Category: krdo-local-news

Marina Garcia

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – One man is sitting in the El Paso County jail, charged with shooting a local father in front of his children. 

The family says it was a senseless act of violence, but thanks to his children’s bravery, he was able to get the help he needed and is now recovering in the hospital.

KRDO13 spoke to his children, Alexas and Connor Rhinehart, who were sitting in the car when the shooting happened.

They say they noticed a man pacing around their car, but never thought it would result in their father fighting for his life.

“I heard the gunshots, and then I saw him leaning over on his console and holding his chest. Then my little brother right here was screaming he’s bleeding,” says the man’s daughter, Alexas Rhinehart.

On Friday, the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) arrested a 24-year-old Zackrey Snell, who is accused of shooting a man in a parking lot. That man is Alexas and Connor’s father.

Alexas and her little brother say they were sitting in their car, waiting to pick up their mother from work.

That’s when a man, whom they do not know, approached the driver’s side and shot their father.

Alexas says she quickly jumped out of the car, leaving her brother and father to get help.

“I immediately had to run out of the car and leave him with dad real quick because I knew he would [be] bleeding out. And I didn’t know how much time left because I didn’t know how many bullet holes he had or how long he had because he was bleeding out bad,” says Rhinehart.

The family tells me, out of fear of returning home, they’ve started a GoFundMe to help with medical bills, but to also relocate to a safer place away from the shooting location, which you can access here.

CSPD says Snell is facing charges for attempted murder, assault in the first degree, prohibited use of weapons, and child abuse.   

He’s being held in jail on a $500,000 bond.

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Rob Namnoum

The Rampart boys basketball team defeated Doherty on Saturday 70-55.

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Rob Namnoum

The Liberty boys basketball team scored 94 points in their victory on Saturday afternoon.

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Rob Namnoum

The Liberty high school hockey team defeated District 11 5-2 on Saturday afternoon.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin (five-time medalist) and Paralympic alpine skier Danelle Umstead (three-time medalist) will greet guests at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum for autographs during Winter Fest on Saturday, Feb. 7.

Liukin was the all-around Olympic gold medalist in the 2008 games in Beijing. Her leotard is on display at the museum. Umstead competed in the Vancouver, Sochi and PyeongChang Paralympic Games, winning three bronze medals.

The museum will be free all day Saturday, with a jumbo TV set up outside with the Olympic games, along with sport demonstrations, live music, food vendors and more.

“That’s what I was when I was younger, it’s every kid’s dream to be in the Olympics, and so to just see everybody come together and support our athletes overseas, it’s so exciting,” said Sports Corp Communications Manager Lauren De Marco.

The Olympic museum is hosting a watch party for the opening ceremonies on Friday at 12:30 p.m. It will host a number of events throughout the Olympics, included in the standard cost for museum admission.

Hosted by Sports Corp, Saturday’s Winter Fest is the exception. After checking out the outdoor activities, participants can head into the museum and check out the exhibits for free.

Winter Fest starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

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Josh Helmuth

In light of “Love The Bus” Month, Harrison D2 is highlighting a bus technician and manager who is responsible for leading the charge in transforming their bus fleet.

Kyle Jackson is the district’s transportation fleet manager. He’s getting a lot of the credit for helping to transition from diesel-fueled buses to a much cleaner propane-fueled model. The district was also excited to install a new propane fueling station, which Kyle spearheaded.

His director says Kyle “consistently goes above and beyond in his role. He approaches every challenge with a strong work ethic,” said Josy Campbell.

Do you know someone remarkable at your school? Email us! SchoolBuzz@KRDO.com.

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Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — There’s renewed hope that a road considered to be the area’s worst may finally be repaired this year after decades of deterioration.

That road is actually part of two roads: the north end of Jerry Murphy Road in the city and the south end of Overton Road in Pueblo County.

The city is responsible for the 3/4-mile stretch where the roads merge.

Drivers said that the road is full of cracks and potholes, and that conditions have worsened since it served as a detour around the collapse of a train bridge on Interstate 25 in the fall of 2023.

Andrew Hayes, the city’s public works director, said that the developer of the nearby North Vista Highlands has an agreement with the city to rebuild the crumbling segment — but it won’t happen until an unspecified future date.

“We want to see it get done earlier to accommodate some utility projects that are going on in the area,” he explained. “I believe the developer also wants to see it get done earlier, as well, if possible, because it technically is kind of the front door of their community.”

Hayes said the city and the developer are currently discussing the possibility of fixing the road during this year’s paving season.

Both sides would have to determine who would oversee and pay for the project.

The city also wants to acquire private property along the road to build sidewalks and curbs as part of the road improvements.

The road is among the most frequently asked questions expressed to KRDO13’s The Road Warrior as our coverage enters its third year.

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Celeste Springer

On Thursday, officials held a press conference on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the morning of a Today show anchor.

According to Arizona’s Pima County Sheriff’s Office, ransom notes were sent to local media outlets. This week, the sheriff’s office said they have not yet confirmed whether the notes are legitimate. However, FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said that an arrest has been made in connection with what he said was an “imposter ransom demand.”

A family member called 911 around noon Sunday to report her missing, according to CNN. Guthrie’s daughter, Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, pleaded for her mother’s safe return home in a video posted to Instagram this week. Investigators believe she may have been abducted.

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A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie)

On Thursday, the FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to her recovery. The sheriff’s office said they believe she is “still out there.” Investigators have not announced any suspects, but say they believe she was taken against her will.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A traffic signal project that began just before Thanksgiving was supposed to be finished by New Year’s Day, then by the end of January.

Many viewers have asked why work to upgrade signals on Garden of the Gods Road, at the Northpark Drive and Mark Dabling Boulevard intersections, isn’t done yet.

Winter weather is often to blame for construction delays, but we’ve had less snow and ice than usual.

Todd Frisbie, the city’s head traffic engineer, said that the reason for the project’s delay is common — crews digging underground and finding things they didn’t expect.

“As you get into it, it becomes more complicated,” he explained. “There are always things that you can’t anticipate. Utilities are marked and located, but they’re sometimes not in the exact place.”

Frisbie said that daily, crews have to carefully move existing underground utility lines to make room for the new signal infrastructure and avoid damaging the utility lines.

The new signals currently hang on wires, but will be placed on overhead masts that are supported by new bases called caissons.

“These caissons are anywhere from 18 to 21 feet deep, plus 36 to 42 inches in diameter,” he said. “So, it’s a big space, and you need a big area to get these in.”

One traffic lane in each direction is closed during construction, which Frisbie said should now be finished before the end of next March.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is covering most of the project’s nearly $2 million cost.

Meanwhile, more lane closures are required around the intersection of Circle Drive and Constitution Avenue, where crews will fill some concrete boring holes that were made during a recent fiber optic cable installation.

Those closures began on Wednesday evening and should end by mid-afternoon on Friday; the entrance to the Rock Island Trail in that area also will be closed during that time.

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Celeste Springer

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — A city council member has floated an idea to bring regulated gambling to downtown Pueblo.

City Council Member Brett Boston appeared on Mayor Graham’s podcast, “The Mayor’s Mixtape,” on Tuesday, where he discussed the idea.

“I don’t want Pueblo to be a casino city, but I do want– maybe two, three, five at most– casinos all centrally located in the downtown area that’ll help revitalize downtown,” said Council Member Boston.

Council Member Boston said he hopes the idea will increase foot traffic and tourism to the area and support other existing local businesses.

KRDO13 spoke briefly with Council Member Boston, who said it’s a hypothetical idea he’s exploring, but nothing concrete has been discussed; he says he’s working to gauge interest in whether residents would approve.

“The City of Pueblo is open for business, and we are definitely looking for new opportunities to diversify our revenue. I’m happy to hear that members of City Council like Councilor Boston are looking to attract new businesses, increase tourism and utilize our already vibrant amenities here in Pueblo which then could potentially support legalized gambling,” read a statement by Mayor Graham.

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