Volunteers at The People's Church in Central Springs gather every Tuesday night to serve home-cooked meals to unhoused community members offering not just food, but a reminder that someone sees them.

For Bella, who has been unhoused for more than 4 years, a meal is not always a guarantee.

"It's not every day though," Bella said.

She says most people don't understand the true difficulty of life without a home.

"If people actually saw what any of us go through on a daily, maybe then they'll understand it's more difficult. It's not as easy as getting a job, getting inside. It's not that easy like people think it is," Bella said.

On Tuesday, the meal from The People's Church was the first Bella had eaten all day a sacrifice she makes without hesitation for her dog.

"This is my first meal actually of the day, yesterday I was more concerned about my dog, my child. My baby eats every day, every day she has food. I don't. I'll starve before I let her," Bella said.

Even when food comes her way, Bella passes it along.

"A lot of us share all of our food. There are days that I've even had food delivered, homemade food brought to me specifically, and I give it to my brother," Bella said, "I give and give."

I joined Michele Reckel and a team of volunteers as they prepped and packaged meals before heading out for distribution. The relationship the church has built with the unhoused community is what keeps the program running.

"They do trust us. They believe in what we do. We have a relationship with them, so if something is not right, they will let us know," Reckel said.

Reckel said the mission goes far deeper than food.

"It's a way to let them know they're loved. It's not just the food they're getting. We'll let them know we do love you. We do see you," Reckel said.

She, and over a dozen other volunteers, get together at 5:00 p.m. to package food and then leave to give it out to unhoused people around the area, like at Monument Valley Park.

"When I go out there, I'll sit and I'll talk to them. Majority either were raped when they're young or abused. It hurts my heart and I wish I could help every single one of them, but I can't, but I will listen to the story. I will remember their name, and I'm not there to judge. I'm just there to love and show them other people do love you. There are kind people out there like our volunteers that take their time to to do what we're doing," said Reckel.

Robert Brown now walks the same trails as a volunteer but there was a time when he was in the same position as Bella.

"During my homelessness I was hungry one day and somebody told me that this church feeds the homeless, so I came for the meal and I ended up liking the people because I felt the sincerity of what they were doing," Brown said.

Now he gives back and introduces people to a program called the Chain Breakers.

"It's for anybody struggling with any type of addiction or any trauma. We also provide a warm meal on that day for the people who come, you know, who are less fortunate," Brown said.

The anonymous group meets at the People's Church, 402 Conejos Street, every Monday at 6:30 pm. The group is always looking for donations to continue making meals and providing resources to those who are unhoused around Colorado Springs.

Hundreds of people packed Acacia Park and the front of city hall in Colorado Springs for a No Kings rally, urging Southern Colorado residents to get informed and cast their ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

The scale of this year's ballot underscores the urgency demonstrators brought to the streets. In El Paso County, the Blue Book contains nine ballot issues alone. There are 14 measures statewide a significant number of decisions that attendees say requires careful, independent research.

"You have got to go out and do your own research to find out if this agrees and aligns with what you think. There's a lot of issues out there right now that are very confusing, so it's important," Jeanie McIntyre said.

Watch the video report below: Hundreds rally downtown to push Southern Colorado voters to the polls

Adding to the complexity, some of those measures co-align but are also different.

"Some are in conflict, direct conflict with each other, so it's important that people get informed and understand what they're voting for," Carrie O'Hara said.

Demonstrators said they also hope the rally encourages more people to register to vote alongside the nearly 500,000 registered voters already in El Paso County. O'Hara said the diversity of the crowd gave her hope.

"It's really encouraging to see lots of different people. I've seen people of all ages, different demographics, people who have been involved for a long time it seems like and then people like me. This is my first event," O'Hara said.

Related: Colorado voter guide to the 2026 midterm election: Everything you need to know before November

McIntyre said the message transcends any single issue.

"No matter how you feel about one policy or another, you have got to vote," McIntyre said.

"I wanted my voice to be heard and I wanted to do it besides being my vote," Laurie Sullivan said.

The call for civic action extended beyond the rally's regular attendees. Amanda and Sky Roberts, family of Epstein survivor Virginia Guiffre, also addressed the crowd, connecting accountability for those in power to the importance of exercising the right to vote.

"If protecting our children is a principle we can all agree on, if abusing a child is one of the most heinous acts a human being can commit and if presidents, princes and prime ministers are capable of that, then what else are they capable of? I don't ask that to make you angry. I ask it because anger that doesn't become action is just another distraction. In this country, your voice has power, and that power has a name. It's called a vote," Sky Roberts said.

During the speech, a counterprotestor carried a Soviet Union flag and got into a small altercation with some demonstrators. Sky Roberts addressed the moment directly from the stage.

"We don't sit here, we don't shove each other we use our voice, we use our vote," Sky Roberts said.

At Acacia Park, some younger voters also took the opportunity to share their perspectives about abortion. They carried a sign that said "abortion is murder."

"We're not necessarily here opposing the protest. We're here because there's people here and we're trying to start conversations to reach people and keep our free speech open and expose people to these conversations because most people in our culture are scared to have these conversations, and I think that's an awful thing. Mostly people trying to block the signs and mute our free speech," Elijah Barnes said.

But they also say listening to the other side was constructive.

"I've had a couple of really good conversations and people were very respectful and they listen to our points and we listen to their points and there's some research that needed to be done on both ends, and so we both shook hands at the end and agreed to go back home and do our research," Noah Montgomery said.

Regardless of where voters stand on the issues, those I spoke with at the rally agreed: Nov. 3 is the day that matters most.

"I think it is important for everyone to vote no matter who you're voting for. I think that is your civic duty to vote. Our whole country was based on that and we can't function if people don't show up and vote. That's basic premise," Nancy Briley said.

When a hard freeze warning hits Colorado Springs, the stakes get especially high for unhoused residents and for the pets they say keep them alive.

Every other Wednesday, a bright blue van parks alongside a row of tents outside the People's Church in downtown Colorado Springs. It's a free mobile vet clinic and resource pickup run by The Pet Cross, built specifically for low-income and unhoused pet owners who have few other places to turn.

I went inside the clinic to meet the people who rely on it and the volunteers who keep it running.

Learn More about the Clinic in the Video Below

For those who show up, their animals are family.

"Everything in the world. She's my best friend," Craig Doty said.

Doty has a seven-year-old dog named Rose. He brought her in to the clinic because he was worried she had ring worm/

"If anything happened to her, I don't know what happened to me. I'd lose it," Corey Haight said.

Haight got his dog, Aurora, spayed. Her recovery has been quick, and he said it is a blessing.

Lisa Thompson, The Pet Cross founder, said those bonds are exactly what the organization was built to support.

"They have this pet and that's their family and they want to take care of them and, you know, there's just, like I said, not a lot of options. So, I do what I can for them," Thompson said.

The Pet Cross partners with Pay It Fur-Ward for the clinic, and they provide dog beds, blankets, food, and vaccines all free of charge. Kimberly Bolding, The Pet Cross director of operations, said her team goes out of their way to gather supplies for both animals and their owners.

"We have people on our team that go out and spend time trying to rile up and get what we can get to get warm clothing for the dogs, cats, and the owners. We've even found that our pet beds have become so valuable because the unhoused could sleep on a pet bed," Bolding said.

The depth of that need, she said, can't be overstated.

"People come and are begging for food for them or they'll feed their animals their food before they would have their pet go without. The same thing with keeping them warm, getting the meds that they can, and they don't have money, so it's pretty tough, but these people look at their animals as the thing that's kept them alive," Bolding said.

Bolding has experience herself. Her son was an animal lover himself before he passed away.

"I had a son that was unhoused on the streets and he was killed 12 days living on the streets. He was an animal lover like big time. I can look at all the people here now and see my son's face, my son's life in there," Bolding said, "They're not just clients, they're people with stories, real struggles, a real life, and I think they deserve to be supported just as much as anyone else. You learn to love these people."

For Doty, traditional vet costs are simply out of reach.

"I'm scared to death of what the vet's ever going to charge. So yes, it's a resource that I can actually use," Doty said.

He said he originally didn't know if what his dog had was contagious. But he said he would rather put his safety at risk than let her be alone and scared.

It's a similar feeling for Haight. He lived on the trails for more than 4 years. He knows what it means to be outside when temperatures drop.

"At night we're looking at close to 30 or below at night when it gets to winter, and that's freezing temperature and if you don't have the right equipment you will freeze to death and die," Haight said.

He credits his pet and the organization, Pay It Fur-Ward, with helping him survive.

"If I didn't have them, I didn't know what I was going to do the next day, to be honest," Haight said.

Now Haight volunteers with Pay It Fur-Ward, heading back out along the trails to hand out supplies to those still living outside.

"We have kennels, we have crates, we have dog food, we have cat food, we have toys, we have a few coats for animals but not much at the moment but during this time of year we kind of hand out most of our inventory because there's dogs and cats out here that need to be warm," Haight said.

Both organizations are always looking for volunteers, donations, and more people to serve.

A civil lawsuit against Cornell University and seven of its fraternity members over allegations of sexual assault and Title IX violations is sparking conversations on college campuses nationwide including at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

The suit claims a woman was sexually assaulted by the students in 2024 after being pressured into taking drugs and drinking alcohol. She reported the alleged assault to campus police. Prosecutors have since reopened the investigation into the allegations.

Watch previous reporting about the lawsuit: Prosecutor reopens probe into 2024 Cornell gang rape allegations

Title IX is the federal law that prohibits sexual discrimination in education.

The case widely referred to as the "Cornell 7" has dominated headlines on social media and in news outlets. UCCS's Title IX coordinator says there are many resources available for students locally.

Keison Morales, president of the UCCS Interfraternity Council, said the case immediately struck a chord with students on campus.

"When we saw it, we're all just wondering like, how could this happen," Morales said.

Cornell University is more than 1,000 miles away from UCCS. But students here are having the hard conversations.

"We talked during our chapter, we're just disgusted by it because especially how can a chapter do this to people," Morales said.

Morales is a member of a fraternity on campus and he also oversees all of the fraternities. He says the Cornell case has led to criticism of Greek Life across the country, but argues there is some misrepresentation.

"Here on a small campus, it's not happening on that level. Everyone thinks, oh, you're a fraternity, you're like Cornell so I'm like, no, we are not. We take strides to make sure we aren't like that. We make strides with the school to follow their policy," Morales said.

Protections are in place at fraternity events both on and off campus.

"We have DD's, we have sober monitors. We have everything. So if anything were to go wrong, we're happy with that. We'll be able to get you to the hospital, get you the resources you need, and all of our fraternity guys are Narcan trained," Morales said.

Morales said there is also a "violet program" in place.

"We have sisters in our fraternities who basically look after girls that say they don't feel comfortable with a guy, and then we have our little sisters take care of them, make sure they'll get then the resources you need during an event," said Morales.

Those safety measures extend beyond Greek Life. The university's Office of Institutional Equity works to spread the word about what resources are available to students.

Laura Emmot, UCCS associate vice chancellor of Institutional Equity and Title VI and Title IX coordinator, described those outreach efforts.

"We do a lot of tabling events at pre-orientation in the summertime, during the fall and spring, and prevention and education awareness. We have training for all incoming freshmen that's called our gateway Program seminar," Emmot said.

Between July 2025 and June 2026, UCCS received 191 sexual misconduct allegations. Emmot said Title IX investigations take time and for good reason.

"Title IX process investigations and resolution can take a long time, and that is because we honor due process. We need to make sure that we do a thorough review and evaluation of all of the information, talk to as many parties as we can," Emmot said.

Emmot said there is something that she thinks hasn't been reported on as much as it can be: the distinction and separation between a Title IX investigation and a criminal investigation.

"I've seen some coverage about that, but generally speaking, our standard is to address whether the policy is violated and to try to remove barriers for students' access to their education or employees' access to their employment," Emmot said, "Understanding that the Title IX office also has very specific federal regulations that are prescribed and describe exactly how what we have to do is different from the police investigation process entirely. We have some crossover at times there may be some similarities in process, but the outcomes can be completely different. The standard of evidence is different, and we are really focused on adhering to university policy."

Ultimately, Morales said he feels safe at UCCS and wants every student to feel the same way.

"We make sure everyone's safe and everyone feels safe when they either come to an event of ours or when they come to anything in our organization they feel safe and they feel welcomed," Morales said.

A program in El Paso County is offering local restaurant owners mentorship, community connections, and a cash boost with no loan required.

Exponential Impact (XI) is now accepting applications for the XI Survive & Thrive 2027 SPICE Program, which is an initiative designed to help restaurants across El Paso County thrive.

Instead of traditional loans, the program buys between $3,000 and $17,500 worth of gift cards from participating restaurants and distributes them to the community through local nonprofits. Those gift cards eventually find their way back to the restaurant, bringing in new customers and new revenue. The restaurants also receive a stipend.

"Those gift cards will then go out into the community and the various nonprofits, which is helpful to the community. In any case, those gift cards will end up back in the restaurant, so they're getting new customers, getting a cash injection. That's like a perfect thing. I think it's a win," Eric Brenner said.

Owners also must attend a six week cohort of other local restaurant owners. But Brenner says it is worth it.

Brenner is the chef and owner of Red Gravy restaurant and a mentor for the SPICE Program. He says the goal is to help restaurant owners identify their own gaps or "blind spots" before they become costly problems.

"People might be really good at their job and think they can open a restaurant and they do and they have some success, but they may have a blind spot in say accounting or marketing or even creating a menu," Brenner said.

He says there is one key factor to having a successful business: consistency.

"It's just a matter of listening to your guests at that point and giving them what they want, and just doing it consistently. Consistency is really rewarded in the city and I think a lot of businesses aren't set up necessarily for that," Brenner said.

The program also includes coaching on negotiating leases and finding the right location.

Samantha Lang knows firsthand what it feels like to watch restaurants come and go. The owner of Cacao Chemistry was part of the first cohort of the SPICE Program.

"I have seen so much turnover, people coming and going all the time and it's a shame too, because I see some of them suffering from pain points that, I'm like, I know what you could do about that! I wish I could jump in and help you but you're not asking me. More programs like this would be really beneficial," Lang said.

Lang says the struggle of running a small business in a competitive city is very real.

"I know it's a mid-sized city, but it can feel really big. Sometimes you feel a little bit like a number, you see competition popping up all around you, and you just sometimes you can feel like you're drowning," Lang said.

But the program helped change that perspective. Lang says she didn't just receive guidance on how to keep growing her chocolate shop she also made community connections with other downtown restaurants.

"To be in a room with a lot of the movers and shakers who have been in this for a really long time was transformative."

Lang said.

Businesses can apply now to participate in the SPICE Program. Applications close Nov. 1.

The Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District's Big Fall Book Sale is offering book lovers the chance to fill their shelves for under $3 a book and every dollar spent goes directly back to funding the library programs and initiatives that make reading accessible to everyone.

Watch Liv Wood's report in the video player below: Friends of PPLD book sale supports literacy programs

Last year, more than $160,000 was given back to the library, with some of that funding coming from the book sale. The other funds came from three regional library bookstores, online sales, branch bookstores, donations, membership fees, and the spring book sale.

Children's books, mystery novels and cookbooks are among the many genres on display at the four-day event. Purchasing a book doesn't just score shoppers a great deal it also fuels the programs that bring more people to the page.

Tracia and Edward Bell had been anticipating the event for months, marking it on their calendar at home and bringing their three children along for a family outing.

"I literally had it on the refrigerator, marking this day on the calendar like, 'We're gonna be there,'" Tracia Bell said.

"She was talking about it for months," said Edward Bell.

For the Bell family, reading is at the center of their home life.

"This is probably one of the first PPLD libraries that they've got exposed to because they love the children area, so we come, and they have fun and do their thing," Tracia Bell said. "At home we literally have bookshelves everywhere. We're not big TV people, and so we just dive in all genres, really."

Every purchase made at the sale and at branch library book sales throughout the district is funneled back to the Pikes Peak Library District. Rita Jordan, president of the Friends of PPLD, explained why that sustained funding is so critical.

"It's great to have programs, but you don't know if next year are we going to be able to have money to continue these programs?" Rita Jordan said.

The Friends of PPLD supports programs including:

Summer Adventure All Pikes Peak Reads Mountain of Authors Regional History Symposium Adult Winter Reading Program BookBrowse, a digital resource for readers and book clubs

"Because of the low cost, they are accessible, these books are accessible to everybody," Jordan said. "We want to be able to say you can get books here so that you have them on your shelf. You do not have to return them; they are yours, especially for kids, which is so important for literacy."

The Big Fall Book Sale is just one chapter of many that make reading more accessible to families like the Bells.

"We're thankful. This is here and that we can pull different topics and keep expanding our minds," Edward Bell said.

If you couldn't make it to the Saturday sale, the bargain bag sale begins at 11:00 am on Sunday. It is $6 per bag of books for members and $7 for non-members.

More than 53,000 people across Colorado are facing homelessness, according to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. In El Paso County alone, more than 1,400 people have experienced homelessness this year according to the 2026 Point In Time survey.

See more about the 2026 Point In Time survey: El Paso County Point in Time Count tallies more than 1,400 experiencing homelessness

But I had the chance to sit down with Springs Rescue Mission CEO Travis Williams, who spent 24 hours on a bench raising awareness about the issue. It marks the second year he has taken on the challenge.

Williams said the experience was far from easy and that the first hour was the hardest.

"It also was a reminder to me, almost a metaphor for what our guests go through, is that you hit those hard times and it's that initial start that's often the hardest," Williams said.

I spent 30 minutes on the bench during our conversation a fraction of the 24 hours Williams committed to the cause.

Working as a reporter in downtown Colorado Springs, I've seen the reality of homelessness firsthand from people resting in Acacia Park to conversations that have been truly eye-opening.

Williams said the conversations happening on the bench have resonated with those who were watching nearby, not just the two of us.

"There's a space where we've had different guests and particularly last night after we wrapped up a little bit, I was talking with some of the guests and they were, they were saying how these conversations have unlocked something new for them," Williams said.

One of those people is Danie Delice, who says what she witnessed hit close to home.

"When I see everybody moving around, it is not just about themselves, it's about someone else and it's that selfless behavior and character that I love and I really resonate with that because I am a servant at heart," Delice said.

Delice says she experienced homelessness for months.

"I've experienced what it feels like to not have a support system and to not have a way to get out of that," Delice said.

She didn't just share her story with me she also shared it with Williams on the bench. She said through programs at the Rescue Mission, Delice gained skills she didn't have before.

"There was a program here going into the educational opportunities that is offered. Before I came here, I didn't know how to drive a forklift, but I know how to drive a forklift. So that's one of the positions I would be looking for when I'm ready to apply," Delice said.

Now, she hopes to continue giving back to the community that helped her.

"I would like to continue to create impact in the community that has helped me previously and continues to help others, and give them a sense of purpose, because we all have a purpose," Delice said.

Williams says many people have a narrow picture of what homelessness looks like and people who are served at Springs Rescue Mission tell him they want to change that perspective.

"They go that's not me. Like I could be your sister, I could be your brother, I could be your grandmother, and I want you to see me," Williams said.

And I agree. Through many stories I've covered about Springs Rescue Mission, I think of the people who have moved past homelessness and are now thriving.

Watch the stories of people who have grown since getting out of homelessness: 'Look at Where You Are Now': The Stories Behind These Powerful Portraits

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs has two new additions to campus and they're not buildings or classes.

They're humanoid robots powered by artificial intelligence.

UCCS received the robots as a donation this year. They are both named Ami, and they are stationed at the campus library as an interactive resource for students. They are also taken to classes and events to interact with the community.

Watch the Full Story Below

When powered on, Ami can help students flesh out ideas for projects and receive feedback. It also tells a dad joke or two.

"Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field," Ami said.

But its role on campus goes well beyond humor. Ami has already been put to work in innovation classes, where students explore cutting-edge technology and brainstorm ideas.

"It's all about inspiring students to think about how AI can be part of the future," Ami said.

To interact with Ami, students first have to create an "agent" a set of natural language instructions that gives the robot a specific goal and purpose.

Those instructions can define Ami's tone, personality and purpose. The robot can even be directed on how to carry itself emotionally.

"It feels no nerves. It has no emotion. If I tell it to be confident, it's going to be confident," Joel Tonyan, UCCS' Direcrtor of User Experience, said.

One of the most sophisticated classroom applications so far has been programming Ami to act as a business idea coach.

"They [students] learned all about how to instruct Ami. You could present a business idea to AI and operating under these instructions it would evaluate your business idea, tell you how to improve it, give you further things to think about, so really it can be tailored to all sorts of different situations," Tonyan said.

The guiding principle behind every agent is simple.

"The instructions really are just natural language. It gives AI a goal. It's very explicit. The one rule above all others that you should follow is that when you are asked something, you answer it. That's your entire job and you do it every time," Tonyan said.

Students can also take Ami's programming in a more creative direction including giving it an entirely different personality, like that of a medieval gnome named Bartholomew.

"Greetings, noble scholars. Tis I, Bartholomew, the gnome of whimsical lore. How dost thou fare on this fine day?" Ami said.

Whimsical personas aside, Ami's primary purpose is to help students build efficiency and develop real-world AI skills.

"I'm here to chat and answer questions students might have. It's all about making learning a bit more interactive and fun," Ami said.

A plan to revitalize two of Colorado Springs' major waterways is generating both excitement and anxiety among residents who would be most affected by the changes.

See more about the plan here. Feasibility study underway for Monument and Fountain Creeks revitalization plan

Pikes Peak Waterways, the city of Colorado Springs, and Colorado Springs Utilities are partnering on the COS Creek Plan, a long-term effort to revitalize portions of Monument Creek and Fountain Creek. A feasibility study is currently underway to determine how the vision will come to life. President of Pikes Peak Waterways said the study will be complete in 2027.

"We've received some grant money which has helped us to get to this point where we can have these community meetings and begin to get the public input into the plan," said Martin.

The plan aims to connect community members, increase recreation along the waterways, and improve water quality.

Over 1,000 people have already shared comments online about the project. Pikes Peak Waterways says community members identified the top three priorities as water quality improvements, safety and homelessness, and better connections and transit.

Other priorities include:

Nature and Habitat Restoration Flood Resilience Water Quality Trails and Connectivity Parks and Gathering Spaces Recreation and Safe Creek Access Economic Development Neighborhood Revitalization Public Art and Culture

At the end of a 20-year timeline, the hope is that eight new and revitalized parks will be established.

Martin said the plan has the potential to reshape the city.

"As a native, always wondering why we hadn't done anything with our waterways, I think this plan can be transformational for our city," Martin said.

An open house was held at Roswell Community Church Monday, where more than 30 people turned out to weigh in on the future of their neighborhood.

Susan Alexander, a Roswell neighbor, described the mixed feelings many attendees brought with them.

"This comes with excitement but also anxiety because so that gets people out um because we love our neighborhood," Alexander said.

She said she left with some reassurance after learning the project has not yet solidified into a formal plan.

"We have a creek vision, and I was glad to hear that because when I thought it was more of a plan, and it made me nervous because there were aspects of it that I know would negatively impact Roswell," Alexander said.

Homelessness along the creek is among the most pressing concerns for many neighbors. Carl Anderson, a Roswell neighbor, said living near both the creek and Roswell Park has given him a clear view of what happens there day to day.

"I won't let my kids go down by the creek. We use the trail, yes, but we don't go down by the creek because of all the trash, the drug use, the defecation," Anderson said.

Alexander said she got involved in a creek cleanup over the weekend and described a persistent challenge at a well-known encampment in the area.

"We worked for a little over 3 hours and probably 2 of it was spent at one specific campsite because it wasn't occupied on Saturday. We had the opportunity to do a lot of clean up there. Well lo and behold this morning it's already reoccupied," Alexander said.

She said she is worried about enforcing encampment rules.

For many who showed up to the open house, the stakes are deeply personal.

"This is where we live. This is our homes. And yes, we want to see it improved, but we want to see it improved in the right way," Anderson said.

There are two more open houses happening this month. The next one is at the PPLD Penrose Main Library at 20 N. Cascade Avenue on October 12 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. On October 26, an open house will be held at Gaylord Hall in the Worner Center, 902 N. Cascade Avenue, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

But if people cannot make it in person, they can submit online comments here.

Neighbors in the Papeton community are coming together to transform the grounds of Edison Elementary School, installing garden beds designed to fight local food insecurity and teach students about growing fresh produce all made possible by a last-minute $5,000 grant from Sprouts.

Watch Liv Wood's report in the video player below: Community rallies around Edison Elementary with garden bed build

The original plan was modest: install just two garden beds each year. But after PTA Vice President and garden manager Sarah Hernandez applied for the grant at the last minute, the entire vision became a reality at once.

"Thank God we did because we were able to get the full $5,000 and so we're here with 10 extra garden beds to do the whole full garden that we planned," Hernandez said.

As a Title One school, Edison Elementary faces unique challenges in securing funding.

"It's free and reduced lunch, poverty level, and so we do everything that we can to support our families and our community," said Edison Elementary School principal Robin Moore.

But for Hernandez, the garden was never just about the money it was about meeting a deeper need in the community.

"We wanted to find a way to help feed the community because there were a few months where there was food insecurity and a lot of people hitting up food pantries. So we just wanted to make sure that, like, we could grow fresh produce so that they'd have healthy food," Hernandez said.

The garden also doubles as an outdoor classroom, where students are learning how ecosystems support each other.

"We also taught the kids about how having flowers in a garden is good, that actually helps bring beneficial insects and also keep away the insects that want to eat all of the fruits and vegetable," Hernandez said.

One of the students learning about gardening and plants is Hernandez's son.

"We were a little late getting planting season started last spring, but we're gonna be running and going on the 3rd grade class; that's where Sarah's son was in 3rd grade last year," Moore said. "It's kind of their project, and now that they're 4th graders, this will kind of be their legacy project until they leave, so that's exciting for them."

When the supplies arrived and the work began, the community showed up no questions asked.

"It's just nice actually seeing everybody helping, and it's really cool seeing that there's more community than we thought," Hernandez said.

Moore said the response was no surprise.

"I really believe when we do need something, and we put the word out, people do respond here because they believe in our school, they believe in our kids, they love our teachers," Moore said.

The outpouring of support left the project's organizer overwhelmed with emotion.

"It is truly amazing, and it kind of makes me wanna cry a little bit because I didn't expect as many people to show up," Hernandez said.

The school is always looking for donations and help from the community. Hernandez said she is now hoping to get a fence installed to finish the project.

Mahjong, a tile-based game, is building a fast-growing following in Central Springs and for many players, what happens around the table goes far beyond the game itself.

Front Range Mahjong, a local organization, hosts open play events that have expanded dramatically since they first launched. Owner Courtney Schreier says she remembers the group's very first open play event.

News5 reporter Liv Wood has more on the impact mahjong is having in Central Springs in the video below:

Mahjong is bringing people together one round at a time

"We had 4 tables at Kinship Landing, and now we have, we have 11, so it's grown so much in the last year," Courtney Schreier said, "I think mahjong is just a great way to get off your phone and talk to people, and it's a very tactile game, and I think that's something that's really cool about it."

The organization plays at many locations all around Colorado Springs including The Brit Pub, Kinship Landing, Bristol Brewing Comapny, and Carboy Winery to name a few. They have intro classes, tournament practice, and open play sessions for all skill levels. They provide all the equipment including tiles, racks, mats, and beginner guides so people can focus on playing and connecting with others.

The game itself, which involves swapping tiles to achieve the right pattern, has a little bit of everything, according to player Sandy Halby.

"It's a little bit of chance, a little bit of gambling, a little bit of almost poker-like experience," Halby said.

But for many players, it's the social connections the game creates that matter most.

"It just brings all these people together. You get to meet new people," Halby said.

Fellow player Pamela Walsh says there is something especially rewarding about watching a newcomer catch on.

"You can see somebody at the beginning being so confused thinking, 'how am I ever gonna do this?' and then that moment where it clicks for them and then they're like they are off and running," Walsh said.

For Walsh, mahjong offers a kind of connection that can't be found just anywhere.

"It's just a way to connect with other people that is um very magical in my opinion and I've met some wonderful people that I never would have met any other way," Walsh said.

The game's popularity is growing so quickly that Walsh says supplies are struggling to keep up.

"It has experienced a resurgence in popularity. It's really hard to get tiles now," Walsh said.

Halby says the friendships formed over mahjong can last a lifetime.

"It's great for your social interaction and I love the game and I love the friends that I've made through the game," Halby said.

And for those who make it to a winning round, there's one moment that never gets old.

"There's nothing like that first time you get to say, 'mahjong!'" Walsh said.

Colorado Springs Utilities is switching from summer to winter electricity pricing today, bringing a nearly 50% drop in on-peak electricity rates for residents and businesses across the city.

The utility provider says the average residential customer pays about five percent less on electricity during winter months. The on-peak rate the premium customers pay during high-demand hours drops from 29 cents in the summer to 15 cents in the winter. On-peak hours will continue to run weekdays from 5 to 9 p.m.

The rate change applies to homeowners, renters, and business owners alike.

Watch the Full Story Below

The timing comes as many Colorado Springs residents are already feeling squeezed. Gas prices are straining budgets, and grocery bills remain elevated.

"Every day I go to the grocery store and I realize that from a year ago my bills have jumped 50%, possibly 30%, you know, and that it weighs on me," Kevin Smith said.

Despite those pressures, Smith, a homeowner in the Papeton neighborhood, said the lower utility rates signal that Colorado Springs Utilities understands what its customers are going through.

"It feels like Colorado Springs Utilities is reading the room and understanding that affordability is affecting all of us," Smith said.

Renter Andy Dolan has also felt the weight of rising utility costs. He said he has had to adjust his daily routine to keep his bills in check.

"We unplugged the microwave we used to use, um, just because we weren't using it," Dolan said.

Each month, the arrival of a utility bill brings its own kind of anxiety.

"Every month, it's kind of like, oh I hope it's not gonna go over what we can afford," Dolan said.

While the lower winter rate is a step in the right direction, Dolan said he wants to see the savings on an actual bill before he gets his hopes up.

"I'll believe it when I see it. I just don't think it's going to go down enough to where I'm going to be like, oh, great. Now, I get some extra money to get groceries for me and my father," Dolan said.

He's also already thinking about what happens when summer rolls back around.

"They might cut it down for the winter months, which, yeah, that's great, but if you're just going to jack it back up in the summer when we really need it, I just don't see how it's going to help your average citizen," Dolan said.

Business owners are also in line for relief.

Aubrey Day, co-owner of Bread and Butter Neighborhood Market, said the seasonal drop in rates is especially welcome after a difficult summer. The store's coolers run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and the summer heat meant frequent, costly repair calls just to keep food cold.

"We had a lot of repair issues and having to have our guy constantly come out and work on them just to keep the food cool with the hot temperatures and so in that way we also are always happy about the cooler weather because it's just easier on our equipment as well, so it's a, it's a double bonus. You get the cooler weather and the lower rates that's helpful for us," Day said.

Day said the market's utility bill ran between $1,400 and $1,600 per month during the summer.

"We have pretty high usage here and that's part of running a business like this," Day said.

Even for those with far lower monthly bills, or at least lower than $1,000 a month, any savings are a welcome sight.

"When I see savings anywhere, especially from our utility company, I'm appreciative," Smith said.

Parent caregivers in Colorado say they are alarmed by discussions of potential cuts or reductions to a Medicaid program called Community First Choice, or CFC a program they say is essential to keeping their families stable and their children healthy.

The concerns surfaced after a Medicaid Commission meeting earlier this month, where parents said they heard two senators on the Joint Budget Committee raise the possibility of changes to the program.

Jo Remund, a parent caregiver, said she attended the entire nine-hour meeting.

Watch Jo Remund's Story in the Video Player Below Colorado parents fear cuts to Medicaid's Community First Choice program

"I was absolutely just floored. I was floored. They said the quiet thing out loud. That families like mine don't matter," Remund said.

CFC allows the state to provide certain home and community-based services to eligible Medicaid members, including personal care services and homemaker services. For families like Remund's, those services are woven into the fabric of daily life.

"I mean it sounds like that's a normal thing for parents to do, but when it comes to my 8-year-old, it's just so much more and it is a consistent reminder, it is a consistent hands-on for 2 hours before we go to school," Remund said.

She said she has to help her son tie his shoes, button his shirts, brush his teeth, and many other tasks.

Krystal Edwards said the program has been critical to the development of her 10-year-old son, Jude, who receives speech therapy and occupational therapy at home twice a week.

"When we look at our life and him as an individual in our family. We weigh very heavy on the fact that he does have these services. It's the amount of therapy and the growth that we are seeing in him as an individual? Just watching him blossom is incredible," Edwards said.

The family also relies on the CFC program to keep Jude integrated into the community.

"We are always out in the community with him we are out doing concerts, we went to the CU Boulder game. It's constant because you want them to feel normal, or as normal as they can. You don't want them to see that disability," Edwards said.

But community connector hours have already been reduced. Edwards said her family went from receiving 10 to 12 hours to just 5.

And Remund said she also faced cuts to her hours for protective oversight. Her daughter has severe mental health issues and needs attention to ensure her safety.

"I used to have 7 hours a day of protective oversight for my 15-year-old, which was so needed because it wasn't just the morning, it was also after school. It was also during school. It was also overnight. The amount of times where I had to lay next to her door to make sure that she was not getting up in the middle of the night to go and find something to harm herself is insane," Remund said, "When we had our reevaluation, they said, listen, I'm so sorry, but you are only going to get 1 hour a day of protective oversight. One hour a day? Are you kidding me?"

For Jinny Arrington, who lives on the Western Slope four hours from the nearest children's hospital the services are a lifeline.

"I don't know how we would stay out of the hospital in all honesty. I would see us having to need higher level of care, and it's really difficult because here on the western slope, we're so far," Arrington said.

At the Medicaid Commission meeting, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, known as HCPF, shared a document about the growth of the CFC program. The document states that when CFC was implemented in 2025, the department projected $45 million in general fund savings, but that "actual experience has differed from those assumptions. As a result, the addition federal funding available through CFC has not been sufficient to offset the increased spending."

As we work to address the growth in expenditures and bring spending in line with the budget the legislature has appropriated to HCPF, we will be guided by the core commitment to protect the health and safety of members. The Department is focusing its work in four areas: <ul class="rte2-style-ul" style="list-style-type: disc"><li>Driving administrative efficiencies</li><li>Aligning benefits and services to maximize impact and value</li><li>Ensuring program integrity and fiscal accountability</li><li>Maximizing federal and non-general fund resources</li></ul>

The department said no cuts have been finalized for the upcoming fiscal year. Governor Polis' 2027/2028 proposed budget for the state will be released November 1, 2026.

But parent caregivers say the uncertainty alone is frightening. Remund said if the program were eliminated entirely, the consequences for her family would be severe.

"I will be making $0. That literally will leave me and my two children homeless because I will not have money. I will not have money because I cannot go and get a normal 9 to 5 like anybody else," Remund said.

She said she is always on call if something were to happen to either her daughter or son while they are at school.

"How in the world am I going to manage that? Because the need is still there. It doesn't go away," Remund said.

Edwards said the stakes extend beyond her own family.

"You've got people like me who are like, oh no, I've got to go back to work in order to support the family. Where does that leave Jude? Where does that leave him? Where does that leave all these individuals who are in these needs?" Edwards said.

Edwards said she often gets calls to pick up her son, Jude, early from school. He has sleep apnea, and she said he is almost always in the red or yellow zone.

Arrington said she hopes decision-makers will see the human cost of any reductions.

"I think there's a lot of work that needs done. I personally don't even know where to start. I just hope that they can see us as people, rather than a budget item," Arrington said.