Author: CNN Newsource

By Karen Morfitt

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    DENVER (KCNC) — Despite efforts to deter them, thieves in Colorado are continuing to steal credit cards, checks, ballots and even prescription medication from mailboxes.

CBS Colorado has reported on the issue of mail theft several times over the past several years. More than a year ago, top officials within the U.S. Postal Inspection Service told CBS Colorado steps were being taken to address it, specifically upgrading locks across the Denver metro area.

“This is a problem right now, but it won’t be a forever problem,” Melissa Atkin told CBS Colorado investigative reporter Karen Morfitt in the fall of 2024.

The issue has persisted for some time after those assurances.

Investigators know where the thefts are happening and how they are happening, and they have the ability to stop it by changing locks. But USPS has said changing locks will be a long, expensive process.

“I don’t think we realized the magnitude of it initially,” said Karen Hagans.

Hagans has lived in Denver’s Lowry neighborhood for about 20 years. Recently, she said her mail began disappearing nearly every day.

“All of the boxes where they put packages were open. There was stuff thrown on the ground on the street, and you realized that if you didn’t go get your mail the minute it was delivered, you couldn’t trust that it was there,” Hagans said.

Frustrated by the pressure to beat thieves to her mail, Hagans rented a post office box, one of the only solutions offered by the USPS. But she said she then had trouble forwarding her mail and was mistakenly identified as having moved away.

“They called me and said, ‘We see that you moved. Do you want service at your new location?’ I said, ‘What do you mean I moved?’ Hagans said.

Her experience is not unique, nor is the Lowry neighborhood.

Federal court records show thieves with master keys have been targeting cluster mailboxes for years.

“It’s the same master key used throughout the Intermountain West,” said Mary Carr, executive director of the Lowry Community Master Association. “Some of Lowry’s mail was recovered in Wyoming and vice versa because the folks robbing the kiosks are moving up and down the I-25 corridor.”

Carr said the association is legally responsible for securing the mailboxes, but it has no control over the locks, which are USPS property.

“There’s no pattern to when they hit the boxes — at night, in the middle of the day — there’s no pattern to it,” Carr said. “We are at a loss.”

After making repeated phone calls, sending emails and visiting in person to local postal offices, Carr says their efforts to work with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service went nowhere. They then turned to lawmakers for help.

“There really isn’t anywhere to go except the Postal Inspection Service,” Carr said. “They committed to Congresswoman (Diana) DeGette’s office that they would be replacing the master key system with a scannable key.”

However, Carr said they have not received a timeline for those upgrades but were told areas with the highest number of thefts will be prioritized.

They have since outfitted every kiosk with a QR code, allowing residents to make immediate theft reports.

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so the more reports we have of mail theft, the more attention it will get,” Carr said.

While Lowry waits for locks to be upgraded, investigators say another crime happened: A mail carrier was robbed and a “piece of USPS property” was stolen. The USPS is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information.

“I don’t think that’s really going to address the problem,” Hagans said. “If these keys are out there, maybe it’s one person or maybe it’s many. They need to think about the integrity of the system.”

In response to questions from CBS Colorado, a USPS spokesperson sent the following statement:

“The Postal Service has been implementing a series of nationwide security enhancements, including the deployment of high-security collection boxes and upgraded cluster box units. These upgrades are part of a broader, multiyear initiative to reduce opportunities for mail theft and limit criminals’ ability to misuse stolen arrow keys.

To protect the integrity of these security measures, USPS does not disclose specific locations, quantities, timelines or operational criteria related to where or when upgrades occur. This includes information about how many boxes have been upgraded, how locations are selected or any thresholds related to theft activity. These safeguards are in place to prevent criminals from identifying vulnerabilities or targeting specific neighborhoods.

USPS continues to explore and pilot enhanced access control technologies, including electronic key systems. These efforts are ongoing, and details about deployment locations or timelines are not publicly released for security reasons.

USPS maintains strict internal controls for the issuance, tracking and use of arrow keys. While we cannot discuss specific numbers of keys or internal accountability procedures, we can assure you that USPS has reinforced policies and training to support proper key handling and reduce opportunities for misuse or theft. Any incident involving a stolen or misplaced key is immediately reported to USPIS for investigation, as applicable by USPIS and/or the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Aaron Cantrell

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    MIDDLE TENNESSEE (WTVF) — While many people will stay home as winter weather moves into Middle Tennessee, essential workers will still be on the job around the clock, which includes doctors, nurses and hospital staff. This weekend, a group of volunteers is stepping in to help make sure those workers can still get to work safely.

The effort is being coordinated by Jeepers of Spring Hill, a local group led by Cindy Porter. They focus on giving rides in the Spring Hill, Columbia, and Franklin areas.

Porter’s love for Jeeps began unexpectedly after borrowing her son’s vehicle for a short drive.

“I stopped at the Franklin dealership on the way home and bought myself one,” Porter said.

Before long, her entire family became Jeep enthusiasts. The badges lining the side of her bright orange Jeep — which she calls Julius — reflect that passion.

“The Jeep has badges of honor,” Porter said. “These are all trails that it has done, and Jeep recognizes them.”

But Porter said the badge she and her team of more than 20 Jeep drivers are working toward this weekend is one rooted in service rather than recreation.

“We live in this community that never ceases to amaze me — how everybody loves each other,” Porter said. “They’re always giving back and always doing things for one another.”

As snow moves in and road conditions worsen, Porter said the group will be on standby to help transport essential workers across Spring Hill, Columbia, Franklin and nearby surrounding areas.

“That includes any essential medical and emergency personnel — EMTs, dispatchers, 911 workers, nurses and doctors,” she said.

In previous winter storms, Porter has been behind the wheel herself and said she has always felt safe driving in snowy conditions.

“It has lockers, four-wheel drive, big 35-inch tires,” Porter said. “It’s lifted. It can do so much — it’s the most capable thing you can drive.”

This year, Porter said her role will focus on coordinating — connecting drivers with workers who need a safe ride to and from their shifts.

“If they don’t go to work, then somebody who’s already been working a 12- or 24-hour shift has to stay,” Porter said. “They don’t get relief.”

So when the snow begins to fall, Porter said she will be ready.

“This is my lifeline right here,” she said.

And for Porter and her fellow volunteers, the mission is simple.

“We just want to do something nice and give back,” she said. “We’re not out here trying to make money or anything else — we just want to help.”

Porter said they DO NOT charge for this service. However, if you feel inclined to do something for your driver, gas gift cards are always welcome and appreciated.

This story was reported by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Ryan Dickstein

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    GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (WMAR) — Montgomery County Police say they’ve arrested a Silver Spring man who went around neighborhoods, repeatedly traumatizing residents by exposing himself.

Steven Jarezz Adams, 32, is allegedly responsible for a series of Peeping Tom incidents between December of 2025 and January 2026.

The first report came in overnight Christmas Eve.

A woman in the 8300 block of McCullough Lane in Gaithersburg claimed Adams exposed himself through her sliding glass door.

On January 7, in the same block, another woman noticed the shadow of a man believed to be Adams through her window blinds.

That same night Adams is accused of flashing a light through a home sliding glass door on Silkcotton Way.

On January 15 police say Adams returned to McCullough Lane.

A resident there spotted outside activity on his home security camera system.

It was Adams on the patio. When approached by the victim, Adams reportedly pulled out a knife.

After obtaining an arrest warrant for Adams, police flew a drone around an apartment complex on Gramercy Boulevard in Derwood.

The drone captured Adams looking into several ground level apartments, exposing himself.

As officers moved in to handcuff him, Adams tried running away but was unsuccessful.

Turns out Adams has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2015, including prior convictions for indecent exposure and burglary.

Detectives believe there could be more victims who’ve yet to come forward.

Anyone with information can call 240-773-5770.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By John Ramos

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    NEWARK, California (KPIX) — The high school community in the East Bay city of Newark is in an uproar as a result of a new policy by the local school district.

At the end of this school year, all high school sports coaches and their assistants will be fired, with an option to reapply for their old jobs. The district says it’s a new Human Resources policy, but to the coaches and team supporters, it feels like an insult.

It may have been a Saturday, but the Newark Memorial High School soccer team was still hard at work, giving up part of their weekend to play a game on the school field. But so was the team’s coach and that’s why the decision revealed on Thursday had parents scratching their heads.

“It was out of nowhere. It was something that’s just, out of nowhere,” said Jazmin Padilla, who has a son on the team.

She, like a lot of parents and students, is upset by a district announcement that the coaches and assistants on every one of the school’s sports teams will be terminated at the end of their seasons. They will then be allowed to reapply for the position.

“These coaches have been here for so long,” said Padilla. “It’s surprising. It’s a decision that, why all of a sudden are they doing this?”

She said she felt the district owed her an explanation.

“I feel like they owe everybody an explanation, not just myself, but everybody,” Padilla said.

In a written statement, the school’s Assistant Superintendent for Human Relations explained that the purpose is to strengthen its hiring practice for coaches, to complete required vetting and background checks for the sake of student safety.

“I’ve been a teacher here for a long time,” said Gordon Crosby. “I’ve been fingerprinted many times. I’m not sure why we’re all lumped into one group. If there’s some coaches that weren’t fingerprinted or weren’t background checked, I would think that they would start with them first.”

Crosby is the long-time head coach for the swim and water polo teams. He noticed that in the district’s statement, it describes the new policy as “releasing coaches at the end of each season,” and claims it is a common practice in most districts.

“It’s never happened before in my 30-plus years of coaching,” Crosby said, “and I’ve never heard of it happening anywhere else, that coaches have to reapply every single season of every single year.”

Not surprisingly, the sports community is up in arms about it. In a Facebook post, board member Katherine Jones shared a message from Superintendent Tracey Vackar explaining the new policy and its intention. It includes an apology for the way the decision was communicated.

“I recognize that this is a new practice, and while it was brought forward with good intentions, that intent was not clearly communicated. I take responsibility for that,” wrote Vackar.

But what isn’t mentioned is why the policy is changing at this time, and with such urgency. It has people wondering if the district is in some kind of legal jeopardy because of a coach. And by doing background checks on every coach every year, it could cast a shadow of suspicion on anybody and everybody.

“I think they should just let everybody know if there is,” said soccer mom Padilla, “just so nobody is doubting or has any thoughts of ‘what ifs and buts.'”

The district did not respond to multiple requests for comment Friday and Saturday. And while Vackar is taking responsibility for the way the matter was communicated, she won’t be for long.

The district is currently searching for her replacement as she is set to retire at the end of the school year. The district insists it is just a harmless change to its Human Resources hiring policy to ensure the school has a quality coaching staff.

But coach Crosby thinks the opposite could happen.

“I would think that they would have the foresight to see that this is not going to attract quality candidates to a school,” he said, “but it’s going to chase them away.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Michael Abeyta

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    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — Aurora police visited the northeast Aurora community at a town hall held by Aurora City Council Member Gianina Horton to talk about the police department’s new “Drone as a First Responder” program that officials say has helped crack down on crime.

Some community members who were in attendance have concerns, especially about their privacy.

“A drone was stopped over my property for 20 minutes as you started talking,” Dr. P.J. Parmar said in the meeting. He later provided that video to CBS News Colorado.

“When you might see the drone near or over your backyard. He’s probably not even looking anywhere near you in the upwards of a mile off,” an APD officer said in response.

Jan Kalkus is a healthcare worker at Mango House, a community hub on East Colfax Avenue. He and his colleagues say what the police are telling them doesn’t match their experiences. They say they have seen drones hover over their property for many minutes at a time.

“I think there are legitimate uses for it,” Kalkus said; however, “it’s important to know that that’s how it’s being used.”

APD says they know this is a new experience for many, but they want people to know they follow a strict policy to protect resident privacy.

“Obviously, the community is going to have questions about something that’s new, which is why we’ve taken the approach to really be upfront and public about our use of the technology,” said Phillip Rathbun, deputy chief of the Professional Standards and Training Division for the Aurora Police Department. “All of our flight logs are posted online. You can go to our website and find that from our real-time information center. In fact, we’re going to be expanding, some of that in the future.”

“We can’t go over and fly it over your house. Look into your backyard that is completely fenced off, see what you’re doing, and then monitor it, and then report back on it,” an officer said at the town hall.

Residents also worry that the video APD collects will be shared with Flock, the company working with APD on this project, to enhance its AI program and build databases.

“So ultimately, this video is our video,” said Rathbun. “And so, the retention of that is up to us. In fact, when we talked about that, evidence, and with those videos as we collect those, those are actually moved over into a different system in our department.”

Residents are hesitant to take APD at their word.

“There’s issues of trust in the community. And I saw these drones starting last summer flying over my properties,” said Parmar.

That’s especially been the case since the website APD created to track drone flights seems to not to be updated right after every flight.

“They are delayed for reasons, obviously, to protect our active investigations,” Rathbun said.

Kalkus says he thinks only time will tell if APD follows its own policies to protect privacy.

“It sounds nice. It would just be nice to be able to see that in practice,” he said.

APD asks the community to give them time to earn the public’s trust with this new program, because it’s just a crime-fighting tool that will not only keep officers safe but also the community at large.

“This technology is focused on response to criminal activity,” said Rathbun.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.