Author: KRDO

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — It seems like nowadays, there’s no true off-season for projects that can affect traffic and pedestrians.

And now, the post-holiday period brings six new projects to the area — some of which start Monday — so residents in affected areas should be aware of them.

Three of the six projects are in Manitou Springs, where traffic has already been disrupted this year by two emergency utility line repairs and a scheduled utility line replacement.

Those three projects also involve fiber optic cable installations that require closures of streets, sidewalks, and shoulders.

One project is centered around the intersection of Beckers Lane and El Paso Boulevard; it will reduce available parking spaces at Colorado Ski Furniture and affect four residential streets.

The second project is near the intersection of Manitou Avenue and Old Mans Trail, just east of downtown.

The third project is in the heart of downtown, at the intersection of Canon Avenue and Lovers Lane.

Likely the biggest project is in Colorado Springs at the intersection of Hopeful Drive and South Blissful Circle, east of the major intersection of Academy Boulevard and Austin Bluffs Parkway.

The Hopeful/Blissful intersection will close for a month so that crews can replace a storm sewer line; the project requires a 24-hour crew to pump drainage around the project and ensure that the pumps aren’t too loud for surrounding neighbors.

The project is part of the major drainage improvements underway in the Park Vista South area, where flash flooding from the Templeton Gap Floodway often posed a flash flooding risk and required closing Siferd Boulevard for safety reasons.

Two projects are happening in El Paso County; one is a water line installation that requires a weeklong closure of the north entrance to the new Falcon Marketplace, at the intersection of Meridian and Eastonville roads.

The water line will serve future development north of that shopping area; customers can still access the Marketplace from the west and south.

Finally, the extension of an existing water line will close the south end of Fontaine Boulevard at the Powers Boulevard and Marksheffel Road intersections for two days; the water line will serve a new development north of Fontaine.

All six projects will be spread out between Monday and the end of July, with work happening during daylight hours.

Click here to follow the original article.

Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO (KRDO) — Workers at dozens of Colorado Safeway and Albertsons stores ended their strike Saturday, July 5, after striking a tentative new labor deal with the grocery chain’s parent company.

The announcement came in a social media post from the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 (UFCW). The union described the deal as “all gains, no concessions.”

Among the dozens of key provisions hammered out during those negotiations are higher wages, improved dental and vision benefits, a fully funded pension, and protections against union work going to gig companies such as Doordash.

The union said the parent company, Albertsons, has also agreed to terminate all temporary replacement workers.

The new contract is still subject to a ratification vote by union members, which is expected sometime over the coming week.

In the meantime, those who hit the picket lines are expected to return to the job Monday.

Click here to follow the original article.

Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — UPDATE:

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) announced that Sophia Muniz has been safely located as of 3:34 p.m. Sunday.

PREVIOUS REPORTING:

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sent out a missing person alert for a Colorado Springs teen.

Sophia Muniz, a 14-year-old Indigenous girl, was last seen on July 4 at 8 a.m. near the intersection of Shelley Ave. and S Murray Blvd. in Colorado Springs, according to CBI.

Authorities say she was last seen wearing a white top and shorts. 

If seen, CBI urges you to call 911 or the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.

Courtesy of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Click here to follow the original article.

Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — On Saturday at 2:39 a.m., the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) got a call about a crash.

The department says it was on South Circle Drive, on the bridge over Hancock. When officers arrived, they determined a pickup truck was driving southbound on Circle Drive with two passengers in the back.

Police say another car was driving south and hit the pickup truck.

Officers say that because of the crash, two people were ejected from the back of the pickup truck. CSPD said one person was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, and the other had a medical intervention but died on the scene.

Police say Chase Chason was arrested for DUI on the scene; it’s unclear which car he was driving. Officers say impairment and speed are suspected in this crash.

CSPD’s major crash team is investigating the details of the crash.

Police are urging any witnesses who observed or have dash cam footage of the incident to call the non-emergency line at 719-444-7000 to give their statement.

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — Friday marked the second year without the wildly popular Wet Parade in Pueblo West; officials canceled it last year after concerns about safety and the resources needed to supervise it.

It’s been replaced by Splash in The Park, an Independence Day event at Civic Center Park in Pueblo that includes a water fight, local food trucks, games for all ages, a Bubble Tower, and a fireworks show at dusk. 

The former Wet Parade dates back to the 1970s when a former fire chief sprayed water from a fire hose to cool spectators during a parade; it evolved into a large-scale community water battle that became known as the largest of its kind west of the Mississippi.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the parade in 2020 and 2021, and water shortages did the same in 2022.

The beloved parade returned in 2023, but brought renewed concerns about the use of unsafe items such as frozen water balloons and high-powered water guns; potential vehicle-pedestrian crashes, and insufficient staffing for providing crowd control and safety.

It’s unclear whether the Wet Parade will ever return.

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Police are investigating the city’s second officer-involved shooting in two weeks.

The latest incident happened overnight Friday in downtown Colorado Springs.

Police have released few details about the shooting, but said that a male suspect died at the scene; no one else was injured.

According to CSPD, at around 1:30 a.m., officers received a call about a disturbance on Pikes Peak Avenue, near the Tejon Street intersection; the report indicated that a man displayed a gun as several nightclubs were preparing to close.

That report was confirmed by officers monitoring downtown cameras who saw a man fitting the reported description. He was identified as 26-year-old Alex Martinez-Sarmiento.

When officers approached the man, he attempted to run away while reaching for his waistband; an officer fired at least one shot, striking Martinez-Sarmiento.

Police said they recovered a firearm nearby.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, three blocks are closed for the investigation: Pikes Peak Avenue, between Tejon Street and Nevada Avenue; and Tejon Street from Colorado Avenue to Kiowa Street.

As required by law, an independent agency will be in charge of the investigation; in this case, it is the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

Within 21 days, police will release a significant event briefing video, which will include body-worn camera footage and other releasable facts about the case.

The death remains under investigation. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information about it to contact them at (719) 444-7000.

Shondon McMorris was at The Mansion with his girlfriend early Saturday morning and told KRDO13 what he saw.

“It happened so fast. It was crazy like, in the matter of seconds,” recounted Shondon McMorris.

He says he was close to the incident.

“I’m three paces behind him. Like I’m literally right behind him. So he walks to his car, he gets to his car, opened up the driver’s door, and he’s standing there, me and my lady, we walk past the car,” said McMorris. “He ran around in his car in front of his, in front of the car. The officer came right in front of him, right behind him, and he took three steps. And the officer shot him three times in the back.”

However, officers say the suspect turned and ran, while reaching for his waistband.

McMorris says seeing it all happen right in front of him and his girlfriend was tough.

“We’re a little shaken. She was. She had never witnessed anything like that before,” said McMorris.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.

Click here to follow the original article.

Sadie Buggle

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The 4th of July holiday is off to a violent start after authorities confirmed the discovery of two people shot to death during an apparent robbery.

Highway 85/87 between Main Street and the South Academy Boulevard interchange reopened just before 7:30 a.m. Friday; it had been closed since deputies arrived at the scene just before 11 p.m. Thursday.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) said that it received a call reporting a robbery on the highway,

When deputies arrived at the intersection, they found two people dead with apparent gunshot wounds.

The EPSO hasn’t released information about a suspect yet, but says it has identified Eddie Lacharles Jackson, 23, as a person of interest they’re seeking.

No arrests have been made yet.

Most of the investigative activity was focused on a car at the north end of the highway closure; the Metro Crime Lab and the El Paso County Coroner’s Office were at the scene, as well.

This is a developing story and may be updated as more information becomes available.

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Work resumes this fall on the second phase of the city’s $62 million project to improve South Academy Boulevard; some prep work was done, but the bulk of that project has yet to start.

The first phase, which began in early 2023 and concluded last fall, upgraded a section of approximately three-quarters of a mile between Bijou Street and Airport Road.

Phase two will cover a longer segment — two miles — between Fountain Boulevard and Jet Wing Drive, which is north of a similar project by El Paso County between Milton E. Proby Parkway and Interstate 25.

The overall city project is improving utility lines, drainage, and traffic and pedestrian safety along the busy corridor, as well as repaving the boulevard.

Several viewers have asked KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior why construction on the city’s second phase hasn’t happened yet, during the peak season for road construction projects.

Ryan Phipps, the city’s capital improvements manager, said that planning work is happening behind the scenes to avoid the negative impacts of the first phase.

During that phase, some merchants said that their sales declined by 50% because it was so difficult for them, their customers, and traffic to get in and out of the construction zone.

“The plan has been really just to get everything laid out so that we can meet the expectations — as best as possible — for that community,” he explained. “Prioritizing that, making sure that we’ve incorporated that in the approach to procuring a contractor, our design plan, things of that nature.”

To that end, the city plans to hold a public open house in September — a month before construction resumes — to inform citizens about aspects of the project, particularly access into and out of the construction zone.

“I expect that we’re going to see a lot of different phasing of the construction,” Phipps said. “Rather than taking the entire two-mile stretch of road, we’ll be asking our contractor to have a far more strategic plan for the work that they are immediately working on.”

Crews may face groundwater and soil issues that slowed progress on the first phase.

The improvement projects are upgrading infrastructure that dates back to the 1950s and 1960s.

Phipps said that the project’s contractor is responsible for pothole repairs in the construction zone.

The city and county’s projects on South Academy are scheduled for completion next year.

Click here to follow the original article.

Bart Bedsole

LOW SCORES

One of the most visible restaurants in Colorado Springs failed its health inspection last week. 

The Juicy Seafood, located at the corner of I-25 and Garden of the Gods, is among a handful of Colorado Springs restaurants that offer a full seafood menu that includes everything from crawfish to live lobster. 

However, it racked up 12 violations on June 23, leading to a failing score that required a re-inspection by the health department. 

Among the violations: 

Employees changing gloves but not washing hands when switching tasks 

Raw shrimp were found stored above cooked sausage in the cooler 

The restaurant wasn’t cleaning and sanitizing utensils and food contact surfaces at least every 4 hours 

The restaurant was using unapproved ribbon glue fly traps in multiple locations 

When KRDO13 went to The Juicy Seafood, a host explained that no manager was available to discuss the violations or the actions taken to address them. 

KRDO13 left contact information for a response, but no one from The Juicy Seafood ever reached out. 

The restaurant did pass its re-inspection on July 1. 

The La Casita on Woodmen near Rangewood also failed its health inspection last week. 

The 8 violations found on June 24 include:

The restaurant only has one certified food protection manager, and that person wasn’t there 

Multiple containers of vegetables, rice, and potatoes were missing dates to show when they were made 

The staff was using an improper method to thaw out frozen meat 

There was no hot water at the handwashing sink, plus it was leaking 

The area manager told KRDO13 days later that they had already addressed most of the violations by educating the staff on the proper procedures. 

He added that he prefers to have workers take in-person food safety courses, rather than online courses, in order to become certified food safety managers. 

However, he claims it is difficult to find an in-person course in Spanish, which is needed for most of his staff. 

La Casita has yet to be reinspected. 

Other restaurants that failed their inspection last week: 

AI Sushi & Grill – 3215 Cinema Point  

Thai Taste Cuisine – 5069 N Academy 

Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza – 5214 N Nevada 

HIGH SCORES

Sasquatch Cookies – 7636 Dublin Blvd 

Marco’s Pizza – 9420 Briar Village Point 

Wingstop – 4294 N Academy 

Springs Wings – 6504 S Academy 

Located just a few blocks from Fort Carson, Springs Wings has become a staple of south Colorado Springs, serving up wings in a variety of flavors, as well as unique sides or something lighter like a curry chicken salad.

Owner Jessica Gray describes herself as a “military brat” growing up, moving constantly from place to place, and she includes several items on the menu, like fried okra, macaroni salad, or sweet tea, to help some of the local soldiers feel a bit more at home. 

“Everyone who’s moving like that and traveling, it’s hard to find that sense of home, and being able to offer them a place where they find that, I think, is really important.  We purposefully have things on our menu that reflect other parts of the country,” she said. 

When the inspector stopped by in June for the regular inspection, Jessica was actually out of town. 

She admits that as an owner, it’s easy to be “paranoid” about how the operation is running in her absence, but she had high praise for the staff members who stepped up in her place to keep the kitchen in line. 

“We have a staff that cares about what they’re doing and what they’re serving, and I think that makes a giant difference, being proud of what you’re doing,” she said. 

Keep an eye out for the KRDO13 Restaurant Roundup awards to know the kitchen inside is clean. 

Click here for a full list of recent inspection scores. 

Click here to follow the original article.

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A man inadvertently shot a dog owner after intentionally shooting the victim’s dog at the Nevada Inn and Suites (formerly Rodeway) off of South Nevada Avenue, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).

CSPD said the victim’s dog started attacking the shooter’s dog. Police say the dogs were roughly the same size. The department said the dog never attacked the shooter. While both owners were trying to pull the animals apart, CSPD said the shooter shot the other man’s dog. The bullet traveled through the dog, hitting the victim in the shin area.

CSPD said the injured dog is now dead. It said the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region picked up and ultimately had to euthanize the dog because of the extent of its injuries. CSPD said the human victim faces non-life-threatening injuries from a gunshot wound in his leg.

CSPD said it does not believe the shooter intentionally shot the dog owner at this time. They said they are still working through what charges the shooter might face.

Multiple neighbors who know the victim said they’ve never had issues with any of his animals. One neighbor told KRDO13 the dead dog was a German Sheppard and Boxer mix.

Click here to follow the original article.