Author: KRDO

Scott Harrison

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Residents in Pueblo West can now see tangible progress in the long-conceived plan to build a road connecting this community to the west end of Pueblo.

Looking east at the intersection of Joe Martinez Boulevard and Purcell Boulevard, a path of blacktop winds through 2,300 acres of the Honor Farm Park and Open Space property purchased by the city of Pueblo in 2001.

By Halloween, Medal of Honor Boulevard should be finished.

Gregory George, Pueblo County’s interim public works director, said that paving the 3.5-mile, four-lane road began two weeks ago after a year of preliminary work.

“Probably the biggest challenge on this project has been the soil type that we’re dealing with,” he explained. “A lot of clay and shale. So, the surface has potential to swell. We’ve had to do a lot of rebuilding.”

In 2021, officials announced their plan to build the new road as part of the project to construct a new jail east of the Pueblo Boulevard/24th street intersection; in Pueblo West, the road becomes two-lane Joe Martinez Boulevard through a residential area.

“Around 25% of the new boulevard is in city jurisdiction and the rest is in county jurisdiction,” George said.

George said that crews should finish paving this summer and complete the entire $40 million project this fall — separate from the $140 million estimated cost of the new jail.

While many residents are excited about a shorter route between west Pueblo and Pueblo West without driving through congested US 50 a few miles north, others dread days like Thursday when dry conditions and strong winds create large amounts of dust.

“I’m indifferent,” said neighbor Dale Roxson. “I’ve realized that Pueblo’s got to grow and it’s just a part of growth. Yeah, it doesn’t bother me one way or the other. The construction, of course, is pretty rough.”

The west end of the new road currently has only one stop sign at the three-way Joe Martinez/Purcell intersection, and Roxson said that many neighbors wonder if the future intersection will become a four-way stop or have traffic signals.

George confirmed Thursday that the intersection will have traffic signals.

“Those lights flashing in my back yard, I don’r know if I’d like that,” he confessed.

A local company, Driven Plastics, is providing recycled plastic being mixed into the top two inches of asphalt.

“We are going to be including approximately 82 tons of plastics,” George said. “That equates to about 12.5 million grocery bags.”

In 2023, KRDO 13 reported that the county tested the new material by paving a four-mile stretch of Siloam Road, a gravel road southwest of Pueblo.

Officials chose that road for the test because of its proximity to marijuana growing facilities that produced increased traffic and more costs for road maintenance.

Medal of Honor Boulevard was originally to be an extension of Joe Martinez Boulevard — named after the first Coloradan and Hispanic-American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor in World War II — but officials later decided to rename it to include honoring the area’s four other recipients.

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Bradley Davis

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The Teller County Regional Animal Shelter (TCRAS) is hosting its first ever “Vets vs Pets” fundraising hockey tournament between veterans from the Colorado Warriors hockey team and and community members representing TCRAS.

TCRAS said Kentucky, one of the puppies who joined KRDO13 Friday morning, was adopted early that same afternoon. Photo courtesy TCRAS.

The tournament is at the Ed Robson Arena at Colorado College. The event lasts from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. TCRAS will have some of their adoptable animals at the game. It’s part of their “Pucks for Paws” initiative.

“How could I not root for the pets? So I think we have a really good chance, and it helps that I’ll be running the scoreboard!” TCRAS marketing coordinator Kathleen Ruyak said.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. All profits go to the shelter.

The shelter has all of its dogs and cats up for adoption on its website, including Roadie and Kentucky, who were special guests on KRDO13 this morning!

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – If you’re a veteran in Southern Colorado, odds are you’ve been faced with some hefty wait times when trying to get access to health care. On Wednesday, new patients at the Floyd Lindstrom Veterans Affairs clinic had to wait more than an hour and a half to get primary care. 

PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic – Facility DataDownload

On Centennial Boulevard on Thursday, the Floyd Lindstrom Veterans Affairs clinic opened a new Veteran Express clinic. It’s a fast track to health care without the calls, scheduling, or wait time. The express services are something health professionals say are immensely needed for the veteran community.

“This is a huge step. And we really need it down here. In the Southern Colorado area, specifically in Colorado Springs, we are one of the fastest growing veteran areas in the state, so to have something like this is, is enormous. It’s a definite improvement,” shared Registered Nurse Traci Herrera.

With 90,000 veterans in Colorado Springs, the VA hopes this will widen the scope of access to health care. 

“When we were on active duty, we had a sick call we could go to. And I’ve been asked for years, why doesn’t the VA have something similar to this? Well, guess what, the VA came along with it,” explained the Interim Director of VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Paul Roberts.

Now the clinic will offer walk-in services, with no appointment necessary. It’s a service Roberts says has been in the works for years.

“It provides that niche we were missing. You know, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, we were seeing patients. If they couldn’t get into primary care for one reason or another, they would come and come into our emergency department and sit sometimes for 3 or 4 hours for a minor illness, an issue that if we had something like this, we could have seen them right away,” shared Roberts.

Now this new clinic is expected to provide immediate access for veterans in need of care for basic, simple things such as coughs, colds, a bumped knee, etc. It’s an effort to alleviate the wait times and bring down the barriers when it comes to serving those who served our country.

“We need this. so, so desperately here. We want to step up for those veterans and be here for those things that they need. And having this walk-in clinic is just another avenue to help support our veterans,” explained Herrera.

The clinic will be open on the second floor on Mondays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Roberts says they hope to expand hours and staffing overtime.

“My biggest concern is we want to go from two days open to 2 to 5 days, because I think it’s going to be well received. The veterans are going to really like it. So, that’s our biggest challenge. But, you know, just, for those of us who’ve served, you’ve heard the term crawl, walk, run. That’s what we’re doing here. We’re starting small, and then we’re going to build it as demand builds and as we’re able to increase staffing and bolster it,” shared Roberts.

More details on the new clinic can be found below.

VA Express Care Clinic BrochureDownload

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Bart Bedsole

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – It was not a good week for Asian restaurants in the Briargate area of Colorado Springs. 

Viet’s Restaurant at 7640 North Academy racked up 18 health code violations during its inspection on April 10. 

They include: 

A worker washed their hands, but didn’t use a paper towel to turn off the faucet 

The hot water in the bathroom sink didn’t reach a minimum of 85 degrees 

The meat slicer had old food debris on the blade 

The fish sauce wasn’t thrown out after 7 days 

The thermometer in the cooler was off by about 20 degrees 

As a result of the abundance of violations, the restaurant was shut down. 

According to a health department spokesperson, “The inspection conducted on April 10, 2025, resulted in the closure of the facility due to the total number of violation points identified in the inspection report.” 

According to county records, Viet’s Restaurant was also shut down in March of 2024 and again in April 2024, prior to the most recent closure. 

When KRDO13 visited the restaurant to give the owner a chance to respond, the door was locked, with a sign on the door saying it would reopen on April 17. 

KRDO13 knocked on the front door, the back door, and tried to reach the management by phone, but no one answered. 

The health department spokesperson explained that a follow-up re-inspection will be conducted by EPCPH staff before the establishment is permitted to reopen. 

When asked whether the health department had the authority to revoke a retail food establishment’s license to operate, the spokesperson said public health agencies do have that authority. 

However, it’s unclear if that has ever happened, or what it would take for the health department to seek that revocation. 

As of April 17, Viet’s Restaurant was still awaiting that re-inspection to allow it to reopen. 

Kura Japanese Restaurant at the intersection of Research and Union also failed its health inspection. 

On April 8, the inspector noted 13 violations. 

Among them: 

There was no soap at the handwashing sink 

Raw eggs, raw chicken, and raw beef were stored above ready-to-eat food in the cooler.  

Medicines were stored above the prep table. 

A manager at Kura told KRDO13 she had no comment on the violations.

On April 21, Kura passed its re-inspection.

Exactly one year after failing in 2024, Sushi Rakkyo on Union near Briargate Parkway failed again. 

10 violations were discovered during its inspection on April 9, including: 

There was no certified food protection manager on site 

Instead of being clear, the handwashing sink near the sushi line had ice and a beverage inside 

Some of the cut lettuce in the fridge was about 10 degrees too warm 

Wiping cloths containing a chemical sanitizer were found sitting on the food prep table. 

No one at Sushi Rakkyo responded to KRDO13’s request for comment.

It passed its re-inspection on April 22 with six violations.

High scores

Several restaurants had zero or one violation last week. 

The KFC on North Academy near Galley was perfect, with no violations. 

The Paleta Bar at 600 S. 21st, the Chili’s at 1304 Interquest, the Mod Pizza at 13461 Bass Pro Drive, and Carlos Bistro at 1025 21st all had just one violation. 

With a long string of awards already, owner Carlos Echeandia said he aims to create an experience for his guests by giving them what he believes is the best food in Colorado. 

Echeandia, a native of Peru, because his culinary career as a dishwasher before working his way up the ladder and eventually opening one of the most renowned restaurants in the state. 

“I love the industry, and everyday is a new day.  You got to make it better,” he says. 

And in his daily quest to be better than the one before, food safety is never left out of the equation. 

“Every day, we clean it up,” he explains, “We make it right, so make sure our diners are safe, and everybody feels comfortable dining with us.” 

When Echeandia greets you at the door of his restaurant, he will most likely have his tie tossed over his shoulder. 

It’s not an accident. 

He told KRDO13 that in South America, a tie over the shoulder is a sign that it’s ok to relax and enjoy yourself, and he wants his guests to have that feeling when they walk in. 

Carlos Bistro has limited days and hours of operation, so calling ahead is highly recommended.

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

Click here for the full list of recent inspections in El Paso County.

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Rob Namnoum

Kain Medrano knew at a young age that he wanted to play in the NFL, “You get those little sheets that you bring home from elementary schools. What do you want to do when you grow up?  Being a NFL player like I have? There’s stuff in my mom scrapbook room,” says NFL hopeful, Kain Medrano.

The goal that he scribbled down on a piece of paper as a kid  is close to becoming a reality, “I’m getting anxious. Getting nervous is getting there. It’s getting closer day by day,” says Medrano.

Kain introduced himself to the NFL world at the NFL Combine  as he ran the fastest 40 time of any linebacker, ” I didn’t really know what I ran until after I got on the phone with my trainer. I heard everybody kind of,  you know,  gasp or, you know, kind of  in the in the crowd. And I’ve heard I heard a couple of the guys that were back at the start, you know, kind of get a little excited. And I went over there. They were like four, four, six under.  There’s no way. Let me wait for the official. You know what I’m saying? I kind of surprised myself,” says Medrano.

He says throughout this at times stressful process,  he has been able to count on his faith  with a hand  on the road for him fast, “The only thing you really have to fall back on is the relationship you have with  our Lord and Savior,” says Medrano.

His grandmother has given him some valuable advice, “She says it’s all in God’s hands and it’s the truth.  You know, I’ve done everything that I can  right now to to put my put my best foot forward in whatever direction he has for me.  You know, I know it’s right and it’ll be the right direction and the right fit,” says Medrano,

And being this close to the draft, he knows it’s all out of his control, “You know, I’m trying to do my best to tell myself to just kind of let it, you know, let it go. How it’s going to go.  Don’t get your hopes up for this day or this round or this round. I’m going to go. I’m going to go. And it’s going to be a blessing. And we’re just we’re all going to have fun and we’re going to.Yeah, just be blessed that this opportunity is is upon us,” says Medrano.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The overnight Wednesday closure of three blocks of Motor Way is a sign that the corridor and safety improvement project near Interstate 25, along South Nevada Avenue and South Tejon Street, is nearing completion.

During the closure between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., crews installed new street signs and repainted lane markings.

The $9 million project started last spring and was supposed to be finished by the end of last year but was slowed due to weather delays in late fall and early winter.

Overall project goals include reducing traffic congestion and improving traffic flow through the I-25/Nevada/Tejon interchange, and increasing safety for a large number of pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders in the area.

The upgrades are a welcome sight for people like Jason Hotchkin, who’s disabled.

“That’s going to be great, then,” he said. “Because I was homeless for a very long time — 17 years, off and on. So, it makes me feel much safer — especially now that I’m confined to this (wheelchair).”

Officials also hope the upgrades will eliminate deaths to pedestrians hit by vehicles; several recent victims were some of the many homeless people who frequent the area.

Crews have widened sidewalks and bike lanes; in fact, the bike lanes at intersections are so wide that some drivers have mistaken them for right turn lanes.

Workers have improved traffic safety and flow by installing a new center median on Nevada, eliminating some left turns on Nevada and adding lanes on the northbound and southbound connector roads.

But Christopher Wright, a local driver, isn’t satisfied.

“They need to do more repaving on South Nevada,” he said. “And there’s still too much congestion. Enough that it’s hard for people to just stop at a store or a restaurant.”

Wright isn’t aware that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has started a six-month project to repave the south end of Nevada between Brookside Street and Fort Carson’s main gate.

Because the interchange is heavily-traveled, drivers can expect more daytime congestion until the project’s expected completion in two weeks.

Other improvements include repairs to the Motor Way bridge over Cheyenne Creek, and construction of a pedestrian bridge across the creek, along the southbound connector road.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo (KRDO) – Linemen with Colorado Springs Utilities put KRDO13’s Bradley Davis inside a bucket truck and walked him through training drills to give an inside look at how they keep the lights on in the 719 in anticipation of National Linemen Appreciation Day on Friday.

Colorado Springs Utilities linemen demonstrate a pole-high rescue drill for KRDO13

“It’s like a giant jungle gym. You get to play on the heights everyday, and you get the satisfaction of keeping the lights on,” head lineman Denton McCombs said.

The linemen said they wanted to help the public better understand what they do. They work with voltage of up to 230,000 volts. That’s compared to the 120 volts in your standard outlet.

They say they do about 70% of their work managing high voltage switchers in the ground. When they do go up, they still have to climb by hand and harness when bucket trucks can’t reach the line.

It’s a hard job, but it’s one all the linemen who spoke with KRDO13 said they love to do.

It’s the best job ever. I wish I could be up here more,” lead foreman Jay Underwood said.

Watch the story to get an up-close look at some of the most dangerous maneuvers the Southern Colorado linemen are trained to do so that residents have power when damage strikes.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – KRDO13 Investigates has obtained an arrest affidavit that details allegations levied against 36-year-old Patricia Wallace. Wallace is a certified nursing aide who detectives believe was writing herself tens of thousands of dollars in checks from the 84-year-old she was taking care of. 

On Wednesday, KRDO13 Investigates went to get answers from the Colorado Springs certified nurse’s aide accused of stealing from an elderly woman she was caring for. We went to Patricia Wallace’s home address listed in police records. A woman came to the door. The woman said no comment and drove off in the car that police say was paid for with the stolen money.

Arrest records say Wallace told detectives she wrote the checks for the 84-year-old, since she was unable to write them herself.

The nursing aide said the 84-year-old wanted her to have the money. However, family members say she was in no state to consent to that.

The 84-year-old’s wheelchair had a fanny pack on the back that held her credit card. Police say the suspect took her card out and stole the information starting in April 2024.

Following that, detectives say checks made out to Wallace paid for her credit card debt, car loans, and thousands that she told police she gave to family, a friend, and a boyfriend.

Wallace told detectives the money totaled approximately 70 thousand dollars.

Wallace is facing multiple charges, including money laundering and crimes against an at-risk person.

KRDO13 Investigates contacted Wallace’s attorney, and as of Wednesday night, we have not heard back.

As of Wednesday, Wallace is still licensed as a CNA.

Print Lookup DetailsDownload

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Officials said that they’re not sure when the interchange at US 24 and Peterson Road was built, but some longtime residents believe it happened during the 1960s.

A much-needed upgrade is planned for the interchange just outside the north gate of Peterson Space Force Base.

“To me, it’s been a long time coming because this place, sometimes it’s hard to get in and out of here,” said Dave Bickett, an Ellicott resident. “So, I think it’s going to be a good deal.”

Between the interchange and the base is a shopping center with eight businesses — including a Dairy Queen that, on a warm day, attracts customers from miles around seeking ice cream and other treats.

Traffic to and from the businesses, the base and normal highway traffic create a steady amount of congestion that the interchange can no longer handle efficiently.

The highlights of the upcoming project are two roundabouts — one on each side of the highway — and other improvements to include better traffic flow and access for pedestrians, bicycles and transit buses.

At a Wednesday afternoon media briefing about the project, Gayle Sturdivant, deputy public works director for Colorado Springs, said that the bridge over Peterson Road won’t be demolished.

“It’s actually going to be reused,” she explained. “If you drive underneath the bridge today, you’ll see slope sides with it. You’ll (eventually) see new sides put in, new walls underneath there, opening up the span underneath the bridges so we can change the lane configurations coming underneath US 24 there on Peterson Road.”

Local leaders, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Department of Defense (DOD) and base leadership have worked on the details for eight years; a DOD grant is providing two-thirds of the funding.

Sturdivant also said that the project coincides with the base’s plan to increase north gate access by changing the gate configuration — which some members of the base community said will increase arriving and departing traffic through the day.

Some of the nearby merchants — such as Reese Sattler, owner of Rocky Bowl Bistro — are concerned about how construction will affect them and their customers.

“I’ve seen other restauranteurs in the Springs, over on South Academy, have the same issue,” he said. Hey, we are going through all of this construction, and now we’re having a tough time. And these are all successful small businesses. So I’m thinking (that) I’m brand new. What’s going to happen to me?”

Construction starts next month and is scheduled to end late next year.

Officials will sponsor an open house Wednesday to provide more details about the project; the event is from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at the Colorado Freedom Church, 6862 Galley Road.

More information is available on the project website: https://coloradosprings.gov/US24Peterson.

Bradley Davis

BLACK FOREST, Colo. (KRDO) – KRDO13’s Bradley Davis speaks with a couple cast members of Varmint, a Western Horror film shot entirely in Black Forest and acted by an entire Colorado-based cast.

Cast talk about behind the scenes work on Good Morning Colorado!

The movie will be the closing film in the Western Film Festival in Coleman, Texas. It makes its theatrical debut at the Icon Cinema in northern Colorado Springs May 13. Cast and crew will hold a Q&A after the movie for people interested.