Colorado Springs has been named the No. 1 city in the nation for small business growth, according to a new ranking from BlueVine, a national bank that caters to small businesses.

BlueVine ranked 100 metro cities to find where small businesses are growing with the most momentum and Colorado Springs topped them all. Local business owners say this ranking means a lot for the small business community.

More than 90% of downtown Colorado Springs businesses are locally owned.

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"I think it's a win for all of us I think is a great opportunity for all of our entrepreneurs to continue to show up to build small businesses and to just give back to our community," Uyen Le, owner of Beauty Bar, said.

Since the start of 2023, there have been more than 120 small business openings in Colorado Springs. Overall, downtown hosts more than 1,500 business establishments and that number keeps growing.

Not everyone saw the recognition coming at first.

"I was surprised, once you start reflecting on it, not too much I guess," Leif Anderson, co-owner of Mash Mechanic Brewing, said.

Peri Bolts, co-owner of Eclectic Co., said the variety of what downtown has to offer is a major draw for customers across the city.

"Colorado Springs is big geographically, so if you come from Briargate or you come from Powers, we really want you to stay downtown. Have a meal, have coffee, get your hair done, get a massage. Do some retail therapy. There's everything that you could want downtown, so you park once and you check all of the things off your list," Bolts said.

Getting the community excited about shopping local is one piece of the puzzle.

"It's all about being a community and people generally do support local businesses and want us to grow because if we're not growing they're not growing and we're not growing the city is not growing," Le said.

One Downtown Partnership initiative is the Holiday Coupon Book and this year, the print run has been upped from 9,500 to 12,500.

But that isn't the only way the organization is getting people to shop local. They're also hosting a Shop Local and Win Local event. From Nov. 6 through Dec. 13, every $50 someone spends at Downtown retailers earns them one entry to win, with five weekly $250 Downtown prize packages and a $1,000 grand prize up for grabs.

"We're a tight community and, and people do support small business in Colorado Springs, and that's a big part of it that that getting the community support behind the small business," Anderson said.

It isn't just events and community spirit Colorado Springs also has dedicated resources for business owners looking to expand.

"Small business owner life is really hard, but Colorado Springs specifically has such beautiful infrastructure for that. Our SBDC, Small Business Development Center, is one of the best in the country," Bolts said.

Still, challenges persist. The rising costs of leases, products, fuel, and insurance continue to put pressure on small business owners.

"It just keeps going up and up," Le said.

But those owners don't have to face those pressures alone.

"Every time I know a business owner is struggling with something, I always try to funnel them to the resources that are there because often they're free, often they're taxpayer funded," Bolts said.

As for whether the No. 1 ranking comes as a surprise? Bolts says it doesn't.

"I am not surprised actually. I think Colorado Springs has been small business friendly for a long time, especially since the COVID era, and I'm happy that we're recognized for it," Bolts said.

Campaign ads are blanketing screens and mailboxes across Colorado, and some voters say they're overwhelmed but many aren't giving up on doing their homework before Election Day.

Sarah Hagedorn, a professor of political science at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, answered questions about what candidates and outside groups can legally say in their ads and what voters can do to separate fact from spin.

Hagedorn said when it comes to policing campaign ads, the courts have largely stepped back leaving voters to sort through the claims on their own.

"That elected official has to prove that these direct mail piece, these ads that whoever was paying for them, whoever put them out was misleading, was intentionally trying to inflict malice upon them, that they knew it was false and they still ran it. So courts for the most part have thrown these cases out so it really is upon us as voters to kind of look at these and see them," Hagedorn said.

She said even the most aggressive attacks in campaign ads are typically rooted in some element of fact.

"When we're seeing attacks on candidates, at the base of that has got to be something that some campaign worker found that is based in fact. It may be overblown, it may be extra, but it is going to be based in some sort of fact. There's nothing that says you cannot make those bold claims against your opponent," Hagedorn said.

Not every ad is created by a candidate. Some are produced by outside groups supporting or opposing a candidate or a ballot initiative and those groups are not always easy to identify.

"What comes out though is sometimes those committees are just a bunch of words together that we have no idea what they stand for and that unfortunately falls upon us as voters and then the media to help us kind of sift through that and find out who is paying for these ads," Hagedorn said.

Hagedorn pointed to several websites that can help Colorado voters track campaign finances, including TRACER, OpenSecrets.org and Ballotpedia.

"They do a really good job of kind of breaking down those ballot initiatives and showing who's supporting it and who's opposing it, which is a really good clue for voters," Hagedorn said.

At a Vote Early Rally, voters said the flood of messaging from both parties can feel exhausting but they're pushing through it.

"I have voted Republican and Democrat in the 48 years I've lived here. I get information on my phone, my email, television. I am bombarded by so much hate mail from both parties that I'm just absolutely disgusted," Jeanie McIntyre said.

McIntyre said it's up to each voter to go beyond the noise.

"I think there's been propaganda on both sides. You have to do your education. You have got to go out and do your own research to find out does this agree and align with what I think. There's a lot of issues out there right now that are very confusing, so it's important," McIntyre said.

Nancy Briley said she took a more direct approach.

"I have met with my local state representatives. I have a pretty good idea of what I'm voting for," Briley said.

Carrie O'Hara said she believes voters are rising to meet the challenge.

"I think voters are more sophisticated than a lot of campaigns give them credit for. I think there's a deliberate effort to try to deceive voters on some of these props, but I do believe that people are more interested in getting educated this time around," O'Hara said.

Watch KOAA's story about the No Kings Vote Early Rally: Hundreds rally downtown to push Southern Colorado voters to the polls

Volunteers at The People's Church in Central Springs gather every Tuesday night to serve home-cooked meals to unhoused community members offering not just food, but a reminder that someone sees them.

For Bella, who has been unhoused for more than 4 years, a meal is not always a guarantee.

"It's not every day though," Bella said.

She says most people don't understand the true difficulty of life without a home.

"If people actually saw what any of us go through on a daily, maybe then they'll understand it's more difficult. It's not as easy as getting a job, getting inside. It's not that easy like people think it is," Bella said.

On Tuesday, the meal from The People's Church was the first Bella had eaten all day a sacrifice she makes without hesitation for her dog.

"This is my first meal actually of the day, yesterday I was more concerned about my dog, my child. My baby eats every day, every day she has food. I don't. I'll starve before I let her," Bella said.

Even when food comes her way, Bella passes it along.

"A lot of us share all of our food. There are days that I've even had food delivered, homemade food brought to me specifically, and I give it to my brother," Bella said, "I give and give."

I joined Michele Reckel and a team of volunteers as they prepped and packaged meals before heading out for distribution. The relationship the church has built with the unhoused community is what keeps the program running.

"They do trust us. They believe in what we do. We have a relationship with them, so if something is not right, they will let us know," Reckel said.

Reckel said the mission goes far deeper than food.

"It's a way to let them know they're loved. It's not just the food they're getting. We'll let them know we do love you. We do see you," Reckel said.

She, and over a dozen other volunteers, get together at 5:00 p.m. to package food and then leave to give it out to unhoused people around the area, like at Monument Valley Park.

"When I go out there, I'll sit and I'll talk to them. Majority either were raped when they're young or abused. It hurts my heart and I wish I could help every single one of them, but I can't, but I will listen to the story. I will remember their name, and I'm not there to judge. I'm just there to love and show them other people do love you. There are kind people out there like our volunteers that take their time to to do what we're doing," said Reckel.

Robert Brown now walks the same trails as a volunteer but there was a time when he was in the same position as Bella.

"During my homelessness I was hungry one day and somebody told me that this church feeds the homeless, so I came for the meal and I ended up liking the people because I felt the sincerity of what they were doing," Brown said.

Now he gives back and introduces people to a program called the Chain Breakers.

"It's for anybody struggling with any type of addiction or any trauma. We also provide a warm meal on that day for the people who come, you know, who are less fortunate," Brown said.

The anonymous group meets at the People's Church, 402 Conejos Street, every Monday at 6:30 pm. The group is always looking for donations to continue making meals and providing resources to those who are unhoused around Colorado Springs.

Hundreds of people packed Acacia Park and the front of city hall in Colorado Springs for a No Kings rally, urging Southern Colorado residents to get informed and cast their ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

The scale of this year's ballot underscores the urgency demonstrators brought to the streets. In El Paso County, the Blue Book contains nine ballot issues alone. There are 14 measures statewide a significant number of decisions that attendees say requires careful, independent research.

"You have got to go out and do your own research to find out if this agrees and aligns with what you think. There's a lot of issues out there right now that are very confusing, so it's important," Jeanie McIntyre said.

Watch the video report below: Hundreds rally downtown to push Southern Colorado voters to the polls

Adding to the complexity, some of those measures co-align but are also different.

"Some are in conflict, direct conflict with each other, so it's important that people get informed and understand what they're voting for," Carrie O'Hara said.

Demonstrators said they also hope the rally encourages more people to register to vote alongside the nearly 500,000 registered voters already in El Paso County. O'Hara said the diversity of the crowd gave her hope.

"It's really encouraging to see lots of different people. I've seen people of all ages, different demographics, people who have been involved for a long time it seems like and then people like me. This is my first event," O'Hara said.

Related: Colorado voter guide to the 2026 midterm election: Everything you need to know before November

McIntyre said the message transcends any single issue.

"No matter how you feel about one policy or another, you have got to vote," McIntyre said.

"I wanted my voice to be heard and I wanted to do it besides being my vote," Laurie Sullivan said.

The call for civic action extended beyond the rally's regular attendees. Amanda and Sky Roberts, family of Epstein survivor Virginia Guiffre, also addressed the crowd, connecting accountability for those in power to the importance of exercising the right to vote.

"If protecting our children is a principle we can all agree on, if abusing a child is one of the most heinous acts a human being can commit and if presidents, princes and prime ministers are capable of that, then what else are they capable of? I don't ask that to make you angry. I ask it because anger that doesn't become action is just another distraction. In this country, your voice has power, and that power has a name. It's called a vote," Sky Roberts said.

During the speech, a counterprotestor carried a Soviet Union flag and got into a small altercation with some demonstrators. Sky Roberts addressed the moment directly from the stage.

"We don't sit here, we don't shove each other we use our voice, we use our vote," Sky Roberts said.

At Acacia Park, some younger voters also took the opportunity to share their perspectives about abortion. They carried a sign that said "abortion is murder."

"We're not necessarily here opposing the protest. We're here because there's people here and we're trying to start conversations to reach people and keep our free speech open and expose people to these conversations because most people in our culture are scared to have these conversations, and I think that's an awful thing. Mostly people trying to block the signs and mute our free speech," Elijah Barnes said.

But they also say listening to the other side was constructive.

"I've had a couple of really good conversations and people were very respectful and they listen to our points and we listen to their points and there's some research that needed to be done on both ends, and so we both shook hands at the end and agreed to go back home and do our research," Noah Montgomery said.

Regardless of where voters stand on the issues, those I spoke with at the rally agreed: Nov. 3 is the day that matters most.

"I think it is important for everyone to vote no matter who you're voting for. I think that is your civic duty to vote. Our whole country was based on that and we can't function if people don't show up and vote. That's basic premise," Nancy Briley said.

When a hard freeze warning hits Colorado Springs, the stakes get especially high for unhoused residents and for the pets they say keep them alive.

Every other Wednesday, a bright blue van parks alongside a row of tents outside the People's Church in downtown Colorado Springs. It's a free mobile vet clinic and resource pickup run by The Pet Cross, built specifically for low-income and unhoused pet owners who have few other places to turn.

I went inside the clinic to meet the people who rely on it and the volunteers who keep it running.

Learn More about the Clinic in the Video Below

For those who show up, their animals are family.

"Everything in the world. She's my best friend," Craig Doty said.

Doty has a seven-year-old dog named Rose. He brought her in to the clinic because he was worried she had ring worm/

"If anything happened to her, I don't know what happened to me. I'd lose it," Corey Haight said.

Haight got his dog, Aurora, spayed. Her recovery has been quick, and he said it is a blessing.

Lisa Thompson, The Pet Cross founder, said those bonds are exactly what the organization was built to support.

"They have this pet and that's their family and they want to take care of them and, you know, there's just, like I said, not a lot of options. So, I do what I can for them," Thompson said.

The Pet Cross partners with Pay It Fur-Ward for the clinic, and they provide dog beds, blankets, food, and vaccines all free of charge. Kimberly Bolding, The Pet Cross director of operations, said her team goes out of their way to gather supplies for both animals and their owners.

"We have people on our team that go out and spend time trying to rile up and get what we can get to get warm clothing for the dogs, cats, and the owners. We've even found that our pet beds have become so valuable because the unhoused could sleep on a pet bed," Bolding said.

The depth of that need, she said, can't be overstated.

"People come and are begging for food for them or they'll feed their animals their food before they would have their pet go without. The same thing with keeping them warm, getting the meds that they can, and they don't have money, so it's pretty tough, but these people look at their animals as the thing that's kept them alive," Bolding said.

Bolding has experience herself. Her son was an animal lover himself before he passed away.

"I had a son that was unhoused on the streets and he was killed 12 days living on the streets. He was an animal lover like big time. I can look at all the people here now and see my son's face, my son's life in there," Bolding said, "They're not just clients, they're people with stories, real struggles, a real life, and I think they deserve to be supported just as much as anyone else. You learn to love these people."

For Doty, traditional vet costs are simply out of reach.

"I'm scared to death of what the vet's ever going to charge. So yes, it's a resource that I can actually use," Doty said.

He said he originally didn't know if what his dog had was contagious. But he said he would rather put his safety at risk than let her be alone and scared.

It's a similar feeling for Haight. He lived on the trails for more than 4 years. He knows what it means to be outside when temperatures drop.

"At night we're looking at close to 30 or below at night when it gets to winter, and that's freezing temperature and if you don't have the right equipment you will freeze to death and die," Haight said.

He credits his pet and the organization, Pay It Fur-Ward, with helping him survive.

"If I didn't have them, I didn't know what I was going to do the next day, to be honest," Haight said.

Now Haight volunteers with Pay It Fur-Ward, heading back out along the trails to hand out supplies to those still living outside.

"We have kennels, we have crates, we have dog food, we have cat food, we have toys, we have a few coats for animals but not much at the moment but during this time of year we kind of hand out most of our inventory because there's dogs and cats out here that need to be warm," Haight said.

Both organizations are always looking for volunteers, donations, and more people to serve.

A civil lawsuit against Cornell University and seven of its fraternity members over allegations of sexual assault and Title IX violations is sparking conversations on college campuses nationwide including at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

The suit claims a woman was sexually assaulted by the students in 2024 after being pressured into taking drugs and drinking alcohol. She reported the alleged assault to campus police. Prosecutors have since reopened the investigation into the allegations.

Watch previous reporting about the lawsuit: Prosecutor reopens probe into 2024 Cornell gang rape allegations

Title IX is the federal law that prohibits sexual discrimination in education.

The case widely referred to as the "Cornell 7" has dominated headlines on social media and in news outlets. UCCS's Title IX coordinator says there are many resources available for students locally.

Keison Morales, president of the UCCS Interfraternity Council, said the case immediately struck a chord with students on campus.

"When we saw it, we're all just wondering like, how could this happen," Morales said.

Cornell University is more than 1,000 miles away from UCCS. But students here are having the hard conversations.

"We talked during our chapter, we're just disgusted by it because especially how can a chapter do this to people," Morales said.

Morales is a member of a fraternity on campus and he also oversees all of the fraternities. He says the Cornell case has led to criticism of Greek Life across the country, but argues there is some misrepresentation.

"Here on a small campus, it's not happening on that level. Everyone thinks, oh, you're a fraternity, you're like Cornell so I'm like, no, we are not. We take strides to make sure we aren't like that. We make strides with the school to follow their policy," Morales said.

Protections are in place at fraternity events both on and off campus.

"We have DD's, we have sober monitors. We have everything. So if anything were to go wrong, we're happy with that. We'll be able to get you to the hospital, get you the resources you need, and all of our fraternity guys are Narcan trained," Morales said.

Morales said there is also a "violet program" in place.

"We have sisters in our fraternities who basically look after girls that say they don't feel comfortable with a guy, and then we have our little sisters take care of them, make sure they'll get then the resources you need during an event," said Morales.

Those safety measures extend beyond Greek Life. The university's Office of Institutional Equity works to spread the word about what resources are available to students.

Laura Emmot, UCCS associate vice chancellor of Institutional Equity and Title VI and Title IX coordinator, described those outreach efforts.

"We do a lot of tabling events at pre-orientation in the summertime, during the fall and spring, and prevention and education awareness. We have training for all incoming freshmen that's called our gateway Program seminar," Emmot said.

Between July 2025 and June 2026, UCCS received 191 sexual misconduct allegations. Emmot said Title IX investigations take time and for good reason.

"Title IX process investigations and resolution can take a long time, and that is because we honor due process. We need to make sure that we do a thorough review and evaluation of all of the information, talk to as many parties as we can," Emmot said.

Emmot said there is something that she thinks hasn't been reported on as much as it can be: the distinction and separation between a Title IX investigation and a criminal investigation.

"I've seen some coverage about that, but generally speaking, our standard is to address whether the policy is violated and to try to remove barriers for students' access to their education or employees' access to their employment," Emmot said, "Understanding that the Title IX office also has very specific federal regulations that are prescribed and describe exactly how what we have to do is different from the police investigation process entirely. We have some crossover at times there may be some similarities in process, but the outcomes can be completely different. The standard of evidence is different, and we are really focused on adhering to university policy."

Ultimately, Morales said he feels safe at UCCS and wants every student to feel the same way.

"We make sure everyone's safe and everyone feels safe when they either come to an event of ours or when they come to anything in our organization they feel safe and they feel welcomed," Morales said.

A program in El Paso County is offering local restaurant owners mentorship, community connections, and a cash boost with no loan required.

Exponential Impact (XI) is now accepting applications for the XI Survive & Thrive 2027 SPICE Program, which is an initiative designed to help restaurants across El Paso County thrive.

Instead of traditional loans, the program buys between $3,000 and $17,500 worth of gift cards from participating restaurants and distributes them to the community through local nonprofits. Those gift cards eventually find their way back to the restaurant, bringing in new customers and new revenue. The restaurants also receive a stipend.

"Those gift cards will then go out into the community and the various nonprofits, which is helpful to the community. In any case, those gift cards will end up back in the restaurant, so they're getting new customers, getting a cash injection. That's like a perfect thing. I think it's a win," Eric Brenner said.

Owners also must attend a six week cohort of other local restaurant owners. But Brenner says it is worth it.

Brenner is the chef and owner of Red Gravy restaurant and a mentor for the SPICE Program. He says the goal is to help restaurant owners identify their own gaps or "blind spots" before they become costly problems.

"People might be really good at their job and think they can open a restaurant and they do and they have some success, but they may have a blind spot in say accounting or marketing or even creating a menu," Brenner said.

He says there is one key factor to having a successful business: consistency.

"It's just a matter of listening to your guests at that point and giving them what they want, and just doing it consistently. Consistency is really rewarded in the city and I think a lot of businesses aren't set up necessarily for that," Brenner said.

The program also includes coaching on negotiating leases and finding the right location.

Samantha Lang knows firsthand what it feels like to watch restaurants come and go. The owner of Cacao Chemistry was part of the first cohort of the SPICE Program.

"I have seen so much turnover, people coming and going all the time and it's a shame too, because I see some of them suffering from pain points that, I'm like, I know what you could do about that! I wish I could jump in and help you but you're not asking me. More programs like this would be really beneficial," Lang said.

Lang says the struggle of running a small business in a competitive city is very real.

"I know it's a mid-sized city, but it can feel really big. Sometimes you feel a little bit like a number, you see competition popping up all around you, and you just sometimes you can feel like you're drowning," Lang said.

But the program helped change that perspective. Lang says she didn't just receive guidance on how to keep growing her chocolate shop she also made community connections with other downtown restaurants.

"To be in a room with a lot of the movers and shakers who have been in this for a really long time was transformative."

Lang said.

Businesses can apply now to participate in the SPICE Program. Applications close Nov. 1.

The Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District's Big Fall Book Sale is offering book lovers the chance to fill their shelves for under $3 a book and every dollar spent goes directly back to funding the library programs and initiatives that make reading accessible to everyone.

Watch Liv Wood's report in the video player below: Friends of PPLD book sale supports literacy programs

Last year, more than $160,000 was given back to the library, with some of that funding coming from the book sale. The other funds came from three regional library bookstores, online sales, branch bookstores, donations, membership fees, and the spring book sale.

Children's books, mystery novels and cookbooks are among the many genres on display at the four-day event. Purchasing a book doesn't just score shoppers a great deal it also fuels the programs that bring more people to the page.

Tracia and Edward Bell had been anticipating the event for months, marking it on their calendar at home and bringing their three children along for a family outing.

"I literally had it on the refrigerator, marking this day on the calendar like, 'We're gonna be there,'" Tracia Bell said.

"She was talking about it for months," said Edward Bell.

For the Bell family, reading is at the center of their home life.

"This is probably one of the first PPLD libraries that they've got exposed to because they love the children area, so we come, and they have fun and do their thing," Tracia Bell said. "At home we literally have bookshelves everywhere. We're not big TV people, and so we just dive in all genres, really."

Every purchase made at the sale and at branch library book sales throughout the district is funneled back to the Pikes Peak Library District. Rita Jordan, president of the Friends of PPLD, explained why that sustained funding is so critical.

"It's great to have programs, but you don't know if next year are we going to be able to have money to continue these programs?" Rita Jordan said.

The Friends of PPLD supports programs including:

Summer Adventure All Pikes Peak Reads Mountain of Authors Regional History Symposium Adult Winter Reading Program BookBrowse, a digital resource for readers and book clubs

"Because of the low cost, they are accessible, these books are accessible to everybody," Jordan said. "We want to be able to say you can get books here so that you have them on your shelf. You do not have to return them; they are yours, especially for kids, which is so important for literacy."

The Big Fall Book Sale is just one chapter of many that make reading more accessible to families like the Bells.

"We're thankful. This is here and that we can pull different topics and keep expanding our minds," Edward Bell said.

If you couldn't make it to the Saturday sale, the bargain bag sale begins at 11:00 am on Sunday. It is $6 per bag of books for members and $7 for non-members.

More than 53,000 people across Colorado are facing homelessness, according to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. In El Paso County alone, more than 1,400 people have experienced homelessness this year according to the 2026 Point In Time survey.

See more about the 2026 Point In Time survey: El Paso County Point in Time Count tallies more than 1,400 experiencing homelessness

But I had the chance to sit down with Springs Rescue Mission CEO Travis Williams, who spent 24 hours on a bench raising awareness about the issue. It marks the second year he has taken on the challenge.

Williams said the experience was far from easy and that the first hour was the hardest.

"It also was a reminder to me, almost a metaphor for what our guests go through, is that you hit those hard times and it's that initial start that's often the hardest," Williams said.

I spent 30 minutes on the bench during our conversation a fraction of the 24 hours Williams committed to the cause.

Working as a reporter in downtown Colorado Springs, I've seen the reality of homelessness firsthand from people resting in Acacia Park to conversations that have been truly eye-opening.

Williams said the conversations happening on the bench have resonated with those who were watching nearby, not just the two of us.

"There's a space where we've had different guests and particularly last night after we wrapped up a little bit, I was talking with some of the guests and they were, they were saying how these conversations have unlocked something new for them," Williams said.

One of those people is Danie Delice, who says what she witnessed hit close to home.

"When I see everybody moving around, it is not just about themselves, it's about someone else and it's that selfless behavior and character that I love and I really resonate with that because I am a servant at heart," Delice said.

Delice says she experienced homelessness for months.

"I've experienced what it feels like to not have a support system and to not have a way to get out of that," Delice said.

She didn't just share her story with me she also shared it with Williams on the bench. She said through programs at the Rescue Mission, Delice gained skills she didn't have before.

"There was a program here going into the educational opportunities that is offered. Before I came here, I didn't know how to drive a forklift, but I know how to drive a forklift. So that's one of the positions I would be looking for when I'm ready to apply," Delice said.

Now, she hopes to continue giving back to the community that helped her.

"I would like to continue to create impact in the community that has helped me previously and continues to help others, and give them a sense of purpose, because we all have a purpose," Delice said.

Williams says many people have a narrow picture of what homelessness looks like and people who are served at Springs Rescue Mission tell him they want to change that perspective.

"They go that's not me. Like I could be your sister, I could be your brother, I could be your grandmother, and I want you to see me," Williams said.

And I agree. Through many stories I've covered about Springs Rescue Mission, I think of the people who have moved past homelessness and are now thriving.

Watch the stories of people who have grown since getting out of homelessness: 'Look at Where You Are Now': The Stories Behind These Powerful Portraits