Police Investigating Possible Hate Crime

Hate crimes are being considered as a possible motive for several cases of vandalism that targeted vehicles in the city's East African refugee community. Fort Morgan police are investigating reports that someone shot out the windows of about five cars with a BB gun early Sunday. Authorities say the locations are known as Somali East African refugee housing areas and all of the vehicles damaged are owned by members of the immigrant community. According to KMGH-TV several vehicles in the same area were spray-painted with obscenities and racial slurs, Feb. 9. Hate crimes can be prosecuted as federal civil rights violations with stiff penalties.

Road Work Continues in Fort Morgan

Lane closures at the intersection of Main Street and Platte Avenue will continue this week as concrete work around the new traffic signals is completed.  the state department of transportation, which is heading up the signal replacement project, says lane closures are set to be in place through today... snow and cold weather delayed the work and more concrete pouring will have to be done today... The sidewalks should be opened by the end of Monday, but will have to remain covered until Thursday.
In conjunction with the replacement of the traffic signals, the project involves installation of these new curbs and sidewalks that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is the concrete work that will be protected by the lane closures.

Man Almost Blew Himself Up

A Colorado Springs man almost blew himself up. Police arrested Lee Brown, Sunday, after an apartment exploded while he was trying to make butane hash oil, a high potency extract of marijuana, using butane fuel. Brown is facing several charges. According to KRDO-TV no injuries were reported.

Vigil Sentenced

A federal judge has Stevie Vigil to 27 months in prison for buying the handgun that was used to kill Colorado's prisons director last year.  Vigil pleaded guilty last year to buying the weapon that parolee Evan Ebel allegedly used to kill corrections chief Tom Clements when he answered the door of his home in Monument.  Authorities say the same gun was used to kill another man and wound a sheriff's deputy in Texas.  The 23-year-old was also sentenced to three years supervision.  She faced a maximum 10 years in prison.