Colorado Springs Gazette

Marijuana: Will recreational pot live or die in Colorado Springs?

While Denver City Council members seem to be on track for allowing recreational marijuana stores within city limits, their compatriots in Colorado Springs aren't nearly as far along. If it were up to Colorado Springs mayor Steve Bach, there wouldn't be any recreational sales in his city: Bach has be ... More >>

Photos: Bear plucked from tree by firefighters in precarious rescue

There's an undeniable fascination about urban bears rescues, as witnessed by the way a photo of a bear in Boulder last year went viral; see the original pic, plus a meme and GIF below. No telling if images of a bear being plucked from a tree in Colorado Springs yesterday will become equally ubiquit ... More >>

Ethan Courrau, bipolar boyfriend, reportedly stabs and kills two kids, then himself

A week after Globeville's Mayra Nunez shot her three kids, killing two and severely injuring the third, before committing suicide, a horrifically similar crime has taken place near Colorado Springs. This time, however, the two children who died (ages one and three) were stabbed to death, and the per ... More >>

Takai Beard makes schmucky decision to leave her kids in running car -- which was then stolen

Every parent knows it's a pain in the ass to take little kids in and out of the car when popping into a store, especially in cold weather. But know what's an even bigger pain in the ass? Having your idling ride stolen with your kids inside, because you were too lazy to schlep them with you. Which i ... More >>

Colorado Springs vandalism: "I hate black people" and swastikas, just in time for the holidays

Nothing signals holiday spirit like the scrawled message "I hate black people," accompanied by a swastika. This was the message that vandals in Colorado Springs left just before Christmas, according to city officials. In an alert, police say they are searching for leads in two cases -- one involving ... More >>

Chang Ho Yi, liquor store owner, sued by shoplifter he shot in the face

At first blush, the lawsuit filed by Bryson Dewberry against Colorado Springs liquor store owner Chang Ho Yi seems patently absurd. After all, Dewberry's complaint faults Yi for shooting him in the face after he shoplifted a bottle of booze -- an action for which the owner was not charged. But the ... More >>

Jeremy Rice, ninth grader, averts bus crash...when driver falls out of seat

Colorado Springs ninth grader Jeremy Rice is being declared a hero for quick-thinking action that prevented the crash of a bus carrying more than a dozen other students. Still, the circumstances as described by the Colorado Springs Police Department are mighty weird.

CU Denver professor starts petition to ban concealed weapons on campus

Only weeks after the Aurora theater shooting, CU Denver philosophy professor Chad Kautzer has created a petition to stop concealed weapons from being allowed on state campuses. But the two ideas are not connected, he says: Kautzer has been contemplating the response since the Colorado Supreme Court ... More >>

Chic-Fil-A "Fagz" graphic upsets readers of Colorado Springs Gazette Facebook page

Denver blog posts are an important part of your healthy breakfast -- or lunch -- or dinner. Colorado Pols on the backlash against the Colorado Springs Gazette for hyping an opinion piece about the Chic-Fil-A gay marriage controversy with a graphic featuring cows spelling out "God Hayts Fagz." Bron ... More >>

Waldo Canyon fire update: 90 percent contained, rains expected tomorrow

The Fourth of July brought some good news for Colorado Springs, where the Waldo Canyon fire has been blazing for more than ten days: The firefighters have now reached 90 percent containment of the fire, and expect to have it completely contained by tomorrow.

Alonzo Paige allegedly shot, then executed Marquise Bean in Springs gang fight

Debates about Denver gang violence have been spurred by a Friday incident that killed Justin O'Donnell and Deon Rudd and wounded two others. And while Denver Police have yet to confirm this slaying was gang-related, Alonzo Paige's preliminary hearing over a January quadruple shooting/double murder i ... More >>

John Severe latest biker with military background busted in Virgil Means homicide

Update: "For all those who are worried.... I'm ok. Just dealing with some shit but I will be fine." That's a Facebook message posted a short time ago by John Severe, a Colorado Springs resident who's worked for the military. And he is indeed dealing with some shit: He's one of five people arrested t ... More >>

Dennis Foust allegedly left elderly mom lying in her own waste for five days

At least one of Dennis Foust's neighbors sees him as a loving and caring son who went to extremes to care for his elderly mother. But the Colorado Springs Police Department thinks otherwise -- maybe because the woman, age 86, was found lying on the floor in her own filth. And she said she'd been th ... More >>

Ten ways to tell a "medical marijuana dispensary" is a drug dealer's house

Late last month, Colorado Springs police busted 28-year-olds Peter Mattaroo and Kristine Bauer for allegedly operating a fake medical marijuana dispensary out of their apartment on Lionstone Drive. How could the average customer have known it was bogus? We've got some ideas about that.

Aleister Wild guitarist Terry Span in coma after altercation with bassist Michael Sorden

Update 10/21/11: More troubling news today out of the Springs. There's been several reports filtering in last night and this afternoon that Aliester Wild guitarist Terry Span has passed away. We'll post more details as they become available. BandMix.comMichael Sorden (left) and Terry Span of Alies ... More >>

Rose Ann Santistevan, grandmother, sues over drug raid that gave her heart attack

​Rose Ann Santistevan hardly fits the profile of a drug kingpin. She's 71 years old and suffers from emphysema. So when police burst into her home as part of a narcotics investigation dubbed Operation Jeez Luis, she did what anyone in her position would do: She had a heart attack. Fortunately, ... More >>

Michael Arangio, Ernest Schmidt wanted in separate homicides that left four dead in Springs

Big pics below.​Denver hasn't exactly been bloodshed free of late. Note the shocking murders of Sergeant Anthony Silva and onetime medical marijuana dispensary owner Michael "SK" Walker in recent weeks. But the body count is higher in Colorado Springs, where four are dead in two separate incid ... More >>

Detra Farries pleads not guilty to manslaughter in dragging death of tow-truck driver Allen Rose

Big pic below.​This morning, Detra Farries pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and several other charges in relation to one of the most gruesome incidents in recent memory. The victim: Colorado Springs tow-truck driver Allen Rose, who was dragged over a mile to his death.

MediaNews Group-Freedom talks break down, but don't be shocked by a comeback

Dean Singleton.​For months, newspaper insiders have been abuzz about Denver Post parent company MediaNews Group potentially acquiring Freedom Communications, owner of the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Orange County Register -- two properties that synergize nicely with MediaNews strongholds ... More >>

Over the weekend: My date with a cupcake. And another. And another...

Jeff Ball for the Colorado Chocolate Festival​I've been at Dana Cain's Colorado Chocolate Festival every year for the last few, both as a contest judge and as an appreciative chocoholic fool. There, I've tasted everything from chocolate sauces to artisan truffles, but none of it prepared me fo ... More >>

Plastic army men struggle with PTSD in British artists' ode to Colorado Springs soldiers

​We've all seen those molded green plastic soldiers; they're a staple of every kid's childhood and, thanks to the Toy Story series, heroes of the big screen. But we've never seen plastic soldiers like this -- begging for money, assaulting women, placing a rifle under their chin. It's the arr ... More >>

Reader: Barack Obama birth certificate is an obvious phony, and here's how you can tell

​Yesterday, the Colorado Springs Gazette argued that birthers could help Barack Obama get re-elected if they continue to dispute the authenticity of the long-form birth certificate released yesterday. But judging by the comments on our post, plenty of people are willing to take that risk in pu ... More >>

"Fake birth certificate:" Could debate even after document release get Barack Obama re-elected?

Big pic below.​"Birth Certificate May Be Fake (Poll):" This headline, on a Colorado Springs Gazette editorial that followed President Barack Obama's release of a so-called long-form birth certificate meant to prove once and for all that he was born in the United States, certainly implies that ... More >>

Gays and porn big issues in Colorado Springs elections, according to Focus on the Family

​Are gays and porn really two of the biggest issues in the upcoming Colorado Springs municipal elections? According to Focus on the Family, they are. As noted by the Colorado Springs Gazette, FOTF has assembled a candidate survey in advance of the April 5 vote -- and three of its eight questi ... More >>

Dog shooting: Owner of bull mastiff shot after attacking greyhound gets banned-dog summons

Big pic below.​Update: As we noted yesterday, no charges were filed in the immediate aftermath of an incident in which a man shot a 140-pound dog after it attacked his greyhound -- and that remains the case at this writing. However, the owner of the dead pet -- a bullmastiff named Flato -- has ... More >>

Rev. Donald Armstrong: Paying for kids' college with church funds earns degree in Shmuckery

Grace and St. Stephen's Church.​You can't dip into the company coffers to pay a remodel to your house and you can't stick your fingers into your parishioners' purses to put your kids through college. It's a lesson that the Reverend Donald Armstrong's kids may have learned if they took Ethics 1 ... More >>

UFO Phil: Forest Service not wild about his plan to build a pyramid on Pikes Peak (PHOTOS)

UFO Phil.​Last month, we told you about UFO Phil Hill's plan to build a pyramid on Pikes Peak. At the time, Hill was having trouble getting an official response to his proposal. Now, however, he's heard from the US Forest Service, whose representative isn't exactly on board, so to speak. But ... More >>

Ramone Hollins: Fort Carson soldier busted for MMJ burglary says he wanted to destroy the pot

Large photos below.​As we noted on Monday, the bust of three men trying to burglarize a Colorado Springs dispensary was an example of clever police work -- but the excuse used by arrestee Ramone Hollins was even more inventive. Hollins -- a Fort Carson soldier, as were his alleged accomplices ... More >>

Denver Post, MediaNews Group executives not eager to talk about copyright-violations warning

Dean Singleton.​On Sunday, the Denver Post published "Notice to Readers About Denver Post Copyright Protections" -- although readers weren't really the target audience. The piece is actually a bellicose warning to content thieves who reproduce Post stories or photos without permission. So... w ... More >>

Medical marijuana dispensary ban in El Paso County: Fighting 1A in court and at polls

​According to attorney Jessica Corry, a hearing is set for today in a lawsuit against a medical marijuana dispensary ban ballot measure in El Paso County. But in case the suit fails, opponents of County Question 1A are moving ahead with their campaign, including an event today presenting argum ... More >>

ACLU stands up for right of Colorado Springs middle schooler to wear rosary at public school

Flickr​Critics of the ACLU portray the organization as an apologist for flag burners. As such, the group loves to show it's about principles, not ideology. Case in point: Its defense of Cainan Gostnell, a Colorado Springs student whose middle school has banned wearing religious symbols like ro ... More >>

Douglas Bruce = Dr. Evil, says ColoradoPols

Douglas Bruce's bark and his bite are both pretty savage.​Blogs about Denver don't suffer from a lack of oxygen, no matter what flatlanders say. Here are three examples. ColoradoPols highlights reporting by Eileen Welsome, a former Westworder turned Colorado Springs Gazette staffer, who detai ... More >>

Ubaldo Jimenez on the way to being Rockies' first Cy Young winner?

U tha man, Ubaldo.​There are a lot of blogs in Denver. Here are links to three posts worth perusing. 5280's A.J. Vicens takes notice of the national spotlight lighting up Ubaldo Jimenez, who just won his sixth start in a row last night. He may not be carrying the team singlehandedly at this p ... More >>

Sgt. Brian Kelly Wells: Fort Carson soldier makes long drive to get busted for Internet luring

Presumably, Sgt. Brian Kelly Wells thought it would be worth the commute.​If charges against him are true, Sgt. Brian Kelly Wells, who's stationed at Fort Carson, wanted to have sex with an underage girl so badly that he was willing to drive all the way from Colorado Springs to Adams County to ... More >>

Puppet boobs turn you on? Then hope you don't live in Colorado Springs

Are you getting a rise out of this?​Thank goodness Lamar Advertising is safeguarding the morality of Colorado Springs residents. Otherwise, chaste locals might be caught in the embarrassing situation of sprouting an erection caused by a puppet. Granted, that puppet, a character from the play ... More >>

Ted Haggard's lies and sad eyes in wife Gayle Haggard's new book

Will Gayle Haggard's book stay on the bookstore shelves?​Today's Denver Post previews Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hour, a memoir by Gayle Haggard, wife of Colorado Springs evangelist and former male-escort fan Ted Haggard. Her conclusion: ""Love is powerful enough to erase a ... More >>

Denver Blogs: Fondle a bare breast in a Colorado Springs club -- and they take away the booze!

A Flickr photo"Okay, we get the bare-breast thing -- but is mud wrestling okay?"​Colorado bloggin' fever: Catch it. As 5280's Michael de Yoanna tells it, a Colorado Springs liquor board upheld the suspension of a club's license due to bare-breast exposure and fondling during a Girls Gone Wild ... More >>

Colorado Press Association gives former Rocky Mountain News staffers one last shot at contest glory

​Writers at the Denver Post had to figure they'd be walking away with the lion's share of honors at this year's Colorado Press Association awards. After all, the Rocky Mountain News, which tended to win more than its share of baubles in the large newspaper contest, regularly beating the Post a ... More >>

Meet Jim Pfaff, leader of Colorado's stop-Sotomayor campaign

Jim Pfaff. Even Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham concedes that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will be approved unless she has a "complete meltdown." But that hasn't prevented conservatives across the country from frightening their ideological comrades with the horrific prospe ... More >>

Colorado Springs Gazette staffers hit with 5 percent pay cut

You may have heard that the newspaper business is going through a difficult patch -- and Freedom Communications, owner of the Colorado Springs Gazette, among other properties, is no exception. Freedom's Orange County Register is reporting the impending implementation of a 5 percent pay cut at the ... More >>

Colorado's answer to swine flu: Close the prisons?

You got to love the way officials in this state think. According to this item in the Colorado Springs Gazette, the Colorado Department of Corrections has decided to ban visitors and volunteers from state and private prisons for at least a week, describing the move as a "precautionary" step to keep ... More >>

Denver Blogs: It's never too early to start thinking about baseball

We're cruising Denver blogs like hookers on Colfax, if hookers could be explored with RSS.  See something worth blogging? Send it here. Aspen Mountain is open, but the town is apparently empty. Perhaps people are just busy having their furs dry-cleaned? (5280's Elevated Voices)The Colorado Spr ... More >>

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From the week of June 20, 2002

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A RACIST FLIER FANS FLAMES IN AMENDMENT 2'S CAPITAL.