Author: KRDO

Julia Donovan

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A Colorado Springs taco shop that earned a perfect health inspection score last year is now working to correct more than a dozen violations after its most recent inspection.

Taco Express cited for 13 violations

The Taco Express on Voyager Parkway received a perfect score during its health inspection in February 2025. However, its latest inspection resulted in 13 violations.

According to the inspection report, health officials observed several food safety concerns, including:

Fresh cilantro being stored in a handwashing sink

Raw meat stored above vegetables, creating a risk of cross-contamination

Raw meat thawing on a countertop instead of in a temperature-controlled environment

Cutting boards only being sanitized once per day

A manager at the restaurant said the owner was out of town during the inspection and that the employee overseeing operations was managing the restaurant for the first time.

The manager said the restaurant has since increased employee training and is working to address the issues.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of or concerned. Our past customers have always seen how clean we are,” she assured. “We always try to keep everything clean, everything organized and we already spoke to our workers so everything is going to be good.”

Taco Express is awaiting a follow-up inspection.

Restaurants earning high scores

Several other Colorado Springs restaurants received top health inspection scores, including:

Chick-fil-A on Garden of the Gods Road

Cleats Bar on Rockrimmon Boulevard

Chuy’s earns a perfect score

Chuy’s, located near Briargate and Chapel Hills Drive, also received a perfect health inspection score.

Known for its generous portions of Tex-Mex favorites, the restaurant pairs its menu with a strong emphasis on cleanliness and food safety. Even small details, such as individually sanitized silverware, reflect that commitment.

Kitchen Manager Laura King said the restaurant’s consistent staff plays a major role in maintaining high standards.

“My team’s amazing,” she gushed. “Whenever you have that consistency, it’s really easy to kind of build a good routine and make sure that everything’s perfect and clean.”

Keep an eye out for the KRDO13 Restaurant Roundup awards at your favorite spots to know the kitchen inside is clean!

Reminder: all of our high and low-scoring restaurants are based on routine health inspections conducted by the El Paso County Health Department.

Click here for a look at all the most recent health inspection scores.

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Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The Fresh Wind Ministries of Pueblo has almost tripled its annual backpack giveaway on Saturday thanks to the help of dozens in the community.

In the past, the Ministry called it’s givaway the “Back to School Bash.” On Saturday, it debuts its first “Unity in the Community” with 250 free backpacks packed with school supplies, food, and a fun time.

“Bringing all of the community together, we don’t see that enough where people come together and help each other, but really the best part is the families that come out and really get an experience,” said Fresh Winds Ministries Pastor Mark Griego. It’s really an event that you would want to be at.”

In previous years, the ministry said it had to buy the school supplies out of its budget. The community’s support has allowed them to expand the donations without paying out of pocket.

No reservations are required. It’s first-come, first-served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fairmont Park in Pueblo. Families can also get free haircuts and enjoy live music.

Full list of partner groups funding the giveaway:

Fresh Winds Ministries of Pueblo

City Gate Ministries

Vision Ministries Family Christian Church

Arise Fellowship Church

Truth and Fire Ministries

Lioness Project

Elks Lodge

Adullam Pueblo

Restoration and Redemption Ministries

DVine Connections

Walk on me Flooring

Dirty Deeds Tractor Service

Felix Gallegos

Chris and Cindi Ruybal

Mark and Danette Griego

Barrel Brothers

The Works Express Cuts

Living Tower Food Bank

Reliable Cleaning

Keller Williams Realty

Brooklyn’s Beauty Longe

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Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — With the start of the new school year less than two weeks away, crews at two locations are scrambling to finish construction on safety projects.

Haaff Elementary School and Park View Elementary School received grants in 2022 and 2024, respectively, from the Safe Routes to School program administered by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

The purpose of the grants is to increase safety, mobility, and visibility on pathways surrounding and leading to schools.

In the Pueblo grants, crews are building longer and wider sidewalks and curbs, and installing bike lanes and crosswalks; it’s all designed to make students and parents easier for drivers to see.

Construction began roughly a month ago, and officials said that both projects should be completed before students return to District 60 schools on Aug. 18.

The projects didn’t happen last summer as originally planned because the CDOT funding didn’t arrive in time to complete them before classes began.

Officials explained that the current work couldn’t happen until later this summer because that’s the earliest contractors could fit it into their schedules.

The grant for Haaff was for $176,000, and the grant for Park View was $328,000.

While most of the Haaff project is happening in front of the school, the Park View project encompasses five blocks along Monument Avenue between 7th and 12th streets.

Officials hope to apply for future grants that would make traffic improvements near Haaff at the Chinook Lane/Jerry Murphy Road intersection and extend the Park View upgrades south to 2nd Street.

An additional benefit of the current projects is that they are adjacent to parks and can be utilized by the general public.

Neighbors around the Park View project are eager to regain use of an alley behind their homes that is closed because of construction — meaning garbage trucks can’t pick up trash cans there.

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Dylan Foreman

MONUMENT, Colo. (KRDO) — The pain of falling just short has lingered throughout the offseason for Palmer Ridge football. After coming within one victory of a perfect season and a state championship, the Bears have spent months reflecting on what went wrong and how they can come back stronger.

“I definitely think it didn’t end the way we wanted to,” senior Drew Japp said. “But every loss has a lesson.”

For Palmer Ridge, that lesson was simple: never take an opponent for granted.

While the disappointment of last season’s ending still resonates, it has also fueled excitement for what comes next. Players are eager to get back between the lines and begin another journey toward a championship.

“Honestly, the first thing on my mind is I just can’t wait to get back on the field and just play again and have that feeling of playing football again,” senior Zak Crisler said.

The road ahead will look different. Palmer Ridge graduated a large and talented senior class that helped lead the program to another championship appearance. Their departure leaves big shoes to fill, but also provides opportunities for a new generation of players.

“We had great seniors, so it was great learning from them and also getting to work with them,” a returning player said. “That was the biggest thing last year.”

Still, those inside the program believe their success has never been built solely on talent. Instead, it’s rooted in a culture that has helped establish Palmer Ridge as one of Colorado’s premier football programs.

That culture revolves around what the Bears call their “gold standard.”

“Toughness, hard-working and competitive,” senior Trek Leonard said when describing the program’s core values.

Japp added, “The gold standard is just doing the little things right.”

Those principles have helped Palmer Ridge consistently compete at the highest level. The Bears have finished as 4A state runners-up in 2020, 2023 and 2025, proving they can reach the championship stage year after year.

Now, the goal is finding a way to take the final step.

“Everyone is ready to buy in again just like the year before,” Leonard said. “We’ve got a bunch of great guys and we know they’re all committed. Nothing’s changed.”

If the foundation is still strong, Palmer Ridge believes another championship run could be right around the corner.

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Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The Finnish circus, “Circus Golden Star,” is finishing up its trip down I-25 this weekend with a showing in Pueblo during its first American Tour.

The circus’s slogan is “Where European elegance meets American charm.” The performers incorporate lots of live music in their acts, along with Eurpoean/style jugglers, acrobats and aeralists, and the traditional high-risk acts.

Finnish director Samir Lindfors started the circus in 2015 when he was just 19. He was the youngest circus director in the world at the time.

“I was 2 years old when I found my grandfather’s suitcase. He was an incredible juggler, and that’s the story of how Everything started, and now we’re here,” Lindfors said. “I was a performer. I had my own magic show 7 years before I started circus. So, it’s a long journey, and this is my dream to have another show in America.”

The circus is in town Thursday through Sunday. You can find tickets here.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A $3 million project begins Monday to repave the 1.5-mile-long eastern end of Milton E. Proby Parkway leading to the Colorado Springs Airport.

The two-month project will first apply fresh asphalt to the inbound side, then to the outbound side, between Peak Innovation Way and the terminal.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane, with a speed limit of 15 mph, during repaving.

Crews will begin by milling, or removing, the old pavement, then seal cracks in the milled surface before applying new asphalt.

“A full replacement, a capital improvement there, probably hasn’t happened for the past 25 years,” said Bud Geng, the airport’s manager of design and construction. “There’s been some patchwork done, crack sealant done, but nothing to this magnitude.”

The project will be funded with federal dollars and airport revenue.

Last year, crews repaved the half-mile of the parkway from Peak Innovation Way to Powers Boulevard; next year, they’ll replace the concrete pavement in front of the terminal.

For questions, the COS Communications Center is available 24/7 at 719-550-1918; you can also check the airport’s social media sites.

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Rob Namnoum

On Tuesday, the Air Force football team held a Media Day. It was chance to get to talk with the players in a one on one setting. KRDO-13 Sports Director Rob Namnoum had fun with the access to the players.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – School Buzz on the Road takes us to the halls of Remington Elementary as D49 welcomes its first through fifth graders back into the classroom.

Kindergartners had their early start on Monday, but the rest of the elementary schoolers danced their way up the red carpet on Tuesday for their first day back from the summer.

“My heart fills back up again,” Principal Cassi MacArthur said about the first day. “When you see their little faces and their smiles light up, and you remember that there’s joy when you come here, and you’ve been a part of building, yeah, it means a lot.”

School Buzz on the Road will take you to different districts throughout the next couple of weeks as students and teachers prepare for a return to the classroom.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The recent trend toward increasing school safety for drivers and pedestrians continues as District 49 becomes the first local district to resume classes.

At Vista Ridge High School, the district has its first 20 mph school safety zone at the two main entrances along Black Forest Road and Wolf Ridge Road.

One of the four sets of flashers wasn’t working; a repairman said that a faulty solar panel wasn’t charging the battery, and he expected to have it operating by late morning.

Another change involves a land deal with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) that was finalized on Monday, ending discussions that began a year ago.

CDOT will acquire a small parcel — less than an acre — that goes through a modular building at the Patriot High School for advanced learning, along US 24 in Falcon.

Specifically, CDOT will pay D49 $400,000 for a construction and maintenance easement as part of a 2.5-mile widening of the highway between Garrett and Woodmen Roads.

The easement also will include part of the school’s parking lot.

CDOT has been planning the project since 2016, plans to start next spring, and finish it in the summer of 2029 — around the same time that a CDOT roundabout project is scheduled to begin at the nearby intersection of US 24 and Judge Orr Road.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — First, it was the final stages of the Circle Drive bridge replacement project; then it was the start of building a new railroad crossing under the MLK Bypass to Hancock Expressway.

Now, a project in front of Colorado Springs Utilities’ (CSU) wastewater treatment facility is causing traffic impacts for drivers along Las Vegas Street.

The street is a mostly narrow two-lane corridor between Nevada Avenue and Highway 85/87 that borders the south city limits and the El Paso County boundary.

CSU is in the second month of a $30 million project to make upgrades at the facility, and work will continue into next year.

Construction requires closing the eastbound lane beside the facility, and traffic in both directions must alternate in using the westbound lane; officials have installed temporary traffic signals at each end of the work zone to guide traffic.

The new traffic alignment results in occasional long backups, especially during the day and rush hour periods.

During peak congestion, flaggers are on duty to prevent backups onto the Royer Street train crossing — which is expected to close next month.

Betsy Westerfield didn’t hear about the traffic change on Las Vegas and was about to bike through the work zone until she learned that Union Boulevard doesn’t connect there.

“Today I went this way just because I was trying to figure out a way that didn’t have as many hills because I’m feeling kind of tired this morning,” she explained. “It’s a lot more traffic than I was expecting, for sure. 

CSU is replacing three 50-year-old junction boxes that direct wastewater into the facility.

A utility spokesperson said that upgrading this infrastructure will improve reliability, reduce the risk of emergency repairs, and support long-term system performance.

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