Author: KRDO

Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Forgetting to bring your life jacket, or not being able to afford one, is no longer an excuse not to wear one at Lake Pueblo State Park.

For this Memorial Day Weekend are two new life jacket loaner stations located along Sailboard Rd and S Fishing Rd, respectively.

“We try to provide those with life jacket stations so that there’s, you know, fewer barriers to folks having those life jackets that they need,” CPW Spokesperson Joey Livingston told KRDO13.

The Drennen’s Dreams foundation built the wooden stations housing dozens of life jackets, and they’re already getting used.

The two new stations came in just in time for the busy season.

“It’s one of the busiest times of the year, out on our waters, in Colorado,” Livingston said. Every Memorial Day Weekend, people eager to welcome the summer season flock to Lake Pueblo.

Lake Pueblo State Park has over 4,600 surface acres of water, a body of water that size carries significant risk, especially when the water is still colder than outside temperatures.

“The past three years, we’ve had someone die over Memorial Day weekend,” Livingston said.

Livingston says they hope adding safety measures, like making quality life jackets available for free, will help curb that trend.

According to the US Coast Guard, 75 to 85% of people who die in water were not wearing a life jacket. And, the people who were wearing a life jacket have a significantly greater chance of surviving if they go into the water, ” Livingston said, “Life jackets save lives.”

All you need to do to use these loaner life jackets is stop by one of the loaner stations, pick up a life jacket then make sure you wear it properly while out on the water. Once your done, just return it to the station for other lake enthusiasts to use.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Red Leg Brewing Company hosts its 7th annual Angel Run raising money for children of fallen veterans and first responders through the “Angels of America’s Fallen” organization.

Angels of America’s Fallen said Red Leg Brewing cut them a check of almost $50,000 last year. Red Leg Brewing owner Todd Baldwin said they are on track to match or surpass the donation this year.

The 10K starts at 8 a.m. followed by the 5K at 8:30 a.m. Runners can still register in person before the race. Race day registrants will get a t-shirt and medal on a first come, first serve basis until they are out.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — During the past few weeks, drivers on Highway 115, on the south end of the city, have noticed something they’ve wanted for years.

New asphalt pavement from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

It’s the latest step in a project KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior first reported a year ago — the repaving of six miles of Highway 115 and South Nevada Avenue, between Brookside Street and Fort Carson’s main gate.

That’s why you may have noticed paving equipment parked during the day near the interchange of Highway 115 and Lake Avenue; the paving occurs during overnight hours.

Paving began after crews finished concrete work on some medians, sidewalks and ramps, and when overnight temperatures became consistently warm enough.

Patti Henschen, a CDOT engineer overseeing the project, said that crews will first focus on resurfacing smaller areas before widespread paving starts.

“Progress is going pretty fast,” she explained. “We are patching at the moment. We’re patching some of the severe potholes that you’ve seen around there. We’re doing a four-inch infill for those areas, and then we’re going to come back and do a two-inch mill overlay to have one complete road.”

Essentially, that means crews will temporarily pave over those pothole-infested areas, then mill — or grind off — the old pavement as part of the overall paving project.

Henschen said that crews will also repave around 300 feet into the Fort Carson entrance, stopping at the roundabout outside the security checkpoint.

Crews are paving at night to reduce traffic impacts, but Henschen said that has created safety concerns — not for crews, but for drivers.

“Some of the issues that we get along that corridor are because it’s so heavily traveled,” she said. “We have people that are not paying attention and are getting into accidents. So people could just pay attention to the road and look at the traffic pattern. Shifts could change overnight. So, that’s one of the things that we’re asking the public to be aware of.”

The project includes replacing damaged guardrails and upgrading pedestrian traffic signals.

CDOT expects to finish the $10.4 million project sometime this fall.

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Karla Sosa

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)- Six people were injured after a shooting off Potter Drive and Palmer Park Blvd. near Mitchell High School. One of them remains in critical condition tonight.

Colorado Springs Police told us the crime scene spanned hundreds of yards, and there were lots of shell casings on the ground.

“At this point in our investigation, again, all I know is it appears like several people were arguing and, I mean, I would just say based on the number of shell casings, there was more than one person who was armed,” CSPD Public Relations Manager Ira Cronin said.

Meleena Popee told KRDO13 she was on the phone with her mom when all of a sudden they heard shots. Popee still couldn’t believe what she witnessed last night when she rushed to check on her mom and sister.

“When I got here, it was pretty hectic and chaotic,” said Popee. “There were multiple victims. Lots of blood, lots of gunshots.”

According to police, four were taken to the hospital, and two arrived on their own. This incident is still under investigation.

Police haven’t announced any arrests or any suspects. Early Sunday morning, hours after the shooting, a police spokesperson said they were still in the process of making sure everyone involved in the incident had been accounted for.

Police ask that anyone who has any additional information regarding this incident they are asked to call Colorado Springs PD or Pikes Peak Crime Stoppers.

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Michael Logerwell

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – On Saturday, a deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office drove out to Wolfensberger Road after a burglar alarm was triggered, but the deputy didn’t find any would-be burglars.

All pictures from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Facebook page.

Instead, Deputy Brill found a whole lot of hail. He concluded that the icy round precipitation set off the alarm. Pictures taken by the deputy show that the hail is thicker than a human finger, and the property was covered in it.

On Facebook, the sheriff’s office said they were going to press charges against the hail, but it turned out to be a cold case.

All jokes aside, the sheriff’s office wants to remind people that hail on the Front Range is no joke and can cause serious damage and bodily harm.

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Karla Sosa

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)- Uber and Lyft drivers are excited because on Friday, Governor Jared Polis vetoed a bill with bipartisan support that would have required background checks every six months for rideshare drivers for companies like Lyft and Uber. 

Peter Teehan has been an Uber driver for nearly a decade and has been following this bill since it was first introduced, and said he’s relieved it didn’t pass. 

Teehan said he understands the reason behind the bill but feels that there should’ve been some changes. 

“The bill needs to be revisited. I like the structure. Is just a bit too demanding,” said Teehan.

House Bill 1291 would’ve required in-vehicle cameras that drivers or passengers could request to turn on, and would have banned drivers who had been convicted of certain sexual or violent offenses from driving.

Uber previously said that if passed, the bill could force them to leave Colorado. 

That’s when Teehan started to look for a backup plan. 

“Form an LLC. I was going to do a, like a private transport, if you will, and kind of build my own clientele, shuttling people to and from where they need to go,” said Teehan.

Governor Polis explained his reason for his veto: he had concerns of unclear language on audio-video recording rules, and unreasonable timelines to get the systems into cars.

Teehan said he would like to see communication between state leaders and rideshare drivers so that there can be a bill that protects drivers and riders.        

“Come together with some sort of town hall where we could collaborate and try and get something going that does protect the driver, does protect the passenger, and provide an experience overall for everyone,” said Teehan.

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Michael Logerwell

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A fire has sparked at the Turkey Tracks shooting area in Teller County. Officials haven’t named a cause but say the area is popular and experiencing heavy use.

Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Fire Information reports that firefighters are making progress on containing the small 3-acre fire called the Turkey Tracks 67 Fire. The agency says the light precipitation falling in the area is helping keep fire activity and progression to a minimum.

When crews first arrived on the scene, they categorized the character of the fire as smoldering and creeping on the slope side of the area.

The dispatch reports that no structures are threatened by the fire and no evacuations are in place at this time.

UPDATE: As of 5:15 p.m., the fire is 100% contained.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado Springs leaders are calling for further investigation into Mayor Yemi Mobolade following the trial of two defendants accused of staging a hate crime to swing the election in his favor.

“Citizens deserve to know.” That’s what Colorado Springs City Councilor Dave Donelson told KRDO13 Investigates during a phone call on Friday morning.

Derrick Bernard and his partner, Ashley Blackcloud, were on trial this week. The duo was accused of staging a cross burning with a “n-word,” though they have come forward to say that they did it to garner votes for then-candidate Yemi Mobolade, who is Black.

Both were found guilty on Friday. A third suspect, Deanna West, had already pleaded guilty to her part in the crime in December.

After Bernard and Blackcloud were indicted, it came to light that Mobolade communicated with Bernard before the hoax.

One Facebook message from Bernard to Mayor Mobolade read: “I know it’s crunch time sir but look . . . I spoke with some of my friends in other places and theirs [sic] a plot amidst . . . I’m mobilizing my squadron in defense and for the final push. Black ops style big brother. The klan cannot be allowed to run this city again.”

However, the indictment did not include a “smoking gun” that supported the idea that Mayor Mobolade knew about or had involvement in the hoax. The mayor has also consistently denied any involvement.

During his testimony at Bernard and Blackcloud’s trial, FBI investigator Special Agent Ethan Doherty said that Mobolade initially avoided discussing certain text messages shared between him and Bernard, and also stated with “120%” certainty that he never spoke with Bernard outside of the means of messaging.

The FBI said that they knew this to not be true based on phone records.

On Thursday, Bernard took the stand, alleging that Mayor Mobolade, as well as Colorado State Representative Regina English, not only knew that the video was a hoax, but that they were a part of the initial planning process as well.

The claims led District 1 Councilmember Dave Donelson to call for an investigation into the mayor’s actions. The councilmember issued a statement to KRDO13 on Friday that read:

“During the “Hate Crime Hoax” trial serious accusations have been made regarding Mayor Mobolade’s knowledge of, and involvement in, the hoax.  Also, concerning actions by the mayor have been revealed during FBI testimony.  I call for an investigation into these accusations and actions.  Both the citizens of Colorado Springs, and the mayor himself deserve an investigation to resolve any suspicion of his involvement in this hoax.”

On Friday, Mobolade’s office issued its own statement in response to Bernard and Blackcloud’s guilty verdicts, which reads in full:

“My wife and I are grateful that justice has been served with today’s guilty verdict for Ashley Blackcloud and Derrick Bernard. This moment brings a sense of closure and relief, not only for our family, but for the Colorado Springs community as a whole. We deeply appreciate the work of the judicial system, federal prosecutors, law enforcement, and everyone who worked diligently to bring this case to justice.

“Moments like this remind us that hate has no home in our city. As we move forward, we do so with gratitude, healing, and a commitment to the values that make Colorado Springs a safe, just, and united community.”

Notably, his statement did not reference the claims made by Bernard on the stand, or include a reaction to Councilmember Donelson’s call for a further investigation into his actions following the cross-burning video and subsequent FBI interviews.

KRDO13 approached Mayor Mobolade at an event on Friday afternoon in hopes to get his response to claims made during the testimony, but his team redirected us back to the statement.

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Celeste Springer

ESTES PARK, Colo. (KRDO) — Rocky Mountain National Park’s most popular scenic “highway to the sky” will be closed through Memorial Day weekend, according to park officials.

Park service staff say Trail Ridge Road is expected to remain closed due to snowplow operations that have faced setbacks.

Source: Rocky Mountain National Park

“Wind has been the main challenge since last week, causing low visibility, snow drifting back over cleared areas, and a thick ice layer beneath drifted snow,” read a post on Rocky Mountain National Park’s social media.

According to the National Parks Service, Trail Ridge Road covers 48 miles of roadway from the park’s east side to Grand Lake on the west.

The elevation of the roadway causes the area to face particular difficulties with the weather. The National Parks Service says drivers can climb over 4,000 feet in mere minutes while traversing the road.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Fire Department is working a grass fire in the area of 1201 South Nevada, according to the department.

Details are very limited at this time, but this article may be updated.

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