Author: Nick Sullivan
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Voter Guide: School board candidates fight for students, teachers amid politically charged issues
Much is riding on this year’s local school board elections, Colorado Springs-area candidates say, as district culture and political ascriptions allegedly hang in the balance. Locally, Woodland Park School District RE-2 became a divisive success story to some and cautionary tale to others. A slate of self-proclaimed conservatives took control of the board following the…
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Businesses evacuated as Colorado Springs Fire Department responds to hazardous-materials incident
Colorado Springs firefighters are on the scene of a hazardous-materials incident near the intersection of Platte Avenue and Academy Boulevard, according to the Fire Department. A natural-gas meter was hit in a parking lot at 3609 E. Platte Ave. No injuries have been reported, and four businesses are evacuated. Colorado Springs Utilities is en route.…
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Academy District 20 clarifies communication barring teachers from asking pronouns
Academy School District 20 is clarifying a recent decision that barred its teachers and staff from blanket asking students their preferred names and pronouns. The directive is not official policy and applies only in the classroom, large group settings or written assignments, according to a district spokesperson. Teachers may still have those conversations in a…
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Academy District 20 candidates diverge on book removals, inclusivity, security
Academy School District 20 Board of Education candidates offered different perspectives on book removals, school safety and inclusivity during Tuesday night’s candidate forum. The slate includes four candidates vying for two open seats on the five-person board. Incumbents Heather Cloninger and Will Temby attempt to retain their spots over newcomers Amy Shandy and Derrick Wilburn.…
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Juvenile motorcycle rider dies following Colorado Springs crash
A juvenile motorcycle rider has died following a Thursday morning collision northeast of Colorado Springs. Police responded to a crash in which a motorcycle rear ended a truck near East Woodmen and Marksheffel roads around 7:10 a.m. The motorcycle rider was transported with life-threatening injuries, to which he later succumbed. Speed and alcohol are not…
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Board candidates fight for the future of Woodland Park School District — in separate forums
Attempts failed at hosting a Woodland Park School District RE-2 forum featuring all board candidates together, leading to two separate events Monday evening for one of the region’s most contentious races. Two slates of candidates — the incumbents and their challengers — offered dramatically divergent visions for the district’s future. Three of five seats are…
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Lewis-Palmer High School teacher receives $50,000 for skilled trade classes
A Lewis-Palmer High School teacher raked in a $50,000 award Tuesday along with national recognition for his top-notch teaching in the skilled trades. The donation will help fund needed renovations to the school’s trade facilities, allowing the program to reach more students. Andrew Vrieze, an industrial design and construction teacher, is one of 25 people…
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Springs Ensemble Theatre’s ‘Midge and the Butcher’ explores transgender identity on stage
A student playwright’s work launched Springs Ensemble Theatre into its 14th season in equally horrific and endearing fashion, tackling a topic seldom explored on stage: transgender identity. “Midge and the Butcher” chronicles a transgender teenage girl named Midge, played by Rose Mitchell, who reaches her breaking point after ongoing harassment and summons a demon named…
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Lewis-Palmer High School teacher receives $50,000 for skilled trade classes
A Lewis-Palmer High School teacher raked in a $50,000 award Tuesday along with national recognition for his top-notch teaching in the skilled trades. The donation will help fund needed renovations to the school’s trade facilities, allowing the program to reach more students. Andrew Vrieze, an industrial design and construction teacher, is one of 25 people…
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Community pays tribute to fallen parole officer Christine Guerin Sandoval during procession
Cars lined a stretch of U.S. 85/87 Tuesday afternoon to say farewell to fallen parole Officer Christine Guerin Sandoval as a procession led by the Colorado State Patrol escorted her body from the El Paso County Coroner’s Office in Colorado Springs to Pueblo, where she lived. Guerin Sandoval died in the line of duty Thursday after…