KSPK NEWS
April 23rd 2026
US CBP Agent issued summons to appear in La Plata County Court.
Nicholas rice, 47, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent, has been issued a
summons to appear in court in La Plata County on charges of misdemeanor third-degree
assault and criminal mischief. The charges stem from an incident during a protest outside
an ICE facility in Durango on October 28th, 2025, where he allegedly shoved a woman to
the ground. A masked agent was seen in multiple videos recorded by protesters grabbing
a woman's phone and throwing her to the ground. That agent has since been identified as
Rice. Rice was issued a summons and is due in court in Durango on May 27th. Court
records show that he has not yet retained or been assigned an attorney.
Senate ANR Committee rejects two out of three Gov Polis CPW picks.
The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, during a contentious hearing
yesterday, rejected two out of three of Governor Jared Polis' picks for the Colorado Parks
and Wildlife commission. The committee approved the appointment of Francis Blayney
to represent outfitters on the commission by a 7-0 vote. However, the panel's members
rejected the appointment of Christopher Sichko to represent sportsmen on a 3-4 vote,
noting that every sportsmen's group in Colorado opposes the nomination. John Emerick
was also rejected for an at-large seat by a vote of 2-5, noting that the committee did not
believe that the governor's pick is either qualified or prepared to serve in that seat. All
three nominations, including the two not recommended by the committee, will now move
on to the full senate for a confirmation vote.
Pueblo County School D70 BOE names new interim Superintendent.
The Pueblo County School District 70 Board of Education has named Robert Dipietro as
interim superintendent of the district, beginning July 1st. The announcement comes
following the announced retirement of Current District Superintendent Ronda Rein,
effective at the end of June. Dipietro is currently assistant superintendent at the district.
His education experience includes time as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and
district director of student services. The board reportedly wanted a continuity in
leadership as its reasoning in choosing Dipietro. The board of education is continuing in
its search for a superintendent for the 2027/2028 school year.
Suspect arrested by US Marshals and Walsenburg PD last Thursday in Walsenburg.
U.S. Marshals, along with Walsenburg Police Officers, arrested Rocky Balderrama, 40,
around 1pm last Thursday along Main Street in Walsenburg, while executing a felony
warrant. The joint operation came following a string of incidents that date back to
January that involve a series of violent incidents, alleging Balderrama held victims
captive, threatening to kill them, and was using weapons to intimidate them. Charges
against Balderrama include first-degree burglary, aggravated criminal extortion,
menacing, intimidating a witness or victim, false imprisonment and violation of a
protection order. His next scheduled court appearance is set for May 21st at 1pm at the
Huerfano County Courthouse.
Fort Carson officials warn public of month long training exercise.
Fort Carson officials are warning the public of noise and dust beginning on May 1st due to
a month-long training exercise on both Fort Carson and at The Pinon Canyon Maneuver
site 30 miles northeast of Trinidad. According to Fort Carson, this exercise, called ivy
mass, will run throughout the day and into the evening, with the goal of providing
commanders with data to make better, faster decisions on the battlefield. This training
with the 4th infrantry division dates back to September, as the department has
incrementally tested components of the army's next generation command and control
ecosystem. Noise complaints should be directed to The Fort Carson Public Affairs office
at 719-526-9849.
April 22nd 2026
Colorado Ballot Initiative 109 to decide gender identity role in youth sports.
Colorado voters will decide in November what role gender identity plays in youth sports.
Initiative 109, the protect women and girls sports act, submitted almost 169,000 petition
signatures to make its way onto the general election ballot. The final text of the measure
says that separating athletic teams by sex due to "physical differences between males and
females" reduces the chance for injury, promotes equality, and "allows female athletes to
compete on a fair playing field for athletic accomplishments, including educational
scholarships". The group "protect kids Colorado" is behind the initiative. The proposal
encompasses students ranging from elementary school to college, who would have to
classify their sports teams as male, female, or coeducational. Teams designated as female
would not be open to male students. Male teams would be open to female students if no
female team is offered for the specific sport.
CO Lawmakers strike down appointed members proposal.
Colorado lawmakers have struck down a proposal that would have prohibited members of
The General Assembly who were appointed through a vacancy committee from serving
in the term immediately following, for the third year in a row. HCR26-1005 would have
put the question on the November ballot and would have required a 55% vote to pass.
Colorado is one of only four states that use the vacancy appointment process, according
to the resolution's sponsor, Rep. Bob Marshall of Highlands Ranch. Marshall says most
states fill vacant seats through special elections, which can be costly and time-consuming.
the state civic, military and veterans affairs committee voted 7-4 to kill the resolution on
Monday.
Xcel Energy revises power shutoff plan for today.
Xcel Energy yesterday said that it has revised its plan for a possible public safety power
shutoff today. While Xcel had initially included parts of the western slope in its plan,
yesterday Xcel said it is concentrating on areas in Southern Colorado. The new plan
details strong winds, low relative humidity and very dry conditions, resulting in high
wildfire risk in parts of The San Luis Valley today. The utility is planning for a likely
power shutoff beginning today around noon, which would potentially impact about
14,000 customers in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla and Rio Grande counties. Xcel says the
impacted areas and the number of customers impacted may change as weather conditions
evolve. Weather conditions are expected to improve around 7pm tonight and crews will
begin restoring power as soon as it's safe.
New candidate announces run for Alamosa County Assessor.
Adam Lauer has announced that he will run for Alamosa County Assessor in the June
30th Democratic primary. Lauer began his career in the Alamosa County Assessor’s
office as a residential appraiser. He has also worked as a commercial appraiser for the
city and county of Denver, and most recently served as a farm and ranch appraiser for a
farm credit bank. Lauer says he will focus on fair and accurate property valuations and
ensuring valuations are consistent and compliant. Lauer is facing incumbent Assessor
Jason Duncan in The June 30th primary.
Motor vehicle crash took place in Huerfano County yesterday.
A motor vehicle crash took place yesterday morning near the intersection of US 160 and
County Road 450 in Huerfano County that involved a Colorado State Patrol vehicle that
was responding to another crash. According to The Huerfano County Sheriff's Office, a
driver did not yield to the CSP vehicle that had its emergency lights activated. Neither
driver was injured. The sheriff's office asks that you remember to yield to emergency
vehicles as well as slow down or move over for vehicles on the shoulder of the roadway.
April 21st 2026
Proposed ballot initiative for stronger government transparency rejected by title board.
A proposed ballot initiative that would push for stronger government transparency by
allowing more public access to most legislative deliberations suffered a setback last
week. The three members of Colorado's title board voted 2-1 on April 15th to reject
Measure #286 (the ballot question), ruling that it violated the state constitution’s single-
subject requirement. Colorado's single-subject rule requires that every ballot initiative
deals with only one main issue. The rule is designed to kep measures simple and prevent
unrelated ideas from being bundled together. The initiative would amend the state
constitution's bill of rights to declare that "the fundamental right of the public to know
the affairs of all levels of state and local government shall apply to all public records and
public meetings. Supporters say they plan to appeal the ruling. The deadline to appeal is
tomorrow.
Xcel Energy announces potential energy shutoffs for tomorrow.
Xcel Energy has announced that it is preparing for strong winds, low relative humidity
and very dry conditions, resulting in high wildlife risk, in parts of Western Colorado and
The San Luis Valley tomorrow, and potentially along the northern front range on
Thursday. To reduce the risk of wildfire and support public safety, Xcel Energy is
planning for a possible public safety power shutoff beginning tomorrow around 9am for
some customers in Garfield, Mesa and Pitkin Counties, and around 11am for some
customers in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Rio Grande and Saguache Counties. The
National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for The San Luis Valley
tomorrow. Crews will begin restoring power as soon as it is safe to do so, with the
warning ending around 7pm tomorrow.
Schwachheim fire near Trinidad now 90% contained.
The Schwachheim fire, burning southeast of Trinidad in Las Animas County, is now 90%
contained with a total of 1,582 acres burned. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention
announced yesterday that today will be the last day that the state will manage the fire, and
that management will be turned back over to local authorities. The only portion of the
fire that remains uncontained is near the creek bottom along the east fork of
Schwachheim creek. The wildfire sparked to life a week ago Sunday, burning within the
Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area. A type 3 incident management team has been
managing the fire since Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency to support
engine and hand crews and aerial resources.
New Walsenburg City Administrator announces resignation.
Newly hired Walsenburg City Administrator Jerry Pacheco has submitted his resignation
notice, effective June 10th. Pacheco was hired as City Administrator on December 4th of
last year. Pacheco's resignation cites that, while he was going to build a house in
Walsenburg to fulfill the city's residence requirement in his contract, his wife has taken a
job in Denver, it is no longer a viable option. The city council will meet tonight to
discuss the resignation, Pacheco's offer to work a more-limited schedule with the city, or
if the city will simply accept Pacheco’s resignation.
CDOT announces SOCO bridge rehabilitation project.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has announced that it will begin construction
across Southern Colorado for a bridge rehabilitation project. CDOT says the project will
begin next week and will span across Pueblo, Custer, Otero, Las Animas and Huerfano
counties for bridges on Highway 50, 350, 10. 69, 96, 165 and 202. Drivers should expect
single-lane closures and shoulder closures during the project. Work will take place
during daylight hours Monday through Friday and is expected to be complete in
December.
April 20th 2026
CO State Senate gave preliminary approval to working group bill.
The Colorado State Senate on Friday gave preliminary approval to senate bill 26-159,
which would require the creation of a working group to make recommendations for a
Department of Corrections capacity management plan, which would address
overcrowding and capacity challenges inside Colorado prisons. The working group
would be tasked with developing recommendations on strategies to assess the efficacy,
availability and gaps in prison programming and clinical care in order to drive
preparation for release. The bill also deals with earned time. Currently inmates can earn
10 days per month for good behavior. The new bill would increase that to 14 days.
SB159 now moves to a final vote in the State Senate. If the bill passes The Senate, it will
move to the State House for consideration there.
County Coroner transparency bill headed to the governor’s desk.
Senate Bill 26-105, the county coroner transparency bill, would require county coroners
to disclose if they own, work for, manage, or have financial interest in a death care
business, such as a funeral home. The bill was amended to change the county population
threshold for certification requirements for coroners from at least 150,000 people to at
least 300,000 people. Lawmakers say the change was necessary due to a lack of qualified
candidates in smaller counties. While the bill was originally brought in response to
former Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter's alleged illegal activities at Davis Mortuary
in Pueblo, with the change, the bill no longer applies to Pueblo County, which has less
then 300,000 in population. The bill has passed both The Colorado House and Senate
and is now on its way to the governor’s desk.
Schwachheim fire near Trinidad increases in size.
The Schwachheim fire, burning southeast of Trinidad within the Lake Dorothey State
wildlife area, has grown to a total of 1,582 acres as of last night with 50% containment
and 120 firefighters working to contain the fire. The increase in acreage is due to firing
operations on the northwest side of the fire on Saturday. The containment percentage has
also been reduced to reflect the increase in acreage. Crews are continuing to patrol and
mop up any remaining hot spots on the south side of the fire. Over the weekend,
operations focused on the mesa top and ridgeline with crews cleaning up any unburned
patches and patrolling and mopping up the perimeter. The fire first sparked to life a week
ago yesterday. A type three incident management team is currently managing
firefighting efforts.
Construction on Alamosa sixth street improvement project began last week.
Construction began last week on the west sixth street improvement project in Alamosa,
and involves a complete reconstruction of west Sixth Street from Monroe Avenue to
Washington Avenue. Over the next few months, crews will replace vital infrastructure,
including water lines, sewer lines, sidewalks and curb and gutter systems. To facilitate
the improvements, west sixth street will be closed from Monroe Avenue to Washington
Avenue for the duration of the project. No local access will be permitted within the
active closure zone during working hours, from 7am to 5pm. For more information, call
Alamosa Public works at 719-589-6631.
Raton duplex fire kills one late Friday night.
A late night explosion and fire on Friday night destroyed a duplex in Raton, and claimed
the life of Joe A. Medina. According to Raton Fire, firefighters were called to the duplex
housing unit on Sugarite Avenue in Raton at 11:11pm Friday. Upon arrival, firefighters
found the structure fully engulfed. Both housing units were occupied at the time of the
explosion. An elderly female in one of the units was able to get out with only minor
injuries. Medina's body was found after the fire was knocked down and firefighters
entered the structure. The incident remains under investigation.
April 17th 2026
Bill to raise overtime threshold for certain agricultural workers passes State House.
Senate Bill 26-121, a bill that would raise the overtime threshold for overtime pay for
certain agricultural workers, passed on a 33-32 vote yesterday in The Colorado State
House. The bill now heads back to The State Senate, which must review an amendment
added on Wednesday by co-sponsors Rep. Matthew Martinez, of Monte Vista, and House
Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, of Trinidad. The amendment puts more teeth into
penalties for employers who willfully do not pay overtime for their agriculture workers or
who classify hourly workers as salaried to avoid paying overtime. Ty Winter said that
the bill is about doing what's right for the people of Colorado in more ways than one.
The Senate is expected to concur with the House amendment. The bill will then be
forwarded to the Govenor's desk for his signature.
Schwachheim fire near Trinidad now 36% contained.
The Schwachheim fire, burning southeast of Trinidad near the Colorado/New Mexico
border, has now grown to a total of 1,012 acres in size, and is now 36% contained, as of
last night. According to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention, the containment is on
the south and southwest sides of the fire. The rugged terrain and steep topography on the
north and northwest side of the fire is making it difficult for firefighters to extend
containment lines on that side of the fire. A temporary flight restriction is also in effect
in the airspace above the fire. The fire sparked to life on Sunday and is burning inside
the lake Dorothy state wildlife area, which is currently closed to the public. A type three
incident management team is currently managing firefighting efforts.
FSTB grants CPRG's request to withdraw railroad line abandonment request.
The Federal Surface Transportation board has granted the request for Colorado Pacific
Rio Grande Railroad to withdraw its original request to abandon the 26.5 mile rail line
from Monte Vista to South Fork. The railroad had hoped to turn the line into a hiking
trail, however, following opposition from local landowners, the railroad changed
directions and requested to withdraw the request. The final decision ensures that the line
will not be abandoned or sold at this time and that a third party offer to buy the line is no
longer valid. The decision also maintains the historical connectivity of the rail.
Body found near Trinidad identified as missing woman.
The body of Christina Annette Sanchez, 53, who had been missing for nearly a year, was
found on April 7th to the west of Simpson's rest on the northwest side of Trinidad.
Sanchez was identified by dental records on Friday, April 10th. An autopsy will take
place to determine the cause of death. Foul play is not suspected as of now. Sanchez,
who has been described as an "at-risk" adult with diagnosed schizophrenia, had last been
seen by her home nurse on April 20th of last year. She was reported missing on April
23rd, 2025.
Peakview Elementary School student killed on I-25 last week.
The accident that took place 8 miles north of Walsenburg on Interstate 25 on April 9th,
killed a Peakview Elementary School Student. Huerfano RE-1 schools Superintendent
Bobby Howard said that the district is deeply saddened by this profound loss. He said
"we stand together to support each other through this unimaginable tragedy". The
Colorado State Patrol responded to a single-vehicle crash on April 9th around 3:15pm
near The Huerfano Butte where a 2024 Jeep Compass traveling northbound, failed to
negotiate a right hand turn in the roadway and went off the left side of the road. An
unrestrained juvenile female was ejected from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at
the scene. The 31-year-old driver and a male juvenile were both transported to the
hospital.
Click here
