Audio: Colorado Springs City Council Voter Forums

On March 19, 2013 By

This April, voters in Colorado Springs will select six councilors from a field of more than 20 candidates. Voters will also decide on two ballot measures: a usage adjustment to the TOPS tax, and council pay. Ballots are due on April 2nd. Click here for more information from candidates and ballot issues.

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Colorado Springs Ballot Question 2: Compensation for City Council Members

On March 19, 2013 By

The second of two ballot measures Colorado Springs voters will decide in April’s election would increase pay for city Council members to $48,000. It would be a big increase for them, but as KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, even some vocal opponents of the measure say Council members may be underpaid.

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Colorado Springs Ballot Issue 1: TOPS Usage Adjustment

On March 18, 2013 By

One of two measures Colorado Springs voters will decide in April’s election would allow the city to spend more money on park maintenance from TOPS, a fund that uses a 0.1% sales tax to buy land for outdoor recreation. The city has a big backlog of park maintenance and construction projects, but as KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, one park advocacy group says this measure isn’t a great solution.

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Attendees at the council meeting waved their hands as a form of applause during public comment session. (Photo: Liz Ruskin)

Oil & Gas Regulations in Colorado Springs Fail Council Vote

On March 13, 2013 By

Colorado Springs City Council yesterday rejected the oil and gas ordinance it’s been working on for 18 months. The regulations would have required drillers to get a city permit, but didn’t prevent hydraulic fracturing from any zone within the city. KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports.

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Sneak Peek of the Off Topic Premiere Episode

On March 13, 2013 By

Off Topic is a brand new weekly hour-long radio program hosted by Colorado College professors Steven Hayward and Kathy Giuffre. The intention of the show is to constellate ideas through witty, vibrant conversation and to provide a space to explore issues and ideas in greater depth and from a perspective often absent from [...]

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Round-Up: Civil Unions gets initial approval; CS Council to consider employee compensation; Colorado Trail gets new loop option

On March 12, 2013 By

A bill to allow civil unions in Colorado could be headed to the Governor’s desk by the end of the week…Colorado Springs police and firefighters would get a raise, but the whole workforce would have to shoulder more healthcare costs. Those are among the proposals Mayor Steve Bach’s administration presented to City Council…The nearly 500-mile Colorado Trail is adding a new section expected to be ready for hiking this summer.

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Council to Consider City Employee Compensation

On March 11, 2013 By

Colorado Springs police and firefighters would get a raise, but the whole workforce would have to shoulder more healthcare costs. Those are among the proposals Mayor Steve Bach’s administration presented today to City Council. KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports.

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Mountain Shadows Shows Signs of Residential Life; Many Still Working Through Emotions

On March 7, 2013 By

Lot by lot, the Mountain Shadows neighborhood in Colorado Springs is showing signs of residential life again after this summer’s devastating Waldo Canyon Fire. Eleven homes of the nearly 350 destroyed have been rebuilt, and about 80% of homeowners have resolved their insurance claims. But, as KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, the community still faces big obstacles.

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Last Day to Register to Vote in Colorado Springs

On March 4, 2013 By

Today is the last day for residents of Colorado Springs to register to vote in the upcoming citywide election. Ballots will start hitting the mail this Friday, though the City Clerk’s office has until March 18th to send all of them.

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Water Restrictions Get Initial Approval in Colorado Springs

On February 26, 2013 By

Colorado Springs’ City Council gave initial approval today to a new water ordinance aimed at getting consumers to save 5.8 billion gallons this year. As KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, the proposal contains a variety of tools to get through what is projected to be a tough drought year….Council also approved Mayor Bach’s proposal allowing city employees to bring guns to work if they have a concealed-carry permit.

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Colorado Springs Council Plans March Vote on Oil & Gas Regulations

On February 25, 2013 By

Colorado Springs City Council will proceed with oil and gas regulations, despite calls among fracking opponents for a public hearing. As KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, council members on both sides of the issue feel time is running out.

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Colorado Senator Michael Bennet visits the Flying W Ranch to highlight the need for federal Emergency Watershed Protection funding.

Senator Bennet Visits Flying W Ranch to Highlight Need for Federal Funding

On February 22, 2013 By

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet visited the site of flood mitigation efforts at the burned Flying W Ranch in Colorado Springs today to highlight the need for emergency watershed protection funding after last year’s devastating fire season. KRCC’s Andrea Chalfin reports.

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Project Management Contractor Chosen for Utilities’ Study

On February 20, 2013 By

Colorado Springs City Council, acting as the Utilities’ Board, chose a contractor today to help its advisory committee study the possibility of selling its power plants. As KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, the idea remains controversial.

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City Councilors Could Receive More than a Stipend

On February 12, 2013 By

Voters to decide whether to pay City Council members a salary…

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Congressman Lamborn to Attend State of the Union

On February 12, 2013 By

After skipping out last year, Representative Lamborn chooses to attend the State of the Union tonight…

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Water Restrictions Proposed for Colorado Springs

On February 12, 2013 By

Colorado Springs Utilities is preparing for a water shortfall this summer. As KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, the utility is proposing water restrictions and would like to revise water rates to discourage heavy use.

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D-11 School Board Meeting. Photo: Liz Ruskin.

Wasson High School, Elementary Schools, to Close

On February 7, 2013 By

Wasson High School and two Colorado Springs elementary schools will close at the end of the school year. The District 11 Board of Education voted last night to shut down the three schools for the sake of improved efficiency. KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports.

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Goose Gossage marches with other Wasson alums.

Marching for Wasson

On February 6, 2013 By

The Colorado Springs District 11 Board of Education is expected to vote tonight on the closure of Wasson High School. As KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, passions are running deep.

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Western Skies: February 2013, “Fracking”

On February 3, 2013 By

One of the biggest topics right now across the state is oil and gas development, specifically, hydraulic fracturing. Communities, industry, and the state are all working to ensure their interests are protected. But it’s a complicated issue, and often contentious. This month for Western Skies, we’re holding a magnifying glass up to fracking, the rules, regulations, and community concerns. (This month’s image by artist and rig-worker, Streeter Wright.)

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Flood Preparedness Meeting

On January 28, 2013 By

Colorado Springs’ Emergency Management department will discuss flooding at a resident preparedness meeting tomorrow night.

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What a Dry Winter Means for Water Users

On January 23, 2013 By

Water managers in Colorado are bracing for another bad year. The largest water utilities on the Front Range are already taking steps to prepare for another dry summer, a summer some predict could be worse than last year. As Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen reports, utilities in Colorado Springs and Denver are preparing in advance.

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Colorado Springs City Council Considers Proposed Ballot Measures

On January 22, 2013 By

Included are council pay, an elected Utilities Board of Directors, and an elected City Attorney.

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Audio: Wildfire Awareness & Emergency Preparedness Neighborhood Meeting

On January 15, 2013 By

Colorado Springs officials held a neighborhood meeting Tuesday night, highlighting wildfire awareness, mitigation, and emergency preparedness. Speakers included Bret Waters, head of the city’s Office of Emergency Management, Christina Randall and Fire Marshall Bret Lacey with the Colorado Springs Fire Department, and Bob Cutter of Colorado Springs Together. This is the audio of the [...]

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News

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Yahoo’s Other Billion Dollar Bets: Where Are They Now?
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Fox Calls U.S. Surveillance Of Its Reporter ‘Downright Chilling’
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Arts & Life

WNET/American Masters
Mel Brooks: ‘I’m An EGOT; I Don’t Need Any More’
May 20, 2013 | NPR · The screenwriter, producer, director and actor, whose name has become synonymous with American comedy, talks about his penchant for spoofs and his decades-long friendship with Carl Reiner. Brooks, who is among a handful of people who’ve won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, is the subject of a new documentary on PBS.
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Reaction Saturation And Sunday Night Television
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Book News: J.K. Rowling Tells ‘Harry Potter’ Backstories
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Music

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Aesop Rock And Kimya Dawson Showcase Their Strengths
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Mountain Stage
Loudon Wainwright III On Mountain Stage
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Marie McGrory/NPR
Mohammad Reza Shajarian: Tiny Desk Concert
May 20, 2013 | NPR · Joined by three excellent collaborators, Shajarian gives what amounts to a brief master class in the art of singing. In the course of this love song, titled “Az Eshgh,” the Iranian icon unleashes torrents of swooping, soaring, goosebump-inducing sound that’s still perfectly controlled at age 73.
 

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