Author: KRDO

Josh Helmuth

A Harrison D2 assistant principal is being honored with a national award for her leadership in turning around the academic program.

Renee Dahl just won the 2026 National Outstanding Assistant Principal Award for her work at Monterey Elementary School. According to the Colorado Association of School Executives, Dahl has done a tremendous job improving the school’s status since she started in 2020, when the school was in turnaround status.

Dahl is credited with implementing a math instructional shift that has led to a 50 percent increase in the average number of students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations in the classroom. 

“We were giving students the opportunity to not just do a problem, but to explain their thinking. And it slowly just grew into this momentum and it’s just really exciting to hear,” said Dahl.

“Because I love math. It’s just really exciting to hear students talk about math and how they’re learning,” she said.

Under her leadership, Monterey Elementary is now one of the top performing schools in D2.

Is there someone remarkable at your school? Email us! SchoolBuzz@KRDO.com. 

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A swim school in Colorado Springs is having its students swim in their pajamas all month long to learn how to stay afloat when you least expect to meet the water.

According to the National Library of Medicine, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury and death for children four and under. That’s why the Little Fins Swim School is training its young children to swim to safety with a little extra weight.

There’s a reason we take off our clothes and shoes when taking a dip. Clothing is heavy and awkward in the water, and a study suggests it substantially hinders swimming ability.

“It’s really heavy, it’s hard to swim in clothes, and oftentimes, kids will drown just on the side of the pool because they just don’t know what to do,” said Little Fins Swim School owner Lauri Armstrong.

Little Fins said it wants its students to become comfortable with the extra weight and drag, so it doesn’t come as a shock when accidents happen.

Accidental falls are unpredictable, a point “Jammie January” tries to hammer home. You would never purposely go for a dip right out of bed in your pajamas!

If you want to give it a try, do it under safe, controlled conditions. Don’t do it outside in the Winter, and have someone with you! You will likely notice quite a difference in your efficiency in the water

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Officials said that temporary closures are possible starting Wednesday along a narrow road at the entrance to Rampart Park on the city’s northeast side.

A city crew will install an underground drainage pipe along 300 feet of an open channel between the road, a sloped buffer zone, and a retaining wall above a new housing development.

The pipe will connect to a stormwater outlet that released enough water during a storm last summer to collapse part of the wall and damage the channel, which is lined with plastic turf.

After installing the pipe, workers will cover it with soil and plant grass on top, and repair damage in the channel.

The channel drains into nearby Pine Creek.

Officials ask park visitors to be aware of large trucks and other equipment along the narrow road; when it’s open, departing traffic must yield to incoming traffic.

The road leads to park facilities which include a popular dog park, a BMX bike path, a playground, and a disc golf course.

Officials said that the project is the first of its kind in town.

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Rob Namnoum

A Southern Colorado coaching legend received a great honor on Tuesday night. Every time you step foot into the gymnasium at Palmer High School from this day forward there will be a banner recognizing Dan McKiernan.

Coach McKiernan coached basketball at Palmer High School for 31 years, winning two state championships. The court at Palmer has been named in his honor. His family, former players and friends were at Palmer High School on Tuesday night, as they honored a man who has given so much to students at Palmer.

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Rob Namnoum

The Coronado boys basketball team defeated Palmer on Tuesday night 59-57.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A street improvement project that was supposed to end this summer has started back up this week after a year-long break.

We’re referring to the second and final phase of work along two miles of South Academy Boulevard, between Fountain Boulevard and Jet Wing Drive.

Crews are making major drainage improvements, utility upgrades, and replacing old asphalt and concrete.

Work resumed overnight Sunday, as crews removed old lane markers, added temporary markings, and set up concrete barriers.

This phase of the project will proceed in four segments, with the first being between Astrozon Boulevard and Drennan Road.

Preliminary work on the second phase began in 2023, while crews started working on the first phase, which covers three-quarters of a mile between Bijou Street and Airport Road.

That first phase ended in late 2024.

The city initially planned to resume construction last fall, but delayed resumption to devote more time to talking with adjacent neighbors and business owners about efforts to avoid project impacts that negatively affected them.

Ryan Phipps, the city’s capital improvements manager, said that officials learned three important lessons: Perform work in smaller segments, do a better job of maintaining easy access to adjacent businesses, and do nighttime work when possible.

However, although construction preparations will happen overnight when there is less traffic, most of the work will occur during conventional daytime hours.

“South Academy is a road that’s over 50 years old,” he explained. “It actually was constructed to connect the Academy — Air Force Academy — on the north, down to Fort Carson on the south. So, that was its original purpose. Since that time, obviously, we’ve had a bunch of people living along the corridor. There’s a ton of business on the corridor. So, the use of that has changed over the course of time.”

Crews are hoping to avoid issues with groundwater that slowed progress at the start of the project.

The overall cost is $100 million, mostly financed by the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority and with some federal funding included.

Meanwhile, just south of the city’s South Academy project, El Paso County is finishing its $70 million in improvements on the boulevard between Milton E. Proby Parkway and Interstate 25.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Since October, a new type of miniature “library” has started popping up around Colorado Springs. Instead of books, the cabinets are filled with both new and vintage Hot Wheels. Take a car, leave a car!

It’s a relatively new initiative by Jason Franklin and Caleb Chambley, called “Cars for Everyone.” With the help of local business sponsors, the duo has set up seven “Mini Car Neighborhood Libraries.” They said they have no intentions of slowing down.

Franklin and Chambley said it’s a community initiative to raise awareness for the different events and services they provide. In the three or so months since its launch, they said people from six other states have reached out and set up other mini car libraries in their neighborhoods.

Among other programs, Cars for Everyone hosts free car events, hosts work mentorship programs for people with disabilities, does youth outreach and provides auto services at reduced costs to people struggling with finances.

You can find each mini car library location here. If you are a homeowner or business interested in sponsoring a new library location, you can find more information here.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Boeing has sent $50,000 in grant money to Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center to support a military spouse career program, according to a spokesperson with Mt. Carmel.

According to the organization’s website, the MilSpouse Program provides direct support to spouses, including career readiness workshops, networking opportunities, resource referrals, and volunteer positions.

“Often times, the sacrifices of spouses supporting service members go unrecognized,” said COL. (Ret) Bob McLaughlin, executive director of Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, in a press release. “From moving city to city and putting their careers on the back burner to gaps in their resumes as they hold down the homefront — anything we can do to support our military spouses is an absolute honor.”

Mt. Carmel says Boeing has supported skills development and rehabilitation for veterans and their spouses through about $15.6 million in funding.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Colder temperatures and the federal Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday aren’t keeping crews from making progress in the ongoing improvement project on 8th Street.

Until now, it has generally affected northbound 8th Street, on the bridge over Fountain Creek, and the eastbound US 24 Frontage Road to Cimarron Street.

But drivers are about to see impacts on southbound 8th Street.

There have been recent traffic backups on northbound 8th Street across the Fountain Creek bridge due to an occasional right lane closure.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, and lasting four weeks, that lane will remain closed.

The closure enables crews to rebuild sidewalks, driveways, and other street features.

Here’s some good news, though.

After that work is completed, we’ll finally see the new dedicated right turn lane open, from the bridge to the US 24 Frontage Road.

Both lanes of that road have been closed since just before Christmas, with one lane briefly reopening for the holidays.

As for the street impacts hinted at, south of the bridge, expect to see brief lane closures all the way to Motor City Drive. 

That will allow workers to find utility lines under 8th Street.

Then, that work will switch to the northbound side.

We’re told it’ll take a few days to finish all of it.

Similar work will occur north of the bulk of the project, as crews locate utility lines at the intersection of 8th & Cucharras streets.

All of the coming changes are to prepare for the next major phase of this project — replacing a water main under the affected stretch of 8th Street.

Officials emphasize that access to adjacent businesses will remain open, and drivers are asked to avoid blocking driveways to businesses.

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Sara McCoy

TODAY/MLK DAY: Snow showers began just before 4 a.m. across El Paso County and surrounding areas. Outside of Denver, the most impacted locations include Douglas, Elbert, Lincoln, and Kiowa Counties. Winds will be gusty at times, peaking between 20 and 25 mph. Morning temperatures are chilly, starting out in the 20s area-wide, then warming into the upper 30s for El Paso County and near 40 degrees for Pueblo County and much of the eastern plains. Lingering snow flurries will taper off by around 7 a.m.

THIS AFTERNOON: Cloud cover gradually clears late this morning, wrapping up by about 11 a.m., but temperatures remain on the cold side for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. El Paso and Teller Counties may see a brief window between 2 and 3 p.m. where temperatures rise just above freezing.

TONIGHT: Skies turn mostly clear with cold conditions continuing overnight.

TOMORROW: A warm-up arrives as temperatures climb back to above-average levels, with highs reaching the 50s across all regions. Overnight lows remain cold. Dry conditions develop early Tuesday morning, especially along and east of the I-25 corridor. Relative humidity will drop below 10 percent, and winds may gust up to 30 mph, creating elevated fire danger despite the cooler temperatures.

WEDNESDAY: Mild conditions continue with highs once again in the 50s.

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