5 stories you might have missed | March 25
It’s a cold and blustery Monday in Colorado Springs. Grab a hot cup of joe and warm up with some local stories you might have missed last week.
1. Excessive lead in school water fixtures
Colorado public schools in El Paso County are still working to remove lead from drinking water fixtures, following a state law passed in 2022 that required schools to test and report by May 31, 2023.
Gazette education reporter Eric Young took a look at El Paso County school districts and found that, while schools had complied, hundreds of fixtures still need remediation.
You can read the full story here. It includes two interactive charts: one showing how Pikes Peak area school districts compare, and another showing where the highest ppbs were found in each district.
2. New and improved downtown YMCA still on hold
Four years ago, the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region announced, with great fanfare, the redevelopment of its downtown Colorado Springs property. At a news conference attended by city and community leaders in the parking lot of a boarded-up service station at Platte and Nevada, organization officials showed off color renderings and laid out details of the redevelopment. Today those exciting makeover plans remain on hold and that boarded up service station is still there. Here’s why.
3. “Chickity China, the Chinese chicken”
Barenaked Ladies, known for hits like “One Week,” “Pinch Me,” and “If I had $1,000,000” will bring its pop rock bops to Sunset Amphitheater this summer. The popular ’90s band will perform Sept. 21 with alternative rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket opening the show. Read more here.
The yet-to-open venue has been making near-weekly announcements of the latest lineup additions. Keep up with them here.
4. Student Walkout
Widefield School District 3 students are continuing to call for the removal of members on the district’s board of education.
A group of Mesa Ridge High School students, parents and faculty members staged a protest outside the school Wednesday, calling for the resignation of District 3 board members David Dock, Greg Fisher and Tina West.
It is the latest call for resignations following alleged comments by Dock, Fisher and West overheard at an IHOP restaurant in November that were derogatory toward special needs students in the district and LGBTQ+ students among other topics. Check out the full story here.
5. Island of the Rockies
Looking for a new place to soak? In the latest installment of the Colorful Colorado series, reporter Seth Boster takes a trip to Hot Sulphur Springs, also known as the “Island of the Rockies.” The oft overlooked, rustic oasis in Colorado’s Grand County is known for its mineral-rich hot springs, and was the first town in Colorado to host a winter carnival. Fun fact: It’s also the birthplace of skiing in the state. Read more about it here.
