Public Hearing on Fort Morgan Utility Rates Tonight

The Fort Morgan City Council is set to meet tonight and it could mean lower utility bills for city residents. City Clerk John Brennan says the Council will consider a dramatic rate cut for both natural gas and electric rates...






TAG: Brennan says the city is basically paying half of what they were three years ago for natural gas and it's time to pass those savings on to customers. Also on tonight's agenda will be a proposed mill levy on next year's city budget. Mayor Terry McAlister will also swear in new police officers. The meeting begins at 6 o'clock inside city hall.

City Offices Close for Holiday

Fort Morgan City Offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, and the day after, or Black Friday. On the calendar, that's November 24 and 25. Normalcy resumes on Monday, November 28.

Fort Morgan Christmas Parade is December 5th

Come downtown for Fort Morgan's Christmas Parade. Its a time-honored tradition on Main Street at 6:30 pm on Monday, December 5th.
The parade includes floats, the High School Marching Band, the High School Snow Queen and, of course, Santa Claus!

Sterling Public Library Closed on Friday, Nov 18

Sterling Public Library will be closed on Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 for staff training.
Staff will be improving skills to make your visits to the library even better. The
library will reopen on Saturday, Nov. 19th at 9:00 a.m. You can access the library
catalog and many online databases at http://sterling.polarislibrary.com. You can also
download books from www.coloradodc.lib.overdrive.com and music from HTTPS://sterlingplco.freegalmusic.com.

Sterling Public Library Focuses on "The Emperor's New Clothes" Tonight

Today at 6:30 p.m. Sterling Public Library will feature Birgitta Depree in the Emperor’s New Clothes and Other Ugly Ducks.

This fantastic performance by Birgitta is an
entertaining suite of hilarious adaptations from Hans Christian Anderson’s most popular fairy
tales. She uses puppetry, magic, music and physical comedy to paint these fables with brilliant colors.

Birgitta DePree and her husband, Jim Jackson are co-founders of the Manitou Art Theatre. They won the 2010 Bee an Arts Champion Award. As professional actors and educators, they bring the joy of children’s theatre to you through their special shows.

Busy Fort Morgan City Council Meeting Tonight

Lots of business at the Fort Morgan City Council meeting tonight: First, a hearing on lowering gas rates, a hearing on lowering electric rates since the rates have not bee adjusted, and there's considerable reserve built up. The rates would drop retro to November first, and be in effect until the reserves are sufficiently lowered. There's a hearing on the mill levy and next year's city budget, and then, Mayor Terry McAlister swears in two new police officers. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at city hall.

LLV Could Cut Size of Board

Log Lane Village could be looking at cutting the size of its Board of Trustees. That was the talk at last week's meeting, and members said it was because of a lack of interest in people wanting to be on the board. They said that showed in trying to fill seats on the board that are due to be vacated. Town officials say the matter would have to be put to a vote of the townspeople on an April ballot. To be on the Log Lane Village Board of Trustees, a member has to be 18 years old, lived in the village for a year and be a US citizen. As the board talks about reducing it size now, members say the size of the board could be expanded later, as needed.

NJC Practical Nursing Club Holds Collection Drive

The Practical Nursing Club at Northeastern Junior College has decided to help those in need at home. They're participating in a collection drive. The students normally participate in Operation Shoebox, which sends needed toiletries and other items to people in other parts of the world, but they've decided to do a Collection Drive for Cooperating Ministry of Logan County and the Denver Rescue Mission. The drive runs through December 5, and some of the items needed are new toys for children ages 10 and under, children's mittens and hats, diapers, instant formula, box food stuffs and men's and women's toiletries.
Drop off locations for the Collection Drive are at Phillips-Whyman Hall, Room 214, on the NJC campus and Boondocks at 224 N. 4th St.

Forest Service to form panel on new planning rule

DENVER (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service says it will form a committee to advise the U.S. agriculture secretary how to implement a new planning rule that is set to be finalized this winter.

The new rule would guide how management plans are developed for the 155 national forests around the country, 20 grasslands and a prairie.

The existing planning rule was developed in 1982, and agency officials say it's outdated. The new one would focus on adaptive management to allow more frequent updates in the future. It would take into account challenges associated with climate change, the need for forest restoration and conservation, watershed protection, wildlife conservation, and the sustainability of services, resources and uses of forests.

The Forest Service expects to request nominations for the advisory committee in the coming months.

Colorado wildlife panel adopts new turkey rules

DENVER (AP) — Colorado parks and wildlife commissioners have adopted changes in the state's regulations for hunting turkeys, now that the birds' growing numbers are starting to cause problems for farmers and ranchers.

Wildlife officials say that in some spots, large flocks have been heading to cattle ranches, farms and homes to compete for food.

Next year, wildlife managers plan to start offering hunters private land, over-the-counter, late-season turkey licenses for beardless turkeys in Yuma and Lincoln counties. In Yuma County, unlimited fall private land turkey permits for birds of either sex will also be offered.

Commissioners also last week approved limited spring and fall turkey licenses for a game management unit on U.S. Air Force Academy property in El Paso County.

Access will be controlled by the academy.

APNewsBreak: Study: PTSD programs duplicated

DENVER (AP) — A study commissioned by the Pentagon says the military has more than 200 programs devoted to brain injuries and the psychological health of its troops, but no uniform way to evaluate whether they work or to share their findings.

The Rand Corp. study says some programs duplicate others and that the Pentagon risks making a poor investment of its resources without better coordination.

The Pentagon didn't immediately comment on the study.

Researchers looked at programs designed to prevent, identify and treat brain injuries and psychological problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder suffered in combat.

Since 2000, nearly 213,000 U.S. military personnel have suffered brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan.

An estimated 300,000 have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression.

Anadarko touts results from Colorado test wells

DALLAS (AP) — Anadarko Petroleum Corp. says results from test drilling in northeastern Colorado indicate that the company can produce the equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil or more from the area.

Anadarko announced results Monday from 11 wells drilled in the Wattenberg field.

The company says it plans to drill 160 wells in the area next year, up from previous plans for 40 wells.

Anadarko shares rose $1.71, or 2.2 percent, to $80.99 in after-hours trading.

Suspect identified in Globetrotters' trainer killing

FREDERICKS, Colo. (AP) — A person of interest in the slaying of an athletic trainer for the Harlem Globetrotters has been identified.

Weld County sheriff's spokeswoman Margie Martinez says they're seeking an arrest warrant in the death of 42-year-old Thomas Bashline. Martinez did not release the person of interest's name, citing an ongoing investigation. He is in custody on an unrelated charge.

Martinez says that Bashline knew the person of interest. Bashline died in his bedroom after being shot in the head with a semi-automatic hand gun Nov. 4 in a bedroom of his home about 11 miles west of Frederick.

The handgun has been recovered.

Investigators developed leads from items left in Bashline's pickup truck that was stolen from the scene.