KSPK 102.3 & 100.3 FM

Colorado House District 47 Representative Ty Winter interview.

Today we finish up with my conversation with Colorado House District 47 Representative Ty Winter, who spoke to me about the now completed legislative session. Here's Ty Winter... (cart cut 1). District 47 Representative Ty Winter.

CPW releases more information on Lake Pueblo drowning.

More information was released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife yesterday about the man who drowned in Lake Pueblo on Wednesday. According to CPW, the 53-year-old man went out into the water to help kids who were struggling in rough waters. There were four children in all, two of whom were the man's children. The other two were friends. All of the kids are safe. Other people in the area saw the man go under and attempted to pull him out of the lake. A call for help was received around 2:45pm Wednesday. "witnesses, park staff and medical personnel" all reportedly tried CPR for 40 minutes but were unsuccessful. The man was not wearing a life jacket. the water was cold and there were heavy winds at the time. The Pueblo Coroner has not identified the man. No official cause of death has yet been released.

RG National Forest Seasonal road closures lifted.

Seasonal road closures on the Rio Grande National Forest were lifted last night. Most of the forest road gates will now be opened, however, at higher elevations, many roads may still be impassable due to mud and snow. Visitors are advised not to attempt to drive through patches of snow or over muddy areas to avoid getting stuck and to prevent damage to the roads. And, never attempt to drive off-road to get around snow drifts. All motorized travel on the Rio Grande National Forest is regulated. Free motor vehicle use maps can be obtained at a forest service office or online. Call 719-850-2374 for more information.

May 15th 2025

Colorado House District 47 Representative Ty Winter interview.

Let's continue with more from my conversation with Colorado House District 47 Representative Ty Winter, picking up where we left off yesterday... (cart cut 1). District 47 representative Ty Winter. and, we'll have more with Ty again tomorrow.

CO Gov Polis under pressure from both parties on union bill.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis is under increasing pressure from labor advocates and business groups over whether or not to sign SB25-005, a bill that could reshape Colorado's unionization laws. The worker protection act aims to make it easier for employees to form labor unions by eliminating Colorado's unique requirement for a second election. Supports say the bill would empower workers and level the playing field. Opponents say the bill could have broader economic consequences for Colorado. Labor advocates are pushing for Polis' signature. Business groups are lobbying for a veto. Polis has not yet announced what he will do.

Drowning at Lake Pueblo yesterday.

A man around 50 years old has died at Lake Pueblo State Park after he attempted to save several kids who were struggling in the water, yesterday afternoon. According to Lake Pueblo State Park officials, several children were swimming in the lake and began to struggle as the wind and waves picked up. The man went into the lake to help them. The man then also began to struggle. The man was pulled from the lake, but had already gone under the water. Officials and responders attempted CPR, but the man died at the scene. The man was not wearing a life jacket. He has not yet been identified.

Crash closes North I-25 near Colorado City yesterday.

The northbound lanes of Interstate 25 were closed yesterday morning at mile marker 72, just south of Colorado City. According to the Colorado State Patrol, troopers responded to a crash at 2:53am yesterday. A semi truck carrying vodka rolled over, blocking the northbound lanes. The driver was transported to the hospital. Traffic was being detoured at exit 71, with cleanup efforts taking an extended amount of time. The cause of the rollover remains under investigation.

May 14th 2025

Colorado House District 47 Representative Ty Winter interview.

I had the chance to talk with Colorado House District 47 Representative Ty Winter about the now-concluded Colorado legislative session. Here is some of what Ty said... (cart cut 1). District 47 representative Ty Winter. There's a lot more to our conversation, and I'll have that for you over the course of the next couple of days.

Trinidad Hometown pharmacy owner ordered to pay fine.

The owner of hometown pharmacy and medical in Trinidad has been ordered to pay a fine of $250,000 following allegations of improperly handing out opioids. According to The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, hometown pharmacy ignored red flags and dispensed controlled substances, including opioids, to patients at times when they shouldn't have. Such situations include when prescriptions were for high daily doses of opioids, were for dangerous drug combinations, where patients had insurance but paid cash for their prescriptions, patients had traveled long distances for their prescriptions, and patients repeatedly sought early prescription refills. The U.S. Attorney’s Office settled with cobigred, inc., the owner of the pharmacy, agreeing to pay the civil penalty. The pharmacy did not admit any liability as part of the agreement.

CBI asking for Public's help in locating missing child.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is asking for the public's help in locating thirteen- year-old Alyssa Ortega, from Center in the San Luis Valley. Alyssa was last seen at 2pm on Sunday. Alyssa is Hispanic, stands 5-foot-1 and weighs 120 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black pants and a tan or brown hoodie. She was last seen at Washington Way and West 4th street, near the city park in Center. Anyone with any information about Alyssa Ortega is asked to call the Center Police Department at 719-655-2544.

Raton correctional officer charged with contraband charge.

Amber Salazar, a correctional officer in Raton, has been charged with one count of bringing contraband into the Vigil-Maldonado detention center in Raton. Salazar admitted that she met with an inmate's girlfriend at a hotel in Raton and was given five to seven balloons to bring to the jail. Salazar reportedly told authorities that she brought the contraband to work and hid it in Gilbert Romero's clothing, which she then delivered to his cell on April 14th. Gilbert Romero is facing one charge of conspiracy to commit bringing contraband to the jail.

May 13th 2025

New bill in Congress could significantly change medicaid.

A new bill being considered in congress could significantly change medicaid, a program that more than a million Coloradans depend on for their healthcare coverage. While it's too early to say how exactly Colorado could be impacted by the proposed changes, the bill, introduced late Sunday, would require able-bodied adults without children to work, go to school or volunteer at least 80 hours a month to continue receiving benefits. It would also reduce federal funding to states like Colorado that offer state-funded healthcare to undocumented immigrants. Republicans say the plan "strengthens medicaid" by rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in the program. Democrats say the bill will hurt Colorado families. The U.S. House Energy and Commerce committee will begin reviewing and marking up the bill today.

Xcel Energy Alamosa planned electric outage rescheduled.

Xcel Energy had planned for an electric outage to take place within the City of Alamosa this coming Saturday, however, after hearing from several community partners, Xcel has notified the city that there will be a change to the date of the planned outage. The new tentatively scheduled sate for the upcoming planned outage will now be Saturday, May 31st from approximately 10pm to 3am. The outage is needed to prepare for the upcoming pike avenue road rebuild, which is scheduled for the summer of 2026. The area that will be impacted includes Alamosa's downtown and areas on the west side of the city and could potentially affect as many as 5,000 excel energy customers. For more information, contact Xcel energy's customer service number at 1-800-895-4999.

Fire erupted at wood products facility south of Raton yesterday.

A fire erupted at the western wood products facility south of Raton about 11:40am yesterday, sending massive amounts of smoke into the air. According to fire officials, the fire was sparked by hot high pressure hydraulic fluid which sprayed out from a front end loader, igniting wood chips, which then quickly spread to wooden pallets. About 50 firefighters battled the blaze to keep it from spreading to nearby buildings and the surrounding area. The fire is expected to continue to smolder for the next couple of days. Fire fighters continue to keep a watch on the fire to extinguish any hot spots.

CDOT to begin resurfacing project along CO 112 to US 285.

The Colorado Department of Transportation will begin a resurfacing project today along Colorado Highway 112 from Del Norte to the U.S. Highway 285 junction. The project will improve approximately 13 miles of Colorado 112 with work including milling, paving and bridge structure repair work. Additional work will include railroad track repairs and utility upgrades at the Rio Grande bridge location. Work hours will start a half hour after sunrise and run until a half hour prior to sunset. Motorists should plan for 15-minute delays. The project is expected to be complete by the end of September.

Public memorial service for Bishop's castle Creater set.

A pubic memorial service for James "Jim" Roland Bishop, the Creater of Bishop's castle north of Rye, has been set for Saturday, July 5th. Bishop passed away on November 21st of last year, leaving a legacy and cherished memories for those who knew him and for who ever visited the castle. A small memorial was held last December. A public memorial was tentatively planned then for this summer, so that locals and visitors from near and far could gather at the iconic castle, which is located at 12705 State Highway 165. A time will be announced at a later date.

May 12th 2025

Rockslide closes Las Animas County Road Friday.

A rockslide on Las Animas County Road 31.9, the wet canyon road, on Friday, has closed the road, located about 5 miles northwest of Weston, west of the City of Trinidad. Two vehicle-sized boulders along with a good deal of rubble has been strewn across both lines of the roadway. No injures were reported from the slide on Friday. Crews with Las Animas County are working to get the road reopened, however, there is no definite timeline as to when the road will reopen. The recent rains are believed to have been the cause of the slide. Las Animas County is suggesting that drivers in the area take County Road 32.5 to County Road 41.7, The Saracillo Canyon Road.

CDOT announces Pueblo County intersection improvement project.

The Colorado Department of Transportation has announced that it will begin an intersection improvement project at U.S. 50 and Baxter Road in Pueblo County on June 2nd. Work at the intersection will include widening the north side of U.S. 50 to improve the turning radius to and from Baxter road, converting the right westbound lane into a dedicated turn lane and acceleration lane, adding channelized islands to separate opposing traffic, milling and paving, installing new curb and gutter, and adding streetlights and signs. The work zone will extend on U.S. 50 east to west from mile marker 7 to mile marker 8. Warning signage will be posted before the work zone to alert travelers of lane closures. Work will take place from 8:30am to 3pm, Monday through Friday. Work is expected to be complete in late July.

Rio Grande County Commissioners deny acquatics center request.

Rio Grande County Commissioners last week unanimously denied a request to place a $24 million acquatics center before voters on a special election ballot that would have taken place in the fall. The proposed ballot issue was the latest attempt to pass the project. The proposal included a $24 million aquatics center that would mostly be funded by a perpetual tax increase of 8.5 mills. Most people who spoke at the meeting were reportedly against the proposal citing the tax increase and the large mill levy proposed for the project. Commissioners also cited water and sewer issues coming up in the county that could prevent the county from discharging the proposed indebtedness on a reasonable basis.

CDOT and law enforcement agencies begin seat belt campaign.

The Colorado Department of Transportation, along with the Colorado State Patrol and 39 local law enforcement agencies will begin their largest seat belt campaign of the year today. Over the course of the next 21 days, drivers can expect to see increased patrols focusing on citations to unbuckled drivers. 49 unbuckled people have lost their lives on colorado roads already this year, making up 38% of all vehicle occupant fatalities. The national highway traffic safety administration estimates that wearing a seatbelt in the front seat of a passenger vehicle can reduce fatal injury risk by 45%, and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50%. A total of 1,782 citations were issued last year with 74 of those for unrestrained children. The enforcement period lasts until June 1st.

Philmont Scount Ranch announces grant from NM recreation.

The Philmont Scout Ranch, located south of Raton in New Mexico, has announced that it has received a $99,999 outdoor recreation trails plus grant from the New Mexico economic development's outdoor recreation division. The funding will support the revitalization of the historic 3.5-mile Philmont Santa Fe trail – Cimarron heritage trail, enhancing connectivity between Philmont and old town Cimarron. The project will repair and widen the existing footpath and will add clear trail markings for improved navigation. The project will take place this fall through spring of next year. For more information about the Philmont Scout Ranch, visit www.philmontscoutranch.org.

KSPK Public File KSBK Public File

Currently On Air: