Author: KRDO

Josh Helmuth

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO13) — A local high school senior just earned one of the most competitive scholarships in the state — and with it comes a full-ride to any Colorado university.

It’s called The Boettcher Scholarship. And Irene Gbogi-Emmanuel, from Mesa Ridge High School, is the newest recipient.

In fact, Gbogi-Emmanuel called it a life-changing moment.

She plans to attend CU-Boulder with her sights set on medical school, which is appropriate since she comes from a family of nurses.

“I’ve heard a lot about what they don’t like. I feel like to make changes in the world, you have to be one to do change. So, I want to do the change,” said Irene.

She also thanked her teachers, saying they helped her succeed along the way.

Is there someone or something remarkable at your school? Email us! SchoolBuzz@KRDO.com

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Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – These little guys and girls make Justin Bieber look like a senior citizen when he burst onto the scene.

Chelle Jesse is a musician. Once a week, she leads a program teaching music to toddlers. Her students range from 18 months to four years old.

It’s the “Toddler Rock” music program. She hosts two classes a week at the Children’s Museum inside the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center in downtown Pueblo. Jesse said the focus is on movement and socialization.

Music Therapist Claire Schad started the program. Now Jesse oversees the classes. She is training to become a music therapist herself.

Classes are $12, or $10 if you are a Sangre de Cristo Arts Center member. Pre-registration is preferred. The classes are at 10:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. every Tuesday.

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Scott Harrison

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) — This marks the third consecutive year that Cañon City will have a major, impactful road-related construction project.

And there will be three of them — two on the same street, and a third that crews have had difficulty completing since it began in late 2024.

Currently underway are twin projects on two miles of 9th Street, between downtown and the town’s northern boundary.

On the south end, crews began preparing last fall to replace a water main and then repave the street afterwards.

The staff of a nearby convenience store said that it now closes two hours earlier due to a lack of customers.

Meanwhile, on the north end, crews are widening the street, adding curbs and sidewalks, and then repaving it.

The north end construction has 9th Street closed between Raintree Boulevard and Washington Street, but that work should be finished in another month or so.

The south end project currently has 9th Street closed between Floral and Allison avenues, with closures gradually advancing north, and work is expected to be completed this fall.

Rochelle Whitney is upset because she said that a month ago, water from a pipe in the construction zone flooded the yard and crawl space of her late mother’s home — causing at least $60,000 in damage.

“And we are definitely fired up, but I’m also trying to be professional and respectful of the fact that I know accidents happen, and things do occur,” she said. “But I also know that we need to be reimbursed and made whole for the damage that happened at our property.”

Now, for the project that won’t go away.

Later this summer, a crew will try — for what’s believed to be the fourth time — to relocate a natural gas line on East Main Street, between Raynolds Avenue and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

The challenge has been inserting the steel pipe under the tracks and a city water main.

On one attempt, the pipe broke, and the second try resulted in damage to the water main that wasn’t repaired until earlier this year.

Leo Evans, the town’s public works director, said that the contractor is applying for a permit from the railroad and has changed the design for the gas line installation.

Previous closures there have closed the East Main/Raynolds intersection — affecting several businesses, some homes, and traffic between the construction and US 50.

The project has also delayed a city stormwater line installation in the same area; Evans said that crews will start on it next winter, after the gas line is relocated and water flowing through a local irrigation channel is turned off for the season.

Dakota Johnson lives near the 9th Street construction and said that his street is not as quiet as it usually is because of detouring traffic.

“I feel like they’re doing too many projects at the same time,” he said.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the State of Colorado and the Colorado Department of Public Safety. The federal government alleges Colorado’s statute banning certain-capacity firearm magazines is unconstitutional, infringing on Second Amendment rights in violation of federal law.

The lawsuit challenges Colorado Revised Statute §18-12-302, which makes it a crime to sell, transfer or possess magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition. The Justice Department argues that these are mischaracterized as “large-capacity magazines” because they are standard for many popular firearms, including AR-15-style rifles.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated the lawsuit is necessary to protect constitutional rights.

“Colorado’s ban on certain magazines is political virtue signaling at the expense of Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” Dhillon said.

She added that the Division’s Second Amendment Section will continue to defend law-abiding Americans’ rights against unconstitutional restrictions on commonly owned arms.

Jeremy Manson, general manager at Spartan Defense, said he was glad to see the lawsuit.

“It’s about time. I don’t think that restricting magazines does anybody any good. I think it only hurts law-abiding citizens,” shared Manson.

Manson demonstrated the ease of quickly changing a 15-round magazine in a firearm and noted that a person could carry a dozen such magazines.

Manson explained the practical challenges the ban creates for his business, including 3D printing blockers for magazines that exceed the legal limit.

“There are some customers, from July last year, who still don’t have their magazines, because we haven’t been able to figure out how to make that blocker work in that particular magazine,” Manson said.

He believes the law was enacted by individuals who do not understand firearms. He added that firearms are only a tool and that people are the ones who need to use them responsibly.

Ashtin Gamblin, a victim advocate and Club Q survivor, acknowledged the lawsuit but expressed skepticism about its intent.

“It’s not surprising. I probably should have seen that coming,” Gamblin said, wondering if it was “just poking at our government as a state.”

Gamblin believes there should be a balance between Second Amendment rights and public safety.

“I understand everybody’s Second Amendment right, but I also understand it’s my right to live in this country and actually live in this country, not end up dead,” Gamblin continued, “My right to life isn’t stronger than anybody’s right to own a gun. It’s an equal right. But we have to balance how to do that appropriately.”

Gamblin called for open communication to find common ground on gun laws, suggesting psychological background checks or hands-on training as potential solutions.

“I think the start to a common ground here is we’re going to have to move forward together and actually have open some communication lines without it just being an attack,” Gamblin said.

The Colorado State Patrol and Colorado Bureau of Investigation, divisions of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, are responsible for enforcing the magazine ban. These law enforcement officers have routinely enforced the ban since 2013 and will continue to do so unless enjoined by the court, according to the lawsuit.

The United States DOJ is requesting the court to issue a declaratory judgment that the State of Colorado and the Colorado Department of Public Safety are violating federal law by enforcing the magazine ban. The Justice Department is also seeking permanent injunctive relief to prohibit the defendants and their agents from enforcing the ban and to mandate the adoption of policies and procedures to remedy the alleged unconstitutional conduct, according to the legal filing.

FIREARM LAWS COVERAGE: Governor Polis signs bill to restrict semiautomatic weapons, SB25-003 now law

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Bradley Davis

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (KRDO) – By 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, Highway 24 West of Manitou Springs was already snow-covered and slushy, with more expected to fall for hours in Woodland Park.

KRDO13’s Bradley Davis started observing road impacts not far past Manitou Springs, just before Cascade. As he traveled West, the snow coverage thickened as the temperature dropped.

It’s a wet, heavier snow, more common with Spring snowstorms. It’s the type that will stick and freeze to your shoes. That heavy snow puts Southern Colorado at risk for downed trees and power lines, and residents should be wary of potential power outages.

As of 5 a.m., snow was not sticking on Highway 24 East of Manitou and into downtown Colorado Springs, but the roads were still wet, and road conditions could deteriorate as snow continues to fall and temperatures drop.

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Scott Harrison

MONUMENT, Colo. (KRDO) — 1 P.M. UPDATE: The sun was trying to poke through the clouds as light snow continued to fall.

Paved surfaces remained damp to wet, with gradual drying occurring.

A Texas driver had a close call just before 11:30 a.m., when his pickup truck lost control and crossed four lanes of traffic before crashing into a ditch on southbound Interstate 25 at the bottom of Monument Hill.

The driver wasn’t hurt, but his truck was towed away for repair.

9 A.M. UPDATE: Snowfall has intensified but is melting on asphalt and concrete surfaces.

Traffic on I-25 at Monument Hill is flowing normally, and is just wet with no accumulations of ice, snow or slush.

Plows continue to patrol I-25, Highway 105, and Monument Hill Road in the area.

7:30 A.M. UPDATE: Authorities responded to a minor two-vehicle crash just before 7 a.m. near the crest of Monument Hill on northbound Interstate 25.

There were no apparent injuries, and the crash slowed traffic only temporarily.

Traffic also backed up behind a tandem of plows moving along the highway.

Most of the slush that accumulated on I-25 has melted, and the pavement is simply wet; snowfall briefly stopped, then resumed with less intensity than earlier.

There appeared to be no more than an inch or two of accumulation, and most of it had melted on roads and streets.

6 A.M. UPDATE

Drivers heading north on Interstate 25 will find mostly sloppy weather, but no serious issues during this mid-spring snowstorm.

The temperature is 28 degrees, and the winds are calm with little traffic at this hour.

Northbound traffic on I-25 will begin to encounter light snow accumulations past the Air Force Academy, with generally slushy conditions.

So far, roads don’t appear to be icy or snow-packed, but those conditions could exist on neighborhood streets or less-traveled roads.

Snowplows with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) are on patrol, although there doesn’t appear to be heavy accumulations yet.

Stay tuned to KRDO 13 for the impacts of this latest storm.

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Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — The Steel City’s recently released paving list for 2026 lists four streets targeted, with three either starting in or cutting across downtown.

The fourth street is already halfway finished; a half-mile stretch at the north end of Jerry Murphy Road.

KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior first reported on the project last Friday, and this year’s paving includes extending the new asphalt layer north to where the road becomes Overton Road.

Previous coverage by The Road Warrior showed the road’s poor condition, and emphasized how drivers had waited decades for repaving there.

Of the three streets with downtown connections, 6th Street covers a mile through the center of downtown, from the Interstate 25 exit ramp to Midtown Circle, mostly one-way westbound.

Crews will also repave long stretches of Court and Elizabeth streets, starting at City Center Drive and ending just south of US 50.

Court and Elizabeth will be repaved to 24th and 29th streets, respectively.

The city also has at least a dozen concrete projects scheduled to improve curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and ramps, increasing safety for pedestrians, people with disabilities, and the communities served by three schools.

It’s worth remembering that Pueblo has a limited paving budget and doesn’t have separate funding sources, such as the 2C expanded paving program in Colorado Springs or the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) in El Paso County.

“We’ve been talking about that,” said Andrew Hayes, the city’s public works director, of local leaders in the ity and Pueblo County. “We realize there’s a need to better fund road projects.”

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – David Benavidez Jr. started his Mariachi band, “Mariachi Diamante,” in 2019. Rather than fear competition, he encourages it. He hopes his band’s music will inspire more to pick up the practice.

Benavidez Jr. said he feels the same about Cinco de Mayo. The holiday originated from Mexico’s victory at the Battle of Puebla over the French in 1862, but the historical significance is rarely associated with Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the United States.

Benavidez Jr. said Cinco de Mayo has taken on a new, proud meaning for himself and other Mexican Americans.

“For me, Cinco de Mayo means education,” Benavidez Jr. said. “It has evolved to keep our culture and educate our youth on why it’s important to continue to keep part of our culture as we assimilate. Because in the end, we all have to live together, and there’s no point in separating.”

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — The Pueblo Zoo is going to the ballot box this November to ask voters to approve a more sustainable source of funding.

“We may be forced to close in two to three years, if we don’t find more sustainable funding,” Abbie Krause, Executive Director of the Pueblo Zoo, said.

The Pueblo Zoo is proposing a 0.167% retail sales tax initiative for the November ballot in an effort to address continued funding issues. The measure aims to counteract funding cuts that began in 2024 and to increase operational costs.

The proposed tax equates to around 17 cents on every $100 spent in Pueblo. This initiative includes a five-year sunset clause, after which voters would re-evaluate and decide whether to renew the tax. Zoo leadership estimates it would generate $3.5 million.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Despite receiving accreditation, Pueblo Zoo faces budget concerns (Dec. 2024)

This isn’t the first time KRDO13 has covered financial problems at the Pueblo Zoo. Dating back to 2024, the Pueblo Zoo has had a budget shortfall.

“The zoo is always run on a very, very lean budget,” Krause said. However, that is becoming unsustainable. Krause admits their employee wages are uncompetitive, the 100-year-old facility is in desperate need of repairs, and the zoo needs to keep pace with modern zoological standards.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pueblo Zoo faces budget shortfall (March 2025)

One of the more pressing costs is the outdated life-support system for animals, such as the water pumps for otters and penguins, which can run up to $60,000 each, according to officials.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pueblo Zoo receives funding boost after difficult year, but support still needed (Nov. 2025)

Going to the voters wasn’t the first option zoo leadership considered. Krause says they’ve raised ticket prices, gone to donors, applied for grants, and hosted events at the zoo, but it hasn’t been enough. Even the funding boost it received from the Pueblo City Council can only sustain operations for so long.

“Even flatlining the budget is [that] we’re not keeping up with inflation and everything that we need to do for maintenance at the zoo,” Krause said.

In the zoo’s pitch to voters, Krause says they contribute almost $20 million per year in direct and indirect economic impact through jobs, tourism, and purchasing. The zoo also provides educational programming to more than 10,000 students annually. There’s also the cultural impact of having a world-class zoo in a smaller city that typically doesn’t have a zoo.

“We are a cultural amenity. We help recruit people to come here, and it’s something that people look forward to when they move here,” Krause said. “It’s not that we’re not looking for people necessarily to bail us out. We want to be a partner. We’re hoping that we’ll be around to also free up some [city] funds for security, fire, police, etc.”

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Rob Namnoum

The Colorado Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild in game one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs 9-6. Nazem Kadri scored the game winning goal.

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