Author: Chhun Sun
-
Fire breaks out at Manitou Springs motel
A fire broke out at a Manitou Springs motel on Tuesday night but crews quickly contained it to a single room. The fire was reported at La Fun Motel, located at 123 Manitou Ave. “Crews rapidly stretched attack lines to contain the fire to the room of origin, while completing a primary search of the…
-
Sheriff’s office seeks help in finding missing El Paso County man
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office seeks public help in finding a man who went missing Tuesday morning. In a news release, the sheriff’s office said Alejandro Ortiz, 50, was last seen on the 100 block of Brockdell Drive in the Security-Widefield area. He is described as 5-foot-5 and 170 pounds with brown eyes and…
-
Colorado Springs weather: Critical fire weather continues Wednesday
The Pikes Peak region once again will be under critical fire weather on Wednesday, thanks to strong, gusty winds, forecasters say. That means the public should avoid activities that “could start a wildfire,” the National Weather Service in Pueblo said in a tweet. This includes outdoor burning, throwing cigarettes out of a window and creating…
-
Colorado Springs area braces for more fire danger after busy, blustery weekend for fire crews
While firefighters were putting out hot spots after a blaze burned down a house and several acres east of Colorado Springs, Falcon Fire deputy chief Jeff Petersma was asked if he expected fire season to start this early. He didn’t hesitate to answer. “In Colorado, it’s year-round,” he said. Typically, the state’s fire season is…
-
Adrian Vasquez nominated to be boss of Colorado Springs Police Department
Adrian Vasquez is a step closer to becoming the next Colorado Springs police chief. On Monday, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers announced that he nominated Vasquez, the interim police chief, to become the city’s top law enforcement boss. He was favored by his former boss, Vince Niski, who retired March 4 as the police chief.…
-
Fire restrictions for Fountain, unincorporated El Paso County issued
Continued dry conditions, blustery winds and warmer-than-normal weather have forced Stage 1 fire restrictions to go into effect in Fountain and unincorporated parts of El Paso County. Fountain officials announced the restrictions within city limits Monday afternoon, and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office announced the restrictions in the county’s unincorporated areas Sunday night. The…
-
Colorado Springs weather: High fire danger again with forecast of warm temps, strong winds
The week kicks off with more warm temperatures, dry conditions and strong wind, putting the Pikes Peak region and Colorado Springs under high fire danger once again. A red flag warning is in effect until 8 p.m. Monday for El Paso County, including Colorado Springs and Fort Carson. This comes a day after a fire…
-
At least two outbuildings destroyed in fire in Falcon, blaze contained
Multiple fire crews worked to extinguish a fire reported early Friday afternoon in the Falcon area, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said. The fire was reported just before 1:50 p.m. on the 1200 block of Falcon Highway, forcing road closures in the area, the Sheriff’s Office said. Officials with the Falcon Fire Protection District…
-
Colorado snowpack remains below normal, USDA report says
Colorado’s snowpack remains quite a bit off from normal, according a report Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Colorado is at 90% of the to-date median and 83% of the median peak snowpack number, with the median date of that peak falling on April 8. It’s unlikely the state will gain much ground toward…
-
Colorado Springs police officer’s girlfriend accused of sexually assaulting teen, who was later beaten by the officer: Affidavit
A recently obtained affidavit details allegations that a 31-year-old woman had a sexual relationship with a teenage boy who was later assaulted by a Colorado Springs police officer. The court documents accuse Kristen Wessel of having sex with a teenage boy four times. Gazette news partner KKTV reported that Wessel is the girlfriend of Shane…