Latest news with #ColoradoCollege
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Manitou Springs Penny Arcade under new ownership after 92 years
(MANITOU SPRINGS) — The historic Manitou Springs penny arcade is switching owners, with a local taking over the largest arcade west of the Mississippi. In 1933, Jack Kerns launched Bingo Jacks as a gaming hall. After the Colorado Attorney General ruled that for-profit bingo games were gambling and illegal, the Kerns family moved to coin-operated arcade games and instant photo booths. Kerns later died in the 1970s, and his wife sold the Arcade to two of their sons. Now, long-time Manitou Springs local John Weiss is taking over the historic arcade. 'I see myself more as the Arcade's caretaker than as its 'owner,'' Weiss added. Weiss graduated from Colorado College and returned to Colorado Springs to launch Colorado Springs Independent, and later acquired the Colorado Springs Business Journal. Weiss won't be leading the arcade alone, as two Manitou locals, Maria and Alain Navaratne will also help Weiss and current General Manager 'AJ' lead the arcade team. 'If the weather is fine, more than 2,500 people will visit the Arcade over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend,' said Maria. 'We will be working to ensure that we are well prepared.' General Manager AJ will continue to oversee day-to-day operations and the 30 full and part-time employees. 'After working at the Arcade for the past eight years, what I love the most about my job is helping people have a wonderful time when they are on their vacations,' she said. The arcade's summer hours being Thursday, May 16, where the arcade will remain open seven days a week 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., or later depending on demand per the arcade's website. The Manitou Springs Penny Arcade can be found at 930 Manitou Avenue. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Most Americans Want More Public Land, Not Less, Poll Shows
Americans are unified around our public lands, and the majority want more and better-funded public lands — not less, according to a new polling report from the Trust for Public Land. Published Wednesday, the report surveyed more than 4,000 U.S. residents from different backgrounds and political persuasions. It shows broad, bipartisan opposition to recent moves by the Trump Administration to expedite the sale of federal lands and to reduce funding and layoff staff at the federal agencies that manage those lands. As TPL points out in its report, the broad support for public-land protections in the U.S. is only growing as the demand for accessible public lands and outdoor recreation increases. Along with record-breaking visitation numbers at America's National Parks in 2024, the number of visitors on BLM and Forest Service lands has shot up in recent years. Participation in outdoor recreation is also steadily climbing, according to the latest figures from the Outdoor Industry Association. 'We are living in a golden age of outdoor recreation,' TPL's CEO Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser says in the report. 'People want greater protection of existing lands, and they are eager for more opportunities to explore and connect to new landscapes.' Around 71 percent of the survey's respondents said they oppose the sale of existing public lands 'to the highest bidder,' and 74 percent said they oppose the closure of any public lands, including facilities like campgrounds and visitor centers. Roughly 62 and 63 percent of respondents said they oppose reductions in funding and layoffs at public-land management agencies, respectively. Those numbers align pretty well with a previous survey, released in January and conducted by Colorado College, which found that 65 percent of Westerners oppose the transfer of federal lands to states, and 89 percent of them want to keep National Monument designations in place. This polling data was timely, as it followed a series of layoffs at federal agencies like the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, and continued attempts by legislators to divest of federal public lands and transfer their ownership to the states. Read Next: How Seriously Should We Take the Sale of Federal Lands? Very Seriously, Experts Say Since the survey by Colorado College only focused on eight Western states, TPL says the more recent national polling report helps widen that lens. Working with the data analytics firm YouGov, TPL's web-based poll reached 4,501 people from across the U.S. The sample of respondents was weighted to be representative of U.S. Census data. It was then divided into subgroups based on the respondents' presidential votes. This allowed TPL to show the breakdown in responses from Trump voters and Harris voters, along with a breakdown by all U.S. residents regardless of their voting record. As one example, respondents were asked whether they support or oppose the closure of national public lands — including visitor centers, campsites, trails, and recreation areas — in an effort to reduce federal spending. Seventy-four percent of all U.S. residents said they opposed these closures. This included 64 percent of Trump voters and 89 percent of Harris voters. During a time of intense partisanship, those numbers speak volumes about the importance of public lands to everyday Americans. 'Few, if any, issues draw such support and agreement across generations, political parties, geographies, and demographics,' TPL points out in its report. 'Selling or transferring public lands contradicts hard data and public opinion.' That's because America's public lands provide abundant hunting, fishing, and recreation opportunities, and they are are one of our greatest economic engines, especially in rural areas. These shared landscapes are the backbone of a $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation industry, according to TPL's research. The group points out that in Colorado alone, the outdoor recreation economy brought in roughly $17.2 billion in 2023 and supported around 132,000 jobs, accounting for 4.3 percent of all statewide employees. Read Next: As Trump Attempts to Reform Federal Government, Hunters and Anglers Face 'Unintended Consequences' 'What's often overlooked is that public lands aren't just places we protect — they're engines we can activate' TPL's National Board of Directors chair Lucas St. Clair says in the report. 'They support our physical and mental health. They power local economies through outdoor recreation. And they remind us that shared spaces can still unite a divided nation. In a time when public lands are increasingly under threat, we need to protect and expand them, not shrink them.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Surprise Daniels Scholarship announcement
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — At a recognition ceremony for students who have gone above and beyond in their high school career… so they thought… Mayor Yemi Mobolade and Former Mayor John Suthers tricked the teens on April Fool's Day, even, and presented 15 students with the Daniels Scholarship for a full-ride scholarship to an in-state college of their choice. 'Honestly, what I've dreamed of doing for a long time,' Senior at Air Academy High School, Sawyer Newell said, 'it's honestly … going there [Colorado College] too… everything's kind of working out.' The Daniels Scholarship was started in 2000 and provides full-ride scholarships for motivated and ambitious students. Each student chosen to receive the Daniels Scholarship shows great potential, strong character, and values that align with the man behind it all, Bill Daniels. Daniels was born in Greeley, Colorado, just before the great depression, and according to many, was a born entrepreneur, widely considered one of the great business visionaries of the Twentieth century. Myka Smith, a senior at Big Sandy (Simla) High School, commented, 'Being able to go full blown, go after all those dreams, go after the big just goal of life… it's going to be super huge, and I'm very excited for it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown report shows growth in tourism, housing and investment
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Downtown Colorado Springs released its 2024 report on Thursday, March 20, which showed growth in several sectors such as tourism, housing, and shopping. According to the 2024 State of Downtown report, downtown experienced $2.47 billion in investments over the past decade, up $125 million in 2024 over 2023. The hotel occupancy rate downtown has surpassed 2023's post-pandemic high standing at 66.8%, a 3.3% difference from the pre-pandemic 2019 rate. Downtown reportedly set a record in 2024 for total occupied room nights and has doubled its number of hotel rooms since 2019. Weidner Field, Colorado College's Ed Robson Arena, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum also brought in over 600,000 visitors downtown. The Top 5 Weekends Downtown: June 24-25: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb June 10-11: Pikes Peak Pride and a Switchbacks game Sept. 16-17: Fiestas Patrias and Firefighters Weekend June 17-18: Juneteenth and a Switchbacks game March 11-12: St. Patrick's Day Parade In 2024, 29 new businesses opened, matching 2023's totals. Rent is also higher than at the start of 2023; this reflects new construction and improved properties seeking and securing higher rates. Downtown also has the greatest employee density in the Pikes Peak region, with a workforce of nearly 27,000 people, with roughly 24,000 of those workers representing a consistent presence in their business according to the report. To read the full report, click the link above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Poll: Montana voters highly supportive of conservation initiatives
A motorcyclist enjoys the view from Bird Woman Falls Overlook along Going-to-the-Sun Road. (Photo via Glacier National Park) A poll released last month confirmed support for conservation policies is high among Montanans and a majority of voters are concerned over the future of public lands, clean air and water — positions at odds with actions taken by many of Montana's elected officials. However, Montanans' views on climate change have drastically shifted over the last year, with the percentage saying climate change is not a problem at its highest level since 2020. That's according to the 15th-annual Colorado College's Conservation in the West Poll, which surveyed the views of Montanans and voters in seven other western states — Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The bipartisan survey was conducted by Republican pollster Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy and Democratic pollster Dave Metz of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates. Results from the poll show high overall support for conservation initiatives across the West, with many stances crossing state, partisan and demographic lines. Of the Montanans surveyed, 40% of respondents self-described as conservative, 41% self-described as moderate, and 18% as liberal. 'The consensus favoring public lands conservation remains consistent and strong in the West,' Katrina Miller-Stevens, former director of the State of the Rockies Project, which runs the annual poll, said in a statement. 'Westerners do not want to see a rollback of national monument protections, and there is no mandate for oil and gas development. Voters from all political ideologies are united in support of public land conservation in the West.' Following the 2024 election, which put Republican President Donald Trump in office with a GOP-controlled Congress, pollsters asked voters how they view conservation issues around clean air, clean water, public lands and wildlife compared to other key issues like oil and gas development and the economy. Across the spectrum, 72% of voters said they prefer their elected officials in Congress place more emphasis on protecting water, air quality, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities rather than maximizing domestic energy development — the highest percent in poll history. In Montana, 68% of voters responded the same way, a single-point drop from the 2024 survey, and the lowest of all western states except Wyoming. On specific policy proposals, Montanans overwhelmingly favored pro-conservation initiatives, including requiring oil and gas companies pay for clean-up and land restoration costs (95%); putting conservation on a higher priority level than oil and gas drilling (78%); allowing private landowners to create conservation easements (92%); opposing reducing protections for species listed under the Endangered Species Act (63%); and letting career professionals such as rangers, scientists and firefighters make decisions about public lands, water, and wildlife rather than newly appointed officials (86%). However, Montanans' views on climate change have shifted from last year, with only 63% of respondents saying climate change is an issue, a 10% drop from 2024, and the lowest level since 2020. Roughly the same portion — 65% — of Montanans said they support reducing carbon pollution that contributes to climate change. Last year, the Montana Supreme Court ruled to uphold a decision in the Held v. Montana court case that found Montanans' right to a 'clean and healthful environment' included a right to a stable climate system. In response, a series of bills is currently passing through the Montana Legislature aimed at altering the Montana Environmental Policy Act, some which would limit state agencies from basing permitting decisions on environmental analyses. Several questions related to policy proposals have been spotlighted by the federal government in recent weeks. Thousands of federal workers have been laid off by the Trump administration since Valentine's Day, including many working at public lands agencies. But respondents to the poll showed overwhelming support and approval for agencies tasked with overseeing national forests, parks, and other public land. Voters overwhelmingly approve of the work done by the National Park Service (86%), U.S. Forest Service (79%), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (75%) and the Bureau of Land Management (62%). Three quarters of all voters said they oppose cutting funding for those agencies. A majority of all voters — 83% of Republicans and 97% of Democrats — said national monuments should keep existing protections. During President Trump's first term, he reduced the size of two monuments in Utah, and federal officials last month announced a review of national monument boundaries. Another question asked whether voters support expanding commercial logging operations by private companies on national forest and other public lands. Fifty-five percent of Montanans — 60% of all western respondents — opposed expanding logging operations. But over the weekend, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to examine ways to bypass environmental regulations, including endangered species protections, to ramp up timber production across 280 million acres of national forests and other public lands, according to the New York Times. Among all those surveyed, one in 10 reported visiting national public lands in the last year, with 42% visiting at least six times. 'This is something that really makes this region of the country unique,' pollster Dave Metz said during a press call. 'The large amount of public lands and its accessibility to areas of all the population centers in these states really makes it something that is not just an abstract concept to voters in the west, it's something that's part of their day to day lives and it's a central part of what they enjoy about living in the west.' The 2025 Colorado College Conservation in the West Poll surveyed at least 400 registered voters in each of the eight western states — 404 Montanans — for a total sample size of 3,316 voters, which included an over-sample of Black and Native American voters. The survey was conducted between Jan. 3 and Jan. 17. The poll's effective margin of error is +2.46% at the 95% confidence interval for the total sample, and, at most, +4.9% for each state. The poll is funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The full survey and individual state surveys are available on the State of the Rockies website.
