Category: krdo-local-news

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Cheyenne Mountain State Park will host a free “Adventure Day” Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a dozen different activities for kids.

All parents need is a state parks pass or a Cheyenne Mountain park pass. If families do not have a park pass, Cheyenne Mountain State Park sells day passes for $10 at a kiosk at the gate. There is no additional cost for Adventure Day after you get into the park.

Activities include BB gun target practice, archery, a rock wall, disc golf, hatchet throwing, knot tying, animal education, fishing education, geocaching, a raffle and more.

Once you enter the park, head to the Limkiln Trailhead parking lot.

Adventure Day is one of several free programs the park is offering with the standard park entry fee in August.

Families can join Cheyenne Mountain State Park’s Naturalist every Sunday for a guided “Meadow Walk” through the park. The park offers free archery and mountain bike classes throughout the month. Every state park is free for veterans in August for “Veterans Appreciation Month.” The park has free “Terrain Hopper” off-road vehicle rentals to help people with disabilities enjoy the park.

To register for the Meadow Walk, click here.

To find free classes on the Cheyenne Mountain State Park calendar, click here.

For more information on how to get your free Veterans Appreciation Month pass, click here.

To rent a Terrain Hopper at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, click here.

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Rob Namnoum

It was the greatest moment in TCA football history. The Titans taking home their first ever state championship. “It’s crazy because you imagine it for so long when you’ve been here three years and then that moment finally hits you was like, Wow, All the summers, all the days in the weight room, all the practices after school, all the games. They finally got to that moment. We finally did it. It was just a great feeling, like seeing all the coaches over, you know, the players like hugging and crying each other,” says Zach Mediavilla, TCA receiver/cornerback.

Johnny Howe adds, “It’s something we’ve been talking about for a long time, something I’ve been dreaming about for forever. So to finally have that feeling happen and come through was just sweet.”

Hayden Kenney says, “We’re in the state championship and we win and it’s crazy. And like, I don’t know, it just felt like I was floating.”

But that was last season. This year’s edition of TCA features a ton of new faces but the goal remains the same, “It’s obviously a new year. It’s becoming worthy of that feeling again” says Howe.

Kenney adds, “There’s also like a lot of expectations, and like kind of a target on our back.”

And for the returning players, they’re a little more hyped as practices begin, “Now you actually know, like what it feels like to get there. So, like, every practice is like a fight towards getting back to that stage,” says Mediavilla.

The Titans will lean on their championship culture, and look to build on it, “It’s just about a high standard, right? The way we practice, the way we lift in the weight room every day. Um, those little details that’s what gets us to Pueblo after Thanksgiving,” says Howe.

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Bart Bedsole

With only 9 violations, it wasn’t a terrible showing, but the Omelets Etc. on Interquest did score lower than any other restaurant last week.

It was also an improvement over the 14 violations found at the restaurant in November of 2024.

Some of the reasons it failed this time include: 

A server used a bare hand to add a lemon to a drink

A cook with gloves put raw meat onto the grill, then continued cooking with the same gloves 

Instead of washing, rinsing, and sanitizing a cutting board, the restaurant was only using a chlorine sanitizer to clean it 

Instead of being kept at a temperature of 41 degrees or less, a few containers of liquid eggs were being kept on the cook line at a temperature of 70-73 degrees

When KRDO13 stopped by the restaurant six days after the inspection, the general manager said he had still not seen a list of the violations found and wasn’t familiar with the specifics. 

Ruben Torres added that he was out last week when the inspector stopped by, explaining that it’s a relatively new crew in the kitchen and they are still working on receiving their food safety certifications. 

Torres says they try to do their best, and doesn’t feel that customers should feel unsafe eating there. 

Omelets Etc. passed its re-inspection on August 6 with just a single violation. 

OTHER LOW SCORES

Jersey Mike’s Subs – 1250 Interquest Pkwy 

Pho Toi – 6320 S. US Hwy 85 87 

Little Caesars – 5859 Constitution Ave 

HIGH SCORES

Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers – 1264 Interquest  

Papa John’s – 1779 Lake Woodmoor Dr 

Arby’s – 1220 Interquest Pkwy 

McDonald’s – 4310 Barnes Rd 

Trinity Brewing Company – 1466 Garden of the Gods Rd 

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop – 1286 Interquest

Capriotti’s is a chain restaurant, known for its cheesesteak and the “Bobbie” that is essentially Thanksgiving on a bun, but all three locations in town are locally owned, and co-owner Christen Sanders says they treat it like a family-run restaurant. 

“My cousin moved out here last year, so he helped me out at the Barnes store. I went to the high school graduation for some of my high school students that work here for me, got invited to some of their parties, so really we care about the employees like they are our own family,” she said. 

Sanders says that was her goal from the beginning. 

She explained that she and her husband, Ron, always enjoyed visiting a Capriotti’s restaurant when living in Las Vegas because everyone seemed to know each other, so when the opportunity came to open locations in Colorado Springs, they jumped on it. 

“The classic cheesesteak here is my favorite cheesesteak, and we just started looking to see if they were expanding into the Springs at all, and it turned out they were.”

The Interquest location opened in January of 2024, and the Sanders put in 80-90 hours a week operating it. 

Ron is actually a class of 1985 graduate of the Air Force Academy. 

They have sold sandwiches there during football games for the past four years, and plan to continue that in 2025. 

The restaurant also recently launched its “Bigger Better” offer, adding 25 percent more meat to most of the sandwiches.

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

Click here for a complete list of high and low scores. 

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On Thursday, a spokesperson with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confirmed two search warrants were executed at the Village East Apartments on Hathaway Drive in Colorado Springs.

The DEA says the raid happened Thursday morning. They allege the apartments were being used to distribute drugs by Mexican cartel members.

During the execution of the warrants, agents say they seized a handgun, fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin, in addition to a large amount of money. 

The agency says 5 individuals were arrested inside the apartments for immigration violations and transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The DEA says it is committed to removing individuals who are “poisoning our community with deadly drugs.”

The DEA tells KRDO13 they can not confirm if the 5 people taken into custody are cartel members, as they say it’s an ongoing investigation.

KRDO13 reached out to the Village East Apartments, who said they had no comment.

A coworker of one of the men who’s now in ICE custody tells KRDO13 the man is a hard worker trying to grow his family.

Video of the raid shows masked agents on the ground and some in the back of a truck. 

KRDO13 spoke with a neighbor who asked not to use her name, since she has family who fear for their safety. She said that around 7 a.m. Thursday morning, she heard the sound of flash bangs. 

“I heard really loud bangs. We thought it was fireworks. And we came out of our apartment to see a heavy ICE presence,” explained the neighbor.

She says as a mother, watching what happened this morning was incredibly hard. 

“They put the mom on the ground, put her in shackles in front of her children. Children were screaming. It broke my heart to have to deal with that. Because, like I said, some of my family’s not from here. So, yeah, it’s really hard,” she recounted.

The Village East Apartments are directly across the street from Christa McAuliffe Elementary School. 

“My son went to the school across the street for his whole school life. He’s in second grade now, so going on three years. It’s quiet over here. Everybody minds their business. They go to work, they take care of their kids, and we come home. Never. Not one time did I ever think that there was anything like that going on here,” she explained.

The neighbor tells KRDO13 the raid was very unsettling.

“I was definitely scared. Having family that’s not from the U.S., it’s definitely scary to have to call family, let them know not to come visit me. Because I’m afraid that something’s going to happen to them,” she shared.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Hundreds of bikers will take on the grueling challenge of biking up Pikes Peak Saturday for the annual The Broadmoor Cycle to the Summit.

Racers will climb the Pikes Peak Highway for 12.24 miles before summiting at the top at over 14,000 feet in the USA Cycling-sanctioned event. The race also acts as the Senior and Master’s Hill Climb State Championship for Colorado.

Colorado Springs Sports Corp is promoting the event. Communications and PR Manager Lauren De Marco said she’s helping set up the event at 3:45 a.m. before suiting up and taking on the summit challenge herself.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I am,” De Marco said. “My team is going to be there, who are kind of my stand-in family, and so I’m really looking forward to racing with them and celebrating at the end of it all.”

For the first time, the Summit Challenge will debut “The Midway Challenge” for riders interested in a smaller taste of the mountain riding experience. It’s a shorter, 5.16-mile ride from the start line to Glen Cove.

Online registration is closed, but riders can sign up in person on Friday at packet pickup at the Axe and the Oak Distillery from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

It’s a rolling start, with the first wave taking off at 6:15 a.m. from the start line/festival area at mile 7 on the highway. You can find the full schedule here.

Parking and starting line map (courtesy Colorado Springs Sports Corp)

Spectators will need to buy a Gateway Pass at the toll gate. Passes are per person, not per car. It’s $10 for adults and $5 for children 15 and under.

For the first time, spectators can buy a shuttle pass. The shuttle takes spectators up to the top, making multiple stops to watch the bike race. The shuttle leaves at 6 a.m. from the Festival Area. Tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for children 15 and under. Spots are limited. To reserve your spot, follow this link, choose your shuttle option and select August 9 at 6 a.m.

The Pikes Peak Highway will open late to the general public while bikers are racing up the mountain. Timed entry for Summit drivers will open back up at 9 a.m.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Next week begins three months of construction on a stretch of Woodmen Road, primarily between Academy Boulevard and Interstate 25.

During a Thursday morning briefing near the Woodmen/Academy interchange, officials detailed the two upcoming projects.

The first starts Monday with repairs to the Woodmen overpass across Academy Boulevard, and to the entrance/exit ramps at the interchange.

The bridge was built in 2011 and needs resurfacing work, as well as concrete upgrades and fresh pavement markings.

Officials stated that the project should be completed within three months.

In the second project, starting next month, crews will repave a 1.5-mile segment of Woodmen between Olga Wilson Way (near the Sam’s Club) and East Rockrimmon Boulevard.

All of the work will happen overnights with an estimated completion time of three to five weeks; paving will start a month or so after the bridge repair begins.

Construction hours are from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., and at least one lane of traffic in each direction will remain open during the projects.

And in a move that will likely please many drivers, the city revealed that it will try out an experimental paving material on Woodmen.

“It’s called stone matrix asphalt (SMA),” said Corey Farkas, operations and maintenance manager. “This is a specialized asphalt that is typically utilized on highways and interstates. It gives a lot more durability and is rut-resistant to a lot of vehicles. But it’s more expensive, too.”

Information provided by officials showed that SMA ranges from $24 to $53 per ton more than traditional asphalt, but the city could save money in the long run by using SMA more frequently if it proves to be more durable on major streets.

The city also plans to upgrade the materials used to repair the overpass.

“We’re going to be replacing the joints and updating the concrete that’s been damaged,” Gayle Sturdivant, deputy public works director, explained. “But one of the main things we’ll be doing is changing the wearing surface for the bridge. It has just degraded more quickly than expected. So, we’ll be working with products that have demonstrated, in other locations around the state, to be better-performing.”

She also urged drivers to continue to visit the many local businesses.

“It may take you a little longer, but you’ll still have access,” Sturdivant said.

The repaving is part of the city’s 2C expanded paving program, which voters first approved in 2015 with a sales tax increase that they renewed for the second time last fall.

KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior first reported late last summer that the Woodmen projects would happen this year.

The targeted road section has deteriorated significantly in recent years, as officials stated that a previous repaving project used asphalt mixed with rubber from old tires.

According to officials, the method was widely used in California and Texas, but has not held up well in Colorado Springs — likely because of the high altitude, temperature extremes, and freeze-thaw cycles.

The bridge repair will cost $2.7 million and is funded by sales tax revenue from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority; the paving is included in the annual 2C expanded paving program, funded by a voter-approved sales tax increase.

Earlier this season, crews prepared for the repaving by completing a two-block project on Woodmen between I-25 and Campus Drive.

The project rebuilt a center median and improved westbound traffic flow onto I-25.

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Mackenzie Stafford

Denver, COLO. (KRDO) — On Wednesday, Aug. 6, Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order for the 75th General Assembly to meet in special session, and to take other actions, including a hiring freeze, to address the fiscal crisis.

He says this way, lawmakers can come up with a plan for dealing with an estimated $1.2 billion shortfall. One that Gov. Polis says is the direct result of federal funding cuts.

KRDO13 spoke with a Democratic state senator who says this leaves our local legislators scrambling. Right now, they’re trying to draft up targeted bills to see what they can cut. 

But Republicans say this is a problem Democrats created by budgeting for needless spending. 

“This is a waste of taxpayer dollars and state resources,” said House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese. “The Governor is using a special session to stir fear about the Big Beautiful Bill when the truth is that the Big Beautiful Bill continues to cover the people it was designed to serve: seniors, single mothers, children, and people with disabilities.”

They say this special session is political theater. 

“If you don’t care about them, then maybe you would conclude we don’t need a special session, and this is just political theater. But if you do care, and I do,” State Sen. Judy Amabile continued, “This is what we are here to do, is to make sure that we make the right decisions for the people in Colorado.”

State Senator Judy Amabile, a democrat representing Boulder County, is on the joint budget committee. She says they have a lot of changes that need to happen before the end of 2025.

“We are also looking at some of the tax credits that Colorado offers to our most vulnerable families, being triggered off because our revenue is reduced by so much. Some of the triggers for these refundable tax credits are going to be triggered. And so people are not going to get their refundable tax credit. They’re not going to be able to get SNAP benefits, or they’re going to be it’s going to be harder for them to get SNAP benefits, and then they’re potentially going to lose their health care. So that’s that is part of the urgency of this moment,” explained State Sen Amable.

State Sen. Amable says part of the urgency is the deadline to make changes to tax policy before the next year. She also noted that some of the changes from the federal spending bill will go into effect in October, so she says the state needs to prepare now.

State Sen. Amable says a few things that could be on the chopping block to make up for these funds are SNAP, Medicaid and tax credits. One of the biggest tax credits that could be eliminated is the child tax credit for families with a child under 6. 

“We also have a child care tax credit, and that also will be triggered off because of these revenue reductions. So, you know, for our families who are struggling, through no fault of their own, and almost all of these families, people are working, working hard, a lot of them working multiple jobs. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, they are looking at a significant reduction in their ability to make ends meet,” explained State Sen. Amable.

She says rural hospitals in Colorado will also have less money to spend from Medicaid. State Sen. Amable said some are warning of potential closures. 

“Rural Colorado is really in the crosshairs of this legislation. And part of it is that any time you take that much money out of the system, it is going to impact everything. It’s going to impact rural hospitals. We heard from a rural legislator that the hospital that he is on the board of is looking at losing a significant amount of funding because of this bill, and will be challenged to even continue operations. And if we start losing hospitals in rural Colorado, that will have devastating impacts on Colorado families,” stated Amable.

In a press release, House Whip Carlos Barron said this was about the broader financial picture.

“This is not a revenue crisis. It is a spending and priorities crisis,” said Rep. Barron. “Instead of asking state agencies to find savings or eliminate waste, the Governor is demanding a blank check from taxpayers. House Republicans believe in protecting the integrity of Medicaid, not growing it into an unaccountable entitlement for noncitizens and those who choose not to work.”

All of these potential changes have to make their way through the legislature before being signed into law. 

State lawmakers will head back to the Capitol on August 21. 

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Celeste Springer

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A Security couple is in the running for a nationwide competition dubbed “America’s Favorite Couple,” but they need your votes to make it to the finish line.

“We rescued each other,” wrote Jose Martinez.

Martinez says he met his wife, Casey, when he was experiencing homelessness. He says that even still, she opened her heart to him.

“We didn’t meet in perfect circumstances—we met when life had knocked us both down. But together, we rose,” said Jose.

The winning couple will receive $20,000. The Martinez family says they hope to use the money to pay off debt, free up monthly income, and live life with less stress.

You can vote for the couple by clicking here. Casey and Jose are currently 3rd in their group and have roughly 24 hours to get more votes to make it to the next round.

A first vote is free, but additional votes can be purchased with a monetary donation. Proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and Oceana, according to the contest website. KRDO13 reached out to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which confirmed they are a beneficiary and the contest is legitimate.

“These resources are especially critical as we continue responding to the increased need following the Greater Los Angeles Wildfires earlier this year,” said a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) has publicly released the identity of the victim of a suspected road rage homicide.

35-year-old Jacob Martinez was run over by a suspect on July 24, police said. CSPD says the suspect fled the scene.

A photo of the victim, 35-year-old Jacob Martinez, provided by family and distributed by CSPD.

On the day of the incident, security footage showed Martinez getting out of his car, standing in the road, only for the other car to run him over and drive off. Martinez died at the hospital three days later, police said.

Two weeks ago, CSPD identified and arrested the suspect, 39-year-old Daniel Nations. Investigators found him with the car used in the crash, police said.

The suspect, 39-year-old Daniel Nations, in his mug shot (Photo: CSPD).

Nations has an extensive criminal background, according to records. He was sentenced to three years of probation for threatening people with what appeared to be a weapon along Mount Herman Road in Monument in 2017. He was also arrested and charged with possession of a gun as a previous offender in Woodland Park that year.

Nations is a convicted sex offender, too, after local media outlets reported he exposed and pleasured himself in a Walmart parking lot in South Carolina back in 2006.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Colorado Springs Downtown Partnership has debuted a new way to enjoy the downtown culinary scene with 11 unique pairings of gourmet hot dogs and specialty martinis across 11 participating restaurants.

At Downtown Partnership, our job is to drive people to our small independent businesses, and what a more fun way than a Weenies and ‘Tinis passport!” said Downtown Partnership marketing director Kelsee Swenn. “The chefs got really creative and made gourmet hot dog and martini pairings at each restaurant, and it’s been a fun time!”

Each restaurant crafted its own combination. Participants can sign up for the Weenies and ‘Tinis food pass for free on the Downtown Partnership website.

Once you sign up, you’ll get an email or text with each restaurant and combination. Show the food pass to each restaurant you visit, and you will get points that qualify you for discounts and prizes.

“There wasn’t a single thing that we didn’t like,” local food critic Matthew Schniper said. “It was just fun to work our way through and check out the variety, see how each place interpreted it and spun it in their own direction.”

The participating restaurants will serve their Weenies & ‘Tinis combos through August 17. Below is a list of participating restaurants and their combinations:

Avenue 19 (The Joint): Vegan Dog/The Bean Martini

Chiba Bar: Terimayo Dog/Thom Kha-cktail

Coati Uprise (Toasted Bunz): Classic Mini Hot Dog/Dirty Martini (River Bar)

ICONS: Dirty Martini Weenie/Tini Weenie Martini

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar: The Sea Dog/Mell Vodka with Caviar Bump

Odyssey Gastropub: Chipotle Chicken Sausage/Caprese Martini

Red Gravy: Italian Sausage Dog/Filthy Dirty Martini

Shame & Regret: Chicago Dog/Malort Martini

Streetcar 520: Mini Pretzel Dogs/Weenie Teenie

The Crooked Cue: Spicy Hawaiian Dog/Pit Boss Martini

The Wobbly Olive-Downtown: Venice Beach Dog/Watermelon Sugar Martini

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