Colorado Springs Gazette

Five guys Ken Salazar should offer to punch out

Uneasy hangs the cowboy-hatted head of the man in charge of one-fifth of the land mass in the United States. The strain of running the Department of the Interior seems to be catching up with Ken Salazar, who offered to "punch out" a reporter last month in response to a question about Interior's scan ... More >>

David Grosse, retired Air Force chaplain, suspected of multiple sex assaults

Another week, another arrest of a man with a ministerial past on a sex-crime beef. Mere days after disgraced ex-priest Daniel Drinan was charged with pleasuring himself on a plane, David Grosse, a retired Air Force chaplain, has been arrested for suspected sexual assault against four victims and may ... More >>

Wayne Lufkin, missing Springs man and attempted murderer, busted in Denver

Update: On Sunday, as we note in our original coverage below, Wayne Lufkin, 74, disappeared from an assisted-care facility, after which authorities discovered he had warrants on him in Colorado and Oregon. Now comes word that Lufkin has been found in Denver and is currently cooling his heels in anot ... More >>

Dennis O'Dell charged with uncle's meth-fueled hammer murder two months after attack

Dennis O'Dell was first taken into custody circa early May in relation to a hammer attack on his uncle -- one allegedly fueled by a bad dream and their mutual interest in meth. Now, however, he's been charged with murder, after his horribly injured relative died.

Photos, videos: Waldo Canyon fire finally 100 percent contained

Update: At long last comes the announcement residents of Colorado Springs have been awaiting since June 23, when the Waldo Canyon fire flared to life. The blaze, which destroyed 346 homes and took the lives of Barbara and William Everett, age 73 and 74, respectively, is finally 100 percent containe ... More >>

Waldo Canyon fire update: Nearly out and investigators find the origin

More good news in the efforts to contain the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs: Investigators think they have found the origin of the devastating fire that's blazed for nearly two weeks. And at 95 percent containment, the situation seems to be nearing some kind of conclusion -- just days after ... More >>

Stephan Claxton, Air Force Cadet: Up to nine years in military prison for sex crimes

The scandal at the Air Force Academy that followed in the wake of "The War Within," then-Westword staffer Julie Jargon's 2003 feature about female cadets victimized by sexual assault, led to changes at the institution intended to demonstrate that supervisors take the problem seriously. But these alt ... More >>

James Henry Bratt: Meth, ankle monitor and fatal stabbing of James Bidgood

The eleventh homicide of 2012 in Colorado Springs is an extremely sordid tale. The victim: James Bidgood, a local homeless man. The accused: James Henry Bratt, a 36-year-old with a noteworthy criminal record. The ingredients: domestic violence, an ankle monitor, meth and more. A lot more.

Mary Horsley given forty years for torturing toddler

This week, Fourth Judicial District Judge David Prince had the option of giving Mary Horsley up to forty years in prison -- and that's precisely what he did. But he reportedly felt the options available to him under the law "pale in comparison to any justice that should be doled out." His passions w ... More >>

Dwight "Visa" Davis: Police arrest suspect in rock-hurling robberies

Colorado Springs police have arrested the man they believe is responsible for a string of increasingly violent robberies in recent weeks, during which the robber brandished a rock or brick, menaced other victims with a knife or gun -- and even sprayed some people with lighter fluid and threatened to ... More >>

Father Charles Robert Manning allegedly acted like jealous lover around fifteen year old

The arrest affidavit pertaining to Father Charles Robert Manning, an ex-Catholic priest in Colorado Springs who's been busted on suspicion of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, is currently sealed. But comments from a woman who says she reported Manning to authorities sugg ... More >>

Daniel Kim accused of punching infant son hard enough to crack his skull

Every parent gets frustrated when a baby starts crying and won't stop. But 22-year-old Daniel Kim's alleged solution to this situation caused infinitely more problems for all concerned. He's accused of trying to silence his infant son by slugging him in the head hard enough to crack his skull.

Alonzo Paige charged with first-degree murder after surrendering in Springs double homicide

For more than a month, the Colorado Springs Police Department has been on the lookout for Alonzo Paige, the prime suspect in a quadruple shooting that left two men dead. Imagine their surprise when yesterday afternoon, he walked into police headquarters and surrendered to authorities.

Nyesha Hall-Gonzalez, suicidal mom, allegedly left her two-year-old in a field to die

That old saw about divorce being hardest on the kids almost turned fatal in the case of Nyesha Hall-Gonzalez, 28. She's accused of burying a Carmelo Ortiz-Hall, her two-year-old son, under tumbleweeds and leaving him to die in an El Paso County field because of her desire to kill herself -- and her ... More >>

Glen Godec, children's photographer and alleged porn fan, accused of sexually assaulting a child

Big pic below.​Glen Godec's Photobucket page features well over 1,000 images, most seemingly benign. But the closer you look, the more you notice that the preponderance of shots feature little girls -- a fact that's been rendered ultra-creepy by news that Godec has been busted on a couple of s ... More >>

Melissa Alexander faces possible 1st degree murder charge in death of Army beau's baby

Big pic below.​When Army recruit Matt Strickland was assigned to spend a month training in Louisiana in preparation for overseas deployment, he reportedly trusted his girlfriend, Melissa Alexander, to care for his one-year-old daughter. The decision had fatal consequences: The tot's dead and A ... More >>

Terah Rawlings, teacher: Did her pastor-uncle help cover up her student boinking?

Big pics below.​The accusation that teacher Terah Rawlings had an ongoing sexual relationship with a fifteen-year-old student is bad enough. But other circumstances push the alleged crime into even creepier territory. For one thing, Rawlings was employed at a religious school. For another, adm ... More >>

Marijuana bust: Chicago-Colorado Springs link, and possible tie to extraction pro Matt Schnur

​Last week, DEA personnel announced four arrests related to a marijuana shipment from Colorado Springs to Chicago. All the busts were made in Illinois, but a grow was destroyed near the Springs, and extraction expert Matt Schnur has been named in a related press account. What's Schnur's story? ... More >>

Traci Adams accused of luring ex-boyfriend to house so new love Mark Manyik could kill him

Big pics below.​It didn't take long for El Paso Sheriff's Office detectives to hone in on Mark Manyik as the shooter of Robert Miles, 55. Why? Manyik left a voicemail for a detective saying he planned to blast Miles in the belly using a shotgun, and that's precisely what he's accused of doing ... More >>

Stefanie Dickinson, ex-school board member accused of sexting teen: New sex assault bust

Big pic below.​Lucky Stefanie Dickinson: The former Ellicott school board member has gotten to pose for two mug shots in the span of a month. The first time, Dickinson was busted for allegedly sexting a teen. And the latest? She's being accused of sexually assaulting a teen three years ago.

Joshua Carrier: Court sighting for school officer accused of doing genital exam for stomach ache

Big pic below.​The legal maneuverings continue in the case of Joshua Carrier, a former Colorado Springs cop who's charged with nearly 200 incidents of sexual assault on children. He had easy access to kids, given that he was a school resource officer and volunteer wrestling coach.

Jason Bomsta sentenced for death of man stuffed in toy bin over $100 drug debt

Big pic below.​Jason Bomsta, 34, has been sentenced to 54 years in jail for last year's brutal killing of forty-year-old Duane Maasch, whose body was found stuffed in a plastic toy bin. The reported reason for the slaying? A $100 drug debt.

Medical marijuana: El Paso commissioners lean toward giving 2nd chance to shuttered MMC

Sean McAllister.​Alternative Medical Solutions, a medical marijuana center in tiny Peyton, Colorado, has been closed for about a week, and could be shuttered permanently, because it missed a July license-application deadline with El Paso County. In response, attorney Sean McAllister sued the c ... More >>

Michael Arangio, wanted for slaying 3 Springs teens, kills himself during standoff (VIDEO)

Big pic below.​This weekend, the manhunt for Michael Arangio, wanted for murdering three Colorado Springs teens, brought police to a Whistler Point apartment -- and after a standoff of several hours, Arangio had apparently taken his own life. Afterward, a memorial for his alleged victims was ... More >>

Barack Obama's selective service records accessed by CO Springs birther Greg Hollister?

​Update below: The latest bizarre twist in Birther Nation's assault on President Barack Obama has a special home-state flavor. Colorado Springs-based retired Colonel Greg Hollister claims to have surreptitiously accessed Obama's selective-service records, which call into question if he was bo ... More >>

Dog the Bounty Hunter: Did Duane Chapman make false report about CO Springs shooting?

Duane Chapman.​You might recall the hubbub back in 2009 when news broke that Duane "Dog" Chapman and his Dog the Bounty Hunter crew had apparently been shot at while attempting to apprehend a bail jumper in Colorado Springs. But now, the man arrested following the April 21, 2009 incident is su ... More >>

Allen Rose: Detra Farries charged in tow-truck driver's dragging death, memorial planned

Allen Rose.​Update: The woman driving the vehicle behind which tow-truck driver Allen Rose was dragged to death has been identified as Detra Farries, 32 -- and she's been charged with manslaughter in relation to the awful incident. Meanwhile, plans are underway to memorialize Rose tomorrow.

UFO Phil brings pitch to build pyramid on Pikes Peak to Colorado Springs Gazette (VIDEO)

At the Gazette.​Our piece last week about UFO Phil's plan to build a pyramid on Pikes Peak came at the start of a full-out blitz to win over the local media -- one that included a visit to the Colorado Springs Gazette with a pyramid model in tow. Hilarious footage shows Gazette reporter R. Sco ... More >>

Colorado Public News gets grant to provide health-care coverage for 14 media outlets

Photo: Joe Mahoney​Ann Imse envisioned Colorado Public News as a way to fill the reporting gap left by the disappearance of newspapers like the Rocky Mountain News, where she once worked. The problem was trying to get someone to pay for it -- and a year later, Imse, CPN's editor, succeeded, la ... More >>

Marijuana activists attack state rep Mark Waller by smearing ranch dressing on his car? Yummy!

Mark Waller​On the heels of reports about a burglar using a bong as a weapon in a Fort Morgan home invasion comes a claim by state representative Mark Waller that a recent assault on his car -- with salad dressing -- may have been in reprisal for his stand against medical marijuana dispensarie ... More >>

Colorado Springs is diverse? Now the city has proof

Not a photo of Colorado Springs.​When most of us think of diverse towns, Colorado Springs isn't the first place that leaps to mind. But somehow, someway, the Springs is one of four U.S. communities to win a City Cultural Diversity Award from the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials ... More >>

David Sirota makes a monkey out of himself in debate, argues councilman Sean Paige

There's no back-down in Sean Paige.​Yesterday, AM 760 host/columnist David Sirota and Colorado Springs city councilman Sean Paige took part in an on-air debate, with the honor of Colorado Springs at stake. But while the program has ended, the scrap isn't over, with Paige continuing to take swi ... More >>

Prosecuting Douglas Bruce, and other exercises in masochism

​Back in 2002 a Westword cover portrayed the ever-irascible Douglas Bruce as a pit bull. The story was about his long-running battle with Denver officials over dilapidated properties, but the image is still apt. Throughout his dueling with tax-and-spenders over the TABOR Amendment, his short b ... More >>

MediaNews unlikely to go after Freedom Communications

Dean Singleton.​Had Freedom Communications, owner of the Colorado Springs Gazette, filed for bankruptcy during better economic times, journalism-business observers would have immediately begun speculating about the odds that it might be purchased by MediaNews Group, headed by Denver Post publi ... More >>

Focus on the Family wants your latte money

Focus on the Family president and CEO Jim Daly.​The Colorado Springs Gazette's parent company may have declared bankruptcy this week, but the paper's still reporting the big news in its community, including details about layoffs at Springs-based Focus on the Family; 75 jobs, or about 8 percent ... More >>

Colorado Springs Gazette's owner files for bankruptcy -- but its libertarian philosophy to live on

​Reports began surfacing earlier this week about the impending Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Freedom Communications, a California-based media company whose properties include the Colorado Springs Gazette. The move was made official yesterday afternoon, and the Gazette's subsequent coverage o ... More >>

Shocking revelation: Colorado Springs conservatives hate healthcare reform

Representative Doug Lamborn.​Congressman Doug Lamborn, a Republican representing Colorado Springs, has found the key to keeping town halls about healthcare relatively free of rancor and ideological clashes: Stage them in districts where most people, including the star of the show, are metaphys ... More >>

Springs family foregoes vengeance in daughter's death

Whitney Hendrickson (right) with sister Marina and brother Wesley. ​Back in March, I wrote about the remarkable tributes at a memorial service for Whitney deMoraes Hendrickson, an 18-year-old college freshman who died in a freak accident in Colorado Springs when another driver smashed into a g ... More >>

Risk Averse

Colorado Springs police don't name a crime victim because of his advanced age, even though he shot and killed his attacker.

Fortress of Solitude

The Bureau of Prisons is as good at keeping prisoners in as it is at keeping reporters out.

The Message

Waste Not

The Message

Free at Last

Risky Business

A traveling survey of provocative art fills the stately Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

Sportswomen Wanted

Denver's fabulous sports babes still struggle to score in the male broadcast world.

Off Limits

Off Limits

Off Limits

I Am Curious, Yellow Journalism

The Write Stuff

BEAT THE PRESS