Local student wins contest

Nathan Alger, a junior at Lewis-Palmer High School, is one of two winners of Mountain View Electric Association’s 2026 Youth Leadership Trip Contest.

Alger tied with Yasmin Amandu from Rampart High School for first place. The duo will represent MVEA at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. this June.

According to a press release, Alger is a standout student-athlete and community volunteer who maintains a 4.0 GPA while balancing varsity athletics and service. A National Honor Society member, soccer team captain and two-time Special Teams MVP, Alger also dedicates extensive time to community projects – including helping renovate a home for youth aging out of foster care and volunteering locally through church service initiatives and Wreaths Across America.

He plans to study aerospace engineering and hopes to one day work for NASA or Boeing.

“A true leader inspires others and works for the betterment of the group,” Alger wrote. “It is important to elevate others in order to benefit the entire team.”

Scam alert

The Town of Monument said it has been made aware of fraudulent emails and invoices demanding payment for permit fees. If you receive any suspicious emails or phone calls, do not respond, do not click any links, and do not provide any personal or payment information.

The Town said it will never request wire transfers for permit payments and official town emails always come from addresses ending in @TOMGOV.org.

“We have received reports of a scammer using planning.monument@usa.com, which is not a legitimate town address,” Monument said in an announcement. “Scam emails can appear very convincing. If you are unsure whether a message is legitimate, please contact us directly.”

Hiker rescued

Amid a busy holiday weekend, El Paso County Search and Rescue and other agencies were called to 14,115-foot Pikes Peak for an overnight rescue involving a stranded hiker.

According to the EPCSR, the hiker was stranded near treeline, which is at about 11,500 to 11,800 feet. Per a report from Arapahoe Rescue Patrol – another organization that assisted in the matter, the mission took place from late Feb. 16 into the early hours of Feb. 16.

Once rescue crews were on the mountain, the hiker was found to be injured, requiring what was described as a “lengthy and physically demanding carryout.”

After providing medical care, the subject was successfully brought down from the mountain.

Other agencies involved were Teller County Search and rescue, Colorado Springs Fire Department, Colorado Search and Rescue, UC Health Lifeline, and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

Education accolades

• Justen S Lee of Monument graduated from Wichita State University. Lee received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with Magna Cum Laude honors.

• Liz Norris and Reagan Wilson of Monument were named to the fall 2025 president’s honor roll at the University of Wyoming.

• Gianna DeVincenzo of Monument earned dean’s list honors at the University of Tampa for the fall 2025 semester.

• Bennett Patrick, John Van Matre and Ashley Wood of Monument were named to the fall 2025 dean’s list at the University of Wyoming.