Category: krdo-local-news

Michael Logerwell

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – On Saturday Morning, a little more than 30,000 Coloradans checked their Electronic Benefit Transfer account, or EBT, and were surprised to find their full November SNAP benefits deposited.

But even more Coloradans, specifically 560,000, found their SNAP accounts still empty. Colorado Governor Jared Polis says that shouldn’t be the case.

RELATED: About 5% of SNAP recipients get their full benefits in Colorado

“Nothing is preventing the Trump administration from fully funding SNAP benefits. They are simply choosing not to,” the governor said in a statement sent to KRDO13 on Sunday.

This past week has been a whirlwind for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. At the beginning of November, no SNAP funds were sent out to the millions of Americans who rely on the program to feed themselves and their households.

Then, two federal judges ruled that SNAP benefits needed to be paid out for November, despite the ongoing government shutdown. Shortly after that, the United States Supreme Court put a complete pause on the benefit reimbursement for November.

RELATED: USDA orders states to stop issuing full SNAP benefits and to ‘undo’ benefits sent for November

Most recently, national media outlets have reported that the USDA has gone as far as to ask states to undo the benefits that were sent out.

KRDO13 asked Governor Jared Polis about the most recent news and was provided with the following statement (article continues after):

“Nothing is preventing the Trump administration from fully funding SNAP benefits. They are simply choosing not to. Following court orders last week, the state worked diligently to provide full SNAP benefits. As a result, nearly 32,000 Coloradans received full support to put food on the table before the Administration asked the Supreme Court to halt all efforts to keep children and families fed. The state has not reversed those payments as they were allowed at the time. The state is moving to provide remaining eligible Coloradans SNAP payments in alignment with the updated guidance received today from USDA, which allows benefits of up to 65%. Those Coloradans who will get the reduced benefits should begin to see those payments over the next few days. The fastest way to clean up this mess would be for the federal government to drop its court appeals.”

-Governor Jared Polis (D)

The Colorado Department of Human Services further clarified what Colorado SNAP recipients can expect in the coming days.

“Based on this new, complex guidance, partial benefits will ‘reflect the 35 percent reduction of maximum allotments’ based on household size,” a CDHS spokesperson said. If you still have specific questions, CDHS provided a link to a calculator that can help individuals figure out exactly how much they are slated to receive under these new guidelines.

With the new guidelines from the federal government, CDHS says nearly 50,000 Colorado households will receive $16 or less.

“While this situation continues to evolve, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and its technical partners have resumed processing under this new directive and are taking steps to issue payments onto SNAP recipients’ Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards as rapidly as possible. If current guidance stays in place, these much needed partial SNAP funds will be available to more than 500,000 Coloradans this coming week.”

“CDHS continues to monitor both the shutdown and guidance from the federal government and will issue additional information as available to ensure Coloradans are up to date on any ongoing impacts to their benefits.”

-Colorado Department of Human Services Spokesperson

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – One of the biggest military communities in the country took to the streets of Colorado Springs to honor those who served our country with the In Their Honor Veterans’ Day Parade.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Organizers hope November’s Veterans’ Day Parade will be bigger and better than ever before

In the lead-up to this weekend’s festivities, you might’ve noticed a large swath of flags planted around the downtown area. If you took the time to count, you’d find specifically 1,111 flags planted. Not only is that a reference to Veterans’ Day itself, but it was a way for individuals to sponsor the parade.

     “The day they come home is one of the best days of our lives. We don’t want them to deploy, but it’s the experience of having a loved one come home that makes the sacrifice worth it. It makes the hard times worth it,” said Andrea Roberts, a military spouse who attended the parade.

The flags will continue to wave downtown through Veterans Day on Tuesday.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – This weekend is the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps’ formation in Philadelphia, PA, and here in Colorado Springs, current and former Marines are celebrating at the Marine Corps’ Ball at Polaris Hotel.

At the celebration, KRDO13 was presented with a prestigious award, the first-ever Harry Hoth community award.

The award is meant to highlight commitment to the Southern Colorado Military Community. Specifically, the award recognizes KRDO13’s Military Family reporting, the annual Toys for Tots toy drive (which is coming up soon!), and how every Friday, KRDO13 anchors wear red to recognize those who are actively deployed.

Accepting the award on behalf of KRDO13 was Chief Meteorologist Merry Matthews.

“KRDO has long been committed to honoring and supporting a military community. Living and working in southern Colorado means we are not just reporting on military life, we’re living alongside it. From Fort Carson to Peterson and Schriever. The stories of servicemembers and their families are woven into our fabric,” Matthews said during the acceptance speech.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – This weekend, Colorado College cemented its new leadership.

After a ceremony at Richard F. Celeste Theatre, Dr. Manya Whitaker is now officially Colorado College’s 15th President.

The ceremony comes months after the board of trustees unanimously elected Dr. Whitaker in June. Most recently, Dr. Whitaker served as CC’s interim president, but that was not her first time on campus.

Dr. Whitaker has spent 14 years working on the campus, located right outside downtown Colorado Springs. She worked as a professor, the chair of the Education Department, executive vice president of the college, and more.

Dr. Whitaker holds a doctorate in developmental psychology from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology from Dartmouth College.

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Marina Garcia

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Some Coloradans woke up Saturday morning to a full deposit of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, but quickly realized they were one of the “lucky ones,” as many of their friends received nothing, as uncertainty over the program grows amid the continuing government shutdown.

The main reason for confusion is a new ruling from the Supreme Court, which allows the Trump administration to pause SNAP benefits to states, overruling an earlier, lower court order to fund it.

Only about 32,000 recipients of the program received full benefits, leaving 568,000 Coloradans without payments after the Trump Administration asked for a temporary pause.

“I know we were told to expect some kind of partial and then to be told nothing…it really kind of is gashing all your hope,” says Amber Liles, SNAP recipient.

We spoke to a mother with six mouths to feed, and she tells us she was surprised to have received the deposit on her EBT card.

“Yesterday was the day I was supposed to get it. I woke up, it wasn’t there…and then this morning, something told me to look again, and I had my full amount,” says Cayla Asuega.

Cayla, among many others we spoke to, says they quickly went to the store to buy necessities out of fear that the funds may be withdrawn.

According to Governor Polis, the state still hasn’t received guidance about what to do next.

We will continue following this developing situation.

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Josh Helmuth

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A teacher at Atlas High School made sure that a remarkable number of seniors are registered to vote for the second straight year. 

The charter school is receiving the Eliza Pickrell Routt Award yet again. It’s an award given to schools that register at least 85 percent or more eligible senior students. At Atlas, 88 out of 89 eligible students were registered before Election Day this past Tuesday.

The teacher responsible? Jenna Wright. 

“When I was their age, no one checked to see if I was registered or helped me understand what was on the ballot,” she said. 

“That experience drive me to do better for my students.”

Routt was the first woman registered to vote in Colorado in 1893 and dedicated her life to equal rights and women’s suffrage. 

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

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A major road project that many people thought would never end is now just a few months from being finished.

Officials said that most of the 2-1/2 year, $70 million widening of 1.5 miles of South Academy Boulevard, between Interstate 25 and Milton E. Proby Parkway, should be completed by early January.

The project is the fourth and final phase of the MAMSIP (Military Access, Mobility, and Safety Improvements Projects), designed to increase traffic flow and safety in and around local military installations.

Brett Hartzell, project manager for the South Academy phase, stated that the traffic impacts should be resolved by early January, but final aspects of the project will continue through the winter.

“There is still some scour and bridge work that we plan to do,” he explained, referring to the pillars of the two bridges over Fountain Creek. “Winter is the best time for that because that’s when the creek flow is lowest. The work is similar to what we did early in the project, in late fall 2023 and winter 2024. We’re having to do more of that work than expected.”

Hartzell said that the bridges are approximately 50 years old and that the repair work should extend their use by another 25 to 30 years.

Drivers should expect to see continued occasional lane shifts and ramp closures as crews finish lane striping, constructing medians, and installing new street lights.

The completed project will make entering and exiting South Academy much easier from three major access points: I-25, Highway 85/87, and Bradley Road.

Perhaps the project’s largest impact was on the Stratmoor Valley neighborhood, on both sides of South Academy near I-25, with the only two ways in and out going through the construction zone.

Crews installed sound walls to reduce noise and built sidewalks in common areas along the walls.

“I’m excited, for sure,” said Andrew Piercy, a neighbor. “It’s been frustrating, for sure. You know, they had this exit closed one day, and then that one down there closed another day. And, you know, getting onto Academy going this way, was closed. It caused a lot of issues with me getting to work and all kinds of stuff.”

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Mackenzie Stafford

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – CNN reports that starting Friday, the Trump administration will reduce flights at 40 airports nationwide if the shutdown continues.

One of the airports included is the Denver International Airport (DIA). While the Colorado Springs Airport isn’t as busy as some of the other major hubs, travelers might not be able to catch their flight back. 

One Colorado Springs man, KRDO13 spoke with, is flying out to visit family Thursday night. He packed his patience as he heads to one of the major airports facing cuts.

“Well, I showed up early today for concerns of TSA, and of course, everyone flying out of Phoenix all the way back. But I’m even more concerned about getting back on a regular time,” shared Brad Griebenow.

Legally, if your airline cancels, they’re required to give you your money back. If you’re worried about that Thanksgiving trip, some airlines are even offering refunds if you choose not to fly. 

The looming cuts have also imposed a burden on travel agents who are now working to ensure their clients’ travel plans are in order.

El Paso County native Donna Evanoika has traveled the world. She’s gone everywhere from Africa to Paris. Now it’s her mission to help others see the sights. But as the shutdown continues, air traffic controllers aren’t getting paid. Evanoika empathizes with the federal workers, understanding how tired they must be, and yet they still show up.

To keep travel safe, the FAA is scaling back flights by 10%. And Donna’s making sure her clients still make their trip a reality despite looming delays and cancellations. 

“Our agent is going to be constantly monitoring these changes as we are as an office, through this, government shutdown, it’s not only affected that it’s affected the workers in the airport. We are also doing TSA and state fingerprints here, and the domino effect is hitting us now, a month later, because people aren’t going to work,” explained Donna Evanoika.

Evanoika is the president of Travel Leaders Colorado Springs. She tells KRDO13 they have made a file with all their clients’ upcoming flights and are tracking the delays and cancellations. Evanoika says since the moment they heard the news of the FAA scaling back, they immediately started preparing and looking for backup flights for their clients, so they can help to find them a new flight the moment they learn of a cancellation or delay. She says she’s grateful the FAA is keeping safety the number one priority. Evanoika said they’ve already had to move some trips around, including flights for a wedding this weekend.

“10% is still a lot. And it’s not Thanksgiving yet. However, it’s going to still affect a lot of people who are traveling. Delays, cancellations, long layovers, and unexpected overnights,” said Evanoika.

At Travel Leaders, Evanoika said they’re there to help travelers navigate these disruptions. She says they will help to monitor flights, handle problems before you know they’re there, and connect with their contacts to fix issues as soon as possible. She says they also provide on-trip coverage to help protect clients if they run into problems while on their vacation.

“Americans work really hard to get their vacations. And the last thing that you want to do, spend your vacation worrying, okay, that’s what we do. Believe me, we know how. We don’t worry. We just take action. So you don’t worry so that you can have a good trip,” shared Evanoika.

She recommends being prepared for the unexpected. Some tips Evanoika provided are to bring extra medication, tissues, chargers, and batteries in case you have an unexpected overnight delay or need to extend your trip due to a cancellation.

The Colorado Springs Airport sent KRDO13 the following statement regarding the 10% reduction in air traffic:

Colorado Springs Airport is aware of the FAA’s recent announcement regarding a planned 10% reduction in air traffic across the 40 U.S. Department of Transportation’s identified airports. We are actively monitoring the situation for changes within the national airport system. Once more information is released, we will assess any potential impact to our flight schedules. We advise that travelers should check directly with their airline for the most up-to-date information. Additionally, we recommend allowing extra time at the airport ahead of any scheduled flights.

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Rob Namnoum

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Classical Academy receives the Qdoba Friday Night Blitz Spirit Award plaque on Wednesday afternoon. TCA won the Qdoba Friday Night Blitz Spirit Award for two of the high school football seasons.

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