colorado Cantaloupe Farmers Will Plead Guilty in Listeria Outbreak

Two Colorado cantaloupe farmers charged in a deadly listeria outbreak plan to plead guilty under a deal with federal prosecutors. Eric and Ryan Jensen were charged last month with introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce. The Food and Drug Administration said the rare move was intended to send a message to food producers. The agency says conditions at their farm led to the 2011 outbreak that killed 33 people. They each faced up to six years in prison if convicted of the original charges.

Want to know how to navigate your way through Obama Care?

Want to know how to navigate your way through Obama Care? Well, you can attend the Colorado Small Business Development Center's Affordable Care Act seminar at the CSU Regional Engagement Center in Sterling Wednesday. The seminar, from 1 to 3 p.m., will include SBDC experts sharing information on how new healthcare reforms will impact businesses. Small businesses interested in learning more. Call 970-352-3661 for more information.
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It's lights out at two local ballfields, and it's for a good cause

It's lights out at two local ballfields, and it's for a good cause. The lights on the north and south ball fields at Pioneer Park, and on Perry Mason field will be shut off, after the regional softball tournament Sterling High School is hosting is over. A fire department has requested to use one of the fields Nov. 2 for a tournament to raise money for flood victims; there will be no lights on the field at that point.
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Divorcing Colorado was the topic of discussion during a public forum at the Sterling Public Library, Monday night

Divorcing Colorado was the topic of discussion during a public forum at the Sterling Public Library, Monday night. The Logan County Citizens’ Oversight Committee (LCCOC), along with the League of Women voters, joined the discussion about the pro and con on the 51st state effort, which began with Colorado’s northeastern counties separating from Colorado. The Logan County Commissioners voted to take the issue to the voters to ask if the county should pursue the possibility of secession. The ballot question does not ask for approval of secession. Other issues addresed during the meeting included, taxing of marijuana, Amendment 66, which promotes funding for schools, and council and school board contests. The Sterling City Council has three seats and the mayor’s seat up for grabs this year.
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Traffic control barricades are in place at the Sherman crossing

Traffic control barricades are in place at the Sherman crossing. The Sherman Street railroad crossing is expected to be closed until at least Wednesday after a tractor-trailer that was too low to the ground snagged and bent the railroad track, Tuesday afternoon, forcing the entire crossing to be shutdown for repairs. BNSF Railway was mobilizing repair crews from the Front Range and planned to work through the night to reopen the crossing, but say residents should prepare to avoid the Sherman Street crossing until further notice.
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Local farmers say flood waters may have contaminated their crops

Local farmers say flood waters may have contaminated their crops. Farmers continue to assess the damage to their land and crops a month after historic floodwaters washed over much of Boulder County, and say their main concern is whether crops that had been soaked in possibly contaminated floodwaters is safe for consumption. Individual farms in Boulder County sustained tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage from September flooding, and they may have to throw out thousands of dollars worth of produce for fear of health risks. According to the Food and Drug Administration's guidelines on evaluating the safety of flood-affected food crops, if an edible portion of a crop is exposed to floodwaters, it is considered tainted and should not be consumed by humans. For crops that were possibly near floodwaters, a case-by-case evaluation is recommended, ultimately leaving the final decision up to the farmer. Floodwaters can possibly carry sewage, various chemicals, heavy metals, pathogens and other contaminants, according to the FDA. State testing already has found high levels of E. coli in parts of the Boulder County flood zone.
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Help for Colorado flood victms is coming from across the miles

Help for Colorado flood victms is coming from across the miles. About 75 engineers from the Kansas National Guard are heading to Colorado this week to help rebuild highways damaged by massive flooding. The Kansas Guardsmen were expected to leave for Boulder, Wednesday, and stay in Colorado for the next 18 days. The Kansas National Guard has sent personnel to other states in past years to battle forest fires and help with hurricane recovery.
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Morgan County voters will soon start seeing ballots for the 2013 coordinated election in the mail

Morgan County voters will soon start seeing ballots for the 2013 coordinated election in the mail. The Morgan County Clerk and Recorder's Election Office mailed out 13,432 ballots, yesterday (10/15), to the county's registered voters. All voters in the county will recieve ballots by mail. Ballots may be returned to the Fort Morgan election office, between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday now until Election Day, Nov. 5; 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 2, or 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Nov. 5. Oct. 28 is the last day that voters will be able to register to vote in this year's election, or change their registration. This may be done in person at the election office or online at govotecolorado.com. All ballots must be returned to the Morgan County Clerk and Recorders office, by 7 p.m. Nov. 5 to be counted in the election.
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