A look at the top stories on KRDO.com in 2022
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Throughout 2022, KRDO digital has worked diligently to deliver quality reporting to our viewers across southern Colorado and beyond.
Pulled from the thousands of local articles written throughout the year, below are the top ten viewed articles on KRDO.com in 2022.
#10 Memorial Hospital surgical patient awarded nearly $1 million, doctor found guilty of battery
An El Paso County District Judge ordered a Colorado Springs doctor to pay nearly $1 million to a former surgical patient. In October, a jury found that Dr. Tiffany Willard, a physician at Colorado Springs’ Memorial Hospital Central, was guilty of medical battery against a former patient following surgery to remove a hemorrhoid.
Parks officials from El Paso County, Colorado Springs, and the U.S. Forest Service Pikes Peak Ranger District are issuing an impassioned plea to hikers: Stop making illegal trails. The city's park rangers completed mapping of Red Rocks Open Space and found that there are more than 60 miles worth of illegal trails, doubling the number of legal trails. Those illegal trails vary in length, anywhere from a couple of feet to long stretches.
#8 Colorado residents can now apply for rebate to help with property tax, rent, heat expenses
Colorado residents, including people with disabilities and older adults, can now apply for the PTC Rebate which will assist with property tax, rent, and/or heat expenses as the winter season approaches. Colorado residents who qualify can receive up to $976 a year. The program is based on Colorado residents' income. You can apply for the PTC Rebate by visiting Colorado's tax website. Follow the step-by-step application process on the website.
The owner of multiple pawn shops across Southern Colorado faces charges in connection to a federal money-laundering investigation. According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, they're part of a joint investigation into a multi-million dollar criminal organization involved in the sale of "large quantities of stolen property" at Top Dollar Pawn. Police say this involves the Colorado Springs and Pueblo locations. Owner Jack Jargowsky was taken into custody along with three other individuals. The four suspects are accused of theft, pattern of racketeering, and 27 counts of money laundering.
#6 Pueblo woman reunited with dog after attack
It's a happy ending for a Pueblo woman who had her dog stolen last week when she was attacked by two strangers -- the dog, Roxy, has been reunited with her owner. Molly Leri was attacked on E. Evans Ave. Leri says two women got out of the vehicle and proceeded to attack her, and went to grab the leash for her puppy. The dog owner says one of the girls proceeded to yell, "This is my dog now!" Leri's dog was taken into a getaway car, and the suspects drove off. Pueblo resident Jen Keleher posted in a Facebook group for Pueblo's lost and found pets that she found Roxy on her front porch. Then, Molly and Roxy were together again.
#5 Cannon Game ends early after brawl on the field, East declared winner
The 47th Cannon Game between Pueblo South and Pueblo East ended early following a fight between the teams. According to our Sports Reporter who was at the game Friday night in Dutch Clark, the game was called. East won 23-0. Despite East being declared the winner, the cannon was not given out at the game.
#4 New study shows marijuana compounds could provide protection against COVID
You'd think that marijuana and the COVID-19 virus would have nothing in common, but new research by an Oregon study shows otherwise. The Oregon State Global Health Innovation Center, College of Pharmacy, and Linus Pauling Institute announced Wednesday that two specific compounds in marijuana have the potential to prevent people from contracting COVID. The lab study found that the two compounds -- cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) -- block the process by which COVID infects people.
#3 Mass shooting at Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub left 5 dead; Suspect, 22, in custody
Five people were killed and many more were injured in the shooting at the Colorado Springs LGBTQ club, Club Q. The suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich was subdued by patrons of the club and arrested shortly after the shooting began. After appearing in court, Aldrich faces 305 charges, including murder in the first degree, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury.
#2 Six arrested in Southern Colorado organized crime ring tied to drug trafficking, weapons
In a 17-page federal indictment, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado has charged seven people with drug trafficking and weapons violations. 13 Investigates confirmed these arrests are linked to a series of FBI raids in Colorado Springs and Pueblo in recent months. According to the court documents, Jaime Sanchez, Gabriel Sanchez, Leonard Singleton, Jose Baeza, Stephanie Barker, Leanne Wilson, and Augustine Gallegos were all indicted by a grand jury on November 15. The indictment is the result of a ten-month federal investigation into drug trafficking in Colorado Springs.
#1 Bomb threat in Lorson Ranch neighborhood Friday night
The number 1 viewed story on KRDO.com in 2022 was actually a story from 2021. The story was about a bomb threat in the Lorson Ranch neighborhood, in which the suspect was accused Club Q shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich. Controversy has surrounded the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office since the Club Q shooting because the case was dismissed after, according to the DA's Office, the witnesses in the case refused to testify.
