Category: krdo-local-news

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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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Chief Marketing Officer for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) confirmed to 13 Investigates that earlier this year, another state expressed interest in having the PRCA and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame relocate.

PRCA says Cheyenne LEADS, the economic development organization focused on bringing business to Cheyenne, reached out to express interest in having the PRCA and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame relocate to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

They said at this point, this is only an exploratory conversation. PRCA tells 13 Investigates that if a relocation were ever to move forward, it would be a minimum of three years away. They say nothing has been decided, and this remains far from certain.

The Cheyenne LEADS organization touts a low cost of doing business, pointing to tax advantages in the state. For tax incentives, Cheyenne LEADS explains that there is no state corporate income tax, no individual income tax, no inventory tax, no sales tax on manufacturing equipment, no sales tax on electricity and gas used in the manufacturing process, no state or local gross receipts tax, low sales tax (4% state + 2% county) and low property taxes.

We reached out to the City of Colorado Springs to see if they would do anything to incentivize the PRCA and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. They tell 13 Investigates they do not have an answer for us today.

For more than 40 years, rodeo history has been put on display at the hall of fame. 

“Everyone knows the ProRodeo Hall of Fame is in Colorado Springs, Colorado,” shared Marlene McRae, “I lived there 50 years. So that’s all I’ve ever known.”

Marlene McRae grew up in Ordway, Colorado.

“I lived 50 miles from Colorado Springs, so that was our main city to to shop in,” said McRae.

She loved visiting the museum and eventually became a part of its history herself as a barrel racer.

“We’d go whenever some one of my friends would be being inducted. I would try to go to the induction and support them. My parents supported the ProRodeo Hall of Fame financially. And then it was nice when I finally got to be inducted into the hall of fame,” explained McRae.

But now she’s confused by the idea of moving to Cheyenne. 

“I would personally hate to see it move. I hate to say. I would hate to see it move to Cheyenne. I don’t think that’s a healthy move if it needs to move. I would hope it would move to somewhere like the stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas,” shared McRae.

She says she gets that there could be a financial incentive and ultimately wants to see the museum stay open. PCRA tells 13 Investigates Colorado’s overall costs aren’t conducive to their business. But Marlene says it comes down to the history inspiring generations to come. 

“I think there’s a lot of memories there that, that you want to keep going. So generation to generation. Hey, let’s go to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Where’s that? We’ll Colorado Springs, of course. It’s always been there, you know? So, moving it to Cheyenne again. It’s just who knows how much the PRCA would benefit from that,” said McRae.

The next generation tells KRDO13 they have been inspired by the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

We spoke with the captain of the Pikes Peak Rangerettes, a women’s horse-riding group based in Colorado Springs, who told us how much her organization’s connection to the hall of fame meant to her. 

“We as Rangerettes have been inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. We have an exhibit that is combined with the Pikes Peak Range Riders. And it is very exciting. And I love the history that the ProRodeo Hall of Fame has. And seeing all the inductees and how they got there,” shared Hailey Herman, 2026 Captain of the Pikes Peak Rangerettes.

It’s worth noting that the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo would continue in Colorado Springs until at least 2031. 

The NFR Open also released this statement:

The NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo is set forJuly 14-18, 2026, and will take place at the Norris Penrose Event Center. This will be the85th Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo and the fifth year of a 10-year contract with the PRCA as thehome to the Open.

“We have a strong partnership with the PRCA and look forward to welcoming ourcontestants, regional and national sponsors, and rodeo committees who enjoy traveling to theSprings for this event each year. They will be standing alongside us, our friends & family,neighbors, and local sponsors who have long supported this Rodeo. It makes us proud tohear that we’re the ideal location for the Circuit Finals,” said Pikes Peak or Bust RodeoPresident Laurie Carroll.

The NFR Open is the most prestigious rodeo under the PRCA circuit system and will bring216 of the top cowboys and cowgirls in the world to compete at the Norris Penrose EventCenter. It is also one of the highest paying regular season rodeos in the PRCA and a keystop to propel contestants to the National Finals Rodeo.

Carroll also noted, “We are excited to continue to grow this event each year and celebratingour 85th Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo is an incredible milestone for us. That history and legacyspeaks to our western heritage and our commitment to giving back to our local military andtheir families, something this Rodeo has done since 1946. Watching the Rodeo in person atNorris Penrose is like no other professional sporting event. Come join us!”

Tickets for the NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo go on sale online atPikesPeakorBust.org February 3, 2026.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity (PPHFH) is raising money to build its seventh new veteran home through its annual gingerbread house decorating competition.

PPHFH sends participants a gingerbread kit with a pre-built house and all the decorations they need to make their house stand out. Each participant gets their own fundraising page that they can send out on all their social media platforms. People pay to vote for each house.

PPHFH said its goal is to raise $40,000 through this fundraiser. You can find more information on how you can get involved here.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) confirms a car crashed into the King Soopers off Uintah Street.

The call came in around 4:11 p.m. Tuesday, police say.

The CSPD states that the driver entered the parking lot, then made a right turn and drove eastbound towards the building, accelerating to a high speed and subsequently driving into the building.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) confirms that six individuals, including the driver, were transferred to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Police say the crash appears to be a “complete accident” and that the suspect was fully cooperative with law enforcement.

The CSFD had to cut off the vehicle’s roof to remove it from the store.

(Source: CSFD)

Firefighters were also concerned that the batteries of the electric vehicle that crashed might explode and cause a fire.

Photos from inside the store indicate that the car nearly hit the checkout registers.

SOURCE: Shawn Williams

SOURCE: Shawn Williams

Statement from King Soopers:

We are saddened to hear of the unfortunate incident that occurred at our store located at 1750 W. Uintah St. We are cooperating with local authorities as they investigate the incident. The safety and well-being of our customers and associates remain our top priority and will continue to guide all our decisions. At this time the store is currently closed.

A man named Caleb was among the family members of people inside the store who gathered in the parking lot, wondering if their loved ones were hurt.

“Honestly, like, it’s just shook me, because it sounded like a bomb,” he recalled. “I wondered, like, what the heck is happening? People are screaming and stuff. I saw this one lady. She was crying, so I checked on her real quick. I checked her head, made sure she wasn’t bleeding, because she asked me to.”

The store remained closed on Wednesday morning, and an employee told KRDO 13 that it won’t reopen until Thursday, pending official confirmation from corporate officials.

The hole in the store’s wall has been partially boarded up, and a private security guard is on duty at the entrance.

Many customers arriving on Wednesday morning were surprised and frustrated by the closing.

“I came here for a flu shot,” said Debbie Truax. “I made the appointment this morning. I didn’t think it would be closed, because they follow through on what they say. So, now I’ve got to find another one because I’m going on vacation tomorrow.”

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO (KRDO) – Coloradans passed Propositions LL and MM, which will support the continuation of free school meals, according to Colorado Democrats.

“Colorado voters sent a clear message tonight: no child should ever have to learn on an empty stomach,” said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib.

Two tax initiatives were on your ballot on Tuesday about the state’s “Healthy School Meal for All” program. Here’s a quick breakdown:

“Yes” on MM: Voting for a tax increase on households making over $300,000 to continue the “Healthy School Meals for All” program.

“Yes” on LL: Voting that the state can keep over $12 million in excess revenue from the first Healthy School Meals for All tax proposition that passed in 2022.

When the Healthy School Meals for All program passed in 2022, it allocated just over $100 million in new tax revenues to provide school meals to children at no cost for families who opt in, rather than just families who qualify as low-income. The state underestimated the amount of revenue the new tax would generate and was now asking voters to approve Proposition LL, which allows it to retain the additional funds.

“With the federal uncertainty around federal food assistance, one place kids know that they’ll for sure have, a good meal, regardless of what happens in Washington, regardless of everything, what we can control is making sure that those kids know they’ll have a good meal at school,” Save the Children spokesperson Ana Bustamante said in a previous interview with KRDO13.

While the revenue exceeded expectations, so did the costs. The program was also supposed to raise wages for school workers and buy fresh ingredients from local Colorado farmers for the schools. Neither happened.

The state said the money came up short because more students opted in than expected, and inflation drove up food costs. It said the money partially covered the meal reimbursements, as well as administrative costs.

The new plan, MM, outlines the same goals as the old plan. But the proposition warns that the wage increases and local food purchases could be cut again if the money still comes up short after the tax increase. If there is any leftover money, the state said it will go to funding SNAP benefits.

The Colorado GOP opposed both propositions. On Facebook, the group said the program was “unsustainable from its inception.” It also referenced how the state would still fund free and reduced lunches for qualifying low-income students if both initiatives fail.

No individuals or households that make under $300,000 a year will see a change in their taxes. Out of affected taxpayers, those who make less than $500,000 a year would pay about $200 in taxes toward the program. Taxpayers who make over $1 million a year would pay around $1,500.

You can find the entire tax breakdown here.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — When the next round of the 2C expanded street paving program starts in the spring, residents along Kern Street hope to be included.

Homeowner Dave Cozad hopes it’s sooner rather than later.

Cozad contacted KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior this summer about extremely bumpy conditions on Kern, a block-long street that has around 30 homes, west of Wooten Road on the city’s east side.

He described the pavement as “like a rollercoaster” for the past 20 years.

“When these houses were put in, they used clay tile, sewer lines, and, over the years, with the heaving and buckling of the soil, the clay tiles became misaligned and caused clogged sewers,” Cozad explained.

“Most of the houses on the street, on both sides, have had to have their sewer lines replaced from the house to the tap. And that’s why we see all these patches in the pavement here.”

Cozad said that getting answers from officials about repairing the street has been difficult.

“I talked to (city) streets (division), probably,” he recalled. “It’s probably been close to ten years ago. They came out and looked at it and said This is really not a streets problem. It appears to be more of a utilities problem. So, I then contacted (Colorado Springs) Utilities, and they came out and looked at it, and said This is old, and it really isn’t a utilities problem.”

Cozad stated that Kern was included on the 2022 paving list, but the work didn’t occur.

“There have been crews come out and do measuring and markings and stuff, but nothing’s ever happened with it,” he said. “So, I really don’t know where we are on the list with it.”

Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) said that a crew was in the area in February to inspect a wastewater sewer line replacement, but that the utility didn’t perform the installation.

CSU also said that such an installation would require a city permit that meets city requirements.

Kern Street is not on the city’s paving list for 2026 or 2027, and The Road Warrior will ask the city for comment on the matter.

However, a city public works manager understands the frustration expressed by citizens who feel that they’re waiting too long to have their streets repaved.

“We do have the potential to, possibly, add streets or move streets again, depending on coordination,” said Corey Farkas, who oversees operations and maintenance. “But we do ask people to let us know. Call us. Let us know. We’ve got other alternatives”.

It’s worth mentioning that paving crews often prioritize streets that aren’t in the worst possible condition because they’ll last longer, while the worst streets often require a full reconstruction — which takes more time and money.

On Tuesday evening, Richard Mulledy, the city’s public works director, released the following statement:

“Currently, Kern Street is not on our immediate future 2C paving list. Thanks to our voters, the next version of 2C will touch approximately 40% of City roads identified through our data gathering as needing 2C treatment. While that is a staggering amount of work, it still leaves some roads off the list. Our 2C program uses data-informed decisions to prioritize our projects, making the most efficient use of taxpayer money to keep our roads smooth and safe. We also take resident input and visually inspect roads. This, like many other roads, is constantly analyzed for possible future maintenance options if it’s financially feasible.”

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Rob Namnoum

Top prep performances for the week of October 31st.

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