Category: krdo-local-news

Celeste Springer

UPDATE: Following the publication of this article, it was announced that the coroner has resigned. His resignation means that there will now be no need for a recall election.

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A notice of eviction was posted on the doors of Davis Mortuary on Aug. 28. Pueblo County Clerk’s Office says a recall election for Coroner Brian Cotter could cost taxpayers upwards of $480,200.

The clerk’s office says residents have submitted a Notice of Intent to circulate a recall petition to oust Cotter from office. He recently came under fire after 24 bodies were allegedly found in various states of decay in a hidden room of his privately-owned mortuary.

READ MORE: Pueblo County Coroner accused of hiding bodies in secret room at his privately-owned funeral home

Last week, the sheriff’s office said no single public official could remove him from office, based on current Colorado statutes.

In a press conference on Thursday, August 22, Governor Jared Polis said there needed to be reform.

“We can agree, it needs to be reformed after this, the way that you remove a coroner from office that is subject to criminal investigation, unable to do their job. Currently, there is a petition and recall process, costly, time-wise money-wise. There needs to be some way where, in conjunction with the commissioners, the state, the governor, can act when needed to make sure that you have continuity of services for a very basic function that people rely on, during life events,” stated Gov. Polis.

KRDO13 asked the governor where he is in that process. As of Thursday afternoon, his office is working on a response. 

“By the facts that have already been stated, why would someone still be in office?” questioned Peggy Gallegos.

Gallegos is one of hundreds of past Davis Mortuary customers wondering why Brian Cotter is still in his position, and if he’s getting paid. 

“There’s no vehicle by which to remove him or her from office,” Gallegos continued, “Perhaps, you know, our other elected officials can figure that out and determine what criteria needs to take place to actually have that removal happen. Because what if he never resigns?”

On Thursday, Pueblo County confirmed to KRDO13 that Cotter is still on the county payroll. Pueblo County annual salaries show that the county coroner is raking in $131,700 a year.

Pueblo County Commissioners renewed their calls for Cotter to resign in a Board of County Commissioners meeting Thursday.

KRDO13 knocked on Brian Cotter’s door Thursday to ask if he plans to resign. Cotter did not answer the door. We also reached out to his attorney. As of Thursday afternoon, we have yet to get a response.

From here, the recall petition will need to go through a vetting process to ensure it adheres to the law.

If everything checks out, the county says petitioners will have 60 days to collect valid signatures from registered Pueblo County voters. The number of signatures required varies, but in this case, the county says they will need 16,431 verified signatures.

If all the signatures are verified, Cotter does not resign, and the recall election goes through, the county tells KRDO13 the money would come from the county’s general budget.

Statement from Governor Polis:

“I continue to call on Mr. Cotter to do the right thing, save time and taxpayer money, and resign from the Pueblo County Coroner’s office. By refusing to take responsibility for his actions, Mr. Cotter is forcing Pueblo taxpayers to waste money on this recall and delaying families from mourning their loved ones. I look forward to conversations on how we can update our laws to prevent a lapse of services for residents when elected coroners cannot fulfill their duties.”

To read more on the recall process, click here.

To read all of our reports on this case, head here.

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Celeste Springer

CUSTER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Custer County Sheriff’s Office says free sweet corn is being offered to residents after it spilled out of a semi following a crash.

The sheriff’s office says the crash happened around 2 a.m. on Thursday as the semi was driving on Highway 69 near Mile Point 69, just north of Reed Road.

Thankfully, the sheriff’s office says the driver was not injured, but the truck did dump its load of corn after it flipped.

The Custer County Sheriff’s Office says that the corn is being taken to the Wet Mountain Fire Protection District, where residents can pick up some of the corn. First responders just ask that those coming out do not block fire truck bays in case crews have to leave for an emergency.

Crews are alternating traffic on Highway 69 until the semi can be towed. They anticipate traffic will be back to normal by noon.

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Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — Dan Heberly lives along Beulah Avenue on the east side of the Colorado State Fairgrounds, but he’s not feeling neighborly toward fair officials, let alone city officials.

Heberly, 72, said that the city hasn’t responded to several requests to resolve a flooding problem on the street that also affects his yard.

He explained that every time it rains, stormwater backs up, floods Beulah in front of his house, and even his front yard — leaving gravel, sediment, and other debris behind that he has to clean up.

“It’s been a problem for 15 years,” Heberly said. “When I ask the city about it, they keep saying they’re doing a study on it. I’m tired of it. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life cleaning up messes.”

He believes that what causes the flooding is the street either not having enough storm drains or having them too far apart.

“And those drains get clogged with trash that blows over from the fairgrounds, and with other stuff,” he added.”

Heberly said that he refused to clean up the latest mess, yet he was in his yard before dawn on Thursday, using a vacuum to remove some of the gravel.

KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior contacted city officials about the situation on Wednesday and awaited a response.

However, The Road Warrior later found a three-phase plan posted on the city’s website to make stormwater updates a mile east of the Beulah/Summit Avenue intersection, including that intersection, that should eliminate flooding on the east side of the fairgrounds.

The posted plan doesn’t include a timetable or cost.

Below are the details posted on the city’s website:

SUMMIT AVENUE OUTFALL – STORMWATER REPLACEMENT

This area has experienced significant flooding over the years. The existing Stormwater system lacks the capacity to handle even a small rain event, and property has been damaged due to the undersized Stormwater System. The flooding has often occurred during the Colorado State Fair event and affects travel around the fairgrounds. The project will include a detailed drainage analysis and Stormwater upgrades that will be accomplished in at least 3 phases. 

Phase 1: Will include a detailed drainage analysis and Stormwater upgrades on outfall and Washington Street.

Phase 2: Will include Stormwater upgrades on Routt Avenue and Madison Street. 

Phase 3: Will include Stormwater upgrades on Summit Avenue up to the Colorado State Fairgrounds.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – After one woman lost her father earlier this year, she was inspired to help his friends share in one of his favorite hobbies: bird watching.

Raye Chavez was a resident at Springs Ranch memory care until his death last February. His daughter, Cindy Branditch, wanted to honor his memory by installing a bird feeder for other residents to enjoy.

Springs Ranch loved the idea, and together they partnered with Wild Birds Unlimited. The local birding store helped expand Branditch’s dream. It donated and installed an entire bird sanctuary, with multiple feeding stations right outside the windows to the Springs Ranch common area.

Both Wild Birds Unlimited and Springs Ranch created laminated sheets with the different native birds for residents to mark off with dry-erase as they see them.

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Celeste Springer

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — A Pueblo woman has been found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of abuse of a corpse, according to the Office of District Attorney Kala Beauvais.

Corena Rose Minjarez and Jesus Dominguez were accused of working together to try and cover up the murder of two children. Dominguez was the children’s father, according to Pueblo police.

In January of 2024, police said they were called out to a storage unit facility for a suspicious activity call. When they arrived, they located a metal container in a storage unit that had been filled with concrete. Police said they later determined that the remains of a girl were encased inside.

Later in the investigation, detectives say they located Minjarez’s car at a scrap yard. Inside, they found a suitcase. Inside the suitcase were the remains of a boy.

“Child abuse often does not have many witnesses, and this case was no different. This made the collaborative effort of the law enforcement and prosecution team all the more important. We also recognize the community members who had to grapple with the traumatic facts and evidence in this case,” read a joint statement from Chief Trial Deputy Kyle McCarthy and Senior Deputy District Attorney David Dingess.

Minjarez was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, according to the district attorney’s office.

Dominguez is set to be sentenced for his charges on Sept. 12.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – KRDO13’s Bradley Davis walks us through the Percheron Community, one of the fastest-growing housing developments in Northeast Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Springs Parade of Homes starts September 5 with 32 new homes by a variety of different builders, like the three featured in the Percheron community.

The parade lasts from September 5 through September 21, and each ticket gets you in to view every house on display. You can get tickets here.

To see videos of other homes, you can check out our 2025 Parade of Homes page here.

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Celeste Springer

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A Southern Colorado grandmother who tried to cure her grandson’s autism with nicotine patches pleaded guilty to child abuse and was sentenced to probation on Wednesday.

According to arrest records, Tammy Eddings-Dion’s 4-year-old became lethargic, started vomiting, and was taken to the hospital on April 3, 2025. It was then that hospital staff found a nicotine patch on his leg. The boy tested positive for nicotine poisoning, according to records.

Records say that just a day later, the boy’s mother found yet another patch on him.

The boy’s mother told detectives that Eddings-Dion sent her a text saying that she had received a 30-day supply of 24-hour release nicotine patches in the mail. Arrest records say the mother responded, asking the grandmother not to use the patches on the 4-year-old boy.

On Wednesday, Eddings-Dion was sentenced to three years of probation and 40 hours of community service.

In a previous interview with KRDO13, the boy’s mother said the entire situation has been incredibly difficult. She also expressed upset that her son’s autism isn’t something to “fix.”

“He’s perfect. He’s so sweet. He’s like this little ball of energy. He is so kind and so caring, and he’s just really happy all the time. He cares when other people get hurt. And so it breaks my heart that a child so empathetic and caring can have this happen to him, especially by someone he was supposed to trust, someone I could trust. And it turns out sometimes the people closest to you are the people you can’t trust the most,” said Kaylene Albuquerque.

The Autism Science Foundation (ASF) categorizes nicotine patch treatment as one of several “Biomedical Non-Evidence-Based Treatments.”

ASF says, “Proponents of nicotine patch use in individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) believe that the nicotine released into the body from the patch activates and upregulates receptors, and thereby reduces ASD symptoms.” However, “use of this treatment is not supported by scientific evidence,” and no clinical trials have shown nicotine patches are a safe or effective treatment for autistic spectrum disorders.

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Sadie Buggle

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A shelter-in-place for a one-block area in El Paso County was lifted Wednesday afternoon after an armed suspect who had barricaded himself inside a home with two young children surrendered to law enforcement.

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said that on Aug. 23, it began investigating an individual who was armed with a gun and representing himself as a federal agent. The department identified the suspect as 23-year-old Antonio Mellon and obtained a warrant for his arrest.

On Wednesday, Aug. 27, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) SWAT Team assisted CSPD in attempting to arrest Mellon at a home in the 1300 block of Burnham Street, in unincorporated El Paso County.

However, CSPD said that when officers attempted to speak to Mellon, he barricaded himself in the house with two young children inside and refused to come out. While Mellon was barricaded, police say he pointed a firearm at officers from inside the house several times.

The active scene led EPSO to issue a shelter-in-place order for the 1300 block of Burnham Street at 9:04 a.m.

CSPD said officers and deputies worked to peacefully resolve and de-escalate the situation. KRDO13 crews on scene saw not only CSPD and EPSO at the scene, but also agents in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) vests.

Mellon eventually surrendered over three hours later at 12:47 p.m. and was taken into custody without incident, CSPD confirmed.

EPSO lifted the shelter-in-place for the one-block area at 1:19 p.m., once the scene was fully cleared.

Police confirmed the children in the home were not injured during the standoff.

Mellon was arrested and taken to the El Paso County Jail. CSPD said he is charged with impersonating a police officer, possessing a firearm as a previous offender, four counts of first-degree assault, and two counts of child abuse.

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Celeste Springer

PALMER LAKE, Colo. (KRDO) — Palmer Lake Trustee Atis Jurka is calling for an investigation into an upcoming recall election, making serious accusations about violations of Colorado election laws.

On Sept. 9, residents will head to the polls to vote on two items: whether to remove Trustees Shana Ball and Kevin Dreher, and also whether voters should decide future annexation decisions.

Trustee Jurka is calling on District Attorney Michael Allen and Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate the election. Jurka alleges that election signs were stored under a desk less than five feet from a ballot box.

“We want to have a fair, level playing field,” said Jurka.

Courtesy: Trustee Atis Jurka

In Colorado, campaign signs are prohibited within 100 feet of a polling place or drop box.

Courtesy: Trustee Atis Jurka

“If I’m a voter and I’m kind of shy and I’m not outspoken, I go to the town office and I see the town office having this sign saying vote no….There might be some retribution against me,” says Jurka.

When asked about this, Interm Town Manager Glen Smith said the red sign in the picture is from a paddleboard company that was left around the lake.

Smith says the purple sign was a campaign sign, but that it was only there because a police officer found it in the middle of the road and dropped it off at town hall.

Additionally, Jurka alleges that there are large campaign banners, which are identified as “Paid for by Friends and Neighbors.” Jurka says the group is not registered as a committee.

“One doesn’t even have a designation of who paid for it. And the other one has is paid by ‘neighbors and friends’, but they’re not registered with the campaign office,” mentioned Jurka, saying that multiple signs aren’t following campaign rules.

In Colorado, committees for recall elections must register themselves if contributions or expenditures for the group cost more than $200, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

KRDO13 also did not find a committee of that name registered with the Secretary of State or listed under the town’s page with committee registrations.

Jurka mentioned other concerns, too. He said citizens had told him that supporters of the recall were being weeded out as election judges when they were found to be supporters of the effort. KRDO13 was not able to confirm this claim. KRDO13 did learn that El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker sent Palmer Lake a list of election judges they had previously used. It’s not clear if Palmer Lake selected judges from that list.

Schleiker said that to be an election judge, you don’t have to live in a specific area; you just have to be a registered voter in the state

The final concern Jurka outlined was a failure by the Town of Palmer Lake to coordinate its election with El Paso County. However, Schleiker said that due to the Palmer Lake Charter, they were unable to coordinate their election. Schleiker added that their charter is very specific about only being able to coordinate for general elections in an even-numbered year.

Now, for the actual town trustees vote on approving the Palmer Lake Buc-ees. That vote has been pushed back. The town planning commission has not made its final ruling.

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