Fort Morgan BOE Lowers Mill Levy

Fort Morgan Board of Education voted on Monday to lower the mill levy. In 2011, the tax rate will be 39.440 percent or 39.44 for every one thousand dollars of assessed valuation. That's down from the 2010 levy of 39.449. The change came during a short meeting on Monday.

Red Suit, Red Truck -- Santa Arrives in Wiggins Tomorrow!

A man in red with arrive on a fire engine of red when Santa arrives in Wiggins tomorrow afternoon. The big guy will be at the Wiggins Fire Hall at 1 p.m. so the kids will get a chance to conference with him. There will also be pictures with Santa and his modus transportationus and rides on "Old Red" with Wiggins firefighters. Cadets will have their annual bake sale and there'll be apple cider. Its at the Wiggins Fire Hall tomorrow.

Brush Holds Annual Holiday Fun

Holiday gift auction, free movies, time with Santa...all in Brush tomorrow! Its all part of the annual Christmas festivities tomorrow afternoon. It starts at noon and just goes all afternoon. See who won the recent coloring contest, do your holiday shopping, mingle with friends and more tomorrow in Brush.

Perez Guilty of Raping, Murdering Mary Pierce in 1977

A Weld County jury has convicted a Florida man of raping and killing a 22-year-old woman in 1977. The jury yesterday found Marcello Maldonado Perez guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual assault in the stabbing death of Mary Pierce. Pierce was abducted from a Greeley convenience store and her body found two days later.
The Greeley Tribune reports that prosecutors say DNA links Perez to the slaying. Perez says he and Pierce were abducted by two men who forced him at gunpoint to rape her. Prosecutors called his story “outlandish.” He says he escaped but didn’t tell anyone what happened. He says he didn’t know Pierce was killed until his arrest in Port Charlotte, Florida, where he lived at the time.

"Birther" Soldier to Do Time

An Army doctor convicted of disobeying the orders of his commander-in-chief will serve six months in a military prison, then be dismissed from the Army. A military jury in Fort Meade, Maryland, handed down the sentence to Lieutenant Colonel Terrence Lakin of Greeley, Colorado, who will lose nearly 90-thousand dollars a year in salary plus his pension. Lakin, a so-called "birther," contends President Obama wasn't born in the U.S. and therefore cannot lawfully issue orders to the military.

Colorado Legislators To Consider Civil Unions

Democratic State Senator Pat Steadman is planning to draft legislation that would make Colorado the fourth state to recognize the civil unions of same-sex couples. The Denver lawmaker, who is gay himself, tells the "Denver Post" he believes most Coloradans support civil unions and believe gays should be treated equally in the eyes of the law. Steadman could be in for a fight with Republicans in the state capitol. Highlands Ranch Representative Frank McNulty says such a bill would be cause for concern among the vast majority of Colorado Republicans. However, one Republican, Kevin Priola, has come out in support of civil unions because in concept, they are not gay marriage.