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Need for help with paying utility bills climbs as inflation hits home in Colorado Springs

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Need for help with paying utility bills climbs as inflation hits home in Colorado Springs


Persistent excessive costs on items, companies and primary requirements have left many Coloradans struggling to pay their payments.

Calls to Pikes Peak United Method’s 2-1-1 hotline for monetary help with lease and utilities have enhance steadily over the previous month, mentioned spokeswoman Lindsey Caroon.

As households shift their family budgets to prioritize meals and lease whereas additionally making an attempt to maintain the lights, water and warmth on, they’re pressured to make powerful selections about the place to spend their cash, mentioned Kristy Milligan, CEO of Westside CARES.

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The coalition of church buildings on Colorado Springs’ westside gives companies for homeless folks and low-income residents.

“At Westside CARES we’re seeing a big enhance in requests for assist throughout the board, and particularly within the realm of utilities,” she mentioned.

Colorado’s Low-income Vitality Help Program, referred to as LEAP, a federally funded program that runs from October by March, is experiencing a deluge of requests, in response to the state’s Division of Human Companies.

A file variety of purposes have flooded the workplace, with greater than 69,000 Coloradans making use of since Nov. 1, LEAP Supervisor Theresa Kullen mentioned Tuesday.

That compares to 64,000 on the similar time in 2021, she mentioned, which represents a 7.5% enhance over final 12 months.

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“The selection between heating or consuming is actual for a lot of in our communities, as the price of every little thing from meals and power to primary hygiene merchandise and lease continues to extend,” Kullen mentioned.

LEAP covers a portion of a family’s complete utility invoice in two or three disbursements by the season. The quantity depends upon household dimension and revenue degree.

To qualify, recipients will need to have an revenue as much as 60% of the state median revenue degree, which equates to a family revenue of $66,468 or much less yearly for a household of 4.

A short lived COVID-relief fund is also paying water payments for candidates dealing with eviction resulting from water shutoff.

The typical LEAP profit this season is $440, in response to Kullen.

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Candidates have been dealing with prolonged wait instances, Milligan mentioned, in contrast with a traditionally tighter turnaround for candidates to search out out in the event that they’ve been accepted or rejected.

“We’re seeing as a lot as three weeks — and in some locations extra — after somebody applies for LEAP help,” Milligan mentioned.

Kullen mentioned the workplaces administering this system and processing purposes have been capable of keep on prime of the elevated quantity.

Different bill-paying help additionally is on the market.

Undertaking COPE, a program of Colorado Springs Utilities, aids prospects who’ve a past-due steadiness and are in an emergency scenario.

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Between Nov. 1 and April 30, candidates will need to have utilized for the LEAP program earlier than requesting further help from the native utilities firm.

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Colorado Springs Utilities works with 9 native organizations to distribute the funds.

Vitality Outreach Colorado additionally helps folks in dire want with utilities’ funds.

Each applications may be accessed solely as soon as a season.

The necessity for rental help at Silver Key Senior Companies is great, mentioned Derek Wilson, chief technique officer.

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“Greater than in previous years, significantly as a result of prices throughout the board are up and COVID help is now largely gone,” he mentioned.

“After we will help with utilities, they will use extra of their restricted and generally mounted revenue on lease as a substitute of utilities,” Wilson mentioned. “It is a rising problem and one which we’d like  extra greenback help in an effort to meet the wants of seniors, and that features utilities.”

This 12 months’s utilities’-assistance course of at Catholic Charities of Central Colorado additionally has been affected by circumstances, mentioned David Inexperienced, director of revenue and aid.

“We have now been unable to meet the variety of requests like we’ve in earlier years resulting from workers transition and turnover,” he mentioned.

Because of this, the group has been referring some folks to different COPE companies in Colorado Springs, he mentioned.

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Mentioned Milligan of Westside CARES: “Everybody at this second nationwide within the social service sector is understaffed to accommodate the burgeoning want.”

The variety of requests Catholic Charities is fielding by its applications is about the identical as up to now two years, Inexperienced mentioned.

From Oct. 1 by Dec. 18, the group has assisted about 20 households with paying $10,500 in utilities’ payments, he mentioned.

The typical help has been about $450, he added. The most individuals can obtain by COPE is $750 a 12 months.

Residence Entrance Army Community additionally will not be seeing extra requests over final 12 months, mentioned Government Director Kate Hatten.

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The group helped 93 households pay their utility payments final 12 months; by November of this 12 months it’s 69 households, she mentioned, with December nonetheless to be added.

“Our concern is that utility charges are likely to fluctuate, and we all know costs have gone up considerably not too long ago,” Hatten mentioned. “So, it could simply be a delay earlier than we see folks in arrears or getting disconnect notices.”

Final week’s chilly snap probably drove extra folks to hunt help, Milligan mentioned.

“There’s going to be extreme utilization coupled with the rise in charges,” she mentioned. “Not not like Christmas itself, it’ll be a invoice whose time will are available in January, and I feel lots of people will discover themselves brief.”

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Avalanche Fall to Jets 1-0 in Winnipeg | Colorado Avalanche

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Avalanche Fall to Jets 1-0 in Winnipeg | Colorado Avalanche


The Avalanche lost to the Jets 1-0 in Winnipeg on Thursday. Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves for the Avalanche, who outshot the Jets 34-28 and were 2/2 on the penalty kill.

Gabriel Vilardi opened the scoring for Winnipeg with a shot from the right doorstep off a cross-ice feed from Mark Scheifele at 1:06 of the first period.

At the end of the opening frame, Winnipeg led 1-0 and outshot Colorado 15-9 through the first 20 minutes of play.

After a scoreless second period, the Jets took a 1-0 lead into the third period along with a 24-18 advantage in shots on goal.

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In the third period, the Avalanche outshot the Jets 16-4 but weren’t able to score the equalizer.

The Avalanche will return home and face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday on Altitude and Altitude+.



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Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn killed by suspected DUI driver in Colorado

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Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn killed by suspected DUI driver in Colorado


The Golden police officer who was struck and killed by a suspected DUI driver has been identified. Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn was just 33 years old when he was killed on Wednesday night. 

Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn

Golden Police Department

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Dunn was one of two officers who were investigating a crash when they were struck just before 5 p.m. Wednesday in Golden. Dunn and a female officer were outside their Golden Police Department patrol vehicle on the Golden Freeway (Highway 58) near the intersection with Washington Avenue when they were struck by the suspect later identified as Stephen Robert Geer

The officers became trapped underneath that vehicle and Dunn died at the scene. The other officer, his partner Officer Bethany Grusing was injured and rushed to the hospital. She sustained serious injuries in the crash. 

According to the Golden Police Department, Dunn was previously an Army Aviation Officer and Blackhawk pilot before he joined the department as a code enforcement officer where he served for a year before entering the police academy. He also actively served as a captain in the Army National Guard. 

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Dunn graduated in July and was partnered with Grusing.

Dunn is survived by his wife, Annalise, and their dog Remy as well as his parents and two siblings, according to the Golden Police Department. 

“We are a family,” said Golden Police Chief Joe Harvey in a statement. “We are very close with each other and with our community. Evan had a bright future and was destined to do great things, and we will never get over his loss. We can only continue doing the job he loved in his honor.”

Harvey said that Annalise shared that “Evan was, first and foremost, a man of faith, loyal, steady, quiet, and observant. The couple shared a deep love for the outdoors, often camping and traveling together in their free time.”

Geer is being held at the Jefferson County Detention Center after his appearance before the judge on Thursday morning. 

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golden-officer-crash-stephen-robert-geer-arrested-from-jeffco-so-copy.jpg
  Stephen Robert Geer

Jefferson County


Geer is facing several charges including vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol or one or more drugs, two counts of vehicular assault while driving under the influence of alcohol or one or more drugs, failure to exercise due care when approaching a stationary vehicle resulting in death. 

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10 iconic places in Colorado to have a drink

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10 iconic places in Colorado to have a drink


From the rowdy saloons of the 1850s to the roaring post-Prohibition days in the 1930s and ’40s to the craft brews and $25 cocktails of the moment, Colorado history has paired up with drinking culture in the same way that gin goes with tonic or beer goes with a burger.

But not all watering holes are created equal. While there are plenty of amazing place to tip back a bevvie, we rounded up a few of the most legendary spots in Colorado have a drink.

Columbine Cafe, Golden

Chris Artemis owns the Columbine Cafe with two siblings. They’ve been serving Coors since the end of Prohibition. (Jonathan Shikes/The Denver Post)

A lot has changed in Golden over the past century. For starters, Prohibition ended in 1933, meaning that Coors Brewing got back into the business of making beer. But there’s also now a highway where the Arapaho tribe used to camp and fish, and there are houses and offices and restaurants and gyms where there used to be nothing but open space and elk.

Things have changed at the Columbine Cafe as well, but not by much. Founded as a restaurant by Mike Hatzis, who emigrated from Greece to the U.S., it became a bar in 1934, and a hangout for Coors employees, who would come down after work to trade rumors, tell stories and drink the beer they made — because for most of its existence, the Columbine only served Coors. And since some of those employees worked the third shift, typically 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., the bar opened at 7 a.m. to make sure that everyone could get a pint at the end of the “day.” In 1976, Hatzis gave the bar over to his nephew, Harry Artemis, who’d worked at — where else? — Coors since 1962. Harry continued the run the place past his retirement from the brewery in 1992 and into the 2000s.

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It’s now owned by Harry’s kids, Chris, Steve and Tina. Today, the Columbine serves a few beers that aren’t Coors — Longmont’s Left Hand Brewing was on tap recently — and it showcases bluegrass music on Thursday nights in a park-like patio out back; Chris even runs a ski tuning shop in the basement. And it hasn’t opened at 7 a.m. for a decade or so. But the Columbine is still the place to come to trade rumors and tell stories about Coors Brewing, among other things, and it’s still the place to find someone to talk to at the bar, or behind it.

15630 S. Golden Road, Golden; facebook.com/ColumbineCafe

The Cruise Room, which opened on Dec. 5, 1933, is located inside the Oxford Hotel (Provided by the Oxford Hotel)
The Cruise Room, which opened on Dec. 5, 1933, is inside the Oxford Hotel (Provided by the Oxford Hotel)

The Cruise Room, Denver

With an aura that jumps straight off of the silver screen, the Cruise Room looks like the kind of place where you might run into Humphrey Bogart drinking a gin martini or Bette Davis swilling an Old Fashioned. Opened the day after Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the Art Deco bar is in the historic Oxford Hotel and it features a long and narrow layout — like a train or a ship — with slick booths on one side and a gleaming, neon-lit bar on the other. While the dress code here should be elegant if possible, you’ll likely find all kinds drinking at the bar.

1600 17th St., Denver; theoxfordhotel.com/eat-drink/the-cruise-room

Flagstaff House, founded by Don Monette, is famed for many things, including its sweeping views of Boulder Valley. Monette died Tuesday, at 85. (Camera file photo).
Flagstaff House, founded by Don Monette, is famed for many things, including its sweeping views of Boulder Valley. Monette died Tuesday, at 85. (Camera file photo).

Flagstaff House, Boulder

There are plenty of rooftop patios in Colorado. And they’re all fantastic. But in Boulder, there’s a patio that feels as if it’s on the roof of the world. Perched on Flagstaff Mountain, just to the west of Boulder, Flagstaff House — owned and run by the Monette family since 1971 — is a fine-dining destination known for elevated food, an award-winning wine list and breathtaking views. While dinner reservations book up far in advance, you can also visit the newly renovated bar and lounge area for a cocktail, a canape, or a dessert. It is seated on a first-come-first-served basis. There’s even a cozy fireplace on colder days where you can watch the sun set with, say, a glass of Caviar Dreams, made with prosecco, lemon, grapefruit, bitters, caper liquor and a bump of caviar.

1138 Flagstaff Road, Boulder; flagstaffhouse.com

Gray's Coors Tavern in Pueblo began its life in 1934 as Johnnie's Coors Tavern. (Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post)
Gray’s Coors Tavern in Pueblo began its life in 1934 as Johnnie’s Coors Tavern. (Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post)

Gray’s Coors Tavern, Pueblo

Sit at the bar on in one of the booths at Gray’s Coors Tavern for just a few minutes, and you’ll feel as though you’ve lived your entire life in Colorado. Not only does this timeless Pueblo bar and restaurant mostly serve Coors beer (history tells us that the brewery worked with bar owners after Prohibition ended to put the family name above the doors at a few saloons), but the walls are covered in Denver Broncos memorabilia from at least seven different decades and photos of Gray’s beginnings in 1934. But back to the menu, where you’ll find the perfect pairing for your Coors beer: an open-faced, double cheeseburger smothered in green chile (Pueblo-grown, of course, rather than Hatch), known affectionately as a Slopper.

515 W. 4th St., Pueblo; facebook.com/grayscoorstavern

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One of the most popular drinks ordered at the Minturn Saloon is the margarita. (Photo by Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily)
One of the most popular drinks ordered at the Minturn Saloon is the margarita. (Photo by Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily)

Minturn Saloon, Minturn

Holed up alongside the Eagle River, the Minturn Saloon — and its predecessor bars at the same address — have been serving drinks in the Vail Valley since 1901. The beautiful backbar itself was built in the 1830s and spent time in Leadville before being hauled down the mountain. But the saloon is perhaps best known as being the end destination for the Minturn Mile, an experts-only backcountry route down Vail Mountain. Recently renovated, the saloon has upgraded its menu and become quite the tourist draw. But it will always welcome locals with a discount.

146 Main St., Minturn; minturnsaloon.com

Sam Milloy dines solo at the ...

AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post

My Brother’s Bar in Denver. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

My Brother’s Bar, Denver

If you’ve been around for 150 years, you don’t need a sign to announce your presence. Such is the case on 15th and Platte streets in Denver. A watering hole since the 1870s, the building at 2375 15th St. has been home to My Brother’s Bar since 1970, when the Karagas brothers moved to town and took it over. It’s now owned by local preservationist Danny Newman, who has kept the legacy alive. Laid out like a darkened English pub — but with an unexpected oasis of a patio out back, My Brother’s is known for burgers and beer. And you can get that burger however you want it because it comes with a tray full of possible condiments. (We recommend the Jalapeño Cream Cheese Burger.) The bar is also one of several where Beat Generation writer Neal Cassady spent time while he lived in Denver. Visit, and you might feel enlightened as well.

2375 15th St., Denver; mybrothersbar.com

The original Oskar Blues Grill & Brew was founded in Lyons in 1997 as Cajun restaurant. Owner Dale Katechis and crew began brewing in the basement at the restaurant in 1999 with the inception of Dale's Pale Ale. (Oskar Blues Brewery)
The original Oskar Blues Grill & Brew was founded in Lyons in 1997 as a Cajun restaurant. Owner Dale Katechis and crew began brewing in the basement at the restaurant in 1999 with the inception of Dale’s Pale Ale. (Oskar Blues Brewery)

Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, Lyons

Beer has a long history in Colorado and there are plenty of storied places where that heady liquid has been brewed. One of the most unexpected, though, was a raucous Cajun restaurant founded in 1997 in Lyons by a homebrew-loving Alabaman. But Dale Katechis was also bold, and in 2002, he did something no one could believe: he started canning craft beer. Sure, the big guys — Coors, Bud, Miller — all canned their beer, but microbreweries were supposed to be better and more refined. Katechis was laughed at, but it didn’t stop him from building his business into one of the 10 largest craft breweries in the country. Katechis eventually sold the brewery, but he kept the restaurants, including the original in Lyons, which has hosted renowned blues musicians and jam bands going back in time to a more innocent era in this little town.

303 Main St., Lyons; oskarbluesfooderies.com

The Silver Dollar Saloon in Leadville, Colorado. (Provided by the Silver Dollar Saloon)
The Silver Dollar Saloon in Leadville, Colorado. (Provided by the Silver Dollar Saloon)

Silver Dollar Saloon, Leadville

In case you forget that the town of Leadville is 10,120 feet above sea level, a short and breathy walk down Harrison Avenue, to the front door of the Silver Dollar Saloon, will remind you. Once inside, though, it’s hard to forget the building’s 150-year history (it has been a bar for nearly that long), its antique fixtures and its many guests, like the 10th Mountain Division soldiers (who trained just down the road at Camp Hale), gunslinger Doc Holliday, and the miners, prospectors and Prohibition-era lawbreakers who enjoyed a drink here. Join them by choosing from an extensive list of Colorado-made whiskey, beer and wine, and revel in the fact that this is one of the highest-elevation bars in the United States.

315 Harrison Ave., Leadville; legendarysilverdollarsaloon.com

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The new owners of the Woody Creek Tavern focused primarily on behind-the-scenes updates, installing a new kitchen, plumbing and electrical systems, back bar, banquettes and wood floors. (Provided by Woody Creek Tavern)
The new owners of the Woody Creek Tavern focused primarily on behind-the-scenes updates, installing a new kitchen, plumbing and electrical systems, back bar, banquettes and wood floors. (Provided by Woody Creek Tavern)

Woody Creek Tavern, Aspen

For nearly as long as college students have been absorbing the satirical chaos of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” it has been a Colorado rite of passage to visit the bar and restaurant in Woody Creek, just outside of Aspen, where the book’s author, Hunter S. Thompson, hung out — until his death by suicide in 2005. The rabble-rousing journalist would likely laugh at the Woody Creek Tavern’s legendary status today, not to mention the ritzy feel of Aspen. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stop in to peruse the celebrity photos and memorabilia on the walls, drink a bloody Mary and offer up a toast to Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo.

2858 Upper River Road, Woody Creek; woodycreektavern.com

Wynkoop bartender Anne Schrader pours two ...

Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post file

The Wynkoop Brewing Company. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Wynkoop Brewing, Denver

When Wynkoop Brewing opened in 1988 — serving 25-cent beers that day to draw people to the then-desolate neighborhood — it was the first time a beer had been commercially brewed in Denver since Tivoli Brewing closed nearly 20 years earlier. Since then, the brewpub’s booths and bars have been many things: a gathering place for civic leaders, journalists and pot-stirrers; the launchpad for the career of former co-owner John Hickenlooper (now a U.S. Senator), the site of live pig races and pool tournaments and the catalyst for a neighborhood that would go on to become one of the hottest party spots in town. Across from Union Station and down the street from Coors Field, the Wynkoop is now a courtly grandfather among rowdy teenagers, but it’s also the only place you can find a beer made from Rocky Mountain oysters.

1634 18th St, Denver; wynkoop.com

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