Author: KRDO

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The City of Colorado Springs has officially recognized today, Aug. 4, as “Dan Cochell Day” in honor of KRDO13’s longtime radio personality.

In its proclamation, Colorado Springs City Council President Lynette Crow-Iverson said Cochell’s dedication to journalism and charitable work over the last two decades made a lasting impact in El Paso County.

“His unwavering commitment to journalism, civic engagement and community service has fostered a more informed and connected Southern Colorado,” Iverson said.

Cochell has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for non-profit causes throughout Southern Colorado. His “Up for Down Syndrome” campaign, where he lived on top of a scissor lift for two weeks straight, raised over $100,000.

The favorite part is just making people happy because in this business, you’re only as good as people who listen to you, you know?” Cochell said.

“If they don’t listen, and they don’t like you, then you’re not going to last for too long. So, just making people happy and raising money for charities and things like that is what I’ve really enjoyed.”

Cochell first got into broadcasting nearly 40 years ago. He started with KRDO13 News Radio in 2005. He’s hit a few different spots in the last 20 years, including time with KOA News Radio in Denver and as a journalism teacher in the Falcon School District. He returned to KRDO13 as a newsroom anchor and program director at the start of 2023.

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Scott Harrison

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — Signs marking the decrease of traffic speed to a maximum of 45 mph are in place along part of Mesa Ridge Parkway on the north side of town, as the change becomes official on Monday.

The reduced speed will cover three miles of the busy parkway (State Highway 16) between Interstate 25 and Powers Boulevard.

CDOT (the Colorado Department of Transportation) announced the lowered speed limit last month.

Drivers will travel even slower when classes resume at Mesa Ridge High School next week, at the intersection of Mesa Ridge and Syracuse Street.

CDOT will establish a school zone there that will decrease the speed limit to 35 mph during school hours.

Although the high school semester starts next week, classes at the James Madison Charter Academy — a few blocks north — begin Monday, and it’s unclear what impact it may have on traffic in the area.

On Sunday afternoon, KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior drove along the parkway and saw four 45 mph signs installed between I-25 and the high school; three on the westbound side and one on the eastbound side.

The Road Warrior previously reported that although CDOT anticipates few traffic impacts from the new King Soopers grocery store that opened across from the high school last week, the reduced speed limit is driven by ongoing development in the area and a history of frequent crashes.

“The commercial land use around the Colorado (Highway)16 corridor is a factor in setting the speed limit,” said Pepper Whittlef, a CDOT program manager. “In addition, we also look at the number of kids crossing the roadway and the number of access points to the highway. Those all contribute toward the reduction in the speed limit.”

The Road Warrior spoke with several drivers last week who said that while they agree with the need for safety, they’re skeptical about whether the 45 mph limit will work, given the amount of traffic exiting I-25 from the west and westbound downhill traffic from Fountain Mesa Road.

“I think ten miles an hour (slower) during most of the day is a reasonable request of people to travel during the school zone hours,” Whittlef explained. “When we do have an increased number of vehicles and pedestrians, an additional ten miles per hour is also prudent.”

CDOT is responding to a pair of recent concerns expressed by drivers — to prevent school traffic from backing up into the Mesa Ridge/Syracuse intersection, and avoid a similar backup from Fountain Mesa, as customers try to enter the Lowe’s Home Improvement store.

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Karla Sosa

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO)- The Manitou Incline is one of the most popular attractions in El Paso County. Many do it for fun, while others do the incline as a way to celebrate a milestone.

Aliona Mikhed moved to Colorado three years ago from New York. She’s done the incline 49 times and tells KRDO13 that the 50th one was the most difficult, but not because the trail changed.

“I think it was honestly a way to prove to myself that I’m stronger than cancer,” said Mikhed.

Her life was turned upside down in April when, at 36 years old, she was diagnosed with cancer. A cancer that wouldn’t have been found without the help of a Netflix documentary.

“She told me to self-examine that night and I self-exam and myself that evening. And I had a cancer diagnosis in less than a week after that,” said Mikhed. “I have stage two, HER2-positive breast cancer, which also happens to be the most aggressive form of breast cancer.”      

She was able to do her 49th incline before starting chemo. After her third round of chemo, she wanted to find a way to celebrate that she was halfway through her treatment. 

“Felt well enough halfway through treatment where I really wanted to prove to myself that I’m strong enough and I still have full control of my body and I can do it,” said Mikhed.

Aliona said that while she was a third of the way to finishing the Manitou Incline, she wanted to give up. But she felt support from strangers, and that’s what helped her get to the top. 

“All of the people who saw me struggling because I did. It was incredibly hard to get to the top, given several sessions that I’ve already gone through,” said Mikhed. “The people that stopped me along the way and just encouraged me told me to keep going, told me that I was doing a great job. It really is such a supportive and beautiful community of people.”

Aliona said she plans on doing another incline once she beats breast cancer.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The best basketball player in the history of the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) was coaching up the local youth in the same city where he launched his basketball career.

Current Boston Celtics point guard Derrick White teamed up with Hillside Connection to teach nearly 100 elementary and middle school basketball players.

“This is a great way [for kids] to get out here and play basketball and just meet new people and have fun while doing it,” said White.

Admittedly, not every kid who attended the basketball camp will end up playing on an NBA or college basketball team, but White hopes the kids saw at the camp that they’re able to accomplish big things on and off the court.

“As someone who grew up in Colorado, I know how much it means to see someone who looks like you who’s been where you’ve been, come back and give back,” White said. “I want Hillside youth to believe big things are possible on and off the basketball court.”

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Michael Logerwell

SAGUACHE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A pair of campers down at the Penitente Canyon Campground say they were threatened by a man swinging an axe.

The Saguache County Sheriff’s Office says on July 19, they were called out to the campgrounds on a report of a male individual threatening campers with an axe.

The two campers told deputies that they saw a man rummaging through their personal belongings at their campsite. After confronting him, the man left the immediate area but was later seen watching them from a distance.

As the pair was getting in their vehicle to leave, the same man came at them with an axe, swinging it at them.

Deputies say shortly after they found and arrested Steven Sanguinetti, age 36. Sanguinetti is facing the following charges:

Felony Menacing (2 counts)

Harassment

Assault in the First Degree

Criminal Impersonation

Criminal Attempt

Sanguinetti is currently held on $20,000 bond.

Court records also show that two days after Sanguinetti was charged for the campground incident, he was charged with assaulting a prison employee while in custody.

His next court appearance is August 7.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On October 8, 2024, a Colorado Springs police officer fired four shots at Matthew Kemper, killing him. Today, the District Attorney’s Office announced it will not be filing charges against the officer who fired the shots.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Police release body cam footage in deadly Oct. shooting in northeast Colorado Springs

District Attorney Michael Allen ruled the use of force in this incident was justified, citing two Colorado laws specifically.

DAO Release 2025_11 OCT 8 OISDownload

CRS 18-1-707 states that a peace officer may use physical force to prevent serious bodily injury or death to the peace officer or another person.

CRS 18-1-707 (4.5), this law states a peace officer is justified in using deadly force if they believe they or another person is in immediate danger.

In this case, officers say Kemper charged at the officers with a knife after previously threatening to assault his roommate.

Another aspect of this shooting, Kemper’s roommate told the dispatcher Kemper was making suicidal threats and harming himself that night.

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Rob Namnoum

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks kicked off August in style as they beat Lexington SC 3-1 on Friday night at Weidner Field. Switchbacks captain Matt Mahoney scored two goals in the match.

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Bradley Davis

Editor’s note: This article contains an emotional recounting of the crime from the victim’s family. Reader discretion is advised.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – After over a month of delayed court action, Joel Lang has been released from jail as a free man Friday afternoon after admitting to killing Kristy Kerst with his car last November.

Before dismissing the case, the El Paso County judge turned to the family of Kerst and said, “It is not my place to criticize the legislator,” before apologizing to the family for the pain this ruling would cause. He then turned to Lang and clarified that he wasn’t discrediting Lang’s defense.

“I will never forget hearing her scream as he hit (my mom),” Kerst’s daughter Britany Visage said. “I ran around the back side of the vehicle, and I was trying to open the passenger side door and I was begging them to stop, and I saw my mom trapped under the van. I ran alongside the van as long as I could until I had to let go, and I fell.”

Visage continues, “I ran back to where my mom was initially struck, and people were running at me from every direction. For a second, I thought maybe my mom was okay and that bystanders might have taken her into the McDonald’s, but then I realized, everybody was looking behind me, and my mom’s body was 350 feet down the road.”

In June, the judge dismissed all charges against Lang after two doctors evaluated him as too incompetent to stand trial, and “his competency could not be restored.”

“What kind of justice system is this? It’s a joke,” said Katie Gibbons, who was a bystander and rushed in to help Kerst after Lang ran her over in November. “You don’t give someone who’s mentally incompetent a driver’s license, and if you do, and they do something like this, someone needs to pay the price.”

“How do you know what to do in the car? How do you know what green means? How do you know what red means? How do you know the signs?” Kerst’s daughter, Hanna Kerst, said.

Under Colorado’s current competency laws, that diagnosis requires a judge to dismiss all charges, regardless of the level of offense, according to the district attorney’s office of Michael J. Allen.

“One of the doctors asked him, ‘What does being incompetent mean?’ His response was that ‘this problem all goes away,’ and in my soul, I feel like this is not a problem to go away,” Visage said.

Criminal Defense Attorney Jeremy Loew told KRDO13 the legal requirement to dismiss all charges in a case like Lang’s takes all power away from the judge to pass judgment. This is why Lang cannot be forced to stay in a mental health hospital, despite being ruled incompetent.

Lang’s case is not the only one bringing scrutiny down on Colorado’s incompetency laws.

Other cases with similar threads

In a different case, Arapahoe County said it plans to drop charges against an Aurora man, Solomon Galligan, after he tried to kidnap an 11-year-old boy. It’s the fourth time since 2018 that he’s had charges dropped because of incompetence.

The Arapahoe County District Attorney’s office tells KRDO13 they will not release Galligan to the public, but only because he consented to be placed in inpatient care. The District Attorney said his agreement was key in keeping him off the streets.

The judge in Lang’s case delayed court action (called a “stay”) until today’s review setting so the court liaison could arrange mental health services to help Lang’s transition. In court, he removed the stay and officially dismissed the case.

In the courtroom, the judge said he could not enforce any treatment plans because of the case’s dismissal. The court liaison said she would help Lang with a 90-day “treatment assistant plan” to get him the help he needs. The judge approved, but reiterated he could not enforce the action.

KRDO13 was not able to confirm whether Lang will get to keep his driver’s license. Loew told KRDO13 that the decision is up to the DMV.

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Celeste Springer

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirms that one person was taken into custody Thursday afternoon, but another person is still on the run, after both evaded ICE agents.

Agents were conducting an operation when the two, who ICE says are living in the U.S. without proper documentation, allegedly tried to ram agents with their car, ICE said.

ICE said one of their agents in turn, fired three shots at their car. The two people inside got away, later abandoned the car, and ran off, ICE said.

ICE says they now have Francisco Zapata-Pacheco in custody. A search for Colorado court records of his name did not reveal any previous criminal charges in the state.

Francisco Zapata-Pacheco, in custody (Source: ICE)

They are still looking for Jose Mendez-Chavez. ICE says he has a conviction for child abuse and domestic violence.

“He knows he’s not supposed to be here, since we’ve removed him six times previously,” said an ICE spokesperson.

Photo of Jose Mendez-Chavez, which ICE says is from an arrest in 2020 (Source: ICE)

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Celeste Springer

ANACONDA, Mont. (KRDO) — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives confirms that multiple people have been shot at a business in Anaconda, Montana.

The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center says that the suspect, Michael Paul Brown, is still on the run. The Granite County Sheriff’s Office says that the suspect’s house was cleared by SWAT teams. As of the time of this publication, the sheriff’s office has not disclosed the name of the business where people were shot.

Michael Paul Brown (Source: Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center)

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte posted on X, saying he is “closely monitoring the situation.”

This is a breaking news situation, but this article may be updated.

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