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Photo Courtesy of Colorado Springs Gazette. COLORADO SPRINGS — The race for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District took center stage Thursday night as Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank and Democratic challenger Jessica Killin faced off in a wide-ranging debate at the Pikes Peak Center. The hour-long debate, held just weeks before ballots are scheduled to reach Colorado voters, gave the candidates an opportunity to draw sharp distinctions on the economy, health care, military pol

A long-awaited American Furniture Warehouse expansion is finally becoming a reality on Colorado Springs’ rapidly growing northeast side, with construction underway on the retailer’s second location in the city. The new store is being built near the intersection of Powers Boulevard and Dublin Boulevard, with the primary entrance expected to be accessed from Tutt Boulevard. The project is expected to bring a significantly larger American Furniture Warehouse to the area than the

Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 is inviting the community to lace up their running shoes and step into history at the Foster the Future Fun Run, a 5K fun run and walk taking place Saturday, September 26, at Trojan Arena in Fountain. The event, themed “From the Frontier to the Future,” encourages participants to dress as their favorite historical figure while enjoying a morning of fitness, fun and community spirit. The race begins at 9 a.m., with packet pickup from 8 to

Across Fountain and the surrounding Pikes Peak region, technology is playing an increasingly visible role in how law enforcement investigates crime. Among the most debated tools are Flock Safety cameras, automated license plate readers designed to help police identify vehicles connected to criminal investigations. The cameras capture license plates and other vehicle characteristics as cars pass through an area. Flock says its system does not use facial recognition and that ac

A fire at a DICK’S Sporting Goods location inside Chapel Hills Mall prompted a temporary evacuation Tuesday afternoon as Colorado Springs firefighters responded to a blaze in the store’s trash compactor. The Colorado Springs Fire Department was dispatched to the store at 1710 Briargate Boulevard shortly after 3:30 p.m. Crews located the fire in a trash compactor located in the back of the store. Firefighters worked to remove the compactor from the building so they could fully

The sounds of school buses, crowded hallways and students reconnecting with friends are once again filling communities across Colorado as students return to classrooms for the 2026-27 school year. School calendars vary from district to district across the state, with some students returning in early August and others starting later in the month. In the Colorado Springs area, districts have been rolling into the new school year throughout August, making the transition from sum

Fountain’s partnership with Fort Carson continues to grow at a rapid pace, with the city’s Intergovernmental Support Agreements potentially reaching a value greater than its entire annual general fund budget next year. During last Tuesday’s City Council meeting, council members approved six new positions for a department that will oversee Fountain’s growing IGSA program with the U.S. Army. The positions will be paid for through the agreements and will not come out of the city

Photo courtesy of DVIDS. Fort Carson marked a change in leadership Wednesday, Aug. 12, as Col. Phillip S. Warren assumed command of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Carson during a change of command ceremony at Founders Field. Warren succeeds Col. Erik C. Oksenvaag, who served as garrison commander since August 2024. Brenda McCullough, director of Installation Management Command-Pacific, presided over the ceremony and praised Oksenvaag’s leadership and accomplishments during his tenur

Wildfire season is once again demonstrating how quickly fire can move close to home, with a roughly 10-acre wildfire reported Monday near Fountain. Fountain firefighters assisted with the fire in the area of Bradley and Goldfield, north of the Fountain Valley School and west of the Big Johnson Reservoir. The location put the fire near residential and developed areas of the Fountain community, although no homes or businesses within the City of Fountain were threatened. Smoke f

A summer festival in Colorado Springs turned into a major medical response Saturday after dozens of attendees experienced heat-related illnesses during the Tacos and Tequila Festival at UCHealth Park. The Colorado Springs Fire Department reported that 72 people were treated for heat-related illness during the event. Seven people experiencing more serious symptoms were transported to area hospitals for additional treatment. The festival took place as Colorado Springs faced unu

Across El Paso County, communities are growing, roads are getting busier and the needs of residents are changing. From transportation and aging services to environmental planning and the relationship between surrounding communities and local military installations, many of the issues facing the Pikes Peak region do not stop at city or county lines. That is where the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) comes in. PPACG is a regional organization made up of 16 local g

The countdown is on for one of Fountain's favorite community traditions as preparations continue for the 2026 Fountain Valley Fall Festival Parade. Scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 7, the annual event is expected to bring together local organizations, businesses, schools, and residents for a morning celebrating community spirit. Hosted by the Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce, the parade remains open to those who would like to participate. There is still t

The mountains looked a little different this week. Instead of the crisp blue skies Coloradans have come to expect, a layer of smoke settled over much of the Front Range as winds carried wildfire smoke from several large fires burning in Utah into Colorado. While the flames remain hundreds of miles away, their effects are now being felt across El Paso County, reminding residents that wildfire season stretches far beyond state lines. Communities including Fountain, Colorado Spr

Residents Greg and Laura Gennitti appeared before the Fountain City Council on Tuesday evening to raise concerns about what they described as inconsistent enforcement of residential driveway and sidewalk standards throughout their neighborhood. The couple, who live on Fortman Avenue, say they are facing significant costs after being cited by the City of Fountain for failing to obtain a permit and for work that did not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards while

El Paso County leaders have taken steps to ensure residents will continue receiving workforce development services despite a funding dispute with the State of Colorado. During a recent meeting, El Paso County Commissioners approved a resolution designed to protect essential county services after the state withheld grant funding related to audit costs associated with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center. The action is intended to prevent any interruption in services while county an

Before Southern Colorado residents fire up the grill or head to an evening ball game this week, they may want to keep one eye on the sky. A wet weather pattern has settled over El Paso County, bringing an increased risk of heavy rain, flash flooding, lightning, and gusty thunderstorms through the coming days. While summer thunderstorms are nothing new for Colorado, meteorologists are watching conditions closely as repeated rounds of rain could create localized flooding concer

El Paso County residents could once again find themselves weighing an important tax question this November, one that has the potential to shape public safety services across the county for years to come. The El Paso County Board of County Commissioners is considering a ballot measure that would ask voters whether to extend the county's existing 0.23% Public Safety Fund sales tax. The tax currently serves as a dedicated funding source for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office an

Drivers traveling between El Paso County, Fountain, and Pueblo may soon need to make a permanent adjustment to their commute. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is considering keeping automated speed enforcement cameras in place along Interstate 25 in Pueblo after early results showed a significant reduction in speeding through a major construction zone. The cameras are currently installed in the I-25 and U.S. 50 interchange reconstruction project, one of the bu

Colorado residents are continuing to feel the effects of the state's bag fee and single-use plastic reduction policies in 2026, with shoppers in Fountain and throughout El Paso County seeing the changes every time they visit the grocery store. What began as a statewide effort to reduce plastic waste has evolved into a permanent shift in how consumers shop. Since Jan. 1, 2024, most large retailers have been prohibited from providing traditional single-use plastic checkout bags

Photo courtesy of the City of Fountain. As emergency responders across the Pikes Peak region prepare for the unexpected, a series of mass casualty incident drills is taking place this week in Fountain to test how local agencies would respond during a large-scale emergency. The training exercises, coordinated by the City of Fountain, El Paso County, and several regional partners, are being held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Fountain Middle School. Officials emphasized that