Category: krdo-local-news

Celeste Springer

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A lawsuit against the former El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elders and El Paso County Commissioners over the Club Q has been dismissed, according to court records.

Earlier this month, the club owners were also released from the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs argued that El Paso County officials failed to use Colorado’s Red Flag Law to stop the shooter, who ultimately killed five people, from getting weapons before the attack.

In part, the judge found that the plaintiffs failed to prove that El Paso County officials created or enhanced a risk of harm.

While the lawsuit was dismissed due to several different legal precedents, the judge’s order did have strong words for El Paso County officials, as read below:

“All this being said, Plaintiffs’ allegations in their SAC are profoundly and deeplytroubling. As alleged, Government Defendants knew in no-uncertain-terms that Aldrichhad proclaimed that “they planned to be the next mass killer and had been stockpilingammunition, firearms, and bullet-proof body armor.” (ECF No. 29 ¶ 98.) YetGovernment Defendants defiantly did nothing, contemptuously ignoring the will of thepeople, and refused to avail themselves of the critical tool the legislature had justequipped them with—the tool that might have prevented the monstrous and bloody actwhich cost the lives of and seriously wounded so many innocent Coloradans—to takeAldrich’s firearms from them. To be sure, these allegations amount to much more thanmere negligence—they represent a conscious and intentional disregard of a known andunjustifiable risk, something which in the Court’s view amounts to an abdication of localofficials’ moral responsibility to protect the public.”

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) has released the identities of two people who died in a motorcycle accident on Austin Bluffs Parkway in late June.

CSPD says 35-year-old Christopher Dumas, the driver of the motorcycle, and 42-year-old Abra Munoz, the passenger on the motorcycle, both died after the crash.

Police say another vehicle was driving north near the 4600 block of Austin Bluffs Parkway when it tried to make a left turn, where the department says a left turn was not allowed. The department says that the car hit the motorcycle while making the turn.

CSPD says their deaths mark the 22nd and 23rd traffic-related fatalities in Colorado Springs so far in 2025.

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Scott Harrison

CALHAN, Colo. (KRDO) — When the 120th El Paso County Fair begins Saturday, the attractions and entertainment may not be the best thing about it.

Just getting there safely and on a smoother drive is what many fairgoers have longed for, and that will finally happen.

On Tuesday, workers finished repaving a quarter-mile segment of Yoder Road — the main route to the fairgrounds — between US 24 and 10th Street.

KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior reported on the poor condition of the road segment a year ago, which was badly deteriorating and full of large potholes.

The road’s previous condition led many drivers to detour around it, not just during the fair but all year long.

Dan Gerhard, a county public works engineer, estimated that it’s the first resurfacing for the road in at least 30 years, but even lifelong county residents said that they can’t remember a time when the road wasn’t in bad shape.

“Yeah, that’s great!” exclaimed David Wilcox, who was at the fairgrounds Thursday with his daughter, Ellie. “We noticed it when we first came out here last weekend. We came out here to help clean up this building to get ready for 4H. We turned onto that road, and we’re like Oh, it’s paved! That’s great!”

Yoder Road is in Calhan’s jurisdiction, but the county decided to repave it to keep construction consistent with a future county plan to widen and repave the road south of the fairgrounds, where it becomes Calhan Highway.

“We didn’t want to wait until a year or two-and-a-half years before the actual construction of the rest of the improvements happened,” Gerhard explained. “So, we wanted to get ahead of it, and at least make improvements now.”

He said that workers ground up the old pavement to serve as the base for new, four inches of asphalt.

Some residents would have liked the project to include curbs, gutters, and sidewalks, but that would have considerably increased the estimated cost of between $150,000 nd $200,000.

The project was funded by revenue from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority’s (PPRTA) penny sales tax; the county is a member of the authority, and Calhan joined in 2021 with projects like Yoder Road in mind.

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Rob Namnoum

Jake Plummer has found a new game. The former Broncos quarterback is attracted to Pickleball, “You know, it’s finding a game that you can play and have fun that doesn’t, you know, kill your body,” says Plummer.

Around 150 kids took part in a clinic to learn the game. Plummer was joined by former Broncos safety Nick Ferguson. Plummer is all about the game of Pickleball, “You can play and be competitive with 67 year olds and also with 15-20 year olds,” says Plummer.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Trump administration is looking at bringing as many as six new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities to Colorado as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan, including two in Colorado Springs.

It comes as federal documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit show that five of six proposed facilities are in southern Colorado: two in Walsenburg, one in La Junta, and two in Colorado Springs. The last proposed location is in Hudson, which is northeast of Denver.

MORE DETAILS: Feds eye Colorado Springs for two new ICE detention centers

The two locations in Colorado Springs are what used to be a reentry center, and the other is a physical rehabilitation center. Now they’re both being eyed by the federal government as potential ICE detention facilities.

The Parkmoor Village Health and Rehabilitation Center has been vacant, with its windows boarded up, since the pandemic. It’s in the center of town, right off North Academy Boulevard, near Palmer Park. The building used to house people with serious injuries and illnesses, but soon it could become an ICE detention facility for low to high-security non-citizen detainees.

KRDO13 spoke with Jon, who lives nearby and doesn’t want to see any ICE activity in his neighborhood.

“They’re just arresting more people than they can determine whether they’re here illegally or not. So, I’m against any of that,” stated Jon.

However, KRDO13 spoke with others who believe a detention facility could be a good deterrent for crime in the area. 

Further south on East Las Vegas Street, the Cheyenne Mountain Reentry Center is also being eyed as a potential ICE detention center.  It’s located right next to the El Paso County Jail and used to be the last stop for people being released from state prison before it closed in 2020. 

The proposals for both locations are preliminary, and no official decision has been made at this time. 

The full proposals can be read here.

In a statement, El Paso County expressed strong support for the idea of bringing a facility here.

El Paso County Commissioners fully support the efforts of our federal partners, including ICE, to secure our borders, enforce immigration laws, and remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities. We have consistently supported President Trump’s strong border enforcement policies and value the ongoing work of our federal partners to help keep El Paso County safe—priorities that matter to our residents in the wake of President Biden’s failed catch-and-release policies, which have allowed dangerous criminals into our communities. While we are not directly involved and have no specific knowledge of ICE’s plans regarding local facilities, we continue to support their role in promoting national and community safety. 

– The Board of El Paso County Commissioners

The City of Colorado Springs told KRDO13 it had no opinion, but clarified that it had not been involved in any of the planning conversations.

KRDO13 asked ICE for a comment on these proposals; they’re working on a response but have not yet responded.

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Bart Bedsole

LOW SCORES

It may offer great views of the mountains, but the view of the kitchen was less than impressive during a health inspection at the Viewhouse restaurant in Colorado Springs last week. 

It only had 9 violations last week, but they were serious enough to earn a failing score. 

Among the findings: 

One of the workers didn’t wash their hands after wiping them on their apron 

The cooler next to the prep table was unable to get cold enough to maintain proper food temperatures 

The dish machine wasn’t sanitizing dishes properly 

A cutting board was too worn out to be effectively cleaned 

The manager on duty politely declined to be interviewed, but told KRDO13 that the dish machine was fixed, the cooler was replaced, and employees were reminded of the rules when it comes to handwashing. 

Viewhouse passed its re-inspection on July 15 with just 3 violations. 

The Fujiyama downtown, which also failed in January, failed again on July 3. 

This time, an inspector found: 

A worker’s personal drink and vape were stored directly above a food contact surface 

There was no soap at two of the handwashing sinks 

Several items including chopsticks, straws, and to-go containers were being stored on the floor 

The manager told KRDO13 it’s hard to keep up with recent health code updates, even though the health department claims to provide plenty of notice when changes are coming. 

However, she said all the violations were immediately addressed, including the addition of a special container for all personal items belonging to the kitchen staff while they are on duty. 

Fujiyama was re-inspected on July 11 and passed. 

Mariscos Altimar, a Mexican seafood restaurant featured in the June 12 edition of Restaurant Roundup, failed its re-inspection on July 2 with 13 violations.

It was an improvement over the 16 violations found during the June inspection, but still enough for a failing score. 

The restaurant eventually passed its second re-inspection on July 9. 

HIGH SCORES

The high scores this week include: 

Wendy’s – 5810 Palmer Park 

Domino’s Pizza – 13461 Voyager Pkwy 

Arby’s – 11775 Meridian Market View 

Subway – 1825 N. Circle 

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop – 3111 N. Chestnut 

The cuisine at Fuzzy’s is described by its managers as “Baja meets Tex Mex”. 

Among the most recent menu additions is a new style of brisket that can be found on a variety of dishes, including tacos and nachos. 

General Manager Jeremy Krause says his secret recipe when it comes to food safety is taking ownership in the overall operation, which includes regularly checking food temperatures, monitoring the preparation, and treating customers like his own family. 

“You have to think, ‘what if that’s my son or daughter, or what if that’s my grandma or grandpa?’  The last thing you want to do is to get someone sick, so it (food safety) really has to be in the front of your head,” he said. 

Although he was already confident that his restaurant was doing a good job following the health code, he admits that getting a high score from the inspector was a nice confirmation. 

“I won’t lie, it feels pretty awesome to see everything coming to fruition and all your hard work actually paying off,” he added. 

Krause explained that one of his mottos to maintain high standards is ‘inspect what you expect.’ 

Keep an eye out for the KRDO13 Restaurant Roundup awards at your favorite restaurant to know the kitchen inside is clean. 

Click here for a complete list of retail food inspections in El Paso County.

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Celeste Springer

CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – As of 10:30 Friday night, the Mountain View wildfire has grown to around 2,500 acres and evacuations are still in place for the Morrison Creek area.

Evacuations were issued on Thursday afternoon in the Morrison Creek Subdivision, an area of Mountain View Estates located north of Buena Vista. The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office says that pre-evacuation warnings were also issued for outside areas within 5 miles of the subdivision. Despite the fire being fully contained, according to the Sheriff’s Office, fire crews are taking an abundance of caution and keeping those evacuations in place for now.

We’re still waiting to get another update Saturday morning. We’ll adjust this article when we hear back from officials.

The fire, which broke out in an area about nine miles northwest of Buena Vista, sat at approximately 60 acres at one point.

Firefighters worked on the ground alongside a state helicopter that combated the flames from above.

“For the excavating company, we have our own personal water truck. So anything can help — we brought, I think, 15,000 gallons of water — and we just keep supplying these guys as much as we can,” said Carter Stromer, Buena Vista resident and volunteer firefighter on Thursday.

The sheriff’s office says evacuations have not been lifted yet. While the fire is contained, there is still a possibility, while unlikely, that it will escape the boundary of the fire and spread, the sheriff’s office said. Those in the mandatory evacuation zone, as of 12:49 p.m. on Friday, are unable to return to their homes tonight.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s office reports that two houses have been lost in the fire. The sheriff’s office says they have contacted everyone who lost their home.

Officials say that, at this time, they do not believe the fire has entered public lands, and there is currently no concern about having to evacuate livestock in the area. As of the sheriff’s office’s last few updates, there were no injuries or deaths of either livestock or humans to report.

Map shared by Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office

Map of the pre-evacuation area shared by Chaffee County Government

All evacuees can report to the Buena Vista Sheriff’s Office at 200 Steele Drive in Buena Vista.

Photo courtesy of Shelly Birch

If you are evacuating from the fire and need a place for animals, the sheriff’s office says the Ark Valley Humane Society, located at 701 Gregg Dr., will accept small animals. Large animals can be taken to the Buena Vista Radio Grounds on County Road 321. Water is on, says the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office.

Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office says fire crews made a great initial attack on the fire with aircraft, they have crews from Chaffee County Fire Protection District, Salida Fire Department, DFPC from the state, and Federal partners, along with other mutual aid partners from neighboring counties.

Editor’s note: On July 10, we reported that at least four homes were lost to the fire. The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said that “four to five” structures were lost, and all were homes. By the morning of July 11, CCSO reported that prior information was incorrect, and two homes in total had been lost. During breaking news situations, first responders are coordinating with multiple crews on the ground, and information is subject to change. We apologize for the error, and are committed to providing the most accurate and up-to-date information.

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Bradley Davis

DIVIDE, Colo. (KRDO) – The longest-tenured seasonal ranger who has ever worked on Pikes Peak has retired after five decades of service and countless stories of helping people on America’s Mountain.

KRDO13’s Bradley Davis got to go on a trip up the mountain with him for old times’ sake.

John O’Brien retired this summer after patrolling the 19 miles of the Pikes Peak highway for 50 years.

“Do you miss it?” KRDO13’s Bradley Davis asked O’Brien.

“Oh yeah. Yeah, I miss it,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien has every mile marker memorized and a memory at all 156 curves.

“I got hit with lightning when I was parked down there,” O’Brien said as we drove up somewhere past mile marker 16. “The lightning hit the top of my car and took out my emergency lights and radio antenna, and blew out the car. So, I have a healthy respect for lightning.”

For the first time, O’Brien made the drive to the summit in his personal car as a retired ranger.

O’Brien proved to know all 156 curves up Pikes Peak Highway.

“This is the old ski area,” said O’Brien on one curve, followed by “right up here they hit me head on. They estimated going 50, 60, 70 miles per hour,” on the next curve.

Each one holding a memory.

The retired ranger mentioned that many drivers are not accustomed to driving on the mountain, which led him to help countless people during his 50 years of service to America’s Mountain, receiving thank-you letters from them over the years.

Including a letter from President Clinton and even one letter from a KRDO employee in the 1990s. O’Brien says the employee had slipped and fallen and was pretty badly hurt.”So, another ranger and I, we went up with snowshoes and got a Chinook helicopter from Fort Carson to pick him up.”

O’Brien loved to share his stories, mentioning giving visitors rides to motels, to pointing out critical areas in the park where you can see the wildlife.

Bradley Davis from KRDO13 realized that O’Brien’s stories as a ranger were extensive enough to require more than a thousand pages; however, the drive they went on together added one more chapter to O’Brien’s story.

“I’m glad you thought of this, Bradley. It’s nice to come up in my personal car rather than a patrol car.”

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Downtown patrons will be pleased to know that parking rates won’t increase immediately, as part of a new parking and curbside management plan finalized by city officials last week.

The city’s Parking Enterprise spent nearly a year publicizing the plan and gathering citizen input that helped shape the plan to guide parking and curbside activities for the next ten years.

Officials wanted to update the existing plan because more people are now living downtown, thanks to a flurry of apartment construction over the past several years; there are more businesses on the south end of downtown; and there have been new destination spots built, such as the U.S Olympic and Paralympic Museum, and the Weidner Field soccer stadium.

The plan will monitor parking efficiency and curbside use; the latter has become more popular since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with curb spaces used for a variety of purposes — public transit, ride-sharing services, food pickup and deliveries, scooter parking, and even restaurant dining.

The current Tejon Street revitalization plan incorporates some of those aspects: Enhanced outdoor dining spaces, improved sidewalk accessibility and public safety, and beautification.

A unique aspect of the plan is including the Old Colorado City shopping district west of downtown, which has numerous shops and restaurants, fewer parking spaces than downtown, and a higher concentration of people living around the district.

Some changes are already happening, such as replacing the city’s 2,800 parking meters with new technology — a process that will take a year and cost $2 million.

The city is also offering free parking at its lots and garages on Sundays.

Other changes could include delivery parking for downtown businesses — moving it from center turn lanes to alleys or even some curbsides.

Officials say that they’ve designed the plan to be flexible and adapt to changes in transportation, shopping habits, etc.

To see the full plan, visit: https://coloradosprings.gov/node/161111.

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Rob Namnoum

There’s great events at every rodeo but nothing tops Mutton Bustin. Kids ages four to nine versus sheep, “So, you’re riding it, and you’re just holding on. and you’re just holding on so tight, and when you fall it doesn’t even hurt,” says Blake Carey.

They hold on for as long as they can and it’s not easy. But the kids love it, “It’s fun, and I ache a little after sometimes, says Wyatt Jackson, I was able to hold on, but I kept bumping into sheep.”

Some of them are really good at it, What was it like riding on the sheep? “It was bumpy,” says Evelyn Eacker.

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