Author: Debbie Kelley
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Colorado SNAP reductions: Food stamp benefits to return to pre-pandemic levels after February
Additional food stamp benefits intended to help people endure economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic are ending next month nationwide, and El Paso County Department of Human Services is warning recipients to prepare for fewer dollars’ worth of assistance, at a time when grocery prices continue to rise. While inflation pushed overall prices to increase…
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El Paso, Teller counties public school enrollment bucks Colorado trend
Public school enrollment in the Pikes Peak region is bucking a statewide trend of fewer students. Colorado enrolled 3,253 fewer preschool through 12th grade students this academic year over 2021-22, but the Pikes Peak region’s 17 public school districts collectively gained 450 students, according to official numbers the Colorado Department of Education released Wednesday. Nine…
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Dropout rates rise as graduation rates improve for some Colorado Springs-area schools
Some Pikes Peak region school districts mirrored statewide results for graduation and dropout rates – both increased for Class of 2022 graduates, according to statistics the Colorado Department of Education released this week for the 2021-22 academic year. That’s the case for Harrison School District 2, El Paso County’s most diverse district with the highest level…
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El Pomar marks 85th anniversary by surpassing $700 million in statewide charitable grants, community programs
Few Coloradans alive today knew high-profile community benefactors Julie and Spencer Penrose, but the charitable groundwork the couple laid in the first half of last century is familiar to every generation since. “One thing the trustees try to do every year and with every grant they make is to honor the intent of our donors,…
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Underwriting ensures 100% of contributions to Colorado Healing Fund go to Club Q victim assistance
Underwriting separate from public donations made to the Colorado Healing Fund will cover most expenses associated with administering the fund to assist victims of the Nov. 19 Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, officials announced Tuesday. That means “all of the $1.9 million raised to date and all future funds raised for Club Q will…
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Colorado Springs counseling center offers free therapy for anyone affected by Club Q shooting
MSC Counseling Center, 7375 Adventure Way, off Woodmen and Black Forest roads, is offering free counseling services to anyone affected by the Nov. 19 shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs. Up to six free sessions are available, said Juliette Cooley of Mountain Springs Church, which provides space for independent counselors to set up therapy…
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Police complete scene investigation of Club Q shooting, update number of victims
Colorado Springs police have completed their investigation at the scene of the Club Q shooting and have revised the number of victims, according to an update released Monday afternoon. Also, starting Tuesday, police will release personal property, such as vehicles, and items patrons and employees may have left inside Club Q. Colorado Springs emergency doctor…
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Club Q shooting puts spotlight on preferred pronouns
When Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez publicly announced the names of the five deceased victims of a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub, he included the individuals’ pronouns, as submitted by their families. The action didn’t go unnoticed by national media, and was noted as something that may not have been done in the…
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5 victims in Club Q mass shooting identified, as mourning continues around Colorado Springs
All five victims – whose ages ranged from 22 to 40 – of a Saturday night shooting rampage at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, were identified at a Monday afternoon news conference. Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez also named two patrons, Thomas James and Richard Fierro, who were in the bar when the…
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Shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs leaves 5 dead, many; patrons hailed as heroes
Joshua Thurman, a witness to the Club Q shooting, explains what he saw during the attack Several patrons of an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs are being hailed as heroes, as details unfold about a mass shooting that happened minutes before midnight Saturday at the Club Q and left five people dead and 18 bystanders…