Home Heavily Damaged by Fire

An Atwood home was heavily damaged by fire late last week. Tom Kennedy of the Sterling Fire Department said the fire started in a mechanical room of Mike and Pam Werner's home, near an electrical panel, but no cause has been determined. The fire broke out just after 9 a.m. and no one was home. Kennedy said crews had the fire knocked down in about ten minutes and under control in just over an hour. The Werners are staying with family members in Sterling. .

Sterling Council Follows Up on Grant

The Sterling City Council approved an application for a USDA grant award last week and authorized the Mayor to execute the Assurance agreement. The grant will be used to help plan community and economic development for downtown Sterling. While Logan County Economic Development Corporation has confirmed winning the grant, its not available until 2012. The grant will also help build on some of those DOLA/CSU student projects that we told you about last week. Those include that highway pass design, the downtown streetscape and street configuration.

Fort Morgan Woman Could Get Bond Revoked

A Fort Morgan woman could have her bond revoked for allegedly mailing drugs into a private prison, and those drugs, authorities said, were responsible for an inmate's death. DA Robert Watson wants Morgan County District Court to revoke Jessica Rehn's bond. Court documents allege that she smuggled cocaine into the Hudson Correctional Facility. Authorities said she gave the drugs to her boyfriend, James Stanley and he gave them to cell mate Wesley Shandy who died of a drug overdose. Rehn is accused of a multistate scheme that used the US Mail to distribute drugs.

Udall, Bennet, Vote For ‘Don’t Ask’ Repeal

WASHINGTON (AP) – Colorado Democratic Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet were among the 65 votes in favor of repealing the Clinton-era policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

The vote Saturday means a bill to overturn the policy will be sent to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it into law next week.

Overturning the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy means gays in the military can acknowledge their sexual orientation without fear of being kicked out.

Udall said in a statement that the vote was “a giant step forward today toward enhancing our national security by allowing all Americans to fight for their nation regardless of whether they are gay or straight.”

Bennet said the repeal would “confer dignity and a basic civic right to Americans who have signed up to defend our country.”

Man Who Fell From Bridge To Have Rhode Island Funeral

The Snowmass Village man who died when he fell from an Aspen bridge will be laid to rest in his native Rhode Island. The funeral for 28-year-old George Aldrich Junior will be today in Cranston, Rhode Island. His body was found last week under the historic Maroon Creek Bridge in Aspen. Officials ruled his death an accident.