What a day, now time to relax

I was scooping ice cream to go along with my fresh chocolate chip cookies Sunday night (yes I cook) when I got a call from my producer telling me Osama bin Laden was dead and his body was in U.S. custody.

For the next few hours I worked the phones from my home office hoping to find people I knew who had hunted bin Laden. Luckily, one of the most accomplished people I know returned my text message immediately.

Jim Davis is a 20+ year veteran of the FBI, he was present shortly after Saddam Hussain’s capture and had spent several months in Afghanistan commanding the FBI’s Special Agents as they looked for bin Laden.

Jim checked with his boss (the Governor of Colorado) and agreed to talk to us on the phone during our live 10 p.m. newscast.

He was just as I knew he would be: well spoken and insightful.

After the news ended, I stayed up talking to other sources about how bin Laden’s capture might affect the security of Americans. We all hoped it wouldn’t.

With a few hours sleep, I was up in the morning.

Jim and I had a nine a.m. interview set where he agreed to talk more about his experience. I wanted our viewers to understand what it’s like to hunt the most wanted man on Earth.

We met at his office. He brought dozens of pictures that I used tonight at five p.m. to help tell the story.



Because the rest of the news doesn’t stop for breaking news, I still had my usual day of investigative reporting.

I’m preparing for the next installment in my Home Loan Lifeline series. We’re helping homeowners who are having trouble dealing with their banks.

My other producer and I had two shoots set up for mid-morning and early afternoon.

Both went smoothly and we rushed back to the station so I could put together my interview with Jim. We had a short time to log the interview, write it, track it with my voice and edit it.

When I have busy days, I’m reminded how much I love my job.

It seems the busier the day, the more fun I have.

Now at 6:30 p.m., it’s time to relax… until something happens and we do it all over again.

Where’s the money, Jim?

Several clients of Superior Discount Coins owner and gold coin investor Jim Burg say he took tens of thousands of dollars of their retirement money and never delivered the gold coins he promised.

Some sued Jim Burg. Court records I dug up show he didn’t respond to lawsuits.

Then I discovered evidence showing Burg’s beautiful ranch in Fairplay and his home in Breckenridge have already been to the foreclosure auction. His condo San Diego condo overlooking the Padres ball park is in trouble because his HOA says he hasn’t paid dues.

Jim Burg had his chance to respond to lawsuits. He had more than two years to pay his clients.

I decided it was time to confront him and ask “Where’s the money, Jim?”

My producer and I drove to his ranch in Fairplay expecting to knock on his door. As we headed down the road leading to his property, a Porsche passed us going the opposite direction. Burg’s former clients previously told us that what he drove. We made a quick U-turn and followed it.

The Porsche wasn’t going into Fairplay, it headed to Breckenridge and traveled fast… just fast enough to lose us.

Driving through Breckenridge we spotted the Porsche and Burg in a grocery store parking lot.

He was out of his car and in the store so fast we were forced to wait for him to come out. It seemed like we waited for nearly a half hour in the snow and freezing temperatures. Neither of us had heavy jackets.

Plenty of people gathered to watch what was about to unfold.

As Burg walked out of the grocery store I started asking him questions.

He didn’t answer my questions with specifics. He pledged people would get their money, the same thing he has told his former clients for years.

He then drove away in a Porsche with temporary plates.

Since our meeting in the parking lot, I’ve left Jim Burg several phone calls, written him a letter and emailed him. He has not communicated with me at all.

A viewer saying thank you… not to me

Julie just called to say thank you to the good samaritan who helped out a four-legged friend last week. Julie was driving near 13^th Avenue between Monroe Street and Garfield Street when she saw a car hit a Chihuahua .

Right away, she says, a good samaritan came to the dog’s rescue and took him/her to his vet to get treatment.

When Julie called me, the dog’s owner hadn’t been found.

Julie just wanted to say thank you to the man she watch stop and quickly get the dog help.

This isn’t something that would typically make the 10:00 news, but with all the struggles facing people today… it seems worth noting here.

I’d love to talk to the guy who helped out the dog.

Tanker truck spill

Since we were in the area, we stopped to see how clean-up efforts were going at the scene of a fuel tanker that lost its load Thursday.

Despite a stream a few feet away, no fuel got into it.

Everytime the loader hauled away more contaminated dirt to the pile, the smell of fuel grew stronger.

The dirt will likely go to a landfill, the EPA says. Clean-up on county road 77 near 285 in Park County will be done in a few days.

Two pics are from still pictures the EPA had. The fuel tanker was towed away.

I get paid for this?

Every so often in my job I have the realization "I get paid to do this." Today is one of those days. I am back in the mountains and loving it.

These are taken in South Park as we work on an investigation that you'll see in May.

Unlike earlier this week when it was cold and snowy, it is sunny and just windy.

We just stopped in this little bar in old Fairplay. I live it. Just like you'd expect, friendly people having fun.

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