Author: KRDO

Josh Helmuth

MONUMENT, Colo. (KRDO) — A local middle school student is already turning heads on the soccer field, not just here at home, but across the country and even internationally.

Max Hawkins is just 13 years old and attends Lewis-Palmer Middle School. However, his schedule already matches that of a borderline pro athlete.

He currently plays for Real Colorado in the Elite Club National League, one of the highest youth levels in the country, and a league famous for developing pro soccer athletes. Max sometimes travels to several states in one week just to play in highly touted, scouted matches.

Max has also been invited to tryout camps for the US under-15 national team, a major step on what’s called a pro path. It’s a track that could lead to a professional career, possibly even in Europe, before he’s out of his teens, meaning he probably most likely won’t even play high school soccer because he’ll be too busy playing in the professional ranks by the time most teens go to college.

As for where his talent comes from, Max is always training, but it’s certainly in his blood as well.

“He fell in love with it and lives and breathes it,” Max’s dad, Toby Hawkins, said.

“Days are few and far between that he has off, but on his days off, he is begging me to take him to the gym or to the Air Force Academy to get on the field and practice shots. And he’ll be there the whole evening by himself, just training. I don’t ever have to push him,” his dad told the school district. “Maybe other than fishing, he doesn’t want to do anything but play soccer.”

Max’s dream is to also play for Team USA.

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

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Drivers along the three-mile stretch of Fountain Boulevard and Expressway, between The Circle Drive bridge and Powers Boulevard, may have noticed a glossy black material filling many potholes and cracks in the pavement.

The substance is a liquid used by maintenance crews with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to supplement the asphalt used to patch potholes and cracks.

“That’s an emulsified liquid asphalt that has aggregate in it,” said Eric Meyers, a CDOT maintenance supervisor. “We use that in the very shallow potholes. It seems to stick longer and stay in place longer than a hot mix, due to the shallowness of the pothole. We’ve had great success with that. We’ve used it quite a few times over the years.”

He added that the liquid cures quickly, reducing the time required to apply it and lessening the associated traffic impacts.

“It’s so durable that it can outlast the concrete around it,” Meyers said.

Still, the frequency of potholes and cracks makes drivers wonder how the pavement will hold up until its scheduled repaving in 2028; the road is also the US 24 loop through the city, which generates frequent heavy truck traffic.

Another strategy used by CDOT is maintenance paving, when crews pave over part of a lane that has numerous potholes in a concentrated area.

Such paving occurred last year on the east end of westbound Fountain, between Powers and Murray boulevards.

Meyers said that paving is done without the milling or removal of the existing pavement.

“It saves time, it’s a more efficient use of resources, and it’s a temporary treatment until we can come back later and do a full repaving,” he explained.

CDOT asks drivers to report any potholes they see.

“We don’t know where every pothole is, but once we get a report, we’ll respond as quickly as we can,” Meyers said.

He added that CDOT has nearly 50 full-time maintenance workers in El Paso County alone.

To report a pothole to CDOT within CDOT jurisdiction (state and federal highways), call 719-562-5568.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – It seems like a lot of people like Colorado Springs Charter Academy Athletic Director Isaiah Seaborn. He’s just a few spots away from becoming America’s Favorite Teacher.

“It’s incredible because all of these kids are incredible, and that’s what means the most to me, when I can go home at the end of the day, and say, ‘Hey, I impacted a kid’s life.’ Man, that means the world to me,” Seaborn said.

Seaborn is in sixth place in the competition. He needs to crack the top five by 8 p.m. tonight to move on to the next round. People can vote once a day for free. You can find his voting page here.

The competition, sponsored by Bill Nye, is operated by the same company that hosts America’s Favorite Pet. If Seaborn wins, he’ll get $25,000, a trip to Hawaii, an appearance in Reader’s Digest, and a school assembly visit by Bill Nye.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Nearly 200 organizations penned a letter to President Trump on Wednesday, urging him to restore $350 million in funding to ease Puerto Rico’s power grid problems. While they wait for a response, a local outdoorsman is taking matters into his own hands.

“I will be very happy that my paddling was useful in a different way, other than making me personally happy,” Kayaker Chris Duval said.

Next Wednesday, on Earth Day, Duval will ship off from the Puerto Rico coast in his kayak. He will paddle 100 miles, raising money along the way.

He saw the destruction of Hurricane Maria in 2017 firsthand as his in-laws and millions more struggled to rebuild. The island’s energy grid has never fully recovered.

“They have to import all of their energy, and it’s expensive, especially in times like now when energy prices have gone up,” Duval said.

That’s why he will take on the Atlantic Ocean for his “Paddle for Power”. He’s raising money to support Solar United Neighbors and the Sierra Club of Puerto Rico. The two groups work together to help Puerto Rican residents afford solar power and personal generators to power their homes independently from the territory’s grid.

“The money that they were counting on to use to help low-income people install solar systems is gone, so hopefully the money we raise will help fill that gap,” Duval said.

Solar United Neighbors said it has lost over $10 million in funding intended to help vulnerable Puerto Ricans build solar and generator power systems so they’re protected when the unreliable main grid goes down.

Solar United Neighbors said it was one of the organizations that signed the letter addressed to the president. The letter urges the Trump Administration to restore $350 million in federal funding intended to finance solar and generator power systems for 12,000 low-income Puerto Rican families.

Duval hits the water on April 22. You can find his Paddle for Power donation page here.

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Josh Helmuth

Students at one local high school got a chance to hear directly from someone helping shape decisions in Washington.

The students at Air Academy High School got a firsthand look at government in action when Representative Jeff Crank visited the school on March 30.

Crank spoke with students about public service, leadership and current events. Better yet, students got the chance to ask him questions during a Q&A.

School leaders say it was a powerful way to connect with what students are learning in the classroom with the real world. It really gives them a better understanding of leadership and how government works firsthand.

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

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — For many drivers, the much-needed and long-awaited repaving of Circle Drive can’t happen soon enough.

And it will begin next week at the south end, near the recently completed project to replace four bridges, according to message signs in the area.

But one more project remains before the paving work starts.

City officials announced on Tuesday that the exit ramp to Hancock Expressway from southbound Circle has closed and will remain closed through the end of the month.

A city spokesman said that the closure is because of a water line installation across Circle.

Traffic on southbound Circle is reduced to one lane around the construction site; the city urges drivers to slow down and adhere to the 35 mph speed limit.

While KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior awaits a response to a request for more details from Colorado Springs Utilities, it appears that the water line may serve a future housing development between the ramp and Hancock, under the hill where the Spring Creek neighborhood is.

The city spokesman also said that the closure is one of the final phases of the bridge project; some of that work requires continued lane closures on Hancock, under the bridges.

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Rob Namnoum

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks defeated Sporting KC in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night three to nothing. As the Switchbacks advance in the U.S. Open Cup.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On March 22, at approximately 8:14 p.m., the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says it received a call for service regarding a head-on traffic crash near the intersection of Briargate Boulevard and Lexington Drive. Police say the initial report indicated that two vehicles were racing eastbound on Briargate Boulevard when one crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a westbound Volkswagen SUV head-on.

Both drivers were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. Police say the driver of the Volkswagen SUV died from their injuries at the hospital. On March 23, 2026, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office identified her as 77-year-old Deanna Stemler.

Police say the CSPD Major Crash Team assumed responsibility for the investigation and that speed is being investigated as a contributing factor in this crash.

Nearly a month after the crash, no arrests have been made. Police tell KRDO13 the investigation is still ongoing, and no one has been charged at the time of this writing. Officers say they are making good progress in the investigation, but that they are not at a point where they can release anything just yet.

Stemler was driving home from church when the crash happened, leaving her community grappling with her sudden loss. Garrett McNew, Assistant Pastor at Lighthouse Baptist Church, said Stemler was a beloved member of the church and a devout follower of Christ.

McNew explained how Stemler worked with kids in their Sunday School classes on Sundays and Mondays. He said she always seemed happiest when sharing God’s love with the children.

Stemler was a gifted piano teacher. She played the keys at church, at home and even gave free lessons to kids when she lived in Texas, the assistant pastor shared.

Friends and fellow congregants remember her for making everyone feel valued and important.

“Even if it was your first conversation, you left thinking you were the most important person in the world,” said Assistant Pastor Garrett McNew.

At Lighthouse Baptist Church, many knew her simply as “Mrs. Dee.”

“She was so full of energy and spunky and she loved working with all the kids here at the church,” shared McNew. “She loved those little kids, and that was her way of showing Jesus to others, was just loving people who really can’t do anything else for you. They’re just little kids. And she loved them, loved them, loved them, loved them.”

Stemler led a full and interesting life outside of church, McNew explained. He shared that she and her late husband were instrumental in bringing the ProRodeo Hall of Fame to Colorado Springs. McNew said Stemler met Ronald Reagan during her life. Despite her life experiences, he says she remained humble and dedicated to her faith.

McNew said when he heard the news of Stemler’s death, it was like a gut punch.

“There was no reason for the accident. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. She was in her turn lane, just making a left-hand turn into her house like she did every time she came home,” McNew said.

In the midst of their grief, members of the church grapple with forgiveness. Assistant Pastor McNew says it’s their burden to forgive, just like Stemler would have wanted.

“The same type of love that she showed to people here would honestly be the same type of love that she would show to the person who hit her, that she would want him to find, grace and mercy and forgiveness in the same relationship with Christ that she found. That was just who she was,” explained McNew.

McNew emphasized the importance of living each moment as Stemler did.

“Every moment matters. And she had no idea that that last night here at church with her church family was her last night. And yet she was the same person. She was joyful and genuine,” he recalled.

On her electric keyboard at home, the last song she had been playing was an old hymn titled “Beyond Tomorrow,” shared McNew.

“The last song that she had up that she played was an old hymn called Beyond Tomorrow. And the hymn is all about heaven. And so before she ever went, that’s where her heart was set,” McNew explained.

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame tells KRDO13 that Ken and Deanna Stemler are going to be recognized on its memorial wall. A representative for the ProRodeo Hall of Fame says they are donating to the hall of fame in their honor.

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Josh Helmuth

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Students at Mesa Ridge High School are running a business… right in the hallway.

The school’s business club is turning everyday items into a hands-on business lesson for students. And it’s simultaneously raising money.

They recently launched a new vending machine called the School Spirit Box. It’s stocked with everything from school supplies and chargers to socks, deodorant and stickers. It’s raising money for the club’s competitions while also giving students real-world experience.

The club secured a $14,000 grant to make it happen.

“Students get to decide the merchandise, practice real-world accounting skills, and they get to do everything in the machine – designing the merchandise,” said Jaqulyn Roades, a Mesa Ridge business teacher.

Xavier Chapa is a senior with the club. He added, “We also do competitions like DECA and FBLA … those cost money, and to raise money for this and to help students make their lives a lot more convenient … it benefits everybody.”

Students say it’s a win-win — helping fund their future, while making school life a little easier right now.

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

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Army veteran James Bauer will join a group of 20 or so other veterans to complete the final 250-mile stretch of the Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride starting on May 14. His portion starts May 26.

Bauer was a medic in the Army for eight years. He was forced to medically retire in 2013. He said he struggled with post-service life, and he wasn’t sure how to make it better.

“I was always the helper, so it was hard for me to be the one asking for help,” Bauer said.

He said after seeing his friends thrive in the Wounded Warrior Project program, he decided to give it a try in 2016. The group put a bike in his hands for the first time since he was a little kid, and it’s become a life-changing passion for the former Army medic.

The Wounded Warrior Project has partnered this year with America250 to call this year’s ride “Soldier Ride 250.”

If you’d like to support the Wounded Warrior Project, click here.

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