Category: krdo-local-news

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The non-profit “We Fortify” is hosting its second annual “Serve to Serve” Pickleball tournament Saturday at 8 a.m. to raise money for its tiny home build for young people and teachers.

We Fortify has one completed tiny home community in downtown Colorado Springs with 18 residents, all between the ages of 18 and 25. The organization fully furnishes each home and charges tenants $600 a month for rent. Instead of traditional leases, tenants enter into a two-year program, which includes the home and mentorship help.

“They stay there for two years and get empowerment plans, life skills and all of that programming. We call it our secret sauce,” said We Fortify Operations Strategist Claire Franco.

At the end of the two-year commitment, tenants get to keep all the furniture for free, besides the refrigerator, washer and dryer.

We Fortify said it secured a grant of over $400,000 from Governor Jared Polis to build a second community for 18 to 25-year-olds. It said it is also working on two new developments for teachers in Harrison School District 2. The first one will be one-bedroom units in a neighborhood near the school district for $815 a month. The second will be family homes with multiple bedrooms.

We Fortify said all tournament profits will go back into funding the three new development projects.

The tournament registration is full, but We Fortify said everyone is welcome to come out and cheer and support at Peak Pickleball on Saturday. You can find more information on its future fundraising events here.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A private road connecting to several businesses on South Academy Boulevard is so popular that drivers continued to use it despite the presence of numerous, deep potholes.

“They’ve been here for years,” a driver told KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior during a report on the situation in April.

However, drivers are pleasantly surprised to learn that the potholes have been patched — and not by the property owner, apparently, but by one of the nearby businesses.

The block-long road is north of the Chelton Road/Delta Drive intersection; it serves as the entrance to a Carl’s Jr. restaurant, an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store, and a Dutch Bros coffee shop.

The road stretches uphill and ends at a Walmart store.

The Road Warrior has confirmed that the Carl’s Jr. — either the general manager or the owner — took responsibility for filling and paving over the pothole area.

No one at the restaurant was available for comment, but its parking lot was recently repaved, indicating that the paving crew stuck around to work on the access road.

Some potholes in the Dutch Bros parking lot were also filled.

The Road Warrior has found that many privately-owned business parking lots and access roads in the Pikes Peak region have pothole issues, but identifying and contacting the owners — as well as getting the potholes patched or the pavement improved — is a challenge.

However, at least three problem areas have been addressed after Road Warrior reports spurred by tips from viewers.

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Rob Namnoum

The CSU Pueblo football team lost a close one to Fort Hays State on Thursday night 36-35.

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Rob Namnoum

The Palmer Ridge football team shutout Doherty on Thursday night 49-0.

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Rob Namnoum

The Discovery Canyon football team held off Pueblo East on Thursday night 22-20.

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Mackenzie Stafford

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – In a heated Senate hearing over CDC turmoil and vaccines, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet (D) questioned Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

You can find more on Thursday’s hearing here.

This week alone, Colorado has gone up against federal recommendations when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine and needing a prescription. Colorado Senator Bennet voiced his concerns Thursday morning.

It’s a polarizing issue, but KRDO13 spoke with some local pediatricians who support Colorado’s plan.

Dr. Simony at Steel City Pediatrics in Pueblo said it’s your choice whether to vaccinate your kids. He says we cannot force vaccine mandates and that will only push people away.

But he also said, “Go to the historic cemetery and see how many kids’ and young people’s grave stones are there. There was a time before vaccines when people would die from these diseases so quickly.”

Experts with the state health department say that, regardless of what’s done on Capitol Hill, they’ll stick to the science. 

“I think these are challenging times. And what we’re trying to do is stick with the science, try to stay out of the politics, and do what we can do to make safe and effective therapies available to keep our residents safe,” shared Dr. Ned Calonge, with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, “We are committed to continuing to let the evidence guide our recommendations around all vaccines.”

Some raise concerns over not being able to receive vaccines due to allergies or other contraindications. It’s part of why Dr. Calonge said it’s so important to check in with your primary care provider to see what’s best for you.

“I always would recommend that parents, and in fact adults as well, check with your usual source of care. One of the reasons you establish a relationship with the usual source of care… is because you trust them, and you trust them to provide you with the information that’s in your best interest in making decisions. So I would really ask people to start there. And then I will say… the measles vaccine is the best way to not get measles, to not get sick, not have that disease that can cause so many problems, and not pass it on to others who might do even worse. The COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to not get COVID-19. It’s a safe and effective vaccine,” explained Dr. Ned Calonge.

Doctor Valerie Beck with Sunrise Pediatrics says she’s dismayed by the news coming out of Washington, D.C. She says it’s important to follow the science and research-backed solutions when treating kids. She points to the American Academy of Pediatrics and its Red Book for trustworthy guidance on pediatric infectious disease prevention.

“So there is the American Academy of Pediatricians, and they’ve released their recommendations…They looked at the last set of recommendations, and they said, ‘Is there any new evidence that these don’t work or that they’re harmful?’ They found not…The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists did the same thing because one of the problems with the latest set of recommendations was that it left out pregnant women for COVID-19. And yet there’s no evidence other than it helps prevent Covid for pregnant women, and they’re at a high risk for having more severe illness because you’re talking about two individuals instead of one…the obstetricians and gynecologists came out with their own recommendations to make sure that we offer and provide the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant persons,” stated Dr. Calonge.

We also asked Calonge about some of the specific concerns Sen. Bennet raised regarding schools and students amid vaccine uncertainty.

One school district in Colorado Springs that’s seen a drop in MMR vaccinations in recent years is Colorado Springs School District 11. State data show that the district’s MMR vaccine rate fell from 93% to 84% over the past five years. KRDO13 asked D11 for comment and has not received a response as of Thursday night.

“This is a great concern to us. In fact, we have a goal to try to get our immunization rates specifically for measles, mumps and rubella up above that 90, even up to that 94% area. And so we’re undertaking a lot of activities in terms of making the vaccine available, sending reminders to parents. You know, we have a vaccine registry that allows us to track vaccine rate and reminders, postcards and encourage parents to get vaccinated. I think the measles is of particular importance now, because we’re seeing a resurgence of measles in Colorado, and the best way to protect our kids against what can be a very serious illness is [a] safe and effective vaccine that’s easy to get… We have a mobile van that we can use to vaccinate kids. We’re doing surveillance to be careful to see where measles might be coming back. And then we’re using a lot of effort of our staff and, in partnership with local public health departments, to try to get kids immunized and protect us from what could be a new epidemic,” shared Dr. Calonge.

Here’s where the state reports the data per school district.

You can also find the recommendations from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Measles guidance here.

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Bart Bedsole

When an entree costs anywhere from $17 to $51 per plate and is served on a white tablecloth, one might expect the restaurant to have no problem passing its health inspection. 

That was not the case, however, for an upscale Briargate restaurant last week. 

With a total of 19 violations found on August 25, Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano at the Promenade Shops on Briargate Parkway not only failed its inspection, but was shut down due to the total number of points it lost. 

Here are a handful of the violations: 

There was no Certified Food Protection Manager on duty as required

”Multiple employees” were actively eating and drinking in the kitchen 

”Multiple staff in the kitchen” were not washing hands prior to putting on gloves 

Servers were observed touching bread with their bare hands

There were no dates marked on containers to show when chicken, pasta, and vegetables were prepared

Not only was there no soap in any of the dispensers, but there was no soap in the entire building to refill them 

The report also noted that not all kitchen workers had obtained a Food Handler Certificate (different from a CFPM), although a health department spokesperson later clarified that workers aren’t required to have a certificate to be employed.

Regarding the lack of soap, the person in charge told the inspector that they ran out of soap the night before and were still waiting for an order that was placed. 

When KRDO13 stopped by the restaurant on Tuesday to ask about the violations, the manager was unavailable.

A spokesperson with the corporate office released the following statement a day later: 

“We take our responsibility for food safety very seriously at Biaggi’s.  Our highest priorities are the safety and trust of our guests.  We work very closely with the health department, and we are fully committed to  maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and quality.” 

KRDO13 replied and asked if the company had any response to the specific violations at the local restaurant, and the spokesperson said they did not.

Biaggi’s was allowed to reopen two days after its closure, but it is still awaiting its full re-inspection. 

OTHER FAILING SCORES

Mimi’s Cafe 55 – 7133 N Academy Blvd 

Egglush – 1025 S Sierra Madre St  

The Point Bar & Grill – 1545 S 8th St 

Trivelli’s Hoagies – 4547 Austin Bluffs Pkwy 

Awi Sushi – 1286 Interquest Pkwy 

Milano Pizza and Italian Kitchen – 750 Citadel Dr 

Fountain Creek Winery – 606 S Santa Fe Ave 

HIGH SCORES

Schlotzsky’s – 2381 N Academy Blvd 

Lolley’s Ice Cream – 174 Washington St 

In N Out Burger – 495 Garden of the Gods 

Pizza Hut – 3345 N Academy Blvd 

Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen –  2839 E Fountain Blvd 

Sourdough & Co. – 3264 Centennial Blvd 

Red Lobster – 3510 New Center Point 

Chick-fil-A – 391 Spectrum Loop 

Awi Sushi – 5070 N Nevada Ave 

Upstate Pizzeria – 4621 Austin Bluffs Pkwy 

Honey Hill Charcuterie – 1520 Verde Dr 

Mariscos El Rey #4 – 1811 S Academy 

The Mariscos El Rey, near S Academy and Chelton, doesn’t just serve Mexican-style seafood. 

It’s inspired by the cuisine from the state of Sinaloa on Mexico’s west coast, where its owners previously lived before moving to Colorado. 

“Sinaloa-style seafood is going to be spicier and it’s going to be a lot more rich in flavor,” explains Cindy Valenzuela, the co-owner and also the daughter of the restaurant’s founder, Juan Carlos Venezuela. 

Some of the signature dishes are the Pescado Zarandeado and the Agua Chile. 

Valenzuela says their extensive varieties of ceviches and sushi are also very popular. 

Before Mariscos El Rey opened in early 2024, it underwent a massive renovation that included adding murals of scenes from a typical small fishing village in Mexico. 

“We really wanted a place to transport you to Sinaloa, to make you feel like you were in Sinaloa.  The scenery we have on the walls, along with the food, should make you feel like you’re in Mazatlan,” says Valenzuela. 

Part of the reason the Valenzuelas opened the location in Colorado Springs is that so many people in Southern Colorado were driving to their other three restaurants in Denver. 

The next time you’re fishing around for a good restaurant, keep an eye out for the KRDO13 Restaurant Roundup awards, to know the kitchen inside is clean. 

Click here for a complete look at all the most recent restaurant inspections.

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Celeste Springer

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — The Pueblo Police Department (PPD) says it is hosting a car seat safety check event with Drive Safe Pueblo.

PPD says the event will be at Pueblo Fire Station #11, 3205 W 24th Street, on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The department says that technicians will inspect car seats and inform drivers if they meet the correct specifications for their child’s age and weight. They will also provide instruction on how to ensure seats are installed correctly.

“For safety reasons, there is a correct seat for every age and developmental stage — from infants to teens,” read the event page. “Whether it’s a rear-facing car seat, a forward-facing car seat installed with a tether, a booster seat, or a seat belt, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can put parents’ minds at ease by discussing correct car seat selection and showing them how to correctly install that seat in their vehicle.”

If you can’t make the event, PPD says that you can still have a car seat inspection scheduled by calling Pueblo Police Department at 719-553-2502 or the Colorado State Patrol at 719-288-2636.

There will also be another event on Oct. 4 at Pueblo Fire Station #8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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Celeste Springer

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) says that they arrested a woman, who is accused of having drugs in her car along with three children.

Deputies say that in the early morning hours of Sept. 3, they came across a car with 38-year-old Kimberly Harris asleep inside. Deputies say they saw drug paraphernalia in view.

After searching the car, deputies allege they found more drug paraphernalia as well as 0.1 grams of methamphetamine and 3.0 grams of heroin.

EPSO says none of the children required medical treatment, and they were taken in by the El Paso County Department of Human Services.

The sheriff’s office says Harris has three prior drug convictions. She faces the following charges, according to EPSO:

Unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Possession of drug paraphernalia

Child abuse

EPSO says she has a $1,000 bond.

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Josh Helmuth

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A student at Pine Creek High School started a non-profit that’s already helping thousands of students across the world.

Started as a way to help tutor students before taking the ACT or SAT exam, Emma Luu started ApexSAT three years ago. Now a senior, Luu is proud of what the non-profit has accomplished in its short time.

“I felt that since I have opportunities, I should sort of pay it forward and not keep them to myself,” she said.

The non-profit has helped at least 4,000 students across the world, including in countries like England, South Africa, and Greece.

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

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