November 5th 2025
Propositions LL and MM Pass in yesterday's election.
Coloradans yesterday passed Propositions LL and MM. The two tax increases on
yesterday's ballot were both about funding Colorado's "healthy school meals for all"
program. The "yes" on MM now increases taxes on households that make over $300,000
to continue the "healthy school meals for all" program. The "yes" vote on LL gives the
state permission to not send tabor refunds to taxpayers and instead keep over $12 million
in excess revenue from the first "healthy school meals for all" tax proposition that was
passed in 2022. When the "healthy school meals for all" program passed in 2022, it
allocated just over $100 million in new tax revenues to provide school meals to all
children, not just low-income children. The state underestimated the amount of revenue
the new tax would generate and so had to ask voters to keep the additional tax collected.
Democrats cheered the victory last night. The Colorado GOP opposed both propositions.
Taking a look at results from yesterday's election…
In Huerfano County, in The Huerfano RE-1 School District School Board Director, the
top 3 vote-getters were Alyssa Sandoval with 31.1% of the vote, followed by Debra
Sporleder with 23.8% of the vote, and Marcy R. Freeburg with 23.1% of the vote. Daniel
Allen Moyer received 22.0% of the vote. In the La Veta School District RE-2 school
board director race for a 2 year term, Gerald Eugene Arnold has won with 38.4% of the
vote. Kathy Jean Brown has also won with 38.2% of the vote. Russell Boring received
23.4% of the vote. In the La Veta School District RE-2 school board director race for a 4
year term, both candidates have won, Carolyn Rominger with 54.6% of the vote and
Charles Morris with 45.4% of the vote. The City of Walsenburg Ballot issue 300, to fund
The Walsenburg Police Department, has lost with 65.6% no votes to 34.4% yes votes.
The City of Walsenburg Ballot question 2A, to make city clerk and treasurer appointed
offices has also lost with 58.4% no votes to 41.6% yes votes. And, The La Veta Fire
Protection ballot issue 600 to increase taxes for the district has won with 69.6% yes votes
to 30.4% no votes.
In Alamosa County, in the City of Alamosa councilor at large race, Jan Vigil has won
with 73.3% of the vote. Zachary Reaves received 26.7% of the vote. In the City of
Alamosa councilor for Ward 4, Mark T. Martinez has won with 78.6% of the vote. Alex
Brown received 21.4% of the vote.
In Las Animas County, in the City of Trinidad mayoral race, Cy Michaels has won with
60.4% of the vote. “Manny” Manuel Trujillo received 39.6% of the vote. In the City of
Trinidad Council member at large race, the top 3 vote-getters have won. They are: Dan
Ruscetti with 22.3% of the vote, Tim Peters with 17.5% of the vote and Carmela Vanore
with 16.7% of the vote. The remaining candidates are as follows: Eric Treider with
14.2% of the vote, Linda Velasquez with 13.4% of the vote, Thomas A. Kosovich, Jr.,
with 9.2% of the vote and Michael M. Yocom with 6.7% of the vote. The City of
Trinidad Ballot Issue 2A,to continue the 1% sales tax, has won with 75.2% yes votes to
24.8% no votes. And, The Aguilar School District RE-6 ballot issue 4A, to increase debt
to improve the school, has won with 59.4% yes votes to 40.6% no votes.
In Costilla County, The Costilla County referred measure 1A, term limits on county
offices, has lost with 85.1% no votes and 14.9% yes votes. The Costilla County
ambulance district ballot issue 5A, to increase taxes to fund the district, has lost with
51.7% no votes to 48.3% yes votes. And, The Costilla County Ambulance District Ballot
Issue 5B, to waive the property tax limit, has also lost with 54.7% no votes to 45.3% yes
votes.
In Custer County, The Custer County ballot issue 1A, to increase lodging taxes, has lost
with 66.6% no votes to 33.4% yes votes.
In Crowley County, The Crowley County School District RE-1J ballot issue 5A, to
increase debt for school improvements, has lost with 60% no votes to 40% yes votes.
Taking a look at school races and issues…
In the Center Consolidated School District 26 JT Director district 1 race, William Eddie
Wilson has won with 68.5% of the vote. Sonya Flores received 31.6% of the vote. In the
Center Consolidated School District 26 JT Director District B race, Amanda Garcia has
won with 62.7% of the vote. Eidy Guaderrama received 37.3% of the vote.
In the Sanford School District 6J Director at large race, the top 2 vote getters have won.
They are: Jeff Peterson with 35.7% of the vote, and Tyler G. Woods with 34.1% of the
vote. Monica Edgar received 30.2% of the vote.
In The Sangre De Cristo School District RE-22J director at large race, the top 2 vote
getters have won. They are: Lance Curtis with 37.7% of the vote, and Michael Jones
with 36.2% of the vote. William Squires received 26.1% of the vote. In the Sangre De
Cristo School District RE-22J director district south, Jess Freel has won with 55.7% of
the vote. Jason Tillman received 44.3% of the vote.
The Alamosa School District RE-11J ballot issue 5A, to increase tax to improve
buildings, has lost with 52.4% no votes to 47.6% yes votes.
The Center Consolidated School District 26JT Ballot question 5B has lost with 76.5% no
votes to 23.5% yes votes.
The Crowley County School District RE1-J ballot issue 5A, to increase debt to improve
the school, has lost with 60.6% no votes to 39.4% yes votes.
November 4th 2025
El Paso County Court Judge rejects RTN co-owner plea agreement.
El Paso County Court Judge Eric Bentley yesterday rejected a plea agreement for former
return to nature funeral home co-owner Carie Hallford. Hallford, along with her husband
Jon, are accused of leaving 191 bodies to decay at the former penrose funeral home and
allegedly giving families fake cremains. During yesterday's hearing, victims made
objections to the plea deal of 15 to 20 years for Carie, noting that they believe the
sentence is too short. Jon Hallford's plea agreement in the same case was rejected last
year. Yesterday, the judge rejected Carie's for the same reasons. Carie Hallford's case
will now proceed to trial. A trial date in the case has tentatively been set for October 6th
of next year. Jon Hallford's trial is set to begin on February 9th.
New York man dies after semi truck crash in Wolf Creek Pass.
A New York man died yesterday morning after the semi-truck he was driving went off
the side of Wolf Creek Pass. According to the Colorado State Patrol, troopers responded
to the crash involving one semi-truck around 8:21am on U.S. 160, 17 miles east of
Pagosa Springs, before the scenic overlook. Troopers said a 2020 freightliner hauling a
container filled with canned drinks was traveling westbound near mile marker 161 when
the truck struck a barrier wall on the right side of the highway, causing the truck to careen
to the left, through the guardrail, and down the steep embankment. The driver, a 23-year-
old man, was ejected from the cab. Troopers believe that the semi was traveling at an
excessive speed while the brakes were smoking. The driver failed to use the runaway
truck ramp 1.5 miles before the crash. An extended recovery is taking place as crews
work to remove the semi and trailer from the mountain.
Morphew suspect makes brief court appearance yesterday.
Barry Morphew, who was indicted by a grand jury for the first-degree murder of his wife
Suzanne Morphew, made a brief court appearance in Alamosa District Court yesterday.
Morphew's attorney told Alamosa County Chief Judge Amanda Hopkins yesterday that
his defense team is working with the state to answer their questions. Prosecutors told the
court that the state's paralegals are helping Morphew's attorneys find out what they are
looking for in the discovery phase. Morphew's arraignment was once again continued,
however, Judge Hopkins stated this would be the final time. Morphew will have to enter
a plea at his next hearing, which is scheduled for the afternoon of January 12th.
Several drivers have licenses suspended for excessive speeds in Custer County.
The Custer County Sheriff's Office says that two drivers had their licenses suspended
after each was ticketed for excessive speeds late last month. The Sheriff's Office says
that a 71-year-old woman from Colorado Springs was ticketed for driving her Porsche at
96mph in a 55mph zone near Wetmore on October 22nd. An 18-year-old man from
Fountain was ticketed for allegedly driving his Honda at 92mph in a 50mph zone near
silver cliff on October 24th. Speeding by 40mph over the posted limit carries a fine of
$300 to $1000 and can result in up to 10 days in county jail. The Custer County Sheriff's
office urges all motorists to observe posted speed limits and to drive safely, particularly
in rural mountain areas prone to wildlife crossings and low light conditions.
Election Day is Today.
Today is election day. Don't forget to vote your ballot and then place it in a ballot drop
box in your county or take it to your county clerk's office. Remember, this is the last day
to turn in your ballot, so don't mail it. All ballots must be received by your county clerk
by 7pm tonight. No late ballots will be accepted. And, we will have election results
tonight, beginning after 7pm, right here on KSPK-FM.
November 3rd 2025
3rd Congressional Rep Hurd sends letter to US energy secretary Thursday.
3rd Congressional District U.S. Representative Jeff Hurd sent a letter to energy secretary
Chris Wright on Thursday, asking him to issue an emergency order to keep the two units
at the Comanche power plant in Pueblo to keep operating as there is a risk of an energy
shortfall if the coal-fired facility is shut down as planned. Hurd's letter says that "the
state's politically driven rush to decommission otherwise safe, reliable and efficient
generation" could leave Colorado short of reliable sources of electricity. Xcel Energy has
already shut down unit 1 at the facility with unit 2 planned to close by the end of the year.
Unit 3, which is currently offline due to chronic malfunctions, is scheduled to be shut
down by the end of 2030. Pueblo County Commissioners in September asked President
Trump and Wright to order that the coal plants keep running until a new energy facility is
built that can provide the kind of jobs and revenue the current facility provides.
Pueblo Police dispatched for gunshots report Saturday morning.
Pueblo Police were dispatched to the 1100 block of west 13th street around 3am on
Saturday after a shotspotter there detected 27 gunshots. A report that two people had
been shot in the same area also came in around the same time. When officers arrived on
scene, they found the two shooting victims, who were transported to the hospital. One of
the victims, 20-year-old eric torres, died from his injuries later Saturday morning. The
other victim is in stable condition. Pueblo police say they have not yet identified a
suspect. They say this was a targeted incident and that there's no danger to the public.
this was Pueblo's 12th homicide of the year.
New Mexico man arrested on sexual exploitation charges last Tuesday.
The Colfax County Sheriff's Office, along with The Santa Fe Police Department internet
crimes against children unit, executed a search warrant last Tuesday in Maxwell, New
Mexico. During the operation, Cameron Ogletree was identified and taken into custody
without incident. Ogletree was subsequently charged with sexual exploitation of children
under 13 and sexual exploitation of children distribution. Ogletree was transported to the
Maldonado detention center in Raton where he is being held. The sheriff's office asks
that anyone with any information related to the case to contact Raton Central Dispatch at
575-445-2704.
Colorado City rest stop scheduled to reopen this Saturday.
After being closed for almost a month, The Cuerno Verde Rest Area along Interstate 25
near Colorado City was scheduled to be reopened on Saturday at 9am. According to the
Colorado Department of Transportation, The HVAC system in the building at the rest
area has been replaced. The rest area now also has dog areas, toilets, hand washing,
parking for both commercial and passenger vehicles. The rest area is also a stop for
bustang outrider services.
Fremont County Sheriff's office apprehended EMU Saturday.
The Fremont County Sheriff's office apprehended an EMU on Saturday who was running
around Penrose. Deputies wrangled the EMU, who was running willy-nilly around the
area of Fremont Street at 7th Street around 3pm on Saturday. Officials are hoping to
reunite the bird with its owner. If the owner of the EMU would call The Fremont County
Sheriff's office at 719-276-5555, extension 8, a reunion will be arranged.
October 31st 2025
Gov Polis announces approval of two emergency funding requests yesterday.
Governor Jared Polis' office announced yesterday that Colorado's joint budget committee
has approved two emergency funding requests, including $10 million for food banks
during the federal government shutdown. Polis announced his request for the funding
last week, hoping it would bridge the gap as food banks become more in demand with
supplemental nutrition assistance program (or snap) benefits expected to dry up
beginning tomorrow, due to the federal shutdown. The $10 million however is unlikely
to address the increased need fully, as Colorado normally receives about $120 million
each month from the federal government for snap. Polis said in a statement that the
money will help food banks meet record demand and continue wic so that no parent or
child goes hungry in Colorado.
Some CO head start programs to start running out of funding beginning tomorrow.
Some Colorado head start programs will run out of money beginning tomorrow, due to
the government shutdown. Those programs are specifically head start in the Thompson
School District, Poudre School District, Adams County and the community partnership
for child development in Colorado Springs. Six more headstart programs will lose
funding beginning on December 1st. 48 programs in Colorado receive federal grants
through the department of health and human services. Each program has different,
staggered contracts with the federal government. Headstart serves 11,000 low-income
children in colorado, infants through preschoolers, through a total of $120 million in
annual federal funding. The first 4 programs to lose funding tomorrow will be kept afloat
by their districts for next month, however, there is no continuing plan after next month if
the shutdown continues.
Trinidad City Council approves additional sources for project.
The Trinidad City Council has approved an additional $157,324 for engineering services
for the ongoing water storage tank rehabilitation project. The additional monies are for
added oversight and reporting demands for the project. The project, which began in
2022, is rehabilitating city water tanks that were built in 1967. The original $5.4 million
project was made possible through a $3.45 million federal loan. Of that amount, $2.2
million has been forgiven, meaning that the city will only have to repay $1.2 million over
the next 30 years. The project is expected to be complete by summer of next year.
Pueblo transit announces bus fare waved for snap recipients starting today.
Pueblo transit has announced that beginning today, October 31st, those who receive snap
benefits will be able to ride buses in Pueblo for free throughout the duration of the
government shutdown to assist the community. Those who are looking to utilize the free
rides will be asked to verify their snap benefits by showing a valid ebt card. Nearly a
quarter of Pueblo County's population receives snap benefits. The free rides aim to help
residents access food banks and other resources.
CDOT Halloween DUI Enforcement Period underway today.
Remember that the heat is on Halloween Weekend DUI Enforcement period is underway
today and continues through Monday. This Halloween, The Colorado State Patrol and
other law enforcement agencies are asking you to leave the keys behind if you'll be
consuming alcohol or cannabis. It's always better to call a sober friend or to use a
rideshare service than to put yourself and other Coloradans at risk. Celebrate Halloween
responsibly and plan a sober ride.
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