North Metro Fire Rescue got the 911 call at about 4:25 a.m. to respond to the 11000 block of York St. When they arrived, they pulled three people out of the burning structure.

Paramedics took a man, a woman and two children who lived in the duplex to hospitals for treatment. Two Northglenn Police Officers also went to St. Anthony North Hospital for treatment of minor smoke inhalation. A dog was taken to a 24-hour vet service.

A total of 31 firefighters from North Metro and Thornton Fire responded along with Northglenn Police.

“The fire was fully extinguished at 4:46 a.m. and the duplex received moderate smoke and fire damage,” says North Metro Fire spokeswoman Stacey Mulligan.  “Fire is still under investigation.”

Information about the conditions of the four people who lived in the duplex was not released.

The heaviest snowfall was expected to end by mid-morning, but not before it dumped 2-6″ in some locations of the metro area.

The snow arrived very quickly between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. and fell at a rapid rate, so it was not possible for snowplows to keep the snow from piling up on highways.

Slick conditions caused numerous accidents. Check here for traffic conditions in Denver.

The snow came on the heels of a day of powerful winds. Snow and wind closed Interstate 70 in the mountains Thursday and Colorado Dept. of Transportation spokeswoman Stacey Stegman advised against trying to drive on I-70 between Denver and Vail Thursday.

Stegman says the biggest problem is the avalanche danger. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center issued an Avalanche Warning for the Front Range as well as the mountains around Vail and in Summit County.

The highway was closed westbound from C470 on the west side of Denver into the high country. Eastbound I-70 was closed at Vail. See statewide road conditions here.

U.S. Highway 6 over Loveland Pass and U.S. 40 over Berthoud Pass were also closed.

Xcel Energy said about 15,000 customers were without electricity in metro Denver Thursday. Spokesman Mark Stutz said most of the outages were in the Denver-Boulder area west of I-25. He also said it could take until Friday or into the weekend to get power restored in some locations.

Below is what reporter Mark Meredith and photographer Joshua Montoya profiled in their 24 hour attempt to showcase all that Vegas had to offer.

Ever feel like you need to let off some stress? How about let off some stress with the same guns Stallone and Schwarzenegger made famous in action movies.
In Vegas, not only can you experience a shooting range, you can experience a shooting range that let’s you try out at AK-47 and the same guns James Bond use.

With packages starting in the $30 range, visitors will get expert guidance on shooting techniques, safety, and abilities of over two dozen guns. The experience is not aimed only at gun-lovers, but those who have never fired a weapon are encouraged to check it out.

The 12-lane indoor shooting range called Guns & Ammo Garage is open 7 days a week.

For more information or reservations, you can visit their website or call: 702-440-GUNS

Those who are into Yoga need to see how Vegas takes yoga to a whole new level.

In a program only being offered at the Mirage Hotel, guests and the public can experience a yoga class with the famous Vegas dolphins. The one hour session is open to both beginners and experts and is easily one of the most unique experiences you can find in Vegas.

The program is currently offered on weekends. Click here for more information. Classes are limited and reservations are suggested.

Anyone who has been to Vegas or has seen Soderbergh’s “Oceans Eleven” knows no trip to Vegas would be complete without a trip to the famous fountain show.

Now a new bar/club experience is giving guests the chance to see the fountains the way they were meant to be seen. Inside “Hyde,” the sibling of an LA nightclub, guests are treated with great views and unique cocktails. Their signature “nitrogen infused” cocktail is becoming a staple of happy hour in Vegas.

For more information including hours and operation, call: 702.693.8700

The strip offers more and more things to do with every waking hour. However, for a truly unique flying experience, zip-lining across downtown Las Vegas easily becomes something the whole family can enjoy.

For roughly $20, guests between 60-250 pounds can fly over hundreds of people all from the comfort of a safety harness. The attraction has become a hit for downtown and the lines are beginning to show just how popular the experience is.

There are some liability waivers required before each flight, but after soaring several hundred feet in the air at high speeds…somethings can be worth the risk.

To make reservations or to get more information you can call: 702.410.7999

Denver knows cold better than most cities, but Vegas certainly takes the “ice” experience to a whole new level.

Inside “Minus 5″ bar in the Monte Carlo, a typical drink is far from a typical night out. Before even going inside, guests will put on fur coats, gloves, even hats.

Colorado knows what ice is like but it’s rare to find a bar in the state that will serve drinks into cups made of ice itself.

The costs can vary depending on the experience each visitor wants to go for. If you’re interested in chilling out, Minus 5 is the best way to get that Denver feeling right in the desert. It’s open 7 days a week but you’ll want to hear more about It before you go.
Call 702-643-7800 for hours and how you can customize your experience.

With such a deadly season so far, how do these experts predict just how dangerous it is?

It has been a deadly winter across the mountain west, with 17 people killed in avalanches nationwide.

“It’s creating a very unstable snowpack,” said John Snook, an avalanche forecaster at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

There have been six fatalities in Colorado and the avalanche risk is the highest it has been in three decades.

“It’s a scary year to be in the back country,” said Matthew Wilber, a Colorado Ski Patrol Accident Investigator. “The danger is elevated right now.”

In fact, there have been more than 30 avalanches in Colorado in less than a week, including the one that closed Loveland Pass.

Snowfall in October and November, followed by a dry December, left an unstable snow base.

“Because of that base layer being weak the avalanches are much deeper, so the danger becomes increased,” said Wilber.

That’s why avalanche forecaster John Snook goes deep into the Colorado backcountry to literally measure and predict the danger.

“There’s kind of a false sense of security that you can stay on top,” Snook said. “But if you find one of those weak spots then the whole thing can go.”

He peels open snow banks looking for clues.

“We can test some things on this slope that are representative of much larger slopes up higher,” Snook said.

He uses a variety of simple tools to map out specific traits in each of the distinctive layers of snow.

“We’re testing to see if any of these layers are gonna shear off in this direction,” he said, pointing down slope.

“This is that really weak layer,” he said, gripping onto a crumbling snowball. “You can’t put it together in a snowball. It’s not very cohesive.”

From that lowest crumbling layer, water seeps upward from the ground, freezing as it leaches toward the colder surface.

“And that’s what makes Colorado one of the most dangerous snow packs in the world,” Snook said. “As we put more weight on that very weak layer it can fail by collapsing.”

Snook uses this information to map these areas and to make daily predictions for public safety.

“When you’re in the backcountry you need to take your own responsibility,” Snook pointed out.

And with normal snow continuing to fall on that bottom weaker base, it’s a formula for disaster.

“Even though it’s low probability, if I get caught in one there’s a pretty good chance I’m gonna die,” Snook said.

An independent panel of doctors and other experts voted in favor of approving Qnexa Wednesday.

Qnexa is a combination of two other drugs already on the market, phentermine and topiramate.

“The study looked at 2,500 people over a two year period of time,” explained Dr. Jeffry Gerber.  “And what they found with this new drug was that there was a 9 percent weight loss compared to placebo.”

The FDA denied approval for Qnexa in 2010 citing concerns related to the topiramate, which is a commonly used anti-convulsant often sold under the name Topamax.

“For pregnant women taking Topamax, there was an increased incidence of birth defects and cleft palate,” Gerber said.

The drug’s creators propose a strict system for prescribing Qnexa, specifically advising monthly pregnancy testing for women.  There have also been questions about phentermine, which is famously associated with the diet drug Fen-Phen which was shown to cause heart valve problems.

“I associate that with all those horrible stories from the 90s about people who died,” said Rebecca Ensley.

But Gerber said it was the other “fen,” fenfluramine, which was the problem.

“This drug doesn’t seem to have any problems related to that,” he said.  “I don’t think the heart issues with the phentermine are particularly concerning.”

But even with FDA approval, horror stories like Fen-Phen have many unsure about using diet pills at all.

“Having taken diet pills in the past, I know what side effects they can have on you,” Ensley said.

“If something in it already has a warning, I think that would probably be a big sign to deter me from taking it,” said Alix Peterson.

And unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a miracle drug.

“People hear about these drugs and they look at it as a silver bullet, they look at it as the solution,” Gerber said.  “But eventually their effect wears off, no matter how long you use it.”

The FDA has until April to make a decision on approving Qnexa.

We even busted a repairman breaking our water heater, apparently on purpose just so he could charge us $1,753.

But then we discovered we had been deceived by Plumbline services, the company we trusted to help us set up our test.

They disconnected a hose on our water heater so we could see which other companies would charge us a fair price to plug it back in.

After our story aired, we received several news tips accusing Plumbline of tipping off Applewood Plumbing, the company we thought “passed our test with flying colors,” because their technician was the only one who re-connected the hose for free.

At first we found the allegation hard to believe, after all why would Plumbline tip off their competitor, Applewood? But then we confirmed the two companies belong to the same marketing and training group, “NexStar,” and as part of their membership they share information.

We when we confronted Plumbline, the owner, Jeff Belk, came clean.

“In no way, shape or form were we trying to do anything malicious or hurtful to you or anybody,” he said.

But Applewood initially denied any prior knowledge of our test.

The company later sent us a statement saying it “had heard from a number of sources that a sting story was in the works.”

Still, an Applewood representative insists even if they did know about the test, (the technician) “would not have handled that call any differently with prior knowledge or not.”

Rick Nierman disagrees.

Nierman told us Applewood tried to charge him more than $700 for a part her later bought at a hardware store for just over $45.

He is just one of dozens of viewers who emailed or called us following our first story, claiming they had been overcharged by Applewood.

Jeff Metz, owner of Done plumbing, was shocked that Plumbline let Applewood in on our investigation.

“That`s not fair at all,” he said.

Done is one of only four companies that legitimately passed our test. The other companies are: ARS, Heating Tech and Whipple.

We tried to test AAA Services plumbing, but when we called the company we were told they didn’t have a technician available until mid-March.

We called back with a different number and address and a dispatcher said they could come out “right away.”

We have since learned AAA Service is also a NexStar member and had been tipped off to our test.

Here are the Colorado Plumbing and heating companies that belong to NexStar:

• Golden West Plumbing: did not return our call inquiring if their technicians make commission.
• AAA Service Plumbing: refused to tell us if their technicians make commission.
• Dunlap Plumbing: technicians make a salary, plus “incentives.”
• Applewood: technicians make commission.
• Plumbline: technicians make commission.
• Precision Plumbing, heating and Electric: technicians make an hourly salary plus “bonuses.”
• Patriot Enterprises: did not return our call inquiring if their technicians make commission.
• Grand Lake Plumbing: technicians do not make commission.
• Wieronski Plumbing and Heating: did not return our call inquiring if their technicians make commission.

Mike Hauser, 68, of Monument died Tuesday, months after eating cantaloupe from Jensen Farms in southeast Colorado.

So far, 34 people have died after eating cantaloupe from the farm.

Hauser’s wife, Penny, says her husband had battled recent health issues and was doing much better, when he had some of the cantaloupe last fall. She says he was in a coma for weeks and in and out of surgeries and intensive care units for months. But she says he was recently able to come home and seemed to be on the road to recovery, when he suffered a relapse this week.

The family’s attorney, Bill Marler, also represents other families of Listeria victims and says the federal and state governments have to do more to make sure people are protected.

The FDA tied the outbreak to sanitation problems at Jensen Farms. The agency is asking for a budget increase to help address problems in the food production and handling system.

Police responded to a domestic violence incident that turned into a barricade situation near E. Mississippi Ave. and S. Peoria St. Wednesday.

Carlson says it began at about 2:45 a.m. at the Fountain Village apartment complex in the 11900 block of E. Kansas Dr. As a precaution, some nearby residents were ordered to leave their units and move to the clubhouse. They were allowed to go back to their homes once the standoff ended.

The alleged female victim was able to run out of her apartment to safety, but the woman’s 2-year-old daughter remained inside with the woman’s ex-boyfriend.

The woman ran upstairs to a neighbor’s unit to get help.

“She told us he hit her … she was crying,” says neighbor Maria Lay, who called 911.

The suspect, 25-year-old Herbert Johnson, surrendered after three hours and police say it is possible the girl slept through the incident.

According to a Colorado Bureau of Investigation check, Johnson has a lengthy criminal history, including four outstanding warrants. He was also charged with assault and battery with a $2,500 bond.

Residents were told to evacuate to Lyons High School, according to Commander Rick Brough.

Strong winds were blamed for fanning the fire into 10 to 15 foot flames and the fire scorched about 20 acres.

Video of the Lyons wildfire courtesy of Jenny Begin/Longmont Times-Call

Indiana State Representative Bob Morris believes the group has a pro-homosexuality and pro-abortion agenda, and operates as an arm of Planned Parenthood.

“That’s the research I found online. The Girl Scouts of America don’t stand for anything. They let those girls do what they want for their troop meetings,” Morris says.

Representative Morris sent this letter to fellow lawmakers voicing his concerns:

“Many parents are abandoning the Girl Scouts because they promote homosexual lifestyles. Abundant evidence proves the agenda of Planned Parenthood includes sexualizing young girls through the Girl Scouts, which is quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood.”

A representative of Girl Scouts of Colorado says Morris’ claims are unfounded.

“It`s just factually not true and has never been true. Girls Scouts does not have a relationship with Planned Parenthood,” says Rachelle Trujillo of Girl Scouts of Colorado.  “There are a lot of people who are out to promote a personal agenda and gain attention for their causes, and latching on to an icon like the Girl Scouts as a way they think they can do that.”

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts and the Colorado chapter doesn’t want Representative Morris’ comments to take away from their milestone.

“We are not going to get dragged down by that. We are focusing on the leadership experience that we provide Girl Scouts,” she says.

Ironically, Girls Scouts of Colorado is hosting an event about the negative effects media have on women and self esteem. See below for more information.

Miss Representation Film Screening

Join us for a screening of the film Miss Representation and an exploration of how media images misrepresent women and girls and inhibit leadership aspirations.

Clickhere for more information.

• When: February 23 from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Where: Aurora Community College
• Tickets are $7.

Courtesy Longmont Times-Call

25 of the best, and almost best, chefs in the west got a chance to try out for the cooking competition show ‘Top Chef” Wednesday at Lingers restaurant in Denver’s Highland’s neighborhood.

Contestants travelled from as far away as Texas and Oklahoma to impress the show’s producers as part of the two-month audition process.

Joshua Valentine from Oklahoma City says he feels confident.

“I’m pretty witty and charismatic, I’ll just be myself and I figure I’ll do well.”

Jeff Toback, a former chef and Denver teacher, says he wants to get back into the kitchen and open his own restaurant.

“I’m always pushing my students to do their best so they help be more accountable,” Toback told us, adding that he loves teaching and wants to share any success he may gain by being a great role model for his students.

Ray Clinton, a professional chef who sports a bald head and long beard, says his unique appearance and top culinary skills will bring him big success.

“I have a pretty unique look and I’m a pretty unique person hopefully that’ll sway them a little bit towards me,” Ray said.

None of the contestants are allowed to comment on their sessions with the producers. It could be several weeks before an announcement about who made it to the next round is made.

The show airs this fall on Bravo.

Theresa Byrne is a 3rd degree black belt who shares her knowledge at the United Martial Arts & Fitness Center in Englewood.

She has owned the business for 11 years now, teaching self-defense and so much more.

It’s always been more than just punching and kicking to Theresa, who sees a much broader positive impact in her students. Her business actually grew during the economic downturn, something she attributes to people seeking a place with “heart” during tough times.

The bottom line is not the only line to Theresa, who revels in the growth of her youngest students. Watch the video clip above to learn more about this unique entrepreneur and her “Secrets of Success.”

In an Internal Affairs report released Wednesday, Officer Brian Klaus said that Bradford, R-Collbran, initially said she’d only had one glass of wine, but later admitted to having had three glasses after Klaus informed her what he believed her BAC to be.

Bradford, who was temporarily relieved as her position as chairwoman of a House committee and then threatened to switch her party affiliation in response, was never given a breathalizer test when she was stopped near the Capitol on the night of Jan. 25.

Had she been given a test, and blown anything over the legal limit of 0.08, she’d have been arrested.

She had been drinking at the Prohibition bar on Colfax and Pennsylvania, where a source told FOX 31 Denver she’d been since before 7 p.m., more than three hours before she was pulled over for erratic driving just after 10 p.m.

Initially, Denver Police alleged that Bradford had invoked “legislative immunity” and gotten out of a possible DUI — she was instead sent home in a taxi — because of an antiquated statute that prevents police from arresting lawmakers during the legislative session.

A week after the incident, DPD held a press conference to admit that Bradford had not asked for special treatment.

Sgt. Benita Packard, also quoted in the report, writes that Bradford said she had to be back at the Capitol for work in the morning.

Klaus, who also told Bradford she could have been arrested for having a loaded gun in the car when she was pulled over, confirms in his statement that Bradford didn’t ask for special treatment.

Based on his version of events, Klaus was overruled by Packard, who decided to put Bradford in a cab rather than arrest her.

According to Klaus, Packard also told him not to mention Bradford’s loaded gun in his official report.

“After the taxi left, Sgt. Packard then told me to keep the handgun part of the stop quiet and only we would know,” Klaus writes.

Lt. Matt Murray, a spokesman for the department, told FOX 31 Denver Wednesday that the discrepancies between the statements from Klaus and Packard are “troubling” and “worthy of further review.

“That’s exactly why we started looking into this,” Murray said. “We had been hearing one story from one person, and then we started hearing a second story from another. This investigation is not completed, and we still don’t know whose statement is right.”

Bradford is back at the Capitol but had already left for the day when FOX 31 Denver asked the House Republican press office if she were available for comment.

Speaker Frank McNulty issued a short statement on the matter.

“The bipartisan House Ethics Panel did due diligence, and unanimously found that Rep. Bradford did not break House ethics rules,” said McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch. “As a result of the Ethics Committee’s findings, Rep. Bradford has been reinstated as chair of House Local Government Committee.”