A man was arrested after it was reported that he sexually assaulted a child, Fountain police say.

Jeremiah Gaw, 19, was arrested on Friday and has been charged with sexual assault on a child. Police say at the time of the reported incident, he was a volunteer at Pikes Peak Christian Church on Bradley Road near Alturas Drive.

Gaw was taken to the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center. Details in the case have not yet been released.

Police are asking the public to help them find any other witnesses or victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Joe Tirado at 719-382-4264 or email at jtirado@fountainpd.com.

Information can also be shared to the Fountain Police Department anonymous tip line at 719-382-4200 or the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 719-634-STOP-7867 or 1-800-222-8477.

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Colorado students can apply to college for free this week. The ninth annual Colorado Free Application Days is happening Tuesday through Thursday.

The three-day event allows students to apply to all 31 public colleges and universities as well as many private institutions in the state with waived fees to remove financial barriers for those looking to further their education.

Colorado Free Application Days encourages more students and learners to take the next step towards a successful education and career journey. Last year more than 70,000 Coloradans submitted an application, saving Coloradans $2.4 million in application fees, Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. I encourage all Coloradans considering college or career training to take advantage of Free Application Days and explore options, submit applications for free, and move closer to achieving their goals.

All Colorado residents can apply to undergraduate programs including associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, certifications and other eligible credentials at participating institutions.

The Colorado Department of Higher Education has fee waiver instructions on its website. Instructions vary by institution.

Community colleges and area technical colleges waive application fees year-round. Several other institutions have permanently removed application fees for Colorado residents.

Pursuing education beyond high school can be a transformative step for learners at every stage of life, CDHE Executive Director JB Holston said in a statement. Whether students are graduating from high school, returning to college, or seeking new skills for todays workforce, this initiative helps more Coloradans explore their options, take the next step, and build a strong foundation for long-term success.

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The Pueblo Police Department says it is not taking part in a "Hide and Seek from the Police" event that's been circulating on social media.

The department says it's aware of a flyer that's been advertising the event scheduled for Oct. 31.

"This is NOT an official Pueblo Police Department event. The department is not organizing, sponsoring, endorsing, or participating in this event," the department said in a statement.

They're encouraging the community to verify event information through official city communication channels and to not share unverified information.

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No injuries were reported in a fire at a vacant building in Colorado Springs Sunday morning, officials say.

The fire department says fire crews responded around 10:15 a.m. to E. Platte Avenue near Iowa Avenue after receiving multiple 911 calls about smoke coming from a building.

A drone from the Real Time Crime Center was deployed and arrived within two minutes to help firefighters assess the fire before they got there. Firefighters requested more crews to help.

Firefighters went inside but pulled out when the roof started collapsing. They say about two-thirds of the roof collapsed. Some exterior walls also collapsed onto trees and vacant cottages nearby. The buildings involved were all vacant and boarded up, and no one has been reported injured.

The fire was in a building near The Black Sheep music venue, but officials said it was not damaged.

E. Platte Avenue shut down in both directions between Swope Avenue and E. Boulder Street. People were asked to avoid the area while crews investigate at the scene. The closure is expected to last about a few hours into the afternoon.

It's unclear at this time what caused the fire. Authorities are investigating and expect to know the cause later this week.

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Two people accused of falsely reporting suspected explosives to police in Colorado Springs on Monday were arrested.

Police say they received the first call around 9:38 a.m. about a male with suspected explosive items before entering a business near Briargate Boulevard and Lexington Drive. Minutes later, a second caller reported a suspicious male at the same intersection mentioning explosives.

Colorado Springs patrol officers, the Regional Explosives Unit and the Real Time Crime Center drone support unit responded. The did a sweep of the area and businesses and included K-9 Wicket, an expert at detecting explosives.

No explosives, hazards or suspicious people were found in the area and businesses were told to operate as normal.

Investigators tried reaching back out to both callers but could not get a hold of them. A red light camera at the intersection helped detectives find a possible lead. A 30-minute time frame of camera footage was requested based on the information the callers provided during the specific and short timeline, police say.

No person matching the suspect description given was found on camera and police determined that the reports were false.

Detectives found connections between the callers and that they had court-ordered treatment obligations and a business. Police say evidence led them to believe they coordinated the fake emergencies to disrupt or avoid a scheduled appointment.

Police identified the suspects, Kevin Holod, 46, and Tamara Beasley, 45, who were briefly in the Colorado Springs area and connected to a specific vehicle.

Detectives used license plate technology to locate Holod and Beasley. They were found around 4:30 p.m. in a vehicle at a motel on N. Nevada Avenue near Austin Bluffs Parkway. They were detained, interviews and then arrested for false reporting of explosives, which is a felony.

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Voters in El Paso County should have ballots in their mailboxes by next week Monday, election officials say.

The clerk and recorder mailed about 494,500 ballots this week Monday to active registered voters in the county for the Nov. 3 General Election.

Monday morning marks an exciting moment as ballots will be on their way to eligible voters across El Paso County, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker said in a statement. Whether this is your first election or your fiftieth, your voice belongs in the conversation about our communitys future. Our team is honored to help every eligible voter take part.

Related: Colorado voter guide to the 2026 midterm election: Everything you need to know before November

The ballot has 14 statewide measure as well as local issues. Voters are encouraged to use the Colorado General Assembly Ballot Information Booklet and the El Paso County TABOR Notice that were mailed this month. Voters can return their ballot by mail, at a drop boxes or in person at a Voter Service and Polling Center.

Voters are encouraged to return their ballots early. Adequate postage on envelopes is needed for those returning ballots through the U.S. Postal Service. The clerk's office recommends to not return ballots by mail after Oct. 26.

All ballots must be returned to the Clerk and Recorder's Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

A list of the 44, 24-hour drop box locations and Voter Service and Polling Centers can be found online.

If you don't receive a ballot by Monday, Oct. 12, you can contact the Elections Department at 791-575-VOTE (8683). The status of mail ballots can be tracked through BallotTrax.

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Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has filed a lawsuit to stop plans for an immigration detention center to open at a former state prison in the Denver area.

The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed a five-year contract with the GEO group in July to open a detention center at the the former Hudson Correction Facility in Hudson, which is about 30 mile northeast of Denver. Weiser says the contract is valued at over $500 million. The prison operated for about five years before closing in 2014.

Federal officials say they planned to reopen it as a 1,200-bed private immigration detention facility called the Big Horn.

Weiser on Tuesday announced that a lawsuit has been filed in the federal district court in Denver to stop the facility from opening. The lawsuit alleges DHS and ICE ignored their legal duties of considering possible environmental and residential impacts, providing the public with information and ensuring the location was appropriate.

Coloradans are deeply worried about plans to open a new immigrant detention facility in Hudson to carry out the Trump administrations inhumaneand often illegalmass deportation scheme. Despite the fact that the proposed facility would nearly double the size of the towns population, the federal government has failed to prepare the necessary analysis of the facilitys impact on the local community and resources. Were asking the court to stop any further activities to open and operate the Hudson site until DHS and ICE conduct the legal analysis required by law, Weiser said in a statement.

The attorney general is asking the court to cancel the contract between the federal agencies and the GEO group and stop work to open the facility "until the government complies with the law," according to a press release. The press release also says the lawsuit is asking the court to order them "to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement under NEPA and document their compliance with federal immigration law."

"Will the underlying infrastructure, roads, drinking water, wastewater treatment, be able to sustain this sort of facility? And is there appropriate infrastructure in place to engage in the humane treatment of over 1,000 people," Weiser said during a press conference Tuesday.

Weiser says the federal government not following legal obligations violates the National Environmental Policy Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Immigration and Nationality Act. Weiser says the federal agencies did not conduct proper analysis and because of that, the state doesn't have information on the work that's needed to make sure the facility is suitable to house people again.

"We have a sworn statement in this lawsuit from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials or an official that this facility is harmful to the surrounding environment, including the fact that there are nearby deer migration carters that would be affected. There's an aquatic habitat that could be harmed, and protected and sensitive species in the vicinity also subject to harm," Weiser said.

Protesters have rallied against the plans and a nonprofit and Hudson resident filed a lawsuit in July.

Not everyone is against the planned facility. However, residents say with a local population of about 1,650 people, it would not be realistic.

Denver 7 has reached out to ICE and the DHS and is waiting to hear back.