Author: KRDO

Scott Harrison

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — The ongoing saga of Southmoor Drive should be over soon, as crews in the past week have completed most of the repaving work needed there.

A half-mile of the street overlooking Fountain Creek — from the American Legion on the south end to Paladin Place on the north end — has been closed to traffic since the spring of 2020 because of severe erosion concerns.

Remaining work includes striping (applying new lane markings) and installing a guardrail on the creek street at its nearest point to the creek, and a city spokesman said that the street should officially reopen before the 4th of July holiday.

Earlier this year, the Fountain City Council allocated $450,000 for the project, after $7.5 million in erosion mitigation in the creek was performed by the Fountain Creek Watershed District.

The city saved money on asphalt costs by using a process that recycled the old pavement with new asphalt on-site.

“It means that our voices have been heard,” said Tracee Spencer, a member of American Legion Post 38. “This has been an ongoing issue for the last, maybe, six years or so. And it’s caused a burden for the neighborhood and to the businesses around here. So, we’re very excited to have it open.”

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The annual Western Street breakfast starts bright and early Wednesday morning with a hot breakfast and live music in downtown Colorado Springs.

The breakfast starts at 5:30 a.m. so early risers can load up on their way to work. The festivities end around 9 a.m.

It’s $5 for a hot plate of pancakes, eggs, sausage and a drink served by military volunteers. The morning will be filled with live singing and dancing performances, all hosted by KRDO’s very own Heather Skold!

Map of festivities at the Western Street Breakfast

The morning all leads up to the start of the Pikes Peak Rangers and Rangerettes’ “Peak Ride.” The riders will saddle up and gallop around town to kick off their week-long trek through the Colorado Springs backcountry. The end of their ride signifies the start of the Pikes Peak or Bust rodeo.

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Dylan Foreman

CASCADE, Colo. (KRDO) — Driving up Pikes Peak provides the kind of scenery that can pull your attention away, even in the middle of a race. Just ask Phillip McGilton, who’s experiencing Pikes Peak for the first time.

“The view… I gotta keep telling myself, pay attention to what you’re doing,” McGilton said. “Because I’m looking around, look how beautiful, where am I at? This is awesome, right? But wait a minute… focus on racing.”

It’s a fair reminder for a newcomer. McGilton has never raced his vehicle on Pikes Peak, or even on paved roads like this. That’s because this year introduces a brand-new class to the mountain: Ultra4.

Ultra4 vehicles are known for their versatility, built to tackle just about any terrain imaginable.

“Ultra4 is unique in that we build trucks that can do anything,” driver Paul Wolff said. “That’s the point; they’re unlimited four-wheel drive.”

“We race not just desert, not just woods, we race everything,” McGilton added.

Typically, an Ultra4 race involves rough terrain, crawling through rocks and mud, or powering across open desert.

But Pikes Peak presents a completely different challenge.

Instead of dirt and obstacles, drivers now face a fully paved course climbing one of Colorado’s most iconic mountains, forcing teams to adjust in real time.

“It’s a massive learning curve, definitely for us Ultra4 guys,” Wolff said.

Teams are constantly tweaking their setups to match the new environment, while drivers adjust their approach behind the wheel.

“We have to change these cars constantly for setups and adapt to these different race courses, and then adapt ourselves as drivers,” Wolff said. “To come out here, slap it on asphalt, and go hill climb racing—it shows how versatile our sport is and how versatile the car is.”

With only four competitors in the class this year, the focus isn’t just on winning; it’s about introducing the sport to a new audience.

“We’ll see how it plays out,” Wolff said. “I know slicks will be a little faster, but in the spirit of Ultra4, I kept it fully built like we would for Hammers or any other race.”

Even with their reputation for going anywhere, there are still limits.

When asked whether drivers would consider skipping the pavement and going straight up the mountain, Wolff couldn’t help but laugh.

“I would like to, but I heard the Forest Service might get a little mad, so I’m gonna leave that one alone.”

For now, Ultra4 drivers will stick to the course, learning, adapting, and proving they belong on one of racing’s most iconic stages.

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Michael Logerwell

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Last Thursday, an animal shelter in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, flooded, putting the well-being of dozens of animals into question.

Photos from the City of Tahlequah

A city spokesperson says it was a member of the animal control who was monitoring the security cameras because of the heavy rain in the forecast when he heard the dogs whimpering and sprang into action.

But once the dogs and kittens were rescued from the brown flood waters, what happened next?

Some of those animals went to a shelter in California, a few stayed in the Oklahoma area, and 40 dogs made the +11 hour drive up to El Paso County, Colorado.

“We were rushing around trying to get as many animals out of there as possible,” Julie Cousino, operations director for El Paso County Canine Rescue, said.

Because El Paso County Canine Rescue is a foster-only organization, they needed to set up good homes for the impacted dogs before they could come up to Southern Colorado.

“Our team was making phone calls. We were texting fosters. We were posting on the main page. We have a foster group page that we are posting on. We are tagging everybody. It was a lot of legwork on our part to get fosters,” Cousino said.

Even with all 40 of the rescued Oklahoma dogs finding foster homes, Cousino said, foster families are still a big need for the non-profit.

“Summertime is the hardest time for fosters because people think of summer, they’re thinking vacation trips, things like that. So we have a constant need for fosters, especially in the summertime,” She said.

To learn more about becoming a foster family or about upcoming adoption events, visit the El Paso County Canine Rescue website.

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Dylan Foreman

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Right before my first trip up Pikes Peak, veteran driver Fred Veach leaned over from the driver’s seat and gave me a warning I didn’t fully understand at the time.

He said the race was a combination of the Indy 500 and Woodstock.

After experiencing it firsthand, it turns out he was exactly right.

The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb isn’t your typical race. It’s a global showcase, bringing together 75 drivers from multiple countries, all competing across seven classes.

Every single one of them shares the same goal: get to the summit as fast as possible

But before they ever touch the mountain, they have to get cleared to race at tech inspection.

Before engines roar to life on the 12.42-mile course, every team must prove their car is ready.

“I’ve raced different places, and there’s nothing like Pikes Peak,” driver Matus Huska said.

That uniqueness showed itself long before race day for Earl O’Maley and his team.

O’Maley’s group arrived with high hopes, but those quickly turned into a week-long battle just to get their car running.

“We’ve been fighting it for over a week,” Earl O’Maley’s wife, Katie O’Maley, explained.

The mechanical issues with the engine and other electrical issues nearly ended their race before it began.

But then, something unexpected happened.

A rookie driver from Poland, Maciej Serafin, and his team stepped in, not as competitors, but as teammates.

“We are happy that he goes close to the race. So it was amazing,” Serafin said of the opportunity to help.

The group worked together, diagnosing and fixing the issue that had threatened to sideline O’Maley’s car.

“They found the problem, and they can start it for Pikes Peak,” Gabriel Kubit, who is acting as the lead mechanic on Maciej’s car, said.

Just like that, a race entry that was nearly done was back on track.

For the O’Maley team, the moment meant more than just getting to race.

“Never in a million years did I ever think these angels would come into our lives,” Katie said. “They really are. They are truly our guardian angels. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”

It’s a reminder that while every driver is chasing a clock, something bigger is happening behind the scenes.

At Pikes Peak, competition and camaraderie exist side by side.

Drivers become friends. Teams become support systems. And everyone becomes family.

“You become friends and eventually family with everybody,” O’Maley said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in our class or not. If you need help, just ask.”

For Kubit, what goes around comes around.

“When I can help, I help,” another driver said. “Because I don’t know when I’ll need help.”

The race to the top begins June 21 on Father’s Day.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The City of Colorado Springs Planning Department says it has issued an administrative decision approving the development application for AI data center Project Taurus.

The development plan modification application for Corporate Ridge No. 1 Lot 4, also known as “Project Taurus,” was agreed upon on June 11, according to the city.

The city says this application further modifies the previous development plan and allows the establishment of a data center use in the existing industrial building and site improvements on the 21.96-acre, business park-zoned site located at 1565 High Tech Way.

The city notes that this administrative decision begins the timeframe for appeal under the City Code. The deadline for residents to submit an appeal request will be 5 p.m. on Monday, June 22, 2026.  The city wanted to share a copy of the form for appeals, which contains an excerpt from the appeal section of the City Code.

The Planning Department says that due to the significant public interest in this project, it is preparing a memo to be shared this week providing additional context on the approval decision and review process, including key changes made to the original application in response to comments and City Code requirements. KRDO13 has reached out to the city for more details.

The city shared this statement:

The Planning Department approved the application administratively on June 11, 2026, in accordance with City Code. The decision is now in the appeal period, which runs through 5 p.m. on June 22, 2026.

If no appeal is filed, the decision becomes final. If an appeal is filed, the Planning Commission would review the matter at a public hearing. The Planning Commission’s decision may then be appealed to City Council, which serves as the final local decision-making body in the appeal process.

A list of who is eligible to appeal can be found in this document on page 2 : https://coloradosprings.gov/system/files/2024-02/03_appeal_of_an_administrative_decision_to_city_planning_commission_10-09-2023.pdf

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Line hundreds deep packs into room for Project Taurus Data Center meeting

According to the city record, the project description details that Project Taurus proposes the reuse of the existing building as a data center with ancillary office use and associated site changes to accommodate required electrical, mechanical, and Information Technology equipment. As part of this, the Development Plan Modification proposes the demolition of existing utility and mechanical buildings and the addition of new chiller and generator yards to support the new data center. The new exterior mechanical equipment will be screened with sound attenuating fences, according to the application.

After the approval was announced, KRDO13 began receiving messages from those opposed to the development who raised flags about the announcement of the approval.

“We learned of the City’s administrative approval of DEPN-26-0039 (Project Taurus Data Center) in a mass email from the City at 4:29pm on a Friday which is when the bad news is buried) – not from you. After months of direct engagement, that was disappointing.  It’s also very curious that the email says it was approved on June 11th, 2026 yet the people were not notified until a day later,” wrote Dana Duggan with legal group Integrity Matters in an email sent to KRDO13.

We asked the COO of Raedan about this, and he said it was released as scheduled, but that he also can’t speak for the city.

“I think that we’re in a very emotional place. The data centers are representative of emotional flashpoints, and I’m not an apologist for the city. They’ve held us accountable. To be honest with you, I’d like it to be a lot easier. I mean, let’s be honest, you know, and so the idea of me defending the city is one that is, I’m not going to do because I don’t defend anybody. We just speak in facts. And so for somebody that wants to align that an end of day on Friday, which, by the way, was the deadline. So the deadline for their approval or denial, which was published a long time ago, this isn’t new, was Friday. And so the fact that it was notified at that period of time is what it is. And I don’t think there’s any there’s not anything behind it because there’s nothing surreptitious, there’s nothing that is being hidden in this process,” stated Jason Green, Raedan COO.

OTHER: Where the plans for a proposed data center in Colorado Springs stand

Jason Green emphasized the company’s dedication to being a responsible community member throughout the process. He says this is why they’ve had conversations and made changes to their application, even though they technically didn’t have to.

“We want to be a good steward of the community. We want to be good community members. And so that meant that we just had to go through that process,” Green said.

Green detailed that the community engagement involved two distinct phases. One phase focused on the development plan itself, addressing where specific equipment would be placed and how the property would be redeveloped. The other phase involved a separate set of initiatives proposed by the community that he says Raedan agreed to implement as part of their commitment to best practices.

Among the key changes made in response to community input was relocating the project’s generators. Originally designed to be closer to the neighborhood, the generators were moved to the north side of the building, on the Garden of the Gods Road side. This repositioning means the building now provides a greater physical barrier between the generator plant and the community.

To further address resident concerns, a 30-foot sound wall will be constructed at the property line. This wall aims to create a visual separation from the buildings for those on the walking path and support wildlife preservation in the area, Green said.

He says Raedan also readjusted requirements for engineers to conduct sound studies no less than five times, specifically addressing noise concerns from the site’s historical Bitcoin problems.

Beyond physical alterations, Green says Raedan is committing to several operational agreements. He noted that this includes a contract with specific operational processes to manage sound and noise at the site.

The company also agreed to financially fund the architecture and design of a continuous noise monitoring system, to be implemented at the property boundary and within the neighborhood. Green said all collected data will be assimilated into Raedan’s primary software system and reported monthly in a fully transparent and auditable manner. A financial safeguard is also being proposed by Raedan: a $1 million bond. Green said that if Raedan fails to remediate defined issues, the city can call this bond to fund necessary repairs.

This commitment also includes an “evergreen” clause, ensuring these responsibilities transfer to any future owners of the property, Green explained. Raedan additionally agreed to a community-requested third-party audit of post-construction work to verify that the facility is built as planned. Green said they are still writing up the contracts before giving them to the city and neighbors for revisions.

“We’ve got balance for all of this as well as a financial backstop,” Green stated, adding, “It has also been put forth by the community that they would like us to allow for a third-party audit of the Post-construction work. We agree with this.”

Addressing broader environmental considerations, Raedan says it has engaged biologists and ecologists from the Garden of the Gods Park and state-level wildlife experts to assess the potential impact on the integrity of the walking path and local wildlife.

Green acknowledged the sentiment surrounding the project.

“It started with concern. It started with a sense of real fear and apprehension. It started with a tremendous level of distrust, and we worked really hard over a bunch of months for us to be heard collectively. And now we’ve got a project that benefits everyone,” said Green.

If no valid appeals are filed by the June 22, 2026, deadline, Project Taurus is expected to move forward with development. Raedan plans to begin development while simultaneously ratifying all community engagement agreements, which Jason Green stated is imperative.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — After a year of construction, drivers can now see how the busy intersection of Dublin Boulevard and Marksheffel Road looks in its final lane configuration.

Officials said that as of 5 a.m. Monday, crews finished most of their work at the growing northeast side intersection bordered by the Banning Lewis Ranch subdivision and other homebuilding.

Over the weekend, crews placed the intersection under a temporary realignment in which no right turns were allowed to accelerate progress and finish the work sooner.

The block of Dublin west of Marksheffel to Issaquah Road had been congested with construction activity, but has now opened considerably.

Crews have been working since the spring of 2025 on a $15 million improvement project covering a mile of Dublin, from Marksheffel to just west of Peterson Road.

The project’s main objective is to widen that segment, which has three lanes in each direction on both ends, to two lanes eastbound and westbound.

Other improvements include new traffic signals at the Dubin/Issaquah intersection, near a bustling shopping area; drainage upgrades to address recurring groundwater issues; and a raised center median.

Crews still must finish paving and concrete work.

There were other remaining tasks, as well: An electrician said that he was trying to get the pedestrian signals to work at Dublin/Marksheffel, and an electrical crew was checking out the new Dublin/Issaquah traffic signals after one of the left-turn signals wouldn’t activate.

Meanwhile, officials said that the $55 million Marksheffel widening, which started in the fall of 2023, is on schedule for completion before the end of the year.

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO WEST, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said an hours-long standoff ensued after they received a 9-1-1 call reporting a woman threatening her neighbors, including children.

The sheriff’s office said on Friday that its deputies responded to a home along Marigold Drive in Pubelo West. At the scene, deputies say they found Tracy Miller, 46, in her home, refusing to come outside.

Despite multiple verbal commands, the sheriff’s office said Miller still refused to come outside. The Pubelo County SWAT team was activated for the standoff. Miller did eventually surrender to law enforcement without incident.

The sheriff’s office says Miller is facing charges of felony menacing, child abuse, and resisting arrest. She is being held in the Pueblo County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – It was all smiles and cheering at the Trainwreck bar in Colorado Springs. This evening, Colorado Soccer held the official USMNT opening match watch party at the sports bar.

Fans had plenty to cheer about with three first-half goals and a fourth coming in the 97th minute. The game was never in doubt for the Stars and Stripes.

The final tally came in at 4-1 for the United States over Paraguay. Christian Pulisic will look to lead the USMNT (United States Men’s National Team) to a second victory in pool play next week when they take on Australia in Seattle.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Road Warrior was back on Friday at the scene of the four-block closure on Uintah Street that has been in effect since late Wednesday afternoon.

It was a second full day of detours for drivers along the busy street.

Crews with the city and Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) took a break overnight and returned to continue repairs to the Uintah bridge over Shooks Run Creek.

Officials revealed on Thursday that a routine inspection by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) discovered a “void” beneath the bridge that had compromised a utility line.

As one crew began excavating into the street on the eastbound side, another crew was working under the bridge.

Officials haven’t explained their precise repair strategy, but still hope to meet their original goal of reopening the street by the end of the week; whether that happens on Friday or Saturday is unclear.

What remains unexplained is the void’s size, how it developed, how it’s compromising a utility line, and what kind of line it is.

More equipment arrived on Friday: Metal boxes to protect workers inside the excavated trench, and vacuum trucks to suck out standing water.

As observed on Thursday, crews appear to be focusing on the stormwater drainage system.

It also appears that a robot or remote-controlled device will be used to inspect a stormwater pipeline.

Passing neighbors reflected on how the construction affects them.

“It’s more convenient because there’s so much traffic that comes through here, so it makes my neighborhood a little bit quieter, and getting out of my neighborhood has been a little bit easier,” said Heather Laney, who lives near the intersection of Uintah and Arcadia streets.

Vicky Lewis lives on one of the detour routes—Institute Street.

“Lots of traffic, lots of cars speeding down because they’re having to take a slightly longer route,” she explained. “So, a lot more noise.”

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