LAFAYETTE, Colo. (KMGH) -- A Colorado entrepreneur created a smart water sensor and app with the intention of making sure loved ones are OK.

"Adult children who have an elderly parent that they're worried about who lives alone — that's typically who our customer is," Marlo Vernon said.

Marlo and her father Todd Vernon, a software developer, came together to launch CarePenguin, to detect water usage in the home.

"It's a way to see if someone is up and active, going about their daily routine without being creepy and watching them with like motion sensors or cameras," Vernon said.

The sensor connects to the hot water pipe on the water heater.

"We can detect things like rinsing a mug, washing your hands, washing your face, shower, laundry," Vernon said.

It then connects to an app on a smartphone, so the user can monitor their loved one's activity.

"If there's ever a lack of activity, they'll receive an alert encouraging them to check in and make sure everything's OK," Vernon said.

It's an idea that started from her days at the University of Colorado at Boulder. When she graduated in May 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, many older adults were isolated from their families. So, she saw it as a perfect way to give everyone peace of mind.

"I learned what a huge problem this is," Vernon said. "Like, how worried people are, how they call their loved one every day purely to make sure they're still alive. And that's not a conversation that anyone wants to have."

This story was originally reported by Brian Sanders on TheDenverChannel.com.

A senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln got the job of a lifetime when country music star Garth Brooks hired him to be part of his Saturday concert crew.

"It is my honor to introduce you...the newest crewmember that we have on the tour...ladies and gentlemen, from Lincoln, Nebraska...Carson Emeigh!" announced Garth Brooks to his 90,000 fans at Memorial Stadium.

Video shows the UNL senior running on-stage, taking in the screams of the crowd as they cheer him on.

"The lights were really bright, which I think helped so I couldn't see them as much," recalled Emeigh. "It felt really great to be out there."

On Friday, the mechanical engineering major was invited to Brooks' soundcheck with other UNL students.

During a Q&A session, he worked up the courage to ask Brooks:

"'What does it take to be a sound engineer? How do I get started in this industry? What does that look like?'" said Emeigh. "And [Brooks] said, 'Why don't you come find out tomorrow?'"

Emeigh's father, Wes Emeigh, was there the moment Emeigh found out he could be part of Saturday's crew.

"I was with him when he asked. I was as absolutely shocked as he was," he said.

On the day of the concert, Emeigh showed up at Memorial Stadium at noon to watch, learn and help out.

"His team is really top tier. They have some great people who put in a lot of energy and effort into everything that they do," Emeigh said.

During Saturday's show, Brooks told the audience the story of how he met and hired Emeigh. Emeigh said he did not know Brooks was planning on bringing him on-stage.

"They were just like, 'Go to the stage, go to the stage, go to the stage!'" he said.

Emeigh said he grew up listening to Brooks. It was his mother, Kerry's first concert years ago.

She said she got "teary-eyed" watching her son high-five and run alongside the country legend in Emeigh's hometown.

"He's worked really hard paying his way through college," she said. "I think this is a very great way to start his senior year."

It's a moment Emeigh said he'll be forever grateful for.

"I tried not to be starstruck because I was working for him. So I kept it at, 'Thank you for giving me this opportunity' and stuff. It was really, really nice. He was just a really friendly guy who had a lot of great things to say," he said. "I'm sure it'll take some time before I've fully-processed what's happened."

Emeigh will start his senior year at UNL in less than two weeks. He told the Garth Brooks crew that if they need his help for future shows, he'd be happy to help out again.

Watch the video above for the full story.