Author: KRDO

Celeste Springer

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The National Weather Service (NWS) says that after surveying the area, they can confirm that a tornado hit Woodland Park last week.

The tornado was ranked an EF-1, indicating that it caused only moderate damage with winds of about 110 miles per hour.

This is yet another tornado to hit Teller County this year. The NWS confirmed an EF-1 tornado was in Teller County, 2 miles north-northeast of Divide, in June.

The NWS says reports of damage for this latest tornado were delayed, so they only went out to assess on Monday.

According to the latitude and longitude coordinates provided by the NWS, the tornado started near the intersection of County Road 5 and Forest Service Road 357.

The NWS believes the tornado took off around 1:55 p.m. on July 30. During their assessment, crews found widespread damage to nearby woodland, with trees uprooted and some snapped. The NWS believes the tornado traveled about an eighth of a mile.

The NWS did not indicate there was any damage to man-made structures.

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Celeste Springer

MONUMENT, Colo. (KRDO) — A water main break has shut down the intersection of Jefferson and 3rd Streets in Monument, according to town officials.

Town officials say water service in the nearby area (pictured below) has been shut off as repairs are underway.

Courtesy: Town of Monument

“We appreciate your cooperation & understanding as we work to resolve the issue promptly,” read a post from the Town of Monument.

The initial release did not include a timeline for project repairs.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS Colo. (KRDO) — The City of Colorado Springs says they’ve welcomed 13 students from Japan as part of a larger “sister city” program.

The City of Colorado Springs has had a decades-long partnership with Fujiyoshida, Japan. Since its establishment in 1962, Colorado Springs and Fujiyoshida have participated in community festivals, pen-pal programs, and exchanges, city officials said.

This latest arrival marks the 34th time students have left their homes to participate in cultural exchanges overseas.

“It is an extraordinary privilege to host this delegation of bright and thoughtful students,” said Mayor Yemi Mobolade in a press release. “Colorado Springs and Fujiyoshida share more than scenic beauty at the base of iconic mountains, we share a deep commitment to cultural exchange and mutual respect. As a city that values cultural richness and global connection, we are proud to foster these relationships that enrich our community. These young ambassadors inspire us with their curiosity and remind us that the bridges we build today lead to a more peaceful and connected world of tomorrow.”

In total, about 500 students have flowed through the program, city leaders said.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Numerous citizens have asked when projects on Galley Road, one of which started early last year, will end the road closures and detours they’ve endured.

Galley cuts through several neighborhoods and is a convenient east-west route for drivers between Academy and Powers boulevards, but citizens have been frustrated by the impacts from three infrastructure projects.

The latest started Monday and was expected to continue through Thursday at the intersection of Galley and Potter Drive, where Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is repairing a faulty valve on a 24-inch water main.

CSU initially said that the intersection would be closed, but daytime eastbound traffic was open on Monday, and it appeared that one lane in each direction was open overnight.

However, crews repaved the area late Tuesday morning, and CSU said that the intersection would fully reopen on Wednesday morning.

The utility is also replacing an old water main on Galley between the west fork of Sand Creek bridge and Powers Boulevard.

It’s a three-phase project that began early last summer, and crews have finished the first two phases to bring the new main to Space Center Drive; CSU hasn’t finalized when the final phase across Powers will start.

But the project that is most frustrating to many citizens is the demolition and replacement of the 60-year-old creek bridge, which has closed several blocks of Galley in both directions.

Crews made significant progress earlier this summer when they finally tore down the old bridge.

However, the project has been delayed — first, by the late arrival of some construction materials in the beginning, and then by challenges in relocating utility lines.

Citizens complaining about the project may also be unaware of the weather slowing progress.

As one construction worker told KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior on Monday: “Every time we get ready to pour concrete, we get a rainstorm that floods the creek and bursts the dams that we build to control the flow. We end up having to start over.”

But crews are hoping for a period of dry weather to meet their goal of finishing the project this fall.

Many citizens hope that Galley will be repaved after all utility projects are completed, although this will likely result in additional traffic impacts.

City and CSU officials have said that they understand the public’s frustration with the length of the projects, but are trying to complete them as soon as they can.

A local church found a creative way to grin and beat the construction.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) reports responding to a call for a break-in at an apartment complex on Zebulon Drive, in the Sand Creek neighborhood, just before 2 a.m. on Sunday.

KRDO13 spoke with the man, Jeffrey, who made the initial call to the police. Jeffrey asked us not to share his last name for fear of retaliation.

Jeffrey said he was in bed when he saw shadows out of the corner of his eye. He says he saw a man walking who then slammed his bathroom door. Jeffrey lives alone.

“Who is in my apartment? Like, it’s very scary,” recounted Jeffrey.

Jeffrey said the man was yelling expletives and knocking things over in the bathroom.

“It unnerved me a bit, and at the same time, I was very curious and just a little shocked. And when he came out of the bathroom, he was unclothed, which was another shock,” explained Jeffrey.

Jeffrey says he attempted to explain to the man that he was in the wrong place. 

“He said, I don’t care. And then he socked me, right in the left cheek,” recounted Jeffrey.

But he says the man, later identified by police as Chance Garcia, wasn’t done. 

CSPD photo of Chance Garcia

“He pushed me. And then he jumped into the bed and covered himself up with my sheets and, yeah, proceeded to make himself at home,” said Jeffrey.

Jeffrey rushed to call the police, who said Garcia then broke a police cruiser window with his handcuffs. Arrest records also detail Garcia spitting in a police officer’s face. Luckily, Jeffrey was only left with the cleanup.

“When you see another man that you don’t know, unclothed, jump into your bed and cover himself with your covers,” Jeffrey paused, “I had to wash my covers very thoroughly, and that lasted about until five in the morning.”

Chance Garcia is accused of burglary, spitting in an officer’s face, and breaking a police cruiser window with his handcuffs. Garcia is now being held in the El Paso County jail, where he faces assault, burglary, criminal mischief, obstructing a peace office,r and disorderly conduct charges. 

Jeffrey noted that he thought the man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“Even if you’re intoxicated, or inebriated, like, do you not notice everything?” questioned Jeffrey.

PREVIOUS REPORTING: Colorado Springs man arrested for breaking into home, sleeping in someone’s bed

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Celeste Springer

CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office alleges that a Colorado Springs man got drunk and purposely drove a UTV into a Buena Vista river, requiring an emergency rescue.

“This could have certainly had a grimmer outcome,” said Sheriff Andy Rohrich.

According to the sheriff’s office, the department received a report of a UTV that was stuck in the Arkansas River near Ruby Mountain Campground on Aug. 3.

When they arrived, the sheriff’s office says they found the driver, Jason Joseph Beltz from Colorado Springs, and an unnamed passenger. Both had to be rescued, as the UTV was partially submerged underwater, the sheriff’s office says.

“The river began to sweep the UTV downstream before hanging up on a rock,” said the sheriff. “Although the river can serve recreational interests, it can be very dangerous if it isn’t respected.”

The sheriff’s office says Colorado Parks and Wildlife was called in to conduct a swift-water rescue for the two people. The UTV also had to be towed out.

Upon further investigation, the sheriff’s office said they believe “driving into the river was an intentional act and that alcohol was a contributing factor.”

“This should also serve as a reminder to others that you don’t have to be driving down a paved road while drinking to get a DUI,” said Sheriff Rohrich.

Beltz was booked for DUI on a $1,000 bond, the sheriff’s office said. The passenger was not charged with a crime, and there were no injuries reported, according to the department.

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Celeste Springer

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Several lanes are closed on I-25 northbound due to a crash, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

CDOT says the crash is between Exit 138 (Lake Avenue/Circle Drive) and Exit 139 (Martin Luther King Jr Bypass). Drivers should expect heavy traffic. The accident is near Mile Point 138.5.

Details are limited at this time, but this article may be updated.

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Celeste Springer

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) — Carie Hallford, a disgraced co-owner of a now-notorious Penrose funeral home, has entered into a guilty plea for federal fraud charges, according to court records.

Hallford and her husband Jon owned Return to Nature Funeral Home. Both accepted plea deals in a separate criminal case where prosecutors say they left close to 200 bodies to decay without a proper cremation or burial.

A victim told KRDO13 that sentencing for Carie’s federal fraud case is set for later this month. Jon Hallford was sentenced to 20 years for the fraud charges in June, but appealed that sentence just a month later.

Jon’s sentencing for the state charges stemming from the bodies left in the funeral home is later this month.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The City of Colorado Springs has officially recognized today, Aug. 4, as “Dan Cochell Day” in honor of KRDO13’s longtime radio personality.

In its proclamation, Colorado Springs City Council President Lynette Crow-Iverson said Cochell’s dedication to journalism and charitable work over the last two decades made a lasting impact in El Paso County.

“His unwavering commitment to journalism, civic engagement and community service has fostered a more informed and connected Southern Colorado,” Iverson said.

Cochell has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for non-profit causes throughout Southern Colorado. His “Up for Down Syndrome” campaign, where he lived on top of a scissor lift for two weeks straight, raised over $100,000.

The favorite part is just making people happy because in this business, you’re only as good as people who listen to you, you know?” Cochell said.

“If they don’t listen, and they don’t like you, then you’re not going to last for too long. So, just making people happy and raising money for charities and things like that is what I’ve really enjoyed.”

Cochell first got into broadcasting nearly 40 years ago. He started with KRDO13 News Radio in 2005. He’s hit a few different spots in the last 20 years, including time with KOA News Radio in Denver and as a journalism teacher in the Falcon School District. He returned to KRDO13 as a newsroom anchor and program director at the start of 2023.

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