Category: krdo-local-news

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — On Wednesday, a crew began removing old concrete panels in a block-long drainage ditch that was crumbling and had accumulated thick brush and piles of debris.

The ditch is between the intersection of Ford Street and Seneca Road, and Valley Street to the south, in the Cimarron Hills community just east of the Colorado Springs city limits.

Neighbors and nearby business owners have complained about the ditch’s condition for years, but a complication in repairing it was that local governments couldn’t agree on who had responsibility for maintaining it.

In 2024, El Paso County accepted responsibility for repairing the 500-foot channel.

“Our plan is to come in here and install a reinforced concrete-lined channel,” said Thomas Donahue, senior public works engineer for the county. “We’ll be increasing the capacity, which will accommodate larger flows than we would anticipate with larger storm events.”

Donahue said that the previous channel layer wasn’t reinforced, and that was a factor in its deterioration.

He added that the project should be finished by the end of March — weather permitting.

Orlando Jiron owns Precision Finish, an auto body repair shop along the channel, and was observing the first day of construction.

“It creates a lot of worries,” he revealed. “But at the same time, now that this is going, I have a lot more confidence and less stress — seeing that the actual progress is moving forward to get this rectified.”

The clogged ditch also caused occasional flooding and erosion of business property on both sides of the channel.

Another issue is stormwater drainage from the upper Seneca neighborhood, which flows so quickly in street gutters downhill that it bypasses a storm drain into the channel and floods the intersection.

Donahue said that the county is considering plans to improve drainage from the neighborhood, and to replace a failing underground metal drainage pipe emptying into the channel.

“We are considering upgrading that with reinforced concrete pipe,” he explained.

The channel drains into a similar ditch in better condition west of Valley Street, which eventually connects to a newer, extensive drainage channel along Paonia Street.

A raccoon, apparently displaced by the construction, was seen slowly crawling through the ditch and into the metal drainage pipe.

Last spring, the county repaired another crumbling drainage channel in Security-Widefield.

The county continues to assess its overall stormwater infrastructure needs.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – As the country continues to celebrate Black History Month, the founder of the African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs (AAHGSCS) says it’s a topic they never stop documenting.

Candice McKnight, a third-generation Colorado Springs native, founded the museum in 2009. McKnight says after her great-great-grandmother heard the freedom bells, she left the McKinney plantation in Texas and moved to southern Colorado.

The AAHGSCS collects and preserves any and all artifacts that tell the story of Colorado Springs’ Black community throughout the centuries. It has books, newspapers, clothing items, replicas, paintings, pamphlets and more.

Anyone can tour the museum, but it is by appointment only. You can call 719-217-2647 to plan your visit.

The museum also hosts events and classes throughout the year. See their upcoming events below. You can also contact the museum if you are interested in genealogy lessons.

April 18: Black Women’s History Month

June 18: Juneteenth Celebration

Oct 17: AAHGSCS 45th Anniversary Open House

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Stella Girkins

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – I-25 has reopened in both directions after Tuesday’s deadly crash shut down the highway south of Pueblo for more than 12 hours.

The Pueblo County Coroner has identified the four people killed as David Kirscht and his adult son, Scott Kirscht, both of Walsenburg, Mary Sue Thayer of Rye, and Karen Ann Marsh of Pueblo.

The crash happened in the Stem Beach area around ten in the morning. The interstate was closed in both directions, while law enforcement, fire and rescue, and emergency crews responded.

Southbound lanes reopened Monday evening, while northbound traffic remained detoured until early Tuesday morning.

According to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), the pile-up involved 29 passenger vehicles, seven semi-trucks, and a livestock trailer.

CSP says the chain-reaction crash unfolded during sudden “brown-out” conditions – strong winds kicking up dust and dirt, drastically reducing visibility.

“The visibility was not bad until it wasn’t,” said Kimber Begano, who narrowly missed the crash. “There was no bracing yourself for it. You were just in the thick of it.”

What CSP says to do in a brown-out

Following the crash, viewers asked what drivers should do if they suddenly lose visibility on the highway.

Before heading out, CSP encourages drivers to check CoTrip.org and local weather.

“If drivers encounter a brownout while traveling, they should immediately slow down, turn on their light-beam headlights, and increase following distance,” says Trooper Sherri Mendez. “Reducing speed and increasing following distance gives drivers more time to react.”

Drivers should also avoid sudden braking or abrupt lane changes.

If visibility drops to near zero, CSP reminds drivers not to stop in the travel lane. Instead, carefully move completely off the roadway by taking the next exit or pulling off – well beyond the shoulder.

“Once safely off the road, drivers should turn off their lights, set the parking brake, and remain in their vehicle with their seatbelts fastened until visibility improves,” says Mendez. “Leaving lights on while stopped can unintentionally cause other motorists to follow those lights and collide with the parked vehicle.”

Authorities continue to investigate the crash as the southern Colorado community recovers from one of the most significant pile-ups in recent memory.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) also shared this guidance.

Similar to a blizzard, brownouts reduce visibility significantly. Motorists should avoid driving through a dust storm if possible. When that’s not possible, motorists should not stop in a travel lane but should exit the roadway, park, turn off headlights and use the emergency brake. 

CDOT works with State Patrol to determine whether and when wind-related restrictions or closures need to be put into place; typically, 60 mph gusts or sustained winds are a threshold we use to help make this determination.

If CDOT, in coordination with the Colorado State Patrol, determines that high winds – typically 60 mph+ – could compromise traveler safety, a High Wind Restriction will be issued for a particular segment of highway. High profile vehicles such as semi-trucks, loaded or with an empty load, will be required to park and shelter in place or turn around until it is determined winds have subsided and it is safe for such vehicles to resume travel. The restriction helps prevent a truck, trailer or light-weighing vehicles from suddenly entering into another lane or causing a rollover.

– The Colorado Department of Transportation.

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Josh Helmuth

4th and 5th-graders from a Pueblo charter school are making sure adoptable pets go home to loving families through a little effort and artistic vision.

The students from the Villa Bella Expeditionary School held a Valentine’s Day project to support PAWS For Life, an animal shelter in Pueblo. The goal? Collect donations to help support the shelter while using their art projects to inspire people to adopt the animals waiting for a home.

The fifth-grade class made acrylic pet portraits of the animals on canvas, now displayed at the shelter to highlight the animals in need of a home. The 4th-grade class made watercolor portraits of the animals that go home to the families that adopt the corresponding animal. Together, they also collected over 400 items for the shelter.

“We are so proud of our students for turning Valentine’s Day into an opportunity to give back and make a difference in the lives of animals in our community,” said Audrianna Martinez, the school’s art teacher.

Jessica Ortiz is the school’s principal, who says the effort was “designed to foster deep engagement and develop character by connecting students to a relevant, local issue.”

“Seeing the excitement and empathy for these pets has been truly heartwarming to witness,” she said.

Is there something or someone remarkable at your school? Tell us! SchoolBuzz@KRDO.com.

   

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Dozens of cars colliding on both sides of I-25 around 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday led to dozens of injuries, several deaths, and the interstate closing for more than 12 hours.

While emergency responders continue to clear the wreckage from I-25, a clear picture of the bodily harm caused by the massive fatal crash has emerged.

The Pueblo County Coroner has notified next-of-kin for the five people who lost their lives on the highway:

David L. Kirscht and his son Scott L. Kirscht from Walsenburg, Colorado

Mary Sue Thayer from Rye, Colorado

Karen Ann Marsh from Pueblo, Colorado

Thomas Thayer of Rye, Colorado

29 others were transported to one of two area hospitals: UC Health or CommonSpirit. 11 of those injured went to Saint Mary-Corwin, and the others went out to the UC Health hospitals.

21 victims only sustained what the Colorado State Patrol is calling moderate to minor injuries. Seven sustained serious bodily injury, and one is in critical condition tonight.

“Today, everything stops. It’s all hands on deck. So whatever we had going on just stopped this. I won’t say it’s a strain because we’re prepared for it. And when we have to bring people in, bring additional staff, nurses, physicians, they’re all at the ready. They know that’s part of the deal,” said Mike Cafasso, president of Saint Mary-Corwin Hospital.

Cafasso said the Pueblo hospitals and first responders train for this type of mass casualty event annually, despite its rarity.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – For the volunteers with Richards Rubbish Roundup, their cleanup on Tuesday afternoon is anything but random.

“Some of them, their favorite thing to do, is see how many carts of trash they can get out of the waterway,” Director Sonja Walker said.

Despite the monthly pre-planning, Walker and her non-profit are not immune to coincidence.

Tuesday is National Random Acts of Kindness Day.” Walker was not aware. It’s just what they do! What better way to celebrate a holiday about randomness, than randomly (and accidentally) planning its celebration?

“If you see any area that needs to be cleaned up, maybe just call us, and you can start your own Rubbish Roundup with us,” Walker said.

Walker and Richards Rubbish Roundup will meet on Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Templeton Gap Trail near 3333 Templeton Gap Road. Everyone is welcome to come and help as they clean the local waterway.

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Celeste Springer

Editor’s note: The livestream has ended.

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Interstate 25 closed in both directions near Stem Beach on Tuesday after a major crash. The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) confirmed that at least 30 vehicles were involved, and so far, there are four confirmed fatalities.

On Tuesday afternoon, CSP added that 29 people were taken to the hospital, though the agency did not disclose the extent of their injuries. State patrol says school buses were used to transport patients to the hospital.

As of late Tuesday evening, only southbound I-25 was back open.

A CDOT spokesperson said there were poor conditions at the time of the crash, as heavy wind had kicked up dust and dirt, though an official cause of the crash will still need to be determined.

On Tuesday afternoon, CDOT announced high wind caution on I-25 from Mile Marker 00 all the way to Mile Marker 163; from New Mexico to Monument.

“Reminder to drivers that even though conditions are dry, visibility can be very bad.  Drivers need to slow down and drive safe,” a CDOT spokesperson said.

The Colorado Department of Transportation says warning message boards had been activated since Sunday, alerting drivers about high winds and Red Flag conditions. However, officials say wind speeds had not reached thresholds required to close the interstate or implement high-wind travel restrictions before the dust storm rapidly moved into the area.

After visibility deteriorated, CDOT says high-wind caution measures were put into place.

One driver who spoke with KRDO 13 said the dust storm moved in with little warning.

“Usually, if the weather’s bad, we’ll pull over so that we miss it,” the driver said. “But there was no way of missing it. The visibility was clear, and then immediately it was just dirt and dark.”

The driver said her vehicle narrowly avoided being part of the crash.

“If we had been five minutes later, we would have been in that accident,” she said.

Strong winds continued pushing dust across the region throughout the afternoon, causing additional travel delays. Drivers rerouted onto frontage roads reported slow-moving traffic and poor visibility.

The Pueblo Fire Department said over 23 different agencies responded to the crash.

One of the vehicles in the northbound crash was a pickup hauling a gooseneck trailer containing goats. Four of the goats did not survive. Twenty-eight of the goats survived and have been safely removed from the scene.

The Pueblo Fire Department says there will be a victims’ reunification center at Pueblo South High School off Hollywood Drive.

First responders ask that you avoid the area.

Weather officials expect winds to calm later Tuesday evening, but authorities say northbound I-25 will remain closed until investigators complete their work and the roadway is cleared.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — While most drivers slept Monday night and early Tuesday morning, significant traffic impacts took place on Marksheffel Road between Barnes Road and Dublin Boulevard.

That stretch is the northern half of the ongoing widening project that started in the summer of 2023 along the city’s northeastern border, and covers nearly three miles from Dublin to North Carefree Circle.

In the overnight work zone around the Marksheffel/Stetson Hills/Huber Road intersection, Marksheffel closed for drainage work.

At the Marksheffel/Dublin intersection, crews established a new traffic pattern — leaving open lanes in the middle to create more space on the outside for road construction and installing traffic signals.

The overnight work started at 7 p.m. Monday and was scheduled to end around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, drivers can expect more traffic impacts around the Marksheffel/Stetson Hills/Huber intersection; crews will pave over the drainage pipes installed overnight, and only one lane of Marksheffel will be open during that time.

Flaggers will be on duty to guide drivers through the area.

At the project’s expected completion later this year, Marksheffel will expand from two to four lanes, have a center median and new sidewalks, and extensive drainage upgrades to prevent road flooding that had been troublesome in the past.

The estimated construction cost is $55 million and includes widening Dublin approximately a mile west of Marksheffel.

The Marksheffel project coincides with other improvements, such as the recently completed Banning Lewis Parkway through the growing subdivision of the same name.

Eventually, Stetson Hills and Barnes will connect to the Parkway, and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is planning to build an overpass at the Stetson Hills/Powers Boulevard intersection.

Marksheffel now extends north to Vollmer Road, just south of Black Forest.

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Michael Logerwell

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – El Paso County is under a Stage 2 fire restriction. Parts of Pueblo and Fremont County could see their power turned off; Southern Colorado is already feeling the impact of fire danger without smoke filling the sky.

RELATED: Black Hills Energy on emergency shutoff watch in select counties due to fire danger

“I think we’re at a critical position with our fire danger,” said Cimarron Hills Fire Chief, Andrew York.

A quarter after 11:00 A.M. Monday, members of the Cimarron Hills Fire Department responded to a mutual aid request from the Falcon Fire Department.

Picture of the grass fire from the CMFD social media account.

The fire only burned around 12 acres, but not due to a lack of fuel.

“When you start looking at our fuel moisture, if you look at even just the mountains that have had very little snow this year. So our snowpack is down a lot from what it normally is. We just haven’t had the moisture through the winter. We didn’t really have a lot of moisture last year either,” said Chief York.

Two years in a row with subpar precipitation and increased wind gusts are why El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal enacted stage 2 fire restrictions on Monday, and why many fire departments, including CMFD, brought in extra staff for Monday.

“The current conditions create an extreme risk for wildfires, which can spread rapidly and threaten lives, homes, and critical infrastructure,” said Sheriff Roybal.

For residents of El Paso County, that means some activities are prohibited:

Open Burning & Fires: All open fires and open burning are prohibited. This includes campfires, warming fires, charcoal grill fires, and the use of wood-burning stoves (except as noted below).

Fireworks: The sale and use of all fireworks is strictly prohibited.

Outdoor Smoking: Smoking is prohibited outdoors. Smoking is only allowed within an enclosed vehicle or building.

Explosives: The use of explosives is prohibited.

Fire conditions like these also affect firefighters. “There’s the mindset of getting out there quicker and getting things rolling,” said Cody Schauer, a firefighter with CMFD.

Schauer was one of the CMFD firefighters who responded to the mutual aid request out in Falcon.

“All of us that are on the brush [fire truck], we’re already in our greens and our equipment for fighting wildland fires. Anything that goes out will start rolling that way even before we’re dispatched. Just so, if they do need us, we’re already almost there,” Schauer said the department also spends more time briefing on fire conditions.

“There’s a heightened awareness of everything going on,” Schauer said.

Power Concerns

Elsewhere in Southern Colorado, different precautions have been undertaken.

“The safety of our customers, employees, and communities is our highest priority,” said Campbell Hawkins, Vice President of Colorado Utilities for Black Hills Energy. “Our Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff program, or PSPS, is a critical tool for wildfire prevention and used as a last-resort measure to protect lives and property and will only be activated in areas with elevated wildfire risk.”

Black Hills Energy is putting customers on alert. Their power might get shut off on Tuesday.

“We recognize that shutting off power, even to reduce wildfire risks, has broad impacts,” said Hawkins.

The energy company said on Monday that isolated portions of Crowley County, Fremont County, Otero County, Pueblo County, and the cities of Cripple Creek, Victor, and Westcliffe in Teller County are under an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff Watch.

That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen or even that it’s likely. It means that if fire conditions persist or worsen, Black Hills could temporarily shut off power to approximately 5,400 customers in these areas from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday to mitigate the risk of electrical infrastructure becoming a source of wildfire ignition.

Black Hills is asking that customers in those areas, who have been notified, have a backup plan for medicine that needs to be refrigerated or medical equipment that is powered by electricity.

To keep up to date on updates from Black Hills, click here, or you can find them on social media.

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