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Colorado team of firefighters on standby to help in superstorm recovery

LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A team of 80 Colorado firefighters, engineers, and medical experts are on standby to be deployed to the East Coast to assist in recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy.

The team, known as FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Colorado Task Force One, is packed up and prepared to be deployed with just a few hours notice.

“We’re like the elite heavy system for the national system,” said Cpt. Rod Tyus, a commander of the task force.

The group, which has been used in national emergencies including 9/11, is part of a nationwide system that encompasses firefighters specially trained in rescue missions. FEMA maintains 28 similar teams nationwide that are often deployed in natural disasters that require complicated cleanup and rescues.

“We have to make sure we can feed everybody, make sure their equipment’s working,” said April Walker-Stemple, a logistics coordinator for FEMA on Tuesday.

Hurricane Sandy flexes muscle, but more ‘devastation’ still to come

(CNN) — Pelting rains, whipping winds, mass evacuations: There is no doubt that Hurricane Sandy, by Sunday, had already made a mammoth impact on the U.S. East Coast.

And it should only get worse.

That’s the consensus view, among forecasters and officials, as the Category 1 storm continued to chug northeastward parallel to the shore. Even with its eye still hundreds of miles away, those on the North Carolina and Virginia coasts felt its wrath Sunday.

But if, as expected, it turns toward the United States later in the day, Sandy will have an even more direct — and potentially calamitous — effect on millions of Americans. Forecasters warn it will likely collide with a cold front from the West to spawn a “superstorm” that could slog along the Eastern Seaboard for days — meaning even more flooding, even more power outages, even more potential danger.

Politicians, celebrities visit Colorado to encourage early voting

With just 10 days to go until Election Day, political heavyweights and Hollywood celebrities came to Colorado Saturday in support of their favorite presidential candidates.

Republicans brought out a bus with political stars from New Mexico and New Hampshire to a Mitt Romney campaign office in Cherry Creek.

Actors Rachael Leigh Cook, Ben McKenzie, Bryan Greenberg and Zachary Quinto all appeared at an early vote student rally at the University of Colorado Boulder to support President Obama.

“This state is so important. This election is so important,” said actress Jennifer Westfeldt, whose grandfather lives in Denver. She spoke to a group of Obama volunteers at an Early Vote Canvass Kick-Off in Lakewood.

Jon Hamm of the cable series “Mad Men” spoke to a cheering crowd at The Penalty Box located at 1862 W. Wadsworth Blvd.

“It’s exciting that Colorado is a battleground state. And it should be exciting for you,” Hamm said.

Stolen British Olympic medal returned in the mail

London (CNN) — An Olympic bronze medal stolen from a London nightclub earlier this week has been reunited with its owner.

A spokesman for the London Metropolitan police said a medal belonging to the British field hockey player Hannah Macleod had been mailed anonymously to the offices of England Hockey on Friday. The player had appealed via her Twitter account for the medal to be returned in this manner.

A bronze medal belonging to fellow British Olympian Alex Partridge, a rower, remains missing.

“We are still looking to recover the second medal, and we stress that our inquiries remain active,” said Detective Chief Inspector James Harman.

“Alex’s medal has yet to be traced, and he is understandably keen to be reunited with it as soon as possible.”

Northeast in crosshairs of ‘superstorm’ Sandy

(CNN) – Sandy regained hurricane strength Saturday, as weather forecasts predict it will turn into a destructive “superstorm” that will impact the Eastern Seaboard as early as Sunday.

This storm will be studied for years to come, said Louis Uccellini, who is responsible for environmental prediction at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

CNN Weather estimates damage from Hurricane Sandy could reach $3.2 billion. This estimate is based only on wind damage and does not include flooding.

At least four states in its path, as well as the nation’s capital, have declared states of emergency, and some airlines have announced they will allow passengers to change existing flights to and from Atlantic coast cities free of charge.

How is Sandy expected to develop?

Doctors’ group wants cheerleading classified as a sport due to dangers

The American Association of Pediatrics wants cheerleading to be considered a sport.

The group says two-thirds of all serious injuries to high school girl athletes are from cheerleading. Denver pediatrician Dr. Steve Perry sees a lot of cheerleading injuries and agrees with the AAP.

“They’re more strains or sprains, a lot of time in their legs, but we’ve seen a lot of kids with concussions,” Perry said.

At High Country Cheer in Littleton, they make sure to take a lot of precautions.

“We have a high coach to athlete ratio,” said owner Krista Schley. “When they’re stunting we have a coach on each stunt to prevent them from falling when they’re learning. The athletes train really hard. What they’re doing is just as physical, it’s dangerous, and it takes a lot of concentration.”

Police, Crime Stoppers want donations for reward to find Jessica Ridgeway’s killer

WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Police and Metro Denver Crime Stoppers want donations to establish a financial reward to find the killer of Jessica Ridgeway.

The amount of the reward won’t be known until donations are received.

The Westminster Police Department says it has received requests from people and businesses all over the U.S. wanting to know if they can donate to a reward fund.

Contributions can be made at any Wells Fargo bank. The Jessica Ridgeway Benefit Donation Reward Account number is 9957483077.

You can wire money to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. 420 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 (routing number: 121000248 account number: 9957483077) Beneficiary: Crime Stoppers Program, Inc.

You can also send a check: Crime Stoppers c/o Justice for Jessica, PO Box 40965, Denver, CO 80204 Memo line: Jessica Ridgeway Reward.