Author: KRDO

Scott Harrison

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — With the possibility of more rain on Thursday, town crews got busy cleaning up mud and other debris left behind from Wednesday afternoon’s storm and flash flooding.

The biggest mess was reddish-brown mud on El Paso Boulevard in front of Memorial Park.

A street sweeper removed large sections of mud, while a single worker scraped up smaller accumulations with a shovel and dumped them into a plastic barrel.

Other debris could be seen at the Manitou Avenue/Pawnee Avenue intersection, the parking lot in front of the police and fire stations, and in front of the coin laundry near City Hall.

The mess was a surprise to an Illinois family spending their vacation in the area.

“We were hiking in Woodland Park yesterday and just missed (the storm),” said Lori Haenitsch. “We noticed the red dirt and wondered where it was from. But it’s still beautiful here. The mud is kind of pretty.”

Some town residents said that they heard the emergency siren and flash flood warning for the first time.

Aimee Theelen said that she covered her garden to protect it from hail before walking downtown to see the storm’s aftermath.

‘I saw a lot of people running from the arcade,” she recalled. “They ran because it was really cold and they were soaked.”

Several witnesses reported that the audio flash flood warning, issued from the town’s public address system, was too loud and made it difficult for people to understand the message clearly.

Stella Kutschara, a neighbor, agrees.

“If you stayed inside, it was definitely garbled,” she said. “But if you went outside, you kinda had to pause, and you could hear it over all the noise. It was intense!”

An RV park that was evacuated during the storm appeared to be back to normal operations Thursday, with no sign of flood damage.

Some neighbors said that it was the worst flooding they’d seen in the town since the heavy rainstorms that followed the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire.

Since then, vegetation on the fire’s burn scar has regrown and soaks up more rainfall.

Local officials also invested millions of dollars in flood mitigation to slow the flow of runoff during storms.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) installed a dozen closure gates along US 24 in Ute Pass to make it easier to close certain highway segments during a flash flood, and avoid closing the entire highway for hours at a time — as was the case immediately after the fire.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A recent study by the Common Sense Institute (CSI) shows a decrease in population growth statewide in the last decade, but a local economist said El Paso County is in a better spot than other parts of the state.

Common Sense Institute

While CSI said that COVID-19 played a factor in the statewide population slowdown, it noted that the data suggest deeper structural problems caused growth to shrink before the pandemic. CSI said housing affordability, shifting lifestyle preferences, and perceptions of livability are likely playing a factor.

Local economist, Dr. Tatiana Bailey, said that nationwide trends share some of the blame. She said aging populations, decreasing nationwide population growth, and an overall slowdown in innovation are all impacting Colorado.

CSI also pointed to Colorado’s aging population as a worrying sign for overall growth. Tatiana said older populations contribute to less population growth, coupled with lower birth and immigration rates.

Using data from the State Demographic Office, Tatiana says El Paso County is an outlier from this trend. While population growth is down 50% in Colorado Springs from the state-wide boom in 2016, El Paso County’s 2025 projections are right in line with the running 20-year average and have consistently been above the national average every year except 2023.

She also pointed to El Paso County’s workforce breakdown. Its two largest age demographics are in two of the most important groups for economic growth: 30-49 and 0-17. While most of the country is getting older, Colorado Springs is getting younger.

State Demographic Office

Tatiana said this is a promising sign for the economic growth and overall population increase for the region. The Demographic Office also shows El Paso County as one of the biggest projected growers in the future.

State Demographic Office

Bailey said Colorado Springs still faces sustainability challenges. She said the average wage earner in Colorado Springs is below the national average, despite the average cost of living being above the national average. (“wage” is different from “income.” Wages do not include passive income like rental properties or retirement benefits.) She pointed to an increasing number of Colorado Springs workers commuting from Pueblo.

“I can’t afford to live in my city,” said Jodi Boehs, who said she’s homeless for the first time in her 50 years living in Colorado Springs. “I don’t feel like some of us belong out here.”

Both the CSI study and State Demographic data show bleaker growth potentials for the Denver metro, which has seen a steeper decline in population growth.

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Crews are covering a wide area for six paving or resurfacing projects, between Interstate 25 and the Lincoln and Pueblo county lines.

Recently repaved was three miles of Old Pueblo Road, south of Fountain, between Jordan Road and the turn to Hanover Road.

“It’s been quite a few years,” said Carson Van Cura, who lives in the area. “I’ve been in Fountain for 30 years, and where I live now, I’ve been there for around 15. It’s been quite a while since they’ve paved it. I will say this — they keep up on it. They patch it here and there. And the weather, the biggest thing is the rains.”

The county is designing guardrails to install along the west side of the road, along a low-lying area that drops off toward Fountain Creek.

15 miles east in the Hanover area, crews have finished applying a double chip-seal treatment on two miles of Myers Road between Peyton Highway and Finch Road; KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior has reported several times since February on extensive road damage there caused by old pavement and weather extremes.

That damage covers 11 miles of Myers Road, east to Boone Road, where the paved portion of Myers ends; crews repaved a mile of Myers west of Lauppe Road and have filled dozens of pothole-like depressions along the road.

Also repaved were four miles of Boone Road, north of the Myers Road intersection, near the El Paso/Lincoln county line, around 40 miles east of Colorado Springs.

Some of Boone, north of the paved area, still has significant damage that likely won’t be addressed until next summer.

“We’re paving all over the place,” said Dan Gerhard, a county public works engineer. “We’ll continue to assess things and see where the greatest needs are.”

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A Former track star with The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs is the top woman pole vaulter in the world for athletes under 20 years old.

19-year-old South Dakota University pole vaulter Anna Willis currently holds the top spot on the global leaderboard with a jump of 14 feet, 10 inches. She placed 4th at the NCAA championships as a Freshman and first at the U.S. Track and Field U20 championships. She did all of that on a hurt knee and torn labrum.

She’s the fourth Willis sister to compete in pole vault at The Classical Academy. All four are state champions and current or former collegiate athletes.

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Bradley Davis

BRANDON, Miss. (KRDO) – Preston Ashley is a top 100 recruit on ESPN for the 2026 class.

He’s from a town called Brandon, Mississippi, just outside of Jackson. He watched his idol, NFL legend Deion Sanders, on the Jackson State sidelines. He plays cornerback and wide receiver.

He also happens to know KRDO13’s Bradley Davis from his time covering sports in Mississippi.

KRDO13’s Bradley Davis interviewing Ashley in Mississippi before Ashley’s sophomore season.

He took some time on Tuesday to catch up and talk about committing to play for Coach Prime in Colorado. Make sure to take a look at the final question.

“Y’all overlapped in Jackson. Did you talk about that at all?” Davis asked.

“The only thing that we talk about in Jackson was how good the food is down here. Yes, sir. But we really just talked a lot about Colorado. Ashley said. “But he made sure to implement some things from Jackson in Colorado for sure.”

“Me and my dad, we used to go to the games when Coach Prime was coaching in Jackson. I’ve always been such a big Coach Prime fan. I always wore the little bandanna that he wore.”

“I’m Preston Ashley. AKA, Deion Sanders,” Ashley said in a video from grade school while wearing a bandana like Sanders used to.

“Growing up, I wore 21. Then, I wore 2 because that’s the number he wore in college. Getting to play for my childhood hero is a tremendous blessing.”

“Obviously, you don’t have to talk me into how cool Colorado is, but how was that pitch to get you to come to somewhere like Boulder?” Davis asked.

Being from the South in Mississippi, you don’t think of Colorado being this crazy beautiful place. We were driving in Boulder when I was going on my official visit. I’ve never seen mountains in my life. I’ve always been around big cities and stuff like that. Then I was like, ‘What is that white stuff on the mountain?’ One of my coaches, who was driving us, was like, ‘Preston, that’s snow.’ It blew me and my family away. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

“The pitch to Colorado was, ‘If you want to go to the NFL, if you call yourself a dog, if you call yourself the best, why not come to Colorado?’ and, all those things, I truly know about myself.”

“People in Colorado. Buffs fans. What do they need to know about Preston Ashley?” Davis asked.

 “You’re getting the next closest thing to Coach Prime, I promise.”

Ashley opens his final high school season with a state title rematch Aug. 29 against the Tupelo Golden Wave. He said he hopes to score a touchdown on offense and defense.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Do you have a simply spectacular photo of some of the charming views of Colorado Springs? The city’s Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (PRCS) department wants to hear from you!

The City of Colorado Springs is hosting its annual calendar photo contest. Residents are encouraged to submit photos of some of the best views of Colorado Springs parks, trails, and open spaces.

PRCS says that photos can be taken by professionals or amateurs. So, whether you capture moments on an iPhone or a DSLR, the contest is open to everyone.

“PRCS invites the public to submit their images for the 13th edition of the Discover COS Calendar. This annual tradition celebrates and showcases the natural beauty of Colorado Springs parks, trails and open spaces,” read a release.

According to officials, this year’s theme is “Rooted in the Outdoors.” Residents are encouraged to submit photos that show off landscapes that “provide an escape from the hustle and bustle of life, opportunities for wildlife observation, and access to some of the city’s most scenic and ecologically significant areas.”

Submissions are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. You can send your photos to calendar@coloradosprings.gov, or drop them off/mail them to 1401 Recreation Way. Officials say the winning photos will be announced at a ceremony in October. The calendars will later be available for a donation made to support the reforestation of the former Snyder Quarry in Black Canyon Open Space.

More information on the contest can be found by clicking here.

Not sure what parks, trails, and open spaces are considered City of Colorado Springs property? Click here for information on all the locations.

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Celeste Springer

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Cañon City Police Department says they’ve arrested a man who set two different fires during an apparent arson spree around town.

According to police, they were called to the Cañon City Museum just after midnight for a brush fire. Police say they arrived before the fire department, and were able to hold it off with a fire extinguisher until firefighters arrived.

Police say the suspect was caught on surveillance video setting fire to brush along a fence. They say they identified him as 34-year-old Charles Fenstermacher because they had gotten an earlier call about him.

While at the scene of the museum, police say they got another call about a different fire at the Happy Endings Caboose Café.

Once again, officers arrived and used another fire extinguisher to keep the fire from spreading.

The police department says a patrol sergeant passed along the suspect’s description to a local department of corrections search team that happened to have been conducting training in the area.

“[The patrol sergeant] was able to leverage the DOC team as a force multiplier,” read a release by the department.

At 2:35 a.m., the search team spotted him, and the police department says he was taken into custody by their officers.

Fenstermacher was charged with one felony and one petty offense, which are detailed below:

2nd Degree Arson $2,000-$5,000(CRS 18-4-103(1)(2)(d)) — Class  6 Felony

2nd Degree Arson under $300(CRS 18-4-103(1)(2)(a) — Petty Offense

He is being held on a no-bond hold, pending court advisements, the police said.

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Celeste Springer

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Fire Department says 12 crew members have been dispatched to assist in two different crises.

Four CSFD crew members have been sent to Mesa County, Colorado, where the Turner Gulch Fire continues to burn south of Highway 141.

As of 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, the fire stood at more than 8,000 acres, according to a joint Facebook page set up by local emergency response agencies.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department says its team is assigned to protect one side of the fire encroaching on structures.

A photo shared by the Colorado Springs Fire Department shows their team stationed on one side of the Turner Gulch Fire, which sits close to a nearby home (Photo: Engine Boss/Task Force Leader Lt. Trevor Leland).

“We want to remind our community that these deployments DO NOT impact our normal emergency services in Colorado Springs,” wrote the department on Facebook. “We are grateful we have the ability to respond to help. Every deployment strengthens our firefighters’ skills, broadens their perspectives, and ultimately helps us serve our own community even better.”

CSFD says they also have eight members deployed to Kerr County, Texas. They are on the ground with Colorado Task Force 1 (CO-TF1), assisting with search and rescue operations after devastating floods hit the state.

The Pueblo Fire Department also confirms they have a crew member assisting in Texas.

CO-TF1 said the team completed a primary search of both sides of an eight-mile-long stretch of the Guadalupe River on Monday.

A crew member on their knees bends down to look underneath a pile of broken tree limbs in Kerr County, Texas (Photo: Colorado Urban Search and Rescue Task Force One).

“This is extremely detailed work, as there are thousands of piles of debris littered all along the river,” wrote a spokesperson for CO-TF1.

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Celeste Springer

WESTERN COLORADO (KRDO) — Nearly 100 cats were found in “deplorable conditions” before their rescue, according to Humane Colorado.

The agency says they worked with several other organizations, including two local to Southern Colorado: the National Mill Dog Rescue and the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter.

Humane Colorado says they arrived in an area of Western Colorado in blistering hot temperatures.

“These animals were confined to filthy, chicken-coop-style cages, with black widow spiders crawling across their makeshift enclosures,” said a spokesperson for Humane Colorado. “This wasn’t mere neglect—it was a disturbing scene marked by fear, filth, and prolonged suffering.”

Photo: Humane Colorado

Humane Colorado says the cats were taken to their Leslie A. Malone Center in Denver. They say the cats require urgent medical and behavioral support.

The organization says many of the cats have severe eye infections, ringworm, and upper respiratory infections.

Photo: Humane Colorado

“These cats were found in unimaginable conditions many terrified, in poor health, unsocialized, or caring for their kittens in dangerous heat. Now they’re safe, but the costs are overwhelming, and the journey to recovery will be long. We can only do work like this with the public’s help,” said Mary Sarah Fairweather, Vice President of Sheltering at Humane Colorado.

Humane Colorado says that more than 100 dogs were also rescued from the location and taken in by the National Mill Dog Rescue.

The rescue recently posted photos of 165 matted schnauzers in dire physical conditions.

If you’d like to contribute, click here.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Just three months after finishing an eight-month project to relocate a natural gas line, Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) has started more utility work along the same stretch of Austin Bluffs Parkway.

A project began last week to relocate existing utility lines under the street, marking the first phase of a larger project to construct the Central Bluffs power substation at the intersection of Austin Bluffs and Goldenrod Drive.

The latest utility line relocation will affect around a mile of the busy parkway, between Meadowland Boulevard and Union Boulevard, and is scheduled for completion in mid-November.

Alex Trefry, a CSU spokesman, said that traffic impacts from the project will be similar to those from the previous project, which often slowed traffic along a hilly, twisting segment of the parkway.

“One major difference is that during July, there are traffic impacts on both sides of Austin Bluffs Parkway,” he explained. “Both westbound and eastbound, which wasn’t the case with the other one.”

The previous project covered only the westbound right lane between Goldenrod and Union and was delayed four months by the discovery of an underground fiber optic cable.

“Water, wastewater, fiber, gas infrastructure, and the electric infrastructure are what’s being relocated underground,” Trefry said. “Some of the overhead power lines will be placed underground, as well.”

It’s unclear whether this project will include an aspect of the earlier project — a line of metal barriers that closed the right lane to traffic during construction.

“We have a contractor doing this, so it’s their traffic control,” Trefry said. “Before the gas line relocation, we did that in-house. That was our traffic control, which was why I was able to sort of talk more in-depth about it. I’m not 100% sure on whether the contractor is putting up Jersey barriers or not.”

He added that the project is very unique.

“It’s unique to build an electric substation in an already developed area like this. That comes with some challenges, like the underground utilities that we need to move, for that substation to be built.”

Most of the work will occur on weekdays; drivers should be prepared for occasional lane closures, added congestion, and slower speeds through the construction zone.

CSU is spending $6 million to relocate the utility lines, and up to $45 million on the substation; the latter won’t be finished until late next year.

The substation will replace the generating capacity of three older substations.

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