Ft Morgan Seccession in Trouble

A proposal to secede from Colorado has run into trouble in Morgan County. The Fort Morgan Times reports secession supporters only turned in about 900 signatures by yesterday's deadline, less than the 2,300 county commissioners set as the threshold to put the 51st state measure on the ballot. Commissioners are expected to discuss the petition when they meet on Sept. 3. Commission chairwoman Laura Teague has said secession would be costly for the agricultural county. She says water rights would be challenged, hurting farmers and ranchers. Morgan County is surrounded by three other counties where the issue will be on the ballot - Weld, Logan and Washington counties.

Vehicle Tracking Data Kept Too Long in Ft. Collins

Authorities in Fort Collins say they inadvertently kept vehicle tracking data longer than they were supposed to. A truck-mounted system used by parking enforcement officers recognizes and photographs every license plate it sees. The Fort Collins Coloradoan reports the pictures are used as evidence whenever someone contests a parking ticket and the records are supposed to be disposed of after 6-months. City officials recently discovered the system has been keeping the information for two years.

State Supreme Court Weighs in on Legislative Recall

The Colorado Supreme Court says voters in two legislative recalls don't have to vote "yes" or "no" first on the recall to have their votes for a successor validated. The court says a state constitutional requirement that voters must first vote on the recall before voting for a candidate violates rights to voting and expression under the U.S. Constitution. The opinion came in response to a question from Gov. John Hickenlooper. Election ballots were expected to be printed today.

Save Christmas

Save Christmas. Those are the rallying cries of some Sterling residents who say, if something isn't done soon, another of the town's great traditions will fall to the wayside. The Logan County lights are gone, thanks to budget cuts, and community members say it's dimming the Christmas spirit. The same thing happened in Denver decades ago, and the solution was a "Save The Lights" campaign. People chipped in, established a trust fund, and made sure the magic of the season shone on. Some say that's what could be done to bring back the Logan County Courthouse Christmas lights, without burdening the taxpayers. One resident is excited about the idea, and says if someone will establish the fund he'll kick in fifty bucks. Anybody else?
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Northeastern Junior College has added 22 new staff members as it opens a new school year

Northeastern Junior College has added 22 new staff members as it opens a new school year. Several joined the staff last spring or over the summer, but all of the new staff members were formally introduced to their colleagues at the college's in-service held last week.
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There is one thing for sure that investigators now believe was part of the bizarre turn of events that led to the murder of Sterling prisons chief Tom Clements

There is one thing for sure that investigators now believe was part of the bizarre turn of events that led to the murder of Sterling prisons chief Tom Clements. Evan Ebel was more than likely repaying a prison debt, authorities said, after a rival gang threatened the white supremacist and a member of the 211 Crew protected him, leaving Ebel owing the gangbanger. That debt authorities suspect, was repaid when Ebel killed Clements. BI and El Paso County investigators still don't have the answers to several other questions though, including how Clements murder is connected to a pizza delivery driver who Ebel killed in March, and whether that murder involved a Saudi inmate imprisoned in Colorado. One thing is clear, Ebel was loyal to the white supremacist prison gang, 211 Crew ring leader, Benjamin Davis. Investigators have also concluded that Ebel was driving to the home of a paroled 211 Crew member, who lived south of Dallas, when he was killed in a shootout with Texas lawmen, March 21. The investigation is ongoing.
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Remarks by a Republican state senator, interpreted as racist, stunned her colleagues

Remarks by a Republican state senator, interpreted as racist, stunned her colleagues. During a discussion on poverty, Sen. Vicki Marble of Fort Collins drew a stinging rebuke from a black state lawmaker, when she said blacks eat chicken and Mexicans eat vegetables until they move to the United States. Marble defended her comments, saying she didn't mean to offend any community, and she was saddened her remarks were taken in that regard.
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A Craig doctor accused of illegally prescribing drugs that killed two people will soon learn his fate

A Craig doctor accused of illegally prescribing drugs that killed two people will soon learn his fate. Joel E. Miller was scheduled to appear in Grand Junction court, Tuesday. He was arrested Monday in Steamboat Springs on charges he tried to defraud health care benefits programs by prescribing painkillers to patients who didn't necessarily need them, and at lethal dosages. Miller also is accused of pre-signing prescriptions and allowing office employees to distribute prescriptions in his absence. Miller believes he's the victim of a witch hunt.
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A Florida soldier who was shot and killed outside a nightclub in nearby Colorado Springs, will be remembered

A Florida soldier who was shot and killed outside a nightclub in nearby Colorado Springs, will be remembered. Fort Carson is holding a memorial service, Tuesday, for 22-year-old Cpl. Deangelo M. Brown, who was part of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson. Police say Brown was shot and killed Aug. 18 outside the Circa Nightclub. So far, no arrests have been made.
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A 33-year-old Leadville man died while in police custody

A 33-year-old Leadville man died while in police custody. Authorities say no charges will be filed against the Summit County Jail, after Zackary Moffitt collapsed and died while deputies were trying to stop him from harming himself. Moffitt was being held on an outstanding warrant and for violating a restraining order.
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