COS Town Tidings #26-035

Gmail will truncate so 📖 READ ONLINE

🤣 Today’s Chuckle

🌟Local Feature: 🚁 From Combat Missions to Custom Creations

📰 El Paso County Charts Course for Smoother, Safer Roads 🚗

📰 Which State Sends Record Number to Winter Games? ⛷

📰 Colorado Springs Boy Celebrates 7th Birthday at… 🎂

🛍 New: Bargain Box Weekly Sales, Feb 4-7!

📆 Local Events + Concerts & Fairs/Festivals, Activities

🌤 COS Weather - Mostly sunny with mild temps

🌟 Let’s Feature YOUR business!

Every Wednesday, we shine a light on the local entrepreneurs who make Colorado Springs vibrant and unique. When you support these featured businesses, you're investing in our neighbors' dreams and helping build a stronger community by creating jobs and keeping our city thriving. 🤗

Life rarely follows a straight line. Just ask Mindy King. She didn't enlist right out of high school; instead, she went to college first. But as she neared the end of her studies, she felt a pull toward something different. That pull led her to the Army at age 22, where she found her place in the sky as a Blackhawk door gunner and crew chief.

However, when medical retirement abruptly ended her service in 2011, the silence that followed was deafening.

Mindy struggled to find her footing in civilian life. She battled the heavy weight of PTSD, trying every therapy in the book, from sitting in sterile offices talking about feelings to more experimental modalities. Nothing seemed to work. The internal noise wouldn't stop.

As a last resort, a counselor suggested art therapy. Mindy was skeptical, but she picked up a needle and thread anyway. She began hand-sewing hearts onto pieces of felt to create ornaments shaped like states and countries, tracing her family's military journey. To her surprise, the simple, rhythmic motion of occupying her hands finally gave her mind the peace she had been searching for.

That therapeutic hobby stitched itself into a thriving business: Heart'felt' Travels.

Today, Mindy has traded hand-sewing for four industrial embroidery machines she affectionately names Ruby, Rosie, Rico, and Brody. She has expanded her repertoire far beyond felt hearts; if you need custom logo wear for your business, personalized hats for a family reunion, or intricate patches for a club, Mindy can handle it all. She applies the same mission-focused discipline she learned in the aviation crew to create these custom items for our community.

Behind each design is a story that matters…like the time she embroidered a baby's sonogram onto an ornament for a military family separated by deployment. That single item became the focal point of their Christmas card, connecting them despite the distance.

Now serving as the Commander of VFW Post 101, she jokes she is a "professional volunteer," using her business to fund her passion for giving back. Mindy proves that while the uniform changes, the drive to serve never fades.

Connect with Mindy:

Find Heart'felt' Travels on Facebook or email [email protected].

El Paso County has introduced a new road maintenance plan focused on preventative care to save money in the long run. The strategy uses advanced technology to analyze roads and apply cost-effective treatments before major damage occurs. The goal is to steadily improve the condition of the county's extensive network of paved roadways.

⏱️ 60 second Balance Check with Kristen Nielsen (this one is eye opening, give it a try!)

Of course it’s us…Colorado has emerged as the top producer of athletes for the 2026 U.S. Winter Olympic team, contributing 31 competitors to the largest American roster (234 athletes) in Winter Games history. Two Olympians are from right here in Colorado Springs, figure skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea!

These local athletes, from champions like Mikaela Shiffrin to first-time Olympians, will represent their hometowns across Colorado on the global stage in Milan Cortina. Their success underscores our state's central role in nurturing world-class winter sports talent. Full Story

📚 Poor Richard’s Downtown, Books and Gifts

This was such a heartwarming and unusual story that made me smile when I saw it on KRDO that I had to share. A 7-year-old local boy asked for something truly unexpected for his birthday: a party at his neighborhood King Soopers. Instead of bounce houses or arcades, he wanted aisles of snacks, frozen foods, and the place he visits almost daily with his mom. With a little courage (and a phone call), his mom made it happen, and the store enthusiastically joined in, complete with a birthday shout-out over the speakers, cake decorating, food, and goodie bags.

I’ve never seen a kid get so excited about a grocery store, and honestly, it was contagious.

A new week means new treasures! We're giving you a first look at the incredible finds and amazing sales hitting the floor for through Feb 7 (up to 50% OFF). Watch now to see what's waiting for you!

Location: 405 S Nevada Ave, Open Tues - Sat 10am-2pm. (719) 475-1029

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🍞 Fresh Baked Sourdough breads, pastries
Nature's Start Bread Company
📍3312 Austin Bluffs (Inside The Cupcake Doctor):
M-Sat, 9am-6pm

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