Ft Morgan City Council Sees 2014 Budget Plan Tomorrow Night

The Fort Morgan City Council hears the first formal presentation of the 2014 city budget at its regular meeting at tomorrow night at 6 at City Hall. The Council and city staff have worked on the budget for about eight months, with a goal of getting it balanced and adopted before the end of the year. The Fort Morgan Times reports City Manager Jeff Wells is expected to ask the council for direction on how the city should pay its $500,000 share of a legal settlement reached by the Municipal Energy Association of Nebraska. The city currently gets much of its electrical power through its participation in the nonprofit MEAN.

Holmes Lawyers May Not Be Ready for February Trial

Lawyers for Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes are hinting they might not be ready for trial in February. His lawyers today asked the judge to give them more time to file motions and to set deadlines for prosecutors to turn over a list of witnesses they plan to call. Prosecutors say they don't know how many of the potential 4,000 witnesses they'll actually call. The judge says he'll rule later on the deadlines. Holmes is accused of killing 12 and wounding 70 in a suburban Denver movie theater in July 2012.

Congress May Give Colordao More Flood Repair Cash for Roads

Members of both the U.S. House and Senate are backing more funding to fix Colorado's flood-damaged roads. Both chambers today passed different versions of a bill that lifts the $100 million cap on emergency transportation funds for Colorado. The cap has previously been removed for other states hit by natural disasters. Officials estimate the flooding caused $300 and $500 million in damage to roads.
The House and Senate will have to work out the differences between the two versions before the bill can be sent to the president.

Task Force Recommends Homeowner Fee for High-Risk Wildfire Areas

A task force convened by Gov. Hickenlooper in January says Colorado homeowners living in high-risk wildfire areas should be assessed a fee, and officials should adopt statewide building requirements to mitigate damage from destructive fires. The group's also recommending that the state develop a map of areas where development overlaps with forested areas to calculate risks to individual properties. Hickenlooper says homeowners living in high-risk areas must share some of the responsibility to address wildfire danger. State Lawmakers and local officials will now work to determine what to do with the recommendations.

Logan County residents, hit hard by the recent floods, are getting a helping hand

Logan County residents, hit hard by the recent floods, are getting a helping hand. The Sterling Livestock Commission (SLC), known for their commitment of giving back to the community, has raised $7,780 for the Miracle Letter Program Flood Relief fund. All of the money donated will be used to help Logan County residents affected by the flood.
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Authorities say speeding may be to blame for a one car crash last week that sent two Sterling firefighters to the hospital

(updated Fri. - 9/27/13) Authorities say speeding may be to blame for a one car crash last week that sent two Sterling firefighters to the hospital. The Colorado State Patrol was still investigating the early Sunday morning accident on Highway 138, that injured three people, including the driver, and Sterling Fire Fighter, 26-year-old Travis C. Wiebers, along with two passengers, 27 year old Cody A. Hanson, also with the Sterling fier dept., and 37 year old Mandi S. Philips. Investigators say Wiebers, apparently lost control of the vehicle just east of Crook, before it skidded off the road, rolled twice, and landed on its wheels on top of a fence. Weibers suffered minor injuries and has since been released. The passengers remain hospitalized with life threatening injuries. Chief Kurt Vogel said people can drop off or send cards to the fire station and they will be delivered to the hospital. In the meantime, alcohol and excessive speed are considered to be factors in the accident, and Wiebers has been charged with reckless driving.
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The Brush Oktoberfest was a big hit

The Brush Oktoberfest was a big hit. People from all over Morgan County turned out for the Brush Area Chamber of Commerce's annual fair, which began with a new event — the First Volksmarch, a 5K walk, where about 30 people walked from one end of Brush to the other and back again, starting from the East Morgan County Library park under a Bavarian flag, a symbol of the Volksmarch. After the march, people could stroll by the Oktoberfest, which featured various family friendly activities, including a car show, which featured 80 vehicles from all eras, a Tail Waggin' Dog Show, pony rides and and petting zoo, as well as a ton of food vendors. Organizers say the event just keeps getting bigger and better, thanks to community support.
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Nearly $3,500 was raised to help pay heating bills for Coloradans this winter

Nearly $3,500 was raised to help pay heating bills for Coloradans this winter when Colorado's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives rode in the three-day, 174-mile Pedal the Plains bike tour through southeastern Colorado Sept. 20-22. Morgan County Rural Electric Association was one of 16 electric co-op-connected organizations sponsoring the Touchstone Energy bike team and participating as a sponsor for Pedal the Plains. This was the second year of this well-attended and highly successful cycling rally that celebrates Colorado's eastern plains, its resources and its heritage. Starting in Eads this year, the tour went south to Lamar for an evening of entertainment, west to La Junta for another party on the plains and then north and east back to Eads on the final day.
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Voters will have to decide how a much needed new school will be funded

Voters will have to decide how a much needed new school will be funded. The district has put forward a bond question on this year's ballot to raise the required matching funds for a state Building Excellent Schools Today grant to build a new Fort Morgan Middle School school. Officials say the historic building, built in 1925, is facing myriad issues, including a hazaradous electrical system, plumbing problems inside the walls, and classroom size, which right now is about 617 square feet, well below the state-recommended standards. The current Fort Morgan Middle School is the oldest facility in the district by 30 years. The district is working with various agencies to find a use for the current building that would benefit the community into the future, and says changes other agencies would have to make to the facility would not be as costly, because they would not have to meet the same code requirements the district would have to meet.
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