A look at KRDO13’s top-performing articles of 2025
Celeste Springer
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — As we ring in the New Year, it’s always interesting to see what articles garnered the most attention in Southern Colorado.
Sometimes high-interest articles can be rather obvious, but other times our analytic data can surprise us. (Fun fact: Every few months, this article from 2021 garners a lot of views, seemingly out of nowhere. We believe the video of the incident occasionally goes viral on social media, leading people to Google our report. This year it received more than 17,000 views– even though it’s four years old.)
The standouts for viewers and readers in 2025 fit into just two categories: politics or our recurring segment, Restaurant Roundup.
Here’s a look at the top-performing articles of this year, based on our digital metrics:
#5: Popular donut shop fails health inspection with 17 violations, including dead flies & wasps
Click here to read this full report.
Restaurant Roundup continues to be our highest-performing recurring segment both on air and online. The segment pulls health inspection reports, detailing restaurants with the highest number of violations, and highlighting the restaurants that have the best scores.
In this report, Julia Donovan details the violations of a local donut shop, but stops by The Exchange on Tejon Street, where owners boast a clean and safe kitchen.
#4: ‘Colorado needs to be burned to the ground’: Legislator stands by fiery comments on podcast
Click here to read this full report.
In March, a state representative from El Paso County stirred quite a reaction in the political sphere this week after she made comments about Colorado burning to the ground so the GOP can rise from the ashes.
#3: Semiautomatic firearm bill headed to Governor Polis’s desk
Click here to read this full report.
This year, Colorado legislators passed SB25-003, a bill creating further restrictions for some semi-automatic weapons. The bill went to Governor Polis in April and was ultimately signed into law.
#2: Gov. Polis signs pair of gun safety bills into law, creating restrictions on ammo purchases, gun shows
Click here to read this full report.
In addition to signing SB-003 into law, Governor Polis also enacted House Bill 1133 and House Bill 1238. Respectively, the two put restrictions on ammunition sales and instituted new security requirements for gun shows. The latter, HB-1238, goes into effect in the New Year.
#1: Another Texas Roadhouse fails health inspection
Click here to read this full report.
Yet another Restaurant Roundup piece made the top five this year. This article focused on one steakhouse mega giant that had appeared on the segment previously. But we also got to meet Tony Pera, the owner of The Local Table, who had one of the highest health scores of the week.
RELATED: Love it, or hate it, KRDO13’s Restaurant Roundup has people talking
What will be the biggest story of 2026?
Did any on this list surprise you? What do you think your personal top story of the year was? Any guesses on what the most talked-about topics of 2026 will be?
Here at KRDO13, we are wishing you a happy New Year, and can’t wait to see what’s in the future.