Author: KRDO

Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) says areas above the treeline in the Pikes Peak region have considerable avalanche risk for Saturday.

Experts with the CAIC say recent snow will start to move around in plumes as westerly wind picks up.

Example photo of snow coming off the peaks close to Red Mountain Pass (Source: CAIC)

The CAIC says those nearby should pay close attention to wind-drifted areas, which will be the most dangerous this weekend.

“You can trigger an avalanche where new snow and strong winds create a dense surface slab in steep terrain. The most dangerous slopes will face northeast to east to southeast, where slabs formed over a foot deep on hardened old snow surfaces,” read a blurb on the CAIC website.

Wind slabs (Source: CAIC)

Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A local veteran and medical marijuana store owner is suing the City of Colorado Springs over a ballot measure that could overturn previous results legalizing recreational marijuana sales.

In November, voters passed Ballot Question 300, which allowed for recreational weed sales. It passed by 54.68%. There was also another ballot measure opposing recreational marijuana sales which failed by 50.67%.

Source: Colorado Secretary of State’s Office

Some city council members said they felt as though voters may have been confused by the two conflicting questions.

This week, Colorado Springs City Council voted to put the measure back on the ballot in April to clarify; essentially a “do-over vote.” On Friday, the group Citizens For Responsible Marijuana Use announced a lawsuit.

The main argument of the lawsuit is that the Colorado Springs City Council violated the Colorado Constitution by deciding to bring the measure to voters once again this coming April.

Amendment 64, which legalized recreational marijuana use statewide in 2012, says cities can prohibit retail marijuana stores, but it must go to voters during a general election in an even-numbered year. The next election in April is not during an even-numbered year.

“It’s so specific and direct on this situation. How could anybody have decided to spend the time and energy to refer an initiative to April 1st? My assumption is they just missed it,” Tom Scudder is the President of the Colorado Springs Cannabis Association.

The lawsuit also argues that the city violated a city statute by using vague language when adding the measure to the April ballot. Read the full lawsuit here.

As for the city’s rationale for holding another vote, Councilman Dave Donelson told KRDO13 several weeks ago that citizens were confused by the language of the two competing ballot measures. Scudder doesn’t buy it, pointing to the vote margins of the two respective questions decided last November.

A spokesperson for the city said they will not comment on pending litigation.

Karla Sosa

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Following union members in the Denver area and Colorado Springs, grocery store workers in Pueblo have voted to strike.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 Union says 97% of Pueblo retail workers and 100% of Pueblo meat department workers voted to strike.

The last time the UFCW Local 7 went on strike was in 2022, that strike lasted 9 days just for stores in Denver. 

The union is asking King Soopers’ shoppers to shop at other grocery stores as a way to support their cause. 

RELATED: Colorado Springs King Soopers union workers vote to strike

“We want customers to support us and transfer their prescriptions over the Safeway or another pharmacy and support us by not shopping at King Soopers while we’re engaging in this dispute over their unfair labor practices,” said Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7.

King Soopers officials said those comments are concerning. 

“She’s also said she wants to give the communities time to transfer their prescriptions from King Soopers to Safeway. I’m a little concerned about [that]. So when we talk about bargaining in good faith and she’s treating Safeway different than King Soopers, it makes no sense,” said Joe Kelley Division President, King Soopers.

Originally, the contract was set to expire on January 4th, but both parties agreed to extend the deadline to January 17th.

The union said they are not satisfied with the plans for their health benefits and they want better security at the stores.  

King Soopers said their health care is the best in the class and safety is a core value for them.

On Friday, union members in Colorado Springs voted to authorize a strike against King Soopers. Workers in the retail department voted 96% in favor of a strike and more than 97% of meat department workers voted to go on strike. Other stores in Colorado voted in favor of a strike, we could soon see picket lines.

“We will advise them, when and what stores and at what time the picket lines will start,” said Cordova.

King Soopers says they’re disappointed by the outcome of a strike. But they say this won’t affect their stores and they will all remain open.

“Our stores will remain open, and we’ll have anywhere from 1000 to 2000 temporary workers, not replacement workers, because nobody can replace, a great, King Soopers in City Market team. But we have to run our stores and we have a responsibility to the communities that we serve. And stores remain open,” said Kelley.

It’s still unknown when union members will go on strike.

Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On Thursday, Jan. 30, a Colorado Springs woman found what she thought was unimaginable. A man had been living in her crawlspace beneath her home for at least two days, she tells KRDO13.

Grace Abbett said it all started when she and her husband heard a coughing noise. Neither of them had coughed, however, due to the proximity to their neighbor’s residences, they brushed it off. Then the couple’s dog started to get suspicious.

“Our dog started randomly growling at our vents,” explained Abbett.

She says her husband went outside to check but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. It wasn’t until later when her husband had left that Abbett noticed something out of place.

“I went to go take the trash out, and I saw footprints coming from, the cellar door, like the crawlspace door that’s outside. And I was like, that’s not my husband because he didn’t go out there. So I called and made sure. And then I called the police because I had a bad feeling,” recounted Abbett.

Abbett tells KRDO13 that the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) responded to her call. She says officers checked out the crawlspace and could tell someone had been there, finding items inside, but the person was gone. Abbett says CSPD told her to give them a call if the person came back, which they did later that evening. She said the experience was overall unnerving.

“I was home alone, and it just felt very like, you know, vulnerable, like someone was in my space. They could be there now. And I’m by myself, and I don’t like this,” shared Abbett, “I was just scared and a little vulnerable.”

Abbett’s ring camera captured the moment CSPD returned to her home to apprehend the man. The video shows officers escorting the man off of her property. Colorado Springs Police confirmed to KRDO13 that the man received a trespassing warning, meaning if he returned to the address, he would be charged with trespassing. CSPD added he was arrested for an outstanding warrant, although they could not confirm the nature of that warrant. The man was booked into El Paso County Jail. KRDO13 did ask for the man’s name, however, as of Sunday night, CSPD says they are unable to share that information.

Abbett says she’s grateful for their response.

“I just want to, thank the officers that came out because, honestly, they were so communicative. They told me everything that was happening. They gave me their work number, so that way I could call them directly. So I didn’t have to go through the whole 911 process again. And, they just let me know what was happening. Then they came back and told me what happened. So it was just like, really great to have, you know, some great officers out there,” explained Abbett.

Now she’s getting the word out to others in Colorado Springs; lock your homes and anything that can be accessed from the outside.

“Make sure you get locks for this, you know, this door (pointing to her crawlspace) and then that gate. Make sure you keep up with the camera and lock your garage and all that stuff. So, just reiterating that” Abbett shared some of the suggestions she received from CSPD.

CSPD has a unit dedicated to going to your home or business for free to evaluate areas that may be accessible for a criminal. Then they make suggestions to help better secure your property.