DENVER - Rose Medical Center started talking directly with patients on Friday after it announced that a surgery technician may have exposed thousands of patients to Hepatitis C while she was stealing a powerful painkiller.

GREELEY - A theater arts professor at the University of Northern Colorado has been put on administrative leave after he was arrested over accusations of sexual exploitation of children.

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KUSA - A strong thunderstorm over Denver on Friday afternoon produced up to 1.5 inches of rain. Thunderstorms will continue on the Eastern Plains Friday night before before returning to the metro area on Saturday.

GEORGETOWN - When you think of the 4th of July, images of fireworks and barbeques might come to mind, but not if you're Buff Rutherford.

WESTMINSTER - There are weekend-warriors and there are ultra-athletes, and most would agree Colorado sees its fair share of both. Chris Plesko admits he never thought he'd take his mountain biking far enough to ever warrant the attention of a local TV station, but recently he's done just that.

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DILLON - We often think that the people closest to us make the biggest differences in our lives. Nora Hall and her son Jacob have learned the complete opposite is sometimes true.

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PARKER - Jon Jamshid has a secret. For the past 11 years, he's been stockpiling old arcade games devouring floor space in his home.

BLACK HAWK - Higher stakes at Colorado casinos may be lucrative for higher education across the state. The new rules may lead to an extra $10 million in funding starting next fall.

WASILLA, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin surprised supporters Friday and announced she is resigning from office at the end of the month without explaining why she plans to step down - throwing into question whether she would seek a run for the White House in 2012.

GREELEY - Last year, the Independence Day parade in Greeley drew around 90,000 people. This year, the crowd could be even larger.