Englehaupt Runs for Commission

The county commission race in Logan county has a new entrant. He's Cody Englehaupt (engle-HOPT) -- Sterling High School Track Coach, youngest-ever school board member in Colorado, and the youngest county party Chairman in the state. Cody is a Democrat. He says in a news release that he believes in local control, economic growth, and education. His commitment to renewable energy is obvious from a campaign logo featuring two wind turbines.

Police Investigate Robbery At Local Business

On March 3rd, Fort Morgan police were called to the 900 block of State Street on the report of a theft that occurred at a business located there. Officers spoke with a witness who stated a Hispanic male had come into the building and was acting suspicious. When the male was observed again a few minutes later, he was going through the personal property of some of the other occupants of the building. When confronted, the suspect attempted to flee the business with some of the belongings. A brief struggle occurred when one of the victims attempted to retrieve stolen property the suspect was holding. No injuries were reported and the suspect fled on foot. Witnesses described the suspect as having very short black hair, bushy eyebrows and a lip piercing. He had a thin build and was wearing a dark coat with dark pants and tennis shoes. Officers contacted a possible suspect and are continuing to investigate this case. Anyone with information on this or other crimes is asked to call the Fort Morgan Police Department at 867-5678 or CRIMESTOPPERS at (970) 542-3411. Anyone giving information that results in an arrest could receive a cash reward.

Man Arrested In Fort Morgan Homicide Case

A Fort Morgan man has been arrested in the case of a man found dead. At approximately 11 pm last night, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a possible assault in the Wayward Wind Trailer Park. 39-year-old Ricardo Macias Moran of Fort Morgan was found unresponsive with an apparent stab wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses reported seeing a small white pickup leaving the scene at what they described as a high rate of speed. 27-year-old Miguel Angel Vicente was taken into custody as a suspect in the homicide. The investigation is ongoing and we will continue to update this story as information becomes available. Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office at 970 867-2461 or Morgan County Crime Stoppers at 970 542-3411.

Lions Seek Host Homes for International Campers

Area LionsClub members are looking for host families for international students attending this summer's Colorado Lions Camp. According to Lions Club International state Youth Exchange Coordinator Steve Leroux, they need homes for about 19 kids. They will stay with host families for the first two weeks of August, prior to the cam August 15th. Each student is screened by a local Lions Club in their home country before they can participate in the exchange program. Students from 10 countries participated last year -- the roster for this year is still being finalized. To find out more, call Steve Leroux at (970) 686-2251.

Senators to Host Grants Workshop

Staff from the offices of Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, U.S. Senators for Colorado, will hold a grants workshop on funding education and nonprofit organizations a week from Friday. The workshop will offer information on competitive funding opportunities at the federal level. School districts, non-profits and educational organizations will have a chance to learn more about the research and application process for grants and competitive funding opportunities, view presentations from different state and federal agencies on available grant programs, and understand how congressional offices can provide support in the process. The session will be held Friday, March 12th from 1:30 to 4pm. Call Senator Bennet’s Fort Morgan Office for more information.

Census Nears

According to Census officials, it will be some time before those who tested for Census jobs will hear anything back. According to a Census news release, organizers are still going through the test results of those who already applied for census jobs, but do not expect to be hiring until the end of March or the beginning of April.

This year's Census form is 10 questions and is to be answered in every household, based on the situation in the house April 1st. If you are receiving contact from anyone claiming to be with the Census and asking for personal information right now, it is a fraud. Census workers will only visit homes after the form has been mailed, and if you do not return the form. If you need help filling out the form once you receive it in the mail, you can get assistance at Caring Ministries or the Morgan African COmmunity Center. Both are prepared to help starting now.

Stolen Cell Phone Prompts Police Reminder

Fort Morgan Police say a brand new cell phone left out on the seat of an unlocked car is now in the possession of someone other than the person who had just bought the 400-dollar device. It happened a couple of weeks ago in the 200 block of Ash, according to a release from the police department yesterday. The phone is a Black, LG “cookie” brand phone and had been recently
purchased. Police say the case is a reminder to always lock vehicles when you are way from them and to never leave valuables within view inside the automobile. Anyone who has information concerning the crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 542-3411.

Former Logan County Sheriff Found Dead Friday

Early Friday morning, Robert Eugene "Bob" Bollish, age 60, was found dead by family members on a remote section of his property. The call came into dispatchers at approximately 12:23 am Friday. Mr. Bollish was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound. The Logan County Sheriff's Department was notified and responded and secured the scene. Logan County Sheriff Brett Powell requested that the Sterling Police Department conduct the investigation into Mr. Bollish's death. Sterling Police did respond and processed the scene with the assistance of investigators from the District Attorney's Office and the Logan County Coroner. As part of the investigative process, interviews are being conducted and an autopsy was scheduled to be performed on Friday afternoon. Bollish was Logan County Sheriff from 1994 to 2006, when he lost in the primary election to current Sheriff Brett Powell. Bollish announced at the Logan County Republican's Lincoln Day Dinner on February 13th, his intention to run once again for Logan County Sheriff.

Former Logan County Sheriff Found Dead

Former Logan County Sheriff, Bob Bollish, has been found dead. Authorities confirmed this morning that Bollish, who announced his candidacy in the race for Logan County Sheriff recently, was found last night. The Sterling Police Department will be holding a press conference at 10:45 this morning to address details in the case. We will continue to update this story as information becomes available.

Sterling Relases Info Given to Teachers in Repsonse to Deer Creek Shooting

The shooting Tuesday brought out action plans at schools quite a distance from where it happened, including Sterling RE-1 schools. The District Care and Recovery Team met first thing yesterday and prepared an information packet that was distributed to teachers and staff, as well as supplied to the media. In it, the district says, "as Colorado is faced with another school shooting, students will come to school with questions and concerns." Teachers spent time discussing those concerns with students yesterday, straightening out any false information the children might have heard and reiterating that not only did it happen outside our area, but that school officials do have a plan in place to keep them safe. Counselors have also been prepared to talk with children or parents with more severe concerns.