Good morning. Here are 5 Things to Know for Tuesday, July 31.
1. The new VA hospital in Aurora opens today
The long-awaited Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora opened its doors to its first outpatients this morning. There are about 600 appointments scheduled for today.
2. Rest easy, Penny
A beloved 2-month-old giraffe at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was euthanized after veterinary concerns Monday. Penny was born with an abscess that spread to her abdomen and had a bone infection and dislocated hip.
3. The cool temperatures were fun while they lasted
Today will get a little bit warmer, but we'll see temperatures back in the 90s by the end of the week. It will stay relatively dry for the next few days, so wildfires may gradually worsen. Here's the full forecast.
4. Firefighters give cats oxygen after house fire
After ensuring that the human residents were safely out of the house, firefighters rescued a couple cats from a Highlands Ranch house fire. They gave the felines CPR on the front lawn. See the photos here.
5. Sex offender accused of assaulting woman in court
Johnny Dewayne Harris, the man accused of grabbing a woman off a trail, tying her up and sexually assaulting her, is in court today at 9:30 a.m. He is a sex offender with a history of sex crimes.
