Category: krdo-local-news

Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) has released the identity of a dirt bike rider who died in a crash last week.

Police say Kaylon Thomas, age 36, was riding a dirt bike on May 12 when it crashed off Florence Avenue.

Police say Thomas was given aid and taken to the hospital, but died from his injuries. CSPD says they believe speed may have been a factor in the crash.

The department says this was the 11th traffic fatality this year.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A cast of dancers and musicians from all over the world will come together to perform “A Taste of Ireland” at the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs on Wednesday.

Ahead of the show, a couple of the lead performers met with KRDO 13’s Bradley Davis on stage to talk about the history and show off a thing or two!

Tune into Good Morning Colorado to see Davis speak and dance with the performers live!

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Rob Namnoum

Sophia Lee of Colorado Academy won the Girls 2A State Golf Championships as she shot even par over the two day tournament. Addison Dorsey of Manitou Springs finished second at 3 over. Kyndra Johnson of Salida placed third as she finished the tournament at six over. The 2A state tournament was played at the Pueblo Country Club.

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Celeste Springer

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade and wife, Abbey Mobolade, took the stand in a Denver federal courthouse on Tuesday.

The two were called to testify in the case against Derrick Bernard Jr. and Ashley Blackcloud. Their codefendant Deanna West has already pleaded guilty to her part in the alleged conspiracy.

Bernard Jr., Blackcloud, and West were accused of allegedly staging a hate crime. Bernard and Blackcloud claim that they did so to garner sympathy and win the mayoral election for Mobolade, who was a Black candidate facing off against a white opponent. Barnard, Blackcloud, and West were accused of staging a cross burning with the “n-word.”

Prosecutors will need to show that there was a “true threat” in the alleged plot, which would ensure that the reported stunt would not fall under protected speech.

Court documents revealed messages sent between Mobolade and Bernard in the days before the alleged hoax, as well as a five-minute phone call just days after the incident. Mayor Mobolade has maintained throughout the course of the investigation that he did not have knowledge of– or communicate with the defendants about– the alleged plot.

The big question following Monday’s proceedings is what Mayor Mobolade’s knowledge was of the alleged conspiracy, if any at all.

Ashley Blackcloud told the Associated Press that Mobolade knew in advance about the plans and was a willing participant. Of note, however, is that Blackcloud has something to gain by saying so. Alleging that Mobolade knew about the plans can help lay the groundwork for a defense that there was never a “true threat.”

In court on Tuesday, information came to light that Mayor Mobolade reportedly waited a day to contact police about the cross-burning video.

Initially, Mobolade and members of his campaign talked about how it could have been staged, and some members even said that they were 99% sure it was not real, according to an attorney representing the defense. Mobolade affirmed this in court.

Mobolade even suggested that it could have been set up by a Black person. Defendants Derrick Bernard and Ashley Blackcloud are both black; Blackcloud is also indigenous.

Yemi Mobolade and wife, Abbey Mobolade, talked about how this affected them emotionally, and the fact that they had a set of extra security measures at their house. They said they even bought a fire ladder to set up inside their children’s bedrooms in case their house was set on fire. Both were very emotional on the stand on Tuesday.

“It felt very real. Very real to my family,” said Mayor Mobolade. “The morning I received this (video), I remember pacing the house, afraid to tell my wife.”

It was also discussed in court that even after Bernard was named a suspect in the case, Mobolade did not tell the detective assigned to the case, nor did he tell the FBI, about his contacts with Bernard.

He said that he was waiting for them to take the lead investigation by asking questions.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The City of Colorado Springs has announced its lineup for pools and splashpads. Several options open on Saturday.

Spray grounds:

Deerfield Hills Sprayground

4290 Deerfield Hills Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Opens June 1

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all other days

The Watering Hole at Venezia Park

3555 Briargate Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Opens May 24

Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Splash Pad at Panorama Park

4540 Fenton Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Opens May 24

Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Deerfield Hills Spray Ground at Deerfield Hills Community Center (Source: City of Colorado Springs)

Fountains:

Julie Penrose Fountain in America the Beautiful Park

126 Cimino Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Opens May 24

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Uncle Wilber in Acacia Park

115 E. Platte Ave.

Opens May 24

Hours: noon to 6 p.m.

Uncle Wilber Fountain in Acacia Park (Source: Lander Media via City of Colorado Springs)

Pools:

Monument Valley Pool YMCA

220 Mesa Road 

Day pass rates apply

Opens May 24

Wilson Ranch Pool (Source: YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region)

Wilson Ranch Pool YMCA

2335 Allegheny Drive 

Day pass rates apply

Opens May 24

Note: Portal Pool and the Memorial Park Family Center are closed due to structural assessments.

Lakes:

Prospect Lake in Memorial Park

1605 E. Pikes Peak Ave.

Fishing, paddle boarding, swimming, and motorized use are allowed

No lifeguard on duty; swim at your own risk

Swimming is allowed in the roped-off area in front of the Beach House on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays

Paddleboard rentals available

Prospect Lake in Memorial Park (Source: City of Colorado Springs)

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A group of five students will get to watch their college project launched into orbit so astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) can carry out the experiment.

“I’m using these equations and putting them into actuality. I’m putting something out in the world that’s coming from my brain,” UCCS Chemistry student William Shemel said.

Their project, “Fungal Bioleaching in Microgravity: Fungal Approaches to Metal Recovery,” won a competition against 11 different groups from other competitors in Colorado. They are one of just 21 groups globally selected by the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP).

Two local professors started the statewide competition for a spot in the SSEP: Lynnane George with the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS), and Dr. Mckenna Lovejoy with Pikes Peak State College (PPSC).

The group’s experiment involves sending samples of mold spores to the International Space Station to see if they react different in a microgravity (zero gravity) environment.

The long-term goal of the experiment is to improve the feasibility of human life on other planets. Planet colonizers would theoretically use these type of mold spores to break down local materials and harvest raw metals on-planet rather than having them “shipped” from Earth.

The students are Joseph Bate (UCCS Physics), Evan Martin (UCCS Aerospace Engineering), Tristan Dwyer (UCCS Biology), William Shemel (UCCS Chemistry) and Cody Leeper (PPSC Aerospace Engineering).

All five are invited to watch the launch scheduled for April 2026 at the Kennedy Space Center. 

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Drivers may have noticed recent construction on a two-block segment of Woodmen Road between I-25, east to Campus Drive; it’s a project that started last week, continues through the end of next month, and has two objectives.

The first goal is reducing traffic in the two westbound turn lanes on Woodmen, onto the I-25 entrance ramp; congestion during peak periods often causes backups that blocks traffic in the left through lane on Woodmen.

Crews will resolve that issue by extending those turn lanes east to the Campus intersection; demolishing rebuilding and shifting the concrete center median; and closing one of two left turn lanes on eastbound Woodmen to northbound Campus.

Traffic studies have shown that only a single left turn lane is needed there.

During the project, the left turn lane on northbound Campus to westbound Woodmen is closed, although traffic continues to turn left from the single northbound through lane; it’s unclear whether traffic should be doing that.

Workers also will install new street signs and apply new lane markings; one lane of Woodmen in each direction in that area will be closed during construction but two through lanes each way will remain open; officials said that the project won’t affect access to the freeway in either direction.

The second reason for the project is to prepare that part of Woodmen for repaving this summer, under the 2C expanded repaving program; the city will resurface approximately two miles of the west end of Woodmen from just east of the Academy Boulevard interchange, to Woodmen Court.

As KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior reported last September, the pavement there has significantly deteriorated in the past few years because a previous repaving that added rubber from old tires into the asphalt, proved to be less durable than expected.

The technique has been widely used in California and Texas with the belief that the asphalt/rubber mixture would also provide smoother driving; however, it’s possible that the mixture couldn’t endure the high altitude, freeze-thaw cycles and abrupt temperature changes locally.

Many drivers have complained about the rough condition of Woodmen in that area, calling it one of the bumpiest streets in the city.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Emmanuel Cooley III now faces a 1st degree murder charge and other lesser offenses for the May 16 fatal shooting outside a shopping center on Pikes Peak Avenue.

KRDO13 Investigates has now uncovered court documents that show this is the second time Cooley has been charged with murder.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: One person dead after shooting at Colorado Springs business center

According to Cooley’s arrest affidavit, the Friday shooting started with an argument in the parking lot of the Park Hill Business Center. The original caller told police they saw two people arguing, then “one shot the other.”

Police say they arrived and found the victim wounded in front of Santiago’s Boxing Club. The victim died at the scene. As of Monday evening, CSPD has not identified the victim, but loved ones are already grieving. A memorial made up of dozens of candles, balloons, and flowers now sits at the scene of the crime.

The arrest affidavit says police were able to obtain footage of the shooting and the moments leading up to it. That footage matches up with the witness’s statement, according to police records. The witness told police she saw a black man dressed in dark clothing pull the trigger. Police say the security camera footage showed the same thing.

Cooley is now facing the following charges:

1st degree murder

Felony menacing

Possession of a weapon by a previous offender

When police brought him in for questioning, Cooley said he didn’t want to waste time and pleaded the 5th, declining to answer any questions.

KRDO13 Investigates uncovered court documents and newspaper headlines that show that Cooley previously pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder in 2001, related to an August 1999 killing.

Cooley was sentenced to 32 years behind bars in that case.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The time between deciding which street to be repaved, doing the concrete work required beforehand, and then applying the new layer of asphalt can be a frustrating wait for drivers and neighbors, but brings relief and satisfaction when the work is finished.

Last week, residents in the hilly Broadmoor Bluffs neighborhood on the city’s southwest side began enjoying the benefits of freshly repaved streets.

It’s where city officials recently held a kick-off event for this year’s version of the 2C expanded street repaving effort.

Voters initially passed Question 2C in 2015; it was conceived by John Suthers, the same year that he was elected to the first of two terms as mayor.

Passage meant the approval of a sales tax increase to generate at least $50 million annually for expanded repaving; voter approval was fueled by many citizen complaints about poor street conditions, numerous potholes and vehicle damage.

Voters renewed the tax in 2020 and again last year, this time for a ten-year extension.

“I want to take a second to thank our residents for our recent passing of a ten-year extension of the program,” said Richard Mulledy, the city’s public works director. “And that’s a huge thing for our city. It will provide the funding for 2C to continue to pave roads like this, and continue to improve our infrastructure in people’s neighborhoods and along our mainline infrastructure.”

During the previous nine years of 2C, many citizens criticized the program for not paving enough streets, not paving them quickly enough, not spending tax revenue wisely, and questioning the method by which officials decide which streets to prioritize.

Brian Wilson, the program manager for 2C, insists that the city is doing the best it can.

“The 2C program focuses on roads that are between a 30 and a 70 OCI (Overall Condition Index) value because those are roads that have significant distress that need addressing, but still meet criteria to not be a full re-constructive effort that costs a lot of money,” he explained.

Some citizens are disappointed that the increased paving has yet to result in a significant decrease in potholes; crews patched 94,000 last year.

However, officials have routinely said that they are still catching up on years of deferred street maintenance, and that they’re also coping with the addition of more streets resulting from continued growth.

Becca Gurney Powe lives in the Broadmoor Bluffs.

“There’s freezing and melting, and it just tears large pockets of paving away,” she said. “It’s a mess. We’re grateful to having the roads repaved up here.”

To see the streets on this year’s paving list, visit: https://coloradosprings.gov/system/files/2025-01/2025%202C%20Paving%20List.pdf.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A couple in Colorado Springs has created a new hiking group that encourages families to bring their children along to help new parents find a community in the outdoors.

It’s called the Colorado Springs Parents hiking group. The two co-founders, Kati Lynn and Andrew Pannier, moved to Colorado last summer with their young daughter. The two said they had trouble finding hiking groups they could join and fit in with while bringing their two-year-old along.

The group meets one or two times a month at different spots in the Pikes Peak region. Kati-Lynn and Andrew said they vet each trail to make sure it’s safe for young children and brings water for participants.

The two use Facebook for all group communication.

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