KSPK NEWS
April 20th 2026
CO State Senate gave preliminary approval to working group bill.
The Colorado State Senate on Friday gave preliminary approval to senate bill 26-159,
which would require the creation of a working group to make recommendations for a
Department of Corrections capacity management plan, which would address
overcrowding and capacity challenges inside Colorado prisons. The working group
would be tasked with developing recommendations on strategies to assess the efficacy,
availability and gaps in prison programming and clinical care in order to drive
preparation for release. The bill also deals with earned time. Currently inmates can earn
10 days per month for good behavior. The new bill would increase that to 14 days.
SB159 now moves to a final vote in the State Senate. If the bill passes The Senate, it will
move to the State House for consideration there.
County Coroner transparency bill headed to the governor’s desk.
Senate Bill 26-105, the county coroner transparency bill, would require county coroners
to disclose if they own, work for, manage, or have financial interest in a death care
business, such as a funeral home. The bill was amended to change the county population
threshold for certification requirements for coroners from at least 150,000 people to at
least 300,000 people. Lawmakers say the change was necessary due to a lack of qualified
candidates in smaller counties. While the bill was originally brought in response to
former Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter's alleged illegal activities at Davis Mortuary
in Pueblo, with the change, the bill no longer applies to Pueblo County, which has less
then 300,000 in population. The bill has passed both The Colorado House and Senate
and is now on its way to the governor’s desk.
Schwachheim fire near Trinidad increases in size.
The Schwachheim fire, burning southeast of Trinidad within the Lake Dorothey State
wildlife area, has grown to a total of 1,582 acres as of last night with 50% containment
and 120 firefighters working to contain the fire. The increase in acreage is due to firing
operations on the northwest side of the fire on Saturday. The containment percentage has
also been reduced to reflect the increase in acreage. Crews are continuing to patrol and
mop up any remaining hot spots on the south side of the fire. Over the weekend,
operations focused on the mesa top and ridgeline with crews cleaning up any unburned
patches and patrolling and mopping up the perimeter. The fire first sparked to life a week
ago yesterday. A type three incident management team is currently managing
firefighting efforts.
Construction on Alamosa sixth street improvement project began last week.
Construction began last week on the west sixth street improvement project in Alamosa,
and involves a complete reconstruction of west Sixth Street from Monroe Avenue to
Washington Avenue. Over the next few months, crews will replace vital infrastructure,
including water lines, sewer lines, sidewalks and curb and gutter systems. To facilitate
the improvements, west sixth street will be closed from Monroe Avenue to Washington
Avenue for the duration of the project. No local access will be permitted within the
active closure zone during working hours, from 7am to 5pm. For more information, call
Alamosa Public works at 719-589-6631.
Raton duplex fire kills one late Friday night.
A late night explosion and fire on Friday night destroyed a duplex in Raton, and claimed
the life of Joe A. Medina. According to Raton Fire, firefighters were called to the duplex
housing unit on Sugarite Avenue in Raton at 11:11pm Friday. Upon arrival, firefighters
found the structure fully engulfed. Both housing units were occupied at the time of the
explosion. An elderly female in one of the units was able to get out with only minor
injuries. Medina's body was found after the fire was knocked down and firefighters
entered the structure. The incident remains under investigation.
April 17th 2026
Bill to raise overtime threshold for certain agricultural workers passes State House.
Senate Bill 26-121, a bill that would raise the overtime threshold for overtime pay for
certain agricultural workers, passed on a 33-32 vote yesterday in The Colorado State
House. The bill now heads back to The State Senate, which must review an amendment
added on Wednesday by co-sponsors Rep. Matthew Martinez, of Monte Vista, and House
Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, of Trinidad. The amendment puts more teeth into
penalties for employers who willfully do not pay overtime for their agriculture workers or
who classify hourly workers as salaried to avoid paying overtime. Ty Winter said that
the bill is about doing what's right for the people of Colorado in more ways than one.
The Senate is expected to concur with the House amendment. The bill will then be
forwarded to the Govenor's desk for his signature.
Schwachheim fire near Trinidad now 36% contained.
The Schwachheim fire, burning southeast of Trinidad near the Colorado/New Mexico
border, has now grown to a total of 1,012 acres in size, and is now 36% contained, as of
last night. According to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention, the containment is on
the south and southwest sides of the fire. The rugged terrain and steep topography on the
north and northwest side of the fire is making it difficult for firefighters to extend
containment lines on that side of the fire. A temporary flight restriction is also in effect
in the airspace above the fire. The fire sparked to life on Sunday and is burning inside
the lake Dorothy state wildlife area, which is currently closed to the public. A type three
incident management team is currently managing firefighting efforts.
FSTB grants CPRG's request to withdraw railroad line abandonment request.
The Federal Surface Transportation board has granted the request for Colorado Pacific
Rio Grande Railroad to withdraw its original request to abandon the 26.5 mile rail line
from Monte Vista to South Fork. The railroad had hoped to turn the line into a hiking
trail, however, following opposition from local landowners, the railroad changed
directions and requested to withdraw the request. The final decision ensures that the line
will not be abandoned or sold at this time and that a third party offer to buy the line is no
longer valid. The decision also maintains the historical connectivity of the rail.
Body found near Trinidad identified as missing woman.
The body of Christina Annette Sanchez, 53, who had been missing for nearly a year, was
found on April 7th to the west of Simpson's rest on the northwest side of Trinidad.
Sanchez was identified by dental records on Friday, April 10th. An autopsy will take
place to determine the cause of death. Foul play is not suspected as of now. Sanchez,
who has been described as an "at-risk" adult with diagnosed schizophrenia, had last been
seen by her home nurse on April 20th of last year. She was reported missing on April
23rd, 2025.
Peakview Elementary School student killed on I-25 last week.
The accident that took place 8 miles north of Walsenburg on Interstate 25 on April 9th,
killed a Peakview Elementary School Student. Huerfano RE-1 schools Superintendent
Bobby Howard said that the district is deeply saddened by this profound loss. He said
"we stand together to support each other through this unimaginable tragedy". The
Colorado State Patrol responded to a single-vehicle crash on April 9th around 3:15pm
near The Huerfano Butte where a 2024 Jeep Compass traveling northbound, failed to
negotiate a right hand turn in the roadway and went off the left side of the road. An
unrestrained juvenile female was ejected from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at
the scene. The 31-year-old driver and a male juvenile were both transported to the
hospital.
April 16th 2026
CO Gov Polis recommendeds no tabor refunds for next two fiscal years.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has recommended withholding tabor refunds in both the
2026-27 and 2027-28 fiscal years. Polis says the state accidentally overpaid $306.1
million in refunds during the 2025-26 fiscal year, and by canceling tabor refunds, the
state can show $306.1 million in savings. The governor's office says the overpayment
stemmed from federal budgetary changes that affected how the state calculated revenue
for 2024-25. Those revised calculations led to higher-than-appropriate refunds being
issued in 2025-26. The request argues that if the federal budget's impact on 2024-25
state revenues had been known at the time, the state would have fallen below The
Referendum C cap that year, meaning that no tabor refunds would have been issued in the
first place. Joint budget committee staff say that keeping the $306.1 million – spread
across the 2026-27 and 2027-28 budgets - would not be legal. Therefore, The JBC
decided to use the over-refund to help balance the budget for the next 2 years, however, a
bill to do so has not yet been introduced.
Pikes Peak region firefighters called into help with the Schwachheim fire.
Multiple firefighters from The Pikes Peak region have been called in to help fight the
Schwachheim fire burning along the Colorado/New Mexico Border southeast of
Trinidad. The fire, which began on Sunday inside the Lake Dorothy state recreation area,
is a total of 1,003 acres in size with 0% containment as of last night. The fire's intensity
decreased yesterday with light winds and cooler temperatures, giving fire crews "a good
window in which to work before warmer and windier weather returns". Colorado Parks
and Wildlife has closed The Lake Dorothy state wildlife area to the public. Turkey
hunting license holders are being notified directly.
SLV Animal welfare society asking community to be on lookout for stolen trailer.
The San Luis Valley Animal welfare society is asking the community to be on the
lookout for a trailer loaded with kennels that was stolen from the shelter. According to
the society, an 18-foot flatbed trailer loaded with flattened metal kennels was stolen from
their location near San Luis on Monday night. The trailer and kennels are believed to
have been stolen between dark and 11pm. The trailer is reportedly worth $15,000 and the
kennels were picked up in Colorado Springs. No description of the trailer was made
available. If you see the trailer and kennels, you're asked to call Alamosa dispatch at
719-589-5807, or the animal welfare society at 719-588-5560.
Longtime Trinidad Resident secures Dem nod for CO HD 47.
Longtime Trinidad Resident Vic Meyers, a Democrat, has secured the Democratic Party
nomination for Colorado House District 47 and will advance to the November 2026
general election. Meyers announced the nomination after facing no competition at the
county assembly and receiving no challengers through the petition process. Meyers was
born and raised in Pueblo County and has lived in Trinidad for the past 25 years. He is
an army veteran and former Colorado Department of Corrections Officer. Meyers will
face Incumbent Ty Winter, a republican, in November. Winter is also unopposed for the
June primary.
US 160 wildlife safety project set to resume on Monday.
Following a break for the winter, work on the wildlife safety project along US 160 east of
Fort Garland is set to resume on Monday. Road crews will resume with backfilling,
grading work, installation of additional game fencing and a new resurfacing of about two
miles of highway. Work will take place between mile markers 258 and 265. Motorists
should watch for shoulder closures as traffic control re-installs electronic message boards.
the project is expected to be completed this June.
April 15th 2026
CO AG Weiser announced Albertsons settlement yesterday.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser yesterday announced that grocery chain
albertsons has agreed to pay nearly $774 million to address its role in driving the opioid
epidemic. Of that money, a total of $32 million is earmarked for the State of Colorado.
While the settlement resolves all opioid-related claims against albertsons companies –
which also operates Safeway grocery stores in Colorado – it does not include an
admission of wrongdoing or liability from the company. Albertsons is the most recent
retailer to finalize a settlement related to the opioid epidemic. Kroger (which operates
King Soopers and City Market stores in Colorado), Walgreens and Walmart have each
announced similar settlements in recent years. Negotiations with Albertsons has been led
by Attorneys General from Colorado, California, Illinois and Oregon.
CO Gov Polis faults Trump Administration for rejecting CO appeals.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Monday faulted The Trump Administration for
rejecting Colorado's appeals for assistance following last fall's fires and flooding in the
state. The state initially filed for a major disaster declaration for the Elk and Lee fires in
Rio Blanco County and the flooding in the western part of the state last year. FEMA
denied the requests in December. The state appealed the decisions in January only to be
rejected again. Polis called the rejection "disappointing" and blamed The Trump
Administration for denying funding to help Colorado communities recover.
Las Animas Counties Schwachheim fire continues to grow in size.
As of last night, the Schwachheim fire, burning near the Colorado-New Mexico state line,
has grown to 1,002 acres and there is still no containment. The fire is burning in grass
and brush in an old burn scar area within the Lake Dorothey state wildlife area. There are
no evacuations ordered currently. A Colorado type 3 incident management team took
over management of the fire yesterday morning. About 100 fire personnel were on hand
fighting the fire yesterday. The wildfire sparked to life on Sunday in Las Animas
County. Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency on Monday
afternoon, which now allows the State of Colorado to take the necessary actions to assist
in response, recovery and mitigation efforts.
Former Costilla County Sheriff/Deputies appeared in court yesterday.
Five former Costilla County Sheriff's office employees, including former Sheriff Danny
Sanchez, made their first court appearances yesterday. Former Sheriff Danny Sanchez is
facing one county of abuse of a corpse and four counts of official misconduct. Former
deputy is facing the same charges. Former Deputies Roland Riley and Caleb Sanchez are
each facing charges of second and third degree assault. Former undersheriff Cruz Soto is
facing charges of failure to intervene, failure to report use of force, assault and
misconduct. All five men appeared out of custody. All 5 were indicted in March, and the
former sheriff resigned days later. All 5 are scheduled to appear in court again on May
26th.
New Monte Vista wastewater treatment facility to cost more than expected.
After Monte Vista has been telling residents that a new wastewater treatment facility will
cost $30 million, the lowest bid has now come in at $49.7 million. The need for a new
wastewater plant comes in light of stricter federal and state standards for water quality.
While the city has already increased sewer rates from $18.39/month to $55.17/month to
help pay for the new treatment facility, more money is now needed. The city is
reportedly conducting a rate study based on a 40-year repayment period for the additional
$19 million, and is hoping some of that amount will also come from grants.
April 14th 2026
House Bill to prohibit colorimetric field test arrests passes CO Legislature.
House Bill 26-1020, a bill that prohibits law enforcement from arresting an individual for
a level 1 drug misdemeanor based solely on a positive colorimetric field drug test, was
signed into law last month after passing both the State House and Senate unanimously,
making Colorado the first state in the nation to prohibit arrests based solely on
colorimetric drug tests, also known as field drug tests. To conduct these tests, the
suspected substance is placed into a small bag and shaken. The contents of the bag
change color if an illicit substance is identified. However, research has found false-
positive rates as high as almost 40% in some cases. It is estimated that about 300
Coloradans have been arrested on drug charges each year resulting from the tests’ use.
The new law now prohibits law enforcement from arresting an individual based solely on
a positive colorimetric field drug test.
Gov Polis issues disaster emergency for Schwachheim Fire.
Governor Jared Polis yesterday afternoon issued a disaster emergency in response to a
fire that is burning south of Trinidad near the Colorado-New Mexico border. What is
being called the "Schwachheim fire" began on Sunday in Las Animas County and has
since grown to more than 450 acres. The fire, located in the Lake Dorothy State Wildlife
area, is being battled by firefighters from The Hoehne Fire Protection District and The
Raton Fire Department. The verbal disaster emergency declaration activates the state
emergency operations plan and directs the department of public safety to take the
necessary actions to assist in response, recovery and mitigation efforts. That support
includes engine and hand crews, aerial resources and a type three incident management
team to manage incident response efforts. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has closed The
Lake Dorothy State Wildlife area to the public, effective immediately.
Custer County Commissioner arrested on tax evasion charges.
Custer County Commissioner Bill Canda has been arrested on a felony tax evasion
charge following a months-long investigation by The Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
According to The Custer County Sheriff's Office, a warrant was issued Friday for Canda
who later turned himself in to The Custer County Jail. Canda was then charged with one
count of tax evasion, a class 6 felony, and was released after posting a $1,250 bond. The
arrest stems from an investigation by CBIi, which began back in August of 2025, at the
request of The Custer County Sheriff's Office. According to CBI, the allegations against
Canda center around whether he improperly used a county tax-exempt certificate to
purchase materials for his private business, talon earthworks, rather than for public use.
City of Raton announces opening of baby box.
The City of Raton announced yesterday that it has opened its first baby box at Raton Fire
Rescue on Clark Avenue. The box gives parents a safe way to give up a baby when they
can no longer care for the baby. The climate-controlled box has an alarm system that
alerts people inside the fire station when someone places a baby inside. It also dispenses
resource packets for parents after they close the door. The box is the 15th baby box in the
State of New Mexico. There are almost 500 baby boxes located across the United States.
CDLA announces rental assistance applications being taken.
The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has announced that applications for the April
round of emergency rental assistance in Colorado are now being taken. The program
helps Coloradans who've fallen behind on rent. You can receive up to 7 months of rent,
or $10,000. Your income cannot exceed 60% of the median income. Applicants are
entered into a random selection and then will be sent an email to complete a full
application on the online portal. The window is open now until 5pm tomorrow. To fill
out an application, go to doh.colorado.gov/emergency-rental-assistance.
Click here
