As the decade draws to a close we’re reflecting back on some of the top-read stories of the past 10 years.

There’s been no shortage of stories that have made a significant impact on the region, but here’s a sampling of our most-read stories. 

1. More than 1,000 drivers stranded in Colorado Springs area, Gov. Polis declares state of emergency as bomb cyclone paralyzes Front Range (March 13, 2019)

Snow driven by winds approaching 100 mph shut down schools, highways, air travel and businesses in the Pikes Peak region and left more than 1,000 stranded in their cars awaiting rescue…Read more.

2. Fort Carson soldier’s selfie sparks outrage (Feb. 26, 2014)

Fort Carson leaders launched an investigation into a “selfie” photo of a soldier posted online with a note that said she was hiding in her car to avoid saluting the flag. The soldier’s Instagram image went viral, drawing a storm of criticism…Read more. 

3. Army might have found its new rifle in Colorado Springs garage (Sept. 30, 2018)

The Army adopted its battle rifle in 1963 and has spent 55 years looking for a replacement for the M-16 and its variants. They might have found it in Martin Grier’s Colorado Springs garage. Grier, a self-described inventor who has worked at a local bed and breakfast, built the new “ribbon gun” with a hobbyist’s tools. It looks like a space-age toy drawn by a fifth-grader…Read more. 

4. Air Force falcon mascot suffers life-threatening injuries as result of West Point prank (Nov. 3, 2018)

Air Force’s live mascot suffered potentially life-threatening injuries because of a West Point prank gone awry. The 22-year-old white gyrfalcon, Aurora, was taken from an Army colonel’s home as part of an Air Force/Army week prank by West Point cadets, according to an Air Force representative speaking to The Gazette on the condition of anonymity. While being kept by the Army cadets, both of the bird’s wings were injured, academy sources said…Read more. 

5. Fort Carson brigade headed to Kuwait for possible showdown with ISIS (Feb. 13, 2015)

As Congress mulls America’s war with the Islamic State terror group, more than 4,000 Fort Carson soldiers prepared to leave for Kuwait, where they will take over as America’s largest ground force in the troubled region…Read more.

6.  Black Forest fire north of Colorado Springs consumes more than 7,500 acres (June 12, 2013)

On June 11, 2013, a maelstrom of flames exploded on Shoup Road and Colorado 83 in Black Forest. During the next nine days, the fire burned 14,280 acres, consumed 489 homes and killed two people. It was the most destructive fire in Colorado history, surpassing the Waldo Canyon fire just a year earlier…Read more. 

7.  Waldo Canyon fire ravages west side of Colorado Springs (June 22, 2012)

– The Waldo Canyon fire destroyed 347 homes and killing two people on the west side of Colorado Springs. In the years since, neighborhoods have been rebuilt. Restoration continues across the 18,247 acre Waldo Canyon burn scar, but the forest will not be the same in most of our lifetimes. Read more here.

8. About a 1,000 people show up for veterans pot giveaway (Sept. 28, 2014)

A free cannabis giveaway at a Colorado Springs hotel attracted about 1,000 people looking for an alternative medication for their physical and mental pain…Read more. 

9. Soccer great Mia Hamm asks sports parents to stop being so childish | David Ramsey (Nov. 8, 2016)

No group in America is more partisan than sports parents. You know the type. They complain about inept refs. They complain about blind teammates who don’t pass the ball to their kids. They complain about unspeakably vile opponents. They complain. Mia Hamm wants to offer advice for sports parents.

“Resist the urge to make excuses for your kids,” she said…Read more.

10. Veteran denied alternative court in road-rage assault west of Colorado Springs (Sept. 21, 2017)

A veteran accused of breaking a man’s nose during a videotaped road-rage clash that went viral on social media will not receive the benefit of a court alternative for former military members. Prosecutors blocked a petition by Chad Hampton Huntsinger to enter El Paso County Veterans Trauma Court, a diversionary court that emphasizes treatment and supervision over punishment, a judge said at a hearing Thursday…Read more.

BONUS

Under a code name, George H.W. Bush sponsored Filipino child through Colorado Springs-based nonprofit (Dec. 5, 2018)

Nearly 20 years ago, former President George H.W. Bush wanted to sponsor a Filipino boy named Timothy through Colorado Springs-based nonprofit Compassion International — but first, he needed a pseudonym.

“He’s passed away now, so it’s probably not a classified name anymore — it was George Walker,” said Wess Stafford, Compassion president emeritus. “That’s the same name that he used, apparently, whenever he checked into a hospital and they needed to have it unknown that he was in there.”…Read more.

The Waldo Canyon Fire begins to burn homes in the Rockrimmon area of northwest Colorado Springs, Colo., on the fourth day of the blaze Tuesday, June 26, 2012. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE

Bill Moreau watches as the fire burns toward his house near Black Forest Road Tuesday afternoon, June 11, 2013 northeast of Colorado Springs, Colo. AP PHOTO/THE GAZETTE/CHRISTIAN MURDOCK

CHRISTIAN MURDOCK

Homes in Mountain Shadows burn as the Waldo Canyon fire exploded down the foothills of Colorado Springs on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. Photo by JERILEE BENNETT — The Gazette