Ft Morgan Not Getting Middle School Money

The Fort Morgan School District says the money they thought was heading here to build a new middle school has been delayed. The Fort Morgan Times reports a district statement says they may have to submit a new grant application for capital construction help from the Building Excellent Schools Today program. The district is working closely with BEST to resolve the situation.

State Health Exchange Chief Wants Raise

The head of Colorado's state health care exchange is asking for a year-end raise and bonus even though enrollment numbers are not meeting expectations. Patty Fontneau's currently paid over $190,000/year. Her salary is supported by Colorado taxpayers. The board of directors for the exchange has yet to approve Fontneau's request. The Denver Post reports enrollment figures so far are short of expectations. Officials' high-end projection for how many people would enroll in an insurance plan through December was more than 61,000. But earlier this week, they reported just under 10,000 people had bought private health insurance plan.

$63-million Coming from HUD for Flood Recovery

The federal government will provide $62.8 million to help individuals and communities rebuilding from flooding in northeastern Colorado. The money will come from HUD's disaster recovery program and is aimed at supplementing previous funding from federal agencies like FEMA. The HUD grants can be used for housing repairs, economic development and infrastructure and flood protection. Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet say the money could potentially help thousands of Colorado residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

A Colombian national is returning to federal court in Denver on a weapons charge

A Colombian national is returning to federal court in Denver on a weapons charge after his arrest during raids on medical marijuana businesses. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Thursday for 49-year-old Hector Diaz on one count of possession of a firearm while in the U.S. on a business or tourism visa. Diaz is the only person reported to have been arrested during the Nov. 21 raids on more than a dozen sites, most of them related to medical marijuana businesses in Denver and Boulder. Prosecutors have not said whether he is linked to the pot investigation, nor have they disclosed the reasons for the raids.
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Show me the money

Show me the money. The head of Colorado's state health care exchange is asking for a year-end raise and bonus, despite complaints from some Colorado buyers about the state website. Some buyers are confused about whether they can keep their current individual insurance policies, and enrollment numbers are short of expectations. The raise request was first reported by the University of Colorado publication Solutions. The current, more than $190,000 a year salary, is supported by Colorado taxpayers.
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Mother Nature almost bypassed Morgan County, but officials are warning people to be prepared for winter weather that could be worse with the next storm

Mother Nature almost bypassed Morgan County, but officials are warning people to be prepared for winter weather that could be worse with the next storm. A bitter cold snap has dropped temperatures to near 30 degrees below zero in northwestern Colorado, and while the rest of the state is struggling with freezing weather, ice and snow, the Ft. Morgan area has only seen a dusting of snow so far in the latest storm. Colorado Department of Transportation officials said area highways were in good condition, but warned, there are some drifts and icy spots you'll have to watch out for. Fort Morgan crews were out overnight watching streets for signs of icing, and sand was put down in Brush and Wiggins as a safety precaution. Public schools in Morgan County were open. According to the National Weather Service, Greeley and Fort Collins saw about three inches of snow. The temperature in Meeker hit 29 below zero just before sunrise, and some mountain areas are reporting up to a foot of snow, with more possible.
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