Author: KRDO

Julia Donovan

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A dart bar on the southeast side of Colorado Springs failed its recent routine health inspection with some concerning violations. Meanwhile, a familiar sub shop got another high score!

Low scores:

Murray Street Darts, located on North Murray Boulevard, failed its recent routine health inspection with 13 violations.

According to the El Paso County Health Department’s inspection report, some food items were being held at unsafe temperatures. The inspector also found no soap available in the public restroom.

More concerning, some food items were significantly past their usable date. The inspection found moldy sausage and rotten milk at the establishment.

Murray Street Darts later passed its re-inspection. However, during that follow-up inspection, officials found pre-portioned cups of green chili and gravy that were past the seven-day limit.

Workers were required to throw the food away immediately.

We stopped by and asked the employee working what they’re doing to mitigate the reoccurring expired food problem. The employee referred questions to the owner, who did not answer the phone.

This week’s restaurant high scores

While Murray Street Darts landed on the low end of this week’s restaurant roundup, three establishments received high scores:

Mona Lisa Fondue Restaurant in Manitou SpringsTaco Bell at North Union Boulevard and East Platte AvenueThe Taste of Philly at South Academy Boulevard and Hancock

Keep an eye out for KRDO13’s Restaurant Roundup awards at your favorite restaurant — and remember, a high score means the kitchen has passed its routine health inspection.

All high and low scores in this roundup are based on routine health inspections conducted by the El Paso County Health Department.

Click here for a look at all the most recent health inspection scores.

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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Josh Helmuth

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) –A local volleyball player keeps digging into her team, so much so that she has the attention of several colleges.

Toryn Dempsey is just a junior at Vista Ridge High School, and she’s already put up insane numbers for the Wolves.

She’s a three-year varsity starting libero. All-conference. Already closing in on 1,000 career digs. Already racked up 75 aces … and should reach 100 early in the season.

And those numbers are coming against some tough competition in 5A.

Toryn is also the team’s captain — and the lone returning starter after Vista Ridge lost five seniors.

She’s described as a “bright light” for the team, prolonging rallies while leading with grace and confidence.

She’s also being recruited at the Division I, Division II and Division III levels.

Is there someone or something remarkable at your school? Email Josh at SchoolBuzz@KRDO.com.

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

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) –Construction that began in July at an intersection where four jurisdictions meet has some drivers asking who is in charge of the work and why it is necessary.

KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior contacted officials from El Paso County, Fountain, and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT); they confirmed that a developer is leading the project at the intersection of B Street, Highway 85/87, and Venetucci Boulevard.

Venetucci has two segments: the north end, which is in the Colorado Springs city limits, and the south end, which goes up a hill to the South Academy Highlands shopping center, an area annexed by Fountain years ago.

A center median separates Venetucci at the intersection.

Crews have done some street paving and concrete work (curbs and sidewalks) and are rebuilding the center median.

However, it’s unclear how much road work will happen there.

The Road Warrior left a message with the developer’s office on Wednesday to request more information.

Occasionally, developers will agree to make infrastructure improvements around another project; that could be the case here, with a large apartment complex — and other development — being built near the shopping center.

A sign outside the complex lists the scheduled opening as early next year.

CDOT plans to eventually replace the highway bridge over I-25 and possibly include a roundabout at each end.

A roundabout at the intersection would improve traffic flow by eliminating the need for drivers to make illegal U-turns to get around the median that prevents a straight route on both ends of Venetucci.

Municipal boundaries have become increasingly important in the area due to recent growth and development; traffic is fairly heavy because of the proximity of Fort Carson and Pikes Peak State College.

Two years ago, The Road Warrior reported on uncertainty regarding who was responsible for street maintenance on the north side of the intersection; Colorado Springs ultimately determined that Venetucci, north of B Street, was in the city’s jurisdiction.

The city performed temporary repaving work there, and officials said that they would plan more extensive improvements in the near future.

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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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Seven balloonists showed off their array of colors Thursday morning above Banning Lewis Ranch to drum up excitement for the 50th annual Labor Day Liftoff this weekend at Memorial Park.

The morning wind prevented the pilots from taking off, but dozens of families were able to get up close and personal with the giant balloons and their pilots.

“I like them when they go all the way up in the sky, and then I thought they were going to go up in the moon!” young fan Chanel said.

Labor Day Liftoff kicks off on Saturday with launches every morning at 7 a.m. through Labor Day. There is also an evening “glow” session on Saturday and Sunday. The balloons won’t take off at night, but the flames will light up the night sky as the sun crests over Pikes Peak.

Organizers are adding Friday night fireworks and expanding the event space for the 50th annual Labor Day liftoff. You can find all the details here.

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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Dylan Foreman

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)–Liberty sophomore Abby Stenerson has already built a reputation as one of the top young softball players in the country. Now, she’s making a name for herself on a different field.

The standout athlete, known for crushing home runs and making plays on the diamond, has become one of the biggest weapons for Liberty’s inaugural girls flag football team.

“I love running the ball. I love catching the ball. I love running, cutting, juking people running. That’s my favorite thing ever,” Stenerson said.

Her impact has been immediate.

Whenever Stenerson gets the ball, her teammates and coaches expect something special to happen.

“I just know when she catches the ball, she’s going to score a touchdown,” freshman teammate Morgan VanHorn said.

That confidence isn’t misplaced. Through the early part of the season, Stenerson has quickly emerged as one of the team’s most dynamic playmakers.

“Our success is dictated by the lack of my imagination to get her the ball,” Liberty’s head coach Cody Jamison explained..

What’s even more impressive is that this is Stenerson’s first experience playing football.

Liberty is fielding its first-ever girls flag football team this season, creating a new opportunity for athletes across the school. While everyone is learning the game together, Stenerson has embraced the challenge.

“It’s a little different. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s been a lot of fun hanging out with these girls and playing this game,” she said.

Earlier this summer, she helped Team USA win a gold medal as a member of the U-15 National Team, further solidifying her status as one of the nation’s top softball prospects.

“It was so much fun. Winning that gold medal was, I think, the coolest thing I’ve ever done so far,” Stenerson said. “I just tried to never take anything for granted and had a lot of fun.”

While softball remains her future, Stenerson says flag football is helping her improve in ways that go beyond athletic ability.

“I think flag football helps with my mindset. Softball is a very mental sport and there’s a lot of failure,” she said. “Being able to come out here, succeed and have fun with no pressure… we’re starting something new here at Liberty. It’s just a fun sport.”

For one of the country’s brightest rising softball stars, flag football isn’t a detour from her future goals.

Instead, it’s another opportunity to compete, grow and dominate.

In addition to softball and flag football, Stenerson will compete in soccer, track and field and dive for Pine Creek High School.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado School for the Blind alumnus Tayler Moses is a key member of the USA’s first Goalball team in years as the girls prepare for the youth World Championship in Kazakhstan.

Goalball is a professional Paralympic sport that combines elements from bowling and soccer. Athletes are required to wear eye shades that block out all vision and throw a medicine-type ball filled with rattles at the opposing team’s net. Blind defenders have to go off of sound to block the heavy ball with their body, often at much pain to the defender!

While the professional USA goalball team receives grants and funding to compete, the young girls on the USA Youth team must individually fundraise to pay their way to Kazakhstan.

All day Wednesday, Panda Express is hosting a nationwide fundraiser for the Youth Goalball team. If you order online, use the code 9017040, and the chain will donate 28% of the sale to the team. Tayler also has a personal donation link here.

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) — This is exciting news for the thousands of daily drivers along Powers Boulevard who were tired of hitting several bumps that covered the width of the northbound lanes south of Airport Road.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) recently completed a six-week overnight operation to remove the bumps that were caused by a variety of damage to concrete panels.

For several years, CDOT tried to stabilize the bumps by patching them with concrete or other materials.

During CDOT’s operation, crews replaced several dozen panels and repaired several hundred more by actually stitching them together.

That process, known as cross-stitching, lowered the overall repair cost and kept it to around $500,000.

CDOT said that many of the panels are as much as 30 years old and that, combined with constant traffic and water getting between and under the panels, this caused the damage.

In some cases, crews had to dig up to two feet under the panels to stabilize them.

So, what took so long for the repairs to happen?

CDOT said the operation is part of the ongoing project to build an overpass at Airport and Powers; it’s within a work zone that already has lane closures, signage, and lower speed limits for worker and driver safety.

The I-25 bumps are not in construction zones and are more challenging to fix.

However, CDOT said a new strategy—starting as early as this fall—would select a specific contractor to respond to concrete repairs quickly, within a designated time period.

CDOT already has such an agreement for asphalt repairs but not for concrete, because the latter is more of a design issue than a maintenance issue.

In a related development, crews repaired a rough spot that developed this summer in the northbound lanes at the west end of the MLK Bypass; asphalt paved over concrete had crumbled and created several large potholes.

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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Rob Namnoum

The Air Force football team will play Duquesne on Saturday in their season opener. KRDO-13 Sports Director asked the players if they could spell Duquesne.

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Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s “Two Can Tuesday” at the Colorado State Fair, where fairgoers can forgo the $15 admission fee with a donation of two canned goods.

The donations benefit the Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado. It’s the fourth year the fair has partnered with Care and Share for Two Can Tuesday. Care and Share CEO Nate Springer said the event brought in over 10,000 pounds of food last year.

“Two cans is the minimum. Hey, look in your cabinet, look at all the canned food that you’re not going to eat, and just bring that to us at the state fair!” Springer said.

Springer said the word has spread year after year, and Two Can Tuesday has grown foot traffic on the fairgrounds.

“Tuesday is a really popular day at the state fair now because of the Two Can Tuesday. I think it benefits everyone,” Springer said.

Springer said the partnership with the State Fair helps prevent hunger in the immediate region. He said all the canned goods will stay in Pueblo County.

Two Can Tuesday is valid during full fair hours today, from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Final admission is around 10 p.m.

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

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is a month away from the scheduled completion of a repaving of US 24 that began in April.

Crews are placing new asphalt from just east of Peyton to just east of Calhan; it follows similar paving last summer farther west between Peyton and Falcon.

Another facet of the work is the construction of a passing lane at the east end of the project, near the intersection with Harrisville Road.

The paving has occurred at night to limit traffic impacts during the summer tourist season.

Several drivers told KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior that they’re happy to see the repaving, after years of asking CDOT to do more to improve safety on the busy highway.

Over the past decade, crews have added turn, merge, and passing lanes along the affected stretch of US 24.

Along with repaving through Calhan, the town has seen other recent improvements: Last summer, El Paso County performed a much-needed repaving of the road leading to the county fairgrounds off US 24 (Yoder Street), and CDOT repaired the main bridge through town.

The upgrades have drivers in neighboring Lincoln County hoping that CDOT will eventually bring the improvements farther east.

Drivers should be aware of crews still working on paved areas to smooth bumps that often form.

“There will be some slight bumps, just inherent with the paving,” said Wayne Pittman, a CDOT engineer. “So, the contractor will come through and diamond-grind. It’s not the milling machine with the big teeth. It’s a much finer tooth, to just take out those little bumps.”

Pittman also said that some of the old asphalt millings will be spread over Fairplay Road — a short, dead-end, dirt road along the highway.

“That was an agreement with the county because there’s a special needs child who lives down that road, and emergency vehicles have been stuck in the mud there,” he explained.

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