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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A local video is blowing up online, showing what some are calling a case of animal abuse.

The video, taken at Annie's Pet Salon, continues to make rounds on social media.

RELATED: Animal law enforcement opens investigation into local pet groomer after viral video

KRDO13 Investigates is digging into the investigation that now includes state agencies over the incident at a local pet salon in Colorado Springs.

KRDO13 Investigates confirmed that the groomer handling that dog in the video is no longer working at the salon.

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) is investigating the incident that was caught on cell phone video, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, which oversees pet groomers and salons within the state, is also looking into the business. However, it's unclear, what exactly for.

Then employee, Marie St Hill is the one who captured the video. Speaking exclusively with KRDO13, she tell us it was tough to witness, "Rosa wasn't fighting back. She wasn't doing anything to make this behavior happen to her. I was brought to tears. I was crying when I was talking to the owner and I was telling her like, you know, this is not okay."

Friday afternoon, KRDO13 Investigates saw an animal law enforcement vehicle from the Humane Society parked in the plaza where the groomers are located.

HSPPR says that they're speaking with witnesses, and are still trying to make contact with the groomer in that video.

KRDO13 has made multiple attempts to get a comment from the owner and groomer in question, but they have yet to answer.

The business told us today that the groomer no longer works for them, and they're handling the situation privately and declined to comment any further.

Meanwhile, the owner of Rosa, the pet at the center of it all, explained to KRDO13 Investigates, how seeing that video, shared to her by the then employee, made her feel.

"Angry, just disappointed, and just had to let them know what was going on and just pretty much angry," said dog owner Amanda Herrera. "She just knows I go in there a lot and she got my contact and I'm just so grateful that she got it on camera, and we have evidence."

St Hill and Sunny Garcia, another former employee, tells KRDO13 they quit shortly after the video was taken, "It's not something we stand for. We don't want to be associated with it.. like we just don't want any part of it because that's not how we handle dogs."

KRDO13 Investigates went to an address, that is potentially tied to the groomer to ask for their side of what happened, however, no one answered the door.

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The company in charge of returning a historic mining pit to nature in Colorado Springs' northwest mountains is celebrating key progress in the yearslong job.

Castle Aggregates is "thrilled" by the looks of Pikeview Quarry, said Jerry Schnabel, the company's president and general manager.

The months have seen the scar's familiar red turn to the yellow of a certain landscape matting, to a darker mulch color, to today's green seen from a distance — the result of grass and 31,000-plus trees and shrubs planted since April, according to the company. Spring and summer saw irrigation joined by generous rains, Schnabel said.

Before the dry fall, "it seemed like it rained every afternoon for us," he said. "It really developed good, sturdy growth."

Outdoors

But "we're not out of the woods yet," Schnabel added. The vegetation "has to go another entire year with no irrigation. The headstart we got this year needs to survive next year on its own."

That's according to a plan approved in 2020 by Colorado's Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. The approval put in motion what would be the most significant reclamation project in Colorado Springs since Queens Canyon Quarry, above Garden of the Gods, around the turn of the century.

And the reclamation approval put in motion a controversial land deal with the city's parks department.

For about $9 million out of the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) fund, City Council agreed to a package deal that would give the city 163 acres around Black Canyon Quarry — the smaller, flatter scar above Manitou Springs seen as a future launchpoint for recreation around Waldo and Williams canyons. The acquisition would include about 40 acres the city would be in charge of reclaiming.

The city would also gain 148 acres of parkland below Pikeview Quarry. And if Castle Aggregates' reclamation of Pikeview's 125 acres was successful, the city could decide on accepting the higher terrain and building an envisioned "world-class" mountain bike park there.

Some have questioned the city's financial ability to reclaim Black Canyon Quarry, while concerns have also lingered on Pikeview's notorious history of sliding.

During an April visit for tree planting at Pikeview, Schnabel told Mayor Yemi Mobolade: "I'm assuring you that you're not buying a potential slide."

Schnabel said he's been encouraged by around-the-clock readings from computer systems on site. They have been relied upon since 3.5 million cubic yards of material were reportedly used to build a "buttress" across the quarry's face, ahead of revegetation.

"The mountain is behaving very well," Schnabel said.

The Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety will make the final determination, slated for 2026.

"There will be a lot of scrutiny between now and then, especially on vegetation," Schnabel said. "I'm comfortable with stability, but we can't guarantee what is going to grow next spring and what isn't."

McDonald's on Friday announced the slivered onions from Taylor Farms’ facility in Colorado Springs are the “likely source of contamination" in the recent E. coli outbreak that has led to 22 hospitalizations and one death across 13 states.

In a press release, the company noted that slivered onions from this facility were distributed to approximately 900 McDonald’s restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and portions of other states in the area, prior to the product being pulled from the menu Oct. 22.

"Due to broad concern and our unwavering commitment to food safety we have made the decision to stop sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility indefinitely," the release stated.

Taylor Farms released the following statement to Gazette news partner KOAA:

"As a family-owned business we take pride in providing safe, healthy fresh foods to people every day. It saddens us to see the illnesses and affected individuals and families from the current E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the individuals and their families impacted. Our priority remains the health and safety of our consumers. We have preemptively recalled yellow onions from our Taylor Farms Colorado facility that were sent to select foodservice customers. We continue to work with CDC and FDA who are investigating the source of the outbreak. All Taylor Farms products in the market today are safe to consume."

According to previous Gazette reporting, the outbreak has hit Colorado especially hard, which has recorded more than two dozen cases of the bacterium and the sole death, an elderly resident of Mesa County. Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name.

E. coli outbreak in Colorado: People sickened in 13 states; other fast food restaurants pull onions off menus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday issued a food safety alert about the “fast-moving” outbreak, as the number of cases continued to rise.

The number of people infected by the E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald's increased to 75 from 49, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday in multiple reports.

Also on Friday, the CDC said in its update that "due to the product actions taken by both companies, CDC believes the risk to the public is very low."

As investigations continue, a growing number of restaurants in affected regions are continuing to hold, and pull, onions from the menu, including Taco Bell, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut and Illegal Pete's in Colorado Springs.

The Gazette reached out to US Foods, a food distribution company that supplies restaurants and food service operators nationwide, and received the following statement:

"First and foremost, US Foods takes food safety very seriously. Out of an abundance of caution, Taylor Farms, one of our third-party suppliers, issued a voluntary recall on Oct. 22 for specific onion products produced out of their Colorado facility. As aligned with our rigorous recall process, we have contacted all impacted US Foods customers to provide appropriate recall instructions for impacted Taylor Farms products."

Sara Matheu, spokesperson for US Foods, also explained that the Taylor Farms recall in total impacts six US Foods distribution centers located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico.

"The number of US Foods customers affected by the Taylor Farms recall is approximately 0.1% of our total customer base, and this recall was not limited to US Foods - other national and regional distributors are also in scope for the recall."

Taylor Farms has reported that they test both raw and finished products for pathogens and have found no traces of E. coli, according to Matheu.

Some Colorado Springs residents who are long-time fans of the franchise say they will be hesitant to return amid the news the breakout was traced back the city they live in.

"I've always loved McDonald's, but honestly I don't know if I'll ever eat there again; I'm terrified to catch that," Dale Noble told the Gazette. "Guess I'll be a regular at Sonic now."

Another resident, Janet Lee, just got out of the hospital after being treated for a number of issues, with E. coli being one of them.

Lee told the Gazette she recently ate at a McDonald's in Colorado Springs and Fountain while attempting to collect the "Boo Buckets" the company promotes during the Halloween season.

"I love McDonald's," Lee said. "Eventually I will eat (there) again just not anytime soon, and I won't eat the onions."

If passed, Ballot Question 300, which was placed on the ballot by citizens, would allow the approximately 90 existing medical marijuana shops in Colorado Springs to apply for a recreational marijuana license. Currently, recreational marijuana sales are not permitted in the city.

Here’s the language you’ll see on your ballot:

Shall the ordinances of the City of Colorado Springs be amended:

(1) prohibit any retail/recreational marijuana business within 1,000 feet of a public or private daycare, preschool or K-12 school,

(2) prohibit the sale or transfer of retail/recreational marijuana to any person under 21,

(3) prohibit the sale or transfer of retail/recreational marijuana acquired in another political subdivision to a person under 21, and

(4) prohibit possession of retail/recreational marijuana by any person at any public or private school, daycare, or preschool?

Who’s against it?

The Colorado Springs City Council has approved a competing ballot initiative that would place the city’s recreational marijuana ban into the city charter.

Additionally, in a 7-2 vote, the council recently approved a zoning ordinance that would essentially ban any future recreational sales within city limits. The ordinance, brought forward by Councilwoman Lynette Crow-Iverson, bans recreational sales within a mile of schools, daycare facilities, and drug and alcohol treatment centers.

“I oppose recreational marijuana,” Crow-Iverson said. “So I don’t want it to go anywhere.”

Explore: This city map depicts where recreational marijuana sales would not be permitted within city limits. The blue circle represents where recreational marijuana sales are banned by the new zoning ordinance passed by the city council.

Map caption: This

However, it is likely that Ballot Question 300, if passed, would override the ordinance, according to proponents.

The ordinance has been seen as a preemptive action by city council against Ballot Question 300. Critics have called the ordinance a “distraction” meant to confuse voters.

CPR News reached out to the Colorado Springs’ city attorney's office to confirm whether the ballot measure would take precedence over the zoning ordinance and did not receive a response.

The ordinance — which puts a 1-mile buffer between schools, daycare facilities, drug rehabilitation centers and recreational marijuana businesses — is measured by a route of direct pedestrian access. According to Councilwoman Crow-Iverson the 1-mile radius is “not scientific.” If the ordinance is allowed to stand, hardly any recreational stores would be able to open.

Councilwomen Yolanda Avila and Nancy Henjum, as well as the city planning commissioners, all opposed the zoning ordinance.

Interim Planning Director Kevin Walker told council members that the commission “heard a lot of testimony about fear of marijuana use especially among the youth in our community. But they did not see the logic between one mile vs a half mile or whatever the other distance might be.”

Two years ago, voters turned down a similar question to legalize recreational marijuana sales with 57% voting against it.

Who’s for Ballot Question 300?

Citizens for Responsible Marijuana Regulation is a resident and dispensary-backed group that proposed Ballot Question 300.

“We want to regulate retail marijuana,” Meghan Graf, a spokesperson for the group, told CPR News. “The politicians want to ban it for a variety of unscientific reasons… We view that on election day voters will decide on [recreational marijuana] sales and store distance setbacks via our ballot measure.”

According to the group, Ballot Question 300 “was intentionally drafted to safely regulate recreational marijuana and protect kids, while keeping valuable tax revenue within the city.”

They say that legalizing recreational marijuana in the city would boost the local economy through job creation, increased revenue, and promote responsible use through more controlled and regulated sales.

When asked about the city council’s recent zoning ordinance, Graf called it “a distraction” and an “attempt to confuse voters.” She says the group is confident that if passed by voters, the Ballot Question 300 would “take precedence over a city council passed measure.”

How would it work?

Colorado Springs currently limits medical marijuana shops from operating within 1,000 feet of schools and child care facilities. If passed, Ballot Question 300 would function similarly by allowing existing medical marijuana shops to sell recreational marijuana as well.

The measure limits the number of recreational licenses to the existenting number of medical marijuana licenses, meaning no new marijuana businesses would open. The existing medical marijuana dispensaries would receive dual licenses to sell both medical and recreational, should those businesses choose to opt in.

The ballot measure would also provide the revenue for a tax measure passed in 2022. Around the state, cities that have legalized recreational marijuana sales have directed tax income from sales to support a range of community initiatives. In Colorado Springs that tax revenue would go towards public safety, mental health and veteran PTSD programs.

Again, it is unclear whether Ballot Measure 300 would take precedence over the one mile zoning ordinance city council voted on to ban recreational marijuana sales within city limits. Proponents of the ordinance say it will. The city attorney did not respond to comment.

Further Coverage

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