SPD Looking for Suspicious Men

Sterling Police are looking for two men who
were reportedly seen trying to talk to some kids last Thursday. In a news release, police said that around 9 p.m., there was a suspicious incident in the 500 block of Lily Lane where two men in a white, older Nissan pickup truck were trying to get some children to approach the truck. Police said there was no report that the men got out of the truck, talked with or touched any of the children. They apparently fled in the truck when an adult showed up, and headed south on Highway 6.

Republican River Compact Pipeline Meeting this week

The proposed Republican River Compact Pipeline will be the focus of this week's quarterly meeting of the River Water Conservation District. The meeting is coming up on Thursday, July 14th at the Phillips County Events Center in Holyoke and starting at 10 a.m. Colorado State Engineer Dick Wolfe will update the board on Colorado's efforts to obtain approval for the pipeline from the Republican River Compact Authority.

El Paso Co Club

(Colorado Springs, CO) -- A local men's club is one of the new in the nation that is still not allowing women as voting members. Members of the El Paso Club, which offers dining, billiards, cards and reading rooms by invitation only, recently voted, 69-to-31, not to allow women to join. A new plan will let women join as non-voting corporate members, but they can't go to an exclusive upstairs "men's grill." Some members say the club, which formed in 1877, must change or it will die after it lost almost a quarter of its members in ten years.

El Paso Club Votes To Keep Women Out

(Colorado Springs, CO) -- A local men's club is one of the new in the nation that is still not allowing women as voting members. Members of the El Paso Club, which offers dining, billiards, cards and reading rooms by invitation only, recently voted, 69-to-31, not to allow women to join. A new plan will let women join as non-voting corporate members, but they can't go to an exclusive upstairs "men's grill." Some members say the club, which formed in 1877, must change or it will die after it lost almost a quarter of its members in ten years.

U.S. Women's Open Is Free Today

(Colorado Springs, CO) -- It is free to go to the U.S. Women's Open final round today. Gates open at 7 a.m. at The Broadmoor, and golf begins at 8 a.m. as 30 players will play a maximum of six holes altogether. Golf fans can get free parking and shuttles at World Arena starting at 6:30 a.m. The main Merchandise Pavilion is going to open today with items sold for half-off.

More Than 200 Fort Carson Soldiers Arrive Home

(Fort Carson, CO) -- Soldiers are happy to be back home. More than 200 soldiers came home to Fort Carson yesterday after they were deployed to Afghanistan. Officials say it is the last homecoming for 35-hundred men and women who make up the Raider Brigade. While deployed, the soldiers helped rebuild Afghanistan's infrastructure, providing basic services to the nation's citizens and aided the Afghan government.

Carport will also generate power for CU

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A new carport at the University of Colorado will generate solar power for the Boulder campus while also shading cars from the sun.

The Daily Camera reports that solar panels on the carport's roof should produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of 20 single-family homes for a year.

The project is being financed by a third party that can take advantage of renewable energy incentives. CU-Boulder sustainability director Moe Tabrizi says that for seven years, CU will buy power generated from the carport from the financing company for about the same price it is paying Xcel Energy for electricity now.

Tabrizi says that after that, CU expects to get free power, plus a renewable energy incentive from Xcel of roughly $25,000 to $30,000 per year.

Businesses expecting state insurance bills

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — Colorado is turning to business owners to cover interest on a federal loan used to cover unemployment benefits.

Colorado has borrowed some $276 million since January of 2010 to cover unemployment benefits. Businesses will begin receiving letters this month detailing how much they have to pay to help cover $12 million in interest. The payment is due Sept. 30.

Colorado is one of 29 states that owe the federal government money after borrowing to fill depleted unemployment trust funds. The states owe the federal government more than $40 billion in total.

Nancy McCabe of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment tells The (Grand Junction) Sentinel that about 35,000 businesses will be billed an average payment of $340.

Horseback investigators search for clues in death

LOCHBUIE, Colo. (AP) — Investigators on horseback have combed a Weld County area where a body was found Saturday.

Investigators say 30-year-old Armando Mata-Magellanes of Commerce City was found dead near train tracks along Interstate 76 between Lochbuie and Hudson. He'd been shot, and his body was spotted by a train engineer.

Weld County Undersheriff Margie Martinez told The Denver Post she's not sure what the horseback search uncovered.

Police are looking for a 1983 blue Volkswagen Rabbit in which the victim was last seen.

Former Broncos DL Duranko dies of ALS

Pete Duranko, a star defensive lineman on Notre Dame's 1966 national championship team who went on to play eight years for the Denver Broncos, has died of Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 67.

Notre Dame announced Sunday that Duranko died at a hospice in Windber, Pa., on Friday. He had battled amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for a decade.

Originally from Johnston, Pa., Duranko started at defensive tackle for the Fighting Irish in 1965 and '66. He had 73 tackles for the '66 team, which allowed only 3.8 points per game and had six shutouts in 10 games.

The next year he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns of the NFL in the fourth round and the Broncos of the AFL in the second round. He went on to play defensive end and linebacker for the Broncos from 1967-74.

Movie Night Wednesday at Sterling Public Library

Movie Night at Sterling Public is on July 13th at 7:00 p.m. in the Library Community Room. The whole family will get tangled up in the fun and excitement of this magical movie.

For the safety of all, children under 8 years of age must be accompanied by an adult 18
years or older to attend the movie. Remember the library provides a snack, you must bring your own drink.

If you would like more information about the movie, please call the library at 522-2023.

Sterling Public Library 's Multicultural Art Challenge

The Sterling Public Library holds its Multicultural Art Challenge on Tuesday, July
12, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. This program is for kids age 10 through 15. This week's project is batik. The art technique uses wax as resist and dye. Wax resist dyeing technique in fabric is an ancient art form. A few of the countries where Batik or fabrics with the traditional batik patterns can be found are Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, India and Egypt.

You must register for the class and may do so by calling 522-2023 or stop in the library.
Classes are limited to 25.

Passport Please Asia

This week Sterling Public Library’s Passport Please series on Monday, July 11th at 2:00
p.m. will focus on Asia. Denise will share stories from countries in Asia. Kids will learn about the cultures in this area. The craft this week is a fish mobile.

Remember if you attend the program you will be given a passport that will be stamped. Once the passport is stamped, and you check out books before 9:00 p.m. on the following Tuesday, you will win a prize.

Summer is moving along very quickly. If you have not yet registered for the Summer
Reading Program there is still time to do so. There are lots of great prizes for keeping
track of the time you read. Come in to the library soon and register so you can begin
exploring the world through books.

Operation Chill, 2011

The Fort Morgan Police Department is participating in a cool program to convince kids that being a good citizen can be a sweet deal.

Fort Morgan officers will be giving out coupons for free Slurpees to kids spotted obeying laws and doing good deeds, Police Officer Roger Doll said.

Youngsters can redeem the coupons at 7-Eleven stores.

“It's not just talking to kids and telling them `good job,’” Doll said. “It's giving them credit immediately for their positive actions.”

Wearing a bike helmet, walking in a crosswalk, picking up trash or reporting suspicious activities or crimes are examples of things that can earn kids one of the free, icy, flavored drinks.

Named “Operation Chill,” the effort is a partnership between 7-Eleven and law enforcement agencies nationwide. This year, 7-Eleven gave Fort Morgan Police over 200 coupons to distribute, Doll said. The department plans to hand them out over the next few weeks.

The hope is that young people will associate the rewards with good behavior and repeat it in the future. The program also is intended to promote positive relationships in the community by showing young people and their parents that police are concerned about their safety.

The convenience store chain introduced the program in 1995 in an effort to reduce crime and help police improve relations with young people during the summer, when graffiti, shoplifting and loitering often rise, according to 7-Eleven. The company has since distributed nearly 10 million Slurpee coupons.

Fort Morgan started participating in the program in 2007, Doll said. The response has been positive, and officers enjoy issuing “tickets” for good deeds.