Category: krdo-local-news

Bart Bedsole

Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to food safety, as evidenced by health inspections on opposite ends of the spectrum for two popular Mexican food restaurants in El Paso County. 

LOW SCORES 

On July 24, a health inspector found 18 violations at the 3 Margaritas Family Mexican Restaurant in Widefield.

The violations include: 

No certified food protection manager on duty

There were several violations related to handwashing; one employee wiped their hands on an apron and put on new gloves without first washing their hands, a worker was also observed rinsing off their hands at a handwashing sink but not using soap, and one of the handwashing sinks was missing paper towels and was blocked by a kitchen rack 

The cheese grater, can opener, and ice machine had a buildup of food or soil 

Several items in the walk-in cooler were “covered in mold” according to the inspection report, including lemons, limes, oranges, and bell peppers

The manager, Jackie Gonzalez, was out when KRDO13 stopped by the restaurant. She later told us over the phone that none of the moldy foods would have actually been served.

In a statement later emailed to KRDO13, she added, “Recently, our focus has been stretched as we’ve been working tirelessly to open our new taqueria on Garden of the Gods—a project we have been paying rent on for quite some time but have not yet opened. While these efforts and management changes have taken much of our attention, this is no excuse. We take full responsibility and are actively working to correct every issue noted in the inspection. Steps are already underway, and we are scheduled for reinspection early next week. We remain committed to upholding the high standards that our guests have known and trusted for years.”

3 Margaritas also failed its re-inspection on August 6, but passed it’s third attempt on August 20.

OTHER FAILING SCORES: 

Waffle House – 755 W Fillmore St 

Itopit – 3151 N Chestnut St 

Jersey Mike’s Subs – 5855 Constitution Ave 

AI Sushi and Grill – 4655 Centennial Blvd 

HIGH SCORES

McDonald’s – 3021 W Colorado Ave  

McDonald’s – 510 N Murray 

Insomnia Cookies – 4239 N Nevada Ave  

Buffalo Wild Wings Go – 373 E Fillmore  

Smoothie Paradise – 750 Citadel Dr 

In-N-Out Burger – 1840 Democracy Pt (failed both July 22 and July 30)

The Famous Steak House – 31 N Tejon St 

Sabor A Mexico Restaurant and Bakery – 265 S Circle 

Although the location near Circle and Airport has been home to previous restaurants, Sabor A Mexico is relatively new, owned by Carlos Cabrera, who is very proud of his reviews so far. 

“We got 74 reviews, all five stars,” he points out. 

Cabrera believes what separates his restaurant from others is the authenticity and the care that goes into each dish. 

He showed KRDO13 the meat and birria that is cooked 14 hours in large pots before it’s served as quesabirria tacos. 

The tortillas are also made fresh, along with a large variety of pan dulce, pies, and other pastries sold individually from cases along one of the walls near the counter.

Cabrera says they are made the way his mother made them when he was a boy in Mexico. 

“This is real Mexican.  It’s not a fancy product.  It’s not even expensive.  It’s $1.75 apiece,” he explains. 

Carlos did add a brief warning for people coming down to check out the tacos, pupusas, or other entries… It’s not fast food… because quality dishes can take 20 minutes or more to properly prepare. 

Don’t forget to look for the KRDO13 Restaurant Roundup awards at your favorite restaurant to know the kitchen inside is clean. 

    Click here to see the full list of recent health inspections. 

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Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Foxtail Meadow Road is only a quarter of a mile long, but it’s a popular shortcut for drivers to and from a Walmart and other businesses in a shopping center.

The road is in poor condition, so the county will close the road for at least two weeks, starting Monday, for a $700,000 resurfacing project between Woodmen Road and Rolling Thunder Way.

In several places, lines of potholes and large cracks cover the entire width of the road.

Officially, the county describes the upcoming work as a full-depth reclamation and paving.

“It’s when they grind up the existing asphalt into the existing base below the asphalt,” said Dan Gerhard, a county public works engineer. “And what that does is it provides us with a stronger base than what was there. Sometimes with some of our older roads, there was just a thick layer of asphalt on just dirt.”

He explained that while county officials aren’t certain of the road’s age, they believe it has never been resurfaced.

“If we had a good base section, we could perform a mill and overlay operation. But sometimes, we either don’t have enough asphalt or we don’t have any base. So, the straight mill option just doesn’t get us a product that we’ll be happy with, that will last as long as we’re looking for.”

On Friday, a surveying crew arrived to begin marking locations of utility lines in advance of the project.

Gerhard said that the reclamation will be less expensive than standard milling (removing old pavement) and repaving, because crews won’t have to transport the millings off-site.

“It’s one of our most commonly used rehabilitation techniques here in the county, and we’ve seen incredible results utilizing it,” he said.

Crews will also improve the south end of the road at the signalized, three-way Rolling Thunder intersection.

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Celeste Springer

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — Are you a hunter or have an interest in wildlife herd management? Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) wants to hear from you.

CPW is holding a public meeting, seeking input on mule deer herd plans and population management.

The plans discussed apply to herds west of I-25. The area includes Chaffee, Park, Teller, Fremont, eastern Costilla, western Huerfano, Las Animas, Custer, Pueblo, and western El Paso Counties.

“The purpose of a herd management plan is to integrate the plans and intentions of Colorado Parks and Wildlife with the concerns and ideas of land management agencies and interested members of the public to determine how individual big game herds should be managed,” said Julie Stiver, SE Region Senior Wildlife Biologist, in a press release. “Public engagement, particularly from those with an interest in wildlife herd management and hunting, is critical to this process.”

Once in place, the management plan will be in place for the next decade.

The meeting is on Aug. 7, at 6 p.m. at Rawlings Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave., Pueblo.

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Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – July 30 marks the 5th anniversary of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museums’ (USOPM) opening.

To celebrate the anniversary, the museum welcomed guests with a discounted rate of $5.

“Today, we are celebrating our five-year anniversary. It’s been five years since the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum opened our doors to the public. So we’re just incredibly excited. Gratified. Pleased to be at this point, happy to have a great crowd come out to celebrate with us today, and looking forward to a great day,” said CEO of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, Marisa Wigglesworth.

The day was jam-packed with touch-a-truck, U.S. Boxing demonstrations, and meet-and-greets with Paralympic athletes.

It comes at a time when the museum’s attendance and revenue are declining.

When the museum was in the initial planning phases, it was expected to bring in 350,000 visitors through its doors each year. But, in 2024, the attraction fell short by more than 260 thousand. Now, as the museum marks its 5th anniversary, the CEO shared her plan to bring in visitors.

“In our strategic plan, we have a handful of things that we call our big rocks. What are we really focusing on to move the organization forward and expand our mission as fully as possible? Engaging as many people as possible. So a handful of those big rocks are about increasing attendance. At the same time, we really do want to elevate the museum so that we have our rightful place on the national stage,” explained Marisa Wigglesworth.

They’re hoping to grow after a steady decline in dollars over the past five years, from making nearly 15 million in 2021 to only 6 million in 2024. 

“We will be showcasing much more frequently updated artifacts and exhibit spaces as part of our ongoing operations,” said Wigglesworth.

With the Winter Olympics on the horizon, the museum hopes events leading up to the games will get the numbers closer to where they need to be. The USOPM tells KRDO13 they plan to have an event at the end of October to mark 100 days out from the Winter Olympics.

“We do want to be an asset for the folks who call Colorado Springs home. So we’ve also got programming that we hope appeals to people who wake up every morning here in Colorado Springs,” shared Wigglesworth.

So far this year, they’ve had nearly 45,00 visitors. 

Every other year, the city of Colorado Springs gives the museum half a million dollars from a tourism tax, called the Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax (LART), for the Hall of Fame event. Which, the museum says, brought in more than 5,000 guests in July.

Here are the numbers from the museum:

Attendance:

2021: 106,767

2022: 77,205

2023: 69,929

2024: 83,582

2025 (Jan. 1-July 13): 42,901

Revenues:

2021: $14,923,458

2022: $10,754,077

2023: $7,292,709

2024: $6,430,781

2025 (Jan. 1-June 30): $3,176,865

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Celeste Springer

MODESTO, Calif. (KRDO) — The FDA says some beverages in the U.S. are under a recall after cans labeled as Celsius energy drink may actually contain vodka seltzer instead.

According to the FDA, cans of High Noon seltzer may have been mislabeled as CELSIUS® ASTRO VIBE™.

“Consumption of the liquid in these cans will result in unintentional alcohol ingestion,” said the FDA, though no illnesses or “adverse events” have been reported thus far.

The cans, according to the FDA were shipped to Florida, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Below are the specifics of the recall:

Product Description 
Retail UPC
Lot Codes 

High Noon BeachVariety Packs 12-pack12 fluid ounce cansThese productshave silver lids
High Noon UPC:085000040065
L CCC 17JL25 14:00 toL CCC 17JL25 23:59 L CCC 18JL25 00:00 toL CCC 18JL25 03:00  Lot Codes are on theexterior of the 12-pack.(See pictures below)

CELSIUS ASTROVIBE Energy Drink, Sparkling Blue Razz Edition 12 fluid ounce cansThe affectedCELSIUS canswill have a silverlid, instead of ablack lid.
CELSIUS UPC8 89392 00134 1
L CCB02JL25 2:55 to L CCB02JL25 3:11 The lot codes arelasered on thebottom of the can.

People who have purchased these drinks can contact the manufacturer for a refund by emailing consumerrelations@highnoonvodka.com.

Photo: FDA

Photo: FDA

Photo: FDA

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Celeste Springer

CUSTER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — There is a confirmed tornado in Custer County, according to KRDO13 Chief Meteorologist Merry Mathews.

Photo: Ed Whitaker

It’s about a mile west of the airport, near the West Mountain Valley subdivision, the sheriff’s office said.

Photo: River W. Koch

The sheriff’s office says crews have checked the area for injuries and damage, and as of 3:50 p.m., no injuries have been reported, but there was damage to three power poles.

Sangre Electric is on scene, according to deputies.

This is a breaking news situation, and details are limited. This article may be updated.

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Sadie Buggle

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) – Shoppers in Fountain, start your engines – and your grocery lists!

King Soopers has officially opened the doors to its newest store in Fountain on Wednesday, July 30.

The new 122,000-square-foot location is at 6255 Sawcut Point, near the intersection of Mesa Ridge Parkway and Syracuse Street.

The store marks the 156th location for Denver-based King Soopers, a Kroger chain.

At times on Wednesday, the line of customers waiting to enter circled the building, and traffic was so heavy that it occasionally blocked the intersection of Mesa Ridge and Syracuse.

Tensions were short among drivers who were frustrated by the congestion.

“This is a terrible idea,” a driver shouted at a KRDO crew while stuck in traffic. “This all used to be open prairie. Now there’s development everywhere. I’m getting out of here!”

King Soopers representatives say that the full-service store will offer a variety of amenities, including a pharmacy with drive-up service, a fuel center, and a Starbucks.

The store, like many other King Soopers locations in the area, will also offer shoppers pickup options to make ordering groceries online even more convenient.

Courtesy: King Soopers

A ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening was held at 8:30 a.m.

Doors opened to the public immediately after the ceremony, and the celebration included free samples, giveaways throughout the store, and gift card raffles.

Parking was so hard to come by that many customers parked at the nearby Good 2 Go convenience store and walked to the grocery from there.

And more businesses are coming to the shopping development beside the new store: Whataburger, In-n-Out, and Ent Federal Credit Union will be among the tenants.

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Scott Harrison

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — Concern about traffic backups at two intersections along the congested Mesa Ridge Parkway (State Highway 16) corridor on the north side of town has led authorities to lower the 55 mph speed limit to improve safety.

Beginning Monday, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will permanently reduce the limit to 45 mph and decrease it to 35 mph at the intersection of Mesa Ridge and Syracuse Street, in front of Mesa Ridge High School.

During the past several months, viewers have contacted KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior about the crash risk from traffic backing up at the school as parents drop off and pick up kids, and about similar backups to the east at Fountain Mesa Road as drivers try to turn into the Lowe’s Home Improvement store.

Pepper Whittlef, CDOT program manager, said that the agency decided to change the speed limit after conducting a speed and crash study in the area earlier this year.

“We had 161 total crashes over five years,” she said. “Three of those were fatal crashes. Our top three accidents were rear-end, fixed-object, and sideswipes at the intersection of Syracuse and Colorado 16. 74 intersection-related crashes there.”

To help drivers adjust to the lowered speed limit, Fountain Police will conduct traffic enforcement in the area.

“We’ll also be installing, for the school year, some school speed flashers,” Whittlef explained. “That is for the times of the day when the high school and the middle school (James Madison Charter Academy) are releasing kids.”

She added that traffic to and from a new King Soopers grocery opening on Wednesday morning, on the south side of the Mesa Ridge/Syracuse intersection, is less of a concern because the developer paid for signal upgrades and street improvements there.

The lowered speed limit covers three miles of the parkway, between Interstate 25 and Powers Boulevard (State Highway 21).

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Mackenzie Stafford

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pueblo Police Department (PPD) confirmed to KRDO13 that they have arrested a man in connection with the shooting of a 13-year-old girl near the Pueblo Riverwalk.

Romello Hernandez was arrested on a warrant for Attempted 1st Degree Homicide, according to PPD.

KRDO13 obtained video of the arrest, which PPD confirmed was of Hernandez. That video is featured above.

Romello Hernandez (Photo: PPD)

PREVIOUS REPORTING: 13-year-old girl facing life-threatening injuries after shooting near Pueblo Riverwalk

According to the department, they were sent out just before 3 a.m. on July 14 because a teen was at the hospital after being shot.

As of our initial report, the girl was facing life-threatening injuries. Family said they had stopped for food before the 13-year-old went to a sleepover with friends when the shooting happened.

KRDO13 obtained an arrest affidavit pertaining to Hernandez’s arrest that details a gathering at the parking lot near the riverwalk. Detectives found many teens gathered there and were drinking alcohol.

Arrest documents from PPD include multiple witness interviews, all of which build a case against Hernandez. From interviews, detectives believe there was an argument that led up to the shooting.

The girl driving the car that the 13-year-old was in told police she looked down at her phone, heard a bang, and then there was a bullet hole through her windshield. She told them that when she turned around, she saw her friend slumped over in the back. She told detectives everyone had scattered. Police confirmed from surveillance video in the area that the cars in the lot drove away from the scene quickly after the shooting occurred.

In interviews, detectives did photo line-ups. They asked witnesses to pick the shooter, and they said in every case where someone could pinpoint a person, they all chose Hernandez. 

Hernandez is being held in the Pueblo County Jail and will be in court on Thursday.

Anyone with additional information on this case is encouraged to call Det. Jose Medina at 719-553-3296. Information can also be reported via Pueblo Crime Stoppers at 719-542-7867 (STOP) or online at http://pueblocrimestoppers.com.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – “The Homestead Collective” food hall in northern Colorado Springs announced the closure of over half its restaurants just two months after its grand opening.

The Homestead Collective released a statement announcing that the Garden of the Gods Cafe, Till Kitchen and Campfire Pizza located in the Briargate area, are all closed. That leaves Dad’s Donuts and Red Leaf Organic Coffee as the only open restaurants in the large space.

“The simple truth is, we didn’t see the community support we needed to sustain these restaurants,” The Homestead Collective said in a statement. “We’re deeply grateful to those of you who did show up, share kind words, and help build memories here.”

The statement sparked a strong reaction on social media from people who felt the food hall didn’t do enough to get the word out and closed before it could gain a footing.

“I think the lack of community support is just ignorance on the community’s part,” customer Brayden Fallentine told KRDO13. ” I don’t think a lot of people know what’s happening here, is the thing. They’d probably get more community support if more people knew about it.”

The building at 9633 Prominent Point has had a lot of turnover for Homestead Collective owner Mitchell Yellen in recent years. It was the location for Till Kitchen before 2020. He then turned it into North Side Social, an entertainment space with Pickleball, an arcade and food. After that closed, he opened The Pinery North, a private event space. Finally, Yellen launched “The Homestead Collective” food hall last May.

Fallentine said he came out a lot when it was the North Side Social. He said the constant turnover confused him.

“The name change threw me off,” Fallentine said. “I thought it was just a building being used by somebody, and we couldn’t even go in.”

Mitch Yellen said he expects Dad’s Donuts, Red Leaf Coffee and the private event space to stay open in The Homestead Collective until at least Spring 2026. The backyard space with seating and pickleball courts is also still open.

The downtown location of the Garden of the Gods Market and Cafe and Till Kitchen, as well as the other Dad’s Donuts locations, remain open.

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