Author: KRDO

Bradley Davis

Mesa Ridge Senior Hailey Lewis finds her peace in the fractions of seconds between leaving the diving board and hitting the water.

“It gives me something to focus on, and it’s mind-clearing,” Hailey said.

“She just goes for it. She’s always been that way,” said Hailey’s mother, Danielle.

Hailey only started diving competitively three years ago. Unlike most successful divers who don’t start until high school, she entered the sport with no gymnastics background.

“I don’t even know how to explain how she got into it,” Danielle said.

“It’s really hard to find young athletes who are as dedicated to Hailey,” said Widefield Grizzliators dive coach Tristan Riffe, the consolidated dive team between Mesa Ridge and Widefield District 3.

For Hailey, seconds… turned to hours… turned to years. In the end, it only took her three to take down the Grizzliators pool record that had stood for over three decades.

“I was shocked because [coach Riffe] didn’t tell me right away,” Hailey said. “But I had my suspicions because he was running away all crazy.”

“Ah, yes. That would be myself… Haha,” Riffe said.

“I tried to keep my cool,” Riffe said. “But for her six-dive record, it was on senior night, and that kind of elevated everything.”

Riffe was in good company.

“I’m a mom. I screamed. I probably hurt some eardrums,” Danielle said.

Danielle made sure to write Hailey’s record down. She brought it on a laminated card to the interview with KRDO13.

“This is absolutely going to go up there for her,” Danielle said while standing underneath the Widefield Community Center pool record wall.

The girls’ diving record cards have collected dust for 31 years. In just five days, Hailey reset the clock twice.

“Finding out she broke the 11-dive record by 28 points was absolutely astonishing,” Riffe said.

After breaking the six-dive record Tuesday on Senior Night, Hailey smashed the 11-dive record on Saturday.

“So many hugs, and it was so much. It was incredible,” Hailey said.

“She had it. She has her moment, and it’s the greatest joy a parent could ever ask for,” Danielle said.

After Mesa Ridge, Danielle and Riffe said Hailey will leave behind much more than just her records.

“She’s the type of person that you will always hear her voice before she leaves the board, knowing that she’s supporting you,” Riffe said.

“I know she’s leaving a legacy of motivation and encouragement for the future generation that she will leave behind her,” Danielle said.

It’s been a wild few days for Hailey.

“Best week ever?” I asked.

“Probably,” Hailey said.

Her legacy could be another 30-year record, or it could be the next record, captured by one of Hailey’s peers, after being inspired by Hailey to aim higher… and dive deeper.

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pueblo County Coroner has identified the second victim of the rural home explosion earlier this month.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘It was just debris, just chaos.’ Two killed in rural Pueblo County explosion, fire

A week ago, the Pueblo County Coroner identified 79-year-old Daniel Dale Conner as one of the fatalities. On Sunday, Tammy Lee Brown, a 66-year-old woman, was identified as the second victim. The time of death for both is 2:40 p.m on January 8, 2026.

The first report of deaths in the explosion came from the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office who said an adult man and woman perished in the explosion. Based on information at the time, the sheriff’s office said they believed the explosion was accidental in nature.

A cause of death for either, or a cause of the explosion, has not been made public.

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Marina Garcia

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Most Coloradans spent their afternoon watching the highly anticipated home playoff game between the Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills.

Walking into one bar on the east side of Colorado Springs, you’ll notice a lot more buffalo blue than expected.

“Broncos fans, you’re done. You’re done. And then we going to the Super Bowl…and Patriots watch out. Ya’ll been talking a lot of stuff lately,” says Bills fan, Davon Johnson.

However, that hasn’t stopped Broncos fans from showing up to bring the noise.

“I certainly felt like today was a good day to come in. And, you know, try to at least counter some of the Bills’ action in here,” teases Brandon Helm.

Walking through the establishment, the sound of Broncos die-hards are cheering on their players.

But a few hours into the Divisional Round, everyone was on the edge of their seats.

The Broncos took the lead before the Bills tied the game, taking it into overtime, and then Will Lutz kicked the winning field goal.

KRDO13 watched as half the crowd went home in a very different mood than when they came, with their heads down.

“I’m feeling very sad. Very sad. Pretty bummed out. [We’re going to] cry ourselves to sleep,” says Bills fans couple, Grant and Megan Langdon.

The Broncos are now advancing to the championship game on Sunday, January 25th.

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Bradley Davis

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – At the beginning of his postgame press conference, head coach Sean Payton announced quarterback Bo Nix fractured his ankle on his second-to-last play in overtime of Denver’s win over Buffalo and is done for the season.

Payton said Nix is scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday. He said backup Jarrett Stidham will start the AFC championship game next Sunday.

Payton said Nix fractured his ankle the play before throwing the deep ball to Marvin Mims that drew a penalty and set up the game-winning field goal.

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Bradley Davis

In a wild back-and-forth game with six total turnovers, Will Lutz knocked through a 23-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Broncos to their first AFC Championship birth since 2016.

Trailing 27-23 in the fourth quarter, Bo Nix led a 73-yard touchdown drive ending in a 26-yard strike to Marvin Mims with less than a minute left in the game.

Despite four turnovers in regulation, Josh Allen and the Bills kept bouncing back. In what’s becoming a Buffalo staple, Allen hit Khalil Shakir in the middle of the field, who threw a lateral back to Ray Davis for a 27-yard gain with 32 seconds left in regulation. That led to a Buffalo field goal, tying the game at 30 and sending it to overtime.

Their final turnover would be the dagger for the Bills. After Denver failed to score in overtime, Allen went deep to Brandon Cooks. Cooks looked to come up with the catch, but cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian ripped it away before hitting the ground, coming up with the incredible interception.

With the game on the line, Nix once again went back to Mims, who drew the 30-yard pass interference penalty. The play set up Lutz for the game-winning field goal.

The pace in this game really picked up in the final seconds of the first half. With just 22 seconds left near the Bills’ 30-yard line and the score tied at 10, Nix was not ready to settle for the last-second field goal. Instead, he hit Lil’Jordan Humphrey deep down the seam for the 29-yard touchdown.

On the next drive, Denver linebacker Nic Bonitto popped Allen on a scramble, forcing a fumble. Denver recovered, setting up Lutz for a 50-yard field goal as time expired, capping off a 10-point scoring burst in the final 22 seconds of the half.

The second half started with a little déjà vu. Allen fumbled, setting up another Lutz field goal.

That’s when the momentum started to turn. The Bills would go on to score 17 unanswered points and take the lead 27-23 midway through the fourth quarter.

As has been the case 11 other times this season, Nix and Denver were up to the challenge. The response with Mims late in the fourth and again in overtime was enough to finish a wild 33-30 divisional round victory. It’s the Broncos’ 12th one-score win this season.

For the Bills, it was a game plagued by mistakes. Buffalo committed five turnovers at Mile High. Allen is now 0-7 in overtime games in his career, and 0-3 in overtime playoff games. It ties Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning for most overtime losses without a win for a starting QB in NFL history.

Denver will host the AFC championship game next Sunday at 1 p.m. Their opponent depends on the result of tomorrow’s AFC divisional tilt between Houston and New England.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Air Force Academy announced in a press release its suspension of head men’s basketball coach Joe Scott indefinitely while the school investigates his treatment of his cadet athletes.

The military academy said assistant coach Jon Jordan will serve as interim head coach. The team is canceling all media availability during today’s home game against Nevada. The press release did not elaborate on the type of treatment Scott is accused of.

Scott said in a statement that he is cooperating in the investigation.

“In response to today’s action, I will fully cooperate with the investigation and look forward to a proper resolution of this matter. I will not have any further comment until the matter is resolved,” Scott said.

Scott led the Falcons to one of their most successful seasons in program history during his first stint as head coach from 2001 to 2004, winning the school’s first Mountain West title and first NCAA tournament appearance in 42 years.

Scott has not found the same success in his second go-around as head coach at the Academy. The Falcons have not had a winning season since he took over in 2020. The team is 3-14 headed into Saturday’s game with Nevada.

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Michael Logerwell

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) – A 21-year-old faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated robbery, and more after Fountain Police connected him to two separate assaults on Thursday night

Fountain Police

Jakob Soroka, 21, was in the El Paso County Jail Friday night, at the time of publishing.

It all started when the Fountain Police Department got a call before 10:00 p.m. on Thursday night from the Albertacos Mexican Restaurant on Highway 85 south.

Inside the restaurant, police found a man with a stab wound in his back, but no suspect. The victim was taken to a local hospital for further treatment.

Still on the scene, police reviewed the restaurant’s security cameras, which had recorded the stabbing. Based on the depiction from the security camera, they were able to find Soroka less than 10 minutes after they arrived at the scene.

He was arrested near the 7-11 gas station on Main Street.

But the police investigation didn’t end there.

Fountain Police then connected Soroka to another assault from earlier in the night. Police believe that 40 minutes before the stabbing, he physically assaulted someone at Taco Bell on Camden Boulevard, which is just south of the Albertacos.

The Police Department says the victim of that assault gave a suspect description that matched Soroka.

Soroka is being held in the El Paso County Jail on a $25,000 bond. He’s been charged with:

Two counts of second-degree attempted murder

Aggravated robbery

Third-degree assault

Theft

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Heather Skold

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The hammering sound was deafening. By 1943, thousands of women gathered in factories to build bombers and fighter planes. The steady bang of rivet guns, the sound of a country desperate to catch up with the Axis powers, was driven by a female workforce. 

Rosie the Riveters provided the might behind WWII weaponry. Now, a modern twist on the effort provides stability to military spouses, but this one is through the hum of sewing machines.

The founders of the handbag company, R. Riveter, know firsthand the strain of being a military spouse.  Lisa Bradley, co-founder and CEO, quickly discovered the norm as an Army spouse; in the first eight years of their marriage, they moved four times.  It was at that point that Bradley wanted to empower and employ other military spouses in the same position. 

“It was really difficult to be a military spouse that moves every 3 to 5 years, and really, our resumes were put at the bottom of the pile. Enough was enough. Let’s stop complaining and let’s create a business model where we can not only employ ourselves but other military spouses in our own shoes,” said Bradley.

Since its founding in 2011, R. Riveter has employed hundreds of “Riveters,” who are spread throughout the globe and sew the handbag liners before the fabric is shipped to Florida for assembly.  

“You can know exactly where your product is coming from,” said Bradley, referencing the inner patch, stamped with the riveter’s number. 

Non-sewers can also join in the effort.  Non-profits and military spouses make 15% commission on every bag they sell through the affiliate program.

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Celeste Springer

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — A Fountain eye clinic will be paying $240,000 to the state over allegations of illegal Medicaid billing, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office says.

Officials allege that Just for Grins Vision routinely billed Medicaid for two sets of lenses when only one set was delivered to patients.

The attorney general’s office says that Medicaid provides eye coverage to children and young adults under the age of 20; the vision benefit includes one pair of frames and two sets of lenses.

According to the attorney general’s office, Just for Grins Vision allegedly billed the state illegally for more than 1,800 claims from 2019 to 2025– though the provider disputes these claims.

“JFG [Just for Grins] Vision is a small practice.  JFG fully cooperated with the Attorney Generals Office.  JFG disagrees with the State’s interpretation of Medicaid coverage and billing standards. JFG settled to avoid a long distracting litigation and to instead focus on caring for patients,” read a statement from the provider.

Another company has agreed to pay the state in a similar settlement. Apex Vision and Wellness will pay $280,000 for a similar alleged scheme.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A project that The Road Warrior first reported on last April, and was scheduled to start the following month, is finally getting underway at the interchange of US 24, Peterson Road, and Space Village Avenue.

Officials stated that the right southbound lane of Peterson, between the US 24 overpass and the north gate of Peterson Space Force Base, will be closed for three weeks for the first phase of work.

Courtesy: City of Colorado Springs

The closure allows workers to install a storm sewer; the left southbound lane will remain open for base access.

Gayle Sturdivant, the city’s deputy director of public works, said that the project is starting later than intended as officials awaited the arrival of federal funding for the $15.3 million effort — two-thirds of which was provided by an infrastructure grant from the U.S. Department of Defense.

“When you get grant awards, they are sometimes for future monies, or you have to go through grant agreements,” she explained. “So, even though you know you’re going to get the money when you can physically have access to it, the timing can be a little bit different.”

Since 2017, local leaders have studied how to address what they describe as present and future “extreme” traffic congestion in the area.

Officials have revealed that traffic in and out of the base recently has been slowed by two projects: the construction of a new interchange at Airport Road and Powers Boulevard, which leads to the main entrance at the west gate, and a utility project outside the east gate along Marksheffel Road.

Additionally, Peterson’s leadership wants to change its north gate configuration to correspond with the latest improvement project, and that likely will result in more daytime traffic.

Previously, the north gate was the main entrance into the installation.

“They were asking us to get more people in that queue, to get in that southbound lane to go into that gate,” Sturdivant said. “We actually have taken over control of that signal right there — the traffic signal — so we can get more folks queued up to go into the gate, through security.”

The project’s overall focus is to improve travel onto and off of the base — not just for traffic, but also for pedestrians, cyclists, and trail users.

A major feature of the project involves building two roundabouts just north and south of the US 24 interchange.

In The Road Warrior’s April 2025 story, managers at several of the eight businesses in a Space Village shopping center expressed concern about how the project may affect them and their customers, citing negative impacts to businesses at some other projects.

Officials expect to finish the project early next year.

Partners in the project include Colorado Springs, El Paso County, the U.S. Department of Defense, Peterson Space Force Base, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments.

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