Mesa Ridge High School was our week one winner of the South Colorado Motors Friday Night Blitz Spirit Award. The Mesa Ridge cheer squad received the South Colorado Motors Friday Night Blitz Spirit Award plaque.
Click here to follow the original article.ALASKA (KRDO) – Every year, the National Park Service celebrates the fall with a public vote for the fattest bear in Alaska’s Katmai National Park before hibernation.
Here in Colorado, thousands of residents have gotten a view much closer for comfort than the popular Alaskan livestream.
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), bear encounters over doubled in August from the same time last year, eclipsing 8600 reported incidents. Bear relocations tripled. Bear euthanizations had the biggest jump, rising over 350%.
Data from Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Environmental factors like low snowpack, droughts and wildfires have reduced the bears’ food supply and habitats. CPW said they are becoming increasingly comfortable around humans because residents are not scaring them off.
CPW said people should get big, make loud noises and use noisemakers to scare bears away when they come near civilization. It said bears have good memories and will keep coming back to trash cans and bird feeders they feel provide an easy meal.
Click here to follow the original article.COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Winter weather that brings snow and ice doesn’t just come in the winter; we’ve seen it come in mid-fall and in early spring.
So, El Paso County public works crews must prepare for snow removal and related tasks ahead of time, in good weather — whether crews are new or experienced.
That’s the purpose of the annual “snow school” training event.
It helps crews learn and refresh their skills, including how to plow snow properly, put snow chains on their tires, and other duties.
You may not realize how large the county is: Hundreds, if not thousands, of roads, many of them unpaved, and as far as 40 miles from the Colorado Springs city limits.
It takes an appropriately large staff to cover that much territory.
Supervisors say that a full call-out for a winter storm event is 140 people, and last season, the county was close to being fully staffed, with 135 drivers.
The height of the COVID-19 pandemic reduced those numbers significantly.
In response, the county eliminated some job requirements, such as having a high school diploma, and raised pay and benefits to attract new employees and retain existing workers.
The county has also found success in outreach programs that have continued since the pandemic.
Supervisors occasionally host students at the transportation complex and make presentations at schools, exposing students to a possible career in public works.
Scott Hall, the county’s training supervisor for public works, said that around a third of the employees are new, and the overall retention rate is around 10%.
“We’ll be a little under what we were last year,” he said. “Maybe a dozen or so short of being fully staffed. “We’re close. We’re still doing a lot of training, and we have a whole new group of people coming in — new hires next week. So, it’s always a process.”
One of the newer employees is Dalton Hopkins, who’s in his second year with the county after a similar job with Fort Carson.
“I haven’t really decided (whether to stay long-term),” he said. “But I know it’s a good group of people. I think for a lot of people, (the county) just might not be the place for them.”
Hall agrees.
“This is not a burger-flipping job. This is a work job.”
He hopes that a new career progression program will convince more departing employees to stay.
“You can actually see your future build,” Hall explained. “You know what you’re going to work towards in your first year, your second year, whatever those years are, plus the money that goes with it. And it has helped immensely.”
Finally, Hall added that the weather isn’t the biggest challenge for crews; it’s drivers who get too close to the plows or otherwise hinder them.
“For their safety and yours, please give the plows plenty of space,” he urged.
Click here to follow the original article.FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — The first of two street closures begins Monday on Mesa Road between Fountain Mesa Road and Healy Drive.
On Wednesday, a partial closure of Cross Creek Avenue—east of Fountain Mesa—begins.
The closures are scheduled to last for two weeks so that the Widefield Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) can install a new wastewater line from the district’s property on Highway 85/87 to a location east of Fountain.
That means taking the line through a busy part of town behind the new King Soopers shopping center and across busy Fountain Mesa.
However, Fountain will benefit from this project.
Because part of the installation will be on Cross Creek, where the pavement is in poor condition and Fountain hasn’t had the budget to repave it, Widefield and Fountain will split the repaving cost to improve the street sooner than it otherwise would.
KRDO13’s The Road Warrior is trying to learn the cost of the repaving there.
Fountain officials hope for more similar partnerships in the future because its paving needs far exceed available funding.
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.Tonight we will see partly cloudy skies with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. IT will be on the breezy side with winds out of the northeast at around 10 to 15 mph. Overnight lows will be cool, dropping down into the lower 50s.
Monday will bring us cooler weather with highs in the lower 70s. We do have a slight chance of an afternoon shower or thunstorm.
We do have a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm each day this week, with highs in the 70s.
Click here to follow the original article.COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — After five years of being at the ‘bottom,’ Lance Gillenwater knew he needed help.
His years as a medic in the Air Force brought on debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder, a 100% diagnosis he received ten years ago. He isn’t alone: just shy of a quarter of military service members struggle with PTSD at some point, according to the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA).
But then, a commander recommended yoga and breathing as a way to cope.
“I had only taken one yoga class before,” said Gillenwater. “I was actually a runner and a swimmer. But slowing down is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your nervous system. Yoga is a subtractive process. You take things out. You slough off the things that are getting in the way of getting in tune with yourself.”
The slowing down helped Gillenwater be able to function and succeed.
He eventually became a trauma-informed yoga instructor, now teaching with Comeback Yoga, where classes are offered twice weekly at the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center.
Here, those struggling can put their bodies through stressors, but teach the nervous system how to respond calmly.
“Breathing is the actual point of the class. The nervous system doesn’t know the difference between the stressors in here and the stressors out there. We’re teaching ourselves that we can do hard things,” said Gillenwater.
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.FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A rough stretch of Highway 115 between a recent and a current project by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is now smoother after crews completed some maintenance paving this summer.
Crews repaved four miles — in several segments — a few miles south of the El Paso County line.
The work was maintenance paving, a temporary operation in which crews laid asphalt over the existing pavement instead of a full repaving that removes old asphalt first.
CDOT said there is no funding available for a full repaving in that area for the next several years, and the maintenance paving should last between two and five years.
The main issue on the highway, CDOT explained, is “alligator cracking” caused by age, freeze/thaw cycles, and heavy truck traffic.
The affected highway segments are south of a project to improve safety on Highway 115 in El Paso County (completed in 2024), and north of a project nearing completion to repair hundreds of cracked concrete pavement panels in Penrose.
Last fall, CDOT also performed maintenance paving on part of westbound US 50 between the Pueblo/Fremont County line and Penrose.
Click here to follow the original article.PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – 25 balloons towered over Pueblo Friday morning to kick off the 32nd annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival. One of the bunch, sporting a cute pink fairy, made one young fan’s day.
“I’ve never seen a hot air balloon this close and in my own yard, and it’s just like. Wow, I’m so excited. This is the best thing that’s ever happened!” said Kinley, a young girl who gleefully watched the balloon land in her backyard from her trampoline.
Kinley and her friends started waving at the Pixie Spirit Balloon as soon as it came into sight, and they didn’t stop until it touched down on their land. It was a chance Kinley and her family barely missed out on a year ago.
“This is her favorite hot air balloon, and last year, we were actually at Langoni [Sports Complex] watching everyone take off, and the neighbors called and said they were in our yard. So we’re really excited to actually get to interact this year,” said Brittany Hawkins, Kinley’s mom.
The Balloon Fest is a relatively new tradition added in 2021. It quickly became a beloved staple to kick off the festival before downtown floods with people on Friday afternoon.
The main festival is in Historic Downtown Pueblo off of Union Avenue. The three-day event starts Friday and wraps up Sunday.
Schedule
Friday: 3 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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Click here to follow the original article.COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Volunteers helped clean the historic Evergreen Cemetery for veterans on Wednesday as part of an effort through a non-profit organization.
Evergreen Cemetery is one of the most historic cemeteries in the Pikes Peak region and is the final resting place of more than 4,000 veterans, with some sites dating back to the Civil War.
About 203 volunteers showed up to restore the cemetery through a non-profit organization called “Saluting Branches.”
According to City Forester Matt Puckett the organization “is dedicated to enhancing the landscape around veteran cemeteries and veteran sites.”
The volunteers who showed up were local companies who care for trees, people in the military and members of the community. This event has been happening annually for the last five years.
“It’s fantastic for our community. It’s fantastic for our veterans, and it’s amazing to see that level of support,” Puckett said.
Restoring the cemetery meant much more to the community than just giving back, it meant paying homage to loved ones who served.
“Green Berets coming by saying thank you for what you are doing. From the volunteers that have their uncle, their father buried here that served in our country. I mean the impact is near and dear,” Puckett said.
The event on Wednesday brought in more than $100,000 dollars in professional care for the 2,800 trees, according to officials.
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.EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A new downtown bar failed its first health inspection with seven violations, while several Colorado Springs-area restaurants earned high marks, including one Thai restaurant that received a perfect score.
Stoney’s cited for seven violations
Stoney’s Bar and Grill, located on North Tejon Street, failed its first health inspection after opening earlier this month.
The inspection report documented seven violations, including improper glove use and food-storage concerns.
The inspector also found queso sauce that was beyond its seven-day shelf life.
KRDO13 stopped by Stoney’s to see whether the issues had been addressed. A chef said employees are now washing their hands and changing gloves frequently.
The chef also said the restaurant’s food is being kept at proper temperatures and everything is fresh.
Stoney’s passed its re-inspection September 18th.
Three restaurants earn high scoresThis week’s roundup also includes three restaurants that received high inspection scores:
The Old Spaghetti Factory Wingstop Sahara Cafe Two restaurants receive perfect scores
Two restaurants highlighted in this week’s roundup received perfect health inspection scores.
In-N-Out Burger and Eim Thai both earned perfect scores.
At Eim Thai, owner Pong said much of the kitchen staff has been with the restaurant since it opened, helping create a strong workplace culture.
“Like 90% of the people in the kitchen—they’re with me since day one,” Pong said.
Pong also said the restaurant strives to serve food that is both affordable and healthy enough for customers to eat regularly.
She described the restaurant as a second home, saying she spends more time there than she does at home.
Keep an eye out for KRDO13’s Restaurant Roundup awards at your favorite restaurant — and remember, a high score means the kitchen has passed its routine health inspection.
Reminder: All high and low scores in this roundup are based on routine health inspections conducted by the El Paso County Health Department.
Click here for a look at all the most recent health inspection scores.
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.
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