In a legal battle concerning the proposed acquisition of Kroger Company (NYSE:KR) over rival Albertsons Companies Inc (NYSE:ACI), a Colorado court has reportedly scheduled a preliminary injunction hearing slated for mid-August. This precedes a U.S. government antitrust challenge against the deal, according to a report from Bloomberg. Judge Andrew Luxen of Denver District Court announced that the hearing would take place from Aug. 12-22, a fortnight ahead of a federal court hearing on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) attempts to block the merger. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s effort t…