Danny Mata
Rob Namnoum is the longest tenured sportscaster in the history of Colorado Springs. It’s impossible to put into words how much Rob means to the Southern Colorado community.
Rob was inducted into the Heartland Emmys Silver Circle in recognition of his service to Southern Colorado. Rob is now in his 26th year at KRDO13.
Karla Sosa
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)- Sometimes it takes more than physical therapy to recover from an injury. The Department of Defense Warrior Games are one way to help active duty and retired military in their recovery journeys by giving them sports to compete in.
The games are back in Colorado Springs for the first time in almost a decade. The games will be in here until the 26th at the Main Venue of Colorado College.
This is the first year that Sergeant Louis Diaz has competed in the Department of Defense Warrior Games. It’s been a long year for him on his path to recovery. Diaz was recovering for 10 months and said his rehabilitation was tough.
“Last year, I was in a car accident. I broke both my legs and had internal damage,” said Diaz. “I had to transition from a wheelchair to crutches and to a walker, and then finally to be able to walk again. One of the biggest challenges was running. I felt like my bones were breaking again.”
Diaz is one of 200 active and retired military service members competing this week in Colorado Springs. Five service branches are being represented here at the games. The participants can compete in 11 different adaptive sports, from cycling to powerlifting to wheelchair basketball and more.
“They say they’re not competitive. There’s a little competition, but it is for the rehab, rehabilitation. Whether they were wounded or ill, active duty veterans. But a place to unite and be a team again,” said Katie Moses Swope, public relations.
Diaz said being part of the games shows him that he has a support system.
“Everyone’s going through something here, right? So like it’s nice to know that I’m not alone,” said Diaz.
Next year, the Warrior Games will be in San Antonio.
Michael Logerwell
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Saturday afternoon, a woman was killed at Lake Pueblo State Park. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says it was a tragic accident involving a powered watercraft and contact with the engine propeller.
CPW says the incident happened around 4 p.m. near the North Shore at Denver Cove. Pueblo West Firefighters attempted life-saving measures after the 43-year-old woman was brought to the North Shore Marina, but were unsuccessful.
The Pueblo County Coroner declared her dead just after 5 p.m. Her identity has not been released at this time.
CPW added that the circumstances around the death are being investigated by local authorities. As of publication, no arrests have been made.
Michael Logerwell
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — For the third time this month, KRDO13 has received video of fireworks being launched directly at homes in the middle of the night, not for celebration.
We are told at KRDO13 that the new fireworks explosion was so loud that it woke neighbors who were sleeping seven houses away. The family whose house was involved says the explosion has caused hundreds of dollars worth of damage.
“It was so loud, it woke me up out of my dead sleep. And I was like, what in the world was that?”
Rosa Cabrera says this explosion shook the windows of her home, and at first, she thought it had caught her family’s house on fire.
“My daughter came running in the room, and she was like, Mom, Mom, the house is on fire,” Cabrera said she ran to her daughter’s room and looked out the window. “You could just see a huge cloud of smoke. I really thought my house was on fire.”
The incident was caught on a slew of home security cameras along Wilmington Drive. In one video, you see two people lighting a fuse and throwing it at the home from a neighbor’s yard. Then another catches them as they run away, with the explosion in the background.
“My reaction was terrifying. I couldn’t believe that something like that was happening to my home,” Cabrera said.
This is now the third incident since July 4th that KRDO13 Investigates has covered where fireworks were lit by an unknown person at someone’s home. One of which happened just a few hours earlier near Monument in El Paso County, and the other, which led to a fire that completely destroyed a home.
PREVIOUS REPORTING: Family devastated, Colorado Springs home uninhabitable after illegal fireworks cause fire
PREVIOUS REPORTING: KNOCK, KNOCK, BOOM: Family awoken to loud sounds, smoke after ‘Ding-Dong Ditch’
According to officials, there’s currently no evidence to suggest that the three events are connected.
“We’re definitely going to be upgrading our system over the weekend. That’s something that we’ve been wanting to do anyway, but now this is just, like, basically forcing us to do it.”
The family says they have filed a police report, alleging the incident caused $500 worth of damage.
Celeste Springer
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — US 24 is closed in both directions due to a crash, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
CDOT says the closure runs from Cotton Tail Drive and Curtis Road (3 to 4 miles east of Colorado Springs) from Mile Point 322.5 to Mile Point 323.8.
State Patrol told KRDO13 that the crash involved two vehicles and one motorcycle. Patrol says the motorcyclist is deceased.
Patrol says the road should be expected to be closed for several hours.
Drivers should expect heavy delays. CDOT also asked that they use caution.
This is a breaking news situation with minimal details, but this article may be updated.
Heather Skold
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Finding a trusted, vetted, skilled childcare giver is one of the biggest challenges of parenthood. Add in multiple moves to new cities while in the military? The challenge becomes overwhelming.
Enter the mission of Operation Childcare Project’s “HomeFront Help.”
Founded by Army spouse Kayla Corbitt, the nonprofit serves to train a cohort of “helpers” who undergo FBI background checks and receive safety training, including CPR, to be ready for military families.
“[Military Families] were turning to Facebook, and we thought, ‘There has to be a better way,'” said Corbitt. “There’s a gap that exists. A gap that’s typically filled with friends, family, or neighbors that military families really don’t have,” said Founder Kayla Corbritt.
Two dozen of those helpers have just finished their first training in Colorado Springs to fill what Corbitt terms a “childcare desert” in the Pikes Peak Region.
The pilot program was initially introduced in Florida, and since its debut in the fall of 2024, the program has served more than 100 families.
“There’s a deficit I wasn’t even aware of,” said Kayla Zimmerman, a helper trainee. “We want to make sure they have some stability when it’s up and down all the time and new deployments.”
Operation Childcare already has quarterly trainings planned through 2026 in Colorado Springs.
Caregivers who wish to gain vetted status through Operation Childcare can do so here.
Military members can also search the website’s repository for vetted caregivers here.
Bradley Davis
CASCADE, Colo. (KRDO) – Friday morning was one of just five days this year that Park Rangers will open the Pikes Peak highway early enough for visitors to see the sun rise from over 14,000 feet in the sky.
It’s the first season Park Rangers have introduced “Sunrise Shuttles,” providing more transportation options for people to get to the top before the sun comes up.
One onlooker traveled over 4000 miles to see the sun rise above Pikes Peak with his friends.
“It’s unreal. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. Unlike anything I’ve ever done before,” United Kingdom native Adam Newton said.
The Gateway opened at 4:30 a.m. on Friday.
It will open again at 4:30 a.m. on August 1, followed by a 5 a.m. sunrise opening September 27 and a final early-morning viewing experience at 5:30 a.m. on October 13. Tribal Nation Elders will perform a sunrise blessing on the mountain top on October 13 in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
A timed entry permit or a shuttle ticket is required to enjoy the Pikes Peak Sunrise openings. A 2-hour timed entry permit is $2. A standard shuttle ticket is $35 for adults and $10 for children.
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The project to extend Powers Boulevard north to Interstate 25 started in 2019 and likely won’t be finished until 2030 at the earliest, officials have said.
Citizens had the opportunity to ask questions and receive an update on the project at a 90-minute public meeting held on Thursday evening at Discovery Canyon High School.
“Mostly, we’ve seen a lot of feedback that has said Thank goodness, it’s about time it’s happening,” said Gayle Sturdivant, the city’s deputy public works director. “And we hear that a lot every day. But for the most part, it’s just really been more minor questions about what’s going on. It hasn’t been really anything specific, other than it’s about time this last segment of Powers is getting constructed.”
The remaining phase of the project involves extending Powers two miles through the Flying Horse subdivision and connecting to the previously built extension between Voyager Parkway and I-25.
Part of that phase also includes a noise study to determine current and future traffic noise levels and consider possible mitigation strategies.
“Just doing a comparison,” Sturdivant explained. “One, to see if there are noise impacts on the adjacent residents. And two, if they meet the primary criteria — which are feasibility and reasonableness. So, many steps happen. What we’re really kicking off today is just the testing.”
A key component of the Powers connection was finished in late March with the completion of the Voyager Parkway bridge, which will rise above the end of the Powers extension when it arrives.
The bridge construction was delayed four months after several frustrating delays that included weather impacts and relocating a utility line linked to the Air Force Academy.
Existing ramps already connect to I-25 between both ends of Spectrum Loop, which served as the primary detour during bridge construction.
The Copper Ridge Metro District is fronting the cost of the project through property tax revenue from surrounding commercial businesses and several apartment complexes.
The district also financed the earlier two-year project to connect the north end of the Powers Boulevard extension to I-25; the Voyager bridge and the Spectrum Loop bridge cross over that extension and were built by the district.
Revenue from the penny sales tax of the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority will reimburse the district.
Sturdivant said that because of the district agreeing to front construction costs, the project is actually ahead of schedule.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is a partner in the project.
Mackenzie Stafford
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A recent list released by Finance Buzz lands Colorado Springs as the 14th most boring city in America.
KRDO13 is digging into what data points were used to come to that conclusion.
Researchers at Finance Buzz say they collected data in categories using a mix of population makeup, culinary scene, outdoor activities, nightlife, celebrations and things to do. Here’s more on their study.
KRDO13 took the results to downtown Colorado Springs to ask people if they thought the ranking got it right.
There was an array of answers, including “that’s ridiculous,” “oh come on,” “I’m not surprised,” “that’s crazy to me,” and “I call B.S.”
One person told us that, “It’s kind of hilarious because when I moved here, there was actually a lot of, keep Colorado Springs lame. And I was like, come on, Colorado Springs is awesome,” shared Crystal Byrd.
The main shortfalls that the study suggests contribute to Colorado Springs’ ranking are a lack of nightlife and a subpar culinary scene.
“The nightlife is kind of limited to just this one block,” said Brandon McCright, speaking about Tejon St.
His family member disagreed.
“20-somethings can still come down here and party all night long. But yeah, we 50-somethings still have a place to go,” explained Debbie McCright.
Some downtown businesses are trying their best to keep things interesting.
“We’ve been hosting DJs at night, which is really fun,” said Owner of TByrds Tacos & Tequila, Crystal Byrd.
Despite the low ranking, the study wasn’t completely negative. The rankings did tout Colorado Springs’ stunning scenery, which is a big draw to the area, and something that the city itself highlighted when we asked for its reaction to the study.
“If being surrounded by breathtaking mountain views, over 18,000 acres of parks, trails, and open space, a historic downtown, wonderful shops and craft breweries and distilleries, world-class museums, Olympic-level training, festivals for every season and being ranked as the #1 Most Neighborly City in America are ‘boring’, we’ll take that any day.”
– Joe Hollmann, Acting Chief Communications Officer, City of Colorado Springs
Other cities that made the top 15 spots include Tulsa, Oklahoma, Phoenix, Albuquerque and Jacksonville, Florida, which was named the number one most boring city in the country.
Bart Bedsole
This week’s Restaurant Roundup is evidence that while years of knowledge and experience often result in a successful health inspection, suddenly taking over a restaurant can bring a steep learning curve and a disastrous score.
On July 10, the Coal Mine Dragon on 8th Street was shut down after 30 violations were found during a routine inspection.
The previous Restaurant Roundup record was 19.
Among the problems found that day:
No handwashing sinks are easily accessible from the cook line, prep line
Several moldy items were in the walk-in, such as a sweet potato, soup, broth, and bell peppers. Also, wilted spinach at the sushi bar.
Cooked chicken was stored in a cardboard box that was previously used for raw chicken
Mouse feces were observed throughout the kitchen to include the interior of the walk-in cooler
Observed the interior of all refrigerators and freezers to be heavily soiled
Outdoor rodent bait stations were found throughout the inside of the restaurant, filled with an unapproved pesticide.
Can opener blade was heavily soiled
Interior of the ice machine was heavily soiled and rusted
Fly traps were observed over food contact surfaces in the kitchen. Fly traps in the kitchen had a high number of flies on them.
Observed kitchen floors, walls and ceilings to be heavily soiled throughout
When KRDO13 showed up on Monday, the restaurant was still closed to customers, but owner Ruth Fezatte and several contractors were on site addressing the violations.
Fezatte apologized for the low score, telling KRDO13 that she had just taken over the business six months ago with no experience owning or operating a restaurant.
She also claims she inherited a variety of problems from the previous owners.
At the time she spoke with KRDO13, she had just returned from the hardware store and said a crew had worked almost nonstop to get the kitchen back into compliance.
“Like last night, I got to sleep around 4 a.m.,” she says, “I did hire some extra people to come to clean. So far, we did everything they asked for.”
In a strong showing of transparency and accountability, she then walked KRDO13 through the kitchen to show some of the work they have performed since the inspection.
A receipt from Terminix confirmed that she had hired a pest control company to address the evidence of rodents.
There were also large trash cans, pieces of steel wool, and other materials throughout the kitchen to show the extent of the cleanup.
Although her English was broken, she made it clear that the inspection was a shock to her, and if she was aware of the violations earlier, she would have corrected them.
Coal Mine Dragon finally passed it re-inspection on July 30.
OTHER FAILING SCORES:
Zaika Indian Cuisine – 4661 Centennial – 13 violations
Back East Bar and Grill – 9475 Briar Village Point – 13 violations
Gaia Masala & Burger – 12 S Tejon – 13 violations
China Menu Restaurant – 9673 Prominent Point – 12 violations – (also featured in February)
Szechuan Panda – 6928 Mesa Ridge Pkwy – 10 violations
Norbu’s Himalayan Hut – 915 Manitou Ave – 9 violations
Chili’s – 5807 N Academy – 8 violations
Carrabba’s Italian Grill – 7 violations
HIGH SCORES:
Wendy’s – 1541 S Nevada
Taco Bell – 5650 N Academy
Panda Express – 7545 Falcon Marketplace
Panda Express – 2960 S Academy
IHOP – 8065 N Academy
Papa John’s – 3010 N Powers
Wingstop – 6922 Mesa Ridge Pkwy
Wienerschnitzel – 8045 Fountain Mesa Rd
The Weinerschnitzel in Fountain is only about 10 months old, but has already developed quite a following.
When asked what the restaurant’s biggest draw is, co-owner Sunny Singh said with a smile, “It’s the chili.”
Yes, chili dogs have been the staple of the chain since it first opened in the 1960’s, and the famous topping is even sold in cans, but the menu includes hot dogs of all sorts as well as hamburgers, ice cream, and other fast food staples.
Singh attributes his high score to the constant coaching of his staff and the leadership of his general manager Estella Garcia.
“We coach and train our employees often, sometimes every day,” he says, “We tell them if they’re doing something wrong, we tell them to correct it. Food safety is one of the biggest concerns because I eat here, my family eats here, my kids eat here. We don’t want anybody to get sick.”
“I like it, I care about my team, I care about my customers,” adds Garcia, an employee of multiple Wienerschnitzel restaurants over the last 21 years.
Keep an eye out for the KRDO13 Restaurant Roundup awards to know the kitchen inside is clean.
Click here for the full list of recent El Paso County health inspections.
