Savannah Eller

The city of Manitou Springs is asking voters to consider a rate hike on a specific tax on attractions and experiences – an excise tax. City leaders say the rate hike is needed to make up for a $4 million budget shortfall caused by falling marijuana sales tax revenue. Two dispensaries in the city have […]

The Manitou Springs City Council on Tuesday officially endorsed a tax increase on businesses that sell tickets in city limits despite a show of opposition from the business community. Ballot issue 2A, being mailed to voters this week, asks voters to give the council the ability to raise the city’s excise tax from its current […]

Colorado’s largest utilities provider has asked the state to overrule local decisions on the $1.7 billion Colorado Power Pathway project, which was denied permits this year in El Paso and Elbert counties. Xcel is asking the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to consider overruling local decisions on the 550-mile powerline project in the name of public […]

With a bid for a tax increase failing in preliminary election results, the city of Manitou Springs will need to consider other options to address a $4 million budget shortfall for 2026. Presumptive mayor-elect Natalie Johnson said Tuesday night, as the numbers came in, that the city council and staff would consider multiple alternatives to […]

A long-running program that serves more than 800 children in El Paso County has been operating on emergency reserves for the past week while the federal government shutdown prevents funding. Community Partnership for Child Development is one of four Head Start programs in Colorado with an annual federal funding renewal date that falls on Nov. […]

A project to replace close to 900 feet of bridge span in southeast Colorado Springs is nearing its end, with the westbound side ready hold traffic after two years of construction. “What we’re celebrating is a vital connector in our transportation network. Circle Drive serves thousands of drivers every single day,” said Colorado Springs Mayor […]

Of the two Pikes Peak area fire districts that brought funding requests to voters this November, one had a strong reversal victory, while the other took one step forward and two steps back. The results could hold indicators for how local firefighting is funded in Colorado as costs rise and revenue plateaus. “We’re pretty close […]

El Paso County is planning to reinstate a partial waitlist system for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, a program that subsidizes child care costs for low-income families. The program ran out of sustainable funding in 2024, prompting a freeze on admitting children from new applications in November of that year. Since then, only children […]

A special district in Security-Widefield has been soliciting opinions from the public about converting a road into a multi-use path with trail connections. The plan, spearheaded by the Fountain Mutual Metropolitan District, would close Goldfield Drive to vehicle traffic and create a non-motorized trail loop around the Big Johnson Reservoir. While the plan is far […]

Colorado’s congressional delegates both praised and lambasted the military operation that captured President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country early Saturday, with Republicans saying President Donald Trump is keeping Americans safe from drugs, while Democrats expressed wariness about the U.S. embarking on “nation building.” “Maduro is being brought to justice to answer […]