PUEBLO, Colo. — Governor Jared Polis was in Southern Colorado Friday. He made one stop in Colorado Springs and three stops in Pueblo.
The governor started the day at CSU Pueblo where he delivered his State of the State address to members of the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce.
During the speech, which the governor originally delivered at the capitol two weeks ago, he talked about issues like affordable housing and public safety.
"What's also important is the state should help and provide resources to help make sure that communities are able to meet the need that they have. And that's really that new piece that we've been introducing in the last year or two that the state is actually helping and partnering with local law enforcement to make Colorado safer," said Governor Polis.
WATCH: GOVERNOR POLIS OUTLINES PRIORITIES IN 2024 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
His second stop for the day in Pueblo was at Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center at Saint Mary-Corwin Medical Center. Mount Carmel had a presentation for the governor about the services and resources they have provided to veterans in Southern Colorado.
The group has been serving veterans of Southern Colorado for years and just recently expanded to the medical center last year. This includes expanding their services to Trinidad and Westcliffe and is now serving about 1,800 veterans in the area.
WATCH: MT. CARMEL EXPANDS SERVICES TO PUEBLO
For his final stop of the day in Pueblo, the governor also made a stop at Minnequa Elementary to honor teachers there who helped their students achieve high scores on state standardized testing.
The governor toured Minnequa Elementary School while thanking the teachers and treating them to lunch.
Minnequa earned a Bright Spot School Award last year from the Governor's Office and State Department of Education, which highlights schools that have excelled in academics along with having high scores on state standardized testing.
"But I will just circle it all too if you don't have good teachers who love kids. None of this happens, everybody had a hand in making this happen for kids. And that's that's something that I'm appreciative of. And so it's another opportunity to say thank you to them," said Katie Harshman, Minnequa Elementary Principal.
The Award Minnequa earned comes with a $50,000 prize. The school used the money to buy different materials like 3D printers and coding machines to show kids how math works in real life.
The governor finished his stint in Southern Colorado Friday by making a stop at the Pikes Peak BOCES School of Excellence in Colorado Springs.
The governor was there to discuss a future campus for the school and to discuss plans to create more training and education pathways to fill career paths in Colorado.
The Pikes Peak BOCES School of Excellence serves students with a wide range of behavioral and emotional needs and helps develop career paths for these students.
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