AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – The missing girl in Aurora has been found and is safe.

Federal authorities had joined the search for a missing 10-year-old girl who disappeared after leaving her Aurora home on Monday. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation sent out a Missing Endangered Alert late Monday night for Daniela Ruano-Morales.

She was found just minutes after a news conference at noon Tuesday.

By Kathy Walsh

DENVER (CBS4)– Electric scooters are the new way to get around in a number of cities, including Denver. But, they also seem to be the new way to get hurt.

Some clinics are reporting an increase in patients with injuries from scooter accidents.

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Phil Schaefer was on his electric longboard when he crashed at 11th Avenue and York Street in Denver.

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“I would say I’m very, very lucky,” Schaefer told CBS4 Health Specialist Kathy Walsh.

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On the night of Aug. 3 he was riding his longboard home to the Congress Park neighborhood. Construction barricades and fencing blocked the sidewalk at 11th and York. Schaefer says construction also blocked a stop sign.

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“I didn’t see it ‘til I was going thru it and then I T-boned a car on York that was going south and the back tire ran over my left leg,” said Schaefer.

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“Accidents are going to happen,” said Peter Guando, physician assistant at the UCHealth Steele Street Urgent Care.

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Since electric scooters hit the streets of Denver, Guando says the staff sees three to five injuries a week at the urgent care.

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“The most common injuries we’re seeing are more head and hand injuries where people are actually falling off the scooter or colliding with other devices,” said Guando.

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He cautions riders to wear helmets, stay off cellphones and be sober.

“I definitely have seen people come in with some injuries who’ve been using either drugs or alcohol,” he said.

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“I really like the idea of alternative transportation, but it’s just extremely dangerous in downtown,” lamented Schaefer.

So, he plans to park his electric longboard in the city. His message for scooter enthusiasts, “Be safe, follow the rules of the road, be expecting that the cars aren’t going to be expecting you.”

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In Denver, it is illegal to drive electric scooters on the road or in bike lanes. They must be ridden on sidewalks.

Kathy Walsh is CBS4’s Weekend Anchor and Health Specialist. She has been with CBS4 since 1984. She is always open to story ideas. Follow Kathy on Twitter @WalshCBS4.

Worker attempt to sure up a dam near Interstate Highway 95 in Lumberton, North Carolina on September 16, 2018. – A killer storm that left up to 13 people dead weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday, but US authorities warned the devastation it caused — including catastrophic flooding — is far from over.Most of the fatalities from Florence, which made landfall Friday as a Category 1 hurricane, have occurred in North Carolina, where officials confirmed eight victims. They included three who died “due to flash flooding and swift water on roadways,” the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office reported. (Photo credit: ALEX EDELMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

As the storm continued to crawl inland, dumping more than 30 inches of rain in spots since Friday, fears of historic flooding grew and tens of thousands were ordered evacuated from communities along the state’s steadily rising rivers — with the Cape Fear, Little River, Lumber, Waccamaw and Pee Dee rivers all projected to burst their banks.

In Wilmington, with roads leading in and out of the coastal city underwater and streams still headed upward, residents waited for hours outside stores and restaurants for basic necessities like water. Police guarded the door of one store, and only 10 people were allowed inside at a time.

Woody White, chairman of the board of commissioners of New Hanover County, said officials were planning for food and water to be flown into the coastal city of nearly 120,000 people.

“Our roads are flooded,” he said. “There is no access to Wilmington.”

LELAND, NC- SEPTEMBER 16: A motorist successfully navigates through a flooded road on September 16, 2018 in Leland, North Carolina. Hurricane Florence hit area as a Category 1 storm causing widespread damage and flooding across North Carolina. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

About 70 miles away from the coast, residents near the Lumber River stepped from their homes directly into boats floating in their front yards; river forecasts showed the scene could be repeated in towns as far as 250 miles inland as waters rise for days.

Downgraded to a tropical depression overnight, Florence was still massive. Radar showed parts of the sprawling storm over six states, with North and South Carolina in the bull’s-eye.

Thousands were ordered to evacuate from what officials said could be the worst flooding in North Carolina history, but it wasn’t clear how many had fled or even could. The head of Federal Emergency Management Agency, Brock Long, said officials were focused on finding people and rescuing them.

“We’ll get through this. It’ll be ugly, but we’ll get through it,” Long told NBC’s “Meet The Press.”

President Donald Trump said federal emergency workers, first responders and law enforcement officials are “working really hard” on Florence. He tweeted that as the storm “begins to finally recede, they will kick into an even higher gear. Very Professional!”

The storm’s death toll climbed to 15 when a pickup truck ran off Interstate 20 in South Carolina and struck an overpass support, killing the driver. Earlier, authorities said a man drowned after his pickup truck flipped into a drainage ditch along a flooded South Carolina road and two people died from inhaling carbon monoxide from a generator in their home.

GOLDSBORO, NC – SEPTEMBER 16: Goldsboro Wastewater Treatment Plant employee Kasey Morris (L) helps set a sump pump at the entrance to the plant to keep out flood waters from the Nuese River September 16, 2018 in Goldsboro, United States. Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 1 storm Friday and at least 14 deaths have been attributed to the storm, which continues to produce heavy rain and winds extending out nearly 200 miles. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

About 740,000 homes and businesses remained without power in the Carolinas, and utilities said some could be out for weeks.

Victor Merlos was overjoyed to find a store open for business in Wilmington since he had about 20 relatives staying at his apartment, which still had power. He spent more than $500 on cereal, eggs, soft drinks and other necessities, plus beer.

“I have everything I need for my whole family,” said Merlos. Nearby, a Waffle House restaurant limited breakfast customers to one biscuit and one drink, all take-out, with the price of $2 per item.

Florence was still spinning slowly atop the Carolinas as it pulled warm water from the ocean and hurled it onshore. Kenneth Campbell had donned waterproof waders intending to check out his home in Lumberton, but he didn’t bother when he saw the Coast Guard and murky waters in his neighborhood.

“I’m not going to waste my time. I already know,” he said.

As rivers swelled toward record levels, state regulators and environmental groups were monitoring the threat from gigantic hog and poultry farms located in low-lying, flood-prone areas.

The industrial-scale farms typically feature vast pits of animal feces and urine that can pose a significant pollution threat if they are breached or inundated by floodwaters. In past hurricanes, flooding at dozens of farms also left hundreds of thousands of dead hogs, chickens and other decomposing livestock bobbing in floodwaters.

Stream gauges across the region showed water levels rising steadily, with forecasts calling for rivers to crest Sunday and Monday at or near record levels: The Little River, the Cape Fear, the Lumber, the Neuse, the Waccamaw and the Pee Dee were all projected to burst their banks, possibly flooding nearby communities.

Evacuations were ordered for thousands of people, and the Defense Department said about 13,500 military personnel had been assigned to help relief efforts.

Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of up to 7,500 people living within a mile (1.6 kilometers) of a stretch of the Cape Fear River and the Little River, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the North Carolina coast. The evacuation zone included part of the city of Fayetteville, population 200,000.

John Rose owns a furniture business with stores less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the river. Rain-soaked furniture workers helped him quickly empty more than 1,000 mattresses from a warehouse in a low-lying strip mall.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever had to move anything like this,” Rose said. “If the river rises to the level they say it’s going to, then this warehouse is going to be under water.”

Fayetteville’s city officials, meanwhile, got help from the Nebraska Task Force One search and rescue team to evacuate 140 residents of an assisted-living facility in Fayetteville to a safer location at a church.

Already, more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of rain had fallen in places, and forecasters were saying there could be an additional 1½ feet (45 centimeters) before Sunday was out.

“Flood waters are still raging across parts of our state, and the risk to life is rising with the angry waters,” Cooper said. “If you aren’t watching for them, you are risking your life.”

Officials were warning residents not only to stay off the roads but also to avoid using GPS systems.

“As conditions change, GPS navigation systems are not keeping up with the road closures and are directing people onto roads that are confirmed closed and/or flooded,” the state Transportation Department said on Twitter.

Florence weakened to a tropical depression early Sunday and was crawling west at 8 mph (13 kph). At 5 a.m., the storm was centered about 20 miles (35 kilometers) southwest of Columbia, South Carolina. Its winds were down to 35 mph (55 kph).

In Goldsboro, North Carolina, home of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, roads that frequently flood were already closed Saturday by rushing water. Dozens of electric repair trucks massed to respond to damage expected to hit central North Carolina as rainwater collected into rivers headed to the coast.

On Saturday evening, Duke Energy said heavy rains caused a slope to collapse at a coal ash landfill at a closed power station outside Wilmington. Duke spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash were displaced at the Sutton Plant and that contaminated storm water likely flowed into the plant’s cooling pond.

Near the flooded-out town of New Bern, where about 455 people had to be rescued from the swirling flood waters, water completely surrounded churches, businesses and homes. In the neighboring town of Trenton, downtown streets were turned to creeks full of brown water.

Still, spirits were high at the Trent Park Elementary School in New Bern, where 44-year-old Cathy Yolanda Wright took shelter after being rescued from her flooded home Saturday. Wright, who sings in the choir at Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist, led residents at the shelter in an energetic singalong.

People clapped and shouted, “Amen!” and “Thank you, Lord.”

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 

FORT MORGAN, Colo. (CBS4) – A settlement was reached between a meatpacking company and more than 130 Muslim workers fired from its plant in Fort Morgan.

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Cargill agreed to pay $1.5 million. The workers claimed they were fired for protesting Muslim employees were not allowed to take short breaks for prayers.

In August of 2017, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission ruled the company violated those employees’ civil rights.

By Brian Maass and Lindsey Schwartz

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)– An inmate at the Jefferson County Jail smuggled a smartphone into his jail cell Thursday and broadcast live on Facebook, triggering a criminal investigation by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

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A CBS4 investigation uncovered video of the 1½ minute broadcast by inmate Joseph Chavez.

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“I’m in motherf***ing Jeffco, see Jefferson County live on Facebook… where they do that at,” says Chavez, 22, during his profanity laden live stream.

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Inmates are strictly prohibited from having any kinds of phones in their cells, along with cigarettes and lighters, which Chavez also displayed during the Facebook broadcast. Such items are considered contraband.

“So when I get out yup, I got this on my f***ing Facebook, yeah I did that”, says Chavez.

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Another inmate can be seen lying on a bed in the cell as Chavez proceeds with his live stream. At one point Chavez turns the camera so viewers can see a common area outside his cell.

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Jenny Fulton, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, told CBS4 the agency learned about the broadcast from citizens who saw it live on Facebook and alerted the department.

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“We don’t want our inmates on Facebook live from their cells,” said Fulton.

She said the department is in the early stages of a criminal investigation but believe they have a general idea of what happened.

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Chavez was brought into the jail Thursday from the Colorado Department of Corrections where he is serving a prison sentence. He has an appearance in Jefferson County Monday on another case.

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Fulton says that Chavez was “strip searched” when he came in and no phone was found. Jailers believe Chavez, who has a lengthy criminal record, stole the phone, lighter and cigarette from another inmate’s personal property bag during the booking process. He then somehow smuggled the items into his cell.

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Fulton says the investigation will attempt to determine, “how this could have happened and we will implement new procedures to make sure it does not happen again.”

She said investigators are reviewing internal surveillance videotapes to determine precisely what occurred. She says Jefferson County Jail employees are not suspected of any involvement in what happened.

Jeffco Jail (credit: CBS)

At one point on the live Facebook broadcast Chavez implores a friend, ”Sierra, write me, you better write me…”

He also boasts that “I’ll be back on the block in like, three years.”

But Fulton says the Facebook live episode could lead to additional theft and contraband charges for Chavez that could alter his prediction.

CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4.

By Dominic Garcia

EVERGREEN, Colo. (CBS4)– The Alpine Rescue Team based in Evergreen recently broke ground on a new museum that will house everything from vintage rescue equipment to historical documents.

CBS4’s Dominic Garcia interviews Steve Wilson (credit: CBS)

“We have memorabilia of old missions in that corner and historical missions over here,” Mission Coordinator Steve Wilson told CBS4’s Dominic Garcia.

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The building will be two stories. The first story will house historical documents like old rescue logs and mission notes.

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Wilson says other teams will be able to add their own and study their collection to help in future missions. He also says the area will house more writings that are sentimental.

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“It can even be written down memories of our founding members. Even members today who want to talk about memorable missions,” said Wilson.

Steve Wilson (credit: CBS)

The Alpine Rescue team will have plenty or memorable missions to choose from.

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In addition to mountain rescues, the team helped in the 2013 floods in Northern Colorado, and even traveled to help in the recovery effort after the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster.

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“Teams from Colorado including Alpine were asked to go help with the search effort for the debris and for the crew members,” he told CBS4’s Dominic Garcia.

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The second floor of the facility will be the museum. It will show off old gear, clothing, and pictures that date back to the 1950s. Much of what will be on display has been donated by past members and their families.

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But before the team never had an official place to store it and show it off. That will change once the facility is finished in about 6 months.

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“It’s a passion of mine; it’s one of my life’s work. And now a museum that’s dedicated to that… that’s cool!”

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Dominic Garcia anchors CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and reports for CBS4 News at 10 p.m. Connect with the Denver native on Twitter @cbs4dom & on Facebook.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said in a Friday statement the satellites, known as GPS 3 Follow-On, “will provide greater accuracy, and improved anti-jamming capabilities, making them more resilient.”

Chip Eschenfelder, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin Space, says the satellites will be built at the company’s Waterton campus in the Denver suburb of Littleton.

The Air Force says the first GPS IIIF satellite could be ready for launch in 2026.

Lockheed has been constructing 10 GPS 3 satellites for the Air Force under a previous contract.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)– A man has been arrested in connection with a serious threat alert sent out to all University of Colorado Boulder students early Friday morning.

The alert was sent out to all students and read, “Serious threat on campus, stay in your rooms. Run, hide, fight.”

Jack Taft (credit: CU Boulder Police)

Police say there was a man with a small knife in the Farrand Residence Hall about 4 a.m.

The man ended up leaving campus and no one was hurt.

Police identified the man as Jack Taft and arrested him about noon Friday. He faces trespassing charges.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS) — Sheriff’s deputies in Arapahoe County are warning people to be on the lookout for fake parking tickets.

Someone left a phony parking violation on a car in Centennial. Investigators aren’t sure why.

(CBS)

They say it doesn’t look like a scam for money, but they’re not happy about someone passing out a counterfeit ticket.

If you know anything about it, please call the sheriff’s department at (303) 795-4711.

By Brian Maass

DENVER (CBS4)– A former state worker who took hundreds, if not thousands of pictures up the skirts of female co- workers, calls what he did “my illness, my sickness” on confession tapes obtained during a CBS4 Investigation.

“It’s not normal,” concedes Thanh Ta during an interrogation session with an investigator.

A judge sentenced Ta to 12 years in prison earlier this year, calling what the former Colorado Department of Education budget analyst did “horrible, horrendous.”

Thahn Ta (credit: Denver District Attorney’s Office)

A jury had found Ta guilty of stalking and invasion of privacy earlier this year for taking thousands of photos and videos up the dresses of his state colleagues and other women in public places. He had engaged in the practice since 2011 before being caught in 2017.

Some of his victims testified they are scarred for the rest of their lives by what Ta did to them.

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“Some were taken several photos per second,” says Ta during one of the interrogation sessions. ”That’s the iPhone, you just hold it and it takes a lot of pictures.”

RELATED: Prosecutors Praise Courage Of Victims In Workplace ‘Upskirting’ Case

Ta went on to say, ”I’m not a terrible person. I didn’t do anything, just photographs, that’s my illness, my sickness. I just need to disappear and never come into contact with any of them ever again.”

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Dr. Mary Ann Watson, a psychology professor at Metropolitan State University, said what Ta did is “considered voyeurism which is a mental illness.“

She told CBS4 that an estimated 12 percent of adult males have had some experience in adulthood with exhibitionism or voyeurism.

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“It’s so much more powerful to be doing something without people knowing what you’re doing,” said Watson.

She said a large percentage of men who engage in this kind of voyeuristic behavior have suffered sexual abuse themselves.

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At one point during a videotaped confession, Ta buries his head in his hands and cries, “There is nothing I can say. I betrayed all these people.”

CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) – A grandmother who works as an Uber driver in Colorado Springs fought off an attacker and is telling her story of survival. Lorraine, who isn’t revealing her last name, says she wants to get the word out to prevent it from happening to others.

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The 63-year-old says she picked up a rider in the 500 block of East Dale Street near downtown at 4 a.m. on Monday. The man asked her to wait for another passenger. After 10 minutes she asked him to find another ride. That’s when he allegedly started hitting her and biting her.

“He got my lip. He bashed me in the mouth. This tooth is shoved up in and twisted. He split the skin like a boxer. Everyone tells me my ear is really swollen,” she told CBS4 partner KKTV.

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He then took her car, a white 2011 Chevy Cruze, and drove off.

Police told Lorraine she survived because she fought back.

“If I can inspire anyone else to fight back, keep fighting back or just prepare yourself because it does happen and don’t be afraid to report it,” she said.

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Lorraine spent seven hours in the hospital and needed stitches.

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Police arrested Raydrian Tyree Scott, 22, on Wednesday. Officers say he was still in possession of the victim’s car.

Raydrian Tyree Scott (credit: Colorado Springs Police)

He was arrested and booked into the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center for charges of aggravated sexual assault, second-degree assault, robbery, aggravated motor vehicle theft and failure to register as a sex offender.

Scott was also was arrested on several unrelated misdemeanor warrants which included domestic violence charges out of Pueblo, Colorado, as well as a non-extraditable warrant out of Alabama, related to his Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

Anyone with information or is a witness to this investigation is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000; or if you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.

DENVER (CBS4) – With all the political ads airing, it’s easy to confuse super PAC ads with those paid for by the candidates themselves.

And it’s even more confusing when CBS4 political reporter Shaun Boyd keeps showing up in the ads.

It’s something Shaun and CBS4 have no control over. A new ad highlights how the truth is being distorted.

Shaun gives it a Reality Check.

Click here to see all of CBS4 Political Specialist Shaun Boyd’s Reality Check reports.

Boyd’s sources for this Reality Check are as follows:

https://twitter.com/coffmanforco/status/1034475251839787008

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/08/30/reality-check-republican-mike-coffmans-ad-democrat-jason-crow/

DENVER (CBS4) – RTD approved a rate change that will give low income riders a discount in exchange for an increase for other riders. But the change isn’t official just yet.

In the rate change approved by the RTD Board Committee Tuesday night, local fares jump to $3, regional fares $5.25 and rides to DIA cost $10.50.

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Low income riders would get a 40 percent discount and children ages 6 to 19 would get a 70 percent discount.

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The RTD Board gave preliminary approval to the fare changes but there will be a final vote next Tuesday with changes taking effect in January.

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LINK: RTD Fare Review

The party confirms that Rodham Clinton will be in Colorado on Sept. 23 for the fundraiser hosted by former Senator and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 21: Hillary Clinton speaks onstage during OZY Fest 2018 at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park on July 21, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for Ozy Media)

The fundraiser is through the Democratic party’s Fearless Project.

It is unclear where the fundraiser will take place.

DENVER (CBS4) – The Colorado Department of Revenue announced a new policy Tuesday that will require out-of-state retailers who do business in Colorado to get a state sales tax license.

Previously, the retailer had to have a physical presence in a state to be able to collect sales tax.

“Tax collection at the point of sale eases the process for our residents and creates a level playing field for Colorado businesses, as out-of-state retailers will be required to collect state sales tax, just as in-state retailers do today” Colorado Department of Revenue Executive Director Michael Hartman said in a press release.

There will be a small-seller exception for those retailers whose in-state sales do not exceed $100,000, or 200 transactions a year.

Licenses go on sale on November 1, 2018. Retailers will not have to collect sales tax before that date.

In letters to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Sen. Michael Bennet and Gov. John Hickenlooper also asked the government not to go ahead with plans for oil and gas drilling on habitat for the greater sage grouse, a bird that Western states and federal agencies are trying to protect.

They asked the bureau to withdraw some parcels from a planned December auction of drilling rights on 361 square miles (935 square kilometers) of public land in Colorado, or to put additional restrictions on the parcels.

Steve Hall, a spokesman for the bureau’s Colorado office, said the agency was reviewing Hickenlooper’s letter. The bureau appreciates the state’s input and expects to keep working with Colorado officials, he said. Hall declined to comment on Bennet’s letter.

The bureau manages about 388,000 square miles (1 million square kilometers) of public land nationwide and oversees the sale of oil and gas leases on most federal land.

Under President Donald Trump, the agency has been rolling back environmental protections seen as hindering oil, gas and coal development on those lands. It has also shortened the process of selling leases for wells, sometimes reducing the amount of time for comments and objections from the public and from state and local officials.

“This new process is insufficient to allow for meaningful input into a sale that currently includes 224 parcels and 230,944 acres across Colorado,” Hickenlooper wrote, referring to the planned December auction.

Bennet said he is concerned the Trump administration’s approach “is leading to a rushed process for oil and gas leasing in Colorado.”

Hickenlooper said some of the parcels that could be up for auction in December are on sage grouse habitat the state is trying to preserve. He noted the Bureau of Land Management had withdrawn all or parts of 18 parcels of land on sage grouse habitat from the sale, but he said dozens more should also be pulled.

Bennet agreed.

Millions of sage grouse once lived across the U.S. West and Canada, but the population has plummeted to between 200,000 and 500,000. Experts blame energy development that broke up the bird’s habitat, along with disease, livestock grazing and other causes.

A joint federal-state program called the Sage Grouse Initiative, launched under the Obama administration, is trying to save the bird without resorting to the strict restrictions of the Endangered Species Act.

Hickenlooper, other Western governors and conservation groups have complained the Trump administration is threatening to undermine that effort by weakening environmental protections.

Hickenlooper and Bennet also raised concerns that drilling on some of the parcels considered for the December sale are in areas that big game use for migration or wintering.

Separately, environmental groups accused the Bureau of Land Management of thwarting public comment on the sale.

The agency said public comments had to be submitted through an online system, but the system did not work at one point during the comment period, attorney Laura King said in a letter to the bureau.

When some commenters tried to email agency officials directly, the emails were rejected and the writers were told to submit their comments through the online system, King said.

Some links to relevant documents on the agency website did not work, she said.

King, of the Western Environmental Law Center, said she was writing on behalf of members of seven environmental groups.

She also said the agency refused to consider comments submitted by the town of Paonia and some western Colorado groups on the grounds they did not raise any new issues. King disputed that, saying the agency had never addressed them.

Asked to respond, Hall, the Bureau of Land Management spokesman, said in an email: “We appreciate the input of those opposed to energy development on public lands, as well as those who support multiple use of the public’s land and energy resources.”

By DAN ELLIOT

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 

By Shaun Boyd

DENVER (CBS4) – For the first time ever, the FBI is training political candidates in Colorado how to spot people who may want to hijack their identity and spread misinformation.

(credit: CBS)

These days, virtually every politician has a Twitter, Facebook or other social media account. They’re valuable tools for reaching voters but they’re also vulnerable to hackers.

“What election security means is evolving,” said State Rep. Mike Weissman who was among dozens of elected officials and candidates to attend the training.

State Representative Mike Weissman (D-Arapahoe County) (credit: CBS)

He says in addition to the traditional hacking of an election, there are now efforts to hack the electorate. The 2016 presidential race introduced a new dimension in cybersecurity.

From fake news on Facebook to email breaches at the Clinton campaign, propagandists attempted to manipulate voter behavior.

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“We’re not talking about the tabulation of the ballot, but what sorts of things begin to influence the public and is that really based on fact,” said Weissman.

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The FBI training was aimed at helping candidates identify the latest cyber threats and teaching them how to protect their email and online accounts against hackers. Secretary of State Wayne Williams says it’s something his office is tracking.

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“What we can’t control is what you see on media or social media. My office will be monitoring and responding to things that appear to be providing misinformation or disinformation. But as a voter, check and make sure you know the source from which you are re-posting or re-tweeting. Check to make sure it is a fact before you share it with other people.”

In addition to being the victims of fake news, candidates also sometimes help spread it. The left-leaning blog Big Media challenged state lawmakers to take a Fake News Pledge this past year, promising not to share fake news.

Only seven democrats including Weissman agreed.

“When we start to inject bigger and bigger amounts of incorrect information, I’ll just put it that way, regardless of the perspective it’s something we all need to be worried about.”

Shaun Boyd is CBS4’s political specialist. She’s a veteran reporter with more than 25 years of experience. Follow her on Twitter @cbs4shaun.

WINDSOR, Colo. (CBS4) – Less than one year after ground was officially broken on a nearly 500 acre sports park in Windsor, developers have changed course.

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The Rocky Mountain Sports Park was touted as the world’s biggest park with 68 sports fields, a 10,000 seat stadium and 200 acres of retail space.

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Now, developers will expand the existing Diamond Valley Sports Complex. They say the infrastructure issues are preventing them from going with the original proposal.

By Michael Abeyta

DENVER (CBS4) – When Shaddaiah Lovato went school supply shopping this year she picked up something a little different for each of her three daughters.

“It is a bullet proof Kevlar sleeve. I bought one for each of them,” she said.

Shaddaiah Lovato (credit: CBS)

It’s called a Safelee Sleave. It slips into a backpack or purse to give the person carrying it a little extra protection in the case of an emergency.

“I thought ‘Why not send them with the confidence of protection if they ever needed it?'” Lovato said.

It cost around $150, but Lovato says that cost is minimal for her if it means protecting her children.

(credit: CBS)

“I run with pepper spray and tasers. Why not send them to school with protection?” she said.

Lovato has a police officer in her family, so her and her children are comfortable around guns, but the sleeve has given them piece of mind.

“I asked them. I said ‘Did it make you uncomfortable? Did it make you feel scared?’ And they said it gave them confidence. It made them feel like that backpack was magical” she said.

The idea seems to be catching on in her social circle. Lovato daughter showed the sleeve to one of her friends and immediately Lovato was fielding phone calls.

(credit: CBS)

“Her friend’s parents were giving me a call asking me what exactly it was and once I explained it to them they were actually pretty amazed.”

LINK: Damsel In Defense

It might be a reflection of the times we live in when parents like Lovato would need to consider buying their children something like this, but she’s willing to do it if it means protecting them.

“Anything to help any way we can.”

Michael Abeyta is a 4th generation Coloradan and a Multimedia Journalist for CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 5 & 6. He is on Twitter! Follow him @AbeytaCBS4.

The bank said in a filing Friday the error caused about 625 customers to be denied, or not offered, loan modifications they otherwise qualified for. Foreclosures were completed in about 400 of the cases.

The customers had been using federal programs that helped families at risk of losing homes. Spokesman Tom Goyda says there’s no breakdown of where the foreclosures occurred.

The error in the bank’s underwriting tool lasted from 2010 until it was fixed in late 2015, an internal review found.

The bank said it set aside $8 million this year to help the affected customers.

With its main corporate office in San Francisco, the bank employs thousands in Charlotte.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 

By Melissa Garcia

DENVER (CBS4) – The University of Denver has suspended a student who is accused of making racist and homophobic slurs.

(credit: CBS)

Addison Puffer, who just finished her freshman year at the university, said officials suspended her from the fall 2018 semester for harassment, a violation of school policy.

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Puffer said 13 people had accused her of using the “n” word and the “f” word. She said the accusations were hearsay and do not represent her as a person.

“The people who genuinely know me know that I’m not a bad person. I don’t have bad intentions and I don’t have a cold heart,” Puffer told CBS4’s Melissa Garcia.

CBS4’s Melissa Garcia interviews Puffer over the internet. (credit: CBS)

The international business student said the suspension prevented her from receiving credits for the classes she nearly completed.

“I was suspended nine days before the quarter ended with a 4.0 … I have a ‘W’ for 18 credits,” Puffer said. “It’s like they’re trying to ruin my career before it even gets started. This is going to haunt me 20 years from now.”

School documents allege Puffer’s language created “a hostile environment of divisiveness and disrespect” among peers.

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The young Republican believes she knows why the accusers spoke out against her. A professor said, “this was the burden that I had to bear because I was an open conservative and supported a bigot of a president,” said Puffer.

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University officials say they could not comment on specific students for privacy reasons but said they thoroughly investigate claims of harassment. A university spokesperson provided the following statement:

“The University of Denver takes all issues of harassment very seriously. In the event of a complaint, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX meets with all parties involved, and interviews all witnesses with relevant information to help compile a preliminary report. After both parties review the preliminary report and provide additional comments, investigators determine whether a policy violation occurred. Suspensions are not a decision the University takes lightly and only take place when a serious violation of student policy occurs. For the privacy of our students, we cannot speak about specific students or cases. However, factual errors have been made by outlets reporting on this incident.”

In the aftermath of suspension, Puffer said she had received threats from peers who wrongly believe she is a racist.

“It’s created a really toxic environment for not only me but (also) other students as well,” Puffer said.

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Along with suspension, the University of Denver is requiring that she write a paper on the impact of her behavior along with viewing a documentary about white privilege in the United States if she wants to return to the university in spring.

Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.

DENVER (CBS4)– A new memorial has 42,000 prescription bottles on display that represent the 42,000 lives lost nationwide to opioid addiction.

The “Lift the Label” statewide opioid anti-stigma campaign was launched and unveiled in Civic Center Park on Monday. More people die from opioid overdoses than traffic accidents and homicides combined.

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As the health crisis continues to grow, nationwide and in Colorado, the goal of the memorial is to let those who are addicted to opioids know that they are more than just a label.

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The movement aims to end the stigma associated with seeking treatment.

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Survivors of opioid addiction, one of whom survived the Columbine shooting, shared their stories of struggle and recovery.

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“If you or somebody you know is struggling with addiction, reach out for help. Even as important, if you or somebody you know is struggling to overcome addiction, encourage them to be loud and be proud about that. People need to hear these voices. Addiction is not a moral failing. I never had a choice in the decisions that I made. We have to overcome this,” said Columbine survivor Austin Eubanks.

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People are encouraged to write on the back of the wall the names of loved ones who have struggled with or lost their lives to opioid addiction.

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The wall was moved from the park to inside the state Capitol where it will remain on display until May 31.

DENVER (CBS4)– Beth Mowins will make history on Monday night as the first woman to call a Monday Night Football game.

Mowins is no stranger to making history. When she began calling college football games for ESPN in 2005, she became only the second woman to call nationally televised college football games for the network.

Twelve years later, Mowins is ready to blaze a new trail. She will be in the booth for the second half of ESPN’s Monday Night Football doubleheader on Sept. 11, calling the matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos.

Denver Broncos Defensive End Derek Wolfe tweeted out his excitement over Mowins calling the game.

Mowins will become just the second woman, and the first in 37 years, to do play-by-play of an NFL regular-season telecast. Following her debut on Monday Night Football, Mowins will continue to call games for NFL on CBS throughout the season, beginning with Cleveland vs. Indianapolis on Sept. 24.

“I’m really excited to welcome Beth Mowins to the CBS Sports family,” CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said at the NFL on CBS Media Day. “I think it says a lot about what CBS is all about. Beth was hired not because she’s a woman. Beth was hired because she’s a terrific play-by-play personality and is really going to be a great addition to our team.”

Beth Mowins (Photo Credit: Keane Studios)

Mowins is no stranger to covering big-time football. She has been a longtime play-by-play voice for college football on ESPN. In addition, she has been a part of the local TV coverage of the Oakland Raiders’ preseason games for the last few years.

On September 24th, she will join NFL on CBS analyst Jay Feely in the booth, becoming the first woman in CBS’s 58 years broadcasting the NFL to ever call play-by-play for the network’s NFL on CBS games.

“I like what Sean said, that she got the job because of her body of work,” said Feely. “Because she’s such a good announcer. And as a father of three girls who tells them all the time, ‘You can be anything you want. If you have a dream, go after it. Work harder than anybody else. You can accomplish it. You can achieve it,’ it’ll be special for me to be in the booth with her and to be a living example of that message that I’m trying to send to them.”

Mowins doesn’t want the focus to be on her, and instead would like the attention to go to the players and the game itself. However she realizes the impact her presence in the booth will have on young women around the world who might want to follow in her footsteps. Similar to when she was a child watching her role model Phyllis George on NFL Today during the 1970s, Mowins is aware that young women will likely look up to her.

Coach John Thompson III of the Georgetown Hoyas talks to ESPN reporter Beth Mowins in 2012 (credit: Tom Maguire/BIG EAST Conference/Collegiate Images/Getty Images)

“I am embracing that role, and I understand the significance of it,” Mowins said about becoming the NFL’s first female play-by-play announcer in almost four decades. “I have come to learn in the last several months just how important it is for a lot of women in this business, and for a lot of younger women that have a dream that they want to pursue. I look forward to being in that role if need be. But I’ve always approached it first and foremost as a play-by-play announcer. I’m excited to call a football game, and I’m excited to be a part of the NFL on CBS, so that’s been my preparation. Any sort of historic narrative involved, I’ll let other people worry about that and write that themselves.”

By Matt Kroschel

OLATHE, Colo. (CBS4) – A former nurse’s assistant who allegedly threw a dementia patient against a concrete wall, shattering her femur and contributing to her death, went before a Montrose County judge Thursday, nearly three years after the incident.

Travis Young faces a class six felony assault on an at-risk adult charge, which carries a possible four year sentence if he is convicted.

Travis Young (credit: CBS)

Young worked in 2014 at the Olathe nursing facility where Charlotte Fischer was placed.

According to state investigation documents following Fischer’s death, young had received several complaints for abuse by other residents before the incident occurred. But he was not moved from the at risk wing of the facility. Despite policy, he was alone with the victim.

Officials with Colorow Care Center refused to comment Thursday, only saying Young is a former employee.

Fischer’s granddaughter Amy said she never gave up pushing for justice.

Charlotte Fischer (credit: Amy Fischer)

“They tried so hard to make it go away – without me knocking on the door saying ‘Grandma didn’t deserve to die like this,’ it probably would have,” Amy told CBS4 in her first interview about the situation.

Amy faced the man prosecutors say is responsible for the first time Thursday when Young was advised of the charge he faces. She said she remembers her grandmother as the sweet loving matriarch of the family.

“She was just a strong piece of the family, the center of the family,” Amy said.

Fischer was placed in a dementia wing at the Colorow facility in 2014.

Colorow (credit: CBS)

“You put someone in a nursing home not out of want, out of ‘You have to,’ and you want them to be protected and cared for. You would never assume they would be put in a position where they will be injured or harmed and scared and left alone,” Amy said.

Amy said it took two days before anyone called to tell her there had been an incident. Colorow officials claimed the frail woman — who weighed less than 100 pounds — had hit herself, causing the serious injuries.

“I can’t imagine the pain she was in for those days they left her there,” Amy said.

But the medical examiner reports paint a much darker picture.

“They left her in bed with a shattered femur, with no pain medicine other than Tylenol and they didn’t tell me that she had been injured any other way. They told me that she had hit herself in the head,” Amy said.

Days later, Fischer passed away.

Amy Fischer (credit: CBS)

Amy says she had a feeling the administrators were not telling her the whole story. She started what has become a three year campaign, pushing the DA to continue looking into the case.

The coroner eventually ruled her death a homicide and a charge has now been filed in the case.

“I’m very thankful there’s finally a day in court,” Amy said.

Young will be back in court next month.

The Fischer family has also filed a civil case against the nursing faculty. That case is currently before the Colorado Supreme Court.

Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4)– A family from Lakewood is suing a Littleton behavioral health center over the death of a 22-year-old loved one who went there for help.

Carson Magines was suffering from depression and addiction issues. He voluntarily entered Highlands Behavioral Health System for treatment two years ago. Nine days later he was dead.

His mother, Lianne Magines, told CBS, “They took away all hope of ever having a life. He died at the hands of their facility.”

In their lawsuit filed in Denver District Court the family claims Carson was over-medicated with the drug fentanyl, not properly monitored, and had been dead for hours when it was finally discovered he was not breathing. They claim Highlands tried to cover it up.

Highlands Behavioral Health System (credit: CBS)

Carson’s sister Madison said, “I want there to be consequences and people to be held accountable for what happened to my brother.”

The state health department conducted an unannounced inspection two months after the death. It found numerous state and federal “deficiencies.” One was that the drug fentanyl was not given to Mangines in dosage prescribed by his doctor. The department also found records that claimed Mangines was checked every 15 minutes during the night and was reported snoring, but was quite likely already dead by that time.

Hollynd Hoskins is the family’s attorney, “They isolated him in a room alone when he had slurred speech, incoherent, vomiting and they left him to die.”

After the state health department inspection the facility corrected the violations, but that is of little consequence to the tearful mother of the man who died.

Lianne Magines talks to CBS4’s Rick Sallinger (credit: CBS)

When CBS 4 investigator Rick Sallinger asked Lianne Mangines, “You put your faith in this facility. Did they let you down?” She replied, “They took my son.”

Highlands Behavioral Health System sent CBS 4 a statement which reads, Highlands Behavioral Health System is deeply saddened by this event and extends its sympathies to the family involved. Highlands is committed to providing the best possible care and treatment of our patients. Patient privacy laws prevent the facility from commenting about any specific care or treatment of any patient, even ones that have filed lawsuits. Highlands denies the allegations in the lawsuit filed and believes that when the evidence is presented in court, it will demonstrate that Highlands met the standard of care associated with this matter.

Highlands denies any allegations or accusations that it attempted to “cover up” anything related to this matter and the facility has cooperated completely with all entities evaluating this matter. Highlands has responded fully and appropriately to all of the CDPHE’s questions and has been found to be in compliance with all applicable patient care regulations. All physicians practicing at Highlands were appropriately licensed for the treatment provided to patients and were qualified and able to provide such treatment.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation.

CBS4’s Rick Sallinger is a Peabody award winning reporter who has been with the station more than two decades doing hard news and investigative reporting. Follow him on Twitter @ricksallinger.