Good morning southern Colorado and here's what you need to know on your Tuesday morning.
If you'd like to read the full story, be sure to click on the story headline.
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Four new cases of COVID-19 in Colorado
Health officials announce 4 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Colorado and one possible case that requires further testing. This brings the total number of cases in the state to 12, all of which are considered "presumptive positive" until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can independently confirm the results.
The latest cases are a woman in her 50's from Larimer County, an Eagle County woman in her 70's who recently traveled within the US, a Denver County woman in her 30's who has not had contact with an infected person and has not recently traveled, and finally a woman in her 30's in Arapahoe County.
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Warmer with windy conditions and fire danger
Dry skies are expected across southern Colorado today, but we'll see increasing cloud cover as the day goes along. Westerly flow in the jet stream will work to tumble down stronger winds in the afternoon, which will in turn elevate fire conditions. Red Flag warnings are in place across the region and will likely remain in place through the early evening due to gusty winds and low humidity. Temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s today.
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Victims in double homicide identified
We now know the names of the two women killed at a home on Palace Drive last week. Colorado Springs Police investigators say 29-year-old Annjolynne Page Scott and 59-year-old Tamara Dunn died of wounds suffered in a shooting and stabbing. The women are mother and daughter. 28-year-old Timothy Ray Scott Jr., the husband of the younger woman, is now out of the hospital and in the El Paso County jail on charges of murder.
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American troops leaving Afghanistan
The drawdown of American troops in Afghanistan has begun. The Pentagon sayis this could be the start of a full drawdown of the 12,000 troops in that country. Under a deal with the Taliban about 4,000 troops will leave now, with the rest departing through next spring, but this remains a conditional move. Soldiers, including those stationed here at Fort Carson, have rotated out of Afghanistan for more than 15 years.
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St. Patrick's Day Festival in Colorado Springs
The annual St. Patrick's Day parade is scheduled to happen this coming Saturday in downtown Colorado Springs. Some cities, like Boston, have canceled their parades because of coronavirus, but as of now the Colorado Springs parade is still scheduled to take place.
The fun starts with the St. Patrick's Day 5k in the morning followed by the parade at noon. News 5 is a proud sponsor of the event.