Category: krdo-local-news

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — On Monday, for the second time in a week, officials have closed a road at a creek crossing to repair damage caused by flooding in June 2023.

The closure became effective just before 8 a.m.

It’s a situation that KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior has been following since repairs began late last year.

The latest closure is on Ellicott Highway across Brackett Creek, just north of the Falcon Highway intersection; it’s on a road that carries more, faster traffic and requires the largest amount of repair work.

Officials said that the road segment will remain closed until July 11.

Creek flooding covered the road and caused significant erosion damage; in addition to widening and stabilizing the channel, crews will install two large culverts under the road to convey creek drainage, install structures to slow the velocity of stormwater, and repave the damaged road segment with concrete.

Last week, the county also closed Garrett Road at the Black Squirrel Creek crossing near JD Johnson Road, to build a low-water crossing there; that closure continues until June 13.

On the same day last week, the JD Johnson creek crossing — just around the corner — reopened after construction of a similar structure.

Several neighbors wonder if the low-water crossings are the best solutions.

“I think it’ll be OK,” said Tiffany Severson. “I mean, it still seems like a temporary fix. Because in heavy rain the dirt road’s not gonna wash out, but the road is still gonna flood. And then they’re still gonna have to close it.”

Meanwhile, Luke and Mallory DeVries said that they can endure the detours as long as they know the damaged roads are being repaired — and they’ve even received some help from construction workers.

“The company that’s doing this build here on Garrett, they were kind enough to move dirt over to our lane — which is a private road — to enable us to smooth out the road and fill some gigantic potholes,” Luke explained. “So, that was kinda nice.”

His wife agrees.

“It has definitely made me re-think how I get around, because I don’t get around very well without GPS,” she said. “Hopefully, there will be no more big storms like that.”

The county is spending $8 million — mostly federal funds — on the repairs.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A local nonprofit is closing down for good. Mothers of Murdered Youth (MOMY) is a group that’s known for providing a safe space for parents who have lost a child at the hands of someone else’s actions. The group advocates for families and educates on youth violence.

This group has impacted so many community members who have tragically lost a loved one or are just joining in to advocate against violence. But now the group says the community will have to uphold their message as they close their doors.

“27 years is a long time,” shared Jim Hughes, the Vice President of MOMY.

27 years is how long Mothers of Murdered Youth has been championing change in the community. It’s a club you never want to be a part of, according to Hughes, but he’s grateful they found him when they did.

“My son Nathan was murdered. He was robbed and stabbed; he lived 24 hours,” explained Hughes.

Jim Hughes fought for justice, going to every court hearing and advocating on his son’s behalf.

“After I put people in prison, I had, I had, no support. And then Mothers of Murdered Youth found me. And I said, that’s where I need to be. And I joined up right then,” shared Hughes.

The group was there for Hughes, helping him to speak about Nathan and honor his memory. In turn, Hughes helped others who joined the group to speak about their loved ones and their memories.

“It’s healing. It really is. None of us wants our child’s memory to fade away, you know? So we talk, we speak his name, their names. And if somebody else does, too, that’s just a joy,” Hughes continued, “Whenever you see a picture, or somebody shares one that you have never seen in your life– because there are no new pictures– that is just beyond, beyond, beyond anything, you know? So yeah, we keep their memories alive for sure.”

He says he’ll continue to be there for others, but attributes rising costs and the closure of the building where they held meetings to the end of the nonprofit. He says they can’t keep asking their members to fund it all, and as he and the founder, Jennifer Romero, begin to run into health challenges, he says it’s all too much.

“Everything just piles on, and you just kind of go, it’s time, you know, the cost of meeting insurance now, you know, just everything costs,” explained Hughes.

They are planning one last get-together next Saturday, even if it’s your first time, they welcome all community members. The group asks that you message them on Facebook here for more information on the gathering.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade penned an open letter this weekend calling for U.S. Space Command to stay in Colorado Springs. This letter comes amid this week’s release of a redacted copy of the evaluation of the U.S. Space Command basing decision.

“If we are serious about government efficiency, relocating U.S. Space Command now would come at an enormous cost—not just in dollars, but in time, momentum, and operational readiness,” Mayor Mobolade writes that it would be a waste of taxpayer money to move Space Command, only for the sake of moving it, while it is fully operational.

“This must be about more than location. It must be about effectiveness, readiness, and doing what’s best for our nation,” Mobolade ends the letter by calling on federal leaders to do the right thing and prioritize our national defense and the men and women running Space Command.

Read the full letter here.

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Karla Sosa

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (KRDO)- Students from Woodland Park will get to talk with Astronaut Nichole Ayers. She’ll answer questions about science, engineering, and more, all from aboard the International Space Station. It’s been over a month since Woodland Park’s very own NASA pilot, Major Nichole Ayers, went off to space.

According to NASA, the school wants to show students that even though they live in a small town, they can achieve big goals.

Ayers said that growing up next to the Air Force Academy during the shuttle era caught her eye.

“I was like, oh, so that’s what I want to do. I want to be a pilot in the Air Force and at the Air Force Academy. Right there, the thunderbirds [are] flying every year. It was just a natural decision for me,” said Ayers.

Ayers along with three crew mates went on a mission to relieve astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who found themselves spending 9 months in space after an issue with their return capsule.

In a previous interview, Ayers told KRDO13 about some challenges. 

“One of the most challenging parts of our training here in Askern is the neutral buoyancy lab and learning how to do a spacewalk. You know, as a F-22 pilot, we were kind of on the operational tip of the spear in the military, and now we get to go do things that are on the operational tip of the spear for humanity,” said Ayers.

Guests can also watch the 20-minute Space-to-Earth call on Monday at 9:55 a.m. on the NASA STEM YouTube Channel.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – New records obtained by KRDO13 provide more context to a flight that had to make an emergency landing at the Colorado Springs Airport (COS) after a service dog reportedly bit a child.

On Tuesday, a SkyWest Airlines flight operating under American Airlines was on its way to Dallas, Texas from Provo, Utah when it was rerouted to COS.

Audio from air traffic control showed that a 10-year-old boy had reportedly been bitten in the genitals by the service dog.

Vaccination records submitted to the airport that were obtained by KRDO13 say that the dog was a Belgian Malinois.

The owner of the service dog told emergency responders the “child returned from the restroom and accidentally stepped on the dog’s paw, resulting in the dog biting the child,” according to an airport medical report.

The report says that the child was taken to Children’s Hospital for further evaluation. No other information about his condition is available at this time.

American Airlines released this statement concerning the flight:

“We’re aware of an incident involving a service animal on American Eagle flight 4980 on April 15 and have been in contact with the family of the injured passenger to offer support and apologize for their experience.”

American Airlines also added that its policies adhere to U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. Those federal regulations require that, before boarding, handlers attest that their service animal is trained to behave. Handlers must also attest that the animal is trained to perform a task that assists with a disability. The form handlers have to fill out prior to boarding can be read here.

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