Good morning, Pueblo.

Pueblo Zoo officials said Tuesday that Mashavu, their 20-year-old iconic lion who had been on end-of-life care for age-related issues, was euthanized; she first arrived in 2011 and gave birth to four cubs (Mumford and triplets Kamara, Zuri, and Hodari) that keep her legacy alive.

At Pueblo's 2026 Colorado State Fair, nearly 508,000 people enjoyed 11 days of events, marking the second-highest attendance in 15 years — nearly 80,000 more visitors than last year.

Organizers celebrated record turnout with free shows, concerts, and local competitions.

Pueblo Zoo officials said Mashavu, a 20-year-old lion known for having four cubs, was humanely euthanized last week due to age-related issues (she joined the zoo in 2011), marking the end of her long legacy.

The 32nd annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival honoring the city’s famous green chile will take place Sept.

18-20 in historic Downtown Pueblo. Special events feature live music, local vendors, family activities, and cultural performances + festive competitions celebrating Pueblo’s agricultural heritage and milestone anniversaries.

Black Hills Energy has begun building a 50-MW battery storage facility at its Pueblo Airport Generating Station.

The project will charge with excess renewable energy and is set to power customers by late 2027 while providing an estimated $30.1 million in economic benefits (including construction, operation, and maintenance).

Pueblo D70 earned an accredited rating while Pueblo D60 received an accredited with improvement plan from preliminary state assessments released Sept.

10 — both districts showed year-to-year gains with final scores expected later this fall.

The EPA proposed lowering lead thresholds at the Colorado Smelter Superfund Site to require cleaning about 700 Bessemer homes for lead and 500 for dust with an $80 million budget.

The cleanup will take 10 years and start after the October public comment period, with local community participation invited.

Flags are lowered statewide today to honor victims of the Sept.

11 attacks, with events set in Centennial & Denver marking the significant anniversary. State orders also align with traditions for Memorial Day and Pearl Harbor Day observances.

A WalletHub study ranked Colorado as the 36th happiest state among 50 by using 30 metrics that measured emotional and physical well-being, work environment and community factors; the study noted that the state’s low rating in community and environment was a key drawback despite high sports participation and sleep rates.

E. coli levels dropped to safe standards in eastern Pueblo’s Arkansas River sites near Baxter and Nyberg Roads after the Aug.

27 sewage spill, but tests in downstream areas such as La Junta & Lamar continued to show unsafe numbers. CDPHE advises avoiding river contact until levels return to normal.