Author: KRDO

Michael Logerwell

KERR COUNTY, Texas (KRDO) – An update from the front lines; Colorado Task Force 1 continues to work, searching for victims along the Guadalupe River in Texas.

The search and rescue group says they are sifting through the river in Kerr County, TX, between the towns of Center Point and Comfort. The team reports they’ve already combed through a 7 1/2 mile area, inch by inch.

Pictures shared by CO-TF1

After the team clears an area heavy equipment operators are able to clear debris left behind from the flood.

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Michael Logerwell

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A car traveling north on Peyton Highway rolled over into a nearby field, killing one and sending three others to the hospital, according to Colorado State Patrol.

Colorado State Patrol says all four passengers in the car were 16 years old, and most were not wearing seat belts.

State Patrol tells us the crash happened at the intersection of Pinon Park Road and North Peyton Highway just before 11 a.m.

State Patrol says a Nissan Pathfinder rolled over approximately four times, landing on its right side in a nearby field.

In total, four people were sent to the hospital. The driver, a 16-year-old male from Castle Rock, was not wearing his seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

A passenger in the car was also ejected. State Patrol says a 16-year-old female, also from Castle Rock, was not wearing her seatbelt when she was ejected from the car. She is being treated at a local hospital with minor injuries.

The two other passengers also sustained minor injuries. State Patrol says they are also 16 years old and only one of them, a male from Franktown, was wearing his seatbelt.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office assisted the State Patrol on the crash.

State troopers are still investigating. The cause of the crash has not been identified.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A Colorado Springs business is proving this week that there are things more important than making a profit on every single job.

It all started when the good folks over at Around The Clock Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, and Electric made a service call to a local customer with life-threatening health issues.

Eddie Williams found out he wouldn’t be able to afford the repairs that his 23-year-old air conditioner needed.

“I have congestive heart failure, and I can’t work anymore,” Williams said.

But with temperatures consistently hitting the upper 80s and 90s, something needed to be done.

“After we got through talking and he kind of explained his whole story about his health issues and his medical bills, I decided to give the owner a call and see what we could do for him,” Shane Noblett, service manager at Around the Clock, said.

“And we ended up getting an entire system for free for him.”

They went straight to work finishing the entire installation in mere days, surprising the man’s family with a brand new state-of-the-art system, coming equipped with an electrostatic and UV light filter to help with Williams’ health, would’ve cost $15,000 to $18,000 in normal cases, but this was no normal case.

“Things like this just don’t,” Williams paused, “It’s not common for stuff like this to happen to our family like this.”

“All of them came up and started hugging me, and every time I’ve talked to him since, it’s been tears of joy,” Noblett said.

As if they could do any more, crews from Around the Clock mowed the Williams’ lawn today after they finished installing the new air conditioning system.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Entering his Junior year of high school, Miguel Romero found his passion in the recording booth.

“Him finding his voice was also newsworthy, and I wish we got to tell that story,” said former Anthem Music Enterprises CEO Terryjosiah Sharpe.

Miguel joined a music group with some of his classmates from Community Prep High School through Anthem Music Enterprises’ (Anthem) after-school program called “The Music House.”

“He loved music so much. He always told me, no matter what, he was going to find a way here to the Anthem Studio,” said Miguel’s mom, Erica Romero-Newell.

Miguel dedicated himself, writing and re-writing his first original song until it became the first song completed for the students’ debut album, “The School of Rap.” The album is now distributed by Jay-Z’s record label, Roc Nation. Another song on the album, “Drip,” will be featured on the NBA 2K26 video game soundtrack.

“You’re like a firework. You’re just, tense. And then, you explode,” said Miguel’s classmate Jarea “Y1N” Suggs after the group’s first live performance of the album.

It was a show Miguel would never be able to attend.

“Every time I hear his song, I just think of him,” Suggs said.

Shortly after finding his voice, Miguel Romero lost his life.

“I just remember screaming and crying,” Music House mentor Kristen Sharp said.

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said Miguel was shot outside of a friend’s house on November 29, 2024, the day after Thanksgiving. He was 17 years old. CSPD said it is still working to identify a suspect.

“Unfortunately, all I have are memories to look at,” Erica said.

She also has her son’s music.

Terryjosiah said Miguel’s first songwriting attempt was your typical rap song. He said the mentors at Music House challenged him to push a little deeper.

“When we were talking to him, it was like, ‘aye, what do you want people to know or hear from you? What message do you want to give people after you leave?’ And that’s what he came up with,” Terryjosiah said.

Miguel’s answer was his first-ever professionally produced song. “Survivor’s Guilt.”

“I cry every time I hear survivor’s guilt,” Kristen said.

Miguel’s lyrics dive deep into his inner struggles and insecurities. His classmates and mentors said he was constantly going out of his way to help them with their inner demons.

“I was in a deep and shallow place,” said childhood friend Cadence Clausell. “He helped me express who I am.”

Clausell said Miguel inspired her to join the Music House program. Terryjosiah said he was always a light when he walked in the door.

“I was in my own emotions and my own feels, and just kind of down on the day,” Terryjosiah said. “He was like, ‘Hey, Mr. Professor, what’s wrong?'”

“I’m like, ‘I’m good, man.'”

He says, ‘It doesn’t feel like you are, but I want you to be, so I hope you become that.’ And that literally lifted my spirits!”

“That authentically lets you know the type of person that he was. He cared about people from the bottom of his heart. Not just to show face. Not just to fit in, but to actually listen to people,” Erica said.

Miguel didn’t just leave his family and friends with “Survivor’s Guilt.” He left a blueprint for how to overcome it.

“We have to make sure that our voices right now are the voices that we really want to share, because he did that,” Terryjosiah said.

“I can’t be sad about it because he wouldn’t want that,” Y1N said. “He’s probably up there right now, screaming from the heavens above, ‘School of Rap: Volume Three.’ He’s probably doing it. In fact, not even probably. I know he is. It’s a fact.”

Miguel’s voice and his message will live on forever through the School of Rap.

His legacy is the voice he gave to others.

“I don’t think I would be here without him, honestly,” Clausell said.

Anthem has partnered with Erica to set up the “Miguel Romero Legacy Fund.” Anthen said it will use the money to keep The Music House afterschool program free for students in Colorado Springs.

The “School of Rap” album is available on most mainstream streaming services, like Apple Music and Spotify. The lyrics on some of the songs, like “Drip,” are explicit.

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Celeste Springer

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A lawsuit against the former El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elders and El Paso County Commissioners over the Club Q has been dismissed, according to court records.

Earlier this month, the club owners were also released from the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs argued that El Paso County officials failed to use Colorado’s Red Flag Law to stop the shooter, who ultimately killed five people, from getting weapons before the attack.

In part, the judge found that the plaintiffs failed to prove that El Paso County officials created or enhanced a risk of harm.

While the lawsuit was dismissed due to several different legal precedents, the judge’s order did have strong words for El Paso County officials, as read below:

“All this being said, Plaintiffs’ allegations in their SAC are profoundly and deeplytroubling. As alleged, Government Defendants knew in no-uncertain-terms that Aldrichhad proclaimed that “they planned to be the next mass killer and had been stockpilingammunition, firearms, and bullet-proof body armor.” (ECF No. 29 ¶ 98.) YetGovernment Defendants defiantly did nothing, contemptuously ignoring the will of thepeople, and refused to avail themselves of the critical tool the legislature had justequipped them with—the tool that might have prevented the monstrous and bloody actwhich cost the lives of and seriously wounded so many innocent Coloradans—to takeAldrich’s firearms from them. To be sure, these allegations amount to much more thanmere negligence—they represent a conscious and intentional disregard of a known andunjustifiable risk, something which in the Court’s view amounts to an abdication of localofficials’ moral responsibility to protect the public.”

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) has released the identities of two people who died in a motorcycle accident on Austin Bluffs Parkway in late June.

CSPD says 35-year-old Christopher Dumas, the driver of the motorcycle, and 42-year-old Abra Munoz, the passenger on the motorcycle, both died after the crash.

Police say another vehicle was driving north near the 4600 block of Austin Bluffs Parkway when it tried to make a left turn, where the department says a left turn was not allowed. The department says that the car hit the motorcycle while making the turn.

CSPD says their deaths mark the 22nd and 23rd traffic-related fatalities in Colorado Springs so far in 2025.

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Scott Harrison

CALHAN, Colo. (KRDO) — When the 120th El Paso County Fair begins Saturday, the attractions and entertainment may not be the best thing about it.

Just getting there safely and on a smoother drive is what many fairgoers have longed for, and that will finally happen.

On Tuesday, workers finished repaving a quarter-mile segment of Yoder Road — the main route to the fairgrounds — between US 24 and 10th Street.

KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior reported on the poor condition of the road segment a year ago, which was badly deteriorating and full of large potholes.

The road’s previous condition led many drivers to detour around it, not just during the fair but all year long.

Dan Gerhard, a county public works engineer, estimated that it’s the first resurfacing for the road in at least 30 years, but even lifelong county residents said that they can’t remember a time when the road wasn’t in bad shape.

“Yeah, that’s great!” exclaimed David Wilcox, who was at the fairgrounds Thursday with his daughter, Ellie. “We noticed it when we first came out here last weekend. We came out here to help clean up this building to get ready for 4H. We turned onto that road, and we’re like Oh, it’s paved! That’s great!”

Yoder Road is in Calhan’s jurisdiction, but the county decided to repave it to keep construction consistent with a future county plan to widen and repave the road south of the fairgrounds, where it becomes Calhan Highway.

“We didn’t want to wait until a year or two-and-a-half years before the actual construction of the rest of the improvements happened,” Gerhard explained. “So, we wanted to get ahead of it, and at least make improvements now.”

He said that workers ground up the old pavement to serve as the base for new, four inches of asphalt.

Some residents would have liked the project to include curbs, gutters, and sidewalks, but that would have considerably increased the estimated cost of between $150,000 nd $200,000.

The project was funded by revenue from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority’s (PPRTA) penny sales tax; the county is a member of the authority, and Calhan joined in 2021 with projects like Yoder Road in mind.

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Rob Namnoum

Jake Plummer has found a new game. The former Broncos quarterback is attracted to Pickleball, “You know, it’s finding a game that you can play and have fun that doesn’t, you know, kill your body,” says Plummer.

Around 150 kids took part in a clinic to learn the game. Plummer was joined by former Broncos safety Nick Ferguson. Plummer is all about the game of Pickleball, “You can play and be competitive with 67 year olds and also with 15-20 year olds,” says Plummer.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Trump administration is looking at bringing as many as six new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities to Colorado as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan, including two in Colorado Springs.

It comes as federal documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit show that five of six proposed facilities are in southern Colorado: two in Walsenburg, one in La Junta, and two in Colorado Springs. The last proposed location is in Hudson, which is northeast of Denver.

MORE DETAILS: Feds eye Colorado Springs for two new ICE detention centers

The two locations in Colorado Springs are what used to be a reentry center, and the other is a physical rehabilitation center. Now they’re both being eyed by the federal government as potential ICE detention facilities.

The Parkmoor Village Health and Rehabilitation Center has been vacant, with its windows boarded up, since the pandemic. It’s in the center of town, right off North Academy Boulevard, near Palmer Park. The building used to house people with serious injuries and illnesses, but soon it could become an ICE detention facility for low to high-security non-citizen detainees.

KRDO13 spoke with Jon, who lives nearby and doesn’t want to see any ICE activity in his neighborhood.

“They’re just arresting more people than they can determine whether they’re here illegally or not. So, I’m against any of that,” stated Jon.

However, KRDO13 spoke with others who believe a detention facility could be a good deterrent for crime in the area. 

Further south on East Las Vegas Street, the Cheyenne Mountain Reentry Center is also being eyed as a potential ICE detention center.  It’s located right next to the El Paso County Jail and used to be the last stop for people being released from state prison before it closed in 2020. 

The proposals for both locations are preliminary, and no official decision has been made at this time. 

The full proposals can be read here.

In a statement, El Paso County expressed strong support for the idea of bringing a facility here.

El Paso County Commissioners fully support the efforts of our federal partners, including ICE, to secure our borders, enforce immigration laws, and remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities. We have consistently supported President Trump’s strong border enforcement policies and value the ongoing work of our federal partners to help keep El Paso County safe—priorities that matter to our residents in the wake of President Biden’s failed catch-and-release policies, which have allowed dangerous criminals into our communities. While we are not directly involved and have no specific knowledge of ICE’s plans regarding local facilities, we continue to support their role in promoting national and community safety. 

– The Board of El Paso County Commissioners

The City of Colorado Springs told KRDO13 it had no opinion, but clarified that it had not been involved in any of the planning conversations.

KRDO13 asked ICE for a comment on these proposals; they’re working on a response but have not yet responded.

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Bart Bedsole

LOW SCORES

It may offer great views of the mountains, but the view of the kitchen was less than impressive during a health inspection at the Viewhouse restaurant in Colorado Springs last week. 

It only had 9 violations last week, but they were serious enough to earn a failing score. 

Among the findings: 

One of the workers didn’t wash their hands after wiping them on their apron 

The cooler next to the prep table was unable to get cold enough to maintain proper food temperatures 

The dish machine wasn’t sanitizing dishes properly 

A cutting board was too worn out to be effectively cleaned 

The manager on duty politely declined to be interviewed, but told KRDO13 that the dish machine was fixed, the cooler was replaced, and employees were reminded of the rules when it comes to handwashing. 

Viewhouse passed its re-inspection on July 15 with just 3 violations. 

The Fujiyama downtown, which also failed in January, failed again on July 3. 

This time, an inspector found: 

A worker’s personal drink and vape were stored directly above a food contact surface 

There was no soap at two of the handwashing sinks 

Several items including chopsticks, straws, and to-go containers were being stored on the floor 

The manager told KRDO13 it’s hard to keep up with recent health code updates, even though the health department claims to provide plenty of notice when changes are coming. 

However, she said all the violations were immediately addressed, including the addition of a special container for all personal items belonging to the kitchen staff while they are on duty. 

Fujiyama was re-inspected on July 11 and passed. 

Mariscos Altimar, a Mexican seafood restaurant featured in the June 12 edition of Restaurant Roundup, failed its re-inspection on July 2 with 13 violations.

It was an improvement over the 16 violations found during the June inspection, but still enough for a failing score. 

The restaurant eventually passed its second re-inspection on July 9. 

HIGH SCORES

The high scores this week include: 

Wendy’s – 5810 Palmer Park 

Domino’s Pizza – 13461 Voyager Pkwy 

Arby’s – 11775 Meridian Market View 

Subway – 1825 N. Circle 

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop – 3111 N. Chestnut 

The cuisine at Fuzzy’s is described by its managers as “Baja meets Tex Mex”. 

Among the most recent menu additions is a new style of brisket that can be found on a variety of dishes, including tacos and nachos. 

General Manager Jeremy Krause says his secret recipe when it comes to food safety is taking ownership in the overall operation, which includes regularly checking food temperatures, monitoring the preparation, and treating customers like his own family. 

“You have to think, ‘what if that’s my son or daughter, or what if that’s my grandma or grandpa?’  The last thing you want to do is to get someone sick, so it (food safety) really has to be in the front of your head,” he said. 

Although he was already confident that his restaurant was doing a good job following the health code, he admits that getting a high score from the inspector was a nice confirmation. 

“I won’t lie, it feels pretty awesome to see everything coming to fruition and all your hard work actually paying off,” he added. 

Krause explained that one of his mottos to maintain high standards is ‘inspect what you expect.’ 

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

Click here for a complete list of retail food inspections in El Paso County.

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