The Pikes Peak region just landed a federal designation as a "Sentinel Landscape," which could help keep growth from crowding some of the nation's most important military sites.

Why it matters: The designation — the only one in Colorado — gives local leaders a better chance at securing federal money to protect open space, reduce wildfire risk and keep development from interfering with military operations.

The big picture: It's about aligning conservation with national security.

• As homes and roads push closer to military facilities, officials worry development could make training and operations more challenging — and eventually threaten the military missions that drive a huge piece of the local economy.
• Supporters want to protect about 100,000 acres while tackling wildfire mitigation, habitat protection and water quality.

What they're saying: "If a community goal is to keep our military presence here strong and to support the military as much as we can, conservation in this case is a tool for achieving that," Palmer Land Conservancy president and CEO Rebecca Jewett told KRCC.

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New polling shows an uptick in religious fervor among young men, even as overall U.S. levels remain near historic lows.

Why it matters: Gen Z still has the highest share of religiously unaffiliated adults in modern history.

• But small hints of a religious rebound have spawned speculation about how that could reshape politics, culture wars and church strategy for years to come.

Driving the news: A Gallup poll recently found that 42% of young men between ages 18–29 now say religion is "very important" in their lives.

• That's up from 28% a few years ago.

Reality check: An Axios review of other recent surveys showed slight increases in reported church attendance among Gen Z men but little to suggest they're driving a "revival" like the Third Great Awakening of the early 1900s or post–World War II religious boom.

• Tens of thousands of churches are expected to close over the next several years, as a record number of Americans (29%) are identifying as religiously unaffiliated.

What they're saying: Melissa Deckman, CEO of the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), told Axios the trend may simply be that Gen Z's decline isn't as steep as millennials', not that religion is rebounding.

Yes, but: Something is happening. Young men's rising religiosity is real and measurable, even if limited.

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Fewer Americans want to become pastors, accelerating a leadership vacuum inside one of the country's oldest civic institutions.

The big picture: Churches are trying to fill pulpits as older clergy retire, congregations shrink and burnout rises.

• More than 4 in 10 clergy surveyed in fall 2023 said they'd seriously considered leaving their congregations since 2020, per Hartford Institute data reported by the AP.
• The leadership crunch comes as the U.S. saw 15,000 churches close last year and a record 29% of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated.

Zoom in: Rural churches are hit first because many already share pastors, rely on part-time clergy or ask one minister to cover multiple congregations.

• When those churches close, towns can lose informal hubs for food aid, child care, disaster relief and elder care.

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⚡️ Reisdents in the Chelsea Glen neighborhood plan to appeal the city's decision to authorize the construction of a nearby data center. (News5)

Former state Rep. Lois Landgraf died early this month at age 74. She was an influential voice in El Paso County GOP politics. (Gazette 🔑)

🗳️ Christian Seale and Yolanda Avila are competing in District 5 to become the first Democrat elected to the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners in over 50 years. (Gazette 🔑)

🍕 Pizza Ranch opened its new location near North Academy Boulevard and Austin Bluffs Parkway, behind the Mi Mexico Restaurant. (Fox21)

Let's say, hypothetically, you've been caught speeding inside city limits and received a ticket.

• Or, again hypothetically, you had an interview that ran long and ended up with a parking ticket.

How it works: A traffic ticket also serves as a summons to municipal court roughly three weeks after the offense, where drivers can contest the citation or seek reduced penalties before a judge.

• You have until the hearing date to either pay the fee online, by mail, or in-person or go to court.

🪪 Pro tip: Paying a ticket early can reduce the number of points taken off your license.

Caveat: The city's website doesn't immediately let you pay your ticket after your supposed infractions; you've got to wait a day or two.

Yes, but: Life is busy. Maybe you stow the ticket somewhere and forget.

• If you miss your court deadline, the judge can issue a bench warrant for your arrest — fun!

What's next: Now, you have to go to the courthouse, 224 East Kiowa St., between the hours of 8am and 4pm, to room 108 to pay your fines — plus, late penalties — or risk arrest during a future traffic stop.

• The nice clerk I hypothetically talked to said early mornings and Fridays were the quietest times to come in.