Author: KRDO

Celeste Springer

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — A city council member has floated an idea to bring regulated gambling to downtown Pueblo.

City Council Member Brett Boston appeared on Mayor Graham’s podcast, “The Mayor’s Mixtape,” on Tuesday, where he discussed the idea.

“I don’t want Pueblo to be a casino city, but I do want– maybe two, three, five at most– casinos all centrally located in the downtown area that’ll help revitalize downtown,” said Council Member Boston.

Council Member Boston said he hopes the idea will increase foot traffic and tourism to the area and support other existing local businesses.

KRDO13 spoke briefly with Council Member Boston, who said it’s a hypothetical idea he’s exploring, but nothing concrete has been discussed; he says he’s working to gauge interest in whether residents would approve.

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The efforts of a Colorado Congressman and the head of the county’s Board of Commissioners have resulted in $1 million of federal funding for the intersection of Constitution Avenue and Peterson Road.

Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colorado Springs, recently announced the allocation, citing the assistance of Commissioner Carrie Geitner.

His announcement came a year after the January 2025 hit-and-run crash at the intersection that killed Charlene McAlister, 76; she was a beloved employee at a nearby daycare center who walked the same route to work daily.

That summer, authorities arrested a suspect and charged him with leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Crank said that the federal funding will finance numerous safety improvements relating to signal timing, street lighting, center median work, and lane adjustments.

According to county officials, the project is still under design and has no official start date.

Another project under design nearby and benefitting from federal money is scheduled to begin this summer: Replacing stormwater infrastructure along several blocks of Palmer Park Boulevard, in the Cimarron Hills neighborhood.

The funding will also pay for equipment at the county sheriff’s office and for a cybersecurity program at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS).

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Rob Namnoum

Colorado Springs Christian School

Jordyn Rollins – Soccer – Colorado Christian University

Ella Turner – Soccer – Wartburg College

Coronado High School

Thomas Buckmiller – Football – Western Colorado University

John Corbett – Soccer – Air Force Academy

Xzavier Campos – Cross County/Track & Field – Northern Arizona University

Emma Hylton – Soccer – McPherson College

Emery Meares – Swimming – Carthage College

Libby Gutowski – Cross Country/Track & Field – Kansas Wesleyan University

Florence High School

Noah Howard – Football – Western Colorado University

Jaret Lozano – Football – Knox College

Fountain Fort Carson High School

Ava Archuletta – Track & Field Metro State University

Justyn Jordan – Football – Idaho State University

Alexa Queen – Track & Field – Duke University

Logan Osborn – Baseball – Friends University

Cadence Hirsch – Soccer – University of Northwestern St. Paul

La Junta High School

Yliani Garcia – Wrestling – Otero College

Mesa Ridge High School

Johnnie Roane – Wrestling & Track – Colorado Northwestern

Emma Yancey – Cross Country – Fort Lewis College

Gabby Mares – Cross Country – Friends University

Serenity Higgins – Softball – Doane College

Justine Sifuentes – Softball – Kansas Wesleyan

Deondre Green – Football – Colorado Western University

Trevon Salas – Football – South Dakota School of Mines

Kobe Dooley – Football – Air Force Academy

Jakehlan Watts – Football – Adams State University

Savana Iverson – Volleyball – Knox College

Palmer Ridge High School

Tyler Himebauch – Football – Boise State

Brody Elliott – Football – Pittsburgh State

Jack Mabe – Football – Black Hills State

Mike Toth – Football – Butler University

Dylan Yanovich – Football – Fort Lewis

Jake Coyle – Football – Fort Lewis

Pine Creek High School

Jayden Riberty – Football – Central College

Pueblo County High School

Jacob Gonzales – Football – Concordia University – Wisconsin

Brody Kidd – Football – Concordia University – Wisconsin

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Many parents go above and beyond to make things happen for their kids, but one Colorado Springs mom exceeded expectations for her son by simply going to the grocery store. 

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon on the West side of Colorado Springs. Many people were grabbing groceries, but there was one person who couldn’t be happier to be at the local food store.

Hunter Vigilotti comes to King Soopers often.

“Well, a lot, since we just live right down the road over there,” explained Hunter, “[We’re here] sometimes it’s every other day or every day.”

The local grocery store has become his own personal playground. He showed KRDO13 all of his favorite aisles, including the snacks, the ice cream and the frozen food, because “there’s food from all different countries.”

He says that King Soopers is his second-favorite place on Earth. When asked what the first is Hunter replied, “At home with mom.”

Hunter’s mom made his wishes come true. 

“This is my child, Hunter. And he wanted to have a food store birthday party,” explained Katie Vigliotti.

She says she felt silly calling the grocer to ask to host a party there, but that it was worth it to make her son happy.

“I had to say a million times, I promise you, I’m not crazy. I’m just a mother, and my kid wants something. And so we’re going for it,” shared Katie.

Hunter received a seventh birthday shout-out over the loudspeaker in King Soopers.  

“At first, we had a brainstorm about what a party here would look like. But we were thrilled to be a part of Hunter’s big day,” shared King Soopers department head, Nikki Benavidez.

Despite Hunter’s mom asking multiple times if he wanted to go to a typical birthday spot for his big celebration, she says he continued to beg to have his party at King Soopers.

“I do feel like a nut job when I have to send out the invites, and I go, hey, by the way, he wants to have his party here at King Soopers. He doesn’t feel crazy, and I don’t care. You know, he’s happy,” said Hunter’s mom.

The group celebrated Hunter turning seven with a cake decorating contest in the King Soopers conference room. Even Hunter’s best friend, Derek, showed up for his birthday bash. Derek Poindexter is Hunter’s favorite employee at the store. Poindexter tells KRDO13 he’s grateful he got to be there and wishes Hunter a happy birthday.

Hunter said it was the craziest and best birthday yet!

Hunter’s mom tells us the only other spot he asked to have his birthday in was Starbucks, and she had some good news for him: there was, in fact, a Starbucks in King Soopers. 

King Soopers helped to provide the cakes for decorating, sandwiches and even goodie bags for the kids to take home.

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Sadie Buggle

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Westbound US 50 was shut down early Tuesday due to a water main break, according to Pueblo Water and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

According to COTrip.org, crews shut down US 50 at approximately 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday.

The water main break is on the westbound side of the MLK Bypass, to the right of the shoulder, where the gushing water created a large hole in the ground just west of the interchange of Highway 47 and Highway 96.

However, drivers were also being detoured off the Bypass onto those highways — partly because of debris and water that temporarily flooded part of the highway under a railroad bridge.

Officials say the initial indications are that the break hasn’t undermined the stability of the two highway traffic lanes.

“Crews stopped the leak and are waiting on equipment to get the roads clear and free of debris,” said Joe Cervi, a spokesman for Pueblo Water. “It was a 20-inch water main that broke. As of 7:45 a.m., our crews haven’t pinpointed the leak, but they believe they know where it is. It’s deep, at least feet down.”

CDOT and Pueblo Public Works provided equipment, Cervi explained, to remove debris and ice formed by the gushing water.

The eastbound lanes reopened by 10 a.m., and there is no estimated time for reopening the westbound lanes.

The closure extends from Amarillo Avenue, just past the 29th Street exit, a three-mile stretch of the highway. Drivers traveling westbound are asked to detour at Exit 321 to Paul Harvey Boulevard.

Cervi said that the first came just before 2 a.m., when the Pueblo Industrial Park reported a drop in water pressure, and passing drivers saw the leak shortly after.

Courtesy: CoTrip

This is a developing story. We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – If cats have nine lives, this kitty in Colorado Springs has given two of his back to his family.

Shilah Marette said three years ago, Tinnie, her 20-pound Russian Blue cat, started acting strange around her mother. She said Tinnie typically ignores her mother, but that night, he wouldn’t leave her lap.

Later in the evening, her mother started feeling bad. They called 911 and found out she was having a heart attack.

“He’s kind of a family hero,” Shilah said.

About a year later, Marette said she was sound asleep when Tinnie started headbutting her under her chin until she woke up. After what happened to her mother, Marette took the warning seriously and woke up her husband. That’s when she lost feeling in half her body and realized she was having a stroke.

“If he wouldn’t have woken me up, I don’t think I would have seen the morning light,” Shilah said.

After all of his heroics, Marette and her husband decided to enter Tinnie the two-time lifesaver into the “America’s Favorite Pet” competition. The competition is currently in its first round. If Tinnie is in the top five by Feb. 5, he will move on to the next round. As of Tuesday morning, he was in fourth.

“He’s my baby in every sense of the way. I think I’d be lost without him,” Shilah said.

The first vote is free. People can also pay money for additional votes, with each dollar donated counting towards an extra vote, and 25% benefiting the non-profit PAWS. You can find Tinnie’s page here.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Gingersnap Rescue Ranch said it’s short on volunteers during the colder, winter months as it cares for over 250 rescued farm animals.

The ranch houses goats, horses, cows, alpacas, chickens, turkeys, ducks, Llamas and more. It takes in farm animals left without a home that would otherwise be butchered, abandoned or left without proper care. Oftentimes, the animals are injured, and the rescue ranch helps nurse them back to health.

The Gingersnap Rescue Ranch petting zoo is open to the public all year long. Most of the animals are accessible for feed and pets.

Gingersnap started as a goat milk farm until the Hanover fire in 2018 burned down most of their facilities and killed a large number of their animals. With the remaining stock they were able to save, Eryn Maggard and her husband decided to open a rescue ranch instead, and started to rebuild. Eight years and hundreds of animals later, the ranch shows no sign of slowing down.

For more information, click here.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — UPDATE: Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) announced early Monday afternoon that this project is now delayed.

In a statement released just before 2 p.m. Monday, CSU said that lane closures on two of three westbound lanes of Austin Bluffs Parkway between Goldenrod Drive and the exit ramp to Union Boulevard will be delayed “until additional preparation and inspection work can be completed.”

CSU explained that the delay helps ensure the lanes won’t close until absolutely necessary.

Instead of starting an initial two-week closure on Monday and ending two more closures by the end of March, CSU has changed the schedule to start the first phase later this month and complete the final two phases by the end of May.

(PREVIOUS STORY FROM MONDAY MORNING)

Reliving the same day is the theme of the movie Groundhog Day, and many drivers may feel the same way later this month.

For the second time in 18 months, utility work will restrict traffic on a 2/3-mile stretch of Austin Bluffs Parkway between Goldenrod Drive and the exit ramp to Union Boulevard.

Two of the three westbound lanes will close to relocate underground electric lines.

Drivers should be aware of increased traffic congestion and occasional backups, and consider detouring around the area if possible.

It’s part of an ongoing project by Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to build the new Central Bluffs power substation on the north side of the Austin Bluffs/Goldenrod intersection.

Construction on that project began in August 2024, when crews closed the right westbound lane in the same area to relocate an above-ground natural gas line.

That work ended in late April of last year.

There have also been occasional eastbound lane closures related to the overall project.

CSU said that the latest westbound closures will be the first of three similar closures in the area over the next few months.

The new substation is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

CSU also seeks citizens’ suggestions on choosing a design for the substation’s outer wall. For more information, visit: https://www.csu.org/current-projects/central-bluffs-substation.

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Marina Garcia

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – During a recent board meeting, commissioners discussed potential solutions the county is looking at to address the next fiscal budget shortfall.

One option considered is to furlough employees.

During meetings earlier this week, Pueblo County commissioners addressed some driving factors of the current budget that led the county to this deficit.

Commissioner Miles Lucero addressed two major purchases, the Wells Fargo building and the county jail, which is an $18 million debt. Commissioner Paula McPheters said declining marijuana tax revenue isn’t helping either.

Regardless of reasoning, a union representative voiced concerns that unpaid days are harmful.

“Behind every service is a person, a person with a family, a mortgage or rent, medical bills, and responsibilities. These are not abstract roles. They’re real people,” says Union Representative Josette Jaramillo.

However, commissioners told those in attendance at this week’s meeting that furloughs may be necessary.

“The unfortunate part of all of this is I don’t think unless we exhaust every option, the employee options, the real estate options. We’re not going to get to where we need to be,” says County Commissioner Miles Lucero. 

In a work session on Thursday, the board concluded that ten of the current holidays will become unpaid, affecting all county workers, saving $1.5 million. First of many strategies, says the board.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Up and down I-25 on the Front Range, you’ve probably seen this truck. On the back, a massive satellite-looking metal structure, kind of looking like a tipped-over Christmas tree or bugle snack. Then on the back, a banner with ‘ICE’ crossed out.

But is this vehicle even legal?

KRDO13 showed pictures of the custom build to the Colorado State Patrol. A sergeant told us over the phone that they would pull this vehicle over immediately because the license plate couldn’t be seen. That’s before even getting to talking about the rest of the structure.

Despite that, when we shared this picture (seen above) with CSP, showing a trooper right behind the vehicle in question, a spokesperson said that a citation was not issued, and the trooper never made contact with the vehicle.

KRDO13 security camera still.

Here at KRDO13, we got a good look at the truck up close when the driver came into our parking lot both Thursday night and Friday morning.

The driver wanted to speak with us about his issues with the trump administration’s immigration policies and raise concerns about aggressive drivers he said were trying to push him off the road.

However, KRDO13 spoke to drivers who say that the vehicle has been seen driving extremely slowly on the highway or even pulled over on the shoulder.

As for our local police department, we’ve seen some pictures that show Colorado Springs Police Officers pulling over the truck. KRDO13 reached out to the Colorado Springs Police Department to ask if they’ve issued any citations or pulled over the driver, but they haven’t answered our questions.

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