KOAA Colorado Springs - Pueblo

Monday night Brandon Ridenour looked up the CrimeStoppers website while training a new guy on the staff, just like he does often. "It's not any kind of official training, protocol or anything like that it's just something that I like to do," says Ridenour. However, this time something was different. "It jumped right at me. I couldn't believe it. I was taken aback," exclaims Ridenour. "I pulled ... Full Story »

Call it "killer cold", temperatures below zero that drain you physically. When it comes to viruses that make you sick, however, they thrive in cold conditions. "They are just more adaptable to colder temperatures, "according to Dr. Bernadette Albanese who tracks infectious disease for the El Paso County Health Department. Viruses adapt, grow and spread when it is cold. In addition consider that ... Full Story »

Pueblo County Sheriff's investigators are probing a suspected homicide that happened early Thursday morning. Pueblo County Coroner James Kramer says the man suffered multiple, external injuries. The Sheriff's Office has identified the victim as 50-year-old Robert Piserchio. Deputies were called to the home in the 5400 block of Stonemoor Dr. at 1:30 am, as a result of a fire alarm. They ... Full Story »

A Christmas Carol: The Musical Fri. 7 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m. Village Seven Presbyterian Church (4050 Nonchalant Circle South) Colorado Springs 18/older: $10, 17/under: $5 Charles Dicken's beloved classic in a delightful musical setting LIVE on stage! ---------- A Guffaw Christmas Carol Fri. 7 p.m., Sat 11 a.m., Sun. 3 p.m. The MAT! (1367 Pecan St.) Manitou Springs $10 Scrooge is still cranky, the ... Full Story »

Meridian Road in El Paso County is still closed from Eggar Road to Garrett Road because of a gas line leak on Garrett Road. Colorado Springs Utilities has found a small leak, but believes the problem is more extensive. Crews continue to search for the source of the main leak. Detour signs have been set up. No homes in the area have been evacuated. You're asked to avoid the area. Permalink ... Full Story »

Now that temperatures are warming up a bit, the Pueblo Zoo has reopened, featuring its annual holiday light extravaganza - ElectriCritters. Visitors are surrounded by more than 250,000 twinkling lights and entertained by over 100 lighted critter figures, many of them animated. Two new animated animals this year are a snapping alligator and an additional box car on the Zoo Train-this one loaded ... Full Story »

A Cripple Creek Christmas Carol is performed nightly at the Thin Air Theatre Company through the end of the year. Based on the Dickens' classic, A Cripple Creek Christmas Carol has some local flavor thrown into it. Catch the play at the Butte Theater, 139 E. Bennett Avenue, Cripple Creek. For information on purchasing tickets, phone 719-689-3247.   Permalink | Comments Full Story »

The El Paso County Health Department is making it easier to get an H1N1 swine flu vaccination. It's sponsoring free clinics at The Citadel Mall, starting Monday. The clinics are a partnership between the Visiting Nurse Association and the Health Department. The location is in a vacant storefront on the second floor, next to JCPenney: · Mondays, 2 to 5 p.m. · Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon · Fridays ... Full Story »

Madison Elementary School in Colorado Springs District 11 will remain closed Friday because of broken water pipes. The school was closed Thursday. This is the second D-11 school in two days to close because of broken water pipes. Wednesday, Russell Middle School was closed. D-11 reports that 5 schools have been damaged because of the cold weather. The school board has requested a report on why ... Full Story »

The H1N1 swine flu vaccine clinic this Saturday at Centennial High School in Pueblo will be the last FREE CLINIC in Pueblo. After Saturday, people will have to go to their doctor's office, pharmacy or medical clinic to be immunized. Costs at those places are running $15-$20. * Saturday, December 12, Centennial High School, 2525 Mountview Drive, Pueblo, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Permalink | Comments Full Story »

Meridian Road in El Paso County is closed from Eggar Road to Garrett Road because of a gas line leak on Garrett Road. Colorado Springs Utilities is working to locate and repair the gas line. Detour signs have been set up. No homes in the area have been evacuated. You're asked to avoid the area. Permalink | Comments Full Story »

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be performed in Palmer Lake this weekend, at the Tri-lakes Center For the Arts. The play tells the story of an unruly pack of six siblings who go to church for the first time after being told they'd get free snacks. The kids are cast in the Christmas pageant, which transforms into an unconventional telling of the Christmas story. Phone 719.481.0475 for more ... Full Story »

Madison Elementary School in Colorado Springs District 11 is closed for the day because of broken water pipes. A decision will be made later as to whether the school will reopen tomorrow. This is the second D-11 school in two days to close because of broken water pipes. Yesterday, Russell Middle School was closed. D-11 reports that 5 schools have been damaged because of the cold weather. The ... Full Story »

Pueblo County Sheriff's investigators are probing a suspected homicide that happened early Thursday morning. Deputies were called to a home at 1:30 am, as a result of a fire alarm. They discovered a man's body when they arrived.  The house was full of smoke, but the structure was not seriously damaged. The investigation is in the preliminary stages right now.  The Colorado Bureau of ... Full Story »

A Colorado Springs municipal court jury has acquitted anti-tax activist Douglas Bruce of trespassing at a Costco store in August. The jury acquitted Bruce and fellow anti-tax activist Doug Stinehagen on Tuesday. The two had gone to Costco to gather signatures for a ballot proposal requiring the city to phase out funds it receives instead of taxes from city-owned enterprises. Voters approved the ... Full Story »

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and state legislative leaders say they will announce a job-training agenda for the upcoming legislative session that begins in January. Ritter said he will lay out his plan on Thursday for his program to help keep Colorado on the path to economic recovery. Ritter and Don Mares, executive director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, also are expected to ... Full Story »

The state health department has launched a pilot program to help people get rid of unwanted medication safely. Tamper-resistant disposal boxes are now available at several King Soopers stores on the Front Range and City Market stores in Breckenridge and Dillon. The health department says the disposal boxes will help keep unwanted drugs out of hands of children or drug abusers and out of the ... Full Story »

Pueblo County Sheriff's investigators are probing a suspected homicide that happened early Thursday morning. Deputies were called to a home at 1:30 am, as a result of a fire alarm. They discovered the body when they arrived. The investigation is in the preliminary stages right now. The home is on Stonemoor Dr., in the Stonemoor Hills neighborhood of Pueblo. Even though the home is within the ... Full Story »

Imagine losing your heat in the middle of this sub-zero cold? A family on the eastern plains braved, not only the cold, but strong winds without any heat in their home. They live in Elbert. That's about 25 miles northeast of Colorado Springs. The Crowell family wants their misery to be your warning. Will Crowell says "You could see your breath in the house. It got to 30 below with the wind chill ... Full Story »

Our deep freeze is causing all kinds of trouble - from broken water lines to gas leaks and of course those dangerously slick roads. Every plumbing and heating company News First 5 called has all of their crews responding to calls, and Colorado Springs Utilities is busy too. A Utilities Spokesman says that since the dangerous cold hit overnight, they've been called out to fix 131 different ... Full Story »

If you paid your stormwater bill for 2010, you will be getting money back from the city.  Staff is working on how to make the refunds after council finalized it's decision last night to end the stormwater enterprise fee at the end of the month. Anti-tax activist Douglas Bruce, who wrote the bill to end the fee, says the city is moving in the right direction.  "I'm glad that they didn't try to ... Full Story »

The U.S. Census Bureau is looking to hire. The Pueblo office says it wants to hire more than 1,000 census takers in 2010. The mostly part-time workers will collect information in Pueblo County and points south and east. "The majority of the positions that we need to fill are people who are going to be working evenings, weekends--we need to hire people that are available to work when people are ... Full Story »

El Paso County may soon be contracting out, once again, for animal control. Right now, the city works with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region for field calls, but the county had to drop its contract because of budget constraints. However, on Thursday, Commissioners will be voting to bring back the animal services contract. "Animal control is a very important, essential government ... Full Story »

The Department of Defense announced the death of another Fort Carson soldier who was killed in Afghanistan. Sgt. Elijah Rao, 26, died December 5 from wounds he suffered after enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Sgt. Rao was assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He's a Lake Oswego, Oregon native. Permalink | Comments Full Story »

Lines may be long at the Motor Vehicle Department on Friday. You'll only have two options, instead of the usual three in Colorado Springs. The Clerk and Recorder's Office at Chapel Hills Mall will close for the last time Thursday night at 5:00 p.m. Starting on Monday, the office will be at it's new location at the Union Town Center. That's on North Union and Research. Permalink | Comments Full Story »