Author: KRDO

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Road Warrior has occasionally reported on the frustration felt by drivers coping with persistent potholes in parking lots, on access roads and service drives, or on other privately owned and managed property.

But there’s recent progress to share on two private areas with notoriously bad potholes.

One location is what KRDO first began reporting on in 2014 — Sonic Drive, the access road between the Sonic restaurant and the Texas Roadhouse along 8th Street.

A parcel search on The El Paso County Assessor’s Office website indicates that Sonic owns the road, and The Road Warrior left a message with the company a month ago to ask when the potholes will be filled.

There was no immediate response, but since then, the only response that really matters came; ten large pothole areas are now patched — including one so deep that someone used nearby landscaping stones to fill it.

Sonic also repaired the same potholes previously after inquiries by KRDO 13, but they re-developed and had continued to worsen for several years as drivers became accustomed to swerving around them.

Drivers likely are now wondering whether the repairs will spread next door, to an access road beside a Shell gas station and the Texas Roadhouse

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Michael Logerwell

Editor’s note: In a previous version of this article, KRDO13 reported that there was a delay in repairs. The repairs necessary for the leak were never delayed. CSU said when the leak was discovered, there were other CSU sources to pull water from at the time. As soon as the water crisis in Manitou Springs emerged, CSU added crews to expedite repairs. 

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – City leaders in Manitou Springs told residents on Tuesday that the water restrictions will likely remain in effect through the end of the week.

The city’s water treatment system can’t keep up with the heavy sediment brought in by recent runoff, and the backup connection to Colorado Springs Utilities can’t be used because of a leaky pipe.

Crews continue working to repair the leaks on the Old North Slope Pipeline, but the project will likely take several more days.

RELATED: Manitou Springs alerts residents of critical water supply emergency, issues severe restrictions on use

A map of Colorado Springs Utilities’ pipelines showing the North Slope System.

CSU told KRDO13 Investigates that the North Slope line is around 100 years old, and difficult to service because of the mountainous terrain it runs through.

According to CSU, the leak was discovered last week when workers were repairing valves.

Due to a variety of other water sources, the pipeline isn’t needed to supply water to CSU’s customers, so there was no immediate impact to CSU customers.

KRDO13 Investigates received this statement from leaders with the City of Manitou Springs:

“At this time we cannot provide an interview as our staff is focused on trying to resolve the issue while maintaining all other City functions. In an effort to conserve water within city facilities, employees that are able to work from home were given the option to do so to help conserve water. All essential staff are hands on deck, trying to get this resolved, as well as maintaining all other essential functions.”

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Mackenzie Stafford

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Manitou Springs School District 14 (MSSD) sent KRDO13 a statement that schools will be open on Wednesday.

Here’s a statement sent to Manitou Springs School District 14 families and staff:

Dear Manitou Springs School District 14 Families and Staff,

I want to share a timely and positive update with you all.

I just had a conversation with Denise Howell, City Manager for Manitou Springs. She informed me that the city has made progress in treating the water supply. Today was a critical day in that process, and I’m pleased to report encouraging developments.

As a result, I am pleased to announce that schools will be in session as scheduled on Wednesday, May 14th.

Please be on the lookout for additional communication from your school regarding any scheduled activities, as well as updates on events that were originally planned for today.

Importantly, Senior Breakfast will take place at the high school as planned tomorrow morning. We’re looking forward to celebrating this special moment with our graduating seniors.

Thank you all for your continued patience, flexibility, and support.

Sean Dorsey, Manitou Springs School District 14 Superintendent

On Tuesday, neighbors are finding ways to keep cool and stay hydrated amid the water emergency; some businesses voluntarily shut their doors or cut their time short. Many kids took advantage of the time out of school, splashing in the water or stocking up on water with family. 

KRDO13 spoke to students who were saddened that school was out, since they have a big choir concert planned for Wednesday.

“I really hope we get to go to school tomorrow, because otherwise our concert is going to be canceled,” explained Sophia, a 6th grader.

While Sophia may not have been able to get her extra singing practice in, she did get to learn a new lesson about water conservation.

“I don’t like not being able to shower,” shared Sophia.

But her family stocked up on gallons of water, and she says they’ll be taking “speed showers.”

Water restrictions for the entire city are expected to stay in place through the rest of the week.

Editor’s Note: A previously published version of this article described that schools would be closed on Wednesday, however, it has been brought to our attention that this was incorrect. MSSD has since informed the public school will be in session on Wednesday.

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KRDO News

TRINIDAD, Colo. (KRDO) – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that they’ve reached a deal with COBigRed, Inc., which operates Hometown Pharmacy & Medical in Trinidad, Colorado.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges that Hometown Pharmacy ignored blaring red flags and dispensed controlled substances, including opioids, to patients at times when they shouldn’t have. Officials allege those situations include when:

Prescriptions were for high daily doses of opioids

Prescriptions were for dangerous drug combinations

Patients had insurance but paid in cash for their prescriptions

Patients had traveled long distances for their prescriptions

Patients repeatedly sought early prescription refills

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says that despite these red flags, the pharmacy allegedly failed to appropriately check the State of Colorado’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program database.

The agency says the pharmacy has agreed to pay $250,000 in civil penalties and has also entered into an agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which officials hope will ensure the pharmacy is in compliance with laws and regulations.

Officials say the pharmacy did not admit any liability, and by settling with civil penalties, the aforementioned details of this case are all allegations.

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A mile-long stretch of Furrow Road, just east of the Monument town limits and south of Highway 105, has two distinct segments: the older, northern section of around three-fourths of a mile, and a new extension to Higbee Road that opened in the past year.

County officials plan to repave the older section this summer, at a cost of $600,000; that section is crumbling and has many potholes and cracks.

“We’re going to mill and overlay the entire stretch from Highway 105 down to the Lamplight Drive/Minglewood Trail intersection,” said Joshua Palmer, the county’s head engineer. “We’re going to put in the permanent striping, which is going to be 11-foot lanes with a six foot, non-motorized shoulder on the west side of Furrow Road. So, (for) pedestrian traffic bikes, things like that. Keep all the signs that we currently have.”

Neighbors agree that the paving is badly needed, but they disagree with the county’s decision to hold off on building roundabouts on Furrow.

“As far as the road being paved, it’s a good idea because the road’s a mess,” said Lark Haines, who lives along Furrow Road. “But it’s a bad idea because the road being a mess slows people down a little. Paving it will only encourage people to drive faster.”

In 2021, the county paid a consultant to study safety improvements on Furrow — which is a narrow, winding, hilly road — in response to neighbors’ concerns about speeding traffic.

Among the consultant’s recommendations was to construct three roundabouts on Furrow at the following intersections: Lamplight Drive/Minglewood Trail, Lamplight at the north end of its circular configuration, and Metcalf Lane.

The consultant also recommended building a center median between the proposed roundabouts.

However, for a variety of reasons — including cost — the county decided against the roundabouts and chose other measures that they say are working well, such as narrowing the lanes on Furrow to a width of 11 feet, and posting more signs to alert drivers to the speed limit, steep grades or other road matters.

That doesn’t please safety-minded neighbors like Betty Stout, who fears that a serious or deadly crash is inevitable.

“It’s kinda like a race track up and down,” she said. “Since we don’t have sidewalks, we have a lot of people walking, walking their dogs, their kids, kids on bicycles. It’s really dangerous.”

County officials said that they will continue to monitor traffic speeds and volumes and will consider roundabouts as a possible future option.

Meanwhile, Haines said that she’ll continue to go on her daily walks carrying a paper 30 mph sign.

“Does it slow people down?” she said. “A few. Some people speed up when they get to me. One driver screeched to a stop and shouted profanity at me. (The sign) helps a little. Hopefully, it’s a reminder to some.”

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo (KRDO) – The Pikes Peak Soap Box Derby came by KRDO13 to do a little demonstration down the station’s hill and talk about the 21st annual event on June 1 in Monument.

43 racers ages 7 to 14 will take the start line on Higby road between the stock and super stock divisions. Each local winner qualifies for world championships in Akron, Ohio.

This year, the derby also sponsored a car for a local military family from San Luis, Colorado.

Higby Road is between Bowstring and Clover Leaf. The derby said it costs about $1500 to build a car. The derby has 28 of its own it will rent out each year for under $100.

You can contact Jim Taylor if you are interested in getting on the waitlist for this year or getting a rental spot for next year. People as old as 18 can participate.

Tune into Good Morning Colorado to see a couple of the young racers reach some speed down our hill behind KRDO13!

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Rob Namnoum

Top prep playoff performances for the week of May 1st.

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Rob Namnoum

 The Denver Broncos will play the Kansas City Chiefs in a Christmas matchup at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, Dec. 25, the league announced on Monday.

The game, which will be streamed on Prime Video, will kick off at 6:15 p.m. MT.

The Thursday Night Football matchup will mark the fifth time the Broncos have played on Christmas Day, with all five games occurring on the road. Denver is 2-2 all-time in Christmas Day contests.

The team’s complete 2025 schedule will be announced on Wednesday, May 14, at 6 p.m. MT.

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Mackenzie Stafford

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The city of Manitou Springs says it’s experiencing a “critical water supply emergency” and is urging all residents and business owners to stop all water use immediately, except for essential drinking water needs.

The city said the emergency stems from high turbidity levels – or cloudiness – in its primary water source, combined with an unexpected outage of its backup supply. Together, these issues have resulted in a much faster depletion of the city’s water reserves than expected, city officials say.

Beginning May 12 and until further notice, all non-drinking water use in Manitou Springs is prohibited, including indoor and outdoor uses like:

Dishwashing (except when necessary for sanitation)

Laundry

Showering and bathing

Outdoor sprinklers and irrigation

Car washing

Any water uses not directly necessary for hydration

Businesses are also being asked to restrict their water distribution and minimize all water use. KRDO13 is working to speak with local business owners to learn how these emergency restrictions will affect their operations.

They say nothing comes for free, and for the people of Manitou Springs, the cost of a weekend of beautiful weather is an influx of snowmelt seeping into the water supply, picking up all sorts of debris on the way. The city says that runoff is usually not a big deal, but when they found literal cracks in their backup plan, it became clear they had a serious problem.

Typically, the city could wait for the water to be filtered through their water treatment plant as they tap into water from Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU). 

“We simply turn a valve, and the water comes into the Manitou Springs system. Well, that’s plan B, and plan B turned out it failed yesterday,” explained Manitou Springs Mayor John Graham.

But at the moment, the CSU line that supplies that backup water is cracked and crews are working to repair it – and for now, the city only has 1,750,000 gallons left.

Now, the mayor is calling for residents to get creative in helping the city preserve its water. Graham says he remembers years ago when Manitou Springs residents would go to the Colorado Springs YMCA to shower or to a friend’s house.

“Once upon a time, I got water from my brother who lives in Colorado Springs and trucked it over here. That was for cooking supplies,” recounted Mayor Graham, “Manitou people are fairly creative and pretty resilient, so I think we’ll be seeing some of that. But really, the primary task is to be as conservative as possible.”

Graham said that people found not conserving water could be fined, but he stressed the city doesn’t really want to do that, and is hoping people will abide by the restrictions. 

“We’re asking for cooperation. I think most people will cooperate. If there are cases of extravagant use of water, especially once people know that we have restrictions in the need to conserve, then yes, if we have to, we’ll take more stringent action. But really, come on, let’s all be good neighbors. Let’s try to get through this and smile,” shared Mayor Graham.

The mayor tells KRDO13 that, to his understanding, the issue should be fixed by Saturday.

In the meantime, the city’s treated water remains safe to drink and continues to meet all Colorado drinking water standards, but the volume of that treated water is critically low, the city said.

“The City is working to maintain a safe, minimal supply of drinking water and to prevent system failure during this emergency period,” a spokesperson for the city said in a release.

To further support the city’s emergency conservation efforts, the Manitou Springs Pool and Fitness Center will be closed until further notice, and all scheduled fitness classes, swimming lessons and team practices are cancelled for the time being, the city said.

Current issues in the city’s water supply

Manitou Springs’ primary water supply comes directly from French Creek in Pikes Peak, which received several feet of snow in last week’s storm. As temperatures rise, snowmelt is causing an increase of runoff into the watershed, the city said.

That runoff carries high levels of sediment and other organic material, which is significantly clouding up the water entering Manitou Springs’ Water Treatment Plant.

Typically, the city would turn to its backup through Colorado Springs Utilities’ (CSU) Old Northslope Pipeline; however, the pipeline is temporarily out of service while it undergoes emergency repairs for leaks. CSU says it expects those repairs to be finished by the end of the week.

Once the repairs are complete, Manitou Springs will switch to using the Old Northslope Pipeline until turbidity levels in French Creek subside, city officials said.

Residents with urgent water-related concerns are encouraged to contact the appropriate numbers below:

Public Works Emergency Line: 719-685-2557

Urgent Public Works Issues: 719-492-0058

Water/Sewer Emergencies: 719-492-1970

General Inquiries: 719-685-2573

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