The Pueblo West Chamber of Commerce awarded its Business of the Year Award to Highline Broadband of Colorado City which has brought fiber-based optic internet service to the district.
The honor recognizes the company’s contributions to the community and its staff’s active involvement through the chamber and local initiatives. Highline CEO Rob Mills said the award is “a reflection of the collective efforts of our entire team.”
Highline staff recently joined Pueblo Cooperative Care Center for a turkey and food drive. In just four hours, the event brought in 198 turkeys for families in need, 500 pounds of food to stock the nonprofit’s pantry as well as $1,300 in monetary donations to further support local initiatives.
Comcast RISE awards to help 33 local businesses
A total of 33 Pueblo and Pueblo West businesses have been selected to receive Comcast RISE Awards.
From barbershops and construction companies to restaurants to sprinkler companies, the awards are designed to help businesses thrive. The awards include a $5,000 grant, Comcast business internet, phone and cybersecurity monitoring for a year, a technology makeover, television ads, entrepreneurial courses and business coaching sessions.
“Thanks to Comcast RISE, I now have an opportunity for a fresh start, and resources to grow my business,” said Rique Lucero, RISE grantee and Owner of ColorSplashPaintball in Pueblo.
CommonSpirit St. Mary-Corwin hospital recognized for hospital safety
St. Mary-Corwin Hospital in Pueblo was among 10 CommonSpirit hospitals to earn an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety.
“The safety of our patients is our most important priority. Clinical excellence is the focus of every interaction, decision and care plan we create,” said Shauna Gulley, interim chief medical officer for CommonSpirit’s Mountain Region.
The award “reflects enormous dedication to our patients and their families, and the whole community should be proud of the leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for their tireless efforts to put patients first,” said Leah Binder, president of The Leapfrog Group.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade focuses solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. The program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
Springside Cheese welcomes new retail director
Springside Cheese, 517 W. Fifth St., #104, welcomes Cassandra Cook as the new retail experience director for the Pueblo- and Wisconsin-based stores.
Cook will expound upon ideas to improve the retail experience and collaborate with the leadership team to develop growth and marketing strategies that align with Springside Cheese’s goals. She brings proven leadership and a specialized focus on customer service to the Springside team, backed by 20 years of experience with a prominent grocery chain.
“I am excited to join the team and contribute to our sales growth while becoming an active part of the local community. I look forward to working with this talented team and making a positive impact,” she said.
Pueblo Realtor named Colorado Residential Real Estate Council president
Felicia Beltran, a realtor with the Empire Group of eXp Realty, 2447 S. Prairie Ave. in Pueblo, has been installed as the 2025 Colorado Residential Real Estate Council President.
Beltran has 18 years of experience in Pueblo real estate and joined the state council in 2021. She has served as network leader, as well as finance and education director before being named to the president’s post.
The council provides education, leadership development, referrals, networking opportunities, and business resources for the state’s realtors.
SOCO Economic Development District joins statewide initiative
The Southern Colorado Economic Development District is joining efforts with the CO|Align initiative in an effort to build a unified voice for economic development in Colorado.
The collaboration seeks to align strategies, reduce redundancies, and enhance capacity for economic development efforts statewide.
“SCEDD is proud to be a part of this statewide collaboration that will truly impact economic development throughout our state and the region served by our organization,” said Leslie Mastroianni, executive director for Southern Colorado Economic Development District. “This will be a wonderful opportunity to align local, regional and state economic strategies and initiatives.”