The Colorado Springs Gazette

Where does Colorado rank among the happiest, healthiest states in the USA?

When it comes to well-being, Alaskans nabbed the top spot in the United States, according to an annual ranking. West Virginia, however, came in dead last for the sixth time in six years, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. Hawaii and South Dakota followed Alaska in spots two and three. And Kentucky stayed in the 49th...
Video Game Haiku Review - 'Evolve'

Title: Evolve Format: PC, PS4, Xbox One Price: $59.99 Developer: Turtle Rock Studios Publisher: 2K ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+) The Grade: B – Evolve Haiku Review Team up, kill monsters From peeps who made Left 4 Dead DLC costs what?!? What’s it all about: “Evolve” is a 4 vs. 1 multiplayer shooter. In the game four...
Money Museum has free admission Saturday for adults, children

The Money Museum, 818 N. Cascade Ave., offers free admission for children and adults on the third Saturday of every month, including Feb. 21. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can see rare and unusual coins, a Treasures of the Deep exhibit, the Harry W. Bass Gallery, how money played a role in the Civil War, the history of...
Prevent slips, trips and falls inside, outside this winter

With a few more months of wintery weather in the forecast, Coloradans are at risk of slipping, tripping or falling. However, falls tend to be more serious and costlier for older adults.
Colorado school vaccination, exemption rates difficult to analyze

A first-of-its-kind look at vaccination compliance and exemption rates at schools in the Colorado's 20 largest public school districts is drawing concerns about the accuracy of the data. "We are collectively, at the local and state health level, intrigued by the report, but there are a number of problems with the methods. It's not the kind of...
Side Streets: Manitou woman's fascination with playground equipment leads to book, future museum exhibit

Playing with her toddler at a Manitou Springs playground, photographer Brenda Biondo noticed the equipment had changed dramatically since she was a child. Gone were the wooden seesaws, metal slides, steel spinners and jungle gyms she fondly recalled. What happened to the classic playground equipment of her youth? she wondered. Did others...
Bighorn sheep star of the show at Bighorn Sheep Day

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center, 1805 N. 30th St., free; visitcos.com/bighorn. If you're lucky, a bachelor herd of bighorn sheep just might wander into sight this weekend. Colorado's state animal is the guest of honor Saturday at the 10th annual Bighorn Sheep Day at Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature...
Questions abound as Colorado's standardized testing season looms

"What now?" is the question many are asking after the Colorado attorney general's ruling announced Tuesday that the State Board of Education does not have authority to grant waivers to school districts wanting to forgo state-mandated tests. With new standardized testing for third- through 11th-graders starting as early as Feb. 23 for some...
Widefield teacher to speak to Congress about P.E. funding

Josh Tutje, a P.E. teacher at Sproul Junior High in Widefield School District 3, will meet with lawmakers in Washington D.C. Tuesday and Wednesday to advocate for federal support for physical education and health programs in public schools. Tutje will be among 122 teachers from 37 other states calling for funding through the Elementary and...
Students can show appreciation for bus drivers Friday during national campaign

One of the most underappreciated people working in public schools has got to be the bus driver. Friday the 13th is the chance for students and parents to show a little love for the person who makes sure students get to and from school safely. As part of the eighth annual National Love the Bus program, students and parents can go to...
Valentine's Day: Eight ways to say 'I love you'

Valentine's Day is on its way, and while chocolate and roses are always tasty and lovely, there are better ways to say "I love you" to your spouse, partner, child and other treasured family members - ways that can pack even more of a punch than a candy heart. And they don't have to cost a dime. "Lots of us, particularly males, fret about what...
2015 Western Spirit Coloring Contest

Win a family four-pack of tickets to the Saturday matinee of the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo on July 11, 2015 or other prizes!
Maternal marijuana use under microscope in Colorado

DENVER — Colorado lawmakers struggling to make sense of incomplete scientific evidence about marijuana use by pregnant and nursing women have scrapped a bill to add warnings in pot shops about maternal marijuana use. Lawmakers rejected a bill that would have required dispensaries to post signs warning about "dangers to fetuses caused by...
Map Monday: See which school districts have the highest dropout rates

Graduation and dropout rates tend to vary a lot from district to district in the Pikes Peak region. The above map highlights the on-time graduation rates for districts as well as their dropout rates. Sound familiar? Debbie Kelley recently wrote about these rates for the class of 2014. The data, released in January from the...
Photos: Touch-A-Truck in Colorado Springs

It was the Super Bowl for toddlers at the annual Junior League fundraiser, Touch-A-Truck on Sunday in Colorado Springs. Here are photos from the event.
Manitou Springs fruitcake toss returns in style after one-year absence

It wasn't the Super Bowl, and these weren't footballs they were throwing - deflated or otherwise. But Saturday's return of Manitou Springs' silly, but revered, Great Fruitcake Toss after a one-year absence brought out MVP performances in dozens of eager participants, some of whom came from as far as Boulder and suburban Denver. "It's...