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Fallen Arvada police officer's girlfriend addresses killer in court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — Thursday was a day for the loved ones of both Sonny Almanza and late Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff to sway the judge's decision at Almanza's sentencing.Almanza was found guilty on eight counts, including first-degree murder of a peace officer, and sentenced to life in prison without parole in Vakoff's shooting death in September 2022.Almanza's family told the judge that he's not the monster he's been made out to be, but it was Vakoff's girlfriend and fellow Arvada Police Officer Megan Esslinger who offered the most emotional case."Us, his family, knows who Sonny really is, as the man he is, as the dad he is, as the brother he is, as everything he is to everyone. He's a good person," said Jacob Marrujo, Almanza's brother-in-law. Ugandan military colonel charged in Colorado humanitarian’s death Marrujo and other relatives said they would stay by Almanza's side after he was sentenced for killing Vakoff with an AR-15. The whole confrontation started when A...

Mother, teenage son killed in Broomfield crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

BROOMFIELD, Colo. (KDVR) — A mother and her teenage son have been identified as the two people killed in a Broomfield crash on Tuesday.Melissa Powell, 47, and her son, 16-year-old Riordan Powell, died in the crash on Main Street. Riordan was a student at Broomfield High School and Boulder TEC."They were a big part of the communities they were involved in and both loving people with lots of empathy for everyone," said Melissa's oldest son, Christopher Powell. "Melissa loved everyone, and Riordan just wanted to help people and make the world a better place."A GoFundMe account was started to help the family during this time.The crash took place during school hours. Police said multiple vehicles were involved, and a second driver survived the crash but was hospitalized in critical condition.FOX31's Alliyah Sims will have more from the family on FOX31 News at 10 p.m.

Broncos great Randy Gradishar named grand marshal for 2024 stock show parade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The National Western Stock Show named former Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar as grand marshal. He will lead the Stock Show Kick-off Parade this year.The stock show parade started in the 1960s to kick off the annual event when longhorn cattle were herded through the Denver streets.Now, you'll be able to see western cattle drive with horses, cowboys, cowgirls, tractors, marching bands and floats. Randy Gradishar receives nomination for Pro Football Hall of Fame It's the first event to kick off the two-week-long stock show. Other events include rodeos, equestrian shows, live music, food, sheep shearing and more. This year, Gradishar will start off the parade by leading the cattle through the streets of Denver.Gradishar was a member of the Broncos' "Orange Crush" defense from 1974-83. This past August, he received a nomination for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which will be announced early next year.The stock show takes place from Jan. 6-21, 2024, in De...

Kids in Distress, Olivier Salon & Spa in Fort Lauderdale team up to host holiday party

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

A South Florida salon got into the spirit of the season.Olivier Salon & Spa hosted a holiday party for 80 children on Thursday in the courtyard of their River Market Center location in Fort Lauderdale.The young revelers are participants in the Kids in Distress program that provides assistance to at-risk children and families.“This team is just bringing Christmas to them,” said Mark Dhooge, president and CEO of Kids in Distress. “We have Santa Claus out there, we have a whole bunch of animals, we got a farm yard of animals, and our kids are just having a blast “The salon and its clients, along with Sayn Beauty, also raised funds at the event to provide additional funding for this children’s program.

Big Orange to return to InterContinental Miami to ring in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

Get ready for Miami’s iconic Big Orange to return to downtown Miami in non-digital form, just in time to ring in the new year.Officials on Thursday confirmed that the fan favorite will once again rise to the occasion on the side of the InterContinental Miami Hotel on Dec. 31.The coronavirus pandemic prompted the city to pause the 30-plus-year tradition and replace it with a digital display.

How did Britain’s prisons go so wrong?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Google Play EN_Google_Podcasts_Badge Created with Sketch. Acast Amazon Music Host Aggie Chambre explores the crisis in Britain’s prison system and asks what can be done to fix it. She goes inside a prison riddled with drugs and violence, and hears from the governor and from long-serving inmates about what’s really going on. Justice...

The right to breathe: how policymakers can tackle severe asthma

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

Asthma impacts over 330 million people worldwide. While severe asthma makes up only 5-10 percent of cases, it is accountable for over half of asthma-related costs globally.[1] It profoundly affects patients’ lives, undermining their physical, mental and economic well-being, and increasing the risk of preventable deaths. Despite its significance, severe asthma is often overshadowed by other health priorities, leading to inadequate resource allocation and substandard care, further straining already pressured health systems.Severe asthma outcomes, like many other chronic diseases, are deeply entangled with a wide range of environmental and socio-economic factors. Therefore, addressing it is not merely about medical intervention, but about creating and implementing comprehensive, holistic strategies.The challenges presented by severe asthma are not beyond our capabilities. Around the globe, there is a wide range of best practices, treatments, and approaches to asthma management. Yet, th...

Jackknifed tractor trailer blocks Dorchester Ave. near I-93

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

A jackknifed tractor trailer blocked part of Dorchester Avenue in Boston Thursday night, drawing an emergency response to the scene. The crash happened on the overpass carrying Dorchester Avenue over the southbound side I-93. In an initial post on X near 9 p.m., the state Department of Transportation asked drivers to seek alternate routes around the area. Crews remained on scene, with the road still closed near 11 p.m. The truck appeared to be stuck between the curbs of the overpass and crews could be seen working to free it. One worker on scene told reporters the driver involved is from Canada, got lost and tried to turn around before getting stuck. While they waited for an additional tow truck to aid in their efforts, crews said this crash may have damaged fencing on the overpass, potentially requiring officials to close some lanes on I-93 below the bridge. No further information was immediately available.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for ...

One person dead in crash in Scripps Ranch area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- One person was killed in a crash when a vehicle hit a tree Thursday in the Scripps Ranch area, authorities said.The collision occurred around 5:40 p.m. at Spring Canyon Rd. and Scripps Poway Parkway, the San Diego Police Department confirmed to FOX 5. Deadly SR-905 crash near border prompts lane closures Authorities have shut down eastbound and westbound lanes on Scripps Poway Parkway near Scripps Summit.It is unknown if the person was the driver or if anyone else was in the vehicle.Check back for updates on this developing story.

Militants attack police office and army post in northwest Pakistan. 2 policemen, 3 attackers killed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:37 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Militants staged attacks on a regional police headquarters and an army post in a former Taliban stronghold in northwest Pakistan before dawn Friday, triggering firefights that killed two police officers and three insurgents, security officials said.The attack in the town of Tank in Dera Ismail Khan came three days after a suicide bomber in the same region rammed his car into a police station’s main gate and five others opened fire, killing 23 officers in this year’s worst attack on troops. Local police chief Iftikhar Shah said two police officers were “martyred” and three others were wounded in Friday’s attack on the police headquarters, while two of the attackers died. He said a third militant was killed by soldiers during the assault on a nearby army post.No one immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion was likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The group is separate from Afghanistan’...