Category: krdo-local-news

Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Many moms remember their first Mother’s Day. The holiday is especially memorable for those who became mothers for the first time this weekend. That’s exactly what happened for one Colorado Springs family.

Mom Marjanna and Dad Jack met their baby girl Reagan for the first time this weekend.

Baby Reagan, courtesy of UCHealth

Reagan is their first child, making Mother’s Day all the more special to them on Sunday. Reagan was born at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central.

Parents Fern and Scott of Woodland Park welcomed baby William, their second child.

Baby William, courtesy of UCHealth

Also welcoming William was big brother James, age 4. William was born this weekend at UCHealth Memorial Hospital North.

Courtesy of UCHealth

UCHealth also noted to KRDO13 that the newborns’ hats were crocheted by Aspen Trail residents, the retirement community in Colorado Springs.

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Mackenzie Stafford

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The City of Manitou Springs has enacted mandatory water restrictions for all residents and businesses effective immediately due to elevated water turbidity levels.

Beginning Sunday, May 11, all outdoor watering is strictly prohibited, according to city officials. The City is urging residents and businesses to significantly reduce indoor water use including postponing laundry, running dishwashers, and other non-essential activities that require substantial water. They say these precautions are necessary to preserve the City’s drinking water supply for the next 3 to 4 days.

City staff say they are closely monitoring conditions and will provide an update by noon on Monday, May 12, 2025. They say the restrictions will remain in effect until further notice.

The City emphasizes that cooperation from all residents and businesses is essential to help manage current water quality concerns.

Residents can stay informed through the City’s official communication channels and are asked to report any urgent water-related concerns using the following contacts:

General Inquiries: 719-685-2573

Public Works Emergency Line: 719-685-2557

Urgent Public Works Issues: 719-492-0058

Water/Sewer Emergencies: 719-492-1970

Just before 9 p.m. on Sunday the City of Manitou Springs announced that the Pool and Fitness Center will be closed on Monday, May 12, per the mandatory water restrictions and to conserve water due to the turbidity notice. At this time, city officials say they are hopeful to be open for normal operation on Tuesday, May 13, but an update will be provided once available.

The City said all programs will be canceled to include water aerobics, swim lessons, Masters swim team and Manitou Springs Megalodons swim team.

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Tyler Cunnington

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A state representative from El Paso County stirred quite a reaction in the political sphere this week after she made comments about Colorado burning to the ground so the GOP can rise from the ashes.

Colorado State Rep. Rebecca Keltie (R) from El Paso County’s 16th District spoke for over 40 minutes on the “Free State Colorado” podcast, ahead of the end to her first legislative session. Keltie, a first-time politician, won her seat by an astounding three votes after a recount in December 2024.

You can view the podcast here. Keltie appears first at the 35:30 mark of the episode.

During the podcast, Keltie alluded to the unease and frustration she holds with the direction of the state, through current policies.

“I hate to say this, but it’s almost like the State of Colorado needs to be burned to the ground and built from the top up. I hate to say that, but from the ashes of the fire will rise a phoenix, and that phoenix is going to be us, and we’re going to be that phoenix,” said Keltie. “But until we take it all the way down, and we get these sons of guns out of there — [I] almost said a bad word, whoops — But anyways, get them out of there… I’m not sure what else we can do,” she added.

The representative describes her Democratic counterparts as “for lack of a better term” evil, and explains that in her 20-plus years in the military and then working as a contractor afterwards, she is used to being a team player to work towards getting things done. However, after the last four months at the Capitol, she feels that work is difficult to achieve.

“I have lost – for almost all of them, except for maybe a few – all respect. Like, I can’t even look at them in the face,” Keltie said. “It’s very difficult for me to think that they even have a soul. I’m not even sure they even have a soul,” she explained.

Keltie says she believes there is ample fiscal mismanagement when it comes to Democratic written legislation.

“These people are corrupt, and the amount of money that they’re going through, it’s like you get, ‘Oh, it’s a fiscal note of zero.’ No, it’s going to cost millions of dollars!” Keltie explained, “But they just they, they they cheat and they they scheme and they scam. Your money, your money in Colorado, every penny you give the state is not safe in the hands of these people,” she alleged.

Keltie continues by claiming she has suggested cuts that could be made to save about $70 million, as her regular occupation is working as a government contractor. However, she says those suggestions were tossed to the side by her Democratic leaders.

“The entire state of Colorado. It needs to be DOGE’d. Seriously. I mean, and I’m telling you, we will find a ton of $17,000 hammers and $20,000 toilet seats and, you know what I’m saying, like we’re going to find that,” explained Keltie about the state’s financial situation.

Keltie also explains that among her frustrations are the roadblocks that she feels conservatives like herself face in committee meetings and during group votes, as she feels there is no convincing her counterparts, who appear to already have their minds made up on any given matter.

“Unless it falls along their agenda or doesn’t mess with their agenda, they’ll consider it. But I mean, the bills that we put up, they steamroll right over them,” claimed Keltie. “I mean, it doesn’t matter like they, they will kill whatever they’re told and it doesn’t matter,” she added.

During the legislative session, Keltie was a prime sponsor of five bills within the House, all of which were postponed indefinitely within their respective committees.

Meanwhile, State Sen. Marc Snyder (D), a former three-time state representative for Manitou Springs, who prides himself on bridging the aisle in the Capitol, tells KRDO13 he doesn’t believe this is the language the Capitol, nor the public, needs.

“There’s absolutely no redeeming qualities to that approach. And I’m really ashamed for Representative Keltie,” Snyder stated.

He added that those quotes could be dangerous for the wrong people to take out of context.

“There’s a lot of there’s a lot of extreme people out there. Maybe people [who] have mental issues and they may that may inspire them to do something harmful,” Snyder said.

KRDO13 had been in contact with Representative Keltie since early Wednesday afternoon while asking to speak on camera with her. She explained that she was in the thick of multiple rounds of voting within the House chambers, but that she did want to answer our questions, but did not have the time to.

On Thursday morning, as we continued to offer her time to speak with us, she instead offered this statement by text:

“I came to the Capitol to tell the truth, fight for transparency, and protect the people of this state. I will not apologize for using strong words to describe the dysfunction I have witnessed firsthand. I will always choose honesty over political speak, no matter how uncomfortable that may be.”

-Rep. Rebecca Keltie

On Friday morning, after another offer to schedule a time to speak with her on camera, Representative Keltie offered a lengthier statement by text, once again addressing her comments, but also referring to another article that was published earlier this week about her.

“The article that Maulbech wrote was ok. Except I said “we will rise from the ashes like a phoenix. And by We I meant all Conservatives. Not just Republicans. Especially those that care about where their money is going and being wasted. I stand by my statement I sent. Along with that I was disappointed in the clickbait style headline. I will not apologize for telling the truth. There are around a dozen Democrats I do work with.

As for Sen. Snyder, maybe the people of Colorado and his district need to look at the bills he has sponsored, voted on and voted for. Especially the fiscal notes. I believe they will be very shocked and disappointed.

I believe the Committee meetings we sit on should also be video recorded along with audio and posted for public viewing like the Colorado Channel is on YouTube for the Floor debates so the people of Colorado can get a real look at what’s really happening from the real inside of these horrific bills and behaviors happening. Then they will understand fully. Transparency is a must.”

The 2025 Legislative Session came to an end on Wednesday, and Keltie says she is now back to her regular day job.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s been six months since three people were indicted after allegedly staging a hate crime to help a Black Colorado Springs candidate, Mayor Yemi Mobolade, win an election.

On Friday, a judge denied a motion to dismiss, signalling that the case will move forward and ultimately be heard by a jury.

In April 2023, just before the Colorado Springs mayoral election, video of a burning cross in front of then-candidate Yemi Mobolade’s campaign sign was sent to media outlets. The sign had also been painted with the “n-word.”

The event was thought to be a racially motivated attack on Mobolade, who was a Black candidate running against a white opponent.

According to court records, investigators believe Derrick Bernard Jr., Ashley Blackcloud, and Deanna West staged the cross burning to invigorate sympathetic voters and swing the election in Mobolade’s favor.

Court records also show that Bernard communicated with Mobolade prior to the alleged hoax, though the now-mayor has vehemently denied any knowledge or involvement in the plans.

In February, Bernard and Blackcloud filed motions to dismiss on the grounds of First Amendment violations. Both of the defendants argued that there was never a “true threat,” and their staging is protected political speech.

A judge has denied both motions, believing that a jury could find there was a “true threat.”

Mayor Mobolade will testify in Bernard’s case on May 19 and May 20.

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Celeste Springer

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The Teller County Sheriff’s Office has announced several locations where residents can drop off bags of leaves, pine needles, and pine cones.

Officials hope that the effort can help prevent wildfires, as the material can easily sustain fires.

According to the agency, the drop offs are for pine needles, pine cones, and leaves only; no branches or trash. They say drop-offs must be during designated hours, and they are on a first come, first served basis.

Here are the location details:

Northeast Teller County Fire

1010 Evergreen Heights Drive, Woodland Park

May 12-18, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Four Mile Fire

8437 CR 11, Florissant

May 17-23, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Florissant Fire

2606 Hwy 24, Florissant

May 19-22, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Divide Fire

103 County Road 51, Divide

May 19-22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mountain Communities Fire

869 Appleby Drive, Turkey Rock

May 30-June 1, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lake George Fire

8851 County Road 90, Lake George

May 31 to June 1, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) says they’ve been alerted of at least 16 dangerous instances involving a TikTok challenge.

CSFD says students in the Pikes Peak region have been encouraged through social media to manipulate the hardware on their computers, causing them to overheat. They say it causes the computer to spark, smoke, or catch on fire, emitting toxic fumes.

The fire department says students are attempting this at school. Some have been referred to the CSFD Youth Firesetter Intervention Program.

“What we’ve seen are just minor cases and incidents, but we know that [there is] … the potential for further damage and harm from fires, whether it’s in a school setting or specifically in a home,” Daiko Abe with Colorado Springs Fire said.

Incidents tied to the social media trend have also been reported across the state. The Boulder Valley School District shared photos of one damaged laptop. They say there have been six reported incidents in their district so far.

Source: Boulder Valley School District

For now, CSFD says the incidents have been “relatively minor,” though they say the challenge poses serious risks, including fire, battery explosions, and toxic fume release. Lithium-ion battery fires are particularly difficult to put out, they said.

“The smoke causes potential inhalation harm … with the toxic fumes,” Abe said. “That’s one of our concerns as well, is not just the fire issue, but also just the health issues from the smoke.”

The Colorado Springs Police Department said in part that juveniles who participated in this challenge could face criminal charges of arson and criminal mischief. They did not confirm if any person had been charged in relation to the trend.

“CSPD has been made aware of a dangerous TikTok trend that encourages students to insert paper clips or pencil lead into Chromebooks and electrical outlets. This behavior is extremely hazardous and may result in serious injury, damage to school property, and disciplinary consequences. Additionally, students who engage in such actions could face criminal charges, including arson and/or criminal mischief, depending on the severity of the incident. CSPD strongly urges all parents to speak with their children about the risks involved and to discourage participation in these types of social media challenges. Safety remains our top priority, and we appreciate your partnership in helping to keep our school community safe.” – Ira Cronin, Public Relations Manager, CSPD

Source: Boulder Valley School District

Academy District 20 did not confirm if any of the 16 incidents happened in their district:

“Academy District 20 is aware of a troubling social media trend, commonly referred to as the “Chromebook Challenge.” We are supporting our principals in communicating with families and students to prevent future incidents. Consistent with our District handbooks and processes, ASD20 staff also consistently work to monitor device use and educate students about the consequences of any destructive behavior. Safety is our top priority. We are committed to meeting this priority and will continue to partner with families on reinforcing the importance of respectful, responsible behavior—both online and at school.” – Academy District 20 spokesperson

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Six years after KRDO13 learned of it and began reporting on it, crews have finished repairs to a half-mile-long drainage ditch that had deteriorated and contributed to local flooding for decades.

A month ago, workers completed a five-month project to replace the concrete liner in the ditch that parallels Highway 87 and railroad tracks between Fontaine Boulevard and Grinnell Street.

The end of construction comes as a huge relief to homeowners and merchants along the ditch’s east bank on Widefield Boulevard who had lived with the threat of damage from flooding and erosion.

“When (workers) were actually doing (the project), it was shaking our house too much,” said Orion Gonzales. “And now, it’s perfect.”

Wilma Thompson said that she loves the new ditch — although her two dogs don’t.

“They keep barking at it,” she said. “And now, for the first time in a while, I don’t have to pay for flood insurance. I was watching the ditch during all the rain and snow we had this week, but there wasn’t much of a flow. Let’s see what happens after heavy rainstorms. But it’s definitely better than it was.”

El Paso County paid $2.5 million to replace the concrete liner; however, the end of the project doesn’t resolve another continuing issue.

“The county still does not own it,” said Joshua Palmer, head engineer for the county. “We will not be maintaining it. It may be unclear who actually owns it, but what is clear is that the county does not own it. Practically and even legally, there’s a liability for the county to accept ownership or maintenance of stuff that we do not own.”

As KRDO 13 reported in the summer of 2022, the county reached an agreement with the Security Sanitation District (formerly Security Water) and Fountain Valley Investment Partners; the agreement lists the partners as the owners of the ditch and is believed to be the original developers of Security-Widefield.

The ditch — according to the agreement — was built in 1961, and Security Water acquired a drainage easement that was transferred to the county in 1972; apparently there are no records to indicate who built the ditch, and when.

Palmer said that the ditch was originally built for irrigation and doesn’t have the capacity to serve as a drainage ditch, especially given how the area has grown and generated more drainage.

“The county is working on a condition assessment for the entire county,” he explained. “We have an upcoming stormwater master plan they’re going to be working on. Some of the outcomes of those two studies are going to be identified needs in the Security area. We already have some needs identified.”

Palmer said that by addressing drainage needs elsewhere, the county might be able to reduce the amount of drainage in the ditch. However, the assessment is only in its early stages and likely won’t be finished anytime soon.

“That’s at least a couple of years worth of work,” he said.

The ditch immediately north of Fontaine is deteriorating as badly as the section south of Fontaine was, and neighbors may wonder why similar repairs aren’t happening there.

“We have limited funding,” Palmer said. “As it is, we’re using ARPA (federal pandemic recovery money) to pay for this project.”

An apparent lack of maintenance contributed to the ditch’s deterioration, and he said that how often the repaired ditch needs maintenance work isn’t an immediate concern.

“There’s an immediate benefit — we fixed the problem,” Palmer said. “I think we’ve supported and really provided a benefit to the homeowners and the business owners in the area. Ideally, there would be some sort of resolution to who actually owns it and maybe who’s responsible for maintaining it in the future. But we don’t know.”

The ditch merges with another ditch and flows into Crews Gulch, which eventually drains into nearby Fountain Creek.

Whomever becomes responsible for ditch maintenance will also likely have to clean up a large amount of trash and debris in the gulch.

Lore Czpaza moved to the area from Germany at around the time the ditch was built, and spent time on Friday looking at the repair job.

“This is as close as I’ve been in a long time,” she said. “I used to clean trash out of it. I see a shopping cart in there now. That’s sad. But the money for the work was well-spent.”

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Josh Helmuth

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – If disaster were ever to strike, many students from Discovery High School would now able to to respond.

Students at the D-3 school have been training for weeks in emergency response. It all culminated this week during a realistic simulation of a train crash — all to become certified emergency responders.

The students are now trained in CPR, First Aid, Stop The Bleed and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). There’s a written test, along with the simulation and, once they pass, the students are eligible to volunteer and work within CERT in the future.

Is there something or someone remarkable at your school? Email Josh! SchoolBuzz@KRDO.com.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – You may have noticed a new sets of lights off the East side of i-25 near downtown the last couple of days. It’s the “Do Portugal Circus,” bringing a new attraction to the downtown area for the next couple of weeks starting Friday evening.

The circus said it’s the third time it’s come to downtown Colorado Springs. It will be here for the next three weekends, from May 9 through May 25. It will also host shows every weekday except Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

You can find a full schedule and ticket information here.

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Tyler Cunnington

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – As Catholics around the world are celebrating the election of the new pope, practitioners here in Colorado Springs are equally as excited about the new pontiff, especially because of where he comes from.

It was a momentous and surprising day for Catholics everywhere, as the Vatican’s 267th pontiff, Robert Prevost, now named Pope Leo XIV, was revealed to be American-born, hailing from Chicago.

Local catholics in attending the Noon mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in downtown Colorado Springs to celebrate the new Pope.

Inside, Father Thomas Pressley took a moment to welcome in the new era of Pope Leo the XIV. The announcement of his appointment came just 40 minutes before the service.

He cited the new Pope from his speech at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where, per translators, Pope Leo stated: “Evil will not prevail, because we are in God’s hands.”

“That’s a very encouraging movement to speak of, an emphasis, in his words, on peace, on unity, of course, asking for our prayers within the people.” said Father Thomas.

Parishioners telling KRDO13 that message resonated with them.

“The message that he conveys and the unity that he brings to the world, the peace. And that’s what we’re hoping.” said Eva Esquuibel, attending the mass at St. Mary’s on Thursday. “As an Augustinian, he’s a follower of Saint Augustine, so that’s a very hopeful message for all of us.” she said.

“To bring all Americans and all the world together, stop the war in Russia, Ukraine.” added Walt Lovato, another attendee of the mass.

The Colorado Springs Diocese says despite Pope Leo’s relatively younger age for the position, he brings a lot of experience.

“He was a missionary.  he was a pastor at heart.  he was a bishop.  but he is also a great administrator.” said Lucas Pollice, the Director of Evangelization and Discipleship within the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

For many years Pope Leo was a missionary and bishop in Peru, where he lived for many years. More recently he has lived in Rome, serving as a Prefect, working directly with Bishops and Cardinals, which is one reason Pollice believes that Leo may have had the votes favor him for selection.

As for the name Leo, Pollice says that the name follows the previous Leo the XIII, who ushered the Church ‘into modernity’ from the 19th century to the 20th century. He says that Leo will likely stick to that theme of being a bridge builder, and spreading the church’s messaging to a new generation.

He also believes that Leo XIV will carry more of a centrist position as Pope, compared to his predecessor, Pope Francis, many of whom considered to be more progressive thinking.

“There’s things that he agreed with with Francis, or some things he didn’t agree with with Francis. So but, you know, when he came out, he talked about some great themes of Francis’s pontificate, which is [that] we’re a missionary church, the call to discipleship that God loves all people and that the church is supposed to go out and dialog.” explained Pollice.

Notably, Pollice says that Leo, despite being an American, left a strong message during his first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“When he when he made his announcement, he spoke in Italian, and he spoke in Latin, [he] also spoke in Spanish to his dioceses that he was bishop with in Peru, but I think he didn’t speak english, and I think that says something.” he stated.

For the speed at which Pope Leo was elected, which was on the fourth ballot over the course of two days, he explains that Pope Francis was elected on the fifth ballot, and Benedict the 16th was elected on the fourth ballot back in 2005.

As far as the Pope’s Chicago roots, many were enjoying the discussion over his sports fandom. The Pope’s brother clearing the air to a local news station that his brother is a dedicated White Sox fan, and not a Cubs fan as originally reported earlier.

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