Category: krdo-local-news

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A $315,000 project to repair a century-old bridge has closed a street for the past month and is scheduled to be finished by the end of next month.

However, that completion date could now be delayed due to a recent development.

The city apparently has issued a stop-work order to the project’s contractor at the site on Cache La Poudre Street, between El Paso and Prospect streets, east of downtown.

A notice at the site indicates that the order was effective at 9 a.m. Thursday, and suggests an inspection determined the contractor hasn’t met city code requirements for grading, erosion control, and land disturbance.

City officials said that they are working through a permitting issue and hope to resume work soon.

The project site is over a large culvert between two sides of Shooks Run Creek, a waterway that flows south through the area.

The bridge was built in 1918 and is known for its colorful, locally themed murals and a pedestrian walkway above.

A day before issuance of the order, The Road Warrior spoke with Gayle Sturdivant, the city’s deputy director of public works.

She explained that crews are stabilizing and waterproofing the structure, as well as replacing some of the concrete.

“And it’s actually been different structure types over time as it’s been widened over,” Sturdivant said. “So it’s a very unique structure. But this maintenance project is really intended to make it usable for the next 30 years.”

Crews have also placed braces in the culvert under the street for added support during construction.

Part of the work zone is beside a house on a slope leading to the creek, providing worker access to the culvert.

Sidewalks on both sides remain open to pedestrians.

The stop-work order surprised some neighbors who have eagerly awaited the project’s completion.

“I walk my dog through there all the time, as many others do,” said Tamara Morse-Hurd. “I’m surprised that there would be a stop-work order on it, because if you’re working for the city, I would hope that you would do things correctly, the first time, so it wouldn’t have to be done over again.”

The city is overseeing a similar project downstream, where the creek flows partly through a park on Bijou Street, but that work doesn’t affect traffic.

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Rob Namnoum

The Palmer high school football team won their first game of the season on Thursday night. As the Terrors defeated Pueblo Centennial 14-13.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Local cattle ranchers are calling out a move from the White House as U.S. beef prices continue to rise.

Farmers blame higher prices on extreme weather and other factors depleting the number of cattle.

So, to counteract the costs, President Trump says he has plans to import more beef from Argentina, buying up to four times the usual amount. He says it will bring the cost of beef down. 

But some ranchers claim this is not fair to American ranchers. At Ranch Foods Direct in Colorado Springs, the owner tells KRDO13 the cost of beef is not that high; he points to the people selling it. He says he thinks the plan raised by President Trump doesn’t make any sense.

“My initial reaction was, that’s — that’s ridiculous,” shared Mike Callicrate, “Why would we bring foreign beef in to further replace, you know, domestic producers?”

He explained how they operate at Ranch Foods Direct.

“We raise the livestock. We slaughter our cattle right on site in Saint Francis, Kansas, so they don’t get on a long truck ride. And then we bring the carcasses to Colorado Springs to this facility on Town Center Drive, where they’re processed, and packaged into the various meat cuts and made retail ready,” explained Ranch Foods Direct owner Mike Callicrate.

He says this model of cutting out the middleman works. But as the majority of cattle ranchers struggle to make ends meet, he says we need to support our domestic ranchers instead of bringing in product from Argentina. 

“We don’t need Argentina to be kind of like the U.S. with big meat packers and processors standing in the middle, just picking everybody’s pockets. We need to leave them alone, let them feed themselves, and we need to feed ourselves. We’ve made such a big mistake over the last at least 40 years by not enforcing the antitrust laws that would have prevented the monopolies from forming those that have taken advantage of producers and consumers, both producers and consumers in the United States,” said Callicrate.

The owner of Ranch Foods Direct says this would hurt both local ranchers and farmers in Argentina. On the other hand, President Trump says that more beef will help to lower the costs for consumers.

“We’re going to do something very quickly and easily on beef to get it down. The ranchers understand that they’re so happy for what I’ve done. I saved them,” said President Trump.

In the meantime, the Trump Administration says billions in farmer assistance programs will continue and that a bigger bailout package is being discussed. 

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says that more than $68,000 has been donated to the Police Foundation of Colorado Springs for K9 Roam’s care.

Police say K9 Roam was repeatedly stabbed by a suspect on Oct. 15.

READ MORE: Man accused of stabbing CSPD K9 Roam identified as Fort Carson Sergeant

Due to the extent of his injuries, emergency veterinary staff said they were forced to amputate one of his hind legs.

CSPD says they saw an outpouring of support. While most of the donations to the Police Foundation of Colorado Springs were made in Colorado, CSPD says that some donations came as far as Canada, the U.K., and Belgium.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received,” said Chief Adrian Vasquez in a press release. “K9 Roam is not only a valued member of our department but also a symbol of the courage and dedication our officers bring to the community every day. The kindness shown to K9 Roam by our community, nation, and from around the world is a reminder of why we serve.”

In addition to monetary donations, working K9 dogs also made donations of their own, too. CSPD says some K9 dogs gave blood to assist in Roam’s recovery.

CSPD says Roam is recovering at home with his former handler. CSPD says the Police Foundation of Colorado Springs will continue to make more efforts to raise money for Roam. They plan to make Roam bracelets, have him in their calendar, and even make a Roam plushie; proceeds will go to Roam’s care and the K9 unit, CSPD says.

Information on donations can be found here.

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A new state law that expanded the stopping requirements for traffic around school buses apparently isn’t working so well in Widefield School District 3.

The law, reported by KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior in early August, before classes resumed, requires drivers — especially those traveling in the opposite direction — to stop for buses that have their stop arms deployed and flashing lights on while loading and unloading students.

Drivers in the opposite direction, however, don’t have to stop if there is a median or other physical barrier separating directions of traffic.

A Widefield school bus driver recently contacted The Road Warrior, saying that drivers frequently violate the law.

At one stop in particular — according to Jason Schwartz, the district’s transportation director — up to seven violations occur daily during the high school and middle school pickups between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m.

That stop is along Highway 85/87, just north of Glenarm Road.

Schwartz said that the district normally averages 75 violations annually, but the trend toward more violations began several years ago, even before the new law.

Many school buses are equipped with cameras that can record violations, and school district officials can forward the video to law enforcement agencies for further action.

However, Schwartz said that in most instances, the violating drivers are traveling too quickly for the cameras to capture their license plate numbers.

The Road Warrior was at the Widefield bus stop this morning, where officials said that violations are common, and what he saw confirmed what Schwartz said.

The district is considering the use of better camera technology, he revealed.

“We had a close call earlier this semester when a car nearly hit a student after she got off a bus at Mesa Ridge High School,” Schwartz said. “We were able to record the license plate in that case.”

During KRDO 13’s live coverage on Good Morning Colorado, the bus driver who alerted The Road Warrior to the situation sent the following text:

“Two weeks ago, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office had a sting (at the bus stop location). They issued 8 citations, and 5 will require court appearances.”

Penalties for violators may include fines, community service, and points being taken from drivers’ licenses.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Local historians and archivists with the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) will lead the annual “Spooky Stacks” tour, highlighting local legends about famous deaths and mysteries from the region’s past.

“My favorite part is when folks come in who have never been here before, had no idea we had such amazing collections, great stories from our history, that’s just a really great light bulb moment, that’s why we do it,” PPLD photo archivist Erinn Barnes said.

The free tours are on Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 27 and 28), starting at 5:30 p.m. The last tour on both days is 6:30 p.m. The tour will focus on the lives of real people involved in three tragic events in the region: The Antlers Hotel fire of 1898, the devastating Fountain Creek flood of 1935, and the region’s history with tuberculosis.

Barnes and other PPLD employees will dress up as spirits and shepherd participants through the stories from their perspective. They will decorate the space and dim the lights. The tour also gives participants a behind-the-scenes look at the operations in the library. Anyone under 18 must have an adult with them.

The tours are free and first-come, first-served. No reservation needed. Just show up!

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Rob Namnoum

The Classical Academy girls flag football team advanced to the Class 4A state championship game on Wednesday. The Titans defeated Green Mountain 27-27. They will face Mountain View on Saturday for the 4A title.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A Rampart High School senior says she was denied the chance to paint a Bible verse on her parking spot, and now a national religious liberty group is stepping in.

Sophia Shumaker is a senior at Rampart High School. She requested to paint her parking space as a shepherd on a hill, a staff, and a sheep, along with a Bible verse, according to First Liberty Institute, the legal group now representing her. However, they say the school denied her design.

First Liberty Institute says Rampart High School denied the request, pointing to a school policy restricting political and religious paintings. First Liberty Institute argues that this is inconsistent across Colorado Springs Academy School District 20 schools, so the law group sent a demand letter to the district.

Rampart-High-School-Demand-Letter13_RedactedDownload

Shumaker tells KRDO13 she wanted to leave her mark for her senior year.

“It usually is kind of like a reflection of who they are and just something a way to express themselves before leaving the school.” Shumaker continued, “My original inspiration was the shepherd and the sheep, from Psalms.”

But when Rampart High School denied her request, she said she was devastated.

“Honestly, really upset because I’d been planning, like, this parking spot with, like, my best friend for forever, and then it just didn’t work out. It was kind of like a piece of me was missing, and it almost felt like I had to, you know, kind of hide my faith in a way,” explained Shumaker.

The high school rules outline no religious or political paintings.

Senior Parking Spot Info and ContractDownload

But Shumaker says she draws inspiration from recently deceased activist Charlie Kirk. 

“Charlie Kirk has honestly changed my life, and he makes it so easy for me to want to go out and fight for what I believe in,” shared Shumaker.

She and First Liberty Institute say other schools in District 20 have faith-based parking spots.

“It’s very confusing to see other people being able to express their faith. And then at your school, you can’t,” said Keisha Russell of First Liberty Institute.

Academy School District 20 sent KRDO13 this statement in response to our questions.

“Academy District 20 is aware of an attorney letter regarding a Rampart High School student parking spot design. We do not comment on potential legal matters or individual student situations but confirm that we are reviewing the information provided. Although Academy District 20 was not contacted by a family or student about this concern and did not receive the attorney’s letter prior to Oct. 22, we can share that Rampart High School’s senior parking-spot program is a school-sponsored activity with content guidelines and a staff approval process.”

-Academy District 20

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Police said that one of several devices used to compare drivers’ speeds to posted speed limits and reduce speeding is working in an eastside neighborhood.

But a viewer who contacted KRDO13’s The Road Warrior and lives in the area isn’t so sure.

Approximately a month ago, police placed a speed radar trailer on the shoulder of westbound Constitution Avenue, just east of the Sierra Drive intersection.

“We placed it here because we’d received numerous complaints about speeding,” Ira Cronin, a police spokesman, explained. “And since it’s been here, we haven’t had one complaint. Our goal isn’t to write tickets, but to try to convince people to slow down.”

The speed limit on that stretch of Constitution is 35 mph.

Still, The Road Warrior noticed drivers regularly exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 mph, prompting a “Slow Down” warning on the radar’s message board.

The placement of the trailer came after a crash at the intersection in late July, in which a motorcycle rider collided with an SUV, was ejected, and killed.

Cronin said that the crash remains under investigation and fault hasn’t been determined.

Lynne Mahan is the viewer who contacted The Road Warrior; she said that she worries about speeders following too closely and causing rear-end collisions when drivers slow to enter the shoulder and turn right on Sierra.

“I’ve asked them if they could move it forward to where there’s not a turn lane, or to the east side, where there’s not a turn lane either,” she said. “It still would accomplish what (police) say they are trying to accomplish, which I fully support.”

Cronin outlined the procedure for the placement of speed radars.

“When an officer comes out here to place a trailer like this, they’re going to look at the lay of the land,” he said. “They’re going to look at, in this particular case, it’s a curve. Where can we get drivers’ attention, and where can we safely park this trailer? And here on the shoulder of a road is legally safe for anyone to park in this section because it is a shoulder of the road and not a turn lane.”

It’s unfortunate, Cronin added, that drivers who obey traffic laws are often the victims of drivers who violate those laws.

“Because this one seems to be working, we may move it to another location soon,” he revealed. “We have a limited number of these devices and many areas where speeding is an issue.”

Mahan is also concerned about the risk of broadside crashes at the intersection, as drivers try to enter or exit Sierra.

“Sierra, north of Constitution, is the only way in and out of the neighborhood,” she said.

In July’s fatal crash, police said that an SUV was turning left at Sierra onto eastbound Constitution; the motorcycle was in the westbound right lane on Constitution, and the collision happened as the rider veered left to avoid the SUV.

Late on Monday morning, police were conducting speed enforcement on Constitution.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Hundreds of people in Southern Colorado have made donations to the Comfort and Joy Cat Cafe in downtown Colorado Springs after the local business asked the community for help last month.

“It kind of blew our minds how much the community rallied together to support us,” employee Naiya-Marie Greve said.

In September, the cat cafe said it was struggling financially and posted a GoFundMe link in the hopes of raising some money to help with supplies for the cats and business operations to keep their foster shelter open. Comfort and Joy Cat Cafe fosters cats for the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter (TCRAS) and Safe Place for Pets.

“It’s just tremendous to know that they have this space available, and they can be more themselves and find that special person who is going to be their forever person,” co-owner Sharon Mullally said.

Since then, over 250 people have donated over $12,000 to help the cafe stay open. It’s a private business and not a non-profit, as the owners make clear on the GoFundMe page.

The cafe said it has helped nearly 100 cats find new homes since opening.

Tune into “Good Morning Colorado” to watch KRDO13’s Bradley Davis speak with the owner and play with some cute adoptable cats!

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