KOAA.com

Tagged News

• Nude revelers greet return of tourist train

  June 6, 2013 10:40 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Riders are complaining after more than a dozen revelers kicked off the tourist season by welcoming passengers on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad with full and partial nudity. The antics drew warnings, but no charges, from law enforcement following the incident May 25. According... more »

• Hundreds hold on to hope for missing Colo. boy

  January 18, 2013 1:11 PM

  MONUMENT, Colo. (AP) - Hundreds of people are still holding out hope that a Colorado boy missing for two months will be found. A benefit dinner was held in Monument on Thursday for 13-year-old Dylan Redwine, who has been missing since Nov. 19 after arriving at his father's home in... more »

• Search for missing Colorado Springs teen continues

  November 24, 2012 12:43 PM

  The search continues for 13-year-old Dylan Redwine of Colorado Springs. He was reported missing last Monday during a court ordered Thanksgiving visit to his father's home in Vallecito; that's 22 miles northeast of Durango. Search crews are focusing on the Bayfield area, just south of Vallecito. That's where authorities... more »

• Colorado Springs police join in search for missing boy

  November 21, 2012 8:44 PM

  Colorado Springs Police Department is now part of the search for a missing 13 year old boy. Dylan Redwine was reported missing on Monday afternoon, November 19, 2012 from his father's house in La Plata County. The home is near Durango. A witness reported seeing Dylan walking along... more »

• Durango weighs outdoor smoking ban in public spots

  November 10, 2012 12:00 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - The Durango City Council is set to consider a smoking ban in public outdoor spaces including bus stops, playgrounds and the Animas River Trail. The Durango Herald reports the City Council is scheduled to adopt the ordinance Nov. 20. The law could go into effect as... more »

• 2 get jail time over hikes at archaeological site

  October 20, 2012 10:41 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Two men have been sentenced to jail after one picked up a human skull during a hike that the other helped organize at archaeological sites in southwest Colorado. The hike happened last year at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The Durango Herald reports 76-year-old Howard... more »

• Authorities seek ID of body found in western Colorado

  September 12, 2012 12:17 PM

  DURANGO, Colorado (AP) - Authorities in Archuleta County are trying to identify skeletal remains that were found in a remote area by cattle ranchers. Coroner Carl Macht said Tuesday he hopes dental records will solve the mystery, but a search of DNA records may be needed. According to the Durango... more »

• Utah man shot to death in southwest Colorado

  August 19, 2012 3:53 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Authorities say a college student from Utah has been shot to death in the San Juan National Forest in southwest Colorado and a suspect has been arrested. La Plata County sheriff's deputies said Sunday they found the body of 26-year-old David Alan Jones at a campsite... more »

• Man arrested in fatal shooting north of Durango

  August 19, 2012 3:02 PM

  One man is arrested after a shooting north of Durango. The La Plata County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting death that happened early Saturday morning at a camping site about 20 miles north of Durango. Sheriff's Deputies responded to a 911 call early Saturday morning that said a... more »

• New Mexico man rescued on the Colorado Trail

  August 18, 2012 1:41 PM

  A New Mexico man was rescued late Friday after a fall while mountain biking on the Colorado Trail northwest of Durango. Jim Chavez, 54, was riding on the Colorado Trail, south of Kennebec Pass when he fell off the trail and sustained a significant leg injury. Another man who... more »

• Containment pushed back for Durango fire

  July 26, 2012 5:20 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Fire officials are pushing back the date for when they expect to fully contain a 500-acre wildfire near Durango. The fire was 85 percent contained Wednesday. Fire officials had estimated it would be fully contained Thursday night, but that has now been pushed back to Saturday... more »

• Durango fire still burns, rain helps increase containment

  July 25, 2012 5:48 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Rain has helped firefighters trying to contain a roughly 500-acre wildfire southwest of Durango. The fire was 75 percent contained Tuesday night, and pre-evacuation orders have been lifted. Rain fell on the burn area Monday and Tuesday. Lightning from a storm Saturday is believed to have... more »

• Canadian climber killed in Colorado

  July 11, 2012 5:11 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - The body of a Canadian climber has been recovered from a southwest Colorado mountain after he fell to his death in a rain and hail storm. The La Plata County Sheriff's Department says a helicopter crew retrieved the body of 45-year-old Martin Pigeon of Acton-Vale, Quebec,... more »

• Durango man kills family member, then turns gun on himself

  June 11, 2012 5:08 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Authorities say a 69-year-old man in southwestern Colorado who was angered over an inheritance killed two family members and then himself. The bodies of William Decker, his 67-year-old sister Billie Decker, and her 40-year-old son Robert Decker were found Friday. La Plata County Sheriff's investigators said... more »

• Runner found after dog walker hears call for help

  May 30, 2012 11:29 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - A lost runner who spent a night in the mountains with only her running gear has been found safe after a dog walker heard her call for help. The Durango Herald reports 31-year-old Marla Luckey was found cold but in good health Tuesday after spending the... more »

• Aging skiers getting too healthy for ski passes

  March 28, 2012 11:31 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - A Colorado ski resort is scaling back ski passes for aging skiers because they are getting healthier. Purgatory at Durango Mountain says people in their 60s and 70s are living longer, healthier lives and are more active later in life. According to the Durango Herald, the... more »

• Remains of missing Durango woman identified in New Mexico

  March 3, 2012 10:13 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Authorities say the remains of a La Plata County woman who went missing more than a year ago have been identified in New Mexico. Detective Burke Baldwin with the Durango Police Department says the remains of Alesha Daniel, who would have been 38 years old, were... more »

• KKK says membership on rise in Colorado

  February 27, 2012 11:31 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - The Ku Klux Klan says membership is booming in Colorado because of the growth of the radical right. Imperial Grand Wizard Cole Thornton says the United Northern and Southern Knights of the KKK is active and successful recruiting in Colorado, but no membership numbers were available.... more »

• Colorado man surprised by shooting report

  November 10, 2011 11:53 AM

  DURANGO - A Colorado man is feeling a bit like Mark Twain when he famously told a newspaper reporter "the report of my death was an exaggeration." On Tuesday, deputies with the La Plata County Sheriff's Office issued a news release reporting the that Dennis Snodgrass was shot in the... more »

• Durango's trolley popularity causing problems

  September 27, 2011 11:46 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Durango's trolley is so popular transit officials are hoping it can cope with the crush of riders. Transit Operations Manager Kent Harris says the city can't stand another 10 percent increase in riders without changes. Drivers already are leaving passengers waiting at stops because the trolley... more »

• 2 cases of West Nile reported in SW Colo

  September 10, 2011 2:41 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Health officials in southwestern Colorado report two new cases of West Nile virus. The San Juan Basin Health Department says a 72-year-old La Plata County man has tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus, as well as a 33-year-old woman in Archuleta County. The Durango Herald... more »

• Mudslide halts Durango tour train again

  August 30, 2011 12:10 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Another mudslide has interrupted service on a tourist train that runs between Durango and Silverton. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad spokeswoman Andrea Seid says about 425 passengers were bused back to Durango or took a late train out of Silverton. According to the Durango Herald... more »

• Cycling veteran wins race up Mount Washington

  August 20, 2011 3:23 PM

  PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. (AP) - Cycling veteran Ned Overend has won the annual Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb. Overend, of Durango, Colo., celebrated his 56th birthday by winning Saturday's race to the 6,288-foot summit of the highest peak in the Northeast. His time was 55 minutes, three seconds.... more »

• 1 killed in glider crash on golf course in Durango

  July 9, 2011 3:15 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Authorities say the pilot of a motorized glider has died after crashing onto a golf course in Durango. Durango Fire & Rescue Authority spokesman Dave Imming says the two-seat glider crashed Friday afternoon between the first hole and the driving range on the Glacier Club... more »

• Colo. teen hurt in coffee grinder fireworks blast

  July 7, 2011 4:53 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - A Durango teen is recovering from serious burns he suffered when the fireworks he was attempting to mix in a coffee grinder exploded. Police say the incident happened Monday when 19-year-old Sean Michael Ogden was trying to make break down fireworks he had purchased so... more »

• Smoke health advisory for southwestern Colorado

  June 4, 2011 6:01 PM

  The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued a Smoke Health Advisory for Southwestern Colorado. This advisory will be valid from 4 p.m. Saturday, June 4, 2011 until 2 a.m. Sunday, June 5, 2011. Cities in this area include but are not limited to, Delta, Montrose, Gunnison, Telluride,... more »

• Durango donors give $200K to prevent school cuts

  May 29, 2011 2:59 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Colorado schools have been bracing for painful budget cuts next year because of declining state support. In Durango, local philanthropists are giving some $200,000 to make sure school cuts in their community don't go too deep. The Durango-based Marc and Jane Katz Family Fund is... more »

• High school prank costs $200,000

  May 26, 2011 12:11 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - A group of high school students who came forward to claim responsibility for bringing hay into the school will face discipline ranging from apologies to volunteer service. However, the Durango High School students will graduate on time and will not be required to pay the... more »

• Mining company still pursuing La Plata metals

  May 22, 2011 1:39 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - A troubled mining company that has endured years of rejected permits in the La Plata Mountains isn't giving up efforts to extract precious metals from mines dormant since the 1940s. Wildcat Mining Corp. has tried since 2006 to acquire permits to extract precious metals gold,... more »

• Retired postal worker spit own feces at officer

  May 21, 2011 2:45 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - A retired postal worker in Durango has been sentenced to 60 days in jail for spitting his own feces at a police officer. Sixty-two-year-old Paul Kausalik apologized to the officer and his family Friday when he was sentenced. The officer wasn't in the courtroom. ... more »

• Senior hay prank closes Colorado school for 4 days

  May 19, 2011 1:03 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Officials say an extremely effective senior prank has managed to cancel classes for four straight days at southwestern Colorado high school. The Durango Herald reported senior pranksters spread over 30 bales of hay around Durango High School's common areas. School was canceled again Thursday as... more »

• Man arrested for murder near Durango

  April 23, 2011 2:24 PM

  Investigators with the La Plata County Sheriff's Office have arrested a man they believe is connected to a shooting death from earlier this week. A sheriff's office spokesman says Justin Wiese, 35, was taken into custody Friday at the sheriff's office, where he turned himself in after a judge... more »

• Durango man recovering from flesh-eating bacteria

  April 3, 2011 3:13 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - A Durango man is recovering from a bout with necrotizing fasciitis (fash-ee-EYE'-tus), a rare flesh-eating bacteria that took over 75 percent of his right leg. The Durango Herald reports that Joseph Williams underwent multiple skin grafts and was discharged March 22 from the University of... more »

• Cause of fire sought after Colo. crash kills 3

  April 3, 2011 10:28 AM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - State troopers have asked engineers to examine why a fire erupted after a head-on collision west of Durango that killed three people and left two others with serious burns. The Durango Herald reports engineers from Toyota and from an insurance company are expected to investigate... more »

• Colorado Navy Seal pleads guilty

  January 4, 2011 9:36 PM

  LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Colorado man is going back under house arrest after pleading guilty Tuesday in Nevada to conspiracy and a weapons charge in a case alleging a Navy SEAL smuggled and sold machine guns and other weapons from Iraq and Afghanistan. Sentencing has been set for... more »

• Colorado man pleads guilty in smuggling case

  January 4, 2011 6:47 PM

  LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Colorado man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and a weapons charge in a case alleging a Navy SEAL smuggled and sold machine guns and other weapons from Iraq and Afghanistan. The plea Tuesday by 35-year-old Richard Paul as part of a deal leaves only... more »

• Fort Lewis College to shed 3 majors to save money

  December 11, 2010 2:41 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Fort Lewis College is planning to discontinue three majors by the end of the 2012-13 school year. The Board of Trustees decided Friday to cut computer science, Southwest studies and agricultural science because of a combination of high costs and low or declining enrollment numbers.... more »

• Monarch, Durango now open!

  November 26, 2010 11:35 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Two more Colorado ski resorts are opening for the season. Durango Mountain Resort and Monarch Mountain were set to welcome skiers and snowboarders on Friday. That will bring the total number of resorts open for the season to 15. Resorts have benefited from some early season storms.... more »

• Durango considers changing confusing road name

  November 21, 2010 2:58 PM

  DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - How would you pronounce Goeglein? Google lien? Go egg line? It's pronounced, GIG-line. Durango officials are considering changing the confusing name of Goeglein Gulch Road that runs east of Fort Lewis College to College Drive. Not everybody is on board. Durango Hometown Hostel owner Candace... more »

• BP logos removed from company cars in Colorado

  August 19, 2010 10:24 PM

  The BP office covering southwest Colorado has removed company logos from about 200 vehicles after employees complained of harassment. Spokesman Curtis Thomas told the Durango Herald that employees have been reporting routine abuse from the public, at traffic lights, gas stations and the grocery store. Thomas says employees have noticed... more »

• Durango dentist killed in Afghanistan remembered

  August 16, 2010 8:14 AM

  A Durango dentist who was among 10 medical volunteers killed in Afghanistan was remembered at a memorial service for his fascination with "The Simpsons" television show, the rice he made from an Afghan recipe and his impressive Scrabble vocabulary. Speakers at a Durango auditorium on Sunday also spoke of... more »

• Body of murdered Durango dentist heading home

  August 11, 2010 12:12 PM

  The family of a Durango dentist killed while volunteering his medical services in Afghanistan is making funeral plans while awaiting for word when Dr. Thomas Grams' body will arrive home. Grams' brother, Craig Grams, says the dentist will be interred in his hometown of Park Rapids, Minnesota. Craig Grams... more »

• Colorado memorial planned for dentist killed in Afghanistan

  August 9, 2010 9:36 AM

  Friends and family of a Durango dentist killed in Afghanistan say he was dedicated to delivering free dental care to children in poor countries. Thomas Grams, 51, was one of 10 members of a medical team gunned down last week. The Taliban has claimed credit for the attack, saying... more »

• Colorado Springs Beer Fest this weekend

  July 22, 2010 2:46 PM

  If you love micro-brews, this is your weekend to sample lots of beers and mingle with like-minded aficionados. The Springs Beer Fest will be held Saturday at Antlers Park in downtown Colorado Springs. You may sample beers from more than 30 brewers eat amazing food and enjoy live music.... more »

• Vandals rip BP's name from Colorado awning

  July 20, 2010 12:40 PM

  Vandals ripped BP's name from the awning of the Durango Arts Center in an apparent protest against the company. Center Director Sheri Rochford Figgs says the nonprofit arts organization will have to replace the entire awning following the vandalism last week. The awning has the names of various donors... more »

• Vandalism, theft at Colorado's Canyons of the Ancients

  July 13, 2010 9:13 AM

  A conservation group says it's concerned about vandalism, looting and destruction at the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southwest Colorado and other protected lands. The nonprofit Conservation Lands Foundation, based in Durango, said Monday it's leading a volunteer restoration project at the Canyons of the Ancients. ... more »

• Volunteers needed to build Colorado hiking trail

  July 12, 2010 12:38 PM

  The Colorado Trail runs 500 miles--from Denver to Durango. That's a lot of maintenance. The Colorado Trails Foundation uses volunteers to maintain and improve the Trail. More than a dozen work crews are being assembled this summer to wield axes and shovels, and haul rocks and dirt. Sound like... more »

• Oil giant BP picks up tab for Durango fireworks

  July 2, 2010 11:17 AM

  The fireworks display in the city of Durango will go on thanks to embattled oil giant BP. The company stepped forward to pay for the annual July Fourth display back in December, five months before the start of its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The display typically costs... more »

• Man attacks 2 women on Durango river trail

  May 17, 2010 8:36 AM

  Durango Police are looking for a man suspected of assaulting women on a riverside trail. Police say Alan Nastacio, 23, is a suspect in separate assaults earlier this month on the Animas River Trail. In the first incident, a woman told police she was touched inappropriately on May 6.... more »

• Fort Lewis College budget proposal includes 7 layoffs

  March 25, 2010 9:55 AM

  Fort Lewis College officials have proposed layoffs and in-state tuition hikes at the Durango college to help cut $4.5 million over roughly the next two years to deal with a rollback in state funding. The proposal includes seven layoffs and a 9 percent tuition increase for in-state students to... more »

• Snow melt leaves behind river of mud, closing road

  March 18, 2010 11:55 AM

  Melting mountain snow has triggered a mud flow near a rock slide area in La Plata County, leaving behind muck as deep as 4 feet in some spots on East Animas Road along the Animas River. County workers closed the road Tuesday as mud and debris coursed down Missionary Ridge... more »

• Wildlife officer kills dog harassing elk

  March 14, 2010 12:12 PM

  A Colorado wildlife officer has shot and killed an unleashed dog that was harassing an elk near Durango. The officer was called by a resident to the Animas River north of Durango on Thursday. The barking dog had caused the elk to enter deep water. The wildlife officer shot the... more »

• Season comes to an end for Lady ThunderWolves

  March 14, 2010 5:15 AM

  DURANGO, Colo.- Seeking their fifth straight elimination game, the CSU-Pueblo women's basketball team simply ran out of gas Saturday night, falling to a spot-on Concordia, St. Paul team 83-56 in the NCAA Division II Central Region Semifinals. CSU-Pueblo simply started cold while Concordia was red hot. The ThunderWolves only made... more »

• Woman found dead in Colorado hot spring

  March 6, 2010 12:11 PM

  A woman has been found dead floating in a southwestern Colorado hot spring. Fifty-year-old Theresa J. Powell of Telluride was discovered floating face-down Friday morning in Orvis Hot Springs, about a two-hour drive from Durango. Powell signed in to the front desk at the spa resort Thursday afternoon and was... more »