Author: KRDO

Michael Logerwell

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The high elevation isn’t the only thing making breathing harder in Teller County this weekend. Teller County Public Health and Environment has issued an air quality warning due to smoke from numerous wildfires burning across the state.

However, no wildfires are burning in Teller County.

Teller County Public Health and Environment tells residents to remain indoors if smoke becomes visibly thick or dense in their neighborhood or subdivision.

The county health agency is advising a limit on physical activity outdoors and says, as a rule of thumb, if visibility is reduced to less than five miles due to smoke in your area, air quality has likely reached unhealthy levels.

For more information on the current air quality in your area and additional resources for Teller County residents, click here.

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Michael Logerwell

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Joggers, dog-walkers, and bikers in Manitou Springs will need to take a detour as construction along Manitou Ave is causing a nearby walking trail to close.

Map of closure provided by Manitou Springs.

A Manitou Springs City Spokesperson said that come Monday, Phase 4 of the Creek Walk Trail Project will begin, causing the closure of the trail (see above image). The city said crews came to the conclusion that a full closure of walking paths is the safest solution, because leaving it open would force hikers, walkers, and bikers to backtrack at active work zones.

24-hour traffic control will remain in the area. Crews will be working from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The city adds that this phase of the Creek Walk Trail Project is supported by a $250,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

It says the goal of phase 4 is to improve pedestrian safety and ADA-accessible mobility while strengthening connections between neighborhoods, businesses, and parks.

Learn more about the project here.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – KRDO13’s Bradley Davis walks us through a beautiful indoor/outdoor custom-built concept in the 2025 Colorado Springs Parade of Homes: “The Lindsey” by JS Custom Homes.

The Parade of Homes starts Friday, September 5, with 32 new homes by a variety of different builders, like JS Custom Homes.

The parade lasts until September 21, and each ticket gets you in to view every house on display. You can get tickets here.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has released a new age progression photo of Christopher Abeyta, who was abducted when he was only seven months old.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) says Christopher went missing on July 15, 1986. The CBI says he was taken from his parents’ bedroom in the middle of the night. He would be 39 years old today.

Source: CBI

According to our previous reporting, at least three men have come forward believing they are Abeyta, but those claims were dismissed due to DNA evidence.

Abeytas’ sister, Denise Alves, says the new age progression is the first in over seven years.

“For nearly four decades, our family has worked tirelessly to keep Christopher’s story in the public eye. We hope this new image will reach someone who can help us find the truth about what happened to him, and, if he is alive, someone who may recognize him. We are asking everyone to take a close look at this new age progression and share it as widely as possible,” read a joint statement from the family. “One tip, one memory, one piece of information could finally give our family the answers we have been searching for all these years.”

If you have any information about Christopher Abeyta’s disappearance or current whereabouts, call NCMEC 1-800-the-lost.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – At 12:30 today, Pikes Peak Ave and Colorado Ave will be closed down as the Colorado Springs Fire Department honors the life and legacy of retired Captain Patrick Rogacki.

Image from CSFD

Ret. Capt. Rogacki died after years of fighting an aggressive form of job-related cancer. The fire department said Capt. Rogacki’s cancer was the result of his work at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks. He was also a Search Group Manager with Colorado Task Force 1, part of the Wildland Program, a Medical Lieutenant, and spent more than a decade on the high-angle rescue team during his 35-year tenure with CSFD.

RELATED: CSFD mourns firefighter who faced job-related cancer after helping in 9/11 search and rescues

KRDO13 is working to speak with friends, family, and fellow firefighters. Tune into KRDO13 at noon, 4, 5, and 6, or find a spot along to route to see the procession.

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Celeste Springer

ROCKY FORD, Colo. (KRDO) — The Rocky Ford Police Department says one of their officers was attacked by a dog while investigating a report about a shot being fired.

The officer was sent to the 300 block of South 6th Street on Sept. 2, police say. The department says when he arrived, he began to speak with someone on the sidewalk, but was attacked and bitten by a dog.

He fired two shots at the dog, and it briefly retreated, but police say it charged at him once again.

The officer was taken to the ER with minor injuries and then released, the police department says.

Police say the dog and its owner were not involved in the initial shots-fired call.

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Celeste Springer

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) says deputies and a K-9 found four pounds of meth after searching a car on Aug. 18.

The sheriff’s office says its staff were conducting a targeted auto theft operation, focusing on locating stolen vehicles.

Deputies saw a car with a fraudulent license plate; the tags had expired in March of last year, and they were not registered to the car, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office says 26-year-old Jorge Hernandez Ornelas was behind the wheel.

“Deputies noted multiple inconsistencies in his statements,” the sheriff’s office said.

EPSO says they brought out a K-9 that alerted them to drugs in the car. Once the car was searched, deputies say they found out the car “had been modified to conceal and transport large quantities of illegal drugs.” Inside, deputies allege there were four pounds of meth.

The sheriff’s office says that Ornelas faces the following charges:

Unlawful distribution, manufacture, dispensing, or sale of a Controlled Substance

Unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Special offender – Drug offenses

Fictitious number on plates

He is held on a $50,000 bond, EPSO says.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The non-profit “We Fortify” is hosting its second annual “Serve to Serve” Pickleball tournament Saturday at 8 a.m. to raise money for its tiny home build for young people and teachers.

We Fortify has one completed tiny home community in downtown Colorado Springs with 18 residents, all between the ages of 18 and 25. The organization fully furnishes each home and charges tenants $600 a month for rent. Instead of traditional leases, tenants enter into a two-year program, which includes the home and mentorship help.

“They stay there for two years and get empowerment plans, life skills and all of that programming. We call it our secret sauce,” said We Fortify Operations Strategist Claire Franco.

At the end of the two-year commitment, tenants get to keep all the furniture for free, besides the refrigerator, washer and dryer.

We Fortify said it secured a grant of over $400,000 from Governor Jared Polis to build a second community for 18 to 25-year-olds. It said it is also working on two new developments for teachers in Harrison School District 2. The first one will be one-bedroom units in a neighborhood near the school district for $815 a month. The second will be family homes with multiple bedrooms.

We Fortify said all tournament profits will go back into funding the three new development projects.

The tournament registration is full, but We Fortify said everyone is welcome to come out and cheer and support at Peak Pickleball on Saturday. You can find more information on its future fundraising events here.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A private road connecting to several businesses on South Academy Boulevard is so popular that drivers continued to use it despite the presence of numerous, deep potholes.

“They’ve been here for years,” a driver told KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior during a report on the situation in April.

However, drivers are pleasantly surprised to learn that the potholes have been patched — and not by the property owner, apparently, but by one of the nearby businesses.

The block-long road is north of the Chelton Road/Delta Drive intersection; it serves as the entrance to a Carl’s Jr. restaurant, an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store, and a Dutch Bros coffee shop.

The road stretches uphill and ends at a Walmart store.

The Road Warrior has confirmed that the Carl’s Jr. — either the general manager or the owner — took responsibility for filling and paving over the pothole area.

No one at the restaurant was available for comment, but its parking lot was recently repaved, indicating that the paving crew stuck around to work on the access road.

Some potholes in the Dutch Bros parking lot were also filled.

The Road Warrior has found that many privately-owned business parking lots and access roads in the Pikes Peak region have pothole issues, but identifying and contacting the owners — as well as getting the potholes patched or the pavement improved — is a challenge.

However, at least three problem areas have been addressed after Road Warrior reports spurred by tips from viewers.

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Rob Namnoum

The CSU Pueblo football team lost a close one to Fort Hays State on Thursday night 36-35.

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