May 12, 2022 Vol. 21, No. 25 Serving Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City and Lower Ute Pass
$100
They’re back!
Council discusses water restrictions, PikeRide and more
Photo by Rhonda Van Pelt
Belly dancer Levya Bell lets the spirit move her during the Thursday, May 5, Drum Circle in Memorial Park. Everyone is welcome to bring instruments or simply dance or observe; the gatherings begin about 6 p.m. Thursdays throughout the summer.
By Marcus Hill Manitou Springs City Council discussed potential guidelines for water restrictions and other points during a near four-and-a-half-hour work session Tuesday, May 10. Councilors spent nearly an hour reviewing and discussing water usage as temperatures rise. Jeff Jones, Public Works director, and Russ Mills, Utilities superintendent, presented four tiers for potential water restrictions. Mills said the expectation is to enter restrictions “right away,” with Level 1. That permits even-numbered properties to use water outside on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Odd-numbered addresses would have Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays to use water outdoors. Maximum usage would be two hours per day and those who do not adhere to the guidelines would face a $100 fine. Levels 2 and 3 drop the number of days for water usage outdoors to two days and once per week, respectively. Fines would also increase to $250 at Level 2 and $500 at Level 3.
See COUNCIL/page 3
Coronavirus rates dropping, but we’re not out of the woods From Tuesday, April 26, to Tuesday, May 10, El Paso County has experienced 1,104 COVID-19 cases, 22 hospitalizations and one death. That’s a vast improvement over the statistics for Jan. 14, 2022, the peak of infections so far this year. According to the El Paso County Public Health Department, that one day saw 2,369 cases, 26 hospitalizations and seven deaths. People aged 60 to 69 lead all other age groups in hospitalizations, with 1,509, since the pandemic
reached the area in early March 2020. Peopled aged 70 to 79 are close behind with 1,319. The 80- to 89-year-old group leads all others with 462 deaths since March 1, 2020. El Paso County, with 1,688 total deaths, ties for third among deaths in the state’s most populous counties. Pueblo County has 475 deaths per 100,000 people, Adams County has 251 per 100,000 and El Paso and Jefferson counties have 232 per 100,000. The health department’s website states that
1,130,103 total doses of vaccine have been administered to El Paso County residents. That’s an increase of 4,073 since May 1. Vaccination rates as of May 8 break down to: • People vaccinated — 492,240 (71.8 percent of residents aged 5 or older); • Fully vaccinated — 443,636 fully vaccinated (64.7 percent of eligible people); and • Received boosters — 18,394 (27.2 percent of eligible people). Information: www.elpasocountyhealth.org.
INSIDE GARDEN CLUB ANNOUNCES GRANT WINNERS............... PAGE 5 WHY ONE MSHS TEACHER HAS RESIGNED...................... PAGE 6 ATHLETICS SEASONS WINDING DOWN...................PAGES 10, 11