A former Milliken police officer was identified Saturday as the Fort Collins police officer who was shot by an intruder during a Christmas Day incident in Fort Collins.
Officer Allen Heaton, who joined the Fort Collins Police Department in January 2007 after serving on the Milliken police force, was shot several times and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. He is being treated at the Medical Center of the Rockies. The other officer involved in the shooting was identified Saturday as Sgt. Richard Zeigler, a 21-year veteran of the Fort Collins Police Department.
According to a press release, police responded to the 2400 block of West Stuart Street in Fort Collins at 11:34 p.m. Friday on a report of a suspicious circumstance. Officers encountered an intruder inside the residence, and there was an exchange of gunfire.
The suspect, identified Saturday as Andrew Nardello of Loveland, was shot once and also has non-life-threatening injuries, according to the press release.
Invest

Greeley residents can recycle natural Christmas trees for free at the Greeley Green-Cycle Center, which is on East 8th Street about a mile east of U.S. 85.

The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday, but will reopen from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 9 a.m. to noon Thursday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 2. The center’s normal schedule will resume Jan. 5, with hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Greeley residents wanting to recycle their natural Christmas trees can bring them to the Greeley Green-Cycle Center for free through the end of January. All decorations, lights, wires and similar materials must be removed. Normal fees will apply for other yard waste such as leaves and branches and for commercial operations. Last year, residents recycled 642 trees through the program.

Information: Call (970) 350-9833 or go to www.greeleygov.com.

Because of high winds and large snowdrifts, The Tribune was unable to deliver today’s newspaper in some rural areas and small towns of Weld County. Some roads and streets in rural areas were impassable this morning.

Subscribers who didn’t get Saturday’s paper should find it delivered with their Sunday paper.

The Tribune apologizes for the problem.

ASPEN – Actor Charlie Sheen spent the better part of Christmas Day in the Pitkin County jail after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. He bonded out of jail sometime after 6 p.m. and was scheduled to catch a flight to Los Angeles, his attorney said.

Sheen, 44, faces a class-four felony charge of second-degree assault and a class-five felony charge of menacing, police said. He also faces the charge of criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.

Sheen waived advisement of the charges at a brief hearing Friday night. He was represented by Aspen attorney Richie Cummins.

District Judge James Boyd presided over the hearing, which was done over a telephone conference, said Assistant District Attorney Mordkin. The judge issued a mandatory protection order against Sheen, prohibiting him from having contact with his wife, Brooke Mueller. Sheen later posted bond, which was set at $8,500.

Cummins said Sheen was scheduled to board a flight to Los Angeles.

“Obviously

Drifting and blowing snow continues to cause hazardous driving in northern Colorado.

Interstate 70 was closed east of Denver for much of the day, but it was reopened to traffic about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

CDOT also reopened U.S. 287 from Fort Collins to the Wyoming border at about 9:45 a.m. It was closed at 6 a.m. today because of blowing snow and high winds.

Most of the highways in northern Colorado are still experiencing strong winds and hazardous driving.

Interstate 25 from Fort Collins to Wyoming reports high winds, blowing snow and is icy in spots. U.S. 85 north of Denver also is icy in spots because of strong winds and blowing snow,and the worst conditions are reported north of Ault. The highway is not closed, however.

U.S. 34 east of Greeley and Colo. 14 from Fort Collins to Sterling also report similar conditions, with icy roads in spots because of drifting and blowing snow.

Expect some flurries today across northern Colorado. Skies stay cloudy most of the day. After a blustery Christmas Day the winds today relax. Northwest winds may gust to 25 mph at times. Highs stay in the upper 20s in Greeley and throughout Weld County. Overnight lows stay bone-chilling in the single digits.
The flurries we’re experiencing are from our snowstorm of three days ago. Remember the nearly 10 inches that accumulated at UNC-Greeley? That storm exited Colorado and is now wobbling back in our direction. The storm finally moves far enough east on Sunday to allow sunshine to prevail. Highs tomorrow warm into the low 30s across Weld. Winds tomorrow stay under 20 mph.
Looking ahead, next week looks relatively tranquil. A fast-moving front may hit us on Wednesday with some clouds and light snow. Temperatures stay in the 30s through Wednesday.
- Meteorologist Chris Tomer, Fox 31

One Fort Collins police officer and a suspect were both injured when gunfire was exchanged late Friday night on the city’s west side.

At 11:23 p.m., two officers responded to the 2400 block of West Stuart Street on a report of suspicious activity, according to a press release issued by Fort Collins police spokeswoman Rita Davis.

When the officers arrived on scene, according to the release, they discovered an intruder in a residence and there was an exchange of gunfire.

One of the officers and the suspect sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release. Both were taken to Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland for treatment.

Neither officer nor the suspect have been identified. The police department’s policies mandate that any officer involved in a shooting be placed on administration leave while the incident is investigated, according to Davis’ release.

The frenzy that is the Double Clutch restaurant on Christmas Day is nothing new for Norma Jean Jacobs. It’s a workday for the waitress, but not necessarily a bad one.
Jacobs catches her breath on a short break from her tables, which are filled with families, couples and truckers.
“Every Christmas, we are (busy) because most restaurants aren’t open,” she says. “But it’s a pleasure, if you’re going to be open, to be busy.”
The Double Clutch is one of a handful of restaurants in Greeley-Evans open on a a cold and gusty Christmas morning. Around 11 a.m., cars and trucks fill the parking lot at the cafe, which is part of the Stampede Truck Stop at 665 31st St. in Evans.
Jacobs and her sister, Shirley Klundt, both work at the restaurant. Since they work weekday shifts, and since Christmas has fallen on a weekday for the past five years, they’ve been on duty for a half-decade’s worth of holidays.
“I’m here. I might as well work hard,” says Jacobs. 

The numerous strings attached to millions in federal dollars aren’t keeping the majority of school districts in Weld County from entering a highly competitive – and lucrative – race.
Greeley-Evans School District 6 is one of several school districts in Weld County opting to pursue funding from the Race to the Top competition, an ambitious, federally driven reform project offering millions in new, federal education funding in return for the implementation of several reform programs. The commitment marks the first step for districts to receive the funding – which, for District 6, could mean as much as $4.7 million over four years.
As of Wednesday, which was the deadline for school districts to declare their intent to the Colorado Department of Education, seven school districts in Weld had agreed – at least tentatively – to pursue the funding. Two others were still unsure as of Wednesday, while calls to Pawnee Re-12 District were not returned.
Randy

The Click! 2010 wall calendar is now available for purchase at The Tribune, 501 8th Ave., or by phone.
The calendar features 12 images from Weld County photographers who are the winners of the Click! Weld County 2009 photo contest.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Tribune’s annual photo contest.
Calendars are available for $7.95 if purchased at The Tribune office in Greeley or at Windsor Now, 423 Main St., in Windsor.
Phone orders may also be placed for the calendars for $9.95. Calendars will be delivered through the mail. Call (970) 352-8089 to place an order.