Category: krdo-local-news

Michael Logerwell

PENROSE, Colo. (KRDO) – A month ago, Jon Hallford was finally sentenced on his state criminal charges. An El Paso County judge handed down a sentence of 40 years to be served at the same time as his 20-year federal sentence, a sentence that Hallford is appealing.

RELATED COVERAGE: Jon Hallford sentenced to 40 years for abuse of a corpse charges at Return to Nature Funeral Home

“I don’t think this is the end of it for us, the living victims. We are going to have to live with this forever. I will take it as a step towards healing, knowing that you know he won’t see the light of day, or know what a hamburger tastes like, or a Slurpee for quite a long time,” said Derrick Johnson, after Jon Hallford’s sentencing hearing in February.

Now, a month later, Johnson is searching for a spot to memorialize his mother, whose body was improperly stored and left to rot at the Return to Nature Funeral Home.

The only issue is that potential locations keep denying him.

“It’s so heartbreaking that we’re not getting the yeses,” Johnson said over a video call.

Johnson wants to build a wind phone in Southern Colorado. A wind phone looks a lot like those neighborhood libraries, but instead of books inside, there is a landline telephone that’s only connected to the wind and a call log.

It would be one more chance to speak to his mother over the phone, something Johnson says they did often after his life took him to Hawaii while his mother stayed in landlocked Colorado.

“We talked on the phone constantly. We were always around each other. So having a place where I can speak to her and know that my voice is being carried off by the wind, in particular, it means the world,” Johnson said.

The hang-up is that Johnson doesn’t have a place to put it. He’s been denied by multiple parks and trails in Colorado Springs. He was even denied by Bear Creek Park, where a bench dedicated to the Return to Nature victims was unveiled in 2024.

KRDO13 Investigates asked if he had considered the former site of Return to Nature itself.

“There were talks about this wind phone going out there,” Johnson said. “Who even owns that piece of land right there?”

What’s going on with the former funeral home site?

In late April 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finished the demolition and clean-up of the funeral home formerly located at 31 Werner Road in Penrose.

During the six-day process, the EPA said, “the building materials and foundation were disinfected, demolished, and transferred off-site for disposal. The foundation was replaced with clean soil.”

Driving by the site today, it’s just an empty field running up a hefty tab of property taxes.

The Fremont County Treasurer, Kathy Elliott, says the owners of the property owe $18,774.96 in unpaid property taxes. It’s a hefty tab that would typically lead to the property going up to a tax sale.

A tax sale, according to the El Paso County Treasurer, is the last step the county takes to collect unpaid taxes on properties.

But that hasn’t happened, mainly because Fremont County officials aren’t convinced there is any interest. Elliott told KRDO13 Investigates over the phone that she didn’t think anyone would buy the property.

Stacey Seifert, the Fremont County Assessor, further confirmed that the Hallfords, under their LLC, still own the property. Seifert also expressed similar concerns about the commercial interest of the property.

“Even if it was for sale, it would never bring more than a fraction of those [potential lien] costs, and who would want it anyway?” she wrote in an email.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, there are two liens currently against the property. The most recent was filed in late November last year.

Could the site become a memorial?

KRDO13 Investigates asked Fremont County Commissioner Kevin Grantham if the county would consider buying the property for cheap at a tax sale auction and turning the site into a memorial for victims of the Return to Nature Funeral Home.

Grantham said there were no plans for that to be done by the county and presented a different vision for the now vacant land. “Our preference is for it to remain on the rolls and be available for future commercial/business use,” Grantham said via email.

Johnson said he would love to see the land donated to the victims or a victims’ group such as Colorado Remembers.

“[To] take a spot that you know was once what you would call one of the worst places in the state and turn it into something where people can heal from it,” Johnson said.

While Johnson is on board, others are torn, unsure if they ever want to go back to 31 Werner Road in Penrose ever again.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.

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Rob Namnoum

Top prep playoff performances for the week of February 25th.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Many drivers may be pleasantly surprised on Monday to find that a popular route between Academy and Powers boulevards has partially reopened for the first time in nearly two years.

On Friday afternoon, crews reopened the left lanes of Galley Road between Murray Boulevard and Wooten Road after completing a bridge replacement over the West Fork of Sand Creek.

The first cars drove through the construction zone at around 3 a.m., to the cheers of some construction workers.

An on-site supervisor said that the right lanes will remain closed until electrical work is finished.

The $8 million project was delayed at times because of the late arrival of construction materials, challenges in relocating utility lines, and weather.

After wet weather in late spring and early summer, however, dry conditions allowed crews to make significant progress.

City officials said that the entire project will be finished this spring.

Remaining tasks include completing improvements on the Homestead Trail and installing a pedestrian-activated crossing signal.

The new bridge is wider to carry more traffic, and the channel’s capacity is increased to convey heavier flows in the creek.

Meanwhile, a few blocks north of the bridge — at the Wooten Road intersection — Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) will resume upgrades to a water main that started near the bridge project and will gradually move east across Powers.

The work will reduce westbound Galley traffic and close eastbound Galley traffic until the second week of April.

Crews are installing a liner within the existing main to reduce construction time and costs.

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Marina Garcia

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Scam calls are becoming more and more common, but a Colorado Springs mother almost lost her life when the scammer targeted her child.

On February 18, Rosa Henry was at work when she got a phone call from an unknown number.

It was her daughter’s voice, and she was crying, saying that she had been in a car accident and a man was with her.

“He said, your daughter got into a car accident. She hit the back of my truck, and I do not need any police around me at this time. And your daughter already made the mistake of calling the police when she hit me. He said, that’s why she’s in my truck now,” says Henry.

The man then began making demands of Henry, saying that if she didn’t listen, her daughter would suffer for it.

He asked Rosa to drive to Walmart and then the bank to pull out money, but she wasn’t moving fast enough for him.

“He got so mad, and he was saying that my daughter was going to be raped. And she’s screaming in the background, crying for her life,” says Rosa Henry.

Henry then told the man that if he wanted money, he would have to call her husband, which he did. While on the phone with him, her husband, Reggie Henry, decided to hang up on the man and call their daughter directly.

“When I called her number, she answered right away, and she was okay,” says Reggie Henry.

Still shaken up by the experience, Rosa left work after the call and made her way back home to her husband, and that’s when she collapsed.

“I met her out in the yard, gave her a hug, and brought her in. She kept on grabbing her chest, saying, I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe. Something’s wrong. Something in my chest. Something’s wrong,” says Reggie Henry.

She was rushed to the hospital, and in moments, Reggie was informed that Rosa needed open-heart surgery.

“Due to the stress of the phone call, her blood pressure spiked so high it tore her aorta in her heart,” says Reggie.

Now, the family is spreading awareness so other families don’t fall victim to these calls.

“When there’s emergency situations, come up with a safe word for your family. That could have prevented all of this,” warn their daughters, Sarah Hardy and Erica Donelson.

The family has reported the incident to the FBI’s scam tip line, and if you or a loved one find yourself in a similar situation, you too can file a complaint here.

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Mina Ramirez

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — The Pueblo community gathered Saturday evening along the Pueblo Riverwalk to honor the five people killed in a deadly dust storm crash that injured 29 others.

Tuesday marks two weeks since the 35-vehicle crash that changed dozens of families forever.

Those killed were Karen Ann Marsh, a local hospice worker; David and Scott Kirscht, a father and son who spent years working the land as ranchers; and Thomas and Mary Sue Thayer, beloved grandparents.

Lanterns were placed along the water, each representing a name, a memory, and a life taken too soon. Coworkers, friends, family members, and first responders stood side by side, many holding back tears.

Roberta Gonzales with Sangre de Cristo Hospice, who helped organize the vigil in the last few days, said she was the kind of person who never hesitated. “She was ready to go,” Gonzales said. “She would ask, ‘What do you need? What do you want me to do?’ She was always ready to lend a hand with a smile.”

Beyond the stories shared, the evening reflected the strength of the Pueblo community. Volunteers handed out lanterns and water bottles, offering hugs to strangers as people showed up in whatever way they could.

Several family members told KRDO the vigil helped ease the weight of planning memorials. Some said they have not yet arranged funerals for their loved ones, and this community gathering allowed them to grieve together without added pressure.

As lanterns lit up the Riverwalk, the glow symbolized remembrance and a community standing together in the face of loss.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – We were two games away from an all-local matchup at Ed Robson Arena for the boys 4A hockey state finals. It wasn’t to be, but Pine Creek will get its shot to win it all at Colorado College.

After falling behind 1-0 to the Colorado Academy, Pine Creek tied it up in the second period. Goalie John Thien locked Colorado Academy down from there on out, and Pine Creek scored late to punch its ticket with a 2-1 victory.

The D11 Bookworms had the upset of the tournament in the quarterfinals over the top-seeded Battle Mountain. The team could not finish off its storybook ending, losing to Steamboat Springs Saturday 4-1, putting an end to an impressive season.

Pine Creek plays Steamboat Springs for the 4A title on Monday.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — While El Paso County is wrapping up its improvements on South Academy Boulevard between Interstate 25 and Milton E. Proby Parkway, a similar project is intensifying on the city’s side of the corridor between the parkway and Fountain Boulevard.

The city’s project resumed last month after a year-long break to focus on reducing impacts to drivers, neighbors, and business owners.

Crews are making upgrades to driver safety, traffic flow, pedestrian access, and drainage; much of the infrastructure here dates back to the 1960s.

The latest changes came this week, as crews made lane closures to prepare for a traffic configuration change.

That work included removing old lane markings and applying temporary striping.

But what’s really eye-catching are the long trenches the crews are digging in the street, mostly on the east side of Academy.

That’s where new drainage pipes are going in.

This phase of the project also has the eastbound ramp to Milton E. Proby Parkway closed until the end of May.

The final step will be repaving this stretch, known by drivers to be one of the bumpiest in town.

Officials originally planned to finish the project this summer, but the new completion date is the summer of 2028.

“I have mixed feelings about it,” said David Aquino, who lives nearby. “It should be OK, but in the mornings it’s kinda hard driving down south or up north, because you have one lane, two lanes open only.”

Shawn Visiko is another neighbor.

“I don’t like it, per se,” he said of the project. “But it does need to be done because of how bad the roads are. And now, hopefully, in the near future, it’ll be done, and it’ll be smooth.”

This project, and the previous work done on South Academy between Bijou Street and Airport Road, cost $100 million.

It’s financed by sales tax revenue from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) and some federal funds.

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Rob Namnoum

The Colorado Springs District Eleven hockey team will play Steamboat Springs in the Class 4A semifinals on Saturday at Robson Arena. A win would put the Bookworms in the state championship game.

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Rob Namnoum

“Make sure we’re locked in and focused. Understand the job. Have some fun today”

Pueblo County always has fun because, “We’re a bunch of idiots, so we’re going to go and mess around,” says Lowry Kirkland.

The Hornets have messed around and now they will play the top seed in the class five playoffs in Palisade.  “I mean, we look at it as  were equal to him, you know, I mean seedings whatever seeding is just a seed. It’s a number,” says Kirkland. County head coach Blake Cesar adds, “We’re supposed to be there, we belong at the top of the states.”

“You seniors. And there’s a lot of you this is your your last opportunity. This is your last guaranteed game. Right? Let’s go make the best of the experience.”

An experience they won’t forget, “You know, we’ve we’ve all grown up together  and  we use we all used to play together and it’s just like  we want to keep going. You know what I mean,?” says Luca Tucci.

One of the nine seniors Kirkland adds, “I mean, it means a lot because we’ve been one put it together for the last four years. You’ve got nine of us that are playing hard, playing together.”

“And you know it’s going to be a team bonding experience. You go six hours across the mountain, let’s go play the one seed.  It’s going to be something you remember the rest of life, whether you know how it goes, but we’re going to win,” says Cesar.

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Julia Donovan

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A Roundup repeat offender failed its annual health inspection again. Meanwhile, a Mexican spot is on the chopping block for the first time, but the owner has some words of reassurance.

Neveria Monarca on E Pikes Peak Avenue failed its routine health inspection with 11 violations.

The inspector said the food handler didn’t wash their hands after taking payment, there was no thermometer in the entire restaurant to make sure food is at a safe temperature, and there was a gap under the back door that could allow insects and other pests inside.

The owner told KRDO he made changes immediately and took us out back to see the improvements.

“We put a gasket here, so when you close, there’s no gap anymore,” he said as he showed us how they fixed the back door.

They got new thermometers and plan to ace their re-inspection.

“This is the first time it’s happened to us but yeah we’re ready for sure,” the owner said confidently.

Neveria Monarca is still awaiting its re-inspection.

In other news, the ViewHouse off E Woodman Road failed its annual routine health inspection for the second year in a row with 11 violations.

The inspector said the dishwasher didn’t wash their hands before unloading clean dishware. Meanwhile, there was no soap in the employee restroom, and the prep sink was dirty!

ViewHouse later passed its re-inspection.

Now let’s take a peek at those high scores:

The Rabbit Hole on N Tejon Street, Bean Bandit on N Circle Drive, and Deluxe Wingz on Astrozon Boulevard!

“Changing the oil, washing the fryers daily – we keep it fresh here,” the owner told us how their kitchen stays clean, and their food stays tasty.

The spot features 36 different flavors with up to 100-piece orders on the menu – talk about deluxe!

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

Reminder: all of our high and low scoring restaurants are based on routine health inspections conducted by the El Paso County Health Department.

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