Category: krdo-local-news

Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – After 27 years, a Southern Colorado non-profit organization aimed at helping families through the tragedy of losing a loved one is closing its doors for good.

The final send-off for Mothers of Murdered Youth (MOMY) was a backyard barbeque that turned into a tearful goodbye.

“It’s just time to know when to quit. And unfortunately, this is the time for. So I’m so sorry to I’m sorry. I feel like I’m letting them down,” Jennifer Romero founded Mothers of Murdered Youth after her 13-year-old son, Geno, was killed in a drive-by shooting. Romero told KRDO13 she wanted to become the person she wished she had during the tough times after her son’s death.

“It still really needed that we have somebody out there that supports the victims not only through the court process like the victim’s advocate that’s taken care of, but when when the funeral’s over, that’s when it all begins, because all of the feelings and everything starts hitting you,” Romero said teary eyed.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mothers of Murdered Youth to close down nonprofit

Leaders of MOMY previously told KRDO13 that the cost of running the non-profit became too high, and they had to close down. While Saturday was a group said goodbye to MOMY, but they didn’t say goodbye to each other.

Romero encourages impacted families to find each other through online communities like Facebook, because while the pain of losing a loved one doesn’t go away, she says, communities—like the one that gathered on Saturday—will be the ones to keep you strong. 

Click here to follow the original article.

Karla Sosa

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO)- A person of interest in a homicide case in Teller County is now in ICE custody.

This week, the Denver ICE office posted on social media that ICE officers arrested 31-year-old Luis Sanchez-Chavez on April 23. According to ICE, he’s originally from Mexico and is in the country illegally.

Earlier this year, the Teller County Sheriff’s Office said they were looking for Sanchez-Chavez as a person of interest in connection with the death of Eduardo “Lalo” Castañeda. 

Two years his body was found along Highway 67 in Teller County. 

In February of this year, KRDO13 talked with his sister Maria Castañeda. She said her brother was an energetic person who liked to do a lot of things. Castañeda said her dad was the one who told her that an arrest had been made in connection with her brother’s death. 

This arrest also comes a week before Lalo would’ve celebrated his 24th birthday. Castañeda said her brother was robbed of his own future.

“He wanted to build a house and then put fish tanks on the wall. He had all these kinds of stuff. And he wanted his dogs in his house. He was a big animal person,” said Castañeda.

Castañeda said she hopes her family can now get answers to what happened to her younger brother.

“Just want to know what happened that night. We all like, just want to understand why it happened the way it happened,” said Castañeda.

KRDO13 reached out to ICE and the Teller County Sheriff’s Office to get more information on what will happen to Sanchez-Chavez, if he’ll be deported back to Mexico, or if he will be sent to Teller County and charged in connection with Castañeda’s death.

Neither organization met our deadline.

Click here to follow the original article.

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The second-annual Mini-Con returns to Pueblo Sunday morning to bring local authors, artists and cosplayers to a city without a brick-and-mortar comic book shop.

“We started this two years ago when all the comic book stores closed in pueblo. We have some pop ups, but nothing like what you see behind me,” Mini-Con organizer Doug Kenyon said while speaking at the Vault 35 comic shop in Colorado Springs.

The Mini-Con starts at 11 a.m. at the Sangre de Cristo arts center. It’s free for everyone to attend.

“Tell me why you like drawing comic book art?” KRDO13’s Bradley Davis asked local artist, Bishop Russ.

“Well, it’s the only thing I know how to do. I don’t think I could do anything other than make art,” Russ said.

Every featured guest has roots in Colorado, including Star Trek star Randy James, Dragon Ball Z english voice actor Mark “Kidwok” Britten and the wife of legendary sci-fi artist Colin Cantwell with his original sketches of the Death Star, Tie Fighter, Millennium Falcon and more.

The event is a precursor to national Free Comic Book Day on May 4. Vault 35 will have three actors from the Orville TV series and free comics to give away along with other local artists and vendors.

Click here to follow the original article.

Celeste Springer

UPDATE: KRDO13 is excited to announce Abigail Young as our first Colorado Springs Idol! You can watch the full special above.

The Pikes Peak region is a vibrant home for talented musicians, but who can come up on top? KRDO13 is partnering with Colorado Springs’ School of Rock for our special, “Colorado Springs Idol!” Viewers have a chance to vote once a day on their favorite up-and-coming artist. But don’t forget to tune into their live performances at Sunshine Studios on Monday, April 28 at 8 p.m. on KRDO13. You can also stream live here. Voting closes that evening at 8:45 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Our special follows a 2-hour American Idol episode kicking off at 6 p.m.

/**/

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — The threat of severe erosion along Fountain Creek led officials to close a section of a neighborhood street five years ago; now, neighbors wonder if the expected completion of a $6.2 million mitigation project will lead to the street’s reopening soon.

The Fountain Creek Watershed District (FCWD) has overseen the project that began last fall, to address the erosion that forced the closure of Southmoor Drive in April 2020.

Crews have smoothed out a bend in the creek below the street that caught the force of high-velocity flows, and reduced the sharp angle of slopes on the west side of it.

“It is a city responsibility to maintain the road,” said Alli Schuch, FCWD’s executive director. “And we’re super-thrilled to have partnered with them on this project. Once we are done and out of here in terms of the creek restoration project, the city can then come in and look at the next steps for the road.”

On Thursday morning, Todd Evans, Fountains deputy city manager, said that Southmoor Drive will remain closed for the near future.

“We want to give (the creek restoration) a few rainy seasons and see how it holds up,” he explained. “Sometimes, those projects work and sometimes they fail. We don’t want to waste money restoring the street if that project doesn’t work.”

Some neighbors said that they’re thrilled by the progress of the creek restoration.

“With the erosion, hoses and people were in danger,” said Laura Leedom, a bartender for American Legion Post 38, near the street closure. “And the fact that something’s being done is actually kind of nice. We’re glad that the Watershed project actually came in and took over, and did this for our community.”

Brett Taylor, who owns a motorcycle repair shop and painting business on Southmoor near the closure, is especially pleased.

The Road Warrior reported in February 2024 that the business building was only a few feet from collapsing down an eroded slope and into the creek.

“They’re doing an excellent job,” Taylor said. “I’m more than pleased that they saved my building. I’m a little disappointed they didn’t give me land back. But if it saved my building, we can deal with that later.”

He’s exploring the possibility of installing a retaining wall halfway down the slope — where his property line now is — to prevent future erosion.

Other neighbors have asked who will be responsible for maintaining the creek restoration after the project ends; Schuch said that the FCWD will continue to monitor the area for three years after the project’s completion.

“After that, we’ll have to find other funding sources,” she said.

To make driving around the street closure easier and safer, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) installed a new traffic signal and lane configuration at the intersection of Highway 85/87 and Carson Boulevard.

Click here to follow the original article.

Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A high school downtown is moving forward with the first steps of major renovations. Palmer High School is set to begin construction in June 2025 on phase 1A of the renovations, according to a Colorado Springs School District 11 spokesperson.

But some historians and neighbors are keeping an eye on the next steps of the plans that could remove some nationally recognized historic places.

Three homes along East Saint Vrain Street are the start of the Weber-Wasatch historic district. The district stretches up to Del Norte Street, but the Historic Uptown neighborhood group worries that if District 11 moves forward with these plans, it would destroy the homes that have stood in the same spot for decades. 

“I’ve driven through this neighborhood multiple times. But it wasn’t until I got out and started walking and started actually looking at these buildings that it started to sink in, which is why I’m an advocate for pedestrian walking tours,” explained Tim Scanlon.

Tim Scanlon is a local historian whose eye was caught by the intricacies of each historic home. Scanlon later became a walking tour guide of the Weber Street Wahsatch Avenue National Register Historic District.

“You don’t preserve things simply because they’re old. Then you’d preserve rocks. You preserve buildings because they have significance. It can be historic or it can be architectural. In this instance, it’s both,” explained Scanlon.

The historian pointed to Victorian details adorning the homes’ half cove and diamond-shaped shingles, decorated chimneys, plus the rich history. 

“That building (430 N. Weber) is associated with the Cripple Creek mining boom. It also has a variety of shingles that help to distinguish the building,” shared Scanlon.

Scanlon also explained how the home located on 219 E St. Vrain St. is where he started the walking tour.

“This building right behind me was number one on the tour. It was the Frank Johnson house built by the man who was working for Newton Lumber Company. Eventually, became president between 1905 and 1915, Newton Lumber Company, not only sold lumber, but they also built many homes and apartment buildings. Several of Frank’s apartment buildings are located in the Boulder Crescent District. So, that’s the historic bid on this building,” explained Scanlon.

Scanlon explained how, when it comes to preserving a historic building, moving the building is the last case scenario.

“When you move a building from its location, it loses its historic significance,” said Scanlon.

The school district says they’re only moving forward with the first phase at this point and will have many opportunities for community feedback in the years to come.

Colorado Springs School District 11 sent this statement about the potential removal of the homes.

“No final decisions have been made regarding the removal of the homes adjacent to Palmer High School. Their inclusion in the current master plan is entirely conceptual and would require acquisition by the district, which has not occurred. These properties are not included in Phase 1A of construction. We are committed to ongoing, transparent conversations with neighbors, historians, and the wider community before any next steps are determined.

To clarify:

The master plan is not finalized. It is a draft meant to guide discussion, and we expect changes as we continue to engage with the community.

No immediate action is planned regarding these homes. They are not part of Phase 1A, which will begin in June 2025 and continue through spring 2028. There are several years ahead for conversation and collaboration.

We are aware of the historic significance. Just as we are preserving and revitalizing key historic elements of Palmer’s main campus, we take these properties’ history seriously.

Ongoing engagement: We will continue to involve neighbors, historians, and community groups at every stage before any decisions are made.

We appreciate the community’s passion for preserving our shared history and remain committed to transparency and open dialogue as planning progresses.”

-Jessica Wise, Colorado Springs School District 11

Phase 1A, Colorado Springs School District 11, RTA Architects

Phase 1B, Colorado Springs School District 11, RTA Architects

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — We often hear of highways being built, repaired or repaved but we hear less often about efforts to keep highways clean and free of debris.

This week, however, we can see cleaning operations along seven miles of I-25 in Pueblo, with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) crews using a street-sweeping machine between the Eagleridge Boulevard and Pueblo Boulevard interchanges.

The first night of the three-night operation started at 7 a.m. Tuesday and ended at 3 a.m. Wednesday; cleaning continues overnight Wednesday and Thursday.

Overnight Tuesday, crews began on the south end of town at the Pueblo Boulevard interchange and proceeded north to the Eagleridge Boulevard interchange.

The first night focused on cleaning the shoulders along the medians; crews will switch to the right shoulders and the on-off ramps during the next two nights.

But James Buford, a maintenance supervisor, said that the crew covered only three miles the first night.

“We did have a mechanical breakdown with the broom at around 1 or 2 a.m.,” he explained. “So, we had to stop our sweeping operation and do some repairs to the broom. But we will continue northbound and then finish southbound. It depends on how much debris there is. I think we were only able to go about 30 minutes before our (sweeper) got full. We had to go to the offsite location and dump the the sand and whatever other material you is getting picked up.”

There’s usually a lot — and that’s just in Pueblo.

“This area encompasses Canyon City, Penrose, Florence, Westcliffe, Pueblo, Pueblo West and Cotopaxi,” Buford said. “Last night, we collected about 32 tons of material over those three miles.”

The sweepers vacuum dust and small pieces of debris, and spray water to scrub the pavement with a circular brush under the vehicle.

“I would say just a combination of grass, weeds, trash, some salts and just road debris, tire rubber,” Buford said. “Just a combination of many, many things. A lot of times we have items fall off of vehicles, and break apart. “So, it could be whatever they’re hauling. All of the homeless trash doesn’t help.”

Sweeping work normally occurs at night when less traffic increases safety for crews; CDOT has only one sweeper for a five-member crew, and that crew also has other duties and isn’t dedicated solely to debris removal.

“Our sweeping operation is generally pretty in-depth,” Buford said.

Rain can be helpful by washing away salt, sand and dirt; but it can also contribute to clogged drains and piles of debris.

Click here to follow the original article.