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• Obituary surfaces for suspect in Springs cold case

  May 10, 2013 6:50 PM

  COLORADO SPRINGS - A strange twist has surfaced in a 16-year old homicide cold case out of Colorado Springs. Just after midnight on may 24, 1997 Gino Romero, 13, was shot and killed while riding in the back seat of an old black sedan during a drive by shooting in... more »

• Plea deal reached for Gilbert Sanchez, accused of killing three Alamosa teens in wreck Play Video

  March 21, 2013 12:44 AM

  It was a deadly crash that shook the Pueblo community; now, a plea deal in the case. Gilbert Sanchez reached a plea agreement with the District Attorney Wednesday night. Last April he was speeding and driving drunk when he ran a red light and t-boned another vehicle, killing three teenage... more »

• Drought relief for farmers in 43 Colorado counties

  January 9, 2013 8:21 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Thirty of Colorado's 64 counties have been designated as primary natural disaster areas due to severe drought and heat, making farmers and ranchers there and in adjacent counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday that overall, 43... more »

• Third Congressional District candidate Sal Pace campaigns in Pueblo

  November 3, 2012 7:38 PM

  Sal Pace, who's running for the Third Congressional District, walked and campaigned around many parts of Pueblo today. He made several stops on the east side and downtown to meet voters on the streets and talk to those who are canvassing neighborhoods and making phone calls. They say they want... more »

• Part of southern CO looked at for possible conservation area

  May 13, 2012 11:22 AM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing creating a 5.2 million-acre conservation area in south-central Colorado and northern New Mexico to protect wildlife habitat and migration corridors. The agency proposes creating the San Luis Valley Conservation Area, which would encompass land in Saguache, Hinsdale, Mineral,... more »

• Memorial honors lives of teen crash victims

  April 30, 2012 3:03 PM

  A community gathers in front of Alamosa High School to grieve the loss of three young lives. Those who loved the three teen girls find strength in the lives they led. It's a community in shock. "It's definitely a tragedy in this community. To lose three beautiful young women... more »

• Blowing dust advisory for San Luis Valley

  April 11, 2012 11:22 AM

  The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued a Blowing Dust Advisory for Western Colorado and the San Luis Valley. Cities in the Blowing Dust Advisory include, include Rangely, Craig, Hayden, Meeker, Aspen, Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, Delta, Montrose, Nucla, Telluride, Cortez, Durango, and Alamosa The... more »

• Lone Ranger casting call

  March 21, 2012 3:41 PM

  The casting company working on the Disney movie "The Lone Ranger" will be in Colorado Springs Monday looking for extras, and the list borders on bizarre. Sande Alessi Casting will be at the UCCS Campus on Monday between 3 and 6 p.m. They're looking for background extras for this... more »

• Investigators seek cause of Alamosa plane crash

  November 12, 2011 12:10 PM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a twin-engine plane crash in southern Colorado that killed its pilot. The Federal Aviation Administration says a Cessna 337 crashed and burned on a highway south of San Luis Valley Regional Airport Thursday afternoon soon after takeoff.... more »

• Deadly plane crash in Alamosa

  November 10, 2011 11:53 PM

  We have reports of of a deadly small plane crash in Alamosa. The Valley Courier in Alamosa says one person was killed. The victim has not been identified. They say the plane was heading from Alamosa to Salida more »

• Ex-Great Sand Dunes worker accused of theft

  October 6, 2011 3:08 PM

  DENVER (AP) - A former Great Sand Dunes National Park employee is accused of theft and money laundering in the alleged embezzlement of $730,000. A federal grand jury Wednesday handed up a 198-count indictment against 48-year-old Lydia White of Hooper. She's accused of using government checks and charge cards... more »

• Gov. appoints Gonzales to 12th Judicial District

  September 9, 2011 4:04 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Gov. John Hickenlooper has appointed Alamosa County Court Judge Michael Anthony Gonzalez to serve as a 12th Judicial District judge. The district serves Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties. Gonzales' appointment fills a vacancy created by the retirement of District Judge O.... more »

• Back road flooded out at Sand Dunes park

  August 25, 2011 2:00 PM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - A primitive road over Medano Pass in Great Sand Dunes National Park has been closed because of flood damage. The National Park Service says the storm on Monday washed down ash and debris from last year's burn areas. According to the Denver Post, the road is... more »

• Accounting error will drain funds from Division of Wildlife

  August 19, 2011 8:28 AM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is trying to figure out how to deal with an accounting error by the Division of Wildlife that will continue to drain resources for several more years. The balance in the Wildlife Cash Fund, which pays for most game-management... more »

• Monte Vista man dies while trimming trees

  June 29, 2011 5:26 AM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - Xcel Energy and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating after a Monte Vista man died while trimming trees. Authorities said the man died Monday at Blue Waters Hacienda in Saguache when the arm of his tree-trimming device came into contact with an electrical... more »

• Alamosa couple faces murder charges

  June 27, 2011 8:06 AM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - A couple arrested in Colorado faces murder charges after the man was pulled over driving the truck of a man who'd gone missing in Arlington, Texas. Forty-three-year-old Thomas Eugene Dunham was stopped by officers in Alamosa on June 7. He was driving a truck that... more »

• Couple charged in death of Texas man

  June 26, 2011 1:54 PM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - A couple arrested in Colorado faces murder charges after the man was pulled over driving the truck of a man who'd gone missing in Arlington, Texas. Forty-three-year-old Thomas Eugene Dunham was stopped by officers in Alamosa on June 7. He was driving a truck that... more »

• Governor worries about job losses from Alamosa fire

  June 9, 2011 10:56 PM

  Governor John Hickenlooper says he worries about the people who have lost their jobs, even if temporarily, because of the massive fire that scorched 4 businesses in downtown Alamosa Wednesday night. The governor was visiting the San Luis Valley on a bill signing tour when the fire started. ... more »

• Alamosa fire destroys businesses

  June 9, 2011 7:45 PM

  Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a fire in Alamosa that destroyed several businesses. The fire broke out around 7 o'clock last night on Main Street near Poncha Avenue. The Alamosa Fire Department says it started inside a salon. An employee says he saw fire coming... more »

• Rio Grande Railroad adds historic New Orleans cars

  May 12, 2011 7:15 PM

  The Rio Grande Scenic Railroad will kick off its season on May 27 with the addition of two historic passenger cars from the famed City of New Orleans train that ran from Chicago to New Orleans until the 1970s. The club cars are the historic Mardi Gras and the... more »

• $90 million loan goes to Alamosa solar company

  May 10, 2011 12:12 PM

  The Department of Energy has committed to loan $90 million to Congentrix of Alamosa to build a 30 megawatt photovoltaic power generating station in the San Luis Valley. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu made the announcement today. The project will provide 75 construction jobs and 10 jobs after construction... more »

• Record High Temperatures on Saturday

  April 2, 2011 6:52 PM

  As wind speeds increased, so did temperatures in the NewsFirst 5 viewing area on Saturday. At least 3 cities hit record highs. Colorado Springs 80 (Old record 73/2007) Pueblo 87 (Old record 83/1959) Alamosa 75 (Old record 72/1959) We'll add additional records for the day as they're reported more »

• Redistricting panel heads to southern Colo.

  March 12, 2011 1:01 PM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - A bipartisan panel considering new congressional districts is headed to southern Colorado talk with residents about their district. The legislative panel planned hearings in Alamosa and Pueblo Saturday. Both are currently in the 3rd Congressional District represented by Republican Rep. Scott Tipton. The panel... more »

• Charges dismissed against accused kidnapper; woman still missing

  March 3, 2011 9:24 PM

  Angelica Sandoval vanished a week before she was supposed to testify against a man accused of kidnapping her. Now charges against the suspect have been dismissed. But there are still no signs of the missing Alamosa woman. Sandoval, 21, disappeared last week while getting laundry from her car in... more »

• Southern Colorado police chief and an officer face charges

  November 13, 2010 4:28 PM

  CENTER, Colo. (AP) - The police chief and a police officer in the southern Colorado town of Center face criminal charges of misconduct and harassment. Center Police Chief LeRoy Torres and Officer Carlos Dean Heredia face charges related to alleged witness intimidation and other misconduct. Alamosa Police Lt. Duane... more »

• McInnis back on campaign trail

  July 19, 2010 12:52 PM

  GOP gubernatorial hopeful Scott McInnis is back on the campaign trail. The former congressman is set to speak to the Farm Bureau in Alamosa on Monday. On Saturday, McInnis held a fundraiser in Silt that drew 300 people. McInnis missed a campaign event last week, saying he wanted... more »

• Medano fire grows very slowly

  June 23, 2010 3:36 PM

  The Medano Fire, burning on the north edge of the Sand Dunes National Park, grew only slightly since yesterday. It is now estimated as 4,891 acres, an increase of only 125 acres since Tuesday. There are just over 200 firefighters working the blaze, which is aimed only at containment.... more »

• Teen hiker dies on Colorado peak

  June 16, 2010 7:09 PM

  A young, but experienced hiker is dead after a fall on one of Colorado's 14,000 foot mountains. Kevin Hayne, 18, of Highlands Ranch slipped and fell into a ravine Tuesday on Little Bear Peak. Hayne and a friend were rappelling down the side of the mountain when Hayne fell.... more »

• Alamosa teacher builds a plane in her classroom for a unique lesson

  May 7, 2010 7:23 PM

  Second and third graders at Boyd Elementary in Alamosa are taking a trip around the world without ever leaving school. Using 15 king size sheets sewn together and draped over PVC pipe, art teacher Sue Patterson built a fuselage in her classroom. The idea was the result of a painting... more »

• Alamosa: tainted water update

  March 1, 2010 9:22 PM

  Southern Colorado residents who say they were sickened by a salmonella outbreak blamed on Alamosa's water supply are suing the city. The lawsuit filed in Alamosa District Court Monday alleges the city failed to monitor and maintain a sanitary water system. The outbreak in March 2008 sickened as many... more »

• Tourism driving Railroad Renaissance in Colorado

  March 1, 2010 12:50 PM

  The golden age of passenger trains is slowly making a comeback in Colorado fueled in part by tourism dollars. The Rio Grande Scenic Railway in Alamosa has began hauling passengers and freight through the San Luis Valley four years ago. General manager Mathew Abbey says in that time,... more »

• Woman dies from inhaling sand at Sand Dunes

  December 23, 2009 9:05 PM

  A coroner says a woman whose body was found at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve died after apparently falling face down in the sand in an intoxicated state, passing out and inhaling sand. Alamosa County Coroner Mike Rogers said Wednesday that an autopsy indicated 27-year old Kristin... more »

• All aboard for the Christmas train!

  December 17, 2009 12:46 PM

  If you're looking for an out-of-town getaway this weekend, try the Dickens of a Christmas Train. The Rio Grande Scenic Railroad runs the train every day through Wednesday, December 23. Depart from La Veta. The one-of-kind Christmas train celebrates the spirit of the classic story: A Christmas Carol. Live... more »

• Body of missing woman found at Sand Dunes

  December 3, 2009 5:55 PM

  The body of a Colorado Springs woman was found Thursday morning at the Sand Dunes in the San Luis Valley. The Alamosa Daily News is now reporting she may have died of hypothermia. Park rangers found the car of 27-year-old Kristin Weiss Wednesday night, and searchers found her body... more »

• Alamosa water contamination blamed on animal waste

  November 18, 2009 5:29 PM

  A salmonella outbreak in Alamosa last year that killed one person and sickened an estimated 1,300 was the result of animal waste contaminating a concrete in-ground water storage tank that had several holes and cracks. That's according to a final report issued Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Public Health... more »

• Ride the rails for Oktoberfest & fall colors

  September 30, 2009 5:52 PM

  All aboard for fall fun! This Saturday, the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad will run a special Rails and Ales Oktoberfest Train. Belly-up for beer and bratwurst served in time to German Oompa Band music as the train leaves from Alamosa, winds through mountain passes with aspens displaying their glorious fall... more »

• New Army Guard unit, readiness center in Alamosa

  September 10, 2009 4:11 PM

  The Colorado Army National Guard is opening a new readiness center and basing a new unit in Alamosa. Maj. Gen. H. Michael Edwards, the adjutant general of Colorado, said Thursday the facility is the home of the new Delta Company, 1st of the 157th Infantry Battalion. It will also serve... more »