The Woodland Park Zoo’s animal poop compost, Zoo Doo This year will be the 40th year since the zoo began collecting the poop piles and turning them into compost and anyone interested in zoo animal doo-doo can pick up the compost by the tens of gallons on Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m but 25 gallons cost $16.50 and 550 gallons cost $125 You can visit zoo.org/zoodoo for more information and also to schedule a pickup sawdust and wood chips are mixed with feces from various zoo animals including zebras The concoction creates what the zoo called the “richest most exotic compost in the Pacific Northwest.” the piles maintain temperatures between 135 degrees and 160 degrees Fahrenheit which allows the organic materials to decompose These temperatures also destroys weed seeds and any potential pathogens during which the decomposition process slows as microbes finish breaking down the materials Temperatures in the piles decrease and the compost matures into a dark and crumby humus resembling rich organic soil in both look and smell The manure mixture is “a great way to keep gardens clean and healthy for the benefit of pollinators and other local wildlife and is a sustainable green choice,” the zoo said and is “perfect for growing veggies and annuals.” The zoo said horticulture experts use Zoo Doo at its own animal habitats and other landscapes.  Material from The Seattle Times archives was used in this report The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser Mount Vernon Police District – Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau have arrested a man responsible for a non-fatal shooting in Woodland Park officers responded to the 3100 block of Woodland Lane in Woodland Park for a shooting suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper body He was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries detectives determined that the victim and suspect were involved in a verbal dispute over the delivery of a portable storage container unit prior to the shooting was quickly taken into custody by responding officers Swithenbank was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding and Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony He was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and was held on no bond Detectives executed a search warrant on his home and recovered several firearms We are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800 Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477) Download the ‘P3 Tips’ App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers” Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.   Victim specialists from our Major Crimes Bureau’s Victim Services Division have been assigned to ensure the victim is receiving appropriate resources and assistance.  Register your camera with Connect Fairfax County to help FCPD solve crimes call (preferred) or text 9-1-1 (voice and TTY) Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email (7News) — A man is in the hospital with serious injuries after a shooting in Woodland Park on Saturday morning according to the Fairfax County Police Department It happened in the 3200 block of Woodland Lane Police said a man shot another man following some sort of dispute His injuries are believed to be "life-threatening." Detectives are currently investigating what happened (KOAA) — A group of community members have turned in recall petitions for three Woodland Park City Council Members Petitions were received for the following councilmembers: This comes after the three councilmembers voted to take a step towards repealing a 1.09% city sales tax that sends more than $3 million to the Woodland Park School District (WPSD) a parent of a WPSD student and a leader of the group that turned in petitions The group hopes to have petitions for two other city councilmembers submitted in the near future The City Clerk will begin verifying the signatures The process is expected to be complete on May 6 it's worth noting that service members who retire and then teach at the Academy are considered civilian instructors Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5 Report a typo (KRDO) - Three petitions to recall council members have been submitted to the City Clerk of Woodland Park The petitions with hundreds of signatures are to recall councilmembers Steve Smith Readers may remember the about-face the council made in March regarding a 1.09% sales tax that helped to fund the Woodland Park School District (WPSD) the council went from leaving the tax alone to holding an emergency meeting to repeal the tax PAST COVERAGE: Woodland Park City Council votes to repeal sales tax that provides millions to its school district Residents KRDO13 spoke with say this was the catalyst to recall the council. Petitioners tell KRDO13 the goal is to have people who represent the community sit on the council But a councilmember KRDO13 spoke with says that's all he does saying his constituents wanted him to repeal the tax and that they've thanked him since for doing so.  In November 2024, nearly 60% of voters said no to repealing the sales tax that provided millions in funds to the district petitioners gathered hundreds of signatures to try and replace council members Those leading the charge shared this statement with KRDO13: We are excited to have turned in the first three petitions and looking forward to their validation We will be turning in the petitions for Katherine Nakai soon as well The support to recall this council has been amazing and we are looking forward to voting in a council that listens to and represents the majority of Woodland Park residents The Woodland Park City Clerk is working to verify the signatures submitted If all the signatures necessary are verified the city clerk says a recall election will likely be held in July.  KRDO13 asked Councilmember Smith if he still stands by his decision with the petition to oust him from the council.  We did what was right because that's what the community wanted us to do," stated Councilmember Smith He says the community put him in this position and that he only works to represent them He says he has no agendas or alterier motives instead he said he simply works to represent those in the community The only agenda I have is what's best for our community and what they tell me to do," explained Smith So Councilmember Smith says he stands by his decision He says he has full belief that the community has his back just as much as he says he has theirs Because if I do get the recall, maybe I should just run in November for the board of education," said Smith We reached out to both Councilmembers Geer and Harvey about the recall petition Councilmember Geer said he has no comment at this time pending the certification of the signatures He says he will comment when that process is complete Councilor Harvey has yet to respond as of Wednesday night the city clerk will have the signatures verified by Tuesday We also reached out to WPSD to see how the repeal of the sales tax has impacted the district Woodland Park School District has not cut any academic or extracurricular programs the loss of the sales tax revenue has impacted our budget planning and was a key factor in the decision to reduce staffing for the 2025–26 school year and we are committed to continuing all existing programs for students a spokesperson for Woodland Park School District KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications | KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications | Do Not Sell My Personal Information | Contest Rules Paterson police officers arrested four men on the department’s Top 10 Most Wanted list of fugitives all suspects allegedly involved in gun crimes The arrests — which were unrelated to each other — took place at four different locations between 4 p.m the state-appointed Officer in Charge of the Paterson police department said he was proud of the work by the city detectives and officers saying the apprehensions stemmed from “focused “The arrests of these four individuals mark a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to focus on violent offenders and enhance public safety in Paterson,” Murray said Detectives in the Warrant Unit arrested Jaleek Wilson in Paterson when he showed up for his scheduled probation session at offices on Dale Avenue Wilson was wanted on gun possession charges The second arrest was made at noon on Wednesday by two city police officers working an extra-duty road construction security assignment at Haledon Avenue and North 4th Street leaving a store and recognized him from his photo on the Most Wanted list White faces gun possession and domestic violence charges Warrant Unit detectives apprehended Kartier Fairfax Fairfax was was wanted on attempted murder and gun charges The final Top 10 arrest took place when warrant detectives picked up Lewis Morillo near Harrison and Fulton streets in the 4th Ward Morillo was wanted on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and conspiracy to commit armed robbery “This is the result of strong police work and relentless focus on getting violent offenders off our streets,” said Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale Daily Weather Report Powered By: A section of Stone Ridge Drive in Woodland Park will be closed for approximately four weeks Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Stories you've missed since your last login: Recommended stories based on your interests: SEATTLE — Woodland Park Zoo's 3-month-old sloth bear cub is set to make her public debut this weekend the young cub will be introduced to the outdoor habitat alongside her mother during the zoo's Spring Spectacular event on Saturday PHOTOS | Animals from Woodland Park Zoo visit Seattle landmarks Bowie has been residing in a maternity den with her mother explained that the decision for Bowie and Kushali to venture outdoors will be left to Kushali "It will be up to mom when she wants to go in the outdoor habitat with Bowie "We know everyone’s excited to meet our new cub in person—bear cubs are irresistible and playful we’ll all need to be patient as Bowie learns to navigate her way through new surroundings You may even see Bowie piggy-backing on mom." Bowie is currently nursing and exploring solid foods Bowie let us know she’s quite fond of watermelon!" said Ramirez The zoo is home to two other sloth bears: Bowie's father Visitors can see these bears in the Banyan Wilds exhibit face challenges due to habitat loss and conflicts with humans an organization dedicated to wildlife rescue and conservation efforts in India Visitors can support these efforts by choosing Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified products to help protect sloth bear habitats UPDATE: The Forest Service reported Monday afternoon that crews reached 100 percent containment on the Turkey Track Fire _______________________________________________ Forest Service said Monday morning the fire is still at 128 acres with 45% containment working out of the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) region said there are still hot spots firefighters are working on It said the perimeter line is holding and conditions are good today for firefighters working to make progress on the containment Douglas County and the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control are all working on the fire They also have a helicopter on standby if they need it.  the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) with the U.S Forest Service confirmed to KRDO13 there has been no new growth on the Turkey Track Fire overnight They say additional crews from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control have arrived on scene to assist in fighting the fire crews are set to continue to strengthen firelines and mop up hot spots near those lines PSICC also warns that smoke will remain visible throughout the day as there are still pockets of heat inside the fire perimeter.  PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Fire crews to work overnight battling +100 acre fire 8 miles north of Woodland Park The agency shared these photos of the Turkey Track Fire Sunday morning The shooting area remains closed for public and firefighter safety the group of residents is circulating another petition to recall Woodland Park City Councilmember Catherine Nakai A group of Woodland Park residents is gathering signatures to oust five Woodland Park city council members through recall petitions The petitions attempt to remove Councilmember Jeffrey Geer and Councilmember Catherine Nakai from office the five council members voted to take a step toward repealing a 1.09% city sales tax that sends more than $3 million to the Woodland Park School District (WPSD) each year "The city manager and staff had physically sat down with their people and explained and showed them exactly what we wanted," said Councilmember Smith "All we want is the line itemization for the moneys that are going to the school district and how those specific things are being paid for." Several city council members said receiving the one-page sales tax report was the final straw after years of back-and-forth with the school district over setting financial reporting guidelines the Woodland Park City Council is scheduled to vote on repealing the sales tax altogether during a public hearing on March 6 a group of residents is siding with the school district is leading the effort alongside two other Woodland Park residents listed on the petition Dickenson said the four council members who voted in favor of the sales tax repeal are not listening to the voters nearly 58% of Woodland Park voters rejected a ballot question that would have repealed the 1.09% sales tax we're just going to repeal it on our own,'" said Dickenson "It seems like a personal attack on the school board itself and the children and the teachers are the ones that are going to really pay the repercussions for that." The 1.09% sales tax was put in place by Woodland Park voters in 2016 to raise more money for the district to spend on educational purposes the WPSD received $3.2 million from the sales tax revenue which is about 10% of the district's general fund the group needs 721 signatures from registered Woodland Park voters on each of the three petitions recalling Councilmember Geer The petition recalling Councilmember Harvey needs 577 signatures by April 29 The petition recalling Councilmember Nakai needs 577 signatures by May 5 Colorado law says the number of signatures needed to trigger a recall election for a city official is 25% of all votes cast for that office in the previous general election This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time WOODLAND PARK — In a change of course during a special council meeting on Monday, the Woodland Park City Council flipped on it's previous decision Thursday and repealed the city's sales tax that funds local schools The city council voted unanimously to repeal the city's 1.09% sales tax that sends more than $3 million to the Woodland Park School District (WPSD) each year Council members said their decision was in response to the terms laid out in a drafted Woodland Park School District Board of Education resolution detailing the potential sale of the district's charter school building The drafted resolution said the school board wants to sell the building to Merit Academy the charter school currently operating inside the building the facility would be sold for at least $5 million at 2.5% simple interest If the city reduced or pulled the sales tax over the next 30 years the district would give the building to Merit Academy City council members said the conditions of the sale were an attempt to tie the council's hands and keep the sales tax in place for decades “The taxpayers paid to have that building built And now they [the school board] tried to strong-arm us," said Councilmember Steve Smith “I have lost total faith and confidence in the school board and the BOE to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars," said Councilmember Catherine Nakai Woodland Park School District Board President Mick Bates said the drafted resolution to sell the charter building was accidentally placed as an action item for Wednesday night's school board meeting Bates said the board will fix the mistake and plans to hear public discussion before making any decision on Wednesday He said the council's decision to pull the sales tax will have a substantial impact on the district's "tight budget." I think that City Council is way out of line on this issue We’ll just have to proceed from there as to what our next move is," said Bates this is not within their jurisdiction and they’re way overstepping here." the WPSD said selling the facility to Merit Academy would allow the district to keep $240,000 each year in facility payments The WPSD said the sale would also transfer building maintenance costs to Merit Academy and other needed maintenance for the facility are expected to cost up to $3 million over the next few years said she's worried the loss of taxpayer dollars will lead to teacher layoffs According to the most recent sales tax report from the WPSD most of the sales tax funds were used to pay for teacher salaries from July 2024 to Dec “This entire situation is reactionary," said Jones “Instead of causing what the school district wants Woodland Park City Councilmember Teri Baldwin resigned effective immediately Baldwin told News5's Maggie Bryan she submitted her resignation letter immediately after the meeting and said she was not willing to compromise her integrity which she said seemed to be a requirement in politics the Woodland Park City Council voted unanimously to keep the sales tax in place after hearing community feedback Several council members called their decision an "olive branch" to the district after writing up an ordinance to repeal the tax citing concerns about school officials' financial transparency In February, several council members said the district was not being financially transparent after it submitted a one-page summary of six months of sales tax expenditures. The district sent the city a more detailed spending report thirteen days later 2024 intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the City of Woodland Park and the WPSD requires the school district to submit detailed and categorized ledgers showing sales tax spending to the city Those in favor of keeping the sales tax in place pointed to the outcome of a question on November's election ballot that aimed to end the sales tax which is about 10% of the district's general fund.WPSD sent a press release to News5 Monday afternoon about the council's decision to pull the sales tax “We are extremely disheartened by the council’s decision to overturn what our community decisively supported at the ballot box,” said Superintendent Ken Witt “This funding has played a critical role in advancing the success of our schools and its removal will have a profoundly negative impact on our operations.” News5's Maggie Bryan contributed to this report WOODLAND PARK — The Chief Financial Officer of the Woodland Park School District (WPSD) confirmed to News5 that he resigned from his position on Monday CFO Jack Bay's resignation comes as the Woodland Park City Council plans to vote on repealing a city sales tax that helps fund the school district the 1.09% sales tax raised $3.2 million for the district The money can be used for certain expenses several city council members said the district was not following the sales tax reporting guidelines established in an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the school district and the City of Woodland Park 2024 IGA said the district is required to submit monthly reports to the city showing sales tax expenditures through detailed and categorized ledgers The most recent report submitted by the school district was in the form of a one-page summary WPSD later submitted a more detailed report to the city on Feb The state's average school district staff turnover rate during the same time was 21% Bay agreed to do an interview with News5 on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m to talk about his resignation and why the full sales tax reports were submitted after the deadline Bay cancelled the interview on Wednesday at 2:31 p.m Bay said his decision to resign was also due to the city council's "political attacks on the school district" and its administration Bay said council members had continued to harass the district by submitting records requests to WPSD for public information under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) News5 sent a CORA request to the district asking for a list of all records requests made by individuals from Nov none of the six council members submitted a CORA request to the district during that time News5 reached out to WPSD Board President Mick Bates for comment on Bay's resignation The Woodland Park City Council is set to introduce an ordinance during the next council meeting on Thursday there will be a public hearing and a final vote on the ordinance on Thursday Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Woodland Park Zoo to unveil new 'Forest Trailhead' exhibit next yearby KOMO News Staff SEATTLE — The Woodland Park Zoo is set to introduce a new exhibit aimed at promoting forest conservation and raising awareness about vulnerable and endangered animals that inhabit forest ecosystems The "Forest Trailhead" exhibit will feature a canopy path where visitors can explore among the treetops and encounter species such as tree kangaroos and red pandas a trailhead pavilion will showcase tree-dwelling reptiles The exhibit is scheduled to open next year, 2026, offering an immersive experience for guests to learn about the importance of forest conservation. SEATTLE — An animal keeper at Woodland Park Zoo was seriously injured after being bitten by an orangutan during a routine training session over the weekend. The WPZ said the keeper was taken to the hospital for treatment shortly after the incident occurred. The zoo has not yet provided details regarding the "non-life-threatening injury" to protect the staff member's privacy, the WPZ confirmed. According to the WPZ, they employ a "protected contact" method with their orangutans, ensuring a physical barrier, like fencing or mesh, is always in place between staff and animals. The WPZ said during the incident, the orangutan remained in its habitat, and no other staff or guests were involved or at risk. The WPZ said a veterinarian conducted a visual exam on the orangutan and confirmed that the animal was safe, unharmed, and behaving appropriately. "The orangutan care team will continue to provide training and routine care for each orangutan to maintain normalcy and will closely monitor the animals," Neves added. The zoo is investigating the incident to ensure staff safety and will evaluate the protected contact barriers for potential modifications. The zoo's Trail of Vines habitat, home to four adult orangutans, remains open to guests during regular hours, the WPZ confirmed. Kan.The Woodland Park School Board passed a resolution Wednesday night recognizing “only two biological sexes” and rejecting “gender ideology,” an action that comes just over a weekafter President Donald Trump passed an executive order using the same language male and female,” ensuring that there’s a right to privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms and ensures the right “to fair competition in sporting events.” It specifies that “within the constraints of the law,” the district ensures restrooms and locker rooms separate males and females and ensure males are not competing as females in sporting events The district said in a statement that failure to recognize and uphold biological sex in policy and practice could threaten the district's federal funding It said the district is taking "proactive steps" to comply with federal requirements and protect the resources that support students we remain laser-focused on academic excellence and creating an environment where every student thrives,” said Witt While board member David Rusterholtz acknowledged that students of one sex using the restrooms of another isn’t an issue in the tiny district northwest of Colorado Springs “I think that we need to stick with science and the science has always been that there are two sexes If you've grown up on a farm or around other animals And it's a Y chromosome that determines it Board member Keegan Barkley cast the only no vote She said the district is facing myriad issues more pressing issues hitting our school right now Why is this the most important thing on your mind …Why do we keep focusing on these nonsense issues instead of focusing on things that are actually going to help our students and our school?” She said Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws including the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act require that students have access to restrooms that match their gender identity “We would be opening ourselves up to lawsuits,” she said The resolution, titled “Recognizing only two sexes and rejecting gender ideology” references the administration’s executive order “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” That order banishes “gender ideology,” which it defines as an “ever shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity,” from the federal government and says federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology It aimed to roll back protections transgender students receive under Title IX The Woodland Park resolution says the order “puts at risk federal funding to this school district should the policy or practice fail to recognize and honor biological sex.”  The resolution passed the same day the Trump administration issued another executive order directing federal agencies to “end indoctrination” in K-12 education seeking to block federal funding for schools that practice “general ideology and critical race theory in the classroom.”  Several community members testified against the resolution fearing it will harm students who are already marginalized.  “This resolution sends a clear message to the LGBTQIA+ students that you are not welcome and you do not belong,” said community member Joshua Smith “This message can have devastating consequences.” He cited statistics from surveys showing that LGBTQ youth in schools with unsupportive environments experience higher rates of bullying Others said the resolution is based on hate and fear suicide rates were lower among transgender and nonbinary youth in schools that affirmed who they were.  “Why do you insist on engaging in culture wars at the expense of a vulnerable population of students?” said Dee Miller But resident Eric Lachman said the resolution isn’t about denying anyone’s identity or experiences it’s about upholding biological reality that has existed for centuries it's essential that we ensure our children our schools reflect the values and understanding that most of us hold based on science This resolution will help safeguard their emotional physical health by rejecting such ideologies.” Brad Miller, the district’s attorney, said the resolution is trying to set a framework that recognizes the new federal orders and said they won’t result in any policies that don’t “honor and support students who are protected by Colorado’s gender expression and gender identity laws.” “There's nothing that's been expressed federally that would change Colorado's laws around protections of a student who identifies or expresses their gender differently than what they were born with in terms of access to facilities and so forth.” He said the resolution also anticipates federal changes on the issue of transgender students’ participation in sports.   every sign that we've seen from the new federal government is that changes are afoot and we need to be on our toes and be ready to respond Miller said he’s not aware of similar resolutions being proposed at other school districts he represents Woodland Park’s resolution goes into effect immediately.  You want to know what is really going on these days We can help you keep up.  The Lookout is a free daily email newsletter with news and happenings from all over Colorado Sign up here and we will see you in the morning Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. Listen now. © 2025 Colorado Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy WOODLAND PARK — Woodland Park community members are voicing their opinions about a potential funding cut to local schools the Woodland Park City Council voted 5-2 to set a public hearing to discuss an ordinance that would repeal a city sales tax that sends millions of dollars to the Woodland Park School District Voters rejected a ballot question to repeal the sales tax in Nov several Woodland Park City Council members say the district is not following rules requiring the district to report how it's spending the sales tax money 2024 intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the City of Woodland Park and the WPSD the district has to submit reports to the city showing sales tax expenditures through detailed and categorized ledgers The last report from the district was submitted on the Jan 31 deadline in the form of a one-page summary The district has since sent the city a more detailed spending report thirteen days after the due date This is not the first time the school district and the city have had a back-and-forth over the district's transparency of sales tax spending Woodland Park City Council member Carrol Harvey said during the pandemic sales tax reporting from the district disappeared Harvey said she made a push to get the reporting back up to speed after she was appointed to the council in 2023 "It was brought to my attention by some parents in the district that they didn't know how the sales tax was being spent any longer," said Harvey "We got quite a bit of pushback at that point from the sitting board She said the city and school district finally agreed on rewriting the IGA in 2024 to include clear guidelines on how the district needed to report the sales tax spending After last month's district report was submitted as a one-page summary several council members said they were fed up and wanted to pull the sales tax a parent of a second grader at Merit Academy said the city council is not listening to its voters pointing to the vote in November's election to keep the sales tax "It's kind of infuriating as a parent to have our kids every six months now seem to be going back and forth hearing about it.” Seth Bryant moved his children out of WPSD schools after he said he had concerns about the school board's transparency He said if the school district cannot meet the financial reporting standards they agreed to then the district does not deserve the funding “The one thing I know that the city council didn't get and that's something that any financial department should be able to deliver pretty quick," said Bryant told News5 he could not comment about the ordinance A public hearing to discuss the ordinance is set for the next Woodland Park City Council meeting on March 6 Community members are invited to voice their opinions on the issue at the meeting Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInWOODLAND PARK (KKTV) - Woodland Park City Council has voted unanimously to repeal a sales tax supporting the local school district The council is calling the Monday afternoon vote an emergency ordinance that is in the best interest of city voters and taxpayers But Woodland Park School District says the move is undermining the will of the people and threatening the students and faculty making up the district At the center of the vote: a 1.09 sales tax to help fund the school district first approved by voters in 2016 and reauthorized by voters in 2024 City Council says the sales tax dollars were going to a single charter school in the area and claimed the ordinance was necessary “to prevent subversion of the interests of every single city voter and taxpayer in the city of Woodland Park to interests of a single charter school and to prevent city taxpayers from being willfully leveraged by the school board in the artless manner proposed The district argues that the vote “undermines the will of the voters and excessively strains the resources of WPSD.” “We are extremely disheartened by the council’s decision to overturn what our community decisively supported at the ballot box,” said outgoing Superintendent Ken Witt Below is the full ordinance sent to 11 News by the council following the vote: Below is the news release sent by the school district: DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live math teacher at the KIPP DC Public Schools The Learning Center was surprised with a $10,000 national teaching award highlighting his outstanding work in the classroom NoMa BID's outdoor movies series "CiNoMatic" is back The annual event held at Alethia Tanner Park is the perfect family-friendly event to enjoy a movie under the stars President Donald Trump says he wants to reopen Alcatraz -- a notorious maximum security federal prison that closed in 1963 Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.) has taken action on several controversial bills passed by the General Assembly this year the District is celebrating and supporting local small businesses Travel Association are taking over Nationals Park on Tuesday morning to discuss the impact of travel and tourism on Washington Fashion's biggest night brought the best looks and a surprise Rihanna shut down the Met Gala on Monday in a pinstripe look and a huge hat her newly announced baby bump on display after announcing her pregnancy with baby No Mayor Muriel Bowser said she plans to repeal Initiative 82 (I-82) under her proposed 2026 budget reverting the District to its previous tipped minimum wage policy many restaurant workers are opposing the change College Park’s first-ever Spring Street Fair will take over 51st Avenue The hip-hop world is watching as the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs is now underway A look at stories making headlines in D.C. McDONALD — A popular walking trail at Woodland Park may see some improvements this year as village officials hope to secure $140,000 in funding from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Recreational Trails Program to make needed restoration and upgrades Mayor Ray Lewis said the goal is to redo the trail that travels throughout the park and two aging stairways and other needed improvements Some parts of the trail are visible while others have fallen apart or are overgrown with grass and plants Lewis said the steps behind the large park pavilion are in poor condition and need updating The trail and stairways are from the 1920s residents used the trails and stairs to get to the mills where they worked “The grant is for recreational trail improvements There is no local match and no cost to the residents,” he said Lewis said the trail has long been a feature of the park and the course is one of the most frequently used in the Mahoning Valley for cross-country meets people who walk dogs and local students also use the trail The trail leads to many different sections of the park,” Lewis said Lewis said the Army Corps of Engineers checked the project and gave the green light to move forward with the small walkways in the park • Restore and improve the existing trail for enhanced accessibility and safety • Construct new staircases leading to the trail from the hill • Preserve the natural beauty of Woodland Park while ensuring long-term sustainability which many runners and cross-country participants travel on The hill’s steep incline is often featured in the home stretch of a race Erosion concerns on Billy Goat Hill are leading to prevention efforts to ensure runners and hikers are safe Lewis said that what will be done to Billy Goat Hill is to put seed or erosion-prevention materials to maintain the integrity of the hill This is the first step in what we hope will be an extensive process of many improvements within our park,” Lewis said “If we can get those trails done the next step would be to look at disc golf course,” he said Lewis said the first step will be the trailway and then a discussion by council on a storybook walk where children can read a book along the trail with different panels and also an exercise area for older youth and adults securing the money for the project will begin in the summer but the village will look at other alternatives if it can’t secure the funds Last month council passed by emergency motion an ordinance to seek the funds for the project from ODNR Village Council President Sean Schmidt said council is very excited and hopeful about securing the funds for the project “There are always a lot of people in the parks runners and people walking their dogs,” he said Schmidt said he expects that trail improvements would attract even more people to the park “The park has great scenery and wooded areas,” Schmidt said He said many local people travel to Mill Creek Park for the trails there They would also be able to use the trails in Woodland Park once they are restored Lewis and Schmidt said some cross-country events have brought more than 3,000 people to Woodland Park so revitalizing the trails would benefit the public and the village Lewis said public comments were sought in March from residents to help shape the final design and ensure that the improvements meet the needs of the community He also said officials are trying to focus on improvements that don’t affect the budget The following construction projects are anticipated to affect highways in Trumbull County this week WARREN — A Trumbull County grand jury recently returned 34 indictments CHAMPION — With heavy continuous rainfall in the past weeks flooding has become a common issue for many .. Mike DeWine published an open letter last week to promote legislation supporting Delphi Corp.’s salaried .. LORDSTOWN — Since the village no longer is doing a community newsletter officials are looking at another option .. | https://www.tribtoday.com | 240 Franklin Street SE All opinions and views are of Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group and does not reflect the same of KOAA Woodland Park High School junior Link Bryden has etched his name in the school's baseball history books by setting a new record for career strikeouts Bryden surpassed the previous record of 104 strikeouts during a 12-2 win over Harrison He has since extended his total to 126 strikeouts he achieved this milestone just six games into his junior season I still got a whole other year and I just crashed the record I couldn't have done it without my team and my coaches They've definitely pushed me to be where I'm at in my pitching career," said Bryden The young pitcher was aware he was approaching the record but was caught off guard when he actually broke it "Honestly I wasn't too sure of the moment when it happened And then I came back to the dugout and coach was like 'hey I got to get that ball I got to get that ball.' And I was like did I do it He was like you just broke the record and I was like oh man It's just a surreal experience," said Bryden With the remainder of his junior season still ahead plus his entire senior year Bryden has ambitious goals for how high he can set the new record For a number I'm thinking at least 200 by graduation I'm at like 130 right now I think so that should definitely be doable Probably mid 200's would be really nice," said Bryden Bryden has his sights set on other school records including single-season stolen bases and home runs his primary focus remains on helping the Panthers make a postseason run as the team is currently enjoying its best season in more than 15 years News5 works to honor the high school Athlete of the Week throughout the school year in our Tuesday evening newscasts We’re looking for that special teen who is working hard and playing right all while making parents and coaches proud Nominate your Athlete of the Week today! See our current and past athletes of the week, click here Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5 The ballot box at the Woodland Park Public Library is photographed Tuesday Woodland Park voters may soon be dealing with a special recall election if a current signature-gathering effort to recall members of the Woodland Park City Council is successful The campaign to recall the entire Woodland Park City Council members is on pace to make the ballot according to one of the campaign organizers “We’re close on all of them,” Warren Dickerson told The Courier last week referring to the number of signatures needed on the recall petitions for each council member before the recall questions can be placed on the next general Woodland Park election ballot Sparking the recall was a March 10 special meeting unanimous vote by the council to end a 1.09% sales tax which helped provide the Woodland Park School District with more than $3 million annually The vote came after many rounds of contentious negotiation between the council and the school district board over how much transparency the school board should provide in showing how the sales tax revenue was being spent along with Woodland Park residents Richard Caviness and Jeffrey Cole initially targeted the five members of the council that had been perceived as the most supportive of repealing the sales tax support for the school district — Catharine Nakai the recall campaign later added Mayor Kellie Case and Council Member George Jones to the list of recall targets after the board unanimously voted to end the tax during a March 10 special meeting Baldwin resigned during the same March 10 meeting Dickerson said the campaign was still in discussion as to whether to proceed with recalling Case and Jones but that their all-volunteer signature-gathering efforts have been going well for all the board members The March 10 city council special meeting was itself triggered by an item on a school board agenda about the district’s plan to sell charter school Merit Academy the former Woodland Park Middle School building Among the conditions detailed in the resolution would be sold for at least $5 million at 2.5% simple interest The sale condition that riled the city council however was this: that the district would give the building to Merit Academy for free if Woodland Park’s city council reduced or repealed the local sales tax for public schools over the next 30 years When city council members learned of the resolution a special meeting was called and the tax was repealed Various council members and members of the public said that the resolution was the latest example of the school district acting in bad faith “I felt betrayed,” Woodland Park Mayor Kellie Case said according to previous reporting I felt my integrity and reputation was compromised.” Dickerson said he acknowledges the school board’s role in the deteriorating political situation that led to the end of the sales tax “It’s not like there isn’t a path forward for fixing the school board too,” he says noting that three members of the school board are up for election this November But Dickerson said for him and the other members of the recall effort and thus removing funding from area students and teachers even after voters rejected such a move just months earlier at the November 2024 ballot box the campaign will need to gather hundreds of signatures from registered Woodland Park voters The deadline to collect signatures for council members Smith Jones and Mayor Case are due at a slightly later date as those recall documents were filed a few days later Applications are now being accepted to fill Baldwin’s vacant seat on the council They will be accepted by City Hall until April 7 at noon The council will interview applicants at their April 17 meeting The council made the decision to accept applications during their March 20 meeting the council had the option to appoint a new member of their choice but opted instead to open the process to applications The chosen applicant would serve out the remainder of Baldwin’s term Doug Fitzgerald and Eric Young contributed to this report Woodland Park School District has faced declining enrollment for years Superintendent for the Woodland Park School District (WPSD) announced his resignation in a news release Friday Witt's resignation will take effect on April 15 The reason for the resignation is to "pursue other opportunities" The Chief Operating Officer of WPSD Aaron Salt will replace Witt in the interim until a replacement is found To see Witt's full resignation statement click here WOODLAND PARK — The Woodland Park School District (WPSD) Board of Education voted 4-1 during a meeting on Wednesday to recognize two sexes- male and female- and formally reject gender ideology within school district policies The passed resolution said the school environment will respect two sexes and reject gender ideology schools will ensure locker rooms separate males and females and boys will not be allowed to compete as girls in school sports The resolution defines biological sex as the presence or absence of a Y chromosome The resolution also said the school district risks losing federal funding "should policy or practice fail to recognize and honor biological sex" due to President Donald Trump's recent executive order restricting federal funds from being used to promote gender ideology said the district receives around $900,000 in federal funds each year "This is primarily for the safety of our students and the protection of our students," said WPSD Board President Mick Bates during a phone interview with News5 on Friday young students are being talked to about pronouns and gender aren't even old enough to understand these things." Bates said the district does not currently teach gender ideology in classrooms and the resolution was "more in a preventative measure." He said the passed resolution will not have a substantial change on how students are taught inside classrooms a parent of a senior at Woodland Park High School said she's worried the board's decision will lead to an unaccepting environment for students like her child "It saddens me and it angers me that we have come so far to slide back so quickly These children were just beginning to feel accepted again," said Francis She said she does not believe students should be taught about gender ideology in school but said she's concerned LGBTQ+ students will face bullying after the board's decision to formally reject gender ideology "Is this a choice I would have made for my child they have their parent and their family support." several parents spoke for and against the resolution during a portion of the meeting set aside for public comment said board members should "stick with science." "The science has always been that there are two sexes," said Rusterholtz It doesn't mean that we are going to accept any bullying like I said before This is a culture war and the war has been against the truth for many years." questioned other board members about the timing of the vote and said the district is facing other issues like insufficient heating in classrooms Barkley also pointed to Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Law which states all public entities shall allow individuals gender-segregated facilities that are consistent with their gender ideology We would be opening ourselves up to lawsuit to push that," said Barkley Allison Avery-Wollenhaupt is a parent of a WPSD sixth-grader and leads a monthly support group for LGBTQ+ teens at the Woodland Park Public Library She said the board's vote to reject gender ideology creates a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ youth "It's telling them that your instinct is wrong to bully this very small population of our community's children," said Avery-Wollenhaupt but said sex and gender are two different things We're talking about how these kids view themselves and how they present themselves to the world (KKTV) - The Woodland Park Police Department said a black “fanny pack” style bag was dropped in a Walmart parking lot at 19600 Highway 24 on April 21 around 10:18 a.m credit card and other items were inside the bag police said the victim began to receive fraud alerts from their bank About two minutes after the bag was dropped police said a male picked up the bag and took it inside the Walmart and into the bathroom They said the suspect did not have the bag anymore by the time he left the store Police described the suspect as a white male in his 30s with a beard and long brown hair in a “half bun style.” He reportedly had tattoos on his forearm tennis shoes and a watch on his left wrist Police said he was driving an older model of a silver SUV/truck Photos of the suspect and vehicle are provided below If you have information about the suspect or incident contact the Woodland Park Police Department at 719-967-0435 WOODLAND PARK — The Woodland Park School District (WPSD) has filed a lawsuit against the City of Woodland Park claiming the city council violated state law during a March council meeting The lawsuit alleges council members did not provide enough detail about the topic of the executive session the city council said the executive session was to get legal advice from the city attorney relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations Colorado's Open Meetings Law is in place to make sure discussions about public policy are public business instead of discussions conducted in secret and authorities that have been delegated governmental decision-making functions by a public body or official the topic of an executive session must be announced but should be general enough to not go against the confidential purpose of the closed-door meeting News5 reached out to the City of Woodland Park for comment on the lawsuit Woodland Park Mayor Kellie Case said she had no comment.___ MYNORTHWEST NEWS An orangutan plays on a rotating tree trunk in its enclosure BY FRANK SUMRALL An animal keeper at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle was bitten by an orangutan and had to be treated at a local hospital over the weekend the employee suffered a serious injury to their hand The orangutan reportedly bit the staffer through a mesh barrier during a routine training session “We are very saddened our team member was injured and know this has been a very stressful and difficult experience for them and the rest of our Animal Care team,” Alejandro Grajal “We are in contact with the animal keeper and will do all we can to support them as they heal.” and behaving appropriately after a veterinarian did an exam The orangutan was able to remain in its habitat “The orangutan care team will continue to provide training and routine care for each orangutan to maintain normalcy and will closely monitor the animals,” Dr senior director of animal care at the Woodland Park Zoo Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here. WOODLAND PARK — During a city council meeting on Thursday night the Woodland Park City Council voted unanimously to keep a city sales tax that funds local schools The vote comes after a recently revived dispute between city council members and the Woodland Park School District (WPSD) over how the district should report what it's using the sales tax money for several council members said they wanted to take the sales tax away council members voted unanimously to keep the 1.09% sales tax in place Councilmember Jeffrey Geer said that after listening to feedback from parents and residents he felt keeping the sales tax was the right thing to do for the community "My job is to represent the people of the community "We did exactly what I feel we were tasked to do dozens of community members and WPSD parents voiced their opinions during the meeting's public hearing "The people voted to invest in the future of our children to ensure they have the education and opportunities they deserve By bringing this on council's agenda again The very voice you were so eager to hear from when you pushed it to the voters in November," said one Woodland Park resident during the meeting Warren Dickenson, a parent of a student at the district's charter school, is leading an effort to recall the five council members who previously voted to move the sales tax repeal forward he said the move to take the sales tax away seemed like a political attack on the school board "The children and the teachers are the ones that are going to really pay the repercussions for that," said Dickenson It's unclear whether the recall efforts are moving forward Councilmember Geer said the circulating recall petitions did not persuade his vote on Thursday night were disappointed with the council's decision O'Connell said repealing the sales tax was a way to hold the school district accountable “I would like to see it repealed until the district can show where the funds are going and that they’re being used appropriately and as the community directed," she said "So to have it kind of thrown in our face that there is no accountability required it’s a slap in the face to the community." When asked how the council can hold the school district accountable to the IGA reporting guidelines in the future Councilmember Geer said that's "challenging." "They're [the school district] going to need to report here at the end of March on what they did in February and I think that is the next step let's see what that report looks like," he said which is about 10% of the district's general fund.___ On a crisp February morning at Woodland Park Zoo, Neil Lind gripped two sturdy hiking sticks while Henry Bjornsson kept pace with a cane. The duo of spry 90-somethings were setting out with the “slow walking group,” one of several pace-based clusters in the zoo’s Senior Zoo Walkers program Lind joined five years ago after a hip replacement Bjornsson was hesitant at first — coming alone felt daunting more than 80 seniors (all 55 or older) gather at the zoo to walk among friends They grab a piece of candy — sometimes two — from Ofsthus then set off to walk a couple of miles through the zoo’s lush paths “Isolation with seniors is an issue,” Ofsthus said This offers them a chance to make new friends to come to a really beautiful place and to socialize outside.” The self-described “gym rat” had to slow down after being diagnosed with heart disease She first joined to stay active but soon found herself drawn in by the friendships Many walkers stay after their strolls for coffee birthday celebrations and even homemade cupcakes a self-proclaimed “very fast walker” and 20-year participant welcomes newcomers — so long as they can keep up “That’s really important when you get older because you have to stop and think — if somebody knocks you down You have to be really careful where you walk.” the Senior Zoo Walkers program has been a hallmark offering at Woodland Park Zoo the best deal is the 55-cent discounted coffee they enjoy together afterward the program is more than just a way to stay active “This is a perfect combination of socializing in a beautiful environment and caring about living things,” Kelly said “Those are all really good things for your brain and soul.” where a staff member shares insider knowledge — anything from conservation efforts to behind-the-scenes updates on new animal arrivals “We’re in this beautiful botanical garden,” Ofsthus said “They literally can walk straight and watch three baby snow leopards frolicking first thing in the morning.” each have a favorite animal — and over time Carson the red panda has a special place in Dooley’s heart “They’re really building a home here,” Ofsthus said “I think that’s why we have more longevity than other walking programs.” Despite misconceptions that the program is only for older seniors Ofsthus noted that plenty of participants are in their 50s adding that much of the zoo is wheelchair-accessible It’s about community — one step at a time.  Want to learn about other Seattle-area walking programs This is a free dog-friendly walking group with monthly outings across Seattle. The next events are March 23 at 10 a.m. at Seward Park (to see cherry blossoms) and March 29 at 10:30 a.m. at Homestead Valley Trail in North Bend. Join on Facebook for event details (st.news/seattle-pack-walks) Meet at the Green Lake Aqua Theater on the southwest side of the lake (on West Green Lake Way North) UPDATE: After initially announcing that Superintendent Ken Witt would resign effective April 15 the Woodland Park School District said Wednesday that Witt's last day was March 11 Board of Education President Mick Bates and Ken Witt agreed that March 11 would be Witt’s last day as Superintendent of Woodland Park School District Chief Operating Officer Aaron Salt will serve as Interim Superintendent ______________________________________________________________ (KRDO) - The Woodland Park School District says Superintendent Ken Witt is resigning OTHER REPORTING: Woodland Park teachers speak out against current leadership; superintendent responds Woodland Park City Council expressed disappointment with the district recently when debating whether to renew a sales tax that goes towards school funding Some city council members were dissatisfied with financial reports submitted by the school back in January raising questions about how roughly $3 million in sales tax revenue was being spent "It's like having an investment broker and you've given him 3 million dollars and then you don't get a statement letting you know how your money is doing," said Councilmember Teri Baldwin in a meeting on Thursday city council voted to renew the sales tax on Thursday evening there is nothing tying the recent discussion on the funding to the resignation of Superintendent Witt Witt said in a release that he has taken pride in everything the district has been able to accomplish "including lifting this district to the top 10% district performance in the state implementing a laser-focus on academic achievement instilling a tone of respect for our great nation RELATED: Woodland Park school board votes to recognize only two sexes and reject gender ideology (KRDO) — A half-mile stretch of Highway 67 on the north side of town will be the site of a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) project that's scheduled for completion in the fall there's some concern from residents about how it might worsen already-congested summer vacation travel "There will be some shoulder closures and some night work CDOT will widen the highway to four lanes between Kelly's Road and where County Road meets Evergreen Heights Drive to match the existing width on both sides of the project area Another major objective is to eliminate drainage channels on both sides of the highway particularly the west side ditch that is wider deeper and has severe erosion that encroaches on property in front of a fire station CDOT plans to install a pipe to convey stormwater runoff underground and into an existing storm sewer KRDO 13's The Road Warrior spoke via phone with the campground owner who is unhappy about the project because she fears how it may hurt her summer business "Who would want to rent a campground space with a construction project next to it?" she asked said that she understands the concern but believes getting the project done is worth a few inconveniences "If somebody wants to make a left turn into that campground they may have a waiting period -- unless a driver is nice enough to let them squeeze through," she said "I'm hoping that the widening will add left-turn lanes." Other project goals include building raised medians near major intersections installing new pedestrian facilities and improving some traffic signals Some trees will have to be removed to make room for the construction; a crew began cutting them down Thursday CDOT said that the project's estimated cost is between $ 6 million and $7 million; it was scheduled to happen last year but was delayed when initial contractor bids came in too high Scott is a reporter for KRDO. Learn more about Scott here. Funeral services have been set for a Woodland Park teen killed in a bike crash Monday Visitation for Passaic Valley High School student Nicola Domenico Colangelo at Santangelo Funeral Home in Woodland Park A funeral Mass is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m followed by entombment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery near the intersection of Rose Place and McBride Avenue Valdes and Woodland Park Police Chief Luigi DeLuca Colangelo was riding between vehicles when his bicycle struck the rear passenger door of a 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE was the eldest of three siblings and a dedicated student-athlete He played for the Woodland Park recreational basketball and baseball teams the Totowa Tigers football team and the freshman football team at Passaic Valley who visited the crash site and met with Colangelo’s family “I gave them his football jersey,” Healey said described him as a leader on and off the field always trying to motivate his teammates and keeping the vibes high whether it was practice or a game,” Andriani said Colangelo left a lasting impact on those around him His family described him as a pillar of love and support for his younger brother and sister Lauren (Zych) and Alessandro Colangelo; his siblings Alessandro Aniello and Luciana Colangelo; and several aunts Annette and Robert Zych and Giuditta and Nicola Colangelo SOUTHERN COLORADO — A Woodland Park High School graduate is off to the International Space Station (ISS) who also graduated from the United States Air Force Academy She's serving as the mission pilot and will be with the crew for six months on the ISS They plan to conduct more than 200 experiments including testing material flammability and studies on human health for deep space exploration This launch was originally planned for Wednesday but a problem with the hydrologic system on the ground delayed it An animal keeper at the Woodland Park Zoo was sent to the hospital after one of the orangutans bit them through a mesh barrier during a routine training session over the weekend The keeper had a serious but non-life-threatening injury on their hand “We are very saddened our team member was injured and know this has been a very stressful and difficult experience for them and the rest of our animal care team,” Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO Alejandro Grajal said in a statement “We are in contact with the animal keeper and will do all we can to support them as they heal.” Animal care managers are evaluating whether the contact barriers will need to be modified The zoo said its veterinarian confirmed that the orangutan was safe unharmed and behaving appropriately upon a visual examination The habitat in the zoo’s “Trail of Vines” exhibit “The orangutan care team will continue to provide training and routine care for each orangutan to maintain normalcy and will closely monitor the animals,” said Luis Neves senior director of animal care for the zoo Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser!