Kelly Hayes

1 week ago | gazette.com | Kelly Hayes

Tossing and turning to the hum of the fan is a common summer bedtime experience. The days are longer, the sun is brighter and the heat can make it harder to fall asleep. For many, especially kids who are out of school, summer can disrupt sleep patterns. Dr. Chafen Hart, a pediatric sleep specialist at National Jewish Health in Denver, has some advice for those struggling to catch some z’s. As Hart explains, there are two pathways your brain employs to sleep.

1 week ago | gazette.com | Kelly Hayes

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2 weeks ago | gazette.com | Kelly Hayes

MONUMENT • Sitting in Rachael Ortega’s office, surrounded by crystals and crosses, is Allison McPike. Ortega is facing the young woman across from her desk, a pencil in hand and a blank notepad resting flat. A mutual friend referred McPike to Ortega, a psychic medium. But McPike isn’t here to speak to a loved one beyond the grave or settle final debts. No. Instead, she wants to tap into the thoughts and feelings of her living, breathing beloved pets.

2 weeks ago | gazette.com | Kelly Hayes

As the sun rises Wednesday morning, Army and Air Force cooks will fire up their grills and ovens in preparation for a beloved Colorado Springs tradition. The Western Street Breakfast will return this week, lining downtown Tejon Street with hay bales and the fragrance of pancakes and eggs. Local service members will serve breakfast at $5 a plate offering eggs, sausage, pancakes, coffee, juice and milk.

2 weeks ago | gazette.com | Kelly Hayes

Last year, Colorado implemented a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. My kitchen has seen the impact of the ban in one way: stacks of paper bags (I’m bad at remembering my reusables!). But, there are ways to get use out of those paper bags outside of recycling. Here’s a list:No need to buy wrapping paper again — just use paper bags. You can cover a pretty large area by cutting the bag at the seam. Remove the bottom of the bag, which you can use to cover patches of space.