Many veterans across Pueblo County don't fully understand available services. "I didn't know that was an option" is a common refrain. At Pueblo's Veterans Community Update, change is made through education and connection.

The now-annual event provides service members with information and new avenues for resources, bringing organizations together under one roof to help veterans find the support they need.

It's an opportunity to understand.

"To bring like-minded people together that want to help with the main goal and educate, inform, and motivate," says Bob McLaughlin, Executive Director of Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center.

The event creates space for ongoing dialogue about the community's needs.

"It's good to have that conversation and have a continuing conversation because these things and the dynamics in the community change all the time," adds Jacobo Varela, Director of Veterans Upward Bound.

Here, veterans receive updates on resources available to them.

"A lot of veterans find themselves struggling because they didn't really tap into the resources available to them."

Jacobo Varela knows firsthand.

"It's just really hard to get the communication out that these are here. People are not consuming media in the same way."

So Varela is helping bring it to one informational hub, using the gathering to share his program, Veterans Upward Bound.

"I help veterans go back to school," he says.

Career advancement, grants, and updates to claims services are all provided for veterans to take note of and make their lives a little easier.

"Make sure that nobody falls through the cracks, that our veterans that need assistance can get it, that our veterans that want to give assistance can also do that as well," says McLaughlin.

"I've seen people basically move from homelessness to having six-figure incomes and doing really well, and a lot of it is more about confidence and boosting their lives," adds Varela.

It's valuable information that not only helps veterans get ahead, but it's also befitting their service and is well deserved.

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A Texas woman passing through Colorado is warning others to stay alert after she says her truck was burglarized overnight at a Pueblo hotel, part of what police confirm is a pattern of thefts in the same parking lot.

Robin Denninger, of Texas, stayed at the Best Western Plus of Eagleridge in Pueblo while traveling in early October. She said her room was fine, but the problem was what happened outside.

Watch Owen Skornik-Hayes' report in the video player below: Pueblo car thefts

"Stayed downtown, it was great, had a lovely visit," Denninger said.

After spending time in Montana doing estate cleaning for her sister, Denninger returned to Pueblo to stay the night on her way back to Houston.

"We checked in about 10 to 9," Denninger said.

After a night's rest, she returned to find an emptied box in the bed of her truck, removed from the inside.

"There were dark-tinted windows. Someone had to have a flashlight to look and see," Denninger said.

She said her vehicle was burglarized without the alarm going off and without damage.

"They just knew what they were doing," Denninger said.

Denninger said the thieves took several items belonging to her sister along with a heavy safe.

"It would have taken a dolly or a few people to do it, and it was buried in the truck," Denninger said.

When Denninger reported it to the hotel manager, she said she was told the only security on the property is a camera facing the front door.

I called the Best Western to verify this information. As soon as I said I was a reporter, the manager refused to answer any of my questions.

"My message is be very, very careful," Denninger said.

I reached out to the Pueblo Police Department for more context. They told me that in the Best Western Plus parking lot alone, there have been six reports of theft from vehicles and one confirmed property damage from an attempted auto theft in 2026.

Pueblo Polices public information officer, Sgt. Alarid, said parking lots across the city are targets for thieves.

"Their hands are tied as to what they can do about it, and I feel badly for them," Denninger said.

In a statement, the Pueblo Police Department shared tips to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of theft in parking lots.

"Remove valuables from your vehicle. We also encourage citizens to lock their doors and take their keys out of their vehicles. When possible, park in well-lit, high-traffic areas and remain aware of your surroundings," the Pueblo Police Department said.

"Something good's going to come out of this, even if it's just a message to the community to stand up and start fighting crime," Denninger said.

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For students in Pueblo School District 60, learning about healthy eating can mean more than seeing fruits and vegetables on a lunch tray. It can mean making an after-school snack with a chef, examining seeds from a local farm, and discovering that the food on their plates may have been grown just down the road.

Those experiences are at the heart of Colorado Proud Farm to School Meal Month, a statewide initiative held each October that connects students with Colorado-grown and Colorado-raised foods while teaching them about agriculture, nutrition, and the people behind their meals.

Watch Owen Skornik-Hayes' report in the video player below: Farm to School Day at Franklin

At Franklin School of Innovation in Pueblo, the effort recently came to life through a hands-on cooking activity led by D60 district chef Patrick Reitmayer, who works with SFE, the district's food service provider, alongside registered dietitian Erica Christ and Franklin principal Dana DiTommaso Junkman, who also represents her family's fifth-generation farming operation, DiTomaso Farms.

For the students participating, all of whom were rewarded for perfect attendance so far this year, the lesson began with familiar ingredients but offered a new perspective on where their food comes from.

"We like to show them that it just doesn't come from a grocery store," Reitmayer said. "It's not just everything's prepackaged."

Instead, he said, students can see that food can be grown locally, including right in Pueblo, before it makes its way to their homes and school cafeterias.

Bringing the farm into the classroom

During the recent activity at Franklin, 18 students learned to prepare an after-school snack, following step-by-step instructions and working with the chef to assemble the ingredients.

Students receive recipe cards so they can recreate the dishes at home, extending the experience beyond the school day.

Reitmayer said he has been pleasantly surprised by how willing students are to experiment with unfamiliar foods during the past three years of the program.

Christ, D60's registered dietitian, said students are often more willing to taste foods when they have helped make them.

"I find that kids are a lot more willing to try things when it's something they made themselves," Christ said.

She said the district incorporates Colorado products throughout the school year, bringing in local produce for salad bars and serving other locally made products, including tortillas and meat.

For Christ, the opportunity to explain that the food comes from their own community adds another layer of meaning.

"It's going to be really special today to tell them this is right from Pueblo," she said, noting that the produce came from the principal's family farm.

For DiTommaso Junkman, the event brings together two important parts of her life: education and agriculture.

As principal of Franklin School of Innovation and a representative of DiTomaso Farms, she sees the program as an opportunity to show students how local agriculture supports their community and how fresh food can become part of their everyday lives.

Her family has farmed in Pueblo for five generations, and she said she has been around vegetable production throughout her life.

She also encourages students to try fresh produce during lunch, sometimes eating a cucumber or tomato herself to demonstrate that healthy foods can be enjoyable.

"If we don't like something, then kids don't like it as well," DiTommaso Junkman said. "We just want to spark excitement around eating fresh vegetables and being healthy."

For the Franklin activity, she brought cucumber seeds from the family farm to help students understand how food production begins.

The goal, she said, is to show the process from seed to harvest to the finished product on a plate.

The school district purchased produce for the event from DiTomaso Farms and her brother's farm, creating a direct link between local growers and the students they help feed.

"It's really important to show kids that they can eat things that are grown here in Pueblo," she said.

Colorado Proud Farm to School Meal Month is led by Colorado Proud at the Colorado Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education and Nourish Colorado.

The initiative is part of "Setting Colorado's Table," a broader celebration of the state's agricultural heritage and the farmers, ranchers, land, and resources that sustain its food system.

This year's celebration also coincides with Colorado's 150th anniversary, highlighting an agricultural industry that predates statehood and remains central to communities across Colorado.

According to the campaign's press release, the state is home to approximately 35,000 farms and ranches covering 30 million acres. Those operations produce a range of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meat and dairy products.

Gov. Jared Polis recently signed an executive order directing state agencies to encourage healthy eating, expand access to healthy foods and support outdoor activity statewide.

"Connecting our schools with local farmers helps Colorado kids to get nutritious meals to power classroom learning," Polis said.

He added that the initiative helps young Coloradans understand the importance of supporting farmers while making healthy food choices.

The statewide campaign has attracted participation from more than 950 schools, according to the press release. Schools can receive free program support to identify activities, connect with local producers, access educational resources in English and Spanish, and promote their events.

Activities include special school lunches featuring Colorado ingredients, farm tours, agricultural lessons, and the Crunch Off!, a friendly competition encouraging students to eat local produce and proteins.

The USDA's latest Farm to School Census, cited in the campaign materials, reports that nearly 80% of Colorado schools participate in Farm to School programs, while 68% of respondents reported serving local foods on school lunch menus.

This year's campaign also introduces the Colorado Proud School Meal Month Showcase Awards, sponsored by Nourish Colorado.

The awards recognize schools for their efforts to incorporate local foods and agricultural education into school meal programs. Five categories are available, with separate rural and urban winners in each category.

Categories include outstanding farmer-engagement events, locally focused recipes, promotional campaigns, and student-developed recipes. The Governor's Award will recognize a school program demonstrating overall excellence and a comprehensive commitment to farm-to-school success.

Each category winner will receive a $1,000 stipend to support its school food service program.

Schools and districts interested in participating can register through Colorado Proud's school registration form, even after the month has begun.

For educators and food service professionals such as Reitmayer and Christ, the broader goal extends beyond a single event or special menu.

Reitmayer said he enjoys seeing students discover a new interest in food and cooking. Some participants have told him the activities sparked an interest in culinary arts, something he considers one of the most rewarding aspects of the work.

DiTommaso Junkman hopes the connection between local farms and school meals will likewise leave a lasting impression, helping children recognize the people and work behind the food they eat.

For Pueblo students, that lesson can start with something as simple as a cucumber seed, and end with a greater appreciation for the farms that help feed their community.

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A new day treatment program in Pueblo is aiming to help students who struggle in traditional classrooms by combining education and mental health services, giving students and families an option closer to home.

For nearly 14 years, Pueblo students who needed specialized education and behavioral health support had to leave their community to get it. Now, after eight years of planning, the new day treatment program is bringing those services back to Pueblo.

See the full story from Pueblo reporter Owen Skornik-Hayes in the video below New day treatment in Pueblo

Shiloh Academy of Pueblo, a branch of the certified 501(c)(3) Shiloh House, will serve students from school districts 60 and 70 who struggle in traditional classroom settings.

The program combines individualized instruction and academic support with therapy, counseling, and social skills development.

Molly Ramirez, deputy CEO of Shiloh House, said the change could make a real difference for students already navigating mental health challenges.

The best way to serve a child and their family is in their own community, she says. Being on a bus for two hours a day to receive necessary and vital support isn't the best way to serve them.

The program is starting small, with two classrooms, but organizers hope to eventually expand services across southern Colorado.

Michael Botello with the Pueblo County Collaborative Management Program said getting here took years of partnerships and persistence.

There were times in the past eight years we didn't think this day would happen.

The goal is to help students succeed academically, address their mental health needs and, when possible, return to a traditional school setting. Organizers say the program could begin serving students in the coming weeks, pending final approvals.

The school is located at 1000 Minnequa Avenue.

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Residents in Pueblos Bessemer neighborhood are raising concerns about vehicle and property safety after the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) repaired a damaged chain-link fence separating homes from Interstate 25.

The fence was knocked down by what CDOT described as a likely errant driver on the city side of the interstate.

Crews later patched the damaged section after obtaining the necessary materials, but neighbors say the repair does not provide enough protection for the homes just feet from the busy highway.

Marty Harvey, a Bessemer resident who previously expressed concern about a hole in the fence, said she worries a vehicle could leave the roadway and strike nearby homes.

Its like they threw up paper towels or Kleenex. This is not fixing the problem, Harvey said of the repair. This is not going to stop a car. This is not going to stop a semi.

The homes sit close to southbound I-25, along the 2400 block of East Evans Avenue, with a narrow alley separating the residential properties from the interstate. Harvey said the limited space leaves little room for error if a driver loses control.

CDOT needs to come down here for themselves. Stand where Im standing, Harvey said. This alley is probably only 10 ft wide, so youve got less than 20 ft before you hit houses.

Harveys neighbor and friend, Cindy, said she appreciates that CDOT responded to the damaged fence but believes a more substantial safety measure is needed.

Im grateful they did come up and put a temporary solution on it, Cindy said. We need a sound barrier. We need a little bit more cushion for safety reasons, and its just a hazard that needs to be addressed.

When asked whether the agency plans to install a more secure barrier or sound wall along that section of I-25, CDOT said there are currently no plans to do so.

At this time, there are no plans to install a sound wall along this stretch of I-25 in Pueblo, the agency said.

The response has done little to ease residents concerns, particularly as traffic continues moving along the interstate in close proximity to their homes.

Harvey said she does not feel safe living so close to the highway, noting that distracted driving and poor weather conditions can increase the risks.

You never know, she said.

For residents, the repaired fence is a temporary fix to what they see as a larger safety issue. They want transportation officials to evaluate the narrow space between the interstate and their homes and consider additional protection.

An accident is just waiting, Harvey said. Its a matter of when.

For now, the chain-link fence has been repaired, but residents say they remain concerned about whether it would offer meaningful protection if another vehicle leaves the roadway.

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