Category: krdo-local-news

Bradley Davis

CALHAN, Colo. (KRDO) – Every school year, Ellicott seniors wake up before dawn and send their goals into the universe.

It’s called ‘Senior Sunrise.’ Each student writes their goals and aspirations on biodegradable balloons, and in unison, releases them to the clouds.

“My message on the balloon was that I hope to do good things in my future and to better myself because there’s nothing more that I want to do than to better myself, Senior Eduardo Dominguez said.

District parents and grandparents award the students’ early alarms with a made-from-scratch breakfast of champions of homemade tortillas, (very) spicy salsa and breakfast burritos.

“I’ve been here my entire life, and I’ve grown up knowing these people, and I have my grandma teaching at the school, my auntie teaching at the school, and I think it’s just a really good environment overall,” Dominguez said.

“What we have that I think a lot of schools don’t is that ability to connect with the kids, and it’s not just the numbers that come into the classroom and what we’re teaching them the content, but it’s really getting to know who they are and what their goals are in life and supporting them in those skills that aren’t just academic,” Ellicott Principal Mike Miller said.

Ellicott is our final ‘School Buzz: On the Road’ of the 2026 school year. You can find each district KRDO visited under the School Buzz tab on KRDO.com.

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Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — Pueblo Water Works is in the process of placing liners inside 24-inch and 21-inch water mains, but some neighbors are unhappy about how much water is being released as part of the process.

The release point for the water discharge is Baltimore Avenue, just south of 32nd Street; the water flows downhill for seven blocks and partially floods intersections before entering a drainage channel near 28th Street and Freedom Avenue.

Neighbors who contacted KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior about the matter said the discharge began several weeks ago, and they’re unhappy about it.

“Oh, man! It’s been maybe, at least, a week and a half?” said Shelby Gurule. “Two weeks almost. All this water is just non-stop, non-stop all the time.”

There’s concern about possible street damage, and questions about whether the water is going to waste at a time when much of the state continues to experience drought conditions.

Pueblo Water Works posted a response on its website, saying that draining the mains will relieve pressure and make it easier and safer for crews to line them.

Spokesman Joe Cervi said that draining the mains also allows the utility to continue providing water service to its customers.

“We appreciate the public’s concern about this, and we’re glad to talk to them about it, glad to educate them about it,” he said. “It’s just one of those things that has to happen for this project to get done, and we’re doing it as quickly as we can. But, just know that the water is not going to waste.”

The utility also insists that the water is not being wasted and will eventually flow — through stormwater and wastewater systems — into the Arkansas River that supplies the city with its water.

“Other communities and the farms downstream will be able to use it,” he explained. “There are no issues with water quality.”

Although one customer told The Road Warrior that his bill has increased significantly since the project began, Cervi insisted that customers won’t have to pay for the project.

“He’s welcome to call our customer service team,” he responded. “But this project has zero effect on anyone’s bill.”

Cost and timeline aren’t available for the overall project, which includes several water main improvements in the area.

Neighbors received welcome news on Wednesday, as the utility said that the water drainage on Baltimore should end in a week or two, and similar discharges likely won’t be needed in future project phases.

The current phase covers two miles from the Watts storage tank to Dillon Drive, crossing under Interstate 25.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — As the new school year began on Monday at Colorado College, campus police are repeating their annual effort to emphasize crosswalk safety for students.

Cathy Buckley, the director of the Campus Safety Police, said that officers traditionally spend the first two weeks of the school year reminding students to use crosswalks and avoid the risks posed by jaywalking.

The challenge is that two busy streets — Nevada Avenue and Cascade Avenue — cut through the campus from north to south, and border the college from east to west.

As classes resumed on Monday, KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior saw many students jaywalking — even cutting between vehicles that were backed up to wait for students properly using crosswalks.

Jaywalking is likely common because it allows students to reach their destinations more quickly, but they may also be preoccupied with going to lunch, the campus routine, or eager to hang out with classmates.

Buckley said that she hopes the safety message eventually sinks in for all students.

“We’ve had some students hit by vehicles while crossing the street over the years,” she recalled. “But few have been serious, and none have been fatal. Sometimes it happened in crosswalks at night when drivers couldn’t see students or other pedestrians. The crosswalk is still the safest place to be. Pedestrians and drivers should make eye contact to ensure that they see each other.”

Buckley added that students face possible disciplinary action from the dean of students, if jaywalking becomes a particular problem or distraction.

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Bradley Davis

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KRDO) – California’s Attorney General canceled Monday’s negotiations with Paramount after he said the company leaked private meetings and acted “in bad faith.”

California and 11 other states, including Colorado, filed an antitrust lawsuit over its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. The 12-state coalition alleges the merger is anti-competitive and will restrict jobs in Hollywood.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta met privately with Paramount on Friday. Bonta said the company leaked the contents of the meeting and misrepresented what was said.

A Paramount spokesperson said it was not the source of the leak and hopes talks can continue.

Paramount has agreed to freeze the merger until June 1, 2027, or until the two sides can agree on a settlement.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The students at the Fountain Valley Boarding School returned to class Monday after a weekend-long “orientation” that felt more like a College welcome week.

“There was a lot of chat, a lot of game playing. There was a mobile dance party,” Associate Dean Andy Moeschberger said. “We ended the day with a big old dodgeball tournament, and then they were back in their common rooms in the dorm and the excitement of being back on campus.”

The Fountain Valley School is an admission-based college preparatory school on 11,000 acres and offers a wide range of programs. Monday, students shared their experiences at the horse stables, blacksmithing shed, prairie trails and their massive rock climbing wall.

To tell people, ‘Oh, I ride horses at my school,’ it’s really cool. It’s Awesome,” Molly said, a Senior at Fountain Valley and a horseback riding national champion.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A new student adjusting to life on a college campus has plenty of responsibilities, such as registering for classes, buying books, and checking on financial aid.

But the first day of the new semester may be the most hectic, as those new students try to find their classes — and with many speaking English as a second language.

Those thoughts ran through the mind of Moises Hinojosa, the director of accessibility services at Pikes Peak State College (PPSC) and its four campuses, with a total enrollment of 12,000.

It led him to attend a technology conference last fall, hoping to find ideas to improve students’ ability to navigate indoors.

Hinojosa said he watched a presentation about an indoor GPS app that helps people find gates at major airports and exhibit halls at museums.

He wondered if that same technology could be applied to indoor spaces on college campuses.

The result is GoodMaps, an indoor GPS app available for the start of the fall semester at PPSC last week.

Hinojosa said that the app releases usage data weekly, so we won’t know until sometime this week how many students are using it.

According to a PPSC release: The free GoodMaps app uses camera-based technology to identify a person’s location and provide precise directions through complex indoor spaces. Users can receive audio and visual guidance, select step-free routes, and navigate the platform in more than 25 languages.

It’s unknown how many campuses use GoodMaps, but one user is Michigan State University, with more than 51,000 students.

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Michael Logerwell

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – On Sunday, Colorado Governor Jared Polis made a formal, comprehensive request to the federal government asking for help recovering after the ‘Apsen Acres’ and ‘Gold Mountain’ fires.

The request for aid is split into three categories: Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, and FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Funding.

“The Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires destroyed over 300 homes, damaged critical infrastructure, and disrupted the livelihoods of Coloradans across three counties. These disasters clearly meet all the requirements for a Major Disaster Declaration, and the flooding and debris flows that followed have caused further destruction and claimed a life,” Gov. Polis said.

RELATED: ‘It’s like living in a war zone right now,’ Beulah residents cleaning up again after another flash flood, call for more help

The governor’s office explains that individual assistance would go towards eligible homeowners for needs such as temporary housing, home repairs, and essential personal property. That even extends to crisis counseling, disaster care management, disaster unemployment assistance, and disaster legal services. 

Public assistance would help state and local governments, public utilities, and certain nonprofit organizations cover eligible costs for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and repairs to roads, water systems, electric grids, and more, the governor’s office explains.

The FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Funding would support long-term solutions that reduce the impact of future disasters in an impacted community.

“Federal support is critical because the Aspen Acres Fire, followed by flash flooding from the massive burn scar, has created a continuous and compounding disaster far beyond what our local resources can sustain,” said Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero.

“This Major Disaster Declaration is very important to the Custer citizens to recover some of our costs and put them into our own citizens’ wildfire mitigation, evacuation route enhancements, and good faith effort on our federal government’s responsibility to its citizens,” said Custer County Commissioner Lucas Epp.

The most recent reports from the incident command team estimate the ‘Aspen Acres’ Fire has burned more than 102,000 acres, plus more than 800 structures, including 324 homes.

Included in the damage, the governor’s office says the San Isabel Electric Association suffered millions of dollars in damages, along with the Pine Drive Water District, which only in the past month was able to turn water back on for its customers.

“We have been working to assess the damage correctly and by the book and ensure we get it right to do all we can to support our communities affected by these disasters,” Governor Polis said. “I ask the President to approve this request so Coloradans can access the support needed to recover and rebuild.”

Included in the announcement, the governor’s office provided several links for assistance:

Colorado Disaster Recovery Navigation Tool: After a disaster, it can be difficult to know what steps to take. The Disaster Recovery Navigation Tool provides resources for survivors and guidance on what to do in the days and months beyond a fire.

Colorado Disaster Information Hub: Provides up-to-date information, county-by-county, on disasters currently being supported by the state and links to relevant resources for those impacted.

211 Colorado Wildfire Information & Resources: Colorado 211 provides information on active wildfire warnings currently in effect and lists statewide resources available to anyone impacted by any of the wildfires across Colorado.

American Red Cross Open Shelters and Disaster Relief Services: The American Red Cross is offering assistance to Coloradans who have been forced to evacuate their homes and those whose access to essential services has been disrupted.

Colorado Association of Realtors Foundation: Households displaced from their primary residence due to a Colorado summer 2026 wildfire can receive up to $1,000 in housing-related assistance, including mortgage and rental assistance. Applications will be accepted through October 30, 2026, or until available funds have been distributed.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Stormy weather has been the norm in Colorado Springs this weekend. The storms seem to have hit one mobile home park off South Circle Drive hardest.

“It looks like a mini tornado came through here, hurricane, and took her tree down, roots and all, and fell onto my car. Totaled my car out,” Ruth Curtis tells KRDO13. Curtis says her neighbor’s tree was blown over by high winds and landed on her car.

“If you go up and down the street, you’ll see all kinds of damage. Roofs gone, skirting gone, debris lying all over the roads. It’s bad. Really bad,” Marlen Ott, one of Curtis’ neighbors, said.

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Steve Roldan

Tonight we will see scattered showers and thunderstorms for most areas along the I-25 Corridor. Some of the storms will produce heavy rain and small hail. It will be on the breezy side with southeast winds at around 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday will bring us a better chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms for most of our viewing area. Expect high temperatures in the lower 90s. We will have to watch for the potential for flash flooding over the burn scar area.

Our chance of showers and thunderstorms will continue each day into the middle part of next week. Expect highs slightly cooler, in the upper 80s. We do have the potential for heavy rain, so we will continue to watch for the possibility of flash flooding.

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Heather Skold

Bavaria, GERMANY (KRDO) — A Pueblo native is making international headlines.

Zean Whatley, 11, just competed in the Cal Ripken World Series, having been one of 12 boys to represent all of Europe and Africa during the elite youth baseball tournament.  While Whatley was born at Pueblo’s Parkview Hospital — same as his parents — he and his family have lived for the past two years in Germany, while his dad is stationed there with the Army. 

“It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve got to see a lot of different cultures and countries. It’s been a blast out here,” said Whatley, on video call. 

Whatley plays on two German teams, which has afforded him the chance to hone his baseball skills, while getting the benefit of learning a new language and making friends in his host country.

His resilience highlights the resilience of military children, who have one option: adapt to their new surroundings every few years. 

In order to be selected for the Cal Ripken World Series, Whatley had to send in a highlight reel and compete in a tournament in the Netherlands. 

Zean’s parents, Andrea and Frank, have deep roots in the Steel City, having met at Pueblo’s Central High School.

“Everyone is there — we are the only ones who left,” said Andrea Pacheco, Zean’s mom. 

And that family reunion is the icing on the cake to being selected for the baseball tournament.  

“I’m feeling excited to go back to the States and being able to see family, and letting them come and support me,” smiled Zean. 

The World Series was held in Branson, MO, Aug. 5-16.

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