FORT COLLINS – Fire investigators say a misplaced hookah is to blame for a devastating Fort Collins apartment fire earlier this year.

The Coloradoan of Fort Collins reported the May 20 fire originated in a living room at Brookview Apartments after occupants mishandled smoking materials.

The early-morning fire displaced 24 people – 13 of them for an extended period of time – and caused some minor injuries.

I-70 sinkhole opens near ski area

GEORGETOWN – Heavy delays for westbound travelers on Interstate 70 are expected near the Loveland Ski Area because of a small sinkhole that opened overnight Saturday.

The Colorado Department of Transportation said the 2-foot-wide sinkhole was on the westbound side of the highway on the Loveland Bridge.

The right lane will be closed over the bridge structure while crews repair the road. CDOT said crews expected to have the lane open again by Sunday afternoon.

CDOT blamed a “joint failure” for the sinkhole.

N.M. bail bondsman: Arrest is retaliation

FARMINGTON – A New Mexico bail bondsman who was arrested for allegedly defrauding clients says the arresting agency is retaliating for a lawsuit.

Daniel Goldberg Sr. told The Daily Times of Farmington Saturday that the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office is trying to discredit his ongoing civil lawsuit against them.

Goldberg sued the sheriff’s office in 2014, alleging he had been slandered and libeled by Sheriff Ken Christesen and other employees.

Sheriff’s spokesman Kyle Lincoln declined to comment because of the pending litigation.

But Lincoln says Goldberg’s alleged fraud took place in San Juan County so their office had to investigate.

Goldberg is facing two counts of fraud.

In 2006, he and his son were tried for allegedly raping a woman they bailed out of jail.

N.M. prison’s new cook a familiar face

SANTA FE, N.M. – An ex-convict who terrorized a couple in southwestern New Mexico, leading to the woman’s death, is the first participant in a new state-run inmate transition program.

The Department of Corrections recently hired 40-year-old David VanHorn as a cook at a Santa Fe state prison kitchen. He is the lead cook supervisor and serves staff and corrections cadets.

Corrections secretary Gregg Marcantel said VanHorn was chosen for the pilot initiative to help released inmates settle into life outside prison because of positive behavior. Since his time in prison, VanHorn says he received counseling and earned two associate degrees.

“He’s coming back to the community, whether anybody likes it or not, and we’re trying to work a better public-safety policy,” Marcantel said.

Associated Press