employee,” said Capt. Ilya Telesen. “And that is Vega. Absolutely.”
And no one would agree more than Denver County Sheriff Elias Diggins.
“You have been phenomenal, and it’s a pleasure to have you as a member of our department. You demonstrate all the qualities the Denver Sheriff Department embodies. Thank you,” Diggins said to Vega as he handed her the plaque recognizing her as the Support the Shield Officer of the Month.
DENVER (KDVR) — The man charged in a deadly Lone Tree hit-and-run in 2022 received a maximum sentence of 18 years after failing to appear in court.
On Tuesday, David Lucero, 40, was sentenced to six years for vehicular homicide and 12 years for leaving the scene of an accident involving death. The sentences will run consecutively.
Man runs red light, kills woman
On the morning of Oct. 23, 2022, bystanders saw a Ram pickup truck run a red light and crash into the driver’s side of a sedan near Lincoln Avenue and Park Meadows Drive.
When Lone Tree police officers arrived on the scene, they found a woman trapped inside her sedan.
The woman was transferred to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Lucero left the scene before he could be questioned, but police were able to track him down from his license plate tags. Lucero initially told police his car was missing, then admitted to the crash after further questioning.
Lucero was charged and pleaded guilty to the following offenses:
Leaving the scene of an accident involving death
Vehicular homicide-reckless driving
His sentencing was scheduled for April 2, 2024, but Lucero never showed up in court. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was arrested two days later.
“Instead of calling for help or remaining on-scene until emergency personnel arrived, this defendant made the cowardly decision to run,” Deputy District Attorney Keegan Doheney said. “He not only decided to flee that morning, but he also decided not to face justice on the day he was set to be sentenced.”
Lucero will now serve the maximum sentence in prison.
DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver bridge more than a century old is set to be demolished, and drivers in the area will see traffic impacts from a work closure scheduled for this weekend.
Built in 1911 and widened in 1966, the Alameda Avenue bridge over the South Platte River is the oldest in Colorado’s highway system. The Colorado Department of Transportation said an ongoing project will reconstruct the bridge and make other improvements to benefit drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Here’s what Denver travelers can expect this weekend.
Alameda Avenue closure: May 10-13
West Alameda Avenue (Colorado Highway 26) will be closed between Kalamath and Lipan streets from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, as will the southbound Interstate 25 ramp to Alameda. Drivers are warned that the detour will add around 20 minutes of travel time.
“The closure will allow crews to switch traffic over to the newly constructed northside of the bridge while preparations are made to remove the old south half of the structure,” CDOT said in a release. “Pedestrians also will be switched to the northside. The South Platte River Trail detour remains in place.”
Alameda Avenue (Colorado Highway 26) detour routes for May 10-13, 2024, closure to demolish bridge (Colorado Department of Transportation)
Alameda Avenue construction to continue into 2025
Construction on the $22.3 million project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2025.
The project will modify Alameda intersections for multi-modal use, including improvements to the I-25 South Santa Fe Drive interchange. South Platte River Drive will be eliminated between Alameda and Cedar avenues, diverting traffic to the widened South Lipan Street north of Alameda.
Crews will also reconstruct the South Platte River Trail, build an on-street two-way cycle track that connects to the trail, install a water quality pond and improve sidewalks.
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (KDVR) — May 7, 2024 marks five years since the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch. One person was killed and eight others were wounded.
It was just before 2 p.m. on May 7, 2019, when two students entered the building and opened fire. They had concealed their weapons in a guitar case.
Kendrick Castillo, 18, was in English class when one of the shooters entered and told everyone not to move. Instead, Castillo charged the shooter and was shot.
He has been credited with saving the lives of others in the classroom that day.
DENVER (AP) — Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns powered Minnesota’s 106-80 blitz of the Denver Nuggets on Monday night that gave the Timberwolves a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals over the reigning but reeling NBA champions.
Towns and Edwards both scored 27 points as the Wolves improved to 6-0 in the playoffs and gave themselves a chance to close out the fuming Nuggets with wins Friday night and Sunday in Minneapolis.
So dominant were the Wolves that they had the Nuggets throwing both fits (Michael Malone) and objects onto the court (Jamal Murray).
Aaron Gordon led Denver with 20 points, Nikola Jokic had 16 points and 16 rebounds but their third-leading scorer was sub Justin Holliday with 13 points. Murray scored 8 points on 3-of-18 shooting.
The Wolves staggered the Nuggets with body blow after body blow even though their starting center Rudy Gobert was back home in Minneapolis attending the birth of his son Sunday. But they didn’t need Gobert’s shot-blocking prowess and rim protection on this night to continue their domination of the Nuggets at Ball Arena, where Denver was 36-8 before their back-to-back losses to Minnesota.
Kyle Anderson replaced Gobert in the starting lineup and the Timberwolves hounded Jokic and disrupted Denver’s offense just the same.
During a 43-18 first-half flourish by the Timberwolves — Edwards was on the bench for much of it, no less — the Nuggets grew so frustrated that Malone ran way out onto the court and got in official Marc Davis’ face for an extended blowup during a timeout and somehow avoided a technical.
So did Murray after Denver’s ailing point guard threw a heat pack onto the court in frustration as Towns was about to score on a layup in the second quarter.
It wasn’t clear if the officials realized it was Murray who threw the object onto the court and not a fan. He will likely face punishment from the league, however.
Frustrated by their slow starts — the Nuggets have trailed by double digits in six of their seven playoff games and by nine in the other — Malone challenged his team to get off to a strong start for once.
“What are we waiting for?” he pleaded after Sunday’s practice.
Only Aaron Gordon heeded his coach’s call, scoring 13 quick points, including a 3-pointer that brought the Nuggets to 18-17 late in the first quarter.
Things unraveled for Denver after that because Jokic was the only other starter to score for the Nuggets before the second quarter. Jokic had just eight points by halftime and Murray, still bothered by a strained left calf, scored just two first-half points for the duo’s worst offensive output in a half this season.
Trailing 61-35 at the break, the Nuggets’ 26-point halftime deficit was Denver’s largest in a home playoff game in franchise history.
The Wolves led 82-60 after three quarters and cruised the rest of the way.
In some areas, the wind speeds are expected to reach 40 mph and some areas are expecting wind gusts as high as 80 mph.
On Monday morning, the concert venue announced on X that the show was canceled. The band also posted on X stating that local authorities decided to cancel the show.
“We want nothing more than to be with you all tonight but in order to ensure everyone’s safety we have no option but to cancel,” said Hippo Campus on X.
According to Red Rocks, refunds will be automatically processed for ticket holders who purchased tickets on AXS.
The Aurora Police Department is now taking action and said it will continue to crack down on street racing after recent a joint operation ended up with two people being arrested.
Aurora Police teamed up with eight local and state agencies to identify and arrest those involved.
Here’s a breakdown what law enforcement agencies found during the 10-hour operation.
APD responded to street racing events/gatherings at these locations:
Parking lot of 20500 East Colfax Avenue
Parking lot of Aurora Hills Golf Course
Parking lot of 13450 East Smith Road
Parking Lot of 16075 East 32nd Avenue
Parking lot of 1400 Lisbon Street
Parking lot of 2650 South Havana Street
13801 East 33rd Place
1700 South Buckley Road
Parking lot of Arapahoe Crossing, 6626 South Parker Road
Felony eluding at Parker Road and Lehigh Avenue
Parking lot on the Southeast corner of 6th Avenue and Chambers Road
Parking lot of 2690 South Havana Street
Authorities say they have been able to identify these hotspots throughout the city by using technology and investigative techniques.
The Metro Street Racer Enforcement Operation conducted last week ended with 21 traffic stops, two arrests, one criminal citation, 13 traffic tickets, one recovered firearm, one vehicle nuisance abatement, field interviews and six towed vehicles.
Participating agencies include the Colorado State Patrol, Denver Police Department, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Wheat Ridge Police Department, Westminster Police Department, Thornton Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broomfield Police Department.
An Aurora Police spokesperson told FOX31 that some vehicles were towed for a variety of traffic offenses including no driver’s license, no license plates and eluding.
Police said vehicles will only be held until they are legally operable to drive (properly registered, released to a licensed driver, etc.) The vehicle that eluded was the only vehicle that has a hold on it, and that hold will be released once the investigation is completed.
“Loud as can be, drowning out my TV with the windows shut, and I’m several blocks away, if not a mile away. Just the way it carries, it’s choking through the neighborhood here,” said Mike McMillan, who witnesses the street racing.
FOX31 spoke to him two weeks ago. At the time, he had donut marks outside his window. He also shared still images of street racing happening near DelMar Park.
“We’re not talking 2 to 3 cars, were taking 50 to 100, 200 cars gathering,” McMillan said.
At the time, FOX31 found the parking lot of Concorde Career College on North Havana covered in tire tracks from burnouts and drivers doing donuts. Staff there told FOX31 they often find bullet casings and beer cans in the parking lot.
“This is not a normal car show activity, this is a disruptive automotive flash mob of hundreds of people whose sole purpose is to do donuts and make social media videos on their phones, and oftentimes shoot guns in the air. Where are those bullets landing?” said McMillan.
Police have identified people that evening of the operation who were involved in sideshow activities like burnouts or donuts. They were contacted that night and issued summonses.
There are no pending arrest warrants at this time.
The majority of the locations are identified by tips from upset neighbors and business owners who call the Aurora 911 center.
If you see street racing happening you can report it online. It comes in as an anonymous tip to the police.
According to the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Information Analysis Center, they forwarded 24 tips so far this year and 133 tips in 2023.
COLORADO (KDVR) — Vitalant is partnering with women’s advocates and hospitals for the fifth year for Donate for Moms, a project to support women who experience complications during birth. During the project, 40 blood drive locations will be open across the state to support it.
Robin Sicilia, who now lives in Castle Rock, grew up around blood donations since her father ran the local blood center in the town she lived in as a child.
“I didn’t know this side of it and never thought that I would be a part of that,” she said.
In fact, 20 years ago, she recalled giving birth to her second child. She was a week overdue and was sent to the hospital to be induced, but the medication was not working.
“My baby got stuck,” she said. “They had said I would have to have a C-section, but it happened so fast that they couldn’t.”
In her foggy state, Sicilia remembered the confusion and chaos that ensued.
“My doctor was swearing, the other doctor was swearing, the nurses looked terrified. I didn’t really know what was going on,” she said.
The next thing she remembered was waking up, learning she was given 100 stitches, and she had lost 40 percent of her blood volume.
“I remember her saying if there was anyone I needed to call, I should make those calls,” Sicilia said. “I didn’t know if I was saying goodbye, I didn’t know if I was warning my family.”
She called her dad, who told her it was going to be okay, and shortly after she was given multiple transfusions.
“[I] watched her hook up the bag and that continued for several days,” she said. “And then I took home a very healthy baby boy.”
Sicilia said she still looks back on those moments with awe and gratitude.
“To have the opportunity to be a mom and to still be there for my kids means the world to me, so there’s not a day that I don’t think about that experience,” she said.
Then, it was later when she learned something like this happening is more common than she thought. In fact, one in 83 moms will need a blood transfusion after pregnancy.
“It’s very common across the US for moms to go into, you know, pregnancy not knowing that they may need a blood transfusion,” said Brooke Way, communications manager for Vitalant.
While it can often lead to fear and uncertainty during pregnancy, it also means many do not realize how important blood and blood donors can be.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for … all of the people that donate blood every single day that change lives and save lives,” Sicilia said.
Especially with summer around the corner, Vitalant highlighted the importance of donating.
“[Summer is] one of the lowest blood donation times for us because people are traveling, they’re out of school,” Way said. “There’s a lot more accidents on the roads. We need blood for those reasons. And so the need for blood doesn’t stop.”
DENVER (KDVR) — Promising news from a new jobs report released by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce: according to the report, more jobs are being filled now compared to the last two years.
Colorado ranks 14th for job vacancies in the country, down from 8th where the Centennial State previously ranked.
All is not perfect, however, as there are still a lot of job vacancies which can be an indicator that employers are not finding the talent they need to fill those positions.
“It’s still a pretty competitive market for employers that are looking for skilled workers,” Loren Furman, president and CEO of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce said.
There are fewer job vacancies now than in years past.
“Especially compared to 2022,” Furman said, “Where it was a pretty volatile job market at that time and the vacancies were significantly higher.”
The report also shows less optimistic signs of a drop in competitiveness among salaries, which the chamber attributes to costs taken on by employers.
“The state’s increased cost of doing business factors around a costly regulatory environment,” Furman said
Regarding the job vacancies around the state, those are in industries that are not landing people with the skills needed for those roles.
“When you think about healthcare, when you think about manufacturing, those are some of the most prevalent areas that employers are having trouble filling jobs with skilled workers,” Furman said.
One reason for the gap found by the chambers’ study points to job training programs.
“What we’ve found is that there is a lack of communication between education representatives and the business community in regions across the state to teach curriculum and find the skill sets that are needed,” Furman said.
A bipartisan bill is about halfway to becoming law that could impact the workforce in Colorado.
House Bill 1365 aims to create a state-funded summit to connect employers with educators to create training programs that would meet the needs of a new workforce across the state.
DENVER (KDVR) — A K-9 with the Greenwood Village Police Department led an officer to a. 85-year-old woman who was found “clinging to a tree” after going missing two hours earlier.
K-9 Mercury joined GVPD over a year ago and is trained to search for and track down missing people as well as narcotics detection.
On Thursday, GVPD said Officer Austin Speer and Mercury responded to a call reporting that the woman had been missing for a couple of hours.
Mercury led Speer to the woman, who according to police was found “clinging to a tree down a steep ravine.”
The department said she was in a spot where she could not be seen from the roadway or canal.
GVPD posted a video of the rescue, in which Mercury got plenty of praise as he and Officer Speer ran toward the woman.
“Hi, ma’am! This is a friendly dog, he found you. We’re going to get you home, OK?” Speer said.
The police department said the woman was returned safely to her home and family.
DENVER (KDVR) — Breezy conditions continue into Saturday along as high temperatures will be just a touch above average.
Weather today: Gusty winds with a chance of showers
There will be some cloud cover Saturday morning but that will burn off by the late morning/early afternoon.
Temperatures start out in the 30s and 40s and will top out in the upper 60s nearing 70 degrees. There could be a round or two of isolated storms, especially on the west side of town, although most of of the area will be dry.
Winds will stay calm in the morning but look for gusts to spike upwards of 30 mph at times.
Weather tonight: Mostly clear and breezy
The evening will start with some cloud cover as the isolated showers subside and overnight low temperatures sink into the middle 40s. It will still be breezy with sustained winds out of the south between 10-20 mph and gusts up to 30 mph.
Looking ahead: Warm Sunday, cooler workweek
Sunday brings warmer but breezier conditions as highs top out in the upper 70s under partly cloudy skies. There could be gusts up to 45 mph in the metro.
Monday will be cooler and windy, with a slight chance for showers. High temperatures on Monday will reach the mid-60s, just a few degrees below normal.
Sunny and mild conditions are in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of another chance for showers on Thursday and Friday.
DENVER (KDVR) — On April 26, video captured two people breaking into mailboxes at Beaumont Place condominiums. Now, people living in the area are hoping someone might recognize them.
The video clearly shows a large white vehicle with Texas plates pulling up to the mailboxes. A woman with pink hair and a black sweatshirt gets out and attempts to pry open the boxes with a small sharp tool.
Eventually, a man is seen joining her, also in a sweatshirt. He can then be seen using a crowbar to force the boxes open.
They took a bunch of mail and then left.
Karissa Ray, who lives in the community with her mother, said a neighbor came to her door to tell her it looked like her mailbox had been broken into. She said they had lost several pieces of mail, some of it valuable.
“They took bank statements, just like stuff we had to pay. I think we had Xcel, I had my tags in there,” she said.
Two mail thieves were caught on camera at Beaumont Place (Credit: Greg Wheeler).Defining characteristics can be sign including the hand tattoos, pink hair and Texas license plate in the back (Credit: Greg Wheeler).One of them was using a crowbar and gathering a bunch of mail (Credit: Greg Wheeler).
Neighbors hope clear surveillance images crack the case
Greg Wheeler, who led security for the homeowners association board at the community, first posted the security images of the suspects to Nextdoor. He said some commented they recognized the two suspects as people who had hit other mailboxes and stolen packages in the area.
“I read in the comments other folks saying, it looks like somebody that we’ve caught on camera in our community’s mailbox,” Wheeler said.
It could be credited to the quality of the cameras, which had been primarily meant to scare away potential mail thieves. Wheeler said it seemed like the suspects either did not know they were there — or did not care.
“I mean, they just were right there on camera. Their faces are right there, easily seen. You can see the tattoo on the girl’s hand. And you can clearly see the license plate,” he said.
He said he is hoping with these details, they will eventually be caught.
“From the detective working the case, this was the clearest picture they’ve gotten of these two,” he said.
But for now, people living in the area are making sure their mail is brought in before it gets too dark or are sending it elsewhere.
“I don’t even get anything sent to the house anymore,” said Casey, who lives in the condominiums. “I have all my packages sent to work.”
DENVER (KDVR) — A company based out of Vail is looking for a summer intern, but it’s not a normal 9-5 desk job. This opportunity involves farm animals and snuggling.
Harvest Hosts is an RV camping membership that offers overnight stays at over 5,000 locations nationwide, and it’s stepping into a new opportunity.
The RV site is offering a cow-cuddling internship. Yes, you read that correctly.
The idea for the internship started as an odd phenomenon between some of the RV hosts.
A few hosts started to offer cow cuddling as a form of agrotourism, according to CEO Joel Holland. It’s kind of like pumpkin picking or a Christmas tree farm, except, this idea is with farm animals.
A few hosts turned into several, as more and more noticed these cows were beneficial for emotional support. Now, the company is offering an internship based on the trend.
The intern would care for the cow, help with tasks around the farm and train the cow to be close to humans.
What it takes to be a cow cuddler
Holland is looking to fill the summer position as soon as possible. The team is looking for a few special qualifications for the summer intern, including:
Love for animals, especially cows
Interpersonal skills, positive attitude
Moderate fitness level
Must be 18+ and have a valid U.S. driver’s license
Ability to travel
While he’s expecting the position to be filled by someone with a background in farming or psychology, the position is purposely left open-ended.
“We’re not super stuck on any particular type of person,” said Holland.
The internship comes with a daily living stipend. The company will also provide an RV if you don’t have one.
While it’s a Colorado-based company, the cow cuddling locations are only in New York, Florida and Maryland. Although, Holland hopes to expand emotional support farm animals in the Centennial State.
“I’m hoping that some farms actually reach out to us and tell us they have this as an option,” said Holland.
How to apply
To apply for the position, submit your resume and a cover letter on the website. The cover letter should outline your interest in the position, relevant experience and one to two photos of your farm experience.
If you’re looking for a summer outside of the house – and in an RV – with farm animals and traveling, the company is still taking applications.
Prosecutors charged Michael McCormack with second-degree murder, among other counts, the Wheat Ridge Police Department said in a release on Thursday. McCormack is accused of being an accomplice in the November killing of Peter Arguello.
Arguello was shot and killed on Nov. 29 during a robbery at his jewelry and antiques store, Peter Damian Fine Jewelry and Antiques.
Police say they later matched DNA from handcuffs found at the West 38th Avenue crime scene with another suspect, Charles Shay. Shay faces counts of first- and second-degree murder in the killing and was taken into custody in late December, accused of burglarizing Arguello’s business nearly a month after the homicide.
Peter Arguello (Brenda Ritz/Neighborhood Gazette)
In early March, police issued an arrest warrant for McCormack and had been working to find him, according to the release. Police located him in the Black Hawk area and took him into custody on Wednesday evening.
The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office filed charges against McCormack of second-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, aggravated robbery and second-degree motor vehicle theft, along with sentence enhancers for violent crime, police said.
Court records show McCormack appeared in court for advisement on Thursday and has a preliminary hearing scheduled on May 30.
DENVER (KDVR) — Kache Nakagawa’s father put him on a dirt bike as soon as he could walk. Now, the 8-year-old has his eyes set on a national championship.
Jesse Nakagawa passed his love for dirt biking to his son.
“He loves to race. He loves that competitive drive,” he said of Kache.
Kache is a two-time state motocross champion. He started racing at age 4 and now spends most of his life outside school on the racetrack.
“I just focus on what I need to do,” Kache told FOX31.
He sticks to the basics that he learned from his coach: his dad.
“Strong, fast, aggressive, smart, safe and control of my bike,” Kache said.
Kache Nakagawa’s father put him on a dirt bike as soon as he could walk. Now, the 8-year-old has his eyes set on a national championship. (KDVR)
That dedication and passion led him to win back-to-back state championships, and his next goal is the Loretta Lynn National Championship. That means the Nakagawa family’s weekly schedule is set for the next few months: three days at practice, one rest day and three days of racing.
“It’s a crazy week during the season, but we love it. It brings our family close,” Jesse Nakagawa said.
There’s a risk every time Kache lets loose on the track, but for his dad, the reward of seeing his child’s dreams come true is far greater.
“If they say they want to do it, be behind them 100%,” he said. “Watch what happens.”
The Nakagawa family is raising money to help pay for the big commitment of getting Kache to compete at the national level. For more information on how to support them, visit their GoFundMe link here.
DENVER (KDVR) — The Colorado Rockies had some fairly bad seasons over the years — but the Rockies hit rock bottom when the team tallied its worst season in franchise history last year with 59 wins and 103 losses before the season was even over.
That said, you can’t necessarily judge a team by its previous seasons. Many MLB teams went from worst to first within a year, tackling unlikely franchise comebacks.
Remember when the Boston Red Sox went from 69 wins, landing themselves in last place in 2012 for their division, to 97 wins and a World Series championship in 2013?
Unfortunately, the Rockies aren’t exactly off to a comeback season.
But the worst opening day in franchise history wasn’t the turning point for the Rockies. Tuesday night’s loss against the Miami Marlins marked the Rockies as the first team since 1900 to trail in each of its first 29 games.
It’s too soon to tell if there will be any more records to break this season (the most losses in one season sit with the New York Mets in 1962 with 120 losses) but the team isn’t the worst in history.
For the first 25 games, the Rockies ended with 6-19, which is at least four more wins than some of the worst starting seasons.
Meanwhile, the Rockies aren’t even the worst in the league right now at 7-22. The Marlins currently have the worst record at 7-24, although they have played two more games than Colorado.
While it’s easy to pick on the Rockies for their record over the years, the team still has over 100 games left to play, and it’s not really all that bad — at least compared to the Marlins and the worst starting seasons and history.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mikko Rantanen scored his first two goals of the playoffs in the third period, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night that clinched their opening-round playoff series in five games.
Rantanen, who had an assist, scored twice in a span of just under four minutes early in the third period to snap a 3-3 tie.
Valeri Nichushkin, Yakov Trenin, Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson also scored for the Avalanche, who will play the winner of the series between the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights.
Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews each had two assists, and Alexandar Georgiev made 33 saves for Colorado.
Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots.
The panel now recommends women should get mammograms every other year from age 40 to 74. Previously the panel made that recommendation for women starting at age 50.
The panel’s recommendations are important because they can help guide doctors and insurance plans.
Dr. Kayla Griffith at Rose Medical Center in Denver said changing the age to 40 is more in line with the recommendations from other major groups. The breast surgical oncologist said she has long recommended mammograms for women starting at age 40, but she recommends them every year.
“We are seeing younger and younger and younger diagnoses of breast cancers, and we are seeing much more progressed diagnoses when people wait two years. So, I highly recommend getting in at age 40 every year. Insurance should cover it,” Griffith said.
Concerns about insurance coverage for mammograms
The Affordable Care Act requires that most private health insurance companies cover screening mammograms at no cost.
But Corrina Steiger, executive director of Susan G. Komen Colorado, said she is concerned.
“We’re concerned with these recommendations that insurance might not cover all the screenings that might be necessary for somebody,” she said.
The task force did not make any specific recommendations for people with a family history or those with dense breast tissue.
“It should be a personalized decision, not one based on these recommendations, which again, just don’t go far enough,” Steiger said.
The panel said it did not find evidence to support annual screenings, saying annual screenings have a much higher rate of false positives, but more research is needed.
DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 32 points despite a strained calf and sank the game-winner with 3.6 seconds left as the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets bounced LeBron James from the playoffs again with a 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 Monday night.
James’ two free throws tied it at 106 with 26 seconds left and the Nuggets, just as they did in Game 2, eschewed the timeout and Murray took the ball on a high screen and roll to his left, shaking Austin Reaves and he crossed through the lane and swished the 14-footer.
“This one was a little better,” Murray said as confetti swirled around him and his celebrating teammates.
Nikola Jokic, who committed an uncharacteristic seven turnovers, narrowly missed his 19th career playoff triple-double with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists and Michael Porter Jr. scored 26.
James had 30 points and 11 assists and Davis had 17 points and 15 rebound but appeared bothered down the stretch after banging his left shoulder into MPJ in the second half.
The Nuggets advanced to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round starting next weekend. That series starts in Denver, where the Nuggets are a Western Conference-best 36-8, including 3-0 in the playoffs.
Not that it’s been easy.
The Nuggets trailed for about three-fourths of the minutes in this series, they scuffled through extended shooting slumps and they’re a banged-up bunch that can definitely use the rest.
The Nuggets, who swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals last summer on their way to winning the franchise’s first NBA championship, beat the Lakers for the 12th time in their last 13 games.
The only other time James was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs came in 2021 when the Phoenix Suns beat L.A. in six games.
So, this was the shortest of James’ 17 trips to the playoffs, where he’s now 183-104 overall with a 41-13 series record and four titles.
After warming up with an ice pack on his injured calf, Murray got medical clearance to play. He wasn’t his usual explosive self on drives to the basket — at first — but he managed 16 points in the first half, including 12 in the first quarter which ended with Denver ahead (28-24) for the first time all series.
The Lakers led 53-50 at halftime and pushed that advantage to nine points but the Nuggets closed on a 21-10 run to take an 81-79 lead into the fourth quarter that was tight until the buzzer.
After Murray’s clutch shot, Taurean Prince heaved up a half-courter that fell short, sending the Lakers to an early exit despite taking the defending champs to the brink in all five games.
