DOUGLAS COUNTY

Deputy fired after DUI arrest, sheriff says

A Douglas County deputy was fired after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, assault, careless driving and obstructing a peace officer, the sheriff’s office said.

Andrew Charles Sanders, 40, was arrested by Parker police officers near the intersection of Jordan Road and Bradbury Parkway the night of Feb. 7.

“I am deeply disappointed and disturbed by the arrest of one of our employees and the serious charges he is now facing,” Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said.

Sanders was released from jail on $1,000 bail.

DENVER

One killed in shooting on West Maple Ave.

One person was killed and another was injured in a shooting in Denver’s Valverde neighborhood early Saturday, police said.

The Denver Police Department reported the shooting in the 1500 block of West Maple Avenue at 5:42 a.m.

One person was taken to a hospital with a leg injury and a second was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

ROUTT COUNTY

Tennessee business leaders among four killed in plane crash

Two Tennessee businessmen were among the four people killed when a plane crashed in the mountains near Steamboat Springs on Friday, according to the Routt County coroner’s office.

Aaron Stokes, 47; Jakson Stokes, 21; Colin Stokes, 21; and Austin Huskey, 37, were identified as the four people who died when a turboprop plane headed to Bob Adams Airport crashed on Emerald Mountain just outside of Steamboat Springs, the coroner’s office said.

The crash happened early Friday under “unknown circumstances,” the National Transportation Safety Board said.

According to an obituary posted online, Aaron Stokes founded Shop Fix Academy in Franklin, Tenn. The organization helps small auto shops through professional development and coaching.

Austin Huskey was the chief executive of Huskey Building Supply, also in Franklin, the company said in a post on Instagram.

Both men were husbands and fathers, according to the statements.

Jakson Stokes was Aaron Stokes’ son, and Colin Stokes was his nephew, according to reporting from the Williamson Herald.

NTSB officials are investigating the crash, and a preliminary report will be released within 30 days, according to the agency.

— Katie Langford, The Denver Post

weather

Dillon Lake Loops winter trail will not open in 2026

The town of Dillon has announced that, because of the second-latest Dillon Reservoir freeze on the record books, it will not be maintaining the Dillon Lake Loops this year.

Conditions never reached the consistency needed to safely prepare and manage the loops this winter because of the late freeze, the town said on its website.

The Lake Loops trail is a multi-use winter track that offer recreation including walking, cross-country skiing, skate skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking.

According to the town’s website, the town takes weekly ice measurements to judge the thickness of the ice around the track during winters in which the loops are open. The town recommended visitors and residents use caution around the reservoir and enjoy Dillon’s other winter activities.

— Summit Daily

DENVER

Police arrest deputy for bringing vape into jail for inmate

The Denver Police Department arrested Denver Deputy Sheriff Aniel Martinez on Thursday in connection with an incident that happened Jan. 2 while Martinez was working at the Downtown Detention Center.

Martinez faces charges of official misconduct and introducing contraband into the facility, both misdemeanors. The Public Integrity Division opened an investigation into the allegations, and Martinez was placed on leave on Jan. 3.

Martinez, 33, allegedly provided a vape pen to an inmate and arranged for the inmate to pay him $60 via CashApp, according to an arrest affidavit provided by the Denver Police Department. The inmate said he had asked Martinez if he could have his vape pen, and was turned down. Martinez allegedly told him, “I could make a killing selling vapes.”

The inmate continued to ask, and the two later reached terms for a sale, which was paid for by a third party on the outside.

Another deputy noticed the suspicious interactions between Martinez and the inmate and requested a review of camera video. A body search of the inmate found the vape pen, as well as a second one.

Martinez became a deputy sheriff in 2024. He was released from the same facility where he once worked on a personal recognizance bond.

He will appear in Denver County Court for an advisement on Feb. 25.

— Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post