🌱 $10 Million For County Roads + Wildfire Evacuation Plans

Hello again, Colorado Springs! Important update: You all, as readers, have made the Colorado Springs Daily so successful that it is my honor to announce the next stage of the newsletter. Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Colorado Springs Daily. Although I have loved getting to know this community, we want to pass the torch to someone truly local to write about Colorado Springs long term. So if you're interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

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First, today's weather:

Cold with flurries. High: 23 Low: 4.

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Here are the top three stories today in Colorado Springs:

1. The Colorado Springs Police Department is actively searching for a green Chevrolet Suburban or GMC Yukon with a white cooler in relation to an ongoing investigation. The vehicle was seen fleeing the scene of a shooting at the 600 block of East Hills Road where one person was shot. The department has arrested multiple suspects related to the shooting but the investigation is ongoing. (KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News)
2. El Paso County is using a new rule within the federal American Rescue Plan Act to repair and improve county roads. According to officials with the county, the new rule will allow the county to spend $10 million of the federal funds on any regular government service and the county has chosen to improve roads. The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law by President Biden in March of 2021 allocating $1.9 trillion towards helping the American public at the local level. (Colorado Springs Gazette)
3. The Colorado Springs City Council is evaluating existing wildfire evacuation plans after the public says they are outdated and inadequate. Officials tasked with providing emergency management for the city report that their top goal is life safety. The minimum timeframe for review of the plans is every five years but some of the plans allegedly get reviewed every year. (KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News)

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Today in Colorado Springs:

• Storytime At The East Library and Information Center (9:30 AM)
• Sand Creek Book Club At The Sand Creek Branch Library (10:00 AM)
• Old Colorado City Book Group At The Old Colorado City Branch Library (11:30 AM)

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From my notebook:

• A deployed service member's dog has gone missing in Colorado Springs. The dog was last seen in the Stratmoor area by Academy and Highway 85. (Facebook)
• Spike Lee's "BlacKKKlansman" brought attention to the story of the Colorado Springs Police Department's first Black detective. If you are looking for a good movie to watch during Black History Month, look no further. (Instagram)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you soon.

— Erica Zenn

About me: Erica Zenn is a Masters Student in Applied Psychology at the University of Southern California who originally hails from Chapel Hill, NC. With a bachelors degree from Cornell University, Erica is an expert verbal and written communicator who brings extensive experience in employee engagement and customer experience of companies. Erica is passionate about community building, and loves using her writing and communication skills to bring people together.