Author: DANIEL CHACÓN
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Traffic deaths in Springs increase 29 percent
The streets of Colorado Springs proved especially dangerous last year. With three times as many pedestrian deaths as in 2011, traffic fatalities shot up 29 percent in 2012, making it the second most deadly year on city streets in the past 16 years. Colorado Springs recorded 28 deadly traffic crashes resulting in 32 deaths last…
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Mealworms found in batch of soup at Harrison High lunch
The menu said turkey noodle soup, but students at Harrison High School found a little extra protein in their lunch Wednesday. After a student discovered a mealworm or weevil in his soup, cafeteria workers found more insects in the batch of soup. “The lunch ladies immediately pulled the soup off the line,” Harrison School District…
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Fire Department lauds heroism, service
Richard Andrade risked his life to save another. On March 16, Andrade was at a construction site where a crew was removing asbestos. After someone apparently turned the power on, a worker touched a low-hanging wire, shocking the man and prompting him to grab a line. The amount of electricity prevented the man from letting…
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Cat rescuers take more than 150 cats from Springs’ home
Call it cat chaos. Rescuers say they took 161 cats Tuesday from a home in southwestern Colorado Springs Tuesday after an intervention with the homeowner. “They were not neglected. Just the sheer amount of them was neglect on her part,” said Carolyn Spillner of Lakewood-based Life Is Better Rescue, which led the rescue. The rescue…
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Hundreds turn out for free flu clinic
Six-year-old Ziad Yousef grimaced and cried Saturday at the sight of a needle. “I don’t want to do it. No! No!” Yousef wailed as his mother, Sandy, covered his eyes and held him in his seat. Seconds later, nurse Linda Anderson, who had encouraged Ziad to look at his older sister or think about SpongeBob…
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Bach urges council to reverse decision on ballot measure
Mayor Steve Bach said Wednesday he hopes the City Council will reverse its decision to refer to the April ballot a proposed charter change to increase council compensation. The council voted 5-4 Tuesday to refer the measure to the ballot. The proposal, which calls for increasing council pay from $6,250 a year to $48,000, effective…
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Czelatdko criticizes Bach, colleagues in private email
In a private email to supporters, City Councilwoman Lisa Czelatdko criticizes Mayor Steve Bach for what she calls the “promotion, support, and abuse of authoritarian leadership.” “As an elected official, I have seen how this has hurt the performance of the current sitting leadership,” Czelatdko said in the email, which was obtained by The Gazette…
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Springs City Council to consider ballot initiatives
Colorado Springs voters may be asked in April to make the city attorney an elected position and take away the mayor’s contract authority over Colorado Springs Utilities. The proposed ballot questions are the idea of community activist Kanda Calef, who will ask the City Council on Monday to refer both measures to the April ballot.…
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City’s proposed redistricting process limits public input
New Colorado Springs City Clerk Sarah Johnson is proposing a redistricting process that limits public input, contrary to the City Code. The redistricting will determine the six new City Council districts for the April election. The process outlined by Johnson would seek public input on how the new districts should be drawn, but not after…
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Panhandling proposal draws civil rights concerns
All forms of solicitation would be prohibited in an area of downtown Colorado Springs under a proposed city ordinance that the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado says would “surely” violate the First Amendment.“I would advise them not to pass this severely flawed ordinance,” said Mark Silverstein, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado.But City…