Author: KRDO

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The largest fundraiser of the year for the Western Museum of Mining & Industry (WMMI) returns this month, proving that miners can grow more than just crystals.

The museum hosts its Miners’ Pumpkin Patch every Saturday in October. Guests can buy pumpkins or choose to smash them with baseball bats. Guides will also help guests pan for gold inside the museum and operate their historic apple cider press.

Guests can also expect hayrides, a hay maze, animal encounters, food trucks, a magician and more. As always, the museum and all its early 20th-century machinery will be operational and open to the public.

“Colorado Springs was such a huge contributor to the mining industry,” Grounds & Maintenance Supervisor Colton Manchester said. “The Colorado gold rush contributed so much to the nation’s wealth and also just the industry that has made our nation what it is today, and so to preserve that both local culture and national culture is something that the museum’s honored to do.”

The patch has timed-entry tickets online for about $14 per ticket. The WMMI museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

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Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The Center Toward Self-Reliance (CTSR) wanted to redecorate. Instead of heading to Hobby Lobby, the center decided to trust its consumers, who proved they could overcome their conditions to create a 50-foot piece of art.

CTSR helps people with a wide range of conditions feel empowered to live more independently. The mural became a project specifically for its consumers with traumatic brain injuries.

Maria Martinez volunteers with the center and is a trained artist. She also has a traumatic brain injury. She led the project, helping the crew gain confidence and create something they previously never thought possible.

“We want to reintegrate back into the community. We want people to know that because if we have a stroke or a brain injury, you know, it doesn’t mean that we’re mentally ill or we’re not capable. Allow us to show you what we can do. Allow us to be part of that community. And we can contribute back to society,” Martinez said.

The mural depicts memorable moments from CTSR events. The mural is on display inside the center’s main hall.

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Scott Harrison

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The six-mile stretch of I-70 east of Idaho Springs is usually congested with commuter and tourist traffic, and fall brings even more congestion with people traveling to see the changing leaf colors and the popular ski slopes.

Since 2023, however, there has been another variable — the $900 million safety improvement project in that corridor.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is making various upgrades in the Floyd Hill area, and KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior is investigating whether construction will significantly affect the drive time to and from those leisure activities — particularly for southern Colorado residents.

“It is definitely noticeable,” said Alec Sills-Trausch, a local travel photographer who drives through the area often. But it also, like, isn’t terrible. It probably only adds maybe 8 to 10 minutes to your drive time.”

Stacia Sellers, a CDOT spokesperson for the Floyd Hill project, said that the agency has taken steps to minimize traffic impacts in the corridor.

“We are also committed to not having any lane closures as part of this project during peak travel times or over the weekends,” she explained. “If we do need to do any lane closures, traffic shifts, any of that, that takes place overnight on weekdays.”

But Sills-Trausch and Sellers added that southern Colorado drivers should experience fewer impacts because they won’t need to travel between Floyd Hill and Denver, where traffic is heaviest.

“I think if you’re coming from the Colorado Springs area, it would make more sense to go towards US 285 onto Highway 9 to get onto I-70 that way,” she advised. “Especially (since) a lot of folks who are heading up to go look at the fall colors are usually heading up into the Breckenridge area or further west.”

Sills-Trausch agreed.

“My family and I were in Breckenridge last weekend, and we noticed that the traffic was pretty cruddy, like, on I-70,” he recalled. “So, we decided to go south out of Breckenridge, and then over Kenosha Pass and through Bailey, and kind of through Morrison to get home. It was a little bit slower, but we had no traffic. It was more scenic.”

Floyd Hill was named after pioneer Merril Floyd, who operated a wagon road company in Clear Creek during the 1860s, and built a wagon road from Idaho Springs to Bergen.

The Floyd Hill project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2029; it’s believed to be CDOT’s largest construction effort since the 2001-2006 “T-Rex” project south of I-70 in Denver.

For more information about the Floyd Hill project, visit: https://www.codot.gov/projects/i70floydhill.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Honor Flight of Southern Colorado sent its biggest crew yet to D.C. this morning, thanks to the over $86,000 KRDO13 viewers donated last April.

KRDO13 hosted a telethon last Spring for Honor Flight. The community showed out in such a major way that the local chapter could afford to save the trip to Denver for its veterans. Instead, they flew charter out of Colorado Springs for the first time.

153 total individuals are making the trip, including an Honor Flight of Southern Colorado record of 86 veterans.

The chapter invited KRDO13 morning anchor Josh Helmuth and chief photographer Chappin Everett to travel with the crew and document their trip.

Honor Flight is a nationwide organization helping veterans fly to D.C. for free to visit memorials to their service. Part of their mission is to help the veterans experience the hero’s welcome they may not have received when returning from their military service.

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Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — In the past week, Pueblo Water Works (PWW) and Pueblo Public Works (PPW) teamed up to repair numerous large, deep potholes in and around the northwest side intersection of 29th Street and Denver Boulevard.

The potholes were worsened by a two-week flow of water last month from two water mains that PWW was draining so its crews could install liners.

Crews paved asphalt over the potholes instead of filling them individually.

Officials said that PWW patched potholes directly affected by the flowing water, while PPW fixed potholes around the area.

“I went to City Council,” said neighbor Elvis Martinez. “I spoke about it last month when they were gonna pave it, and it was paved within two weeks after that last meeting. I would say I’d give it a B-plus.”

29th Street is among the few in the Steel City that crosses nearly the entire West Side, so many drivers splashed through the water and hit potholes before crews began their repair work.

James Odette, a neighbor, said that some vehicles were damaged after hitting the potholes.

“The city did try to divert people away from the potholes, but it just created more,” he explained. “They kept stretching it out until it was so bad that people were starting to not use that section of road. They were diverting around it. Do I like it now that it’s done? Yeah! I just hope it lasts.”  

More cleanup will be needed in the neighborhood, as the flowing water deposited mounds of sediment on some streets as it drained for seven blocks before entering a drainage channel.

Most streets in the neighborhood are crumbling, full of potholes, and lacking in storm drains that would provide better drainage.

Residents hope that city officials will devise a plan to improve conditions there, with winter weather likely to affect streets even more.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The 17th annual “Cool Science Festival” kicks off Saturday at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) with Carnival Day, featuring over 100 hands-on activities and experiments.

“There’s a lot to learn very, very quickly, and you start to get lost in all the information. Going and showing people cool science brings back the wonder,” said UCCS student and presenter Josh Pappas.

The carnival starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Both parking and admission are free. Professional cool scientists will lead demonstrations and host science magic shows. The Space Foundation Discovery Center will bring their robots in addition to rockets, telescopes, slime, live animals and more.

After the carnival, Cool Science will host dozens of events across the Pikes Peak Region and Pueblo. Most are free, while a select few have a small fee to cover overhead costs. You can find a full calendar of events here. You can pre-register by clicking on the event you are interested in.

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Josh Helmuth

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — D11 students are beautifying downtown Colorado Springs this week in preparation for First Friday Artwalk.

The district calls the annual tradition “Chalktober.” Students will be outside the Pioneer’s Museum Thursday morning chalking it up, coloring sidewalks, and building murals. Friday morning the students will be chalking at Acacia Park.

The theme this year is “Freedom To Thrive,” and will be joined by guest artist — and D11 art teacher — Lisa Roman, aka “Miss Boombox.”

Roman says art is a way to bring creativity into everyday life.

Know something or someone great at your school? Tell Josh all about it. SchoolBuzz@KRDO.com!

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — An unfinished intersection project in Security-Widefield and continuing work under new bridges in Colorado Springs are the subjects of many viewer questions recently emailed to KRDO13’s The Road Warrior.

At the intersection of Main Street and Leta Drive, new sidewalks, curbs, and some repaving are in place; however, the new traffic signals have yet to be turned on and are covered with plastic wrap.

The intersection is in a fairly heavy traffic area, close to several businesses and the offices of Widefield School District 3.

Viewers are asking for more details about the project and why it has stopped for at least several weeks.

The Road Warrior has learned that it’s part of a program to improve pedestrian safety near schools and neighborhoods; similar work is underway a few blocks west, at the Main Street/Norman Street intersection.

A county spokesman said that the delay is because the Board of Commissioners has to approve additional funds to provide more materials needed — such as a replacement traffic signal, a new vehicle detection system and a dedicated yellow turn arrow.

Crews didn’t realize those materials were necessary until electrical work began.

Leta Drive is closed at the intersection, but Main Street remains open; the county expects construction to be finished sometime next month.

Meanwhile, others want to know why lane closures and concrete barriers remain in place on Hancock Expressway under Circle Drive, several months after crews replaced four aging bridges there.

The right lanes in both directions are closed, but some drivers still occasionally use them — despite signs alerting drivers to merge into the left lanes.

The Road Warrior found an explanation that passing drivers likely can’t see on the opposite side of the barriers: A new sidewalk being installed on one side of the street.

Pedestrian and bicycle improvements are among the finishing touches of the bridge project scheduled for completion early next year.

Related finishing work on nearby Las Vegas Street and the south end of Circle shows that replacing bridges more than 60 years old also requires upgrades to the surrounding infrastructure.

Just before noon on Thursday, the city released a statement providing more details about Hancock:

“The bridge work is complete, but significant utility work remains in the Hancock Expressway area. Colorado Springs Utilities is working between Hancock and the railroad tracks to install a new water main and related connections. Crews are currently drilling for utility lines and installing a continuous length of new water line under the railroad property. The new waterline will be connected to the existing water main on Hancock Expressway. The work will then shift closer to the railroad tracks before the water main can be installed under the bridge and up the ramp.

Because of this ongoing work, travelers should expect concrete barriers, lane restrictions, and additional traffic shifts in the area through the end of winter. Once the utility work is complete, crews will be able to complete the remaining roadway work.

The sidewalk on Hancock on the east side is complete. The project team plans to patch asphalt once the waterline installation occurs at Hancock/Delta roads.”

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KRDO News

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A prosecutor with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is accused of driving under the influence after deputies say he drove up NORAD Road and arrived at a security gate for Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station while trying to get to Breckenridge.

The DA’s office has since placed 26-year-old Cole McGowen on unpaid administrative leave.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KRDO13 Investigates, McGowen drove up NORAD Road to the security gate around 8:25 a.m. Saturday.

McGowen told a security officer he was trying to get to Breckenridge, according to the affidavit. The officer told him to turn around to park, but investigators say McGowen then drove toward another gate.

The officer then again directed McGowen to a parking spot, where he parked.

Arrest records say McGowen had glossy eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. A deputy also said he struggled to maintain his balance when he got out of his truck.

When a deputy asked McGowen where he was coming from, he told them he did not know, according to the affidavit. McGowen told deputies he had consumed “a couple beers.”

Arrest records say McGowen showed signs of impairment during a roadside sobriety test and refused a blood test.

McGowen is a deputy district attorney with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which serves El Paso and Teller counties.

KRDO13 Investigates contacted the DA’s office about McGowen’s arrest. The office said McGowen has been placed on unpaid administrative leave while it gathers more information.

The DA’s office also said McGowen’s case will be sent to a separate judicial district for prosecution because of the conflict created by his employment with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

McGowen faces a misdemeanor DUI charge.

KRDO13 Investigates reached out to McGowen and his attorneys for comment but has not yet received a response.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – U.S. Air Force Academy’s (USAFA) head hockey coach and the program’s all-time win leader Frank Serratore announced Tuesday that the 2026-2027 season will be his last leading the Falcons.

He will retire after 30 seasons with Air Force Hockey.

“”People want to talk about all I have given to the Academy, but the truth is, I have received way more from my time here than I have given, and it’s not close,” Serratore said in a press release. “Both God and Carol know I’m still a work in progress, but I’m a much better coach, father, husband, and person because of this place. I may have played a part in teaching the hockey program how to win on the ice, but the Academy community, and the quality of people I was blessed to interact with every day taught me how to win in life.”

The 2025-26 season was the program’s first winning season since 2018-19, and tied for the most wins since 2017-18.

Serratore is the second-longest active hockey head coach and is 14th on the all-time NCAA win list. He led the program to seven Atlantic Hockey tournament championships, seven NCAA appearances and three NCAA Elite Eights. He was also recognized as the 2016 Atlantic Hockey America Coach of the Year.

The team announced that Associate Head Coach Joe Doyle will be Serratore’s replacement. Doyle has been on Serratore’s staff for 22 seasons and is a former Falcon right-winger. He is also on the Air Force Hockey Wall of Fame.

“Officially being the head coach will not be foreign to Joe, as I’ve had him in the head coach role for quite some time,” Serratore said.

Air Force will open their season on Friday with an exhibition game against Omaha at the Cadet Ice Arena. More information on Serratore’s retirement can be found on the USAFA website.

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