Colorado Springs

A father tattoos his three-year-old son in an eye-catching new mural

See also: Photos: A father tattoos his son (or does he?) in new mural

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 >>

Photos: Colorado Springs named second-worst-dressed city despite these great looks?

Motovo, the same website that said Denver was the tenth nerdiest city in America, recently declared Colorado Springs to be the second-worst-dressed city, behind only...well, the complete list is below. Really, Motovo? We think you're being unfair to our brothers and sisters to the south -- and to p ... More >>

Video: North Korea clip threatening to nuke Colorado Springs puts city closer to Texas

Last week's Off Limits column noted that North Korea's threats of nuking the United States initially omitted Colorado from its target list. Now, however, a video on Uriminzokkiri, a North Korea government Web site, puts Colorado Springs in the cross-hairs -- sort of. As 7News notes, the clip mention ... More >>

Reader: Lack of a gun didn't prevent terrible double-murder/suicide using a knife

Our post about the killing of two Colorado Springs kids, allegedly by Ethan Courrau, described by his mother as bipolar, noted that the fatal weapon was a knife. This fact caused our commenters to morph into a lively gun-related debate. Here's a prime example.

Revenge porn site wrong for sharing involuntary nude pics, and folks in them deserve blame, too

Our recent post about a Colorado Springs website that appears to cater in revenge porn -- explicit photos shared by upset former sex partners -- attracted comments that found fault in the actions of the man behind the site and those who unwittingly provided him with raw material. Here's an example o ... More >>

Child charged with arson follows dozen 2012 juvie busts for starting fires in Colorado Springs

On Sunday, a Colorado Springs "juvenile male" said to be playing with matches set his bedroom on fire, after which he was arrested for fourth-degree arson. Unusual? Less so than you might think. Last year, the city saw 39 significant fire incidents involving minors and twelve arrests requiring the r ... More >>

Colorado lawmakers inclined to legalize hiking the Manitou incline

While the clock ticks away on last-minute negotiations to avoid plunging the nation's economy over the dreaded fiscal cliff, the U.S. Senate did take steps late last night to provide a path up the side of a mountain -- and in the process transform thousands of Colorado scofflaws into legal hikers. A ... More >>

Reader: It's not easy to remove the stain of racial and ethnic hatred

The holidays have not been so happy in Colorado Springs, where recent acts of vandalism included a car on the south end of town covered with the large, spraypainted message message "I hate black people!" The city's graffiti-abatement team cleaned the car; the police are still looking for the culp ... 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 >>

Court stops Colorado Springs "no-solicitation zone" because of free speech concerns

Colorado Springs is trying to clean up its downtown by banning panhandling and soliciting, but there's one problem with that plan: The ordinance would violate the First Amendment -- at least according to the American Civil Liberties Union. And in the first major ruling on that issue, a federal distr ... More >>

ACLU sues Colorado Springs for panhandling ban, says it violates free speech rights

In what's called an effort to support the economic vitality of downtown Colorado Springs and stop panhandling, the city passed an ordinance this week that bans solicitation. But the law is so broad that it violates the First Amendment. At least that's the interpretation of the American Civil Liberti ... More >>

Phil Anschutz-owned company buys Colorado Springs Gazette

For years, media observers have speculated that Dean Singleton would someday purchase the Colorado Springs Gazette with the idea of synergizing with his other Front Range newspapers, most prominently the Denver Post. But that day isn't today. With Singleton taking a backseat to John Paton in Digital ... More >>

Beer State of Mind

Photos: Colorado Springs memes page ready for winter...or maybe not

We've featured plenty of wacky memes collections from Facebook pages dedicated to schools like Colorado College. But the Colorado Springs Memes Facebook page is the first we've found dedicated to a particular city in these parts. The topics vary widely, but one's been coming up a lot lately: winter, ... More >>

Nikola Tesla's career is re-energized by cartoonist Matthew Inman

It took a cartoonist to re-energize interest in eccentric scientist Nikola Tesla. Matthew Inman recently posted a piece on The Oatmeal, his comic website, explaining "Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived," and it's inspired more than a million dollars in donations to turn one of his ... More >>

Crappy cars lure Colorado Springs crooks?

Here at the Criminal Affairs Desk, we've remarked before that malfeasance in Colorado Springs often takes strange twists. Not that crime waves are any more severe or more violent in El Paso County than they are in the Denver area; they're just...different. Like the rock-wielding bandit who recently ... More >>

Romney ditches wildfire rally in Colorado Springs, is he a hypocrite?

Three Denver blogs to keep you dry on this Monday. Colorado Pols writes of Mitt Romney's "bling tour," and a possible visit to Colorado Springs after calling for cutbacks for firefighters: "The 'bling tour' press from the Hamptons this weekend wasn't great, and Aspen keeps that meme going -- but as ... 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.

Pizza Republica is seeking volunteers and donations for Waldo Canyon fire relief

Pizza Republica, 5375 Landmark in Englewood, has partnered with the Progress Cares Foundation to aid firefighters on the front line of the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs. The restaurant will be preparing lunch for the workers from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. tomorrow and needs as many extra hands as ... More >>

Marijuana: Elisa Kappelmann acquittal ends another wasteful pot prosecution, attorney says

Last month, attorney Rob Corry estimated that prosecutors had wasted $100,000 in its failed pot prosecution of Josh Jones -- a case he felt should have never been taken to trial. He sees similar prosecutorial wrongheadedness in the case of another client, Colorado Springs' Elisa Kappelmann, a licen ... 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 >>

Readers disagree about whether reparative therapy is gay cure or cruel hoax

Dr. Robert Spitzer's decision to repudiate his own study supporting reparative therapy -- in essence, a "cure" for being gay -- fired up disagreements in our post between Focus on the Family's Glenn Stanton and One Colorado's Brad Clark, as well as folks analyzing their views. Here's a provocative e ... More >>

Man gets rocks off in pathetic 7-Eleven robbery

Even under the best of circumstances, the act of robbing a convenience store for the sake of a handful of singles in ready cash has to be one of the dumbest crimes imaginable, just on a simple risk-to-benefit scale. But for absolute desperation, nothing beats jacking a 7-Eleven at three in the morni ... More >>

Toddler dumped in snow by car thief: "Help me, I'm cold"

"The Landlord," Will Ferrell's classic Funny Or Die skit, pivots on the hilarity of a toddler knocking at a front door. But there was nothing amusing about the tiny tap, tap, tap and ringing doorbell that awoke Colorado Springs' Traci Gilbert early Sunday morning. That's because the youngster standi ... More >>

Andrew Encalade ID'd as Springs quadruple shooting victim, suspect Alonzo Paige at large

Update: We now know the name of the second person killed in a quadruple shooting at the Timberland Apartments in Colorado Springs on Tuesday: Andrew Encalade, age 23. If that name sounds familiar, it should. His older brother Adam, age 26, was injured in the gunplay but survived.

Civil unions: One Colorado director Brad Clark glad for GOP group in favor of them

one-colorado.org​ The defeat of a bill to legalize civil unions in the last legislative session was a heart-breaker for those in favor of marriage equality. After passing in the Senate, the bill was defeated in a House committee by one vote -- with all six of the panel's Republicans voting aga ... More >>

Songwriting Camp for Veterans in Colorado Springs next month

Last July, Austin-based singer-songwriter Darden Smith gathered a team of other professional musicians to lead a songwriting retreat for nine servicemen and women. Songs written during the retreat were performed at the Faces of Freedom concert on September 11 at the World Arena in Colorado Springs. ... More >>

I-25 drivers get worked up over this sign

Occupy Colorado Springs evicted by cops after mayor denies renewal of camping permit

If you had to compare another Colorado occupation to that of Occupy Denver, Occupy Colorado Springs might provide one of the most stark contrasts. As of early this morning, however, both groups share recent and complete evictions off of city property. Around 1 a.m., the Colorado Springs Police Depa ... More >>

Woman's screams that scared off home invaders caught on 911 recording (AUDIO, VIDEO)

Media below.​What to do if you've called 911 about two men about to break into your house but the cops haven't arrived? One Colorado Springs woman responded by screaming -- loudly -- as captured on a police recording below. And the tactic worked, as cops managed to collar a pair of accused ho ... More >>

Foam On the Range

Get Buzzed at Cross Pollination

Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill closes its DU location, but plans to open two more

​The University Boulevard location of Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill has closed, but the homegrown Mediterranean fast-casual chain will continue to grow. "It wasn't the best location for us," explains marketing and PR manager Beth Hardy, who notes that the University of Denver location, unlike ... 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 >>

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 >>

Goose pierced by arrow in Washington Park: Fowl shooting doesn't only happen in Denver

Fox31​ Update below: The Denver Parks and Rec Department has unveiled the final draft of its master plan for Washington Park. The 133-page document calls for things like improving the loop road and moving the parking lots away from Smith Lake. You know what it doesn't call for? Reducing the ge ... More >>

Medical marijuana patient and Colorado Springs teen blocked from class

​Should a zero-tolerance school drug policy always be zero tolerance? That's what some people are asking because of the headline-grabbing tale of the Colorado Springs sixteen-year-old who is not allowed at school when he uses the medical marijuana he's been prescribed by his doctor because of ... More >>

For a firkin good time, head to Colorado Springs

​Yee-haw! Twenty-four Colorado breweries will round up some wild firkins this weekend and drive them down to Colorado Springs for the seventh annual Firkin Rendezvous. Hosted by Bristol Brewing Company, the rendezvous -- February 19 from 1 to 5 p.m. -- is a fundraiser for the Colorado Brewers ... More >>

Look at your car!! Bro narrates twenty-plus car crash cluster in Colorado Springs

​You may have seen it already, but if not, it's worth a few minutes. On December 30, a man in Colorado Springs narrates an outrageous situation in Colorado Springs in which nearly every vehicle that tried to make it up the street ends up sliding back down and smashing into the prone cars below ... More >>

Double Rainbow and four other intense Colorado beers to try soon

​I love holiday beers. But that's not all that Colorado's breweries are putting out right now. Here are five beers that have just been released -- or are about to be -- that were brewed simply because, well, because Colorado is awesome. Double Rainbow Trinity Brewing, Colorado Springs Black ... More >>

Tonight: Grant Sabin at the Larimer Lounge

​Colorado Springs' slide guitar-playing bluesman Grant Sabin is truly a throwback. The multi-instrumentalist's baby face contradicts both his gruff voice and his repertoire, which includes not only his own modern work, but tributes to Son House and Jimi Hendrix, as well.

Kent Lambert: Backward-thinking Shmuck, R-Colorado Springs

Kent Lambert.​It doesn't take much to be a Shmuck of the Week: Just add the term "R-Colorado Springs" to the end of your name. It's a sure bet. Take former state senator Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, who landed on the list a whopping three times, or representative Larry Liston, R-Color ... More >>

Marijuana and Colorado Springs cops: Should dispensary taxes be used to fund police?

​One of the main arguments for the marijuana-legalization measure that Californians will vote on today is the tax revenue that legal pot would bring to struggling communities -- ones like Colorado Springs, which may launch a police squad funded by a new pot of pot money

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 >>

YouTube-inspired Double Rainbow beer has intense label

​Trinity Brewing in Colorado Springs has released the label for its Double Rainbow saison and there's only one way to describe it: "It's so intense!" That's right, the brewery is a beer -- due to be tapped on October 24 as a dessert beer during a saison dinner -- based on the phenomenal Doubl ... More >>

Rave at Phil Long Event Center: 19 arrests for booze, weed, meth, coke, ecstasy

A Flickr photo​This past Friday, a rave was scheduled at the Phil Long Event Center in Colorado Springs -- and the local police force was ready. The cops were stationed nearby when the doors opened, and before the party wound down at 4 a.m., nineteen people had been arrested for a potpourri o ... More >>

Spoken Intellekt of The Famm on being based in the Springs and life as an indie hip-hop artist

​ Spoken Intellekt and the rag tag band of MCs known as The Famm are fast becoming one of the more notable names in the Colorado Springs underground hip-hop scene. After forming in '08, they've worked the local circuit fiercely, and if you've gone to see anyone from People Under The Stairs to ... More >>

You think bikini baristas are a hot issue? Wait til you see the video from this Seattle band

Should I leave room for cream?​The bikini barista coffee shop trend may have only begun in Colorado (for more on two stores in Colorado Springs, see below), but it has reached full, mature size in the Seattle area, where a "pop-punk" band called Quickie recently released a song and video dedic ... More >>