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Suspended Aurora officer back to work after acquittal in Elijah McClain's death

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Aurora Police Officer Nathan Woodyard will return to work after being acquitted of all charges in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, according to the city.Woodyard had been suspended without pay from the department since September 2021. However, that ended as soon as his Nov. 6 acquittal became finalized, the city said. Final trial over Elijah McClain’s death in Aurora spotlights paramedics’ role After his suspension ended, he elected to reintegrate with Aurora police, according to the city.Woodyard was placed on restricted duty pending the next steps in the reintegration process. This means he will not be in uniform, will not have public contact and will not take any enforcement actions. According to the city, any civil service member on extended leave must reintegrate to "bring them up to speed" on practice and policy changes that have happened. Once the reintegration ends, Woodyard will be eligible for reassignment to a position in the department, the city said....

11 horses killed in large Franktown barn fire

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Several horses were killed and one person was injured in a large fire that engulfed a barn in Franktown.Around 3:56 a.m. Monday, Douglas County Sheriff's deputies along with the Franktown Fire Department, South Metro Fire Rescue, Castle Rock Fire Department, Elizabeth Fire Department, West Douglas Fire Department and Elizabeth Fire Department responded to the scene. Driver says she’s ‘very lucky’ after pole smashes her windshield on I-25 In total, 30 firefighters were at the scene.The building was burning near North Russellville Road and North State Highway 83. The large flames and smoke could be seen for miles.Crews worked to contain a large barn fire near North Russellville Road in Franktown. (Franktown Fire Department)Crews worked to contain a large barn fire near North Russellville Road in Franktown. (Franktown Fire Department)Crews worked to contain a large barn fire near North Russellville Road in Franktown. (Franktown Fire Department)FOX31's Vicente Arenas ...

Woman shocked with Taser while on ground sues Pueblo officer, chief for not reporting it

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

DENVER (AP) — A woman who was shocked in the back with a Taser while lying on the ground in Pueblo last year is suing the police officer who stunned her and the city's police chief, accusing the police department of failing to report excessive force by the officer to state regulators.The federal lawsuit filed Sunday by Cristy Gonzales, who was suspected of stealing a vehicle, says the police department found Cpl. Bennie Villanueva used excessive force against Gonzales and another person several weeks later. However, it says the agency withheld the information from a state board that oversees who is qualified to serve in law enforcement. If it had been reported, Villanueva would have lost his certification to work as a police officer for at least a year, the lawsuit said. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Gonzales was suspected of stealing a truck in February 2022 and didn't stop for Villanueva, according to a police investigation. Eventually, the v...

Actor Joel Kinnaman takes on new challenge in dialogue-less action film ‘Silent Night”

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

This holiday season, the gift of gab was not on actor’s Joel Kinnaman’s wish list. Instead, he wanted to leave audiences across the nation speechless. Literally.In fact, his new action pack film “Silent Night” does just that.Deco sat down with the actor to learn all about what we can expect to see and not hear in the movie.In the new action flick “Silent Night,” they take the word silent literally.Joel Kinnaman: “There is no dialogue in the whole film.”That’s right. Nearly two hours of of just butt-kicking action, there are no words.A role, actor Joel Kinnanman needed no convincing to take.Joel Kinnaman: “As an actor, that’s a great challenge, so for me, I was very psyched to jump on board.”The movie follows, Joel’s character, a dad on a quest to heal and avenge his young son’s death after they are both caught in crossfire of rival gangs on Christmas Eve.But acting with only your face and no dialogue...

Fort Lauderdale lawyer talks about competing on Netflix’s ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

Being a lawyer, we understand, is a daily challenge on the brain. You have to use all your skills up there to get the job done.One local legal eagle did just that, but instead of a courtroom, he showed his stuff on “Squid Game: The Challenge.”Chad Van Horn: “Don’t consume yourself with unnecessary stress from debt. If you’re dealing with any debt-related issues, Van Horn Law Group has you covered.”We know what you’re thinking, “what’s bankruptcy attorney Chad Van Horn doing on Deco? What if we told you this was the reason.Chad made the cut.He’s one of 456 players on the Netflix reality show, “Squid Game: The Challenge.”We sat down with number 286 in his Fort Lauderdale office and found out how this entire experience happened.Chad Van Horn: “I sent in a one-minute video. I’m like ‘There’s no way they’re gonna pick me. I’m a bankruptcy attorney in Fort Lauderdale. Who wants to s...

Fourth family member – an 11-year-old girl – found dead after Alaska landslide, authorities say

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

(CNN) — Search crews in southern Alaska have found the body of a missing 11-year-old girl following a landslide that killed three of her family members, Alaska’s Department of Public Safety announced Sunday.A K9 scent detection unit indicated an area of interest on Saturday, and with the help of an excavator, searchers located Kara Heller’s remains in the debris field, according to the department.Authorities on Friday released the names of the three other Heller family members killed as well as of people still missing after the November 20 landslide in Wrangell that hit the Zimovia Highway and destroyed three homes.Sixteen-year-old Mara Heller was found dead during initial search and rescue efforts on November 20, and the bodies of 44-year-old Timothy Heller and 36-year-old Beth Heller were discovered the next day, according to the public safety department.Otto Florschutz, 65, and one other Heller relative – 12-year-old Derek – are still listed as missing, Alaska officials...

Failed wheel bearing caused Kentucky train derailment but didn’t trigger alarms beforehand, CSX says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky (AP) — A failed wheel bearing on a train car caused a derailment that sparked a chemical fire and forced residents of a small town in Kentucky out of their homes for just over a day, including most of Thanksgiving, according to CSX railroad.The accident happened Wednesday afternoon just north of Livingston. A spokesman for the railroad said Monday that crews were able to restore the tracks over the weekend and trains resumed running through the area before midday Sunday. All 16 railcars involved in the derailment have been removed from the site, and crews removed the spilled chemical and 2,500 tons of impacted soil and replaced it with clean material, CSX said.The CSX train derailed around 2:30 p.m. near the remote town with about 200 people in Rockcastle County. Residents were encouraged to evacuate just a day before the Thanksgiving holiday before being cleared to return to their homes late Thursday afternoon.Two of the 16 cars that derailed carried molten...

Robbins: Like Truman, Biden smart but uncool

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

On Dec. 26, 1972, hours after Harry Truman’s death, Senator-elect Joseph Biden sent Truman’s widow a condolence telegram. The 33rd American president, Biden wrote, had proved a historic leader, one who had “made his mark” for being “purposeful, smart and tough.”Truman had been bitterly attacked by Democrats and Republicans alike, belittled for his charisma-deficit and dull persona. Before the word “cool” entered our lexicon, Truman was uncool personified. Yet historians regularly rate Truman as among our finest presidents. C-SPAN’s surveys of  presidential historians consistently rank him as either our fifth or sixth greatest leader.A half century after Truman’s passing, with a record of achievement that by rights should earn him considerable credit, Joe Biden is sold short in the same way Truman was. The biggest knocks on Biden are that he is 81, has an arthritic spine and as a child had a stutter. In a Tik-Tok world, his crime appears to be that he is all substance and no flash – ...

“Mr. Big Stuff” singer Jean Knight dies at 80

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

By SARA CLINE (Associated Press)BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Jean Knight, a New Orleans born soul singer known for her 1971 hit “Mr. Big Stuff,” has died at 80.Family, friends, fans and veterans of the music world mourned the loss of the Grammy-nominated singer who was considered a musical powerhouse and an integral part of New Orleans’ music legacy.Knight died Wednesday of natural causes in Tampa, Florida, where she was residing, said family representative Mona Giamanco. She confirmed the death to the Associated Press on Monday afternoon. “Jean Knight’s legacy is not just a musical one; it is a testament to the enduring love between an artist, her hometown and the fans who adored her,” the singer’s family said in a statement. Knight got her start in her hometown of New Orleans by singing in her cousin’s bar shortly after graduating from high school. In the 1970′ she recorded “Mr. Big Stuff” — a sassy and soulf...

Sandy Hook families offer to settle Alex Jones’ $1.5 billion legal debt for a minimum of $85 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:40:08 GMT

Sandy Hook families who won nearly $1.5 billion in legal judgments against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for calling the 2012 Connecticut school shooting a hoax have offered to settle that debt for only pennies on the dollar — at least $85 million over 10 years.The offer was made in Jones’ personal bankruptcy case in Houston last week. In a legal filing, lawyers for the families said they believed the proposal was a viable way to help resolve the bankruptcy reorganization cases of both Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems.But in the sharply worded document, the attorneys continued to accuse the Infowars host of failing to curb his personal spending and “extravagant lifestyle,” failing to preserve the value of his holdings, refusing to sell assets and failing to produce certain financial documents.“Jones has failed in every way to serve as the fiduciary mandated by the Bankruptcy Code in exchange for the breathing spell he has enjoyed for almost a year. His time is up,&#...