COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV)—Starting on Friday, the city will shorten metered parking hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and on Sunday, metered parking will start at 1 p.m.

“We have some customers who say they don’t come downtown because parking is a nightmare or because they have to pay for parking,” co-owner of Cronk Art and Curiosities Andrew Cronk said.

On Sunday parking at the city-owned garages and lots will be free.

“Having abbreviated hours of paid parking definitely would help,” Cronk said.

This is just one of five areas the city is focusing on during the holiday season. Other areas include security, clean-up, homelessness response and business support. The mayor also granted overtime for CSPD’s downtown response team and homeless outreach team.

“I think help is the keyword rather than drive out or move away as long as they’re helping people that makes me feel better,” Cronk said.

The city says the effort is geared toward driving more business downtown, something Cronk says he would love to see more local customers in his store.

“It’s all new people it’s tourists, it’s people visiting, that’s wonderful. but some of our regulars feel like it is out of the way now,” Cronk said.

The results of these changes will be evaluated in January. They plan to see what aspects need to be carried on through the next year.

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The sentencing for two of the three suspects arrested and accused in last year’s rock-throwing death of Alexa Bartell has been scheduled for May 2025, about a year after they pleaded guilty in the case. Nicholas “Mitch” James Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak reached plea agreements with the prosecution in Jefferson County in May. 

Twenty-year-old Bartell was struck and killed late at night on April 19, 2023, when she was struck by a rock that was thrown into her windshield. Several others were injured in similar incidents with what authorities described as “large landscaping rocks,” concrete, and in one case, a statue.      

Karol-Chik pleaded guilty on May 15 for his role in a series of rock-throwing attacks between Feb. 25, 2023, and April 19, 2023. In that agreement, the prosecution dismissed the original charges and added three new charges including second-degree murder, criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree, and crime of violence. 

According to the plea agreement, prosecutors said Karol-Chik would serve a minimum of 35 years and up to 72 years in the Department of Corrections. The judge said the deal did not allow for sentencing in the youth offender program. Prosecutors told the court that Bartell’s family did agree to the plea deal.   

Kwak pleaded guilty on May 10 to three new charges, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and criminal attempt to commit assault, in an agreement reached with the prosecution. As a result of that agreement, the prosecution dismissed the original 13 charges, including murder and attempted murder.    

According to prosecutors, the deals with Karol-Chik and Kwak are dependent on their full cooperation, including testimony against the third suspect, Joseph Koenig. Earlier this year, investigators revealed that they believe Koenig was the one who threw the fatal rock at Bartell’s car. 

The trial for Koenig has been rescheduled for April 11, 2025 through April 25, 2025. Koenig’s trial was initially scheduled for July and August but was rescheduled after a court-ordered evaluation. 

Sentencing for Karol-Chik and Kwak has been scheduled for after Koenig’s trial, May 1 and May 2, respectively. 

A rebound toward average temperatures Wednesday will occur around Colorado Springs.

“After yesterday’s cold front, we’re starting out our Wednesday cold and breezy,” Meteorologist Alan Rose with Gazette new partner KOAA said. “The wind will weaken during the morning hours, leaving us with light northerly breezes and cooler highs this afternoon.”

Daytime highs will only warm into the 30s, 40s and lower 50s across southern Colorado depending on where you live.

“Our high in Colorado Springs of 44 degrees on Wednesday will come up well short of our average high of 54 degrees,” Rose said.

High pressure will return late this week, boosting temperatures into the lower 60s in Colorado Springs and Pueblo on Thursday. Highs will cool slightly Friday, warming into the 50s on the Plains.

“A west Coast storm will send a cold front into Colorado on Saturday, with gusts to 25 mph on Pikes Peak, but no incoming rain or snow threatening plans this weekend,” Rose said.

Highs on Saturday will top out in the lower 50s, with upper 40s by Sunday in Colorado Springs.

“Early next week, we’re tracking another piece of energy from the west Coast storm,” he said. “The heaviest precipitation looks to stay mostly to our east, with smaller chances for rain and snow showers locally next Monday and Tuesday.”