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• Local Marine awarded for heroism

  June 4, 2013 8:41 PM

  CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - A Marine Corps Corporal from Florence, Colorado was one of five Marines to be awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal on Monday for their heroism in rescuing comrades trapped aboard a crashed MV-22 Osprey during a training mission in Morocco last April. Cpl. Steve... more »

• New information released in hostage situation Play Video

  April 15, 2013 4:00 PM

  Florence Police have charged 26-year-old Nicholas Colleary Hiltz in the hostage situation and burglary at a gas station early Monday morning. The stand-off closed down main roads in Florence and delayed nearby schools opening for two hours. Florence police responded to a burglary alarm at 5:00am at the Kwik... more »

• SEQUESTRATION: Cuts loom, prison workers concerned about safety Play Video

  February 25, 2013 8:51 PM

  The March 1st deadline is approaching quickly. If Congress doesn't act, sequestration goes into effect; it's a series of budget slashing and tax increases. Federal agencies across the board are watching closely, and worried about their budgets. "We've been wondering, how are they going to cut the staff lower... more »

• English teacher goes to great lengths to connect with students Play Video

  November 29, 2012 6:01 PM

  FLORENCE, COLORADO - Florence High School's Cathy Wasmuth was a stay-at-home mom for years before she ever thought of becoming a teacher. It was only after her children were grown that she decided to go back to school. "I was terrified," the English and Creative Writing teacher recalled. "I... more »

• Pueblo East moves on; Eads loses in 6-Man Championship Play Video

  November 18, 2012 12:03 AM

  3A Quarterfinals Pueblo East 35 - Delta 24 Pueblo Central 12 - Silver Creek 27 2A Semifinals Florence 16 - Kent Denver 42 8-Man Semifinals Granada 26 - Fowler 16 Walsh 48 - Hoehne 72 6-Man Championship Eads... more »

• Florence celebrates its 125 birthday!

  September 29, 2012 5:25 PM

  It's a huge celebration in Florence as the city celebrates 125 years. Pioneer Park was full of balloons, bouncy houses, and lots of fun activities for all ages. From face painting, to rock climbing, they say the celebration was about fun and getting together for a good meal, but it's... more »

• Cops probe whether "antique stealers" linked to other crimes

  May 7, 2012 10:19 PM

  It was quite a find for a Florence antique store manager. $10,000 worth of stolen merchandise found at a Colorado Springs flea market. The suspects were caught red-handed and now police are investigating if this is connected to a rash of break-ins. April 6th--It was closing time at Oil... more »

• Ariz. AG to look into sheriff misconduct claims

  February 21, 2012 8:48 PM

  FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) - An embattled Arizona sheriff says the state's top prosecutor has agreed to conduct a comprehensive independent investigation into allegations made against him and his office. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu asked the Gila County sheriff's office and that county attorney's office earlier Tuesday to look into... more »

• Florence celebrates State Championship Play Video

  December 9, 2011 7:48 PM

  The town of Florence is celebrating today after their high school football team claimed the 2A State Championship. The team, the band and the cheerleaders all took a victory lap Friday afternoon down Main Street to celebrate their achievement. The Huskies beat Bayfield in a blizzard last Saturday by... more »

• Big Dogs quarterback is named "Athlete of the Week" Play Video

  November 23, 2011 3:16 AM

  Florence High School's Cody Nichols is this week's "Loaf ‘N Jug Gatorade High School Athlete of the Week." Cody is a senior quarterback for the Florence football team and he just led the Huskies to a 35-7 win over Bennett in the 2A state quarterfinals. He threw a 47-yard... more »

• Missing da Vinci may soon be uncovered Play Video

  October 1, 2011 2:14 PM

  CHICAGO - New technology being developed in the United States could help solve one of the great art mysteries of all time. A lost Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece, in Italy, could finally be uncovered all thanks to a new device developed in Chicago. In 1505, da Vinci began creating... more »

• Update: Florence bank robbery

  September 22, 2011 11:17 PM

  Florence Police are looking for a suspect after a bank robbery this afternoon. It happened around 5 this afternoon at the Pueblo Federal Credit Union on South Pikes Peak Street in Florence. Police say the man entered the bank before putting a stocking over his face in the... more »

• Reports of a bank robbery in Florence

  September 22, 2011 8:45 PM

  Viewers in Florence are reporting to us that they've gotten a reverse 911 call about a bank robbery in town. Florence Police would not confirm the reports, but did schedule a news conference for 7:30 p.m. at the police department. We have a crew heading to the scene, we'll... more »

• Florence coach named "Broncos High School Coach of the Week"

  September 22, 2011 3:24 AM

  ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - The Denver Broncos named Florence High School Head Coach Mark Buderus as their NFL High School Coach of the Week. Buderus led his No. 1-ranked Huskies of the Class 2A League to a come-from-behind victory over No. 3 Kent Denver last week. Trailing 20-6 when a 40-minute... more »

• Supermax inmate dies

  September 20, 2011 1:20 PM

  A 73 year old inmate at the Supermax prison in Florence has died in his cell. Leroy Schweitzer was found unresponsive in his cell Tuesday morning. Efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. A statement released by Bureau of Prisons says that Schweitzer's death appears to have been from natural causes.... more »

• Missing wedding ring found in the trash

  September 7, 2011 8:24 PM

  A very special part of Jim and Jean Huffman's marriage is back, his wedding band. They went to a set of recycling bins along Main Street in Florence on Monday to drop off their old newspapers. The ring somehow slipped off into the bin, but Jim didn't realize it... more »

• A priceless recovery

  September 7, 2011 5:29 PM

  At first, Jim Huffman didn't realize he'd lost it. It wasn't until he'd returned home from dropping off his newspapers in the recycling bin that he noticed his wedding band was missing. At 84 years old, Huffman has celebrated two 25 year anniversaries. His first wife died years ago... more »

• Florence football team moves back to legacy field

  August 14, 2011 5:38 PM

  There is fresh paint on the stands, and the score board is all polished up. Palmer Field in Florence is ready for another season of high school football. But this field hasn't hosted a high school game in five seasons. Ordinarily, the team would play at the new Husky... more »

• Bridge on Highway 115 to close for repairs

  June 6, 2011 3:34 PM

  The Colorado Department of Transportation will close Highway 115 at the Arkansas River Bridge near Florence for about two-and-a-half weeks. Beginning on Monday, June 13, the bridge will be closed to through traffic between U.S. 50 near Penrose and State Highway 120. The bridge, located about two miles east... more »

• Florence celebrates Royal Wedding

  April 28, 2011 7:26 PM

  Main street in the small town of Florence, Colorado is all a buzz about the upcoming Royal Wedding. Local shop owners have dressed the streets with a ''Bit of the Brit'' in honor of the Royal family and their big day. British flags, food,wedding gowns and silver tea... more »

• Sinking stadium closed in Florence

  April 12, 2011 8:47 PM

  Husky Stadium at Florence High School is now closed. Engineers say that the facility is no longer safe to use. The stands themselves along with a barrier wall that holds the stadium back off the track is beginning to slip forward. "They really don't want to put anyone in... more »

• Florence inmate convicted in U.S. Court

  January 20, 2011 7:23 PM

  An inmate at the federal prison complex at Florence was found guilty today of assaulting an officer with a weapon. Timothy Young, 52, an inmate at the Administrative Maximum Security institution was found guilty today by a jury on a charge of assault on a federal officer with a... more »

• Federal prison near Florence on lockdown after assault

  December 21, 2010 9:44 PM

  The Federal Penitentiary near Florence is on lockdown tonight after two staff members were assaulted by an inmate. It happened around 1 p.m. We're told the inmate entered a staff members office and struck the staff members in the face. Other staff stepped in and got the situation under... more »

• Head-on crash kills one near Florence

  December 17, 2010 5:07 PM

  One person died in a head on collision near Florence this morning. The State Patrol reports a southbound vehicle lost control at about 5:50 a.m. and went into the oncoming lane and was hit by another vehicle. The driver of the first car died at the scene. His... more »

• Walkaway captured in Pueblo

  December 17, 2010 2:39 PM

  An inmate who walked away from a federal prison camp in Florence Wednesday has been captured in Pueblo. Robert Muzny, a minimum security inmate serving time for a drug conviction, walked away Wednesday from the federal prison complex south of Florence. He was arrested last night in Pueblo and... more »

• Huskies tight end is this week's "Athlete of the Week"

  November 30, 2010 8:52 PM

  For the second time this year a member of the Florence Huskies football team is the "Loaf ‘N Jug High School Athlete of the Week." Congratulations to senior tight end Austin Reeves, a multi-sport athlete at Florence. The Huskies lost their 2A state semifinal game at Olathe over the... more »

• UPDATE: Fire burning south of Florence contained

  November 18, 2010 5:30 PM

  A fire burned several hundred acres south of Florence Thursday evening, but is now out and contained. The fire started around 2 p.m. on County Road 19 up to County Road 108, which is South of the Federal Bureau of Prison, East of Hwy 67 and North of Custer... more »

• Stabbed federal prison officer treated at hospital

  October 7, 2010 5:12 PM

  A corrections officer at the federal penitentiary in Florence was stabbed in the back three times by a prisoner using a homemade shank. The officer was treated at a hospital for his injuries and released. The attack happened around noon on Wednesday. The prisoner was quickly subdued by other... more »

• Job of the Day: Florence Federal Prison Pharmacist

  September 23, 2010 5:35 PM

  The Federal Bureau of Prisons has an opening for a Staff Pharmacist in Florence. You have until Wednesday, Sept. 29 to apply. Starting pay is $57,400 - $74,600 per year. "The Pharmacist is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the medication delivery system and assures that the integrity of... more »

• Teens injured in overnight rollover accident

  September 9, 2010 5:43 PM

  Two teens were injured overnight when the vehicle they were in rolled on Fremont County Road 15. It happened about five miles southwest of Florence at around 1 a.m. Thursday. The driver of a sport utility vehicle, Marcus Mast, 27, of Florence lost control on a right hand turn.... more »

• Colorado Judge dismisses Oklahoma City bomber's suit

  August 18, 2010 8:15 AM

  A federal judge in Denver has dismissed claims by Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols that prison officials violated his constitutional rights by depriving him of a diet he requested for health and religious reasons. U.S. District Judge Christine Arguello said in a ruling issued Monday that Nichols didn't... more »

• Candlelight vigil honors three Penrose teens

  August 1, 2010 4:33 PM

  The hymn "Amazing Grace" softly permeates through the crowd of the more than 300 people who gathered at Pioneer Park in Florence Sunday night. The light of a candle spreads through the crowd just as softly, lit by the parents of three teenage girls killed in a car crash. ... more »

• Arrest in gruesome murder case

  July 23, 2010 12:48 AM

  News First 5 has confirmed the arrest of a Penrose man in connection with the murder of a Florence woman. Rebecca Magallanes' torso was found back in November out in Custer County. It took months to figure out who she was. The District Attorney in Canon City, Thom LeDoux,... more »

• Court proceeds with neglect claim in Fremont County

  July 6, 2010 2:42 PM

  A Fremont County judge has decided not to return three children to their parents, just days after a five-month-old died in the house. The baby girl was rushed to St. Thomas More Hospital in Canon City last week. Child abuse was initially suspected, so the couple's other children were... more »

• Service set for Fremont County baby

  July 3, 2010 12:47 AM

  5 month old Destine Warren will be remembered by family and friends Monday at 2 p.m. at Praise Community Church in Florence. Destine died earlier this week from a medical condition. Renne and Richard Warren are waiting to get their other children back following an investigation into Destine's death.... more »

• Snow melt raising Arkansas River levels

  June 7, 2010 1:46 AM

  As the weather heats up in Fremont County, the Arkansas River has gotten noticeably bigger and more powerful. "There's a lot more debris than we've seen in a while." says Canon City resident Dawn Cotter. While residents are used to the summer flooding, they say this year may be... more »

• Fremont County angry over French documentary

  May 12, 2010 11:10 PM

  Last year a French film crew converged on Fremont County. They said they were there to film a documentary about the relationship between the prisons and the communities around them. When the film was released on the web it wasn't quite what people expected. "We're in some godforsaken place in... more »

• Information sought in murder of Florence woman

  April 21, 2010 6:51 PM

  Police are looking for clues surrounding the mysterious death of a Florence woman, who was found dismembered at a campground in the next county. Canon City Police still have more questions than answers, partly because the 44-year old woman didn't have many friends. An autopsy showed Rebecca Magallanes' body was... more »

• Dismembered body identified

  April 20, 2010 6:04 PM

  Investigators have now identified a body, found dismembered in a remote area of eastern El Paso County. The body was located at a camp ground, back on November 24. Authorities say the woman has been identified as 44-year-old Rebecca Magallanes, of Florence. They were able to make the identification... more »

• Judge keeps Supermax inmate's lawsuit alive

  March 24, 2010 5:28 PM

  A judge says a federal inmate who killed at least two other inmates and a correctional officer can proceed with a lawsuit challenging his placement in solitary confinement. Thomas Silverstein has been in the federal prison system since 1978 following a conviction for an armed bank robbery. He has... more »

• 3-time state champ is "Athlete of the Week"

  February 23, 2010 10:40 PM

  The Colorado High School Wrestling Championships over the weekend provided plenty of excitement. The tourney also provided this week's "Loaf ‘N Jug High School Athlete of the Week." Senior Matt Addington from Florence beat Caleb Wyatt from Hotchkiss to win the 3A 160 pound state championship on Saturday. That... more »

• Receptionist - Federal Prison, Florence

  February 4, 2010 1:58 PM

  The Federal Bureau of Prisons in Florence is seeking a receptionist to greet visitors. Starting pay is between $33,500 and $42,000 a year, depending on experience. Apply by Feb. 10. Click here to apply more »

• Retired Pueblo City Manager to work in Florence

  February 3, 2010 1:35 PM

  A former Pueblo city manager will now run the city government in Florence. Lew Quigley retired as Pueblo City Manager in 2000. Recently he was named a finalist for the Florence job along with Scott Hahn and Thomas Hale from Salida and Glenn Hartmann from Glenwood Springs. According to... more »

• Update: Body of missing Florence woman found

  January 23, 2010 11:36 PM

  The Arkansas River has been the focus of search efforts for 49-year-old Beth Rice, who went missing two weeks ago. Saturday morning she was found in the water, dead. However, right now police aren't looking for suspects. "We don't feel that there's any foul play in this case... more »

• Search suspended for missing Florence woman

  January 15, 2010 8:24 PM

  Florence Police say they have suspended their search for missing Florence resident Beth Rice. Rice was reported missing on Sunday, by her family. Since then, crews from across Southern Colorado have aided in the search for her. Search crews had been focusing their efforts along the Arkansas River. That... more »

• Search continues for missing Florence woman

  January 12, 2010 5:17 PM

  A search continues today for a Florence woman who's been missing since the weekend. Searchers scoured the area, including kayakers on the Arkansas River. Beth Rice, 49, was last in contact with her family on Saturday. She did not attend church on Sunday, as expected. A search of her... more »