SOUTHERN COLORADO — Good morning southern Colorado and here's what you need to know on your Thursday, October 7.
If you'd like to read the full story, be sure to click on the story headline.
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Pueblo West HS closed due to a staffing shortage
Students at Pueblo West high are getting an unexpected four-day weekend as classes were canceled for Thursday and just online for Friday as there are not enough staff members to keep the school open.
School officials tell News5 they really need some help in cafeterias and they're in need of custodians.
The Colorado Department of Education is offering new one-year licenses to become a substitute teacher.
All that's needed is a high school diploma and a clean criminal background check.
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Nursing shortage in nation's schools
The number of nurses in schools continues to be a concern. Before the pandemic, about 25% of schools nationwide didn't have a school nurse.
More nurses have left for various reasons during the pandemic. School districts do have the option of using money from the American Rescue Plan approved by Congress to hire additional school nurses.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than one point $6.1 billion in relief money for Colorado to help with the state's fight against COVID-19.
So far more than one billion dollars of has gone to pay for vaccines, testing sites, medical staffing, and supplies.
FEMA has also given more than $400 million to the Lost Wages Assistance Program.
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Motorless Morning at Garden of the Gods Park
You can enjoy some peace and quiet at a popular tourist attraction this weekend as Garden of the Gods Park is hosting its annual Motorless Morning this Saturday.
From 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. no vehicles will be allowed inside the park.
You can park at the visitor center, trading post, or in the overflow lot.
This will be the sixth Motorless Morning for Garden of the Gods.
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Get your latest First Alert 5 Weather forecast
The forecast is going to stay gorgeous from Thursday through Friday, but we should get more active into the weekend.
Sunny skies will be mixed with clouds today and temperatures will be above average in the afternoon. A high of 76 is expected in Colorado Springs and 82 in Pueblo. We'll be a little breezy today but the winds will be light overall.
Tonight we'll see clouds move into the region with isolated showers out west into the central mountains.
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