Author: KRDO

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The latest phase of a $15 million improvements project on the east end of Dublin Boulevard is finished, after a half-mile segment that was closed all summer reopened a week ago.

City officials announced Friday that crews have finished work requiring a full closure of Dublin between Fieler Drive to the west and Issaquah Drive to the east.

The closure included the key intersection of Dublin at Peterson Road, near a fire station and a school.

Officials had hoped to complete the phase before classes resumed, but were delayed by persistent groundwater issues that caused underground springs to develop on Dublin.

Crews significantly improved drainage, diverting groundwater flow into nearby Sand Creek.

Workers also widened Dublin to four lanes between Fieler and just east of Mustang Rim Drive; improved the Dublin/Peterson intersection; and relocated water lines.

The project’s overall goal is to widen Dublin to Fieler and match the width west of that intersection, and widen Dublin east to Marksheffel Road and match the ongoing widening project there.

Sidewalk installation continues in the reopened area, so pedestrians should be alert to occasional closures and detours.

Drivers should expect continued construction on Dublin between Mustang Rim and Marksheffel, as well as a several-week closure of Issaquah north of Dublin, as crews conduct road and trench improvements there.

Officials said that the Dublin closure shortened the length of the overall project by four months and is now scheduled for completion this spring.

The reopening is a relief to drivers, neighbors, and business owners who endured the closing.

“It’s just something we need out here,” said Cammi Fish, manager of Urbane Collective. “We need a little more street space, so we’ll roll with it.”

Gayle Sturdivant, the city’s deputy director of public works, also remarked on the situation.

“We’re trying to be supportive of our businesses in the area because we do know they feel some strain when we have construction going on near them,” she said.

The improvements are funded by sales tax revenue from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority.

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Rob Namnoum

Pueblo East High School was our week three winner of the Qdoba Friday Night Blitz Spirit Award. This the Eagles cheer and dance squads received the Qdoba Friday Night Blitz Spirit Award plaque.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Two fatal crashes within a week in August that involved motorcycles were factors in officials temporarily prohibiting left turns and U-turns at a north side intersection.

On Wednesday, a city crew installed delineators along the turn lanes to keep traffic out where Union Boulevard meets Garmish Road.

The delineators are vertical plastic markers several feet high, designed to control traffic or pedestrian movements without the need for more expensive concrete structures; they’re bolted to the pavement for stability.

Delineators were controversial last year on Cheyenne Boulevard when they were installed in two areas.

After a former El Paso County commissioner complained that the delineators were an eyesore and confusing to drivers, and that neighbors weren’t consulted about the installation, the city removed some — but not all — of the delineators.

Earlier this year, the city replaced the remaining delineators with concrete structures.

Eric Sieger, a city spokesman, said that the Union/Garmish delineators will work differently.

“Those on Cheyenne created temporary pedestrian islands,” he explained. “They’re sturdier. They block access to vehicles.”

Sieger said that the intersection’s crash history prompted the need for a safety study.

“It’s a difficult intersection because you have fast downhill traffic southbound on Union and traffic flying up a blind hill northbound,” he said. “Drivers either couldn’t see vehicles turning in time or were going too fast to avoid them.”

The delineator installation was in stark contrast to three memorials to crash victims at the intersection.

Neighbors said that they’d sought safety improvements there for years.

“I’m positive we’ll save some lives now,” said neighbor George Zeigler. “The name of the game is safety and saving lives. That’s more important than whether I like it or not, or whether I want to take the long way around.”

Another neighbor, Lindsay Moore, said that she once spoke with a family member who was creating one of the memorials at the intersection.

“I’ve had some close calls myself, turning left,” she recalled. “The delineators will change how I drive to and from work, but I’m willing to do it.”

Sieger said that the delineators will remain in place for up to a year, allowing traffic engineers to study how well they work and how drivers react to them.

Ultimately, the delineators could become permanent fixtures or be replaced by extending the concrete median to further eliminate left turns.

As an alternate route to Garmish for southbound Union traffic, drivers can turn left at Vickers Drive, travel two blocks, and turn left onto Del Rey Drive.

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KRDO News

Pueblo, Colo (KRDO) – The two teens who escaped from a detention facility in Colorado Springs on Sept. 22 have been arrested.

Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office

PREVIOUS REPORTING: Search underway after two teens considered ‘dangerous’ escape from youth detention center

Early this morning, deputies with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, along with U.S. Marshals, followed a tip to an apartment on the 1000th Block of W. 13th Street. There, they found the two 17-year-olds, Dameron Carbajal and Cristian Jaramillo.

Deputies say several other individuals were in the home, and many attempted to flee through a window when officers arrived.

During the sweep of the apartment, detectives say they found the following:

Three Glock handguns with extended magazines – one modified to be fully automatic

AR-style rifle with a high-capacity magazine

Additional firearms

An open safe containing suspected narcotics

A large amount of cash

Digital scales

Other items consistent with drug distribution

Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office

Law enforcement reports that 22-year-old Dylan Vanluven was arrested on scene for an unrelated warrant out of El Paso County, along with Guadalupe Valdez, 38, on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear and possession of a controlled substance.

Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office

Courtesy: Pueblo Police Department

Carbajal was serving a 5-year prison sentence for attempted murder at the time of the escape, and Jaramillo was serving four years for kidnapping, according to law enforcement.

They are both now booked into the Pueblo County jail. 

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Bradley Davis

Cañon City, Colorado – A leaf peaking expert from Cañon City said this weekend is the prime time to see the changing colors in Southern Colorado, while the leaves up north along I-70 start to fall.

“Southern Colorado, it’s just a hidden gem down here,” said Colorado Jeep Tours owner Will Colon.

An overloaded I-70 has become an annual fall tradition as thousands pack onto the narrow mountain highway to get a look at the changing aspens. It came to a head a couple of weekends ago when the town of Georgetown was so gridlocked that it closed its roads and started turning travelers away, according to our Denver news partners.

Colon said the southern Colorado roads are much less trafficked. He said there are two things to consider when searching for changing leaves: How high you are, and how far North/South you are. The lower in elevation and further South you go, the later “peak season” tends to hit.

Colon said driving to Cripple Creek from Highway 24 in Colorado Springs, or the less-traveled county roads from Cañon City, are two strong Southern Colorado leaf peeping routes. Hit 24 earlier, then go from Cañon City later in the season. He has his own secret spots he takes people on for his tours, but he said he expects the Bishop Castle area in Rye to have a really strong scene this weekend.

“You never get tired of it. It’s always a wonderful experience,” Colon said.

Colon said he expects this weekend to be the last peak weekend for leaf peeping in the Cañon City area. He said if you miss it and are desperate to get one last look at fall foliage, your best bet is to keep heading south.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — CSEA, the teachers’ union representing some teachers in District 11 (D11), held a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s strike. You can watch below:

Unionized teachers plan to walk to Acacia Park in protest after the school board decided back in December to let their master agreement expire.

Some parents decided to keep students at home on Wednesday, though the district has assured families that they are supplied with substitutes who will be stepping in. The district estimates that about one-third of D11 teachers are unionized, which means that some students may have their assigned teacher for regular instruction. D11 told KRDO13 in a previous report that they expect instruction to carry on like any other day.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — KRDO 13 will have a crew outside Palmer High School for the beginning of today’s planned teachers strike in School District 11 (D-11)

Around 600 teachers, a third of D-11’s total teaching staff, are expected to walk the picket lines at several schools starting at 7 a.m.

The Colorado Education Association — the teachers’ union — said in a release on Tuesday that union members from across Colorado will join the D-11 striking teachers as a show of support.

Striking teachers have also scheduled a rally at 2:30 p.m. in Acacia Park, across the street from Palmer.

Schools will remain open, with classes led by substitute teachers and staff.

D-11’s superintendent said that it will be a normal day for students.

The striking teachers are demanding higher pay and smaller class sizes — something the district said it has already provided.

D-11 administrators strongly oppose the strike.

What seems to be an obvious question is whether striking for just a single day will make a significant difference in resolving issues between teachers and administrators.

KRDO 13 will ask teachers that question during a news conference scheduled for 7 a.m. Wednesday.

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Mackenzie Stafford

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The son of Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell has been charged with a DUI, according to records. Chase Mikesell, who is also a Teller County jail deputy, was arrested by Colorado State Patrol (CSP) after he allegedly rear-ended a car in Divide on August 3rd, CSP says.

Following his arrest, he was taken to Manitou Springs for a breathalyzer test, where court records show he blew almost twice the legal limit: 0.149 for his BAC test.

In addition to the DUI charge, troopers also allegedly found a gun inside Chase Mikesell’s glove box.

13 Investigates has learned that he also faces a charge for possession of that weapon.

According to the sheriff’s office, he has not been placed on administrative leave. The sheriff’s office says he will continue to work unless he is convicted of a crime.

We are aware the charges alleged against Deputy Mikesell and it is in the initial stage of the court process. We have not received the documents supporting the allegations and he is entitled to due process the same as anyone else. We are tracking this administratively and will respond no differently than we would for any other employee.

– Commander Kevin Tedesco, Teller County Sheriff’s Office

A spokesperson with the sheriff’s office also told 13 Investigates that they “will not be sending an employee photo [of Chase Mikesell].”

The Teller County personnel manual has a policy for hiring relatives. It says that no close family relationship can exist between county employees if one relative would supervise or discipline another. An excerpt from the manual is included below:

E. EMPLOYMENT OF RELATIVES (ANTI-NEPOTISM POLICY):

A relative will not automatically be excluded from Teller County employment. However, no close family relationship can exist between County employees if:

One relative would have the authority to supervise, appoint, remove, discipline or evaluate the performance of another; or

One relative would be responsible for reviewing or auditing the work of another; or

Circumstances exist which would place the employees in a situation of an actual or reasonably foreseeable conflict between the county’s interest and their own, or the perception of a conflict of interest.

The exclusion from employment should be limited to the job, work area, shop or unit where the reason for exclusion exists. This policy does not bar the person from the whole work force, unless the reason for exclusion applies to the whole work force.

If such a relationship occurs or will occur, the employees will be asked to determine which employee shall keep or accept his/her position. If a mutually agreeable solution cannot be reached between the County and the employees the County may require one employee to resign 60 days after the employees become in violation of this policy.

For the purposes of the nepotism policy, a relative shall include any immediate family member by blood or marriage (i.e., spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild and any in-law). A close relationship shall include: guardian, co-resident, and legal dependent.

Involved employees who fail to disclose knowledge of any situation or potential situation in conflict with this policy are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

However, the sheriff’s office has its own policies outside of the county’s. A spokesperson for the office told us they do not have a policy regarding the hiring of relatives. They say, as far as hiring practices go, Teller County Sheriff’s Office employees work for an elected official. The elected official is Sheriff Jason Mikesell, Chase Mikesell’s father.

Chase Mikesell is expected to be in court next week for his arraignment, where he is likely to enter a plea. The sheriff’s office says that if he is found guilty, then administrative action will be taken.

13 Investigates reached out to Chase Mikesell for comment. He declined.

We also reached out to Sheriff Mikesell, who is running for governor. He did not return our call as of the publication of this article.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Volunteers came together for a service project to benefit the Salvation Army’s Family Hope Center, according to a release by the Salvation Army.

Officials say volunteers reorganized, cleaned, and painted parts of the space, which is located off Sierra Madre Street.

Courtesy: Sondra N. Rymer, Salvation Army Development & Public Relations Manager

According to the Salvation Army, the Family Hope Center provides housing to 31 different families each night. More than housing, the center says it provides meals, job training, and emotional support to families so they can eventually get a place on their own.

Volunteers were mobilized to beautify the center in a community initiative dubbed “COSILOVEYOU.” According to their website, COSILOVEYOU unites churches, ministries, and city leaders together.

“We are globally connected but also wanting to be locally relevant by serving and engaging in practical ways that make a tangible difference,” said Dean Carlson, President of One Challenge, in a press release. “As an organization, we felt we could be part of something bigger in Colorado Springs by supporting the Salvation Army Family Hope Center.”

Volunteers also came from Colorado Springs Utilities, according to the Salvation Army.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) has started a second project on Austin Bluffs Parkway, west of Academy Boulevard, that will result in reducing traffic to one lane in both directions.

The latest project covers around a half-mile eastbound, from American Drive to just west of Academy; the two closed lanes reopen as they approach the Academy intersection.

Crews are realigning water lines as part of the ongoing project to relocate utility lines to build the Central Bluffs electric substation slightly west, and it currently has two lanes closed between Meadowland Boulevard and Brenner Place.

CSU began shifting lanes and placing barriers for the new project on Monday morning and started excavating work in the afternoon.

In a separate project within the work zone, crews will also replace a water valve and a fire hydrant, requiring four businesses to lose water service until the scheduled completion of both projects on Friday.

CSU is supplying or offering water to the affected businesses.

“There are approximately 3 to 4 businesses that will be without water service,” said CSU spokesperson Jennifer Jordan. “But we have offered alternative sources of water for these businesses. They will be open. We encourage people to still visit them, although there may be slightly different access to get to their parking lots.”

Complicating the parking lot access was paving work happening there; however, it appeared to have been completed by Monday evening.

The manager of a Fazoli’s restaurant said that the paving and lane closures made for slow business on Monday.

The utility stated that crews will work 24 hours a day until the project is completed.

The westbound lane closures along the substation project will continue through November, and the substation should be operating by the end of next year.

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