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Labor Day events feature hot air ballons

This Labor Day weekend in the Springs is full of music, art and hot air balloons. And much of it is free.

Things to Do

This Labor Day weekend in the Springs is full of music, art and hot air balloons. Even better? Much of it is free.

Inside Colorado Springs Airport's $63M makeover 

Colorado's second-largest airport opened a new travel lounge.

Business

Colorado Springs Airport is showing off its new digs after a major terminal makeover.Why it matters: Colorado&#x27;s second-largest airport wants to make flying easier and comfier for its nearly 2.5 million annual passengers as it seeks to avoid losing too <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="many passengers to Denver&#x27;s airport" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/26/denver-airport-dia-den-walkways-between-concourses" data-vars-content-id="c536ed7e-3a78-462c-a4b6-4d94f82a8ef1" data-vars-headline="Inside Colorado Springs Airport&#x27;s $63M makeover " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/05/26/denver-airport-dia-den-walkways-between-concourses" target="_self">many passengers to Denver&#x27;s airport</a>.

2027 ballot push tackles water, noise and surveillance

Miller said the ballot ideas grew from conversations with friends, family, neighbors and coworkers.

News

While voters <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="focus on November" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/09/03/colorado-ballot-measures-2026-taxes-transgender-tabor" data-vars-content-id="aca5dc46-3efb-40a0-841b-ffc4447976c8" data-vars-headline="2027 ballot push tackles water, noise and surveillance" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/09/03/colorado-ballot-measures-2026-taxes-transgender-tabor" target="_self">focus on November</a>, petition organizer Anita Miller is already looking to next April — with four proposed measures for Colorado Springs&#x27; 2027 ballot.Why it matters: If approved, the measures would restrict large water users, tighten noise regulations and ban city use of automated license plate readers.

Fall migration is underway

Birding comes with a slew of perks, from boosting mental health to aiding scientific discovery.

One of Colorado&#x27;s top birding destinations is open for seasonal access.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Birding is a hot hobby" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/29/birding-for-the-soul" data-vars-content-id="e4beb5e0-197d-456c-8eb4-0509f23b03d9" data-vars-headline="Fall migration is underway" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/29/birding-for-the-soul" target="_self">Birding is a hot hobby</a> in the post-pandemic era, and it comes with a slew of perks, from boosting mental health to aiding scientific discovery.

GOP candidates try to blame state Dems for affordability crisis

Five weeks before ballots go to Colorado voters, the political blame game is taking a turn.

Election

Five weeks before ballots go out to Colorado voters, the political blame game is taking a turn.The intrigue: For Democrats, President Trump is the source of nearly all economic problems.

Homelessness stymies downtown cleanup project

The Downtown Partnership's pilot project aims to improve the safety and cleanliness of the city's urban core.

The Downtown Partnership is touting its $1.8 million pilot project to improve the safety and cleanliness of the city&#x27;s urban core even as a debate rages about how to address homelessness.Why it matters: The paradox is one of the greatest challenges in Colorado Springs, as efforts to revive downtown in the post-pandemic era collide with the city&#x27;s growing mental health crisis.

Air Force Academy revamps curriculum for modern warfare

The academy says the changes will better prepare cadets for future combat.

Education

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The U.S. Air Force Academy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/colorado-springs/2026/04/30/air-force-academy-opens-new-visitor-center-may-16" data-vars-content-id="3d0c2d21-fb22-480e-86c1-d4c57cf9c1c4" data-vars-headline="Air Force Academy revamps curriculum for modern warfare" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/colorado-springs/2026/04/30/air-force-academy-opens-new-visitor-center-may-16" target="_self">The U.S. Air Force Academy</a> is overhauling its curriculum and renaming its academic leadership as it pushes to educate &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Day One&quot; warfighters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.usafa.edu/usafa-realigns-academic-enterprise-to-forge-day-one-warfighters/" data-vars-content-id="3d0c2d21-fb22-480e-86c1-d4c57cf9c1c4" data-vars-headline="Air Force Academy revamps curriculum for modern warfare" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.usafa.edu/usafa-realigns-academic-enterprise-to-forge-day-one-warfighters/" target="_blank">Day One&quot; warfighters</a>.Why it matters: Academy leaders say the change will better prepare cadets for modern warfare — including cyber threats — by integrating liberal arts, STEM, AI and military readiness instead of teaching in silos.

El Paso County primary election turnout mediocre

The ballot featured competitive Democratic and Republican races for statewide and local offices.

El Paso County&#x27;s registered voter turnout in the recent primary election did not impress.Why it matters: The ballot <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="featured" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/06/23/colorado-voter-guide-what-to-know-about-the-candidates-and-top-races" data-vars-content-id="72a889a0-a9c9-4724-8381-b471c3290d22" data-vars-headline="El Paso County primary election turnout mediocre" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/06/23/colorado-voter-guide-what-to-know-about-the-candidates-and-top-races" target="_self">featured</a> competitive Democratic and Republican races for statewide and local offices. In some cases, the contests essentially determined the winner because the districts skew toward one party.

Colorado Springs gas prices top $4 again

The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Colorado Springs is $4.07 on Friday.

Gas prices are rising in Colorado Springs and throughout the rest of the state.Why it matters: Household budgets are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="squeezed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/07/16/colorado-affordability-crisis-poll-health-foundation" data-vars-content-id="4ea5d8e6-1d38-4557-8a64-fa6813b2a559" data-vars-headline="Colorado Springs gas prices top $4 again" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/07/16/colorado-affordability-crisis-poll-health-foundation" target="_self">squeezed</a> as is. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="As the Iran war escalates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/22/trump-iran-bridges-power-plants-hormuz" data-vars-content-id="4ea5d8e6-1d38-4557-8a64-fa6813b2a559" data-vars-headline="Colorado Springs gas prices top $4 again" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/22/trump-iran-bridges-power-plants-hormuz" target="_self">As the Iran war escalates</a> again, pain at the pump is hitting locally and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nationwide" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/20/gas-4-dollars-per-gallon-iran-war" data-vars-content-id="4ea5d8e6-1d38-4557-8a64-fa6813b2a559" data-vars-headline="Colorado Springs gas prices top $4 again" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/20/gas-4-dollars-per-gallon-iran-war" target="_self">nationwide</a>.

Colorado Springs' elections discriminate, groups say

The case is about how far the state can go in regulating local election timing for constitutionally protected home-rule cities.

Even before this year&#x27;s midterm election is over, Colorado voting rights groups are targeting Colorado Springs&#x27; 2027 municipal election.Why it matters: The Springs faces the first legal test of Colorado&#x27;s new Voting Rights Act, with advocates alleging the city&#x27;s odd-year April elections disproportionately suppress Black and Hispanic voter turnout.<ul><li>The lawsuit could force the city to move its municipal elections to November — and set a precedent for how Colorado&#x27;s 2025 voting rights law is used against local election systems.</li></ul>Driving the news: A coalition of voting rights groups, led by Common Cause Colorado and the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region, recently <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sued the city" data-vars-click-url="https://www.commoncause.org/colorado/press/voting-rights-groups-sue-colorado-springs-over-covra-violation/" data-vars-content-id="85cfb774-b4f4-439a-a8fd-963840537795" data-vars-headline="Colorado Springs&#x27; elections discriminate, groups say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.commoncause.org/colorado/press/voting-rights-groups-sue-colorado-springs-over-covra-violation/" target="_blank">sued the city</a> over the timing of its elections, alleging it violates election practices that create a &quot;material disparity&quot; in voter participation among protected classes.By the numbers: The plaintiffs cite data from the city&#x27;s last six local elections, from 2017 through 2025, showing average turnout at:<ul><li>18.1% of Black registered voters</li><li>17.8% of Hispanic registered voters</li><li>34% of white registered voters</li></ul>Zoom in: The lawsuit says the racial gap shrinks in November even-year elections. In those elections, the voting rights organizations say average turnout was:<ul><li>61.2% among Black registered voters</li><li>63.6% among Hispanic registered voters</li><li>79.1% among white registered voters</li></ul>The suit argues that moving city elections to November would reduce the disparity and create a more representative electorate because off-cycle elections are easier to miss, less visible and less connected to voting habits built around the November elections.The other side: Springs officials say the lawsuit attacks the city&#x27;s home-rule authority and ignores the benefits of keeping municipal races separate from national politics.<ul><li>Mayor Yemi Mobolade said the current system helps local issues stand on their own instead of being drowned out by presidential, congressional and statewide races.</li><li>Wayne Williams, Mobolade&#x27;s chief of staff and a former Colorado secretary of state, argued that lower turnout may be tied to the nonpartisan nature of municipal elections, where voters cannot rely on party labels.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: &quot;I find it extremely troubling when people claim that the very election system that elected Colorado Springs&#x27; first Black mayor is somehow inherently exclusionary,&quot; Mobolade <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="told" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cpr.org/2026/06/26/colorado-springs-voting-rights-groups-suing-city/" data-vars-content-id="85cfb774-b4f4-439a-a8fd-963840537795" data-vars-headline="Colorado Springs&#x27; elections discriminate, groups say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cpr.org/2026/06/26/colorado-springs-voting-rights-groups-suing-city/" target="_blank">told</a> KRCC.Between the lines: This isn&#x27;t the first legal fight about Colorado Springs&#x27; election calendar.<ul><li>The League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region and Citizens Project lost a case in court because it lacked standing to challenge the timing of the city&#x27;s election under the federal Voting Rights Act.</li></ul>The bottom line: The case isn&#x27;t just about Colorado Springs. It&#x27;s about how far the state can go in regulating local elections for constitutionally protected home-rule cities.

Colorado Springs election results: November races set in key districts

Here's a look at the results from local races, based on preliminary vote counts.

El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cruised to victory" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/07/01/michael-allen-wins-colorado-gop-attorney-general-race" data-vars-content-id="a5e5e8f5-1edf-40c6-9252-26e130a1f8ad" data-vars-headline="Colorado Springs election results: November races set in key districts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/07/01/michael-allen-wins-colorado-gop-attorney-general-race" target="_self">cruised to victory</a> in the Republican primary for attorney general, but two Colorado Springs candidates for governor appeared to falter.State of play: Here&#x27;s a look at local results based on preliminary vote counts.

Jessica Killin wins 5th Congressional District race

Her victory sets up a November fight in one of Colorado's reddest congressional districts.

Jessica Killin won the Democratic nomination Tuesday in Colorado&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="5th Congressional District" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/colorado-springs/2026/06/23/colorado-5th-congressional-district-democratic-primary-killin-reagan" data-vars-content-id="d0db64a4-bf96-49c7-a1db-df1b1f9aa289" data-vars-headline="Jessica Killin wins 5th Congressional District race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/colorado-springs/2026/06/23/colorado-5th-congressional-district-democratic-primary-killin-reagan" target="_self">5th Congressional District</a> race, defeating Joe Reagan and giving Democrats their preferred challenger against Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank in November.Why it matters: Killin&#x27;s victory sets up a general election fight in one of Colorado&#x27;s reddest congressional districts — one Democrats see as newly competitive.

1-minute voter guide: Democratic race for 5th Congressional District

Democrats Jessica Killin and Joe Reagan share U.S. Army backgrounds and a desire to flip the 5th Congressional District,

Democrats Jessica Killin and Joe Reagan share U.S. Army backgrounds and a desire to flip the 5th Congressional District, but they&#x27;re offering primary voters different visions for the future.Why it matters: Even though the district is seen as strong Republican territory, Democrats believe they have an opportunity to defeat incumbent U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank in November as growth <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shifts the electorate" data-vars-click-url="https://coloradosun.com/2026/02/10/5th-congressional-district-national-democrats-focus/" data-vars-content-id="e619c397-2c39-4e29-bdbd-a5b85a3cf262" data-vars-headline="1-minute voter guide: Democratic race for 5th Congressional District" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://coloradosun.com/2026/02/10/5th-congressional-district-national-democrats-focus/" target="_blank">shifts the electorate</a> in their direction.

Axios Denver

Trump deportations ripple through Colorado's economy

Denver

A choropleth map showing the estimated cost per taxpayer for federal immigrant deportation and detention funding across the U.S. states. The average cost is $2.4k. Washington, D.C., has the highest load, at $3.9k.

Politics 🇺🇸

2027 ballot push tackles water, noise and surveillance

Trump deportations ripple through Colorado's economy

ICE's Colorado footprint is growing as scrutiny mounts

Colorado's 2026 ballot is packed with big policy fights

Now's your chance to be Colorado's "governor for a day"