About KSPKKSPK-FM is a locally owned and operated country music radio station, located in Walsenburg Colorado and broadcasts to all of Southern Colorado.
KSPK's format consists of the new country hits with some of the older country favorites mixed in. KSPK-FM carries various High School Athletic Games from
various High School's in Southern Colorado. KSPK is also the exclusive broadcast partner for Adams State University Athletics from Alamosa. KSPK's coverage
area extends from Colorado Springs Colorado in the North to Raton New Mexico in South; South Fork Colorado in the west and Lamar Colorado in the east. With
such a large area of coverage KSPK remains to this day Southern Colorado's Largest Radio Station.
CPW declines to remove male wolf linked to depredation.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife yesterday said that it will not remove a male wolf that has
been linked to recent depredation incidents after discovering that the animal is likely
breeding. The middle park stock growers board, ranchers and several law enforcement
groups had asked for the removal of the reintroduced wolves through "lethal force". In
its response, CPW said that killing the male wolf "would be irresponsible management.
The state also revealed that a male and female wolf are likely "denning". CPW is still
working to confirm the den. The male wolf is believed to be reponsible for killing a total
of 6 animals since being reintroduced in December. The first depredation incident was
on April 2nd in Grand County. The second, 5 days later in Jackson County. Three
yearling cattle were killed by wolves in Grand County on April 17th. The next day, a 4th
yearling was killed on the same property.Pueblo mall suspect registers plea in court.
Mario Arellano, 30, of Pueblo, has plead not guilty by reason of insanity after driving his
car into the Pueblo Mall Food Court and allegedly making a bomb threat last November.
Arellano, who is facing 15 charges including multiple counts of attempted murder and
assault on a peace officer, made the plea in a hearing on Wednesday. Judge Amiel
Markenson ordered Arellano to be remanded to the Pueblo County jail until a sanity
evaluation can be conducted, which will likely occur sometime between late August and
November, according to information provided by the court. Markenson noted that
Arellano's bond is not being revoked and that he will be re-released on bond when the
evaluation is completed and the court is notified. A review hearing in Arellano's case has
been scheduled for Thursday, September 5th.RTN owner allowed out on home detention.
Carie Hallford, a co-owner of the return to nature funeral home in Penrose, was allowed
out of jail on home detention, with GPS monitoring and an unsecured bond yesterday
while the federal fraud case against her and her husband continues. The hearing
yesterday was brief, with the judge signing off on the terms himself. Carie Hallford will
now be able to live under home detention at the hotel she was most recently staying at
with her husband, along with a tracking device keeping watch of her whereabouts.
Hallford signed a $10,000 unsecured bond, meaning that she doesn't have to pay the
bond amount so long as she shows up to the mandated court appearances moving
forward. Her next scheduled court appearance will take place on June 14th.Colfax County Commissioners accept bids for bridge replacement.
The Colfax County Board of Commissioners is accepting sealed bids for the replacement
of the blosser gap bridge on County Road A11 in Colfax County. Bid specifications can
be picked up at the office of the county manager, Colfax County building, 230 north 3rd
street, 3rd floor, Raton, or requests may be sent to davila@co.colfax.nm.us. Sealed bids
must be received by Colfax County before 1:30pm on May 15th. The winning bid will be
awarded at the regular county commission meeting on Tuesday, June 11th, at 9am.FBI crime complaint center seeing increase fraudulent text messages complaints.
The FBI internet crime complain center says it is seeing an increase in fraudulent text
messages attempting to scam toll road and express lane users across the U.S. These
attacks typically pose as a toll service, such as Colorado's express toll, and request that
users pay an outstanding toll amount to avoid a late fee. The Colorado Transportation
investment office, an independent organization within CDOT responsible for express
lanes, does not use text messaging to collect any payments or personal information
currently. Toll lane users who receive such a text should file a complaint with the FBI by
going to www.ic3.gov, then delete any fraudulent texts you've received.
April 25th 2024
Consumer protections for AI Bill introduced in State Senate.
A new bill, SB24-205, the consumer protections for artificial intelligence bill, was
introduced earlier this month and passed the senate committee on judiciary yesterday.
The bill is an effort to address consumer protections for artificial intelligence, or ai.
supporters of the bill say that while ai is beneficial for businesses, there needs to be
regulations in place that consider both existing law and best practice. Businesses,
developers and entrepreneurs who focus on ai, however, are not on board with the bill.
Business owners feel the bill is being rushed and claim that there was no input from the
community or from small business owners. The bill would require developers to let
consumers know when they are interacting with ai and when content has been produced
by AI. The bill now heads to the senate committee of the whole for consideration there.SLV man sentenced in extortion cases.
Brett Andrew Nelson, a San Luis Valley man with recent ties to Gunnison County, was
sentenced yesterday to 12 years in the department of corrections for committing extortion
and threatening several judges, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, attorneys and
citizens in Gunnison, Montrose and Alamosa counties over a 2 year period. Nelson was
found guilty by a jury last month on nearly two dozen counts brought against him in
April of 2022. According to the colorado Attorney General's office, state prosecutors
said nelson used "sovereign citizen-like tactics" beginning in 2018 to submit numerous
fraudulent documents, such as powers of attorney and default judgements, against public
officials and individuals involved in criminal and domestic relations cases where he was
a defendant.CO LG declared disaster emergency for US 50 bridge.
Colorado Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, acting as governor yesterday, verbally
declared a disaster emergency to support the repairs of the U.S. Highway 50 bridge over
blue mesa reservoir. The Colorado Department of Transportation closed the bridge at
Dillon Pinnacles last week after an inspection revealed cracks in the structure.
Primavera's disaster declaration will allow for an interagency, statewide response and
will initiate the process for requesting federal funding. The Colorado Transportation
commission has approved an emergency request for $10 million in funding for the bridge,
according to the state. Primavera was acting as Governor while Governor Jared Polis
leads the delegation for the biennial of americas summit taking place currently in Costa
Rica.10th circuit court clears key obstacle for Wolf Creek construction.
The 10th circuit federal appeals court in Denver last Friday cleared a key obstacle to the
construction of the village at wolf creek in the Rio Grande national forest. Conservation
groups have repeatedly challenged the proposed village, which envisions more than 1,700
housing and hotel units and 221,000 square feet of commercial space in Mineral County
near the wolf creek ski resort. The three judge panel on Friday agreed not only that the
government's latest process satisfied the legal requirements, but that a trial judge
incorrectly told the forest service to "start over" in 2022. Specifically, there was a
misunderstanding about whether the faulty first choice of swapping federal land for
private land also rendered an access road across federal land faulty too. The judges said
it did not.Rio Grande National forest to conduct several prescribed fires.
An updated map was published yesterday on Colorado Parks and Wildlife's website to
continue informing the public on where collared wolves have been in the past month.
CPW has also launched a new gray wolf depredation report webpage to inform the public
about confirmed livestock depredations by wolves in Colorado. Both webpages can be
found by going to CPW's website at cpw.state.co.us.
April 24th 2024
CO House committee passes development bill.
The Colorado House Transportation, Housing and local government committee yesterday
passed SB24-184, the support surface transportation infrastructure development bill,
yesterday, meaning that the bill is one step closer to becoming law. The bill proposes to
increase rental car fees by up to $3 per day, allowing colorado to collect $50 million to go
toward the front range passenger rail system. The $50 million would be just a 20% down
payment of the total cost of the project. There is push back against the bill, however,
regarding the increased rental car fees and their affect on the tourism industry in
Colorado and on Coloradans themselves. The bill has already passed the State Senate.US Fish Wildlife service confirms first CO Wolf death.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that one of the ten wolves that were
introduced into Colorado by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, has died. According to a
statement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service: "on April 18th... the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife service became aware of a deceased gray wolf in Larimer county... as a
federally listed species under the endangered species act, the service is investigating and
has sent the carcass for a necropsy to determine the cause of death. Initial evidence
suggests that this wolf likely died of natural causes, but a final determination will not be
made until the necropsy is completed. This wolf was one of the ten recently released by
Colorado Parks and Wildlife in December 2023." The service is working cooperatively
with CPW in their investigation. No further details were made available.One RTN funeral home coowner granted house arrest.
During a federal court hearing in Denver yesterday, Carie Hallford, one of the co-owners
of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, was granted house arrest. Hallford
was originally expected to be placed in a halfway house while waiting for her El Paso
County jury trial. She will now have court-ordered GPS tracking. Hallford was also
granted a $10,000 conditional bond at yesterday's hearing. Carie Hallford, and her
husband Jon Hallford, are the co-owners of the Return to Nature funeral home where 189
decomposing bodies were found not properly stored last October. The pair were arrested
in Oklahoma in November. Jon Hallford remains in custody.Costilla County Public Health Director recognized.
Costilla County Public Health Director Paul Wertz was recognized earlier this month by
the colorado division of homeland security and emergency management at their annual
conference held in Colorado Springs. Wertz was the 2024 San Luis Valley award
recipient for his work in Costilla County and with San Luis Valley emergency managers.
The colorado division of homeland security and emergency management hosts an access
and functional needs conference annually. The conference recognizes outstanding work
by emergency managers in each region of the state.Rio Grande National forest to conduct several prescribed fires.
Fire managers on the Rio Grande National forest plan to conduct several prescribed fires
this spring. Burn dates are anticipated to begin in mid-May. Ignitions will only take
place if conditions are favorable and the fire will remain within the burn plan parameters.
Planned burns include: bighorn/stateline units 4 & 5, 889 acres. Conejos canyon unit 1,
200 acres. Hot creek/Piedrosa, 1,090 acres. And, Laughlin gulch, 205 acres. Updates on
the burns will be made on the Rio Grande forest's social media pages.
April 23rd 2024
CO State House Judiciary Committee to hold hearing to consider Police bill.
The Colorado State House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing today to consider a
bill that would protect police officers who report the misconduct or illegal actions of
fellow officers. HB24-1460, the law enforcement misconduct bill, would create
protections for officers who come forward, would give attorneys general authority to
audit and subpoena records related to the post-database, would ensure law enforcement
agencies investigae criminal misconduct against other officers, and would require
agencies to retain reports of all allegations of misconduct in an agency. The bill was
brought to state legislators by both active and retired officers who wanted to create a
safer and more supportive environment, according to one of the bill's sponsor. The
hearing begins at 1:30pm in the old state library.EPA announces Demolition of RTN Funeral Home complete.
The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday announced that the demolition of the
Return To Nature Funeral Home in Penrose is now complete. The EPA says that
demolition was completed on Saturday. The foundation was disinfected, demolished and
was then taken to the Otero County landfill. The foundation and surrounding area has
been replaced with clean soil. The demolition began one week ago today and took just 6
days to complete. The Return to Nature Funeral home came under investigation last
October after reports of a foul odor in the area. Investigators found 189 bodies in various
states of decomposition inside the building that were not properly stored. Funeral home
owners Jon and Carie Hallford were arrested in Oklahoma in November. They were
extradited back to Colorado where they are currently awaiting trial.Suspect arrested in Amber alert case.
The Amber Alert that was issued late Sunday throughout Colorado came about after a car
was stolen from a gas station in Aurora. The stolen car was left running in front of the
convenience store near the intersection of Iliff and Havana and was stolen around 9pm
Sunday. Inside the car, was 6-year-old Aaliyah Chance, hence the amber alert. The
stolen, white, 2015 jeep compass, along with Aaliyah, were found by authorities late
Sunday in Weld county, about 75 miles from where it was stolen. Police have identified
Kirk Abercrombie as the suspect. He was arrested and booked into the Aurora Detention
Center yesterday on charges of 2nd-degree kidnapping and felony motor vehicle theft.Alamosa Police Department to hold prescription drug take back this Saturday.
The Alamosa Police Department will host a national prescription drug take back day this
Saturday, April 27th, from 10am to 2pm. The drug take back day will provide a safe,
convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs and the community
can turn in their unwanted, expired or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances or
medications. No liquids of any kind will be accepted, however. Drop offs can be made
at the Alamosa Walgreens and City Market locations this Saturday from 10am to 2pm.
The program is anonymous and anyone can drop off prescription drugs.CDOT to performing lane striping operations at Exit 104 in Pueblo.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will be performing lane striping operations
requiring the closure of the Interstate 25 north and southbound off-ramps at Drew Dix
Parkway and Dillion Drive, Exit 104, in Pueblo for 2 nights this week. Beginning
Wednesday at 9pm through Thursday at 6am, the Northbound I-25 off-ramp at Exit 104
will be closed with two detour routes. Then, beginning on Thursday at 9pm through
Friday at 6am, the southbound I-25 off-ramp at Exit 104 will be closed with a detour in
place. Work will also take place again on Wednesday, May 1st.
April 22nd 2024
CDOT announces shorter detour around US 50 closure.
The Colorado Department of Transportation announced yesterday that a shorter detour
for U.S. Highway 50 is now in place after a bridge over part of blue mesa reservoir was
closed last week, closing the highway. The closure came after a crack was discovered on
a girder on the highway bridge near the dillon pinnacles. Beginning today, county road
26 will be open for local, essential travel only. Because county road 26 is a high-
mounain, unpaved road, travel times will be limited and commercial vehicles exceeding a
16,001 lb gross vehicle weight rating are prohibited. The schedule for piloted travel is 6
to 6:30am and 6 to 6:30pm for westbound travel, and 7 to 7:30am and 7 to 7:30pm for
eastbound travel. The road will remain closed at all other times. CDOT says U.S. 50
will remain closed "indefinitely" while bridge engineers continue to conduct safety
inspections.Rocky Ford Fire Department called to scene of active fire on Friday.
The Rocky Ford Fire Department on Friday were on the scene of an active fire burning in
the downtown area in a building that reportedly belongs to brewers construction near the
intersection of 11th street and railroad avenue. According to police, the fire was
impacting 10th street through 12th street and Railroad through Maple Avenue. Flames and
thick, heavy black smoke could be seen traveling southwest from the scene. It is not
clear if anyone was injured in connection with the fire. The cause of the fire remains
under investigation.D60 votes to close Roncalli Stem Academy.
The Pueblo District 60 board of education last week voted 3-2 to close Roncalli Stem
Academy at the end of the current school year. The board voted to close the school due
to a significant issue with the school's heating and air conditioning system. District 60
says most of the stem offerings at Roncalli will now be offered at Pueblo academy of
arts. They also say that other middle schools in Pueblo have enough space and staff to
accommodate around 250 Roncalli students. The assignment of Roncalli students will be
based on new middle school boundaries, which the board also approved last week.
Familes have the option of participating in school choice by visiting the Pueblo District
60 website.Ride the Rockies cycling event canceled this year.
The 38th year of Ride the Rockies has been canceled, according to the organization that
organizes the yearly cycling event in Colorado. This year's tour was expected to take
cyclists from Steamboat Springs to Fruita over the course of about a week in the month of
June. Organizers say that the 2024 event was canceled due to "limited registration". The
future of the event is uncertain at this time. When asked if Ride the Rockies will return,
organizers say they are "assessing the best options".CPW officials reminding public not to feed Wildlife.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are reminding the public to refrain from feeding
wildlife. Feeding wildlife is more harmful than helpful because human food is not
always healthy for wild animals. And, under Colorado law, feeding big game animals is
illegal. Those in violation are subject to fines and could cause the animal to become sick
and die. Enjoy wildlife from a safe distance and do not approach, touch or feed wild
animals. Keep your dog on a leash on trails. If you find a wild animal that appears sick
or injured, leave it alone. Then, call your local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office and
talk to a trained wildlife officer for guidance.