News from Neighbors
TV series may be next ‘real’ event for Burpo family
THE IMPERIAL REPUBLICAN, Feb. 2 — Todd Burpo said his family has more questions than answers right now. But as the headline read in the “Speaking of Faith” column he penned for the Jan. 26 Imperial Republican issue, “If God is calling — you should listen.” They are listening, he said.
The prospect for a potential television series, arising from Burpo’s best-selling book “Heaven is for Real,” is why God is moving them this summer, he said this week. He said for the next few years anyway, he doesn’t expect to be in a pastoral role as he is now as pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska.
He has signed a contract with Sony Pictures for a potential TV series, and if that progresses, Burpo’s role will change. “I feel that’s why God is moving me,” he said. “I can see his hand in this.”
While specifics of where they are moving aren’t totally known, Burpo said it’s possibly going to be Colorado, where he can be closer to an airport.
With all the speaking engagements and trips to California for the movie production, Burpo could likely drive to Denver’s airport with his eyes closed after “Heaven is for Real” was published in 2010, then the movie in 2014. Over the past six years, the Burpos have spoken about the experience around the world.
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Bornhoft earns security duty at inauguration
HAXTUN-FLEMING HERALD, Feb. 1 — On Friday, Jan. 20, when hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C., to witness President-elect Donald Trump take his oath of office, law enforcement officers from around the United States stood to protect; among those who stood guard was Colorado State Patrol Trooper Marc Bornhoft.
Bornhoft, now in his 16th year as a trooper, attended the inauguration along with 44 others from the CSP and 20 officers from the Denver Police Department. Total, more than 3,200 law enforcement officers from various states and 7,000 members of the National Guard assisted the D.C. Metro Police Department and the Secret Service with security during the inauguration.
According to Bornhoft, the chance to attend and take part in such a large-scale event is invite only. Officers must be nominated and then selected to attend.
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Landowners support water lease plan with oil company
STERLING JOURNAL-ADVOCATE, Feb. 3 — Landowners in the North Sterling Irrigation District have shown sufficient interest to move forward with a plan to lease water to an oil exploration company.
Roughly half of the landowners attended a meeting Thursday afternoon to get the latest information, and when they were finished, NSID executive director Jim Yahn said they’d signed up enough acreage to make the project a reality.
“We have enough; it’ll be a go,” Yahn said.
The project would lease up to 6,800 acre feet of water to BNN Energy, a subsidiary of Tallgrass Energy. BNN supplies water to Tallgrass’ oil and gas development operations in Weld County. The plan calls for BNN to hook a pipeline directly to one of North Sterling Reservoir’s outlet pipes and pump the water more than 30 miles west into the Tallgrass drilling field.
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Yes, it’s a real live armadillo!
THE BURLINGTON RECORD, Jan. 19 — After finding this little creature rooting around his home 12 miles south of Burlington, Rusty Storm brought in this North American nine-banded armadillo to The Record office last week for a photo shoot, for which it was most cooperative.
When asked how he caught the armadillo, Storm indicated he just reached down and picked it up. After some photos, Storm returned the animal where he found it.
Armadillo is a Spanish word meaning “little armored one” and refers to the bony plates covering the back, head, legs and tail of most of these odd-looking creatures.
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Kansas man found dead near Cope
THE YUMA PIONEER, Jan. 26 — The body of a Kansas man was found earlier this week, nearly two weeks after walking away from a one-vehicle accident near Cope in southeastern Washington County.
Charles Stately, 50, of Bird City, Kansas, was found dead, reportedly in a pasture — not an abandoned farmhouse as initially reported by Denver news outlets — as members of the local volunteer fire department searched for him Monday using four-wheelers.
The Colorado State Patrol reported that the accident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. Jan. 11, when a 1997 Oldsmobile 88 rolled over. It occurred on Washington County Road 11, east of Road TT, a few miles northwest of Cope. A Colorado State Patrol public information officer said it is suspected Stately was the driver.
A passenger in the vehicle, Melanie Salyer, 50, was found at the accident scene when emergency personnel arrived and was flown to Swedish Medical Center in Denver with moderate injuries, according to the CSP.
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