Author: KRDO

Mackenzie Stafford

COSTILLA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The 12th Judicial District Attorney, Anne Kelly, spoke to the Costilla County Commissioners in a special meeting on July 9.

In that meeting, District Attorney Anne Kelly told commissioners, “I have never said, ever, that I do not trust a police agency, and I do not trust the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office.”

“It was incredibly difficult for me to make that statement,” Kelly recounted Monday. “The concern started out with the sheriff’s office not providing us with the evidence we needed to prosecute in a timely manner. And that creates ethical concerns for my office. But more importantly, it tends to chip away at the trust the community has in the criminal justice system,” said Kelly.

She explained concerns to the Costilla County Commissioners from her office regarding the practices at the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). D.A. Kelly told commissioners she was not getting evidence in time, it was sometimes misplaced or lost, making it difficult for the District Attorney’s Office to prosecute some cases.

“Costilla County residents deserve better. They deserve better from their leaders. They deserve better from their law enforcement agencies,” D.A. Kelly told KRDO13.

In one case, D.A. Kelly said she was working to hold an alleged domestic violence abuser accountable in court. But she says the CCSO lost the DNA swabs proving that a woman was choked, so her office had to throw out the case. 

“I dedicated my entire career to supporting victims and getting justice for those victims. It’s awful. It’s absolutely awful. I’m optimistic that the sheriff’s office joins my concern and wants to make these cases better. But it’s the worst thing for a prosecutor to have to tell a victim that we cannot move forward with your case because we don’t have the material from the sheriff’s office. So as a prosecutor, it’s really, it’s quite devastating,” explained 12th Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly.

On Monday, KRDO13 met with the District Attorney to hear her concerns and learn what’s being done to address them.

“Every law enforcement agency has to have a well-established system of documenting when they’re taking in evidence, when they’re taking in DNA swabs, or drugs or guns. The [Costilla County] sheriff’s office does not have that in place currently. And that’s created big concerns, because you want to be able to have faith that the evidence that you’re presenting in court is the thing that you purport it to be. And when you don’t have a system, a chain of custody system in place, that becomes very difficult to be able to tell that to a jury with any sort of confidence,” shared Kelly.

The Costilla County Sheriff tells KRDO13 their space for evidence is full. He said if they seize any more large evidence, they will be handing it over to the D.A.’s Office. The District Attorney confirmed they have offered to hold evidence in the sheriff’s office’s cases because they want to have more control over the chain of custody. 

“I do want to emphasize the fact that the sheriff’s office, I believe, wants to do the right thing, and I see them making at least some kind of effort. I hope that they continue with that because their citizens, the ones that voted them into office, the ones whose taxpayer money goes to their office. I want them to do well. I want to support them in trying to figure out what’s going on,” said Kelly.

KRDO13 also offered an interview to the CCSO. Sheriff Danny Sanchez declined and offered the statement included below. He also added that he is currently working to resolve these issues.

New Response LetterDownload

Sheriff Sanchez tells KRDO13 he did not know his deputy’s body-worn cameras were turned off, nor that the batteries were not holding a charge.

A sheriff’s oversight committee has been formed. It consists of Sheriff Sanchez, the Costilla County Attorney, and two team members from the District Attorney’s Office.

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Michael Logerwell

TRI LAKES AREA, Colo. (KRDO) – This weekend, we got our first look at the official plan for the proposed Palmer Lake Buc-ee’s. Days after the town released the proposal, the ‘Stop Buc-ees’ group held a meeting in Monument.

KRDO13 attended the meeting and found that many still have concerns over the proposed development

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Buc-ee’s deal for Palmer Lake revealed: What’s in the proposal and what’s next?

On Friday, Palmer Lake Mayor Pro Tem Amy Hutson sat down with KRDO 13 to discuss the proposal.

“It’s not set in stone. We still have to vote on it. It has to go before the planning commission, but it’s a really strong deal for Palmer Lake,” Hutson told our station on Friday.

Hutson said Buc-ees made concessions to limit light pollution off their property, as well as paying for the building of two new wells and road upgrades in the area.

Plus, Palmer Lake is set to pull in $1 million annually.

Despite those factors, attendees at Sunday’s Buc-ee’s resistance meeting said that those details didn’t address their biggest concerns.

“The water issue, the traffic, the effect on the environment. Those are the main issues that we are concerned about,” Mike Kopyzinski said. “Yes, lighting is part of that overall package of issues that we have, and yes, there were concessions, concessions made on paper.”

“Water is a finite resource in this area, and we have to make smart development,” Shawn Sawyer said

Many that KRDO13 spoke to on Sunday lived in unincorporated El Paso County, not Palmer Lake, but near the site of the proposed Buc-ees and are mainly concerned about the size of the build and the water it will require, despite Buc-ees’ plans to build new wells in Palmer Lake.

The Palmer Lake Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote on the Buc-ees in late August.

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Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — Officials revealed that their weeklong pothole repair saturation effort in late June resulted in using nearly three times more asphalt than normally used during an entire summer.

Crews used 1,300 tons of asphalt to fill 1,500 potholes across town; the city’s Bureau of Public Works deployed four crews instead of five as initially planned because one truck broke down.

Workers completed another pothole operation last week that focused on larger potholes; that effort required 16 tons of asphalt.

Todd Beriford, the city’s street supervisor, came up with the idea for the “Pothole Blitz,” and said that he’s not aware that anyone — in southern Colorado, at least — has conducted a similar operation.

“Even though it was kind of a headache because I had a lot of paperwork to go through and a lot of organizing to try and get where it was, I would do it again,” he said. “Anything to help people drive more safely. We don’t want damaged vehicles. That’s what potholes do, is they damage vehicles.”

The goal of the blitz was to fill as many potholes as possible, using cold mix material that can be applied easily and quickly.

But that strategy has a drawback.

“They’ll last through the summer,” Beriford said. “We’ll have the same problems come wintertime. It’s inevitable. It’s an ongoing process.”

In response, the city has invested nearly $120,000 in two machines: One will allow crews to do longer-lasting pothole repairs using hot mix asphalt year-round; the other will recycle millings (old asphalt scraped off streets before repaving) and use them as fill material.

Beriford said that with the new machines, the city will be able to fill potholes more quickly, more efficiently, and save money on asphalt.

The blitz also allowed the city to form a list and a map of streets that have had recurring pothole issues, and to better respond to them.

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Karla Sosa

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)- A woman from Colorado Springs is turning a family tragedy into something positive for women who want to stay sober. She opened up her own home and transformed it into a sober living home.

Chelsia Baker said that after losing her husband, she wanted to find a new purpose for her home,e and that’s when she decided to create No More Excuses Recovery Residence for women.

Cassandra Townsend is a resident at the home and said her life changed 15 years ago.

“I was prescribed Vidican for some medical problems. And it changed my whole world. Like I thought I was, felt like supermom,” said Townsend. “It changed my whole life. I lost my family. I lost the kids, it changed everything.”

Townsend said her new home is helping her out in so many ways because she’s surrounded by so many women who want to become a better version of themselves. 

“And just spending time with other women who are like minded women who want to want this, they want to be in recovery. They want their lives to change. They want their families back. They want their children back in their lives. Helps me every single day, every single day,” said Townsend. 

Baker said that there are currently eight women who live at the house, and they have strict rules because they want to see women get back on their feet. 

“We are program-based, where we have groups that are mandatory, group meetings that are mandatory,” said Baker. “They’re required to be home by curfew, you know, so we’re pretty strict in our requirements for people to come live here.”

Townsend has been sober for 19 months and said things are going back to how they were before she was an addict, and is looking forward to her future. 

“Now I’m starting to talk to my parents and talk to my family again. Sorry. It’s okay. But I missed out on a lot,” said Townsend. “My next goal is to get a car, to get my license back, and to get a car. And I can’t wait.”

Baker said their goal is to have a house where moms can live with their children. They also want to have a sober house for men. 

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Karla Sosa

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)- A military family that was moving from Oregon had their car stolen while they were staying at a hotel in Colorado Springs over the Fourth of July celebration. 

The family is asking for help from the community in hopes that someone will find their stolen car, which is filled with family memories. 

Kaylee Schaible said her family moved to Colorado Springs because her husband got stationed in Fort Carson.

The family of 6 stayed at the Fairfield Hotel off Geyser Drive when their car was stolen. 

“I had ashes of loved ones in it. He had ashes of past dogs. It’s kind of stuff that can’t be replaced at this time,” said Schaible.

This is affecting their children. 

“My son, my seven-year-old son, has a genetic condition called CDLF, which is Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. He had all of his paperwork, his toiletry needs, his sensory stuff, and since his stuff has been gone, his behaviors have been erratic and sporadic,” said Schaible.

KRDO13 did reach out to the Colorado Springs Police Department to see if they have an update on this incident, but we haven’t heard back from them.

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Karla Sosa

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO)- Who’s got a big white beard and delivers toys to children? It’s not Santa Claus, it’s the Colorado Patriot Guard Riders. This weekend, they held their Christmas in July Toy Run.

The toys will go to help the survivor outreach program based at Fort Carson, which gives toys to children who have lost a parent in the war or in the service. Colorado Patriot Guard Riders said one thing they noticed was that there were more toy drives in the fall, so that’s why they decided to do the toy run during the summer to get a head start.     

Organizers said one of the many reasons why they do this type of toy run is that they know the holidays can be tough for children who have lost a parent.

“We got boxes around to different businesses around the Springs,” said Bob Aholt, organizer.

After the Toy Run, they all took a ride from Fountain to the Purple Toad in Falcon.  

Organizers are also accepting $20 donations if people are unable to donate toys.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On day two of the National Governors’ Association’s (NGA) annual summer meeting, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr., spoke to the group about pressing health issues facing the country.

On stage at the Broadmoor, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) moderated the fireside chat, and afterwards, a panel of governors was able to ask questions to Secretary Kennedy.

“There are opportunities for all of us to live up to our obligation to our children and really give them a chance in life, and change not only their physical health, but also their mental health,” said Secretary Kennedy.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Governor Polis leads charge for education at National Governors Association

Yesterday, KRDO13 attended the NGA meeting to hear Governor Polis’s education road map, titled ‘Let’s Get Ready,’ as the Federal Government plans to roll back education standards and regulations to the states. Friday’s event also featured United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

Read more about the NGA’s summer meeting in Colorado Springs here.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On Friday, Governors from across America gathered at The Broadmoor for the National Governors Association (NGA) summer meeting.

Friday’s agenda holds a session spearheaded by Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Polis created an initiative called “Let’s Get Ready! Educating All Americans for Success.” He says it’s a roadmap for governors to lead their states toward education systems that work better for all learners and for our economic competitiveness.

NGA Chair, Gov. Polis, is expected to present alongside U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, Mark Cuban and NGA Vice Chair, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.

The goals Governor Polis hopes to accomplish with the roadmap are to solidify academic foundations in students’ reading and writing. But beyond that, he focuses on workforce preparedness, civic engagement and students’ well-being.

Governor Polis’s Let’s Get Ready plan consists of five main points.

The first is to define a vision and assess how your state is measuring it. He writes that there are basic guidelines for what students should be achieving, but that governors can take it a step further. By this, he points to anytime a governor’s office funds something in education, they should also be creating tangible checkpoints to mark success.

The next step is to open the door for organizations across the state to work together. Governor Polis outlines how there are multiple organizations made to help support children’s well-being from birth, but he says many can be disconnected. Polis suggests other states can follow suit in working to consolidate early childhood programs.

The third step Polis recommends is investing in systems and infrastructure to measure outcomes. After governors have set their goals and checkpoints, this would be a way to track them. In Polis’s roadmap he suggests investing in a statewide longitudinal data system, which in essence is a streamlined way for states to track data of students’ performance.

The fourth step he suggests is turning that data into a public dashboard. The goal is to increase transparency and make it visible to the state to see progress.

Finally, the fifth step in Polis’s Let’s Get Ready plan is to consider a more effective federal partnership for education. With changes being made by the Trump administration, Polis says governors should consider what state-level accountability systems may be needed, either to complement existing federal requirements or to replace them if federal oversight is reduced.

You can read the governor’s full plan for other state leaders here.

In his presentation, he sat down with U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. The pair spoke about how states are expected to pick up the slack as the Department of Education pulls back. Governors also had the opportunity to speak up and tell McMahon what they may need for their constituents.

“When education is returned to the states in full, I mean, after all, you already provide about 90% budget for your education. But that last piece, I can think of no better place to be and no better place to start than talking and working with the governors in those states so that I can learn what is best for you,” shared U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “I want to work with you. I want to be as helpful as I possibly can. I want to help provide you with best practices and toolkits for your states.”

Governor Polis also sat down with Entrepreneur, business mogul Mark Cuban. Cuban spoke to the crowd of governors about the use of artificial intelligence and how it can be used in schools.

“Anybody with a smartphone, a laptop, access to the internet, can access everything, the ability to question everything, the ability to learn outside of the classroom in ways none of us ever envisioned,” explained Cuban.

The National Governors Association meeting continues Saturday with a presentation from the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO WEST, Colo. (KRDO) – A new state fire mitigation law is going into effect at the start of August. The law allows unincorporated areas, like Pueblo West, to manage dead vegetation that often leads to quick wildfire growth.

In Colorado Springs and other municipalities, city leaders can pass ordinances regulating vegetation maintenance to mitigate wildfire danger.

That’s not the case in Pueblo West, but this new law will change that soon.

Colorado State Senator Nick Hinrichsen told me the idea for this bill started after the Marshall Fire.

“We identified that there is a real risk in certain areas of the state, [like] Pueblo West, having some factors that could lead to such a catastrophe.”

Some of those factors are dead vegetation, which can turn floating embers into a full-blown wildfire

Now, on August 6, the same time the new state law goes into effect, new vegetation rules will activate for Pueblo West home and property owners.

2024 048 Vegitative Fuels and Mitigation Abatement ProgramDownload

The resolution was passed in late June in anticipation of the new law. Going forward, individual property owners must remove all dead vegetation, keep low-hanging trees at least 3 feet above ground, and the 5-foot radius around your home must be clear from brush piles, or you could face fines.

“We’re hoping that the community will take advantage of the situation, work with us to reduce vegetative fuels around their property,” said Brian Caserta, chief of Pueblo West Fire.

“We’re just here to clean up the community as much as we are to help reduce the risk of wildfire. And at the same time, we’re also not here to go around and write citations everywhere.”

If property owners fail to comply, they may be subject to a fine of up to $200, depending on the property’s value.

Chief Caserta says the fire department will work with people to get the mitigation done, and the work can be covered in certain cases for the elderly or those who can’t afford it. Both the fire chief and the senator said grant funding would be made available.

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Julia Donovan

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The suspect in Thursday afternoon’s apparent road rage hit-and-run has been arrested.

39-year-old Daniel Nations is charged with first-degree assault after investigators found him with the car used in the crash, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Security footage shows – and CSPD confirms – say a man got out of his car and was standing in the middle of the road near Union Boulevard and Palmer Park Boulevard, before Nations ran him over and then drove off.

As of Thursday afternoon, officials said the victim was fighting for his life in the hospital. They were unable to give another update on his condition Friday.

Daniel Nations is no stranger to crime. He was sentenced to three years of probation for threatening people with what appeared to be a weapon along Mount Herman Road in Monument in 2017.

He was also arrested and charged with possession of a gun as a previous offender in Woodland Park that year.

Nations is a convicted sex offender, too, after local media outlets reported he exposed and pleasured himself in a Walmart parking lot in South Carolina back in 2006.

Nations is currently being held on $25,000 bond.

His first court appearance in the hit-and-run case will be on Friday, August 1.

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