Author: KRDO

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The U.S. as a whole received a “C” grade for overall infrastructure for the first time, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

However, in a state-by-state analysis, Colorado received a “C-,” covering 14 aspects of infrastructure, including dams, bridges, water quality, schools, and energy.

And that may not be the worst of it.

In a revelation that likely won’t surprise many Coloradans, the state received a”D+” for road conditions — a drop from the “C-” it received in the previous ASCE report in 2020.

The ASCE released the grades in March, but members of the Colorado chapter gathered at Denver International Airport (DIA) on Wednesday to discuss the implications of the state’s low grades.

“Colorado has its own unique characteristics, trends, and challenges,” said Sarah Klarich, who’s in charge of government affairs for the state ASCE. “So, it is important to have a localized report that speaks to our state’s needs and future outlook.”

The ASCE listed several reasons for Colorado’s low grades, including challenges such as increasingly extreme weather events, 39% population growth since 2000, and aging assets that stress those critical networks.

Still, the low grades — especially for roads — will frustrate and disappoint many residents at a time when they’re paying more in taxes, and their local governments are investing more in road maintenance.

Yet the numbers aren’t improving enough to satisfy drivers.

According to the ASCE report, 48% of roads are in good condition nationwide, but this percentage drops to 34% in Colorado.

“As we rebuild infrastructure in this country, we have to do it well,” said Phil Washington, the CEO of DIA. “We have to do it sustainably. We have to do it quickly. We have to do it ahead of schedule and under budget.”

In offering solutions to the dilemma, the ASCE said that Colorado needs more public-private partnerships, better planning of road projects, and increased citizen involvement.

El Paso County and Colorado Springs have become somewhat of a leader in implementing those ideas and sharing the cost of projects.

For example, the city and county are teaming up on the widening of Marksheffel Road, a three-year project scheduled for completion next year.

In a similar partnership, the Copper Ridge Metro District is fronting part of the cost of connecting the north end of busy Powers Boulevard (State Highway 21) to Interstate 25; that effort began in 2019 and won’t be finished until 2030 at the earliest.

Also expected to be finished next year is a joint county/Colorado Department of Transportation project to widen the south end of South Academy Boulevard.

Colorado Springs also follows the ASCE’s planning requirement by performing concrete work — sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and ramps — to protect the integrity of paving projects.

Yet perhaps the best example of citizen involvement is the city’s 2C expanded street paving program, funded by a voter-approved sales tax increase in 2015 and since extended twice by voters.

And in recent years, six local municipalities have joined the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority, which levies a one-cent sales tax to finance infrastructure and transit projects.

Still, the question is whether these efforts will ever be enough to catch up or stay ahead on road projects.

.To see the full report, visit: https://infrastructurereportcard.org/

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Neighbors caught on camera a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) raid at a local animal rehabilitation center last Friday.

The Rocky Mountain WildHeart Wildlife Rehabilitation Center said CPW issued it a Cease and Desist order after Friday’s raid. The center gave our team documentation of CPW’s seizure of 11 of their animals, including foxes, squirrels, raccoons and a porcupine.

Animals seized by CPW

According to documents provided by the rehab center, CPW cited fines of over $1,600 each for both the owner and her mother. The main infraction, according to documentation, was that CPW viewed the animal cages at the center as too small and felt the size could hinder the growth and development of the animals.

The owner showed us at KRDO that she had texted pictures to CPW Wildlife Officer Phil Gurule in 2024, showcasing that the center had upgraded to larger cages.

Anderton said Gurule did an inspection on the evening of May 22 and that he told WildHeart it had until 8 a.m. the next day to get bigger cages for their porcupine and foxes.

On May 23, Anderton texted Gurule photos and videos of the new cages.

Gurule replied, in full, “Perfect! That looks great… I see the porcupine is already in there… Just shoot me a pic when the foxes get in the enclosure… I will be in contact with you… It might be a week or so because next week is even busier than this week. I appreciate it!”

After Anderton followed up with the fox pictures, Gurule replied again, “Thank you! I will reach out in a week or so… come take a look at everything in person. I appreciate it!”

“Two months later, almost, he shows up with animal control and a whole bunch of officers,” Anderton said.

Based on the documents provided by Anderton, the two defendant statements given to both her and her daughter by the CPW on the day of the raid are dated for two different times. Anderton’s documentation is dated July 18 (the day of the raid), while her daughter’s is dated July 12.

Both documents date the violations as May 22, which is the day before Anderton’s and Gurule’s text chain after Gurule’s inspection.

CPW case against WildHeart

Animal Law Enforcement was also on the raid. Anderton provided documentation showing no violations, outside of an order to take two animals in for vet care, a cat with a suspected urinary tract infection, and a bird with a foot injury.

Animal Law Enforcement Welfare Check

Anderton did not let us take a look out back at the cages when we asked. She told our team that it was due to the fact that there were still some wildlife on the property, and that they don’t allow people back there when they have wild animals on the property. She would also not provide us with pictures other than those of the cages she sent to Gurule.

We reached out to CPW for comment, who stated that there is more context outside of the documentation Anderton provided for us, but they cannot share the information with us right now because it’s an active investigation.

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Sadie Buggle

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Pueblo officials announced Tuesday evening that emergency repairs to a stormwater sewer require closing a heavily-traveled intersection for the next two weeks.

Starting on Wednesday, the city’s Stormwater Department will begin the work at Elizabeth Street and 24th Street; Elizabeth will be closed at 23rd and 25th streets southbound, and eastbound toward Greenwood Street.

Closure signs and barriers were in place around the intersection by 7 a.m., but officials haven’t provided details about why repairs are needed and how the work will be done.

However, a cook at the nearby Burrito’s Betty restaurant said that a crew dug into part of the intersection several months ago.

“We weren’t told then what they were doing, and we weren’t told this time either,” he said. “It hurt our breakfast and lunch business last time, and I’m afraid it’s going to happen again.”

A neighbor at the intersection said that the intersection flooded around the time of the previous work.

“They put in new curbs, gutters, and sidewalks,” she recalled. “But they seemed to have trouble after that.”

The situation created frustration for drivers, some of whom moved plastic barriers to get through the closures, while others tried to cut through the restaurant parking lot in a vain attempt to avoid the closures.

The city’s release stated that neighbors will still have access to their homes and that they received a notice on their doors earlier this week, explaining detours and available alternate routes.

But the neighbor mentioned above said that she didn’t get the notice.

“I knew about it from the flashing message board at 29th and Elizabeth,” she said.

A second week of closures is necessary for phase two of the repairs, which will shut down the block of 24th Street between West Street and Elizabeth Street starting July 31.

Courtesy: City of Pueblo

Courtesy: City of Pueblo

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – After Pueblo Police arrested a man for assaulting a burglary suspect, KRDO13 Investigates wondered: What are the limits around making a citizen’s arrest?

RELATED COVERAGE: Man arrested along with burglary suspect for assaulting the burglar

On July 17, Pueblo Police were dispatched to the 700 block of Joilet Avenue. At the home, they found a man tied up with duct tape and three other men around him.

The man tied up was 21-year-old Joseph Mares. One of the men standing near him was 26-year-old Cruz Alarcon. Both men would end up in handcuffs. Mares for 2nd degree burglary and Alarcon for 2nd degree assault.

Before the police arrived on the scene, neighbors told us there was a whole lot of commotion.

“I heard a lot of screaming, a lot of punching, a lot of fighting.” Nadine Cozzolino told KRDO13 Investigates.

However, the arrest affidavit says there was more than just a fight.

The Pueblo Police Department says security camera footage from a nearby home shows Alarcon threatening a tied-up Mares with a pistol and hitting him with the butt of the gun multiple times, even threatening to kill the man at one point. Then police say Alarcon kicked Mares in the head and stomped on his legs, all while he was still tied up.

Pueblo police say that goes beyond what’s legal in a citizen’s arrest.

KRDO13 Investigates spoke to a local attorney who said the most important part of a citizen’s arrest is that the person making the arrest has to perceive the crime. He said there is some leeway given when making the arrest, but excessive force is prohibited.

The Pueblo Police Department clarified on social media that it was what Alarcon is accused of doing after Mares was tied up that earned him criminal charges.

Both men have bonded out of jail.

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — As the county gradually replaces nine timber (wooden) bridges that are around 75 years old, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is doing repair work to keep its timber bridges in use for a longer period.

A current CDOT project is rehabbing 21 timber bridges along highways 9, 24, and 67 in El Paso, Teller, and Park counties.

CDOT is spending $1.8 million to reinforce the timber supports under the bridges with steel beams; the agency said that the work will extend the use of the bridges by 30 years and save the high cost of replacing those structures.

Patti Henschen, a CDOT engineer, said that the bridges were built between the 1930s and 1960s; Calhan in eastern El Paso County has one of the largest and oldest bridges, built in 1935.

“A lot of these have not had any type of repair.,” she said. “This is the first repair that we’re doing for them. Some of them have had some minor repairs done to them over the years, but not significant like this.”

Eleven of the 21 timber bridges are in eastern El Paso County, between Peyton and Ramah, near the El Paso/Elbert county line.

The project began on the eastern end and will gradually move west, with work expected to continue through the fall.

Henschen said that a future project will repair 22 more timber bridges south of the current project area.

For the project this summer, crews will conduct traffic control during the bridge work to provide added safety.

Some drivers say that while they’re glad to see the project happen, they’d rather that CDOT repave US 24 through Calhan; the agency said that a project to repave the highway through Calhan and Peyton is scheduled for next summer.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Arapahoe Flight Club and Falcon AeroLab are teaming up this week to take kids up on a helicopter ride.

“For some, this is the coolest thing they’ve gotten to do in their lives, and for these kids, once they have a ‘Why?’ in their life, the ‘How?’ doesn’t matter,” said Falcon AeroLab founder Mark Hyatt.

“We’re motivating the generation that’s going to replace us as pilots,” said Arapahoe Flight Club founder Diego Blandon.

Today’s flight group was a private camp of high school students interested in aviation from across the country. The crew took KRDO13’s Bradley Davis up in the helicopter on the final flight, but it’s safe to say the experience was tailored for these kids.

“It’s the earliest way of travel I remember from when I was four years old. I saw airplanes take off and land at the airport, and I was immediately hooked,” camper Rydell Wilkins said.

“So, the highlight of your vacation is flying there and back, huh?” Davis asked Wilkins.

“Exactly. I’ve been excited since I got to the airport and then came here,” Wilkins said.

The campers will also tour the Air Force Academy, experience a wind tunnel and build large plane replicas that they will launch and repair after impact.

Multiple kids said they are actively pursuing a post-high school career at the Air Force Academy.

“I think it would be fun to experience the brotherhood and things like that, and I think it would be good to serve the country for at least some part of my life since I’ve been here all of my life,” camper Carson McElvain said.

Falcon AeroLab and the Arapahoe Flight School also provide local public school students helicopter rides at free or reduced rates, primarily through Colorado Springs School District 11.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Colorado Springs branch of the Salvation Army went to Colorado Springs City Council on Monday asking for help raising up to $1 million.

“The situation that we’re in now is due to the increasing needs of the community, and just that, the dollars have not kept pace with that over the years,” Major Steve Ball was one of the Salvation Army representatives who made a presentation to the city council.

One slide from the Salvation Army presentation to the city council.

This slide was shared at Monday’s city council meeting. It shows the decrease of government funding Salvation Army has received over the years, decreasing steadily as COVID-era funds run out.

Maj. Ball says they used those funds at the time to expand the reach of their services to meet the rising community need at the time. Now, those funds are running out, but the community need is still present.

One service the Salvation Army provides that is at risk of being reduced if the shortfall isn’t made up is the Family Hope Center.

“There is nothing else in the entire Pikes Peak Region that does what we do with the Family Hope Center,” Sandra Haley, a case manager at the Family Hope Center, told the city council today.

The center is the only low-barrier family shelter in the area. That means families can come in and get beds in a private room with no application or drug test. Once they’re in, a case manager helps them find private housing.

The Salvation Army touts a high success rate at the Family Hope Center. They say that since February, 83% of families who have come to the center have gone on to find more permanent housing. In the past year, they’ve helped 176 families transition into housing.

“The worst case scenario, we may have to see about trimming down the number of rooms we have available or something like that, but we’re going to do everything possible,” Maj. Ball told KRDO13.

Right now, the Family Hope Center has 31 rooms, but that could change, and families could start being turned away. People who’ve gone through the program say that would be a big loss.

Rae and her daughter Olivia had been staying at the center until this week, when they’ll be moving into their own apartment. Rae tells KRDO13 the Family Hope Center has turned their lives around.

“Having complete strangers do more for you than your own family. It’s a lot to take in, but the confidence that I have now to be on my own is great,” Rae said.

Without the shelter, Rae and Olivia would have had even more instability. “There were times that I thought me and her were going to be sleeping in the car, and that’s scary. I don’t want to put my kid through that. So this place gave us a bed and somewhere that was safe.”

Despite the predicament, the Salvation Army says they’re confident the community will come through and help. Starting in August, Salvation Army is starting its Hope Needs Help fundraising campaign.

You can learn more here.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says they are seeking information after a former Stratton Meadows Elementary School teacher was arrested for sexual assault on a child. Police say they think there could be other victims.

Matthew Gogan, age 66, faces two counts of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust.

According to Harrison School District 2, Gogan was employed at Stratton Meadows from August 6, 2018, to May 22, 2020.

The police department says they began investigating back in April when someone reported information about an alleged sexual assault, which they said happened five years ago. As they were investigating, CSPD says they contacted another victim who had previously made a report about Gogan.

It’s unclear if the two were students at Stratton Meadows Elementary School, or if Gogan was their teacher.

The police department says he was arrested on June 12.

Gogan has since posted bond and is out of the El Paso County Jail.

Police say they believe there could be other victims out there.

“Through this investigation, again, we had that additional victim, already. We think that there potentially could be other victims, whether they were students or just other people in Mr. Gogan’s life. We’d love to hear about their experience with him, and any potential interactions they had with him so we can determine if additional crimes have taken place,” urged CSPD spokesperson Caitlin Ford.

Ford tells KRDO13 it’s important for potential victims to come forward when they’re ready, even if it is years after the incident.

“Sometimes the victim might not be ready to come forward immediately after an assault has taken place. And so we definitely want to remind victims that the police are here for you. Regardless of whenever you’re ready to report that, we’re prepared to investigate things that may have happened years and years ago. We want you to come in and report that, even if you feel like it’s happened so long ago. Why should I come to report it? Please do,” explained Ford.

If you, or someone you know, has been a victim of Gogan, please contact the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000 or the Pikes Peak Area Crimes Stoppers at 719-634-STOP (7867).

“Our Crimes Against Children unit and all of our detectives in the Special Victims section are very intelligent and very prepared to investigate these types of crimes, as well as our victim advocacy unit. They’re integral in these things as far as providing resources and being able to help victims through not only the reporting process, but also the rest of the legal process, court and things like that. There are a lot of resources for you if you come forward and report things, as well as, then being able to hold these offenders accountable,” said CSPD spokesperson Caitlin Ford.

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Celeste Springer

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Teller County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) is extending a heartfelt thank you to one estate sale company that went out of their way to donate historic sheriff’s office memorabilia that they discovered.

According to the department, a local estate sale company arranged for the donation of several items belonging to the late Harold Shippey.

A photo of a badge belonging to the late Sergeant Harold Shippey, which was donated to the sheriff’s office (Photo: Teller County Sheriff’s Office).

The sheriff’s office says that Harold Shippey was a sergeant with the department, but ultimately passed away in 2011. TCSO says his belongings were passed along to his wife, Virginia, who cared for them until her own passing last year.

Born in Westport, CT in 1926, Harold R. Shippey led a lifetime of service. During World War II, he served our nation in the U.S. Navy. Following his military service, he achieved the rank of Fire Captain in the Westport Fire Department, serving there for 21 years. He then came to the Pikes Peak region, where he served 13 years with the Teller County Sheriff’s Office, achieving the rank of Sergeant. Described as a man with a heart of gold, his friends and coworkers called him a gentle giant who was a good friend and good to work with.

-Teller County Sheriff’s Office

The sheriff’s office thanked Christine Lukasavige and Michelle Gillespie of C&M Estate Sales for the donations, which include some of Shippey’s badges, pins and awards. The sheriff’s office says they have been put in a shadow box, where they will be displayed at the base of a new memorial wall.

Belongings donated to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office include badges, pins, and awards (Photo: Teller County Sheriff’s Office).

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Abby Smith

Editor’s Note: Content warning. This article discusses details of a reported sexual assault.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Court documents are shedding new light on the case of a Fort Carson soldier arrested in the case of an alleged sexual assault and kidnapping near Quail Lake.

On Wednesday, July 16, police say they spoke with 19-year-old Caden Meade, who was later charged with first-degree kidnapping, sexual assault, and felony menacing.

PREVIOUS REPORTING: Fort Carson soldier charged with kidnapping, sexual assault in Quail Lake Park incident

CSPD says they were dispatched to Quail Lake Park, located at 915 E. Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard, for a reported kidnapping on July 8 around 1 a.m. According to the arrest affidavit, the victim told police that she was with a friend at Quail Lake when she walked to her vehicle in the parking lot to grab a jacket.

The affidavit says that the friend who reported the alleged kidnapping told police that they heard the victim screaming, which led them to run to the parking lot where they saw a pick-up truck leaving the area, and their friend was gone.

Another witness in the area told police that he also heard a female screaming from the direction of the parking lot and noted that he saw a truck leaving the area.

According to the affidavit, police say the victim walked into a hotel and also called 911, reporting that she had been kidnapped. Police say it was noted that the victim had injuries, including abrasions and bruising, on her left shin and left knee.

According to the affidavit, the victim told police that the suspect allegedly approached her while she was getting her jacket from her car, where he then forced her into his vehicle with a knife. The victim told police that he then drove her approximately two miles away. She said he then sexually assaulted her at knife-point before letting her go, according to police.

Police confirm in the affidavit that they were able to locate photos and video of a truck from the second location where the victim said the assault occurred. CSPD states that the Real Time Crime Center unit used the description of the truck to identify the potential suspect, Christopher Meade.

According to court records, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office obtained a past report in which Meade had requested service after his vehicle broke down in March. Upon investigation, EPSO discovered that the report included a description of his vehicle that matched the details of the truck that was reportedly involved in the sexual assault.

Court records state that, based on this information, EPSO discovered that Meade was enlisted in the United States Army and had ties to Fort Carson.

According to the records, Fort Carson’s main gate entrance camera footage showed Meade in the truck that matched the victim’s description on the day of the crime.

Police say the U.S. Army CID helped in the execution of multiple search warrants on June 16, escorting Meade to CSPD to collect DNA and photographs, as well as collecting Meade’s phone.

Court records state that Meade then participated in a recorded interview, where he initially stated that his parents were in town for the 4th of July weekend and that he dropped them off at the Colorado Springs airport at around 4 a.m. on July 8.

Police say they then showed Meade security footage of himself entering Fort Carson around 3:58 a.m. on July 8. Police say Meade was then shown images of the suspect’s truck in the sexual assault case, and he responded, “It is my truck.”

According to the police, they asked Meade to tell them the truth. Police say he responded to them, saying that after dropping his parents off at their hotel, he told them he was going to clean his barracks for inspection. Meade allegedly then said, “And, uh, incident, you know.”

Police say they asked him what incident, and according to the affidavit, Meade responded, “Uh, with the lady at the park.” Police say Meade then told police he sexually assaulted the victim.

Police say Meade then provided further details about the incident.

CSPD is asking that if there are any potential victims or witnesses, to come forward by contacting them at (719) 444-7000.

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