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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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Shedeur Sanders shoves referee, ‘lucky’ to avoid ejection as frustrations boil over in Colorado loss

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Shedeur Sanders shoves referee, ‘lucky’ to avoid ejection as frustrations boil over in Colorado loss


There was certainly a scenario Saturday night where Colorado would’ve needed to navigate the final 20 minutes of its upset loss to Kansas without star quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders, the son of Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders and a projected top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, shoved referee Kevin Mar after taking a sack on third down with Colorado trailing by nine in the third quarter, and he was “lucky” that didn’t result in an ejection, Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira said on the broadcast.

Shedeur Sanders shoved a referee during Colorado’s loss to Kansas on Nov. 23. Screengrab via X/@CFBONFOX

“There’s no question that he does,” Pereira said when asked about Sanders shoving Mar. “Look, I get why he’s upset because people are almost climbing over him after he was down, but, you know, the officials can use their hands all they want to try to keep order. But you cannot come back as a player and push an official. 

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“In the chaos, the officials don’t see it, but he’s lucky that he wasn’t ejected from the game.”

After the sack, Sanders approached Mar from behind — who was surrounded by a cluster of players — and shoved the longtime official with his right arm.

Shedeur Sanders reacts during Colorado’s loss to Kansas on Nov. 23. Screengrab via X/@CFBONFOX

By that point, three other referees had moved closer to the scuffle and attempted to separate the players and Sanders while protecting Mar.

Sanders, who finished 23 of 29 for 266 yards and three touchdowns during No. 16 Colorado’s 37-21 loss, wasn’t penalized on the play, but his frustrations had started to boil over.

The game featured plenty of physical hits, with Colorado’s College Football Playoff hopes at stake and Kansas attempting to claw its way toward becoming bowl eligible.

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At one point in the first half, defensive end Dean Miller lowered his head and flung himself toward Sanders’ knees while he attempted a pass.

“I mean, I just don’t know how that’s legal overall,” Sanders told reporters after the game when asked about Miller’s hit. “I ain’t understand that, but, you know, it is what it is. There was a couple plays like that.”

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders looks to pass against Kansas on Nov. 23, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

The Buffaloes trailed 17-0 at one point but managed to trim its deficit to two points early in the third quarter, when Travis Hunter — also projected as a top pick in the upcoming NFL draft — and Sanders connected on a touchdown pass.

But Devin Neal accounted for the final two touchdowns, providing the Jayhawks with some cushion and ensuring Colorado was on its way to ending the night in a four-way tie atop the Big 12 standings.

Deion said after the game that Colorado had become “intoxicated with the success.”

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“We started smelling ourselves a little bit,” Deion said, according to ESPN. “… We got intoxicated with the multitude of articles and the assumption that we’re this and the assumption that we’re that. And we did not play CU football. Therefore, we got our butts kicked. It is what it is.”



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Keene, Donelson help Fresno State beat Colorado State 28-22

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Keene, Donelson help Fresno State beat Colorado State 28-22


Associated Press

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Mikey Keene threw two touchdown passes, Bryson Donelson had a career-high 150 yards rushing and a TD on 13 carries Saturday night and Fresno State beat Colorado State 28-22.

Colorado State (7-4, 5-1 Mountain West) fell into a tie for second with No. 24 UNLV in the conference standings behind No. 12 Boise State — which will host the Mountain West championship game on Dec. 6.

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Donelson, a freshman, went into the game with 199 yards rushing this season, including his previous season high of 58 yards in the season opener. Keene was 20-of-28 passing for 181 yards with no interceptions. Mac Dalena finished with seven receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown for Fresno State (6-5, 4-3 Mountain West Conference).

Justin Marshall capped a 12-play, 77-yard opening drive that took nearly 6 1/2 minutes off the clock with a 10-yard TD for the Rams and finished with 94 yards rushing.

Donelson ran for a 21 yards and Keene hit Raylen Sharpe for a 38-yard gain to set up a 16-yard TD run by Donelson to make it 7-7. Joshua Wood followed with a 4-yard scoring run before Dalena caught a 28-yard touchdown pass with 3:18 left in the second quarter and Keene hit Jalen Moss for a 15-yard TD less than 3 minutes later that gave the Bulldogs a 28-7 lead at halftime.

Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi ran for a 9-yard TD late in the third quarter, threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Person and then hit Vince Brown II for the 2-point conversion to trim Colorado State’s deficit to 28-22 with 17 seconds left.

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Big 12 madness: No. 14 BYU and No. 16 Colorado both lose to create potential four-way tie for first

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Big 12 madness: No. 14 BYU and No. 16 Colorado both lose to create potential four-way tie for first


Deion Sanders and Colorado lost their third game of the season on Saturday. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

We could be headed for a four-way tie atop the Big 12 entering the final week of the regular season.

No. 16 Colorado lost 37-21 at Kansas on Saturday while No. 14 BYU lost 28-23 at No. 21 Arizona State in an absolutely chaotic finish.

The Buffaloes’ defense was gashed by Kansas RB Devin Neal. The senior who grew up not far from the University of Kansas campus had 287 total yards and four touchdowns as Colorado’s defense gave up big play after big play.

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BYU scored 20 points in the second half but its comeback attempt was foiled with 1:04 to go when Jake Retzlaff’s overthrown pass was intercepted by Javan Robinson. The defensive back returned the ball 64 yards before he was tackled inside the BYU 10-yard line to seal the game. Or so we thought.

Instead of trying to score the TD and get a two-score lead, Arizona State inexplicably tried to run the clock out. Sam Leavitt’s pass to try to end the game landed in the stands with one second to go. That gave BYU a Hail Mary attempt from its own 44 yard-line because Leavitt ran backward on second down to burn time.

The final play was delayed over 10 minutes because of a replay review and because the field needed to be cleared of the students who rushed it thinking the game was over.

And BYU almost pulled off the miracle win once the field was clear. Chase Roberts caught Retzlaff’s pass, but he was tackled short of the end zone.

Colorado and BYU entered Week 13 tied atop the Big 12 at 6-1 in the conference while Arizona State and Iowa State were at 5-2. If the Cyclones win against Utah on Saturday night, all four teams will be tied at 6-2.

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The Jayhawks improved to 5-6 overall (3-5 Big 12) with the win and set an FBS first. Thanks to wins over Iowa State and BYU over the previous two weeks, Kansas is the first school to ever beat three consecutive ranked teams while having a losing record.

Neal had 37 carries for 207 yards as Kansas rushed the ball 57 times for 331 yards. Colorado can be vulnerable to opponents’ run games and the Buffs can’t run the ball themselves. Colorado rushed 13 times for 42 yards.

Kansas’ run game allowed it to control the ball against the Buffaloes. Kansas had the ball for over 40 minutes as Colorado ran just 42 plays to Kansas’ 58.

Travis Hunter didn’t do anything to ruin his great chances at the Heisman in the loss. Hunter had eight catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns while also playing on defense.

Arizona State has the best chance of anyone to make the Big 12 title game. The Sun Devils are in with a win over Arizona in Week 14.

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Colorado, meanwhile, needs help if there’s a four-way tie at 7-2 and Iowa State beats both Utah and Kansas State in its final two games.

If all four teams end up tied atop the conference, the first tiebreaker would be against their common opponents of UCF, Kansas, Kansas State and Utah. Colorado is cooked in that tiebreaker with losses to the Jayhawks and Wildcats. ASU is 4-0 against those teams and Iowa State and BYU would be 3-1.

After that tiebreaker, it would progress to the winning percentage of conference opponents. In that tiebreaker, Iowa State currently has the edge.



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