KSPK NEWS
January 22nd 2026
CO Front Range voters could decide approval on new Rail fund tax.
Colorado voters who live along the front range could decide whether or not to approve a
new tax to help fund passenger rail service between Pueblo and Fort Collins. Sal Pace,
General Manager of Colorado's front range passenger rail district, told lawmakers on
Tuesday that the agency wants to get prepared for a ballot measure, a process that will
require a lot of public engagement and feedback. The rail district was created by the
legislature in 2021 to oversee the planning, financing, construction and eventual
operation of passenger rail service along the I-25 corridor. The rail district plans to
launch an online platform this month to get public feedback on its plans, and also plans to
host 30 town hall meetings by the end of April. The agency also plans to ask for a bill
during the legislative session that will redefine the district to aline with the planned route,
which was not certain in 2021.
Crowley County man in custody following Walsenburg shooting.
A 43-year-old man from Crowley County is in custody following a shooting involving a
Walsenburg Police Officer. According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigaion,
Walsenburg Police and Huerfano County Sheriff's deputies tracked the man, who had an
active domestic violence-related warrant out against him, to the TA Express Travel
Center on the north side of Walsenburg, around 3pm yesterday afternoon. Officers and
deputies attempted to take the man into custody, but he drove away, leading officers on a
high speed chase, eventually pulling over near Mile Marker 43 on Highway 10. A
Walsenburg Police Officer fired their weapon in the course of the pursuit. The suspect
sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was provided medical aid on scene before
being taken to the hospital. No one else was injured.
CPW announces no new plans to translocated additional wolves.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced yesterday that it currently has no plans for
translocating additional gray wolves this release season, and continues to explore options
for translocations in the winter of 2026/2027. CPW says it will continue to meet with
producers and other stakeholder during this time, including The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
service, to explore how to maximize the restoration effort and achieve its plan of
establishing a self-sustaining gray wolf population in Colorado. CPW also says it will
continue to work with producers to implement the tactics outlined in the wolf-livestock
conflict minimization program guide. The Colorado Cattleman's Association, in a
response, said it views this decision as a constructive step that reflects the need for the
state to pause and address the ongoing concerns raised by livestock producers and rural
communities.
Cotter brothers make appearance in court yesterday.
Former Pueblo County Coroner and Davis Funeral home co-owner Brian Cotter, and his
brother Chris Cotter, were in court yesterday to face a small claims lawsuit from Deborah
Paraday who is trying to get her money back for the cremation she prepaid for several
years ago. The cotters are under investigation after 24 decomposing bodies were found
in a hidden room in the mortuary in August. No criminal charges have been filed as of
yet. Paraday's lawsuit will continue in March. Three other families have also filed a
civil case against the cotters.
Upcoming storm to help low CO snow pack.
With snow in the forecast for tomorrow and Saturday, Colorado's current snowpack
levels sit at 57% of average, a 6% drop from last week. As of yesterday, Colorado's
Snowpack by river basin is as follows: The North Platte at 65%, The Yampa and White
at 63%, The South Platte at 60%, The Gunnison at 56%, The Colorado River Basin at
55%, The Upper Rio Grande at 50%, The San Juan & Dolores at 49% and The Arkansas
River Basin sits at 45%. While the anticipated snowfall will be helpful, more storms of
similar magnitude are needed to change the trend of this winter season.
January 21st 2026
New State Legislature bill could pave way for people to sue over rights violations.
A new bill introduced in the Colorado State Legislature would pave a legal way for
people to sue if they get hurt or if their rights are violated during immigration
enforcement. SB26-005, the "rights violation in immigration enforcement remedy",
would give a person a leal right to file a civil lawsuit against anyone who injures them or
violates their constitutional rights during immigration enforcement. The bill could apply
to immigration and customs enforcement agents, or anyone else. The bill was one of the
first bills Colorado Democrats introduced in the legislative session this year. State Senate
Minority Leader Cleave Simpson, of Alamosa, says he has concerns. Simpson says "the
bill potentially increases the risk of assaults on law enforcement personnel, rather than
protecting and serving the citizens of Colorado." He says "public safety for our frontline
workers, law enforcement agents and the general public continues to be a high priority".
CSP arrest suspect evading arrest near Trinidad.
Following 21 months of evading arrest, The Colorado State Patrol arrested Claudio
Montijo Avila near Trinidad on January 4th. According to The Colorado Springs Police
Department, Avila, 36, is accused of first degree murder after the victim, Antonio
Jimenez-Garibay, was found dead at the scene in the 4200 block of Galley Road in
Colorado Springs in October of 2022. Jimenez-Garibay's death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Avila for first degree murder in April of
2024. After almost 2 years, Avila has now been booked into The El Paso County jail.
He is being held without bond.
CDFPC release suspected cause of Pueblo county explosion.
The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control says that investigators believe that
the deadly home explosion in Pueblo County near boon earlier this month was likely
caused by the installation of a water heater. Investigators noted that propane gas was
present at the scene during their investigation. 66-year-old Tammy Lee Brown and 79-
year-old Daniel Dale Conner died in the explosion. The investigation into the incident
remains open. A full report on the explosion is expected to be complete in the middle of
next month.
Conviction handed down in Fort Carson case.
Army Sergeant Jacob Curtis Keyser, Army Staff Sergeant Juan Salcedo, and one
additional, unnamed person, all three active duty soldiers at Fort Carson, have been
convicted of poaching four mule deer at Fort Carson and one on state land. According to
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the investigation began in November of 2024, after a hunter
reported finding a buck that looked like it had been poached. Investigators found 2 of the
animals partially processed, with only select cuts of meat and the antlers removed.
Investigators found social media images that identified Keyser and Salcedo as suspects.
the soldiers are facing various wildlife charges, suspension points and fines. The three
now face possible lifetime hunting and fishing bans across all 50 states.
CPW announces another Gray Wolf Mortality.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says it was alerted of the mortality of female gray wolf 2504
on Friday, January 16th. CPW has confirmed that the death took place in Northwest
Colorado. As gray wolves are federally listed under the endangered species act, The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife service is investigating the mortality. A final determination of the
cause of death will not be made until the investigation is complete, including
thenecropsy. Gray wolf 2504 was part of the group of wolves translocated to Colorado from
British Columbia in January of last year. No further details were provided.
January 20th 2026
Former Mesa County Clerk involved in prison altercation Sunday.
Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, and another inmate at the la vista correctional
facility in Pueblo, got into an altercation on Sunday, according to The Colorado
Department of Corrections. DOC said that peters was moved to a different part of the
prison following what they called an "incident". Video released by DOC shows the
aftermath of what Peters' attorneys say was a situation where peters was filling a bucket
with water in a maintenance closet and another inmate approached her and began striking
her. The video shows two people, both wearing prison outfits, with arms locked around
one another after they came out into a room. Peters, 70, is serving a nine-year sentence
after being convicted on four felony, and three misdemeanor, charges of tampering with
election machines. DOC says the moving of an inmate is normal protocol following
situations like the one on Sunday.
Cotter brothers to appear in Court in connection to new lawsuit.
Former Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter and his brother, Chris Cotter, who both
operated The Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, are expected to appear for a court trial this
morning in connection with a lawsuit filed against them by family members of the loved
ones who were left to decay in a hidden room at the mortuary. The lawsuit was filed on
behalf of seven family members of victims and claims that the cotters defrauded the
families by taking the money for their loved ones' cremation and leaving the bodies to
decompose in the building. The families are asking for a jury trial and are seeking
payment for damages for the pain and suffering they have been through. The trial that
begins today is only for the lawsuit. Brian and Chris Cotter have not been arrested and
have not been charged with criminal offenses as of yet.
Partnership between National Forests and grasslands has begun.
The Pike and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National
grasslands have begun a 10-year partnership and $7.3 million investment to implement
forest health treatments as part of the war department’s readiness and environmental
protection integration program. The partners will use $3 million in repi funds, along with
$4.3 million in partner contributions, to treat 2,000 acres of national forest system land
and non federal lands near The U.S. Air Force Academy and Cheyenne Mountain Space
Force Station. The repi program preserves military missions by avoiding land use
conflicts near military installations, addressing environmental restrictions that limit
military activities and increasing military installation resilience.
CSP says Pueblo County crashes and citations are on the rise.
The Colorado State Patrol says that speeding crashes and citations in Pueblo County have
risen significantly from 2023 to 2025. Crashes involving speed as a main factor have
risen from 74 in 2023 to 87 in 2025, a 17% change in two years. 2024 saw 77 crashes
with speed as a factor. Speeding citation also rose with 1,460 in 2023 to 1,730 citations
in 2025, an 18.49% increase. The majority of speeding and aggressive driving calls
received by CSP are linked to I-25 throughout Pueblo County, although U.S. 50 is no less
a concern. CSP says it receives reports of drivers traveling at speeds of 100mph or more
on I-25, particularly between Pueblo and Colorado Springs, every day. CSP says it will
make a concerted effort in 2026 to crack down on speeding on the interstate with a
particular focus on I-25 between Pueblo and Colorado Springs.
CDA announces confirmation of horse positive for amenia and equine piroplasmosis.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s state veterinarian’s office has announced a
confirmation of a horse in Adams County that is positive for both equine infectious anemia
and equine piroplasmosis. The initial positive was identified on December 8th during
routine testing for movement. Confirmatory testing was completed at the USDA’s national
veterinary services laboratory on December 23rd. The premises where the horse resides has
been placed under quarantine and the initial positive horse was euthanized. Additional
tracing and resting is underway for 13 other horses that were exposed. The investigation
is ongoing.
January 19th 2026
CO Gov Polis clarifies past Tina Peters comments in interview last week.
In a news interview last week, Colorado Governor Jared Polis clarified his comments
about Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who is serving a 9 year prison sentence
after being convicted of crimes for orchestrating a breach of Mesa County's election
equipment. In the interview, Polis said it was "very unusual in our state that they would
get that kind of punishment", calling Peters a first-time offender, and the crime a
nonviolent offense. Tina Peters has applied for clemency through the governor's office.
Polis said there are hundreds of people who have applied for clemency. He said his
office looks at things like sentences that are too long, and how well people have behaved
behind bars. Polis said he does intend to "really lean into that value of mercy and see
what [he] can do to help give people a second chance".
CO Congressman Crow introduced legislation to stop potential Greenland invasion.
Colorado Congressman Jason Crow has introduced legislation aimed at stopping The
U.S. from invading NATO member states, such as Greenland, as many Democratic and
Republican congressmen speak out against The Trump Administration's attempts to
acquire the danish territory. President Donald Trump says that The U.S. needs Greenland
for national security reasons. The U.S. currently has one military base in the territory.
Called the "no funds for NATO invasion act", the bill would prohibit any federal funds
from being made available for the invasion of a NATO member state or territory, and
would prohibit any officer or employee of The U.S. from taking any action to execute an
invasion of a NATO member state or territory. Last week, Crow called on The Trump
Administration to abandon its attempts at nation-building abroad and to instead focus on
lowering costs and making life more affordable for Americans at home.
CO State Legislature bill could give CO utilities more time to meet clean goals.
Current Colorado law requires electric utilities to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80%
by 2030. A new bill, SB26-022, in The Colorado State Legislature would give utilities
more time to meet Colorado's ambitious clean energy goals as residents grapple with
rising electric costs. The bill is sponsored by Senator Marc Snyder and Senate Minority
Leader Cleave Simpson in the Senate, and by Representative Amy Paschal and House
Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell in the House. The bill would allow utilities to notify the
state of challenges by May 31st, and submit updated clean energy plans by the end of the
year. The bill would also limit regulatory action to keep rates from rising more than
1.5% annually while maintaining reliability.
Second victim identified in Pueblo County explosion.
The Pueblo County Coroner's office has identified Tammy Lee Brown, 66, as the second
person who was killed following a house explosion in Pueblo County earlier this month.
The Coroner's office had previously identified Daniel Dale Conner, 79, as the other
person who died. Sheriff's deputies responded to the report of an explosion near 57th lane
and cherry road in Eastern Pueblo county on January 8th, around 2:45pm. The structure
was fully engulfed in flames when deputies arrived. The cause of the explosion remains
under investigation.
CPW working to re introduce wolverines into State of Colorado.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is working to re-introduce wolverines into the State of
Colorado. SB24-171, legislation passed by the state legislature in 2024, authorizes the
restoration of the North American Wolverine in the state and made an appropriation to do so.
CPW is working to finalize the 106-page plan to reintroduce the long-haired predator.
The plan calls for the translocation of up to 15 wolverines per season, for 3-plus season,
for a total of 45 translocated wolverines. No date has yet been set for releasing the
wolverines into Colorado.
January 16th 2026
CO Gov Polis gives final state of the state address yesterday.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis gave his final state of the state address yesterday at The
Colorado State Capitol, covering a wide range of topics like the increasing cost of living
in Colorado to international affairs. Polis spent almost 90 minutes reflecting on 7 years of
policy changes, touting his work in early childhood development, education, health care,
housing and public safety. While Democrats stood and applauded the Governor multiple
times throughout his speech, Republican lawmakers mostly remained in their seats. Polis
spent part of his speech criticizing The Trump Administration and Republicans saying
policies coming out of Washington are standing in the way of Colorado's progress.
Lawmakers are also facing budget shortfalls in both the current year's budget as well as
next year's budget.
CO SOS joins calls not to release Tina Peters from custody.
Following Colorado Governor Jared Polis' admission that Former Mesa County Clerk
Tina Peters' sentence was "harsh" during a news interview last week, Colorado Secretary
of State Jena Griswold joined other county clerks renewing calls urging the Governor not
to pardon Peters. Polis suggested a possible commutation for Peters during the news
interview. A letter signed by Griswold and officials from The Colorado County Clerk's
Association comes 2 months after state county clerks urged Polis to keep Peters in state
custody. Peters was convicted of state crimes and sentenced to 9 years behind bars for
granting unauthorized access to Mesa County voting systems. President Donald Trump
pardoned Peters last month. Peters' attorneys say she is entitled to at least a new
sentencing hearing because the judge in the case based his sentence partially on a
contempt conviction in a related case that was thrown out last year. They are also asking
the appeals court to recognize Trump's pardon and immediately set Peters free.
CDPHE announces decline of flu hospitalizations in Colorado.
The State of Colorado has seen a decline in flu hospitalizations following a spike during
the holidays. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says that we
are still in the early months of flu season with around 4 months to go. The majority of
cases so far this flu season have been from a mutated strain of the virus called subclade-k,
which has led to severe symptoms in some people. CDPHE does say that, while it is
possible that Colorado has seen its peak in flu cases, Influenza B and H1N1 haven't
really made much of an appearance in the state, so there's always that possibility of a
second wave due to one of those viruses.
Huerfano County Sheriff Newman announces reelection campaign.
Huerfano County Sheriff Bruce Newman has announced that he will seek a 7th term in
office, saying that he is not ready to retire and enjoys his work. Newman made the
announcement last week during a meeting of The Huerfano County Democratic Party's
Central Committee. While running for his current term, Newman announced that it
would be his last and that he would retire. Newman has filed an affidavit with The
Colorado Secretary of State's Office confirming his candidacy.
CPW seeking applications wetlands programs.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking applications for wetland and riparian restoration,
enhancement and creation projects to support the wetlands for wildlife program. CPW
will award over $1.2 million in funds from Great Outdoors Colorado and Colorado
waterfowl stamps to projects in Colorado that support the wetlands for wildlife programs
main goals, which are to improve the distribution and abundance of ducks and
opportunities for public waterfowl hunting, and to improve the status of declining or at-
risk species. For more information, go to cpw.state.co.us/wetlands-wildlife-grants.
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