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Michael Konopasek

Anchor / Reporter

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Michael Konopasek is an anchor and reporter at FOX31 Denver and Colorado’s Own Channel 2 News. He anchors Daybreak on Sunday mornings from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and reports weekday afternoons and evenings.

He is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who arrived in Denver in August of 2016. Before calling Denver home, Michael was a reporter at NBC affiliate KING-TV in Seattle and CBS affiliate KWTV-TV in Oklahoma City.

Michael’s work as a journalist has affected change in people’s lives. While in Colorado, his reporting prompted state leaders to commit to a public dialogue on establishing best practices for AMBER Alerts following a delayed alert in 2017.

In the same year, the Denver Police Department credited Michael for bringing the Safe Place program to its attention. His coverage of the anti-hate crime initiative in Seattle led to the adoption of a Safe Place program in Denver.

He has covered news that has attracted national and international attention, including his gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Taylor Swift sex assault trial in 2017 and what was Washington state’s largest wildfire in 2014.

Michael also served as a TEGNA correspondent— reporting for television stations across the country— during the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting in Roseburg, Oregon.

Michael was part of Edward R. Murrow Award-winning coverage of the 2014 Marysville Pilchuck High School shooting near Seattle. A year earlier, he reported live from the heart of the deadly Moore, Oklahoma tornado destruction path moments after the EF5 twister devastated the area.

His coverage of the tragedy was honored with a regional Emmy Award in 2014. Michael was awarded a second Emmy Award in 2018 for his coverage of a deadly ambush of sheriff’s deputies in suburban Denver.

In his free time, Michael volunteers with Healthy Learning Paths— a nonprofit organization that provides affordable health education for children across Colorado. He emcees the group’s annual “Race 4Kids’ Health” in Broomfield.

Michael is originally from the Northwest Indiana suburbs of Chicago and is a former Chicago double-decker bus tour guide.

He is a proud graduate of Ball State University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in telecommunications and a minor in political science. While studying at Ball State, Michael served as an intern for the United States Congress and Chicago’s ABC-owned WLS-TV.

He loves cycling, history, politics and traveling. His journeys– for both work and pleasure– have taken him to all 50 states and several countries.

In 2018, Michael was part of a journalism fellowship allowing him to report from the Korean Demilitarized Zone amid international efforts to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons.

Recent Articles

  • U.S. Department of Education expected to revamp sexual assault investigation rules

    WASHINGTON — More rights could soon be afforded to college students accused of sexual assault. The proposed changes could be made public as soon as this week, according to multiple reports quoting sources in the Trump administration. Higher education experts are calling this an overhaul that would change the way sex crimes are investigated on campuses across America. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is signaling it’s time for more due process. She’s expected to release a new proposal before Thanksgiving that […]

  • Denver and Salt Lake City woo USOC for 2030 Winter Olympics

    DENVER — Colorado politicians were busy Tuesday meeting with U.S. Olympic Committee officials as Denver and the state consider putting forward an official bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics. “I think it would be really cool,” one man said. “If it came, I’d definitely check it out,” a woman in Boulder explained. Members of the U.S. Olympic Committee were in Denver on Tuesday and will visit Salt Lake City on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Reno-Tahoe said no to an invitation […]

  • DIA braces for holiday travel amid main terminal construction

    DENVER — The holiday travel season will soon be in full swing as work continues on a large-scale construction project at Denver International Airport. The main terminal is currently divided in half. “It definitely looks different,” one traveler said. “It is confusing,” another complained. Airport officials say the current phase of the Great Hall renovation will be the most disruptive of the multi-year project. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest for DIA’s holiday season with more than 200,000 passengers. […]

  • Colorado Springs veteran sues USAA for denying husband’s $1 million life insurance policy

    DENVER — A Colorado Springs woman is fighting insurance giant USAA in federal court. Her suit, filed in Denver, was recently dismissed. She is trying to appeal. Erin Peterson claims the Fortune 500 company refused to pay out a $1 million life insurance policy after her husband unexpectedly died. Peterson and her deceased husband, Ted Bobkowski, were both members of the U.S. Air Force. “USAA has been part of my life, my entire life,” Peterson said. Peterson is a retired […]

  • Suspected jewelry thieves caught on camera in Aurora

    AURORA, Colo. — Police in Aurora are asking for the public’s help in catching a gang of suspected jewelry thieves. The theft, caught on camera, happened during business hours at Sai Jewelers & Repairs near South Parker Road and Peoria. Police say the group distracted the store clerk while $35,000 worth of jewelry was being stolen on October 24. Nine men and women appear to be part of the coordinated effort. “They kept me occupied in the front for a […]

  • Human services officials: Statewide computer system putting kids at risk

    DENVER — Human services employees across Colorado have sounded the alarm on what they call flawed technology that’s putting vulnerable children at risk. The concerns are with a system the State of Colorado uses to keep track of children who have been neglected or abused. The Governor’s Office of Information Technology manages the system. Officials at the agency said they are working to overhaul the essential system for child welfare workers. “It’s certainly critical to make sure that case workers […]

  • 54 Denver officers receive rifle-ready protective gear thanks to FOX31 viewers

    DENVER — Police officers in the Mile High City are safer thanks to the support of FOX31 viewers, Safeway shoppers and the public in general. Officers were presented with rifle-ready protective gear from SHIELD616 Monday evening. For most of the past year, FOX31 has been leading an effort to purchase SHIELD616 vests and helmets for officers. Fifty-four Denver officers were given vests on Monday that go above and beyond the standard vests issued by police agencies across America. The Monday […]

  • Denver residents forced out amid I-70 expansion preparation

    DENVER — As the state makes room for the expansion of I-70, dozens of Denver residents have been forced to leave the city they call home. Their homes have now been demolished to make room for the interstate expansion project, but the cost of living in Denver is preventing many of them from staying in the Mile-High City. The well-established Elyria Swansea neighborhood will never look the same. Homes are being demolished to make way for the new lid that […]

  • Pipe bomb scares bring back memories of Salida ‘smiley face’ incident

    SALIDA, Colo. — Wednesday’s attempted pipe bomb attacks bring back memories of a Colorado connection to a series of similar incidents in 2002. At the time, a college student was accused of planting pipe bombs across the United States — attempting to form a geographical smiley face design of incidents across the map. One of the targets in that formation was Salida, Colorado. “There was this incident of a pipe bomb in a mailbox,” Salida police Lt. Rob Martellaro said. […]

  • Broomfield residents sue city in attempt to push fracking away from homes

    BROOMFIELD, Colo. — In the latest battle over fracking in Broomfield, residents of the northern Denver suburb have filed suit against their local government. They’re hoping a judge will push fracking farther away from residential neighborhoods. The suit claims, when Broomfield agreed to a new drilling plan with Extraction Oil and Gas, the city violated its own charter and an operator agreement. “[Residents are] concerned about their water supply,” plaintiff attorney Dan Leftwich said. “They’re concerned about the environment. They’re […]

  • Drag queen invited to middle school career day responds to parents’ outrage

    THORNTON, Colo. — A drag queen spoke at Rocky Top Middle School’s career day event on Friday. Some parents say that shouldn’t have happened. Others are calling the drag queen’s participation a lesson in diversity. Drag shows allow Zack Sullivan, 25, to transform into a woman named Jessica. “I like how it’s made me a better person,” Jessica said. “It’s made me a happier person.” Jessica has been performing in drag shows for more than five years. She usually works […]

  • Smash-and-grabs continue to plague metro Denver

    DENVER – There have been 43 smash-and-grab burglaries in Denver since August 1, according to police. That includes six reported early Thursday. Within the past two weeks, smash-and-grabs have been reported in Arvada, Parker, Centennial and Aurora. Police in Aurora were called to three smash-and-grabs early Thursday alone. “It makes you feel a little vulnerable,” said Ben Briggs who owns Mixing Bowl Cookie Dough in Aurora. “We’re going to put additional security measures in place.” Earlier in the week, seven […]