Category: krdo-local-news

Bradley Davis

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers coached up eight families on the firing range Saturday as part of CPW’s “Rookie Sportsperson Program.”

The program is a year-long commitment where CPW pairs rookie outdoorsmen and women with one of its wildlife officers to learn more about hunting, fishing and conservation.

The program prioritizes people and families who are inexperienced outdoorspeople and don’t have relatives or friends with the skills to teach them.

Saturday’s training session was one of the highlights of the program. The Teller County Shooting Society hosted the training at its range on County Road 81.

The program comes at no cost to its participants. At Saturday’s training session, the Colorado Chapter of the Safari Club donated $10,000 to support the program.

The application window is closed for 2026, but you can contact tracy.predmore@state.co.us for more information on future opportunities.

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Levette Sanchez

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pueblo community is continuing to come together to support those impacted by the Aspen Acres fire.

On Saturday, August 15, the Pueblo Mall partnered with Southern Colorado United Way to host the “Aspen Acres” Fire Relief Fundraiser.

The event included a silent auction along with a household goods and food drive. Highlights included live performances from country singer Buddy Jewell, as well as Blank Check, a local band from Rye.

All donations made went directly to Southern Colorado United Way to help those affected by the Aspen Acres fire.

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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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Students, staff, and visitors have a week remaining before the new semester begins at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS).

That means planning to ensure that parking is as convenient as possible.

But many wonder whether enough parking spaces are available for approximately 11,000 students—all of whom, except for at least 1,000, live on campus.

“One common misconception here is that there’s not enough parking at UCCS,” said Matt Beckwith, associate parking director for UCCS. “And really, across the campus, we have more than enough parking spaces. It’s a matter of those that are convenient and right next to your building. And those are the parking spaces in the highest demand.”

The most coveted parking is in front of the El Pomar Center, on what’s called the Central Campus, where most of the resources are.

A parking pass for that area is $250 per semester, and the waiting list for those spaces can be as long as 800 students.

However, other options include two parking garages and even free parking, depending on how far from Central Campus drivers are willing to park.

And for students parking farther away, shuttle buses are available to shorten walking times to and from class.

Beckwith said that traffic congestion on and off busy Austin Bluffs Parkway usually doesn’t last long — primarily because most of the activity happens at the top of each hour during the day — when some classes end, and others begin.

“It’s not ideal to have some traffic backing up, but it’s not creating any sort of safety issues,” he said. But there’s some congestion. It takes a little longer to find a parking space.”

Beckwith added that unlike grade schools, where students remain on campus all day, college students—particularly at UCCS—may spend no more than a few hours on campus.

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Julia Donovan

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The back-to-school season isn’t just about younger students heading back to the classroom. College students across Colorado are also getting ready for a new school year, and at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), move-in day marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter.

For incoming freshmen, the first day on campus can bring a mix of excitement and nerves.

“Nothing can calm those move-in jitters quite like the stunning view of Pikes Peak,” KRDO13’s Julia Donovan joked as she explored campus Monday.

For many first-year students, it’s full steam ahead as they get settled into new surroundings and prepare to dive into college life.

Incoming freshman nursing student Annabelle Simmons said she’s already received some advice for navigating her first year.

“Just to stay ahead of your work,” Simmons said.

After checking in at the UCCS Arts Center, students headed to their new dorms to unpack and settle in.

The first week on campus is packed with activities designed to help students get comfortable, meet new people and make memories.

But even with all the excitement, some students are still working through the nerves.

“I’m so scared,” incoming freshman Mia Kovney admitted.

But Mia is taking advice from her sister to find a balance between academics and having fun.

“I need to do my homework and stay in, and she’s like, ‘Go out, like, do fun stuff sometimes,’” Kovney giggled, agreeing she’ll do her best to find time for both.

And while students are learning to navigate a new level of independence, parents are adjusting, too.

Anthony Spratley, the father of a UCCS freshman, joked about one of the challenges of communicating with teenagers.

It seems some of these students will have a bit of growing up to do over the next four years!

“I overheard you say something about someone not checking their email?” Donovan asked.

“I think UCCS communicated effectively. It’s just that, you know how teenagers are,” Spratley laughed.

With the resources, support and community available at UCCS, students will surely come out better than they entered on move-in day.

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Michael Logerwell

BEULAH, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office says a man was swept away in fast-moving flash-flood waters in Beulah on Sunday.

The Pueblo County Coroner’s Office says the victim was 80-year-old Henry “Hank” Humphreys.

Courtesy: Humphreys family

Courtesy: Humphreys family

KRDO13 spoke to his family, who gave the following statement:

“Hank Humphreys was born in Buffalo New York, Oct 24 1945. He was drafted into the Vietnam War and served in the US Army from 1969 to 1970. He was a brother, a husband, a father, and a fierce friend. His writings, music, and impact on his community will carry his memory on. He lived the lives of a thousand men and was the most generous man in the world. Please honor his memory with joy, giving to others, and never missing a chance to laugh.”

Courtesy: Humphreys family

Courtesy: Humphreys family

The sheriff’s office says Humphreys was standing outside near the intersection of Highway 78 and Central Avenue when he was caught up in the strong floodwaters.

Members of the Beulah fire department attempted to rescue him, but he was quickly swept downstream. A flight-for-life helicopter, drones, and more were mobilized to try to find Humphreys. First responders eventually found him two miles downstream from where he was originally standing.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Our hearts are heavy today as we confirm the tragic loss of life resulting from this afternoon’sflooding in Beulah,” said Pueblo County Sheriff David J. Lucero. “I want to extend my deepestcondolences to the family and those affected by this tragic loss.”

With more rainfall on the horizon, Sheriff Lucero is urging everyone in or near the “Aspen Acres” fire burn scar area to take precautions to protect themselves and their families.

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Rob Namnoum

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — “Our players do a great job of bringing the juice every single, every single day, every single game,” says Nico Tolini.

The juice breeds competition, and competition breeds a winning culture. “Then the whole sideline erupts. Like we’ll make a big play. The whole sideline erupts. It’s us. We love you and each other on it. We love the brotherhood that we created,” says Air Academy head coach Waymond Jackson.

Practice makes perfect, and for the seniors, the practices are even harder than the games. “Right? Sometimes, you know, things get a little escalated. But, you know, we love that. We love having competition here,” says Cade Ballard.

It’s like going to war: “We’re going into every game as a, as a battle, as a, as a battle and going to war,” says Tolini.

Good things come in threes, as Air Academy Head Coach Waymond Jackson is in his third year, where the program culture is starting to take shape: “I know it sounds cliché, but you have to trust the process and understand that it’s a process and it’s not going to happen overnight, right? So I don’t trust the process to understand that it’s going to happen. And when you get to year three, year 4 to 5, then you start seeing the results that you put in the works.”

The team’s mantra, kaizen, a term that means a change for the better, and the Kadets are looking to be better than last year, “Saying getting better every single day, 1% better at everything we do. And that’s just kind of what we learned,” says Ballard.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The StoryMode Independent Short Films Awards (SISFA) hosts its annual event this weekend in Colorado, featuring filmmakers from across the country and right here in Southern Colorado.

The festival is in its 15th year and is part of a growing movement to expand filmmaking in Colorado. The weekend-long event is hosted at the Louisa Performing Arts Center. You can find a full schedule here.

For decades, budding Colorado filmmakers have left the state for LA and even neighboring New Mexico to pursue opportunities.

SISFA festival director Brian Salay said more and more submitted filmmakers are choosing to shoot in Colorado.

It’s part of a larger movement, headlined by the Sundance Film Festival relocating to Boulder this Winter.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Drivers will notice new traffic changes at the Galley Road/Wooten Road intersection as a $2 million drainage project enters its second and final phase.

A week ago, Wooten on the south side of the intersection closed, and Galley traffic shared the westbound lanes.

When the project began two months ago, the north side of the intersection closed, and Galley traffic shared the eastbound lanes.

Crews are upgrading a wide culvert under the intersection and are digging into the pavement to access it.

As part of the project, crews removed the traffic signals at the intersection — turning it into a three-way stop.

On a recent visit to the site, KRDO13’s The Road Warrior saw several near-crashes as some drivers rolled through the stop signs.

That change, along with the tight squeeze on Galley, requires extra caution by drivers.

The project should be finished before the end of the year.

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Rob Namnoum

The Lewis Palmer football team is special because they can’t run fast enough to play football, “You can bottle up their excitement and their enthusiasm for the game and be excited to finally get on the field and be that guy that you can sell $1 billion dollars,” says Lewis Palmer head coach Dustin Tupper.

From the sounds of it no amount of money can replace playing for Lewis Palmer, “I noticed I missed it after last season, like, you know, more so than ever. I really felt it, that I missed the game. The preseason stuff, I realized, like, how much it really did mean to me,” says Gavin Head.

Jacob Stadjuhar adds, “Going into, like, the winter season last year and stuff, you know, it just felt like, empty.” Something he cherishes, “I’m just unbelievably grateful for everything I have. You know, it’s not like, man, this is my last time doing this. Like, hey, I got to do this for four years.”

The seniors say in the year’s top come that will be at one another’s most important moments of their lives, “The guys I get to do this with will be at my wedding someday. You know, this is the best time I’ve ever had,” says Stadjuhar. He explained why, “These guys, like, they’ve been to my house, you know, they’ve met my parents. I do everything with them. It’s just we got that close knit relationship.”

On this close knit team everyone pulls their weight, “I really think about it like parenting. But I want to make not be not need us anything on their own. On their own. I’d rather have 12 guys that really, really love it and 30 that are happy, you know what I’m saying? So I just really enjoy the fact that they’re all in,” says Tupper

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Earlier this week, we saw in Harrison District 2 how hectic it can be to prepare and maintain a school bus fleet as the new school year begins.

But that’s not a problem at a charter school that doesn’t have buses.

The James Madison Charter Academy in Widefield District 3 hasn’t used buses during its 20 years of operation.

“It’s fairly common among charter schools, but some use it more than others,” said Jeff Kacena, the school’s principal. “It’s more expensive to operate and maintain buses, and as a nonprofit charter school, we devote most of our resources to education.”

The academy transports students to and from school by using a carpool system involving parents and adult guardians.

The system has a strict protocol for how, when, and where the carpools line up; when the students can leave the building; and when they can get into their vehicles.

Kacena said that for parents who have to be at work early or get off late, the school allows affected students to arrive as early as 7 a.m. and stay as late as 6 p.m.

A nice aspect of the carpool system is that some students help their classmates enter their vehicles at dismissal.

“It’s a very safe system,” Kacena explained. “It limits the amount of time that children are outside the school. Our students don’t have to cross roads, crosswalks, or things like that. They literally come right out of the school and into their car.”

The academy has an enrollment of 70 students, serving grades K-8.

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