(LAYTON)—Layton police are on the lookout for a man who tried to rob a credit union shortly before it closed Wednesday evening. Surveillance pictures depicted him walking into an American First credit union wearing an out-dated cream-colored suit, a dark fedora style hat and large black-framed glasses. Police say he kept his hand in his jacket pocket as if he had a weapon but authorities say he told the clerk he didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Police also say the suspect became suspicious that the police hadn’t been called so he left the credit union without any money. He has been described as a white man, around 5’7” or 5’8” and around 160-170 pounds.

(WEST VALLEY CITY)—Firefighters are allowing a three-alarm fire burn at the Carpet Barn near 3700 South on Redwood Road. Crews are monitoring the fire, which they expect to burn and release clouds of smoke into the evening. Consequently, Redwood Road near 3700 South is closed in both directions and will be for the duration of the fire. The fire started around 11:30 a.m. Thursday while one of the employees was using a weed-burner to melt the ice off of the loading dock. Four people were inside the building when the fire started including the owner, his son and two employees. The building is a complete loss and crews are letting the fire burn because of the type of carpet it has inside. It is made out of nylon, which is petroleum-based. Once it catches fire, the flames cannot be extinguished.

(GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands)—A 52-year-old cruise ship passenger from Utah has died after going on a diving trip in the Cayman Islands. Police spokeswoman Janet Dougall says the woman became unconscious during a dive and died before arriving at George Town Hospital. Thursday, Dougall said the woman was an experienced diver who was visiting the islands on Wednesday with her family. Police did not release her name or hometown.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A judge dropped all charges against a South Salt Lake man accused of brutally beating his wife. Police arrested 31-year-old Davey Williams after he allegedly held his wife captive for three days last September because he thought she was cheating on him. Police said Williams beat his wife, tied her wrists and ankles together with an electrical cord and then around her throat, strangling her. He then used a knife to cut her hair off and prevented her from escaping. Police said Williams also threatened to kill his wife in front of her 2-year-old son. He was charged with aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault and two other felonies in connection with the abuse. A judge dropped the charges against Williams because prosecutors didn’t have enough evidence against him. There were also problems with a witness in the case.

(PROVO)—Provo City is preparing to kick off its New Year’s Eve celebration warmly by holding it inside the Provo Town Centre Mall. At 6:00 p.m., the mall will be transformed into an international party center. Provo Recreation Supervisor Brian Smith says this year’s theme is a party around the world and will include Scottish bagpipes, a Mariachi band, Polynesian dancers and more. Organizers faced some challenges this year putting the party together and the number of donations is down to a slow economic year. Nevertheless, there will still be plenty of things for partygoers to do as there will be green picture booths that use green screen technology to put visitors at various locations throughout the world. Additionally, there will be two fireworks shows, one at 9:00 p.m., and the other at midnight.

(LOGAN)—Many cities are gearing up for their big New Year’s Eve bashes Thursday evening but in Logan, the celebration has been canceled. The Herald-Journal reported that the usual donations to pay for the celebration failed to come in this year. The paper says that in the past, the city has relied on $10,000 apiece from Cache County and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to help fund New Year’s Eve festivities. Both denied the city’s request this year. Past celebrations have included live bands, magic shows, ball drops and fireworks.

(BEAVER) – An automobile crash on I-15 near Beaver killed a Colorado couple Wednesday afternoon. Utah Highway Patrol reported that 77-year old, Robert Moore and 80-year old Bedonna Moore, were traveling northbound, when the driver lost control of his blue Honda Odyssey and crashed over the median into southbound lanes at about 12:30pm. The UHP report said a Dodge Ram pickup, pulling a trailer, T-boned the passenger side of the van, killing both occupants. The driver and passengers of the pickup sustained minor injuries and were transported to the Beaver Valley Hospital. Exit 112 off I-15 near Beaver was closed for four hours Wednesday to clear the scene. Also, Salt Lake and Utah counties reported 123 property-damage accidents, 16 injuries and multiple slide-offs Wednesday.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)—Danielle Adams had 19 points, all of them in the second half and the #10 Texas A&M Lady Aggies smacked the New Mexico Lady Lobos, 84-69 Wednesday at the Pit in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. The Lady Lobos managed to keep things close for much of the game and took a 34-32 lead four minutes into the second half. Nevertheless, a 17-4 surge by Texas A&M gave the Lady Aggies the lead for good en route to their 11th win of the season against one loss. Amy Beggins had 18 points in the loss for New Mexico. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #2 Stanford crushed Fresno State, 68-46, #4 Tennessee decimated Old Dominion, 102-62, #5 Baylor pummeled Texas-Pan American, 100-46, #8 Georgia stymied Savannah State, 80-45, #11 LSU ousted #13 Xavier, 56-47, #11 Florida State gashed Western Carolina, 80-47, #14 Nebraska trounced Albany, 88-41, #15 Oklahoma hammered Cal State Fullerton, 95-76, #19 West Virginia bludgeoned Santa Clara, 78-55, #23 Syracuse tripped up New Hampshire, 58-48 and #25 James Madison waxed Western Michigan, 74-65.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Deron Williams had 21 points and 12 assists and the Utah Jazz defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first time this season with a 107-103 win Wednesday at Target Center. Minnesota, despite amassing only seven wins on the season coming into this game, earned two of them in previous games against Utah. Although the Jazz led by as many as 17 points in the 4th Quarter and were on the brink of putting the pesky Wolves away in the 3rd period, it took a full 48 minute effort for Utah to pull out the win. With the Jazz nursing a 101-84 lead with just over four minutes left to play, a late Timberwolves surge, spearheaded by Kevin Love (17 points, 11 rebounds) fell just short as the Jazz made just enough plays down the stretch to earn their 18th win of the season. In other NBA action Wednesday, Cleveland got past Atlanta, 106-101, Memphis surged past Indiana, 121-110, Orlando smacked Milwaukee, 117-92, Toronto got past Charlotte, 107-103, New Jersey tripped up New York, 104-95, New Orleans stymied Miami, 95-91, Phoenix scorched Boston, 116-98, Portland held off the Los Angeles Clippers, 103-99 and Philadelphia ousted Sacramento, 116-106.

(NEW YORK)—A suspicious white van parked in the heart of Times Square has prompted the New York Police Department to partially evacuate high-rises and send out bomb squads. The bomb squad is using a robot-based camera to approach the vehicle Wednesday, the day before New Year’s Eve. Police say as a precaution, the area around 42nd Street between 7th Avenue and Broadway has been blocked off. Police aren’t sure how long the van with tinted windows has been parked there, but there is a placard from a nonexistent law enforcement agency placed on the dashboard. It has no license plates. Security is tight as New York City prepares for hundreds of thousands of revelers to gather for its New Year’s Eve celebrations.

(OGDEN)—A man accused of stealing thousands of dollars from an elderly man will spend up to 10 years in prison. The Ogden Standard-Examiner reports Ricky McClain was sentenced on charges of exploitation of an elderly adult Tuesday. The judge also ordered McClain to pay restitution of more than $41,000 to the deceased victim’s family. On November 24, McClain pleaded guilty to the exploitation charges in return the theft charges were dismissed. Prosecutors claim McClain became friendly with the 96-year-old victim last year, offering to do small jobs for him, but eventually began demanding money, claiming he was giving it to the needy. The man’s family eventually became suspicious and called police.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah Avalanche Center is warning about dangerous conditions in northern portions of the state. Officials say heavy snowfall and wind will overload a fragile and weak snowpack to create hazardous conditions in upcoming days. The center says those without expert avalanche training and skills should avoid traveling in mountainous backcountry areas. The center also says the Wasatch Front and the western Uintas have considerable danger, meaning natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered slides are likely. The Logan area, for instance, rating is high.

(SALINA) – A semi truck driver out of Gunnison died of a medical condition Sunday night at a motel in Salina. Salina Police Chief Greg Harwood reported that 60-year old, Joseph Cromers of Gunnison, had booked an overnight stay at the Super 8 motel on the I-70 Interchange in Salina and was found dead by housekeepers Monday morning. Harwood said Cromers was a cancer patient and died sometime during the night Sunday of a medical condition associated with his disease. He said his office received a call at 12:30pm Monday and it was determined that no foul play was involved. Harwood said that Cromers had picked up a load to take out of town but decided to stay an extra night because he didn’t feel well. Cromers worked for Dale Hall Trucking out of Gunnison.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Friends of a missing woman plan to organize a ribbon campaign to go along with a social media blitz scheduled to begin Monday. Starting Monday and running for 72 hours, Susan Powell’s loved ones will launch an intense campaign on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, in an effort to keep her face in the public eye. Her best friend, Kiirsi Hellewell, hopes a ribbon campaign will be a visual reminder to people in Utah, Washington and elsewhere that Powell is still missing and needs to be found. Hellewell, who has her own blog, says her suspicions concerning Powell’s disappearance, include her belief that she was abducted and taken out of state. She said she could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation. Powell has been missing from her West Valley City home since Dec. 7, after her husband, Josh returned from an early morning camping trip with their two sons and found her missing. Josh has been listed as a person of interest in the case and not a suspect.

(GUNNISON) – A fight between two prisoners at the Gunnison prison Saturday morning caused a building-wide lockdown. According to prison police, the incident happened when one inmate attacked another in their prison cell. The inmate who was attacked had marks on his neck and was taken to the hospital as a precaution but sustained no long-term injuries. Prison spokesman, Steve Gehrke said the inmate was returned to prison. Gehrke said the lockdown prevented family and friends from visiting during the Christmas weekend. Administrators at the Gunnison prison say they hope to have the lockdown lifted by the next visitation period, which begins this Friday. Investigators must first determine the cause of the fight and make sure other issues, including gang involvement, are not factors.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP)—Kathleen Nash amassed 22 points and 14 rebounds and the #22 Texas Lady Longhorns got pas the Miami (Fla.) Lady Hurricanes, 76-65 Tuesday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Brittainey Raven added 17 points in the win for Texas. Shenise Johnson had 17 points in the loss for the Lady Canes. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #3 Notre Dame smacked Central Florida, 85-52, #7 North Carolina pummeled Kennesaw State, 89-44, Duquesne upset #18 Pittsburgh, 72-63, #21 Virginia smoked Liberty, 74-63 and #25 James Madison dismantled Lafayette, 86-54.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Kobe Bryant amassed 44 points and 11 assists and the Los Angeles Lakers went on a late 4th Quarter surge to outlast the Golden State Warriors, 124-118 Tuesday at STAPLES Center in NBA action. After nursing a 116-115 lead late in the game, key plays by Bryant and Lamar Odom enabled the Lakers to escape in a matchup which proved closer than many experts predicted. Corey Maggette had 25 points in the loss for Golden State which dropped them to 9-22 on the season. The win enabled the Lakers to hold onto the NBA’s best record as they now boast a mark of 25-6. In other NBA action Tuesday, Cleveland dismantled Atlanta, 95-84, Oklahoma City stormed past Washington, 110-98, New York pummeled Detroit, 104-87, Chicago surged past Indiana, 104-95, Houston humbled New Orleans, 108-100 and San Antonio stymied Minnesota, 117-99.

(WEST VALLEY CITY)—A family is recovering from a carbon monoxide scare they received Tuesday morning. The West Valley City Fire Department reported a girl woke up sick complaining of a headache. After telling her parents, her father realized what was happening and swiftly got everyone out of the house. Four people were transported to the hospital after being poisoned by the carbon monoxide and another person was being evaluated.

(PERRY)—Investigators are seeking to determine the identity of a body found burning close to Interstate 15 near Perry in Box Elder County. Police believe the body is that of a woman between the ages of 40 and 55 and they now say they believe her dramatic death is the result of a suicide. A passerby called authorities around 6:20 Monday evening to report a fire near the Perry/Brigham City exit from I-15. Nearby, troopers found a smoldering body. Perry City Police Chief Mike Jones said it appears the woman poured some flammable liquid on her body before lighting herself on fire, saying evidence of the liquid was found next to her as well as a cigarette lighter. The state medical examiner is currently performing an autopsy on the body and police say they’re hopeful the results will provide more information in the case.

(LOGAN)—Cache County’s executive says most county offices will likely stay on a four-day work week through 2010. Lynn Lemon said that county offices currently on a Monday-Thursday schedule will likely stay that way. He also expects the Cache County Council to take up the issue next month. The county switched to a four-day work week in August 2008, the same month that most state offices in Utah made the move as a way to save money and energy. Councilman Gordon Zilles says he’s heard mixed reviews, both from the public and county employees, on the county’s four-day work week.

(DENVER)—Qwest says it will eliminate death benefits for retirees starting in March. Currently, when retirees die, their survivors receive an amount equivalent to last year’s salary. The families of as many as 27,000 retirees are eligible for the benefit and eliminating it could cut Qwest’s liabilities by $220 million. Qwest says it wants to protect its pension fund’s ability to pay out benefits now and in the future. It’s in good shape now and Qwest hasn’t made a cash contribution for years and won’t need to next year either. Company spokesman Nick Sweers acknowledges that ending the benefit will strengthen its standing on Wall Street. In 2005, retirees filed a lawsuit to stop Qwest from dropping the benefit but they lost their appeal this past summer.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Movie theaters across the state and the nation reported record-setting numbers for the Christmas weekend. Theaters reported an estimated $278 million in weekend box-office revenue that broke the previous record of roughly $253 million set in July 2008, the weekend “The Dark Knight” was released. “Avatar”, the 3-D epic, topped all movies, earning $75 million for 20th Century Fox, according to studio estimates on Sunday, followed by “Sherlock Holmes” at $65 million and “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” at $50 million. Megaplex Theaters Senior Vice President, Blake Anderson says in the past, movies like “Harry Potter”, “Lord of the Rings” and “Twilight” have been big box office attractions but this year, “good movies go all the way across the spectrum.”

(MOAB) – A small private plane slid off the runway Tuesday at Canyonlands Field in Grand County near Moab. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 49-year old, Dennis Ransom of Salt Lake City attempted to take off from the airfield at about 5pm but slid off the runway. Ransom was not injured in the accident and the plane sustained damage to its nose gear and both props. Canyonlands Field was temporarily closed as a result of the crash due to weather and the FAA was notified to investigate the crash.

(RICHFIELD) – Several Richfield residents were awakened this morning to a flood from a broken main water line on the west side of the city. Wendell and Rachael Olsen said they woke up at about 1:30am to a wall of water coming into their basement. The Olsen’s home is located at 357 North 500 West in Richfield and major damage was done to their newly remodeled basement. Rachael said a neighbor’s basement also was flooded with about six inches of water and other neighbors had water running up to their basement window wells. City Finance Director, Mike Langston, said a 14-inch main water line burst in the early morning hours today at the southeast corner of the Lion’s Park. He said crews have been working throughout the day to repair the line and should have the work completed by tonight (Monday). Langston said the water line break was likely caused by frozen pipes.

(CIRCLEVILLE) – An elderly Circleville man was cited for causing a head-on collision Sunday afternoon on SR-89 about three miles west of Circleville. According to a UHP report, 27-year old, Benjamin Aiken of West Valley City was traveling northbound in a 2003 Honda Civic, when he swerved to miss 86-year old, Howard Whittaker of Circleville, driving a 2004 Chevy Colorado, who took a U-turn in front of Aiken at about 1:30pm. Aiken hit Whittaker head-on in the accident. The report said Aiken was wearing a seatbelt and was taken to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with unknown injuries. His passenger, 27-year old, Bertha Aiken of West Jordan, also sustained unknown injuries and was taken to the hospital. Whittaker was wearing his seatbelt and was not transported to the hospital. He was cited for improper turn.

(HERRIMAN)—A man has not only had his car stolen, he was also run over by it. The Salt Lake Tribune reports a man was returning a DVD rental to a Redbox near 4600 West and 12600 South Sunday around 2:30 p.m. He had parked his car and left it running while he went in to return the movie. Another man proceeded to jump in the car and drove away. Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Don Hutson told the newspaper the car owner tried to get back to the car and the thief backed into one of the man’s legs. He suffered minor injuries. Deputies received a vague description of the subject.

DENVER (AP)—Chris Stewart amassed two goals while Chris Durno and Milan Hejduk also scored as the Colorado Avalanche humbled the Dallas Stars, 4-1 Saturday at Pepsi Center in NHL action. Peter Budaj added 39 saves for the Avalanche who improved to 22-12-6 with the win. Steve Ott had the sole score in the loss for Dallas, which dropped them to 16-11-11. In other NHL action Saturday, Ottawa edged Buffalo, 3-2 in a shootout, Detroit doubled up Columbus, 2-1, Philadelphia ousted Carolina, 4-3 in a shootout, the New York Islanders tripped up the New York Rangers, 3-2 in overtime, Montreal humbled Toronto, 3-2 in overtime, Washington dismantled New Jersey, 4-1, Tampa Bay snuck past Atlanta, 4-3, Chicago bludgeoned Nashville, 4-1, Minnesota stymied St. Louis, 4-3, Phoenix gashed Los Angeles, 3-2, Vancouver overpowered Edmonton, 4-1 and San Jose smacked Anaheim, 5-2.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Deron Williams amassed 27 points and eight assists and the prolific Utah Jazz made 52 percent of their shots in a 97-76 dismantling of the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday at EnergySolutions Arena in NBA action. Carlos Boozer added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz, while rookie Wesley Matthews chipped in with 16 points and eight boards. The 76ers, who lost their third straight, were without the services of Allen Iverson for the fourth consecutive game, but still hung tight until a horrendous 4th Quarter which saw them miss their first 15 shots of the period. The win improved the Jazz to 17-13, while the 76ers fell to 7-22. Thaddeus Young had 20 points in the loss for Philadelphia. In other NBA action Saturday, Dallas outlasted Memphis, 106-101, Atlanta stormed past Indiana, 110-98, Houston got past New Jersey, 98-93, Chicago surged past New Orleans, 96-85, Minnesota stymied Washington, 101-89, Oklahoma City gashed Charlotte, 98-91, San Antonio bested Milwaukee, 112-97, the Los Angeles Lakers tripped up Sacramento, 112-103 in double overtime and Golden State outgunned Phoenix, 132-127.

HONOLULU (AP)—Marcus Johnson amassed 19 points and nine rebounds and Dwight Lewis added 14 more points as the USC Trojans dismantled the #20 Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels, 67-56 Friday in Top 25 men’s college basketball action at the Stan Sheriff Center. The win gave the Trojans the Diamond Head Classic final and improved them to 8-4 on the season. Oscar Bellfield had 17 points in the loss for the Rebels, which dropped them to 12-2.

(TAYLORSVILLE)—Officers had to use Tasers to subdue a Taylorsville man accused of slashing up his estranged wife’s home and threatening to kill her. Officers were called to the home near 5900 South and 4000 West Tuesday and upon their arrival, they found 29-year-old Jack Lee holding a machete. According to a probable cause statement, Lee told the officers to shoot him and refused to drop the weapon. The officers used Tasers on him and took him into custody. Lee’s wife, Amber, told authorities she’d been watching television in bed when her estranged husband entered her house and started slashing up the doors, furniture and walls. Amber then yelled for her roommate to get a gun and the pair locked themselves in her bedroom. The probable cause statement goes on to state Lee followed the women upstairs, slashed down the door and started strangling Amber. Lee faces charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and criminal mischief. According to the probable cause statement, the couple had been separated since July and Lee had not lived in the home since that time.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah Governor Gary Herbert has organized a team to coordinate Salt Lake City’s bid to host the 2012 Republican National Convention. A formal application is due January 15. Jeff Hartley, the former Utah Republican Party executive director, has been named acting chairman of the city’s bid committee. Hartley said it will work through the holidays to complete the city’s proposal, putting together detailed plans for transportation, security, convention facilities and lodging. The Republican National Committee will pick four cities as finalists and send a site selection team to visit each one in the spring. The final selection is expected by the end of the summer. An estimated 45,000 people, including 15,000 media, attended the 2008 Republican convention in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. and rented 16,000 hotel rooms, according to the Minnesota host committee. Hartley said Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, both Democrats, have written letters supporting Salt Lake City’s bid.

(WEBER COUNTY)—Police arrested a West Ogden man who they say paid an acquaintance to torch his truck so he could collect the insurance money. The Standard-Examiner reports police arrested the truck older, 35-year-old Brian Fain, on Wednesday. The Weber County Sheriff’s Office says on October 29, Fain drove 23-year-old Chad Steven Fisher to a club and told him to get “rid of” a 2000 Dodge pickup truck. A police affidavit says Fain gave Fisher a full can of gasoline and keys to the vehicle. Investigators stated that then Fisher drove the vehicle to an area near 1200 South, dumped gasoline inside and set it on fire. The vehicle was a total loss. Fisher was arrested, then pleaded not guilty to a felony count of arson on December 16. Fain now faces arson and fraud charges.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City’s bicycle/walking path may see an extension from Snow College to 800 South along College Avenue. At a special council meeting Tuesday night, councilmembers adopted a resolution in support of the City’s application to UDOT for Transportation Enhancement funds. Business Administrator, Woody Farnsworth says the city is committed to match funds for completion of the project. Farnsworth said conditions were discussed and set in the resolution which gained unanimous approval at the meeting.

(TORREY) – A Caineville man was killed in a single vehicle rollover on SR-24 east of Torrey Tuesday at about 6pm. According to a UHP report, 68-year old, Keith Durfey was traveling eastbound in a 2008 Ford F-250, when he went around a bend in the road about 30 miles east of Torrey and hit an icy spot. The report said Durfey went off the left shoulder of the highway and rolled once. He was not wearing his seatbelt and was partially ejected from the passenger side of his vehicle and died at the scene. UHP said road conditions along SR-24 were slick and icy and Durfey was traveling too fast.

(ELSINORE) – Sevier County Deputies arrested a California man Tuesday afternoon on I-70 after discovering nearly 5 grams of cocaine hidden in his car. A sheriff’s office report said that 26-year old, Abel Guerroro of Conaga Park, CA. was pulled over near the Elsinore exit on I-70 for safety violations. Deputy Adrian Hillin said that he was given permission to search Guerroro’s vehicle and found the drugs. Guerroro was arrested on charges of cocaine and opiates and booked into the Sevier County Jail.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City Police are asking motorists to slow down and be careful while driving along city streets in snowy conditions. Police said they were called to at least eight reportable accidents since 3:30pm Tuesday and there were more not reported. Officers said most of the accidents were minor fender-benders and no one was reported to have been injured. Police warn that you should give yourself plenty of time to arrive at your destination until the roads are clear of ice and snow.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Brad Boyes and T.J. Oshie each scored in a shootout and the St. Louis Blues doubled up the Calgary Flames, 2-1 Wednesday at the Pengrowth Saddledome in NHL action. Patrik Berglund also scored for the Blues, while Mark Giordano had the sole score for the Flames in the loss. Chris Mason added 23 saves in the win for the Blues, which improved them to 17-14-5 on the season. The loss dropped Calgary to 20-11-5. In other NHL action Wednesday, Boston ousted Atlanta, 6-4, Montreal dismantled Carolina, 5-1, the New York Islanders tripped up Toronto, 3-1, the New York Rangers smacked Florida, 4-1, Pittsburgh decimated Ottawa, 8-2, Washington stymied Buffalo, 5-2, Minnesota got past Edmonton, 3-1, Chicago blanked Detroit, 3-0, Philadelphia stonewalled Tampa Bay, 5-2, Dallas waxed Columbus, 3-1, and Phoenix crushed Anaheim, 4-0.

TULSA, Okla. (AP)—Michael Craion had 18 points and 13 rebounds and the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles surged past the #12 New Mexico Lobos, 75-66 Wednesday in men’s Top 25 college basketball action at the Mabee Center. Dominique Morrison added 17 points for the Golden Eagles, who have also vanquished Missouri and Stanford on the young season, to improve to 7-6. Phillip McDonald and Dairese Gary each had 13 points in the loss for the Lobos, who dropped their first game of the season and now stand at 12-1. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #3 Kentucky hammered Long Beach State, 86-73, #6 West Virginia bested #21 Mississippi, 76-66, #8 Villanova pounded Delaware, 97-63, #13 Georgetown dismantled Harvard, 86-70, #14 Tennessee walloped North Carolina A&T, 99-78 and #20 Nevada-Las Vegas crushed Hawaii, 77-53.

(SANDY)—Quick action by Sandy police brought a happy ending to a saga which saw people fall for a $20,000 online car scam. Sandy officers say families in California and Texas contacted them after they responded to a post on Craigslist for a 2009 Chevy Tahoe. The online seller claimed to be a Marine preparing to deploy for Afghanistan and the victims wired $20,000 to a Sandy bank account, but never received the vehicle. The family from Texas sent over $19,000 to an account at a Sandy bank upon learning they’d been scammed. Two other victims had already wired money to the account, but police were able to free the money before it was lost. Police returned the money to the families but are still looking for the suspect.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—For Utah’s outgoing U.S. attorney, the next chapter of his legal career will include preventing corporations from running afoul of the law. Brett Tolman’s last day as Utah’s top federal prosecutor is December 31. In January, Tolman will become a partner at the law firm Ray Quinney & Nebeker and says he’ll focus on corporate compliance issues, development of corporate policies and procedure and white collar criminal defense work. The 39-year-old Tolman resigned in October ahead of anticipated changes by the Obama administration. He was appointed in July 2006 by then-president George W. Bush. Tolman’s tenure was marked by several high-profile prosecutions, including the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping and timed his departure for a 10-day competency hearing for Brian David Mitchell, who is charged with the 2002 abduction. As Utah’s U.S. attorney, Tolman said he also tried to foster better working relationships between state, local and federal agencies and to minimize political influences in his decision-making. Tolman’s resignation has prompted speculation about whether he would run for public office. Tuesday, Tolman said he had no immediate plans to enter politics.

(OGDEN)—Ogden police are identifying a man who was found dead in his apartment with his throat slashed. The victim in question was Gilberto Jesus Robles, but he also went by Gilberto Jesus Sanchez. Police still don’t have any idea who may have murdered him and there were no signs of forced entry into the apartment. The man’s roommate found the body Tuesday and told police he returned from work around 1:00 p.m. Tuesday to find the man, described as being around 40 or 50 years old, in bed, with visible puncture wounds to his neck and a slash to his throat.

(SANDY)—Tuesday, a man pleaded guilty to the murder of a 9-month-old boy. Jared Daniel Billette pleaded guilty to a charge of felony child-abuse homicide in connection with the October death of Milo Doxey. Billette said he was swinging the baby when the child’s head hit a hard surface, causing the fatal injury. Prosecutors originally charged Billette with first-degree felony murder but reduced the charges in exchange for the guilty plea.

(BLUFFDALE)—Investigators are labeling a fire that ripped through a Bluffdale home Wednesday morning as “suspicious.” Firefighters say the residents moved out of the house about a week ago and no one has been living in it since. Firefighters were called to the home around 2:30 a.m. when passersby saw the home engulfed in flames while the roof had already collapsed. Firefighters also said that even though gas and power were going to the house, the fact it’s been vacant for about a week makes its cause suspicious. They are hopeful arson dogs and investigators will find the cause. The damage to the house and property is estimated between $350,000 and $400,000 while Bluffdale fire chief, John Roberts, said the remains of the house will be demolished.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Of all the 535 members of Congress, a Sunlight Foundation report shows Bob Bennett ranks fifth for the number of political fundraisers in the past year. In addition to doing his fundraisers in Utah, he has also done several at Washington D.C. restaurants, including six fundraisers at the Charlie Palmer steakhouse. The foundation’s numbers show Bennett had more than twice the number of fundraisers the rest of the Utah delegation had, combined.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada (AP)—Steve Bernier, Daniel Sedin, Sami Salo and Henrik Sedin each scored and Roberto Luongo added 20 saves as the Vancouver Canucks mowed over the Nashville Predators, 4-1 Tuesday at General Motors Place in NHL action. The win capped off an impressive homestand for the Canucks who won for the fifth time in seven matches on their home ice. Patric Hornqvist had the sole goal for the Predators in defeat while Dan Ellis added 32 saves for Nashville. In other NHL action Tuesday, San Jose got past Chicago, 3-2 and Anaheim doubled up Colorado, 4-2.

HONOLULU (AP)—Tre’Von Willis and Anthony Marshall had 12 points apiece and the #20 Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels made quick work of the Southern Methodist Mustangs with a 67-53 win Tuesday at the first round of the Diamond Head Classic at the Sheriff Center in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. The prolific Rebels raced out to a 42-19 lead at halftime and forced 21 Mustangs turnovers on the game en route to their 11th win of the season. Derek Williams had 18 points to pace Southern Methodist in defeat. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #1 Kansas bested California, 84-69, #2 Texas overpowered #9 Michigan State, 79-68, #4 Purdue decimated SIU-Edwardsville, 90-63, #5 Syracuse hammered Oakland, 92-60, #10 North Carolina dismantled Marshall, 98-61, #11 Connecticut surged past Maine, 71-54, UAB upset #16 Butler, 67-57, #17 Ohio State tripped up Cleveland State, 72-59, South Alabama edged #18 Florida, 67-66, #19 Washington downed Texas A&M, 73-64, #22 Georgia Tech crushed Kennesaw State, 80-55 and #23 Clemson stormed past Western Carolina, 79-57.

DELTA, Utah (AP)—Colin Christensen had 20 points and Taylor Shamo added 13 more as the Delta Rabbits got past the Canyon View Falcons, 48-43 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action at the Palladium.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Heath Payton amassed 16 points while Kelton Price chipped in with 13 more as the Piute Thunderbirds stormed past the Beaver Beavers, 64-41 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action. Robbie Gurr’s 10 points led the way in the loss for Beaver.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)—Andrea Mayer had 15 points for the Milford Lady Tigers in a 49-25 rout of the Escalante Lady Moquis in Region 20 girls basketball action Tuesday. Lindsey Phillips had 15 points in the loss for Escalante.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)—Kalani Norris posted 18 points and Chelsea Barney added 13 more as the Panguitch Lady Bobcats surged past the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs, 38-25 Tuesday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Kaylea Shakespeare had nine points in the loss for Bryce Valley.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)—Kandice Gleave posted 23 points and Marci Jensen added 13 more as the Piute Lady Thunderbirds pummeled the Valley Lady Buffaloes, 66-28 in Region 20 girls basketball action Tuesday. Amber Sharkey had seven points in the loss for the Lady Buffs.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)—Tia Pappas had 15 points to lead the Carbon Lady Dinos to a 51-45 win over the North Sanpete Lady Hawks Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Erica Draper had 12 points in the loss for North Sanpete.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Chelsea Cox had 21 points, including five 3-pointers as the Manti Lady Templars outlasted the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 57-53 in overtime in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Chansey Caldwell had 16 points in the loss for Gunnison.

(PAYSON)—Payson police are looking for a man who they believe assaulted two children and tried to assault at least one more. Investigators say the first attack happened last Wednesday at a Dollar Tree store while two other attacks occurred at churches. The children have given a similar descriptions of the man in his 20s with dark hair cut over his ears.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah Transit Authority is trying to cut back. UTA’s board voted unanimously Monday to give no raises to union drivers and mechanics this next year and made no promise of a raise in 2011 either, according to the Deseret News. Non-union employees have already made the same concessions.

(SANDY)—A Utah company is looking for 500 workers to help with the 2010 census. Vangent Inc. will work with Quest Staffing Services, Synergy Staffing Partners and Remedy Intelligent Staffing to assist in hiring the temporary employees. Those employees will work at a call center facility to serve as an information hotline for residents who have questions about the census form. The majority of jobs will begin in January 2010 with many assignments ending in August 2010. Job seekers are encouraged to visit the company Web site at www.vangent.com/news-releases.php?n=188 for hiring information and to click on the census logo on the home page for more details.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The state Department of Environmental Quality has issued a health advisory for Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties because of air pollution. The state says a red air quality alert is in effect for three counties on Tuesday, along with Cache County. It is suggested that people with respiratory or heart ailments, the elderly and children limit their time outdoors and not exert themselves. Wood burning is prohibited in red alert areas. The air quality in Utah County is labeled a yellow air quality action day. On red and yellow days, people are asked to drive their cars as little as possible.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Police have jailed a man who they say called in a bomb threat after a customer service dispute with the Gateway mall. Salt Lake City police detectives say 30-year-old Jeffrey Strobell called Gateway security Friday afternoon and told them a bomb inside a vehicle in the parking structure would go off in 30 minutes. They say Strobell called in the threat after he felt a customer service representative he had just talked to by phone wasn’t nice enough to him. Detectives traced the call back to Strobell’s workplace, Mountain West Material, in Murray. When authorities found him, he was still at his desk with the Gateway numbers he had allegedly called still displayed on his desk phone. Strobell was arrested for investigation of making terrorist threats.

(OGDEN)—An Ogden man led police on a short chase in a stolen car Tuesday morning. A Utah Highway Patrol trooper noticed the car idling by a curb near 2800 South and Monroe Boulevard around 1:20 a.m. and stopped to check the registration before discovering the car had been stolen from Ogden around 6:30 p.m. Monday evening. The driver then put the car in gear and sped off. The car slid off the road a few blocks later after which the driver got out of the car, ran and broke his leg. Troopers arrested 27-year-old Daniel Brown and took him to McKay-Dee Hospital. Brown is a parole fugitive who was considered armed and dangerous. The vehicle was retrieved by the registered owners.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Search and Rescue Team was honored at their Christmas party Saturday night. Public Information Officer Nate Curtis said those who serve on the Search and Rescue have been successful in every one of the callouts they’ve had this year and offer hundreds of volunteer hours to complete their tasks. Curtis, along with Sevier County Sheriff Phil Barney and Commissioner Gary Mason, also thanked the spouses of Search and Rescue members and those in the community who have donated money and equipment to the organization. They said the county couldn’t function without them.

(MEADOW) – A Meadow man was arrested after threatening to stab his brother with a butcher knife in a fight late Friday night. According to a Millard County Sheriff’s report, deputies were dispatched to the home of 19-year old, Lupe Rodriguez, to respond to a fight in progress at about 11pm. During the course of the investigation, deputies discovered that while Lupe’s brother deflected the knife strikes, Lupe managed to hit him in the nose with the handle of the knife. Deputies said that alcohol was a factor in the incident and Lupe was booked into jail for aggravated assault and intoxication.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)—Scottie Upshall had two goals and Matthew Lombardi, Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata also scored as the Phoenix Coyotes stymied the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-2 Monday at Jobing.com Arena in NHL action. The win improved the Coyotes to 22-13-2 on the season, while the Blue Jackets fell to 14-16-7. Derick Brassard and Antoine Vermette scored for Columbus in the loss. In other NHL action Monday, the New York Rangers clipped Carolina, 3-1, Tampa Bay doubled up the New York Islanders, 4-2, Florida pummeled Philadelphia, 4-1, Buffalo ousted Toronto, 3-2 in overtime, Montreal got past Atlanta, 4-3 in overtime, Boston blanked Ottawa, 2-0, New Jersey walloped Pittsburgh, 4-0, Colorado edged Minnesota, 4-3, San Jose tripped up Dallas, 4-2 and St. Louis destroyed Edmonton, 7-2.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)—DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson each had 18 points and the #3 Kentucky Wildcats amassed a historic victory with an 88-44 rout of the Drexel Dragons Monday at Rupp Arena in Top 25 men’s college basketball action. The win not only improved Kentucky to 12-0 on the season, it was also the 2,000th victory in the program’s storied history. Samme Givens had 11 points to pace the Dragons in the loss. In other Top 25 action Monday, #15 Kansas State gashed Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 90-76.

LANDOVER, Md. (AP)—Eli Manning completed 19 of 26 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns and the New York Giants decimated the Washington Redskins, 45-12 Monday at FedEx Field. Armed with a solid resolve to remain in the NFC playoff race, the Giants raced out to a 24-0 lead in the 2nd Quarter by virtue of a 6-yard touchdown reception by Steve Smith, a pair of Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown runs and a 38-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes. In the second half, the Giants maintained their advantage as Terrell Thomas returned an errant Jason Campbell (15 of 28, 192 yards, TD, 2 INT’s) 14 yards for a score while Derek Hagan caught a 23-yard scoring pass from Manning. After Manning’s third touchdown pass, a 25-yard strike to Mario Manningham, the Giants were well on their way to their eighth win of the season, keeping themselves alive for a wild card playoff berth. Fred Davis had five receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown to pace Washington in defeat.

(SYRACUSE)—Syracuse police are conceding a goof after an officer bought donated items from an apartment and tried selling them in his second-hand store. Syracuse Police Chief Brian Wallace said among the items were Halloween masks and other items donated from a nearby Wal-Mart in 2007. Meanwhile, the Syracuse city council is reviewing what turned out to be a potential violation of personnel policies. City officials have not disciplined the sergeant who removed the items during the city’s annual pumpkin walk while he has removed the remaining items from his store in Clearfield.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—All post offices in Utah will be open Thursday December 24, but many will shorten retail lobby hours and close at noon. Regular mail delivery for December 24 will be unaffected by the change. Revised hours will be posted at each post office and commercial customers are asked to check with their Bulk Mail Acceptance Unit for December 24 hours of operation. Additionally, mail should be deposited into blue collection mailboxes by noon for early pick-up December 24. Those customers needing retail services after noon on Christmas Eve can visit post offices in Cedar City, Logan, Moab, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Riverton, Sandy, Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Sugarhouse, St. George (Red Rocks location), Tooele and Vernal. Most collection boxes and lobby drops at the locations listed above will be collected at the regular posted times on Christmas Eve. All post offices will be open and regular mail delivery will resume Saturday December 26.

(RICHFIELD) – No growth was the biggest problem facing Sevier County in 2009. Commissioner Gary Mason commented that sales tax revenue was down throughout the county due to the economic meltdown in the latter part of 2008. The “no growth” tabulation has resulted in no salary increases for county employees in 2010. At the Sevier County Commission meeting today, Commissioners held a hearing for the 2010 budget and opened the 2009 budget for adjustments. County Clerk Steve Wall said the adjusted budget for 2009 was $12.5 million and the 2010 budget would be almost a million dollars less at a little over $11 million. Commissioner Ivan Cowley stated that agricultural incomes were a third to a half less this year than last. Commissioners said that the county will weather the downturn with hopes that the latter part of 2010 will see a boost in revenues.

(SALINA) – A Salina man shot himself over the weekend after barricading himself in his bedroom during a family fight. According to Salina Police, 39-year old, Steven Madsen locked himself in his bedroom during the fight and family members heard a gunshot. Salina Police responded to find the man lying on the bedroom floor with a gunshot wound to the chest. The shot came from a .50 calibre black powder rifle. Madsen was rushed to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield in critical condition and was lifeflighted to a hospital up north. Police said that Madsen had made several threats of suicide prior to being found. He was also considered a restricted person for firearms. Police continue to investigate the incident.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Megan Hodge posted 23.5 points and Darcy Dorton added 13.5 more as the Penn State Lady Nittany Lions won their 102nd straight match and became the first women’s volleyball squad to win a third consecutive national championship in a 3-2 win over the Texas Lady Longhorns Saturday in the national championship volleyball match. The win was especially dramatic for Penn State as they had to overcome a 2-0 deficit in order to win their unprecedented title. Destinee Hooker amassed 38 points to pace Texas in the loss.

NEW ORLEANS (AP)—Tony Romo completed 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown and DeMarcus Ware overcame the effects of a sprained neck last week with a game-clinching sack of Drew Brees as the Dallas Cowboys upset the New Orleans Saints, 24-17 Saturday at the Louisiana Superdome. The win was significant for the Cowboys as it stopped a two-game losing streak and propelled them into the thick of the NFC playoff race as they’re currently alive for both the NFC East title and a possible wild card. Despite the Saints’ resiliency and never-say-die attitude, New Orleans proved to bite off more than they could chew after falling behind 24-3 in the 4th Quarter. The Saints did manage to pull to within 24-17 on Lance Moore’s 7-yard touchdown reception from Drew Brees (29 of 45, 298 yards, TD, INT) late in the game, but after getting lucky on a missed 26-yard field goal by Dallas’ Nick Folk, Ware forced Brees to fumble in the closing seconds to preserve the win for the Cowboys. Additionally, Miles Austin had seven receptions for 139 yards and a 49-yard touchdown catch for Dallas in the win which improved them to 9-5. Meanwhile, the Saints fell to 13-1 and could still lose home field advantage to the Minnesota Vikings if they fail to take care of business the next two weeks.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada (AP)—Mason Raymond had a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the third period, and the Vancouver Canucks outlasted the Washington Capitals, 3-2 Friday at General Motors Place in NHL action. Roberto Luongo stepped up with 25 saves and Ryan Kesler added a goal and an assists for the Cancuks, who improved to 20-15. Alexander Semin and Chris Clark each scored in the loss for Vancouver, which dropped them to 21-8-6 on the season. In other NHL action Friday, New Jersey doubled up Ottawa, 4-2, Buffalo waxed Toronto, 5-2, Florida smoked Carolina, 6-3, Tampa Bay dismantled St. Louis, 6-3, and Chicago got past Boston, 5-4 in a shootout.

ATLANTA (AP)—Josh Smith had 16 points and eight rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks dismantled the Utah Jazz, 96-83 Friday at Philips Arena in NBA action. The Hawks broke open a close game with a 37-17 surge in the 3rd Quarter and the lackluster Jazz were never able to recover. Andrei Kirilenko had 13 points in the loss for Utah. In other NBA action Friday, Toronto hammered New Jersey, 118-95, Philadelphia edged Boston, 98-97, New Orleans ousted Denver, 98-92, Cleveland stymied Milwaukee, 85-82, Minnesota pummeled Sacramento, 112-96, New York tripped up the Los Angeles Clippers, 95-91, Oklahoma City humbled Detroit, 109-98, Memphis smoked Indiana, 107-94, Houston surged past Dallas, 116-108 in overtime and Washington bested Golden State, 118-109.

SPANISH FORK, Utah (AP)—Marcus Monson had 23 points for the American Leadership Eagles in a 74-56 win over the Beaver Beavers Friday in non-region boys basketball action. Stoney White had 16 points in the loss for Beaver.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)—Jake Bradford had 16 points for the Juab Wasps as they dismantled the Carbon Dinos, 74-61 in non-region boys basketball action Friday.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—David Bean posted 16 points while Tyler Thomas added 12 more and the Richfield Wildcats stormed past the Millard Eagles, 60-37 Friday in non-region boys basketball action. Jesse Rhodes had 12 points in the loss for Millard.

GRANTSVILLE, Utah (AP)—Caleb Nesbitt had nine points to key a balanced scoring attack and the Grantsville Cowboys got past the North Sanpete Hawks, 43-36 in non-region boys basketball action Friday. Dylan Larsen had 11 points to pace Grantsville in the loss.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Dillon Bishoff amassed 32 points as the South Sevier Rams gashed the Enterprise Wolves, 67-58 Friday at the Kanab Cowboy Classic.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Craig Brinkerhoff had 29 points while Rhees Jackson added 28 more as the Kanab Cowboys outlasted the North Sevier Wolves, 80-78 at the Kanab Cowboy Classic Friday. Derrick Christensen had 38 points and eight 3-pointers to pace the Wolves in the loss.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)—Kalani Norris had 20 points and Breanne Bateman added 12 more as the Panguitch Lady Bobcats hammered the Escalante Lady Moquis, 59-20 Friday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Lindsey Phillips had 14 points in the loss for Escalante.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)—Amanda Bagley amassed 28 points and 11 rebounds as the Piute Lady Thunderbirds dismantled the Wayne Lady Badgers, 53-32 in Region 20 girls basketball action Friday. Cassey Manzanares had eight points in the loss for Wayne.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)—Keri Brunson posted 14 points while Krystyn Stevens added 13 more as the Millard Lady Eagles blew past the Milford Lady Tigers, 42-23 Friday in non-region girls basketball action.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Camille Tua had 14 points for the Juan Diego Lady Soaring Eagle in a 50-21 rout of the Manti Lady Templars Friday at the Sevier Valley Center. Shauri Lyon had eight points in the loss for Manti.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Miranda Averett had 21 points for the Carbon Lady Dinos as they outlasted the Juab Lady Wasps, 46-42 at the Sevier Valley Center Friday. Kiz Farrer and Tessa Bradford each had 13 points in the loss for Juab.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Caitlin Hatch’s 19 points led the way for the South Summit Lady Wildcats in a 44-40 win over the Beaver Lady Beavers at the Sevier Valley Center Friday. Brittany Griffiths had nine points in the loss for Beaver.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—McKinzie Robins had 23 points for the North Sevier Wolves in a narrow 46-45 win over the Kanab Cowgirls Friday at the Sevier Valley Center. Samantha Houston had 15 points to pace Kanab in the loss.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Brooke Bliss had 17 points for the Richfield Lady Wildcats as they pummeled the Hurricane Lady Tigers, 59-33 at the Sevier Valley Center Friday.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City officials have decided not to regain a local TV channel they relinquished several years ago to a cable company. At a special luncheon meeting today, city officials met with CentraCom Interactive of Fairview to discuss the possibilities of acquiring the channel or not. Eddie Cox, President and General Manager of CentraCom, said his company would provide local programming for Richfield City so that the city would not need its own channel. Richfield City Mayor Brad Ramsay and councilmembers decided that acquiring the local channel could not be included in the city budget and personnel costs would be too high.

(OGDEN)—Ogden city officials say eight people were taken to the hospital after a cleaning process led to a chemical combination that created an ammonia-based gas. Ogden Deputy Fire Chief Chad Tucker told the Deseret News the incident occurred Friday morning at Pro Pac Labs, a vitamin and mineral manufacturing company. Tucker says employees were using a bleach mixture to clean the labs and it combined with some residue left on equipment, producing an ammonia gas. Eight employees experienced burning in their eyes, noses and mouths while some had difficulty breathing. They were taken to hospitals in the area and later released in good condition.

(OGDEN)—A man has been sentenced to prison in the death of a 37-year-old Ogden man. Thursday, Merlynn Kilfoyle was sentenced to up to five years in prison on a third-degree felony charge of homicide by assault. The May 2000 shooting death of John Thomas Rush was considered a suicide for six years until, according to officials, Kilfoyle’s stepmother told police Kilfoyle told her he killed Rush. The 31-year-old Kilfoyle was also sentenced to one to 15 years in prison for second-degree felony possession of a handgun by a restricted person for buying a gun for Rush, who was banned from owning firearms for a prior felony. A judge ordered the sentences to run concurrently. Originally, Kilfoyle had been charged with first-degree murder but took a plea deal. Kilfoyle’s public defender, Randy Richards, says his client still does not admit guilt.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Officials say conditions in Utah continue to be dangerous for avalanches. The Utah Avalanche Center says early season snow that has become weak and is now buried is producing human-triggered avalanches. The center says unintentionally human-triggered landslides have happened for six consecutive days. The center says avalanche danger is rated as considerable in the Salt Lake, Provo, Ogden, Logan, western Uinta and Moab areas and will likely remain so through the weekend. The center wants backcountry travelers to check the latest avalanche conditions before they ensue in their adventures.

(RICHFIELD) – The Utah Department of Transportation is warning business and homeowners that pushing snow onto State Roads is an illegal practice. In the face of approaching storms, UDOT says pushing snow from driveways and parking lots onto State Roads causes a severe safety hazard to motorists. UDOT says snow removed should remain on the homeowner’s or businesses property. Likewise, UDOT’s snow removal practices include storing snow on State Roads in designated areas and officials are asking private homeowners and businesses to store on their own property.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett is grilling federal officials over the unfair treatment of a bill he sponsored that would turn over two acres of land from the feds to the town of Alta. Bennett questioned members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during a Thursday meeting saying the Obama administration wants to charge Alta residents a fee to make the switch, while at the same time, allowing thousands of acres to be transferred for free in similar Democratic-sponsored legislation. He said the town of Alta, home to Alta Ski Resort, is largely made up of low-to-moderate income residents who can’t afford the fee. Bennett’s bill would convey two acres of Forest Service land in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest to the town of Alta. He said Alta officials can manage the land better than the federal government.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)—Joe Thornton had two goals while Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi each scored as the San Jose Sharks dismantled the Anaheim Ducks, 4-1 Thursday at HP Pavilion in NHL action. Evgeni Nabokov added 20 saves for the Sharks, who improved to 20-8-7 with the win. Ryan Getzlaf scored the sole goal for the Ducks, who fell to 13-14-7 with the loss. In other NHL action Thursday, Minnesota tripped up Montreal, 3-1, the New York Rangers stymied the New York Islanders, 5-2, Pittsburgh downed Philadelphia 3-2 in a shootout, Atlanta outgunned Dallas, 6-5 in overtime, Phoenix doubled up Columbus, 2-1 in a shootout, Detroit blanked Tampa Bay, 3-0, Calgary humbled Los Angeles, 2-1 and Nashville smoked Edmonton, 6-3.

LAS VEGAS (AP)—Matt Shaw had 16 points and Chace Stanback added 15 more as the #25 Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels downed the Weber State Wildcats, 72-63 Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. Kyle Bullinger had 21 points to lead all scorers for the Wildcats, who fell to 5-5 with the loss. The win improved UNLV to 9-1 on the young season thus far.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)—Clay Williams had 22 points for the Valley Buffaloes in a 58-42 win over the Escalante Moquis Thursday in Region 20 boys basketball action. Ryan Brooks had 13 points in the loss for Escalante.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)—Dylan Jones had 26 points for the Milford Tigers as they edged the Wayne Badgers, 67-63 in Region 20 boys basketball action Thursday. Cason Chappell had 23 points in the loss for the Badgers.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)—Kelton Price amassed 15 points and Tyson Westwood chipped in with 13 more as the Piute Thunderbirds got past the Bryce Valley Mustangs, 58-49 Thursday in Region 20 boys basketball action.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Erica Draper and Kara Anderson each had 16 points and the North Sanpete Lady Hawks crushed the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 66-26 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday. Amberlyn Stratton had five points in defeat for Gunnison.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating dozens of burglaries in the county and officials are asking the public for help in reporting any suspicious activity in your neighborhood. Public Information Officer, Nate Curtis said a lot of information is not being released concerning the burglaries due to the ongoing investigations but authorities want to public to be aware of any incidences that should be reported, especially around the holidays. If you have any information concerning burglaries in Sevier County, call the sheriff’s office at 896-2600.

(ST. GEORGE) – A southern Utah parent is being called a hero for saving a school bus full of kids after the driver blacked out on I-15 between Cedar City and St. George on Tuesday. According to UHP reports, the bus was traveling from Cedar City to St. George on the way back from an arts festival when the driver blacked out and went limp. Washington County School District Superintendent Max Rose says, that’s when the parent jumped up, took control of the wheel, turned the engine off and coasted to the side of the road. Rose said if the accident had happened in the black ridge area, the outcome may have been a worse disaster. All the middle-aged kids on board are OK. The school district is not sure what went wrong with the bus driver, except that the driver refused to go to the hospital and instead, was taken home.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City Business Administrator Woody Farnsworth is retiring at the end of the year after 32 years of service. At a farewell open house Wednesday afternoon, Farnsworth said his attraction to Richfield began with his wife’s family. He said that his most important accomplishment in his 32 years of service is the completion of the downtown enhancement project. Farnsworth said what he’ll miss the most is working with city employees, including the mayor and city council.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)—Brittainey Raven had 17 points and eight boards and the #21 Texas Lady Longhorns downed the Mississippi Lady Rebels, 64-58 Wednesday in women’s Top 25 college basketball action. Erika Arriaran added 13 points for Texas while Cokie Reed chipped in with 12 more for the Lady Horns who improved to 6-3. Shantell Black had 15 points in the loss for the Lady Rebels. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #3 Tennessee hammered Louisville, 86-56, #5 Baylor crushed Oral Roberts, 101-76, #6 Florida State surged past Central Florida, 70-58, and #9 LSU decimated North Carolina A&T, 75-33

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Carlos Boozer had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Deron Williams added 20 points and 14 assists as the Utah Jazz made quick work of the NBA’s worst team with a 108-92 rout of the New Jersey Nets Wednesday at IZOD Center. The Nets managed to hang with the Jazz for a quarter, trailing only 26-24 after one quarter before Utah seized complete control with a 26-17 surge in the 2nd Quarter. Paul Millsap added 13 more points for the Jazz, while Wesley Matthews chipped in with 10 points for Utah. Brook Lopez amassed 23 points and 10 boards in the loss for New Jersey, who fell to 2-24 with the loss. In other NBA action Wednesday, Atlanta stymied Memphis, 110-97, Indiana edged Charlotte, 101-98, Orlando smacked Toronto, 118-99, Cleveland bested Philadelphia, 108-101, New Orleans humbled Detroit, 95-87, the Los Angeles Lakers surged past Milwaukee, 107-106 in overtime, the Los Angeles Clippers hammered Minnesota, 120-95, Dallas gashed Oklahoma City, 100-86, Denver stormed past Houston, 111-101, San Antonio pounded Golden State, 103-91 and Sacramento got past Washington, 112-109.

(WEST VALLEY CITY)—Police say they suspect foul play in the disappearance of Susan Powell, who has been missing since December 6. Authorities stated Josh Powell submitted a DNA sample and was interviewed by investigators Tuesday, but that there was no new information obtained as to Susan Powell’s whereabouts. On Wednesday, West Valley City Police Assistant Chief Craig Black said Susan’s husband, Josh, has not been cooperative in helping investigators locate the 28-year-old mother of two. During the interview, Black said Josh would only help identify her personal items while refusing to answer questions concerning her disappearance. Black also said that investigators asked Josh to accompany them to the camping site in Tooele County where he claimed to have taken the couple’s young sons on the night Susan disappeared, and that Josh declined her request. Black said investigators had no plans to return to the campsite unless Josh went with them. Police say Josh told them he took his two sons camping overnight on Sunday December 6. When he returned, Susan was gone.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Two men have pleaded guilty to trying to steal 600 pounds of wildflower seed pods in southern Utah’s Zion National Park in hopes of a payday on the commercial market. The thieves, 44-year-old Cresencio Martinez-Guzman and 23-year old Cresencio Lucena-Alvarez, pleaded guilty to felony theft of government property and were sentenced to probation December 7. They also admitted to being in the United States illegally and agreed not to fight deportation. Reportedly, the pair spent weeks in a remote portion of the park pitching Palmer’s penstemon, a tall-growing native plant whose seeds are often used by government agencies for reseeding projects, according to court records. They were arrested in September after Zion park rangers spotted them with several large bags of seed pods inside the park’s western boundary. The commercial value of the pair’s cache was about $25,000, according to court documents. Commercial seed collecting is a profitable business in southern Utah and legal in some federal locations, but not Zion National Park. Matt Fisher, a special agent with the park service’s investigative branch said the men have been turned over to immigration officials and Zion will keep the hundreds of pounds of seeds seized from the last case for later use on re-vegetation projects.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—No charges will be filed against the driver of a bus involved in a fatal crash in Idaho. American Fork High School band teacher, 33-year-old Heather Christensen, was killed when the bus rolled off Interstate 15 approximately two miles north of McCammon, Idaho October 10. The bus was one of four carrying the band home from a competition at Pocatello, Idaho. The bus driver, Debra Jarvis of Spanish Fork, told investigators she began suffering from a stomachache about 10 minutes after leaving Pocatello and then blacked out. The Deseret News reported Jarvis told police that when she came to after her stomachache, she was hanging sideways from her seat belt. Idaho prosecutors say there’s no reason to pursue charges against Jarvis because she didn’t know she had a medical condition that would impair her operation of a motor vehicle.

(PAYSON)—U.S. Marshals are hoping to find the people responsible for the murder of a Payson man through guns stolen at the time of the crime. The Salt Lake Tribune reports Marshals have asked informants to be on the lookout for several weapons taken from the home of Kay Mortensen last month. Initial reports stated two men with guns broke into Mortensen’s home and slashed his throat while tying up two other people at the home at the time. The two surviving victims told police the intruders were armed with guns when they broke into the home. This is the first time marshals have confirmed guns were stolen at the time of the murder. However, they would still not confirm how many guns were taken or what types of guns they were.

(RICHFIELD) – A Logan man was cited for sideswiping a van on main street in Richfield Tuesday morning, sending a two-year old girl to the hospital. According to a UHP report, 48-year old, James Albiston was traveling northbound in a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck, when he sideswiped the van at about 11:15am. The report said the 2001 Chrysler van, driven by 25-year old, Kimberly Westwood of Elsinore, was in the turning lane on Center Street, when she was struck. She was carrying a two-year old girl and an 11-month girl. No one was injured in the accident but Westwood took the two-year old to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield for observation. The girl was released with no injuries. Police reports said that Albiston left the scene of the accident, continuing on main street but decided to return and in his attempt, took a U-turn at 100 North and hit the bulb out at Little Wonder Café, disabling his vehicle. Albiston was cited for improper lane travel.

(Manti) The Manti Improvement Business Association or MIBA has allocated funds received from selling turkey dinners during the Mormon Miracle Pageant. The Association took in over $29,600 dollars on 10,800 dinners. Three groups received the bulk of the money. Sixty-two hundred dollars went to the Manti Elementary Parent Teacher Association to renovate the elementary school’s sound system and to purchase LCD projectors for classroom use. Fifty-six hundred dollars was given to the Manti Public Library for additional lighting and security cameras. And $5,800 dollars was awarded to the Manti City Park restroom project. Others that received money include the Manti/Sterling Ambulance Association with $3,500 dollars for trauma kits; $3,000 dollars for the girls scouts to renovate the community center; $2,000 dollars for a scoreboard at the Manti High School baseball field; $2,000 dollars for a concession stand at the Manti High School football field; and $1,000 dollars for upgrades to the Manti City Pound. MIBA is a volunteer organization under the direction of the Manti City Council.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett has voted to prohibit funding for the transfer of Gitmo detainees to the United States. Bennett said in a recent statement that the Obama administration’s plan to transfer terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the United States is unacceptable and puts an unnecessary risk on the American people. He says he doesn’t see how transferring terrorists to the country they wish to destroy keeps Americans safer. Bennett commented that some administration officials cite the economic boom and job creation to the region as reasons to support the transfer but fail to recognize that tens of millions of taxpayer dollars have already been used to build a secure, state of the art facility in Cuba. The Obama administration plans to purchase the Thompson Correctional Center, located 150 miles outside of Chicago, to house terrorists currently being detained at Gitmo. Congress must vote to allow detainees to be moved to the U.S.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Sean O’Donnell scored the winning goal while Brad Richardson and Dustin Brown also scored as the Los Angeles Kings got past the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2 Tuesday at Rexall Place in NHL action. After Brown’s goal, the Kings held a 2-0 lead before Sheldon Souray and Ryan Potulny each scored for the Oilers. The win improved Los Angeles to 22-11-3 on the season, while the Oilers fell to 15-14-4. In other NHL action Tuesday, Pittsburgh walloped Philadelphia, 6-1, St. Louis downed Calgary, 4-3, Nashville surged past Tampa Bay, 7-4, Minnesota doubled up Columbus, 2-1 and Washington decimated Colorado, 6-1.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)—Tre’Von Willis had 16 points while Chace Stanback added 15 more as the #25 Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels smoked the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, 77-59 Tuesday at the Centrum in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. Although the Thunderbirds played Lon Kruger’s squad to a draw in the first half and trailed only 31-30 at halftime, the Rebels seized control with a 20-4 run midway through the latter stanza. Davis Baker had 21 points for Southern Utah, who fell to 19-0 all-time against the Rebels. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #2 Texas decimated Texas-Pan American, 104-42, #7 Duke bludgeoned Gardner-Webb, 113-68 and #8 Tennessee dismantled Wyoming, 77-58.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)—Craig Brinkerhoff had 15 points, while Jesus Payton and Rhees Jackson each added 14 more as the Kanab Cowboys smoked the Panguitch Bobcats, 68-46 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action. Eric Frandsen had 25 points in the loss for Panguitch.

MONROE, Utah (AP)—Orion Wilson had 21 points and Dillon Bishoff added 17 more as the South Sevier Rams pummeled the Waterford Ravens, 66-48 in non-region boys basketball action Tuesday. Neal Monson’s 23 points led all scorers in the loss for the Ravens.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Jessica Wood keyed a balanced scoring attack with 11 points and the Cedar Lady Reds hammered the Beaver Lady Beavers, 53-22 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Hannah Snyder had eight points in the loss for Beaver.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)—Keri Brunson amassed 19 points while Brooke Rhodes chipped in with 17 more as the Millard Lady Eagles got past the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 52-44 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Sara Brown’s 22 points led the way for Gunnison in defeat.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)—Kiz Farrer had 24 points for the Juab Lady Wasps in a narrow 43-42 win over the Payson Lady Lions Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action.

MANTI, Utah (AP)—Kayla King and Rachel Torgerson each had 11 points as the South Sevier Lady Rams humbled the Manti Lady Templars, 48-34 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Shauri Lyon and Tauni McFarland each had nine points in the loss for Manti.

DELTA, Utah (AP)—Kaity Diaz had 15 points for the Delta Lady Rabbits as they decimated Stansbury, 49-27 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah Governor Gary Herbert is sending Energy Secretary Steven Chu a letter, asking him to halt the shipment of nearly 15,000 drums of low-level radioactive waste from South Carolina for disposal in Utah. Herbert says the Department of Energy is circumventing state regulators’ efforts to ensure a private disposal facility in Utah’s west desert can safely dispose of the depleted uranium. Depleted uranium is different from other waste EnergySolutions Inc. disposes of at its site because it becomes more radioactive over time for up to one million years. State regulators and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have acknowledged that difference and have started a rule-making process to address whether it may need to be disposed of differently.

(WEST VALLEY CITY)—A 14-year-old girl was hit by a car in West Valley City Tuesday morning. Police say the girl was on her way to school at Kennedy Junior High around 6:45 a.m. when she was hit by a car and thrown onto its hood. She suffered a broken arm. Officers are still investigating the crash and have not said speed was a factor or if the driver will be charged in the incident.

(SALT LAKE COUNTY)—A high-speed chase that covered much of the Salt Lake Valley ended with the suspect’s vehicle in a ditch. Police started chasing the suspect around 11:00 a.m. after spotting him in a stolen pickup in Salt Lake City. The suspect proceeded to lead officers through much of the western part of the valley and briefly onto Bangerter Highway before going into Salt Lake City. Officers say the suspect then rammed three police cars during the chase. The pursuit ended when the man ran the truck off the road, across a field and into a ditch near California Avenue and 4800 West. Officers then took him into custody. Charges are pending.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Republican lawmakers in the Utah House of Representatives are not interested in signing a pledge to avoid tax hikes. Republicans in the Utah state Senate have passed around a sheet to sign, pledging no tax increases in the upcoming legislative session. The 53 GOP members of the House met behind closed doors Monday. House speaker Dave Clark of Santa Clara told the Deseret News most who were in the caucus don’t raise taxes, but they say it’s too early to make that decision. House Majority Leader Kevin Garn of Layton says committing not to increase taxes before the legislative session even begins has hurt in previous years. Clark said GOP leaders generally like Governor Herbert’s $11.3 budget billion proposal budget which calls for a combination of cuts, borrowing instead of paying cash for roads, tapping into the rainy day fund and more. The leaders expect decisions to come, possibly in late February when tax revenue forecasts will be updated and lawmakers have had time to debate those policy questions. The 45-day general legislative session begins January 25.

(JUNCTION) – A former Piute High School basketball coach was sentenced Monday in Sixth District Court for attempted rape and sodomy involving a then 16-year old girl. Court documents said that 31-year old, Lawson Sweat was sentenced on two counts of three years to life in prison for an amended attempted rape and sodomy charge to be served concurrently. Sweat was arrested and charged in January, 2008 for the incidents involving the girl, who was a student at Piute High School. Court Clerks say the girl has since graduated from the high school and is married. Sweat was taken to the Utah State Prison in Draper to begin serving his sentence.

(RICHFIELD) – The Central Utah Public Health Department is announcing the availability of the H1N1 flu vaccine at several clinics throughout the six-county area. A clinic will be held today at the North Sevier High School from 3-6pm and Thursday and Dec. 30 at the Richfield Office from 3-6pm. The clinic will also be held this Thursday and Dec.21st at the Delta Office from 2-5pm and in Fillmore at the Pahvant Senior Center from 3-5pm today and Dec. 22nd. The H1N1 vaccine is available to the general population.

(MORONI) – An elderly Moroni couple were transported to the hospital after hitting a bull elk Friday night on SR-89. A UHP report said that 76-year old, Dale Skinner was traveling northbound in a 2003 Chevy Cavalier, when he hit the elk. The report said that the elk crashed through Skinner’s windshield. Skinner sustained glass cuts and was taken to the Sanpete Valley Hospital for treatment. He was wearing his seatbelt in the accident. His wife, 67-year old, Linda Skinner, also received cuts and was taken to the hospital. UHP said she was wearing her seatbelt.

CINCINNATI (AP)—Dayeesha Hollins had 22 points, including the game-winning layup in the closing seconds and the Michigan Lady Wolverines edged the #8 Xavier Lady Musketeers, 72-71 Monday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. With Michigan trailing 38-33 at half, Hollins scored seven quick points to spearhead a 19-2 run which turned the tide in the Lady Wolverines’ favor. Katie Rutan had 18 points to pace the Lady Musketeers in defeat.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—For all the high moments the Utah Jazz have experienced this season, two losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves have sullied their spirits somewhat. Rookie Jonny Flynn had 28 points, including the game-winning layup with three seconds left and the Timberwolves beat the Jazz for the second time this season with a 110-108 win Monday at EnergySolustions Arena. Although Minnesota has only four wins on the season, two of them have come against Utah. Deron Williams amassed 38 points and 13 assists for the Jazz in the loss, which dropped them to 14-10. In other NBA action Monday, Orlando overpowered Indiana, 106-98, Philadelphia pummeled Golden State, 117-101, Boston outlasted Memphis, 110-105, Dallas edged New Orleans, 94-90, Denver stormed past Oklahoma City, 102-93 and the Los Angeles Clippers got past Washington, 97-95.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The public has until January 6 to comment on a proposed settlement in a lawsuit involving Utah’s air and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The environmental group, WildEarth Guardians, filed a lawsuit in September challenging Utah rules that the group claims let industrial facilities exceed emission limits when pollution-control equipment breaks down. The group wants EPA to tell the state that the provision doesn’t comply with the federal Clean Air Act. The lawsuit was filed by U.S. District Court in Denver and the proposed settlement, published in the Federal Register December 7, would require the EPA to decide by February 2011 whether Utah needs to revise its rules.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A conservative think tank is hoping the Utah Legislature can help protect religionists in Salt Lake City after two discrimination ordinances were passed. These ordinances protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in housing and employment. The think tank, Sunderland Institute, has stated churches and certain other organizations have exemptions. Sunderland president Paul Mero said religious freedom and expressive association protect churches in the event that they don’t want to hire gays or others who don’t live according to a particular religion’s standards. Mero said extending the exemptions would protect certain organizations from being fined if someone they didn’t hire believes it was due to their sexual orientation.

(ST. GEORGE)—The new Fifth Judicial District Courthouse opened its doors Monday. The courthouse, located at 206 W. Tabernacle in downtown St. George, began construction in February 2008 and the 91,374-square foot building includes eight courtrooms for use by the district and juvenile courts and office space for the district and juvenile courts. The property for the courthouse was acquired by the state through a unique three-way trade between the state, city and Washington County school district which gave up land previously allocated to West Elementary School. Employees moved into the new courthouse last week, although the previous telephone numbers will remain unchanged.

(RICHFIELD) – The Fishlake National Forest offices have announced their year-end holiday business hours. The Supervisor’s Office and the Richfield Ranger District in Richfield and the Fremont River Ranger District office in Loa will be closed Friday, Dec. 25th and Friday, Jan. 1, 2010. The offices will be open Monday, Dec. 28th through Thursday, Dec. 31st during regular business hours and will resume regular schedule hours on Monday, Jan. 4th, 2010. The Fillmore Ranger District office will be closed on Dec. 25th and Jan. 1st and will be open Tuesday, Dec. 29th through Dec. 30th and will resume regular business hours on Jan. 4th, 2010. The Beaver Ranger District office will be closed from De. 25th through Jan. 1st , 2010 and will open again on Jan. 4th, 2010.

(EUREKA) – Federal officials are proposing a hefty increase in fees at the Little Sahara Recreation Area (LSRA). Glenn Carpenter with the U.S. BLM says the LSRA has been losing money and taxpayers are left making up the shortfall. Officials said it costs money to run the place for staff, utilities, toilets, camping facilities and other services but visitors have not been paying enough to keep it in the black. Plans include the annual vehicle pass would jump from $75 to $120, the one-day pass, which currently costs $8 per vehicle, $10 on holidays, is being scrapped entirely. Instead, there will be a two-day pass for $25, $30 on holidays or a new seven-day pass for $40. The government plans to sweeten the deal by paving 20 miles of roads in the area at a cost of $7 million

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Peyton Manning tossed four touchdown passes along with three interceptions and won the first game of his career where he’s thrown as many picks in a 28-16 win over the Denver Broncos Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in NFL action. The game was historical in several ways as the Colts won their NFL-record 22nd consecutive regular season game. Nevertheless, the Broncos had some history of their own as Brandon Marshall set the new NFL single game record for receptions as he hauled in 21 for 200 yards and a pair of scores. Early on, it looked as if the Colts would rout the Broncos as they raced out to a 21-0 lead. Nevertheless, Denver scored the next 16 points before Manning orchestrated a drive that consumed much of the remainder of the clock and capped it off with a 1-yard scoring strike to Dallas Clark. The win improved the Colts to 13-0 and gave them home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Meanwhile, the Broncos fell to 8-5, but are still in the wild card playoff hunt. In other NFL action Sunday, Philadelphia outgunned the New York Giants, 45-38, New Orleans held off Atlanta, 26-23, Baltimore decimated Detroit, 48-3, Green Bay downed Chicago, 21-14, Houston hammered Seattle, 34-7, Miami held off Jacksonville, 14-10, Buffalo bested Kansas City, 16-10, Minnesota pounded Cincinnati, 30-10, New England doubled up Carolina, 20-10, the New York Jets bludgeoned Tampa Bay, 26-3, Tennessee torched St. Louis, 47-7, Washington waxed Oakland, 34-13 and San Diego outlasted Dallas, 20-17.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada (AP)—Daniel Sedin, Mason Raymond, Alexandre Burrows and Ryan Kesler each scored and the Vancouver Canucks outlasted the Minnesota Wild, 4-3 Saturday at General Motors Place in NHL action. Kesler’s goal enabled the Canucks to take a 4-2 lead late in the third period while Roberto Luogo stepped up with 38 saves to pace the Canucks, who improved to 18-14 with the win. Shane Hnidy, Greg Zanon and Martin Havlat each scored for the Wild in the loss which dropped them to 15-14-3 on the season. In other NHL action Saturday, New Jersey dismantled Philadelphia, 4-1, the New York Islanders clipped Boston, 3-2 in overtime, Buffalo edged the New York Rangers, 3-2, Ottawa doubled up Carolina, 4-2, Toronto gashed Washington, 6-3, Atlanta tripped up Montreal, 4-3 in overtime, Anaheim stymied Columbus, 3-1, Pittsburgh stonewalled Florida, 3-2 in overtime, Phoenix humbled San Jose, 2-1, and Detroit got past Nashville, 3-2 in overtime.

HOUSTON (AP)—Roman Martinez had 22 points and made a pair of clutch free throws in the closing seconds as the New Mexico Lobos edged the #18 Texas A&M Aggies, 84-81 Saturday in Top 25 men’s college basketball action at Toyota Center. Darington Hobson had 18 points for the Lobos while Dairese Gary added 14 more for a New Mexico squad which is 10-0 for the first time in 14 years. Donald Sloan’s 29 points led the way for the Aggies who fell to 8-2 with the loss. In other Top 25 action Saturday, #1 Kansas smacked LaSalle, 90-65, #2 Texas dismantled Texas State, 87-54, #4 Kentucky crushed Indiana, 90-73, #5 Purdue tripped up Alabama, 73-65, #7 West Virginia stonewalled Coppin State, 69-43, #10 North Carolina decimated Presbyterian, 103-64, #13 Georgetown bested #16 Washington, 74-66, #20 Butler humbled #15 Ohio State, 74-66, Kansas State upset #17 Nevada-Las Vegas, 95-80, #22 Gonzaga outgunned Davidson, 103-91 and #23 Wisconsin waxed Marquette, 72-63.

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP)—Brandon Simister had 14 points and the Desert Hills Thunder stormed past the Richfield Wildcats, 57-46 Saturday in non-region boys basketball action. Robert Torgerson’s 15 points led the way in defeat for Richfield.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Jared Reed had 21 points and Justin Olsen added 20 more as the Manila Mustangs downed the Escalante Moquis, 70-47 at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday. Paul Sorenson had 16 points in the loss for Escalante.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Caden Andersen had 26 points for the Rich Rebels in a 62-35 pasting of the Valley Buffaloes Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center. Lance Maxwell’s 19 points led the way for Valley.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Dallin Duncan’s 17 points led the way for Monticello Buckaroos as they edged the Piute Thunderbirds, 43-39 at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday. Tyson Westwood had 12 points in the loss for Piute.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Dane Rhoades had 16 points while Robbie Giles added 14 more as the Tabiona Tigers overpowered the Panguitch Bobcats, 45-36 Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center. Zach Brophy had 11 points for Panguitch in the loss.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Jason Johnson had 29 points to lead the way for the Green River Pirates in a narrow 64-61 win over the Bryce Valley Mustangs at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday. Kam Roundy had 22 points for the Mustangs, while Kace Roundy added 17 more for Bryce Valley.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Cason Chappell’s 15 points led the way for the Wayne Badgers in a 68-21 rout of the Christian Heritage Crusaders Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center.

GRANTSVILLE, Utah (AP)—Brooke Bliss had 21 points for the Richfield Lady Wildcats in a 61-40 win over the Grantsville Cowgirls Saturday in non-region girls basketball action.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—McKenzee Murdock had 11 points to lead the North Summit Lady Braves to a 48-39 victory over the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs in non-region girls basketball action Saturday. Sara Brown had 11 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs in defeat.

ST. LOUIS (AP)—Gilbert Brule scored a pair of goals and the Edmonton Oilers overcame a 3-0 deficit to surge past the St. Louis Blues, 5-3 Friday at Scottrade Center. The Blues got off to their hot start behind the efforts of David Backes who scored two early goals and another score goal from T.J. Oshie. Nevertheless, the Oilers seized momentum after Brule’s first goal and scored four times in the third period to put the game out of reach. The win improved Edmonton to 15-13-4 on the season, while St. Louis fell to 13-12-5. In other NHL action Friday, Florida doubled up New Jersey, 4-2, Washington ousted Carolina, 4-3 in overtime, Buffalo stonewalled Chicago, 2-1, Detroit edged Anaheim, 3-2 in overtime, Minnesota humbled Calgary, 2-1 in overtime, Colorado downed Tampa Bay, 2-1 in overtime and Dallas stymied San Jose, 3-2 in overtime.

PHOENIX (AP)—Amare Stoudemire posted 28 points and 10 boards and made several key plays down the stretch as the Phoenix Suns held off the Orlando Magic, 106-103 Friday at U.S. Airways Center. Steve Nash added 20 points and 18 assists for the Suns who improved to 8-0 despite blowing a 19-point first half lead. The Magic, who were coming off a debilitating loss at Utah Thursday started off slow, but caught fire in the 3rd Quarter behind the prolific play of Mickael Pietrus (23 points, eight rebounds)and Rashard Lewis (24 points, six rebounds). After Orlando took a six point lead midway through the 4th Quarter, Stoudemire and Jason Richardson (16 points) each made several big shots to turn the tide back in Phoenix’s favor. The win improved the Suns to 16-7 on the season, while the Magic fell to 17-6. In other NBA action Friday, Indiana hammered New Jersey, 107-91, Houston downed Philadelphia, 96-91, Atlanta bested Toronto, 111-89, Dallas gashed Miami, 106-93, New York stymied New Orleans, 113-96, Chicago tripped up Golden State, 96-91 in overtime, Cleveland surged past Portland, 104-99, Oklahoma City tripped up Memphis, 102-94, San Antonio crushed Charlotte, 104-85, and the Los Angeles Lakers stonewalled Minnesota, 104-92.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Traffic on Interstate 80 at 1300 East in Salt Lake City has been restricted to two center lanes in both directions due to a downed utility line. Crews have now completed the last phase of the restricting of the line across the freeway. The Utah Department of Transportation says drivers can expect heavy delays for eastbound traffic and cautioned motorists to watch out for intermittent slowdowns. All lanes are expected to be open for the afternoon commute.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah state lawmakers are set to receive new taxpayer-paid cell phones next week. The Deseret News reported the money for these BlackBerrys, plus funds for new computers the lawmakers received earlier this year, was approved years ago when the state had extra money. The state currently faces up to $1 billion in deficits while the new cell phone and service contract will cost around $145,000 a year, which is actually cheaper than the previous one. All the phones have GPS systems, but lawmakers who use it will pay for it themselves. They are also expected to pay for other extras such as international calls.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah Transit Authority is gearing up for its regular service to ski areas. Bus service to Little Cottonwood Canyon and Big Cottonwood Canyon will start Sunday. The routes serve Alta, Brighton, Snowbird and Solitude while UTA provides service to Sundae Ski Resort in Utah County as well. Connections for the buses can be made in downtown Salt Lake City, the University of Utah and at several TRAX stops along the Wasatch Front.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett has voted in favor of an amendment in the Senate health care bill to restrict the use of federal funding for abortion coverage. Bennett said it’s been a federal standard for 33 years that taxpayer dollars will not be used to pay for abortions. He said the Democrat’s plan is an attempt to reverse that standard. Bennett, along with Senators Orrin Hatch and Ben Nelson of Nebraska, co-sponsored the amendment that would ensure the legislation never makes it into the bill. Bennett said the vote this week is an example of how the Democrats are ignoring the voices of Americans when it comes to reforming health care. In 1976, Congress passed the Hyde amendment, which prohibits public funds from covering abortion. The amendment failed 54 to 45, six votes short of the 60 votes needed to pass the measure.

(MESQUITE, NV.) – An Indiana man wanted for the killing of his would-be bride has been apprehended in Mesquite, NV. Mesquite police spokesman Robert Everett said Thursday that 57-year old, Steven Farrell of Lafayette, IN. was captured outside a laundromat in the southeastern town Wednesday night. He said police responded to a call to check out an intoxicated man who had been staying at the Valley Inn Motel in Mesquite. Acting with a search warrant, Mesquite detectives searched Farrell’s room and retrieved evidence that Everett said would be turned over to Indiana authorities. He was arrested at the laundromat without incident. Farrell was wanted for the slaying of his fiancee, Christine Craig and had been on the run since Nov. 27. Washington County Deputies also said that Farrell may have been spotted in Veyo in southwestern Utah recently. They also said Farrell may have had a home in Enterprise. Police reports said that Farrell shot his fiancee alongside a rural road in Benton County. The slaying, which allegedly took place during an argument, was purportedly witnessed by the victim’s 16-year old daughter.

(DELTA) – An 18-year old aviation student at Utah Valley University crashed landed his airplane just outside of Delta Thursday afternoon. Millard County Sheriff’s Deputies reported that Marcus Burr was flying back to Provo from Cedar City at about 3pm, when he attempted to perform a “touch and go” maneuver at the Delta airport and crashed. Deputies said the plane’s engine died in the attempt about a mile off the runway. Burr tried to restart the engine but was unsuccessful and glided the aircraft into a landing. The report said the plane came to a stop after running into an old irrigation ditch. Burr was not injured in the incident and minimal damage was done to the aircraft. The FAA continues to investigate the crash.

MANTI, Utah (AP)—Sarah Madsen had 16 points for the American Leadership Lady Eagles in a 42-38 win over the Manti Lady Templars Thursday in non-region girls basketball action. Shauri Lyon had 12 points in the loss for Manti.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)—Kiz Farrer and Tessa Bradford each had 12 points as the Juab Lady Wasps downed the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 39-34 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday. McKinzie Robins had 13 points in the loss for North Sevier.

MESQUITE, Nev. (AP)—Kalani Norris’ 22 points led the way for the Panguitch Lady Bobcats in a 51-30 rout of the Virgin Valley (Nev.) Lady Bulldogs, 51-30 Thursday in non-region girls basketball action.

WASHINGTON, Utah (AP)—Brittany Griffiths had 16 points but it wasn’t enough as the Beaver Lady Beavers fell to the Pine View Lady Panthers, 49-36 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday. Julia Chipman and Kiersten Messinger each had 13 points in the win for Pine View.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)—Dayna Monroe had nine points to lead the way for the South Sevier Lady Rams in a 27-26 win over the Cedar Lady Reds Thursday in non-region girls basketball action.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)—Caitlin Hatch’s 10 points led all scorers as the South Summit Lady Wildcats got past the Millard Lady Eagles, 36-24 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday. Krystyn Stevens had eight points in the loss for Millard.

SPANISH FORK, Utah (AP)—Erin Redd’s 14 points led the way for the Spanish Fork Lady Dons in a 44-38 win over the North Sanpete Lady Hawks Thursday in non-region girls basketball action. Erica Draper had 13 points to pace the Lady Hawks in defeat.

HEBER CITY, Utah (AP)—Katrina Baird posted 18 points as the Wasatch Lady Wasps outlasted the Delta Lady Rabbits, 43-40 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday. Kaity Diaz’ 19 points led all scorers in the loss for Delta.

SANDY, Utah (AP)—Jeannie Woller had 13 points and Laura Lee Judd added 11 more as the Waterford Lady Ravens overpowered the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 42-26 Thursday in non-region girls basketball action. Cami Carlisle had six points in the loss for Gunnison.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Deron Williams amassed 32 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds and the Utah Jazz torched the Orlando Magic, 120-111 Thursday in NBA action at EnergySolutions Arena. Despite falling behind 35-22 at the end of the 1st Quarter, the Jazz managed to hang around and seized control for good in the 3rd Quarter by virtue of a 38-21 run to take a 90-81 lead headed into the last stanza. Additionally, C.J. Miles provided 22 points off the bench for the Jazz, while Carlos Boozer chipped in with 20 points and 14 boards for Utah. The Magic, who fell to 17-5, were led by Vince Carter’s 34 points in defeat. In other NBA action Thursday, Detroit edged Denver, 101-99 and Boston held off Washington, 104-102.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Rick Jackson posted a career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds and the #6 Syracuse Orange bested the #11 Florida Gators, 85-73 Thursday in men’s Top 25 college basketball action at the St. Pete Times Forum. Andy Rautins added 18 points for Syracuse, while Wes Johnson chipped in with 17 points and 10 boards to pace the Orange, who improved to 9-0 with the win. Kenny Boynton posted 20 points and amassed five 3-pointers in the loss for the Gators, which dropped them to 8-1. In other Top 25 action Thursday, #14 Michigan State overpowered Oakland, 88-57 and #19 Cincinnati outlasted Miami (Ohio), 63-59.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A Utah man charged with running an $100 million Ponzi scheme pleaded not guilty to 22 federal charges Thursday. Rick Koerber was arraigned Thursday by U.S. Magistrate David Nuffer. The 36-year-old Koerber has been indicted on charges of running an investment scheme from 2004 through 2008 and pocketing some of the money from hundreds of investors. Prosecutors say Koerber was paying early investors interest on money he raised from successive recruits and never made a profit on any real estate dealings. Koerber has vigorously denied the government’s accusations against him.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A boy accused of killing a man at a West Valley golf course will be tried as an adult. Thursday, a 3rd District Court judge granted the prosecution’s request to try 15-year-old Antoine Hunter Farani as an adult for the murder of JoJo Brandstatt. Police say Brandstatt was killed February 5 while they believe the murder was gang-related and was motivated because Brandstatt was wearing the wrong color. Farani was 14 at the time of the murder. His arraignment on adult murder charges is slated for December 13 and the judge has set the bail at $1 million.

(PROVO)—The Provo office of the Census Bureau is looking to hire 1,200 people to knock on doors between March and July 2010. The office is in charge of counting residents from 20 counties and their area of work spans from Provo to St. George. The Provo bureau is one of three Utah offices charged with tracking the state’s population for the 2010 Census. Applicants will be asked to take a basic skills test, while those who score highest will be hired first.

(CEDAR CITY)—A Cedar City man will stand trial on charges he murdered his wife. The 24-year-old Tristan Jared Lamoreaux is accused of shooting his wife in the head five times during a fight August 23. At the time of the fight, Lamoreaux claimed his wife was trying to kill herself and the gun went off as he tried to wrestle it away from her. Lamoreaux has also been charged with possession of a firearm by a restricted person and fleeing from police.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Nigel Dawes, Olli Jokinen and Rene Bourque each scored and the Calgary Flames tripped up the Atlanta Thrashers, 3-1 Wednesday in NHL action at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Jarome Iginla added a pair of saves while Mikka Kiprusoff posted 24 saves for Calgary as the Flames improved to 19-8-3 on the season. Colby Armstrong had the sole goal for the Thrashers in the loss which dropped them to 15-10-3. In other NHL action Wednesday, Buffalo blanked Washington, 3-0, New Jersey doubled up Carolina, 4-2, Toronto edged the New York Islanders, 3-2, Columbus smoked Florida, 3-0, St. Louis outlasted Detroit, 1-0, Edmonton ousted Tampa Bay, 3-2, Chicago tripped up the New York Rangers, 2-1 in overtime, Minnesota gashed Colorado, 1-0 and Los Angeles surged past San Jose, 5-4 in overtime.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP)—Bryquis Perine had 22 points and Troy Cotton nailed a key 3-pointer in overtime as the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix downed the #23 Wisconsin Badgers, 88-84 Wednesday at Resch Center in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. Rahmon Fletcher added 18 points for the Phoenix who improved to 9-2 on the season with the win. Trevon Hughes paced the Badgers with a career-high 27 points in the loss which dropped them to 6-2. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #1 Kansas smacked Radford, 99-64, #3 Villanova surged past Saint Joseph’s, 97-89, #4 Kentucky edged #12 Connecticut, 64-61, #5 Purdue crushed Valparaiso, 86-62, #7 West Virginia hammered Duquesne, 68-39, and #22 Gonzaga bludgeoned Augustana (Ill.), 79-40.

MANTI, Utah (AP)—Brandon Garrett had 20 points and Kyler Nielson added 15 more as the Cedar Redmen got past the Manti Templars, 54-46 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action. Russ Hugentobler had 19 points for the Templars, while Kyle Moore added 16 more for Manti.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Tanner Procarione had 22 points and Nevin Jensen added 20 more as the Emery Spartans overpowered the Kanab Cowboys, 74-58 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday. Craig Brinkerhoff posted 21 points in the loss for Kanab.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)—Lance Maxwell amassed 20 points and Clay Williams added 15 more as the Valley Buffaloes got past the Millard Eagles, 59-53 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action. Mike Louder’s 15 points paced Millard in defeat.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Brooks Leach led all scorers with 27 points and the Panguitch Bobcats stormed past the Beaver Beavers, 52-34 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday. Jordan Carter’s 12 points led the way for Beaver in the loss.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Drew Despain had 16 points, while Drayson Ball added 15 more and the Gunnison Bulldogs surged past the Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s Winged Lions, 52-46 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday. Matt Bossart had 20 points in the loss for the Winged Lions.

DELTA, Utah (AP)—Dillon Bishoff posted 17 points and nailed a pair of 3-pointers to lead the South Sevier Rams to a 54-46 win over the Delta Rabbits Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action at the Palladium. Taylor Shamo paced Delta with 13 points in the loss.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)—Kalani Norris had 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Panguitch Lady Bobcats to a 54-42 win over the Valley Lady Buffaloes on Region 20 girls basketball action Wednesday. Kayla Maxwell’s 15 points led the way in the loss for Valley.

(RICHFIELD) – Dozens of Richfield residents have filed complaints with the city concerning property in violation of the nuisance ordinance. Owners of the property, Jessie and Rose Christensen, appeared before the city council at Tuesday’s meeting, to explain why their property, located at 348 North 400 East, is in disrepair. Jessie commented he works a graveyard shift and had no time to clean up the property, along with winter weather causing problems. Enforcement Officer Charles Billingsley says the property has been in violation of the nuisance ordinance for several months prior to the weather turning cold. He said the confrontations between the Christensen’s and himself were so heated that he had to bring along a peace officer to serve notice. After discussion, Richfield Mayor Brad Ramsay, along with councilmembers, gave the Christensen’s until March 1 to clean up their property or court proceedings will follow.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Gunnison Valley High School and the South Sanpete School District have announced that GVHS head football coach Rhett Jackson has retired. Jackson has been the football coach at Gunnison High for the past 16 years and was instrumental in maintaining and building a program bereft of many of the resources other schools have. Jackson will remain as a teacher at Gunnison High while the school board will consider all available options for his replacement in the coming months.

(LEHI)—A small plane crashed near Interstate 15 near Thanksgiving Point in Lehi Wednesday afternoon. The wreckage sits atop a strip of land west of I-15 between southbound lanes of the interstate and the Alpine off-ramp. The off-ramp has since been closed. The plane went down around 2:00 p.m. The pilot was injured, but the extent of injuries is unknown while he is waiting to be transported to the hospital by helicopter. According to the plane’s tail number, it is a 1960 Beech 35-33, a fixed-wing, single-engine plane, owned by Omni Air LLC out of Washington, Utah. Southbound traffic has been backed up to the point of the mountain at the present moment.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—There is growing support among Republicans wanting to raise Utah’s tobacco tax. Senator Allen Christensen of Ogden wants to raise the tax from just over 69 cents a pack to $2. The Utah Alliance for Tobacco-Free Living says the move would make more than 13,000 kids quit smoking and deter another 19,000. The group says 60 percent of state Republicans support the tax increase.

(ROOSEVELT)—A former nurse at a facility for troubled teens in Roosevelt is now accused of sexually abusing some of them. Geary David Oakes has been charged with forcible sexual abuse and forcible sodomy in connection with alleged sex acts with two of his 15-year-old charges. One of the alleged victims claims Oakes gave him pain medication in exchange for sex. Oakes was fired after charges were filed and he is currently being held at the Duchesne County Jail.

(OGDEN)—Weber State University is closing its community education program. Brian Stecklein, the associate dean for continuing education, says the school is eliminating the program because it needs to make budget cuts. The program offered classes to community members wanting to learn new skills such as Dutch-oven cooking. Stecklein said the classes were open to anyone, but were aimed toward older adults. He said the university tried to scale back the classes, but it still couldn’t afford the remaining ones. About 600 people were enrolled as students and the cut will save the school about $30,000.

(Manti) Snow College has weathered legislative budget cuts so far, but could face another round of reductions if state revenues remain low. According to Greg Dart, Director of Admissions and Communications at the college, the state required a seventeen percent cut in the schools budget, but refunded half of that with stimulus money. The one time money and a twenty-four percent increase in enrollment has allowed the school to continue to operate at a near normal level. The concern is that more cuts will be mandated, which would require more drastic measures at the school. Governor Herbert is expected to release his proposed budget soon, and the legislature will take up the issue after the new year. According to Dart, there are three possible avenues that the legislature may take. They may keep the cut at seventeen percent which the school has managed to meet without significant negative impact. Another possible option is one time money to refund a portion of the cut, and the final possibility is additional cuts which school officials are hoping to avoid. School President Scott Wyatt commented that this has been a difficult year, and a difficult decade for the college, but not the hardest in its history. He also said that they will make it through these tough times and be all the better for it.

(RICHFIELD) – A long-awaited contract for the design of the Richfield Airport has finally been approved by the Richfield City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting. Business Administrator, Woody Farnsworth says after several years of planning, the city has selected Creamer and Noble, Inc. of St. George to be the designer. Farnsworth said Creamer and Noble designed the new additions to the St. George airport and are considered by authorities as the premier designers of airports in many areas. During the discussion at the city council meeting, councilmembers were concerned over the $1.4-million price tag for the design of the airport but representatives said the company would not invoice the city on work performed until funds were made available by the FAA and other entities.

(RICHFIELD) – A hazardous travel warning has been issued for motorists on state roads and highways throughout much of the state today. UDOT road personnel say conditions are treacherous and unsafe. Sanpete County was hit with heavy snow with the two storms that moved through South-Central Utah causing road-slick travel on SR-31. Utah Highway Patrol is warning motorists to slow down and travel safely during the cold snap and icy road conditions.

PITTSBURGH (AP)—Taneisha Harrison posted a career-high 27 points and the #15 Pittsburgh Lady Panthers pummeled the Valparaiso Lady Crusaders, 77-52 Tuesday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Shayla Scott added 13 more points for the Lady Panthers, while Valpo was led by Betsy Adams’ 18 points, each of which came on 3-pointers. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #4 Notre Dame hammered IPFW, 96-60, #5 Texas A&M crushed North Texas, 108-49, #11 North Carolina overpowered Radford, 74-48, #13 Georgia smacked Tennessee State, 71-50 and #19 Virginia dismantled Furman, 74-43.

DALLAS (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki amassed 33 points and eight rebounds while Josh Howard had 18 of his 20 points in the second half as the Dallas Mavericks outlasted the Phoenix Suns, 102-101 Tuesday at American Airlines Center in NBA action. The win was a return to normalcy for the usually prolific Mavs, who scored only 75 points in their last outing, a defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. Ex-Phoenix Sun Shawn Marion added 10 points and seven boards for the Mavericks, while Jason Terry added 15 points for Dallas. Steve Nash had 27 points and eight assists for the Suns in one of his better performances thus far on the season. The win improved Dallas to 15-7 on the season, while Phoenix fell to 15-7. In other NBA action Tuesday, Toronto downed Minnesota, 99-84, Charlotte humbled Denver, 107-95, Boston held off Milwaukee, 98-89, New Orleans edged Sacramento, 96-94, New Jersey got past Chicago, 103-101, Memphis upset Cleveland, 111-09 in overtime and Orlando bested the Los Angeles Clippers, 97-86.

(WASHINGTON)—About 24,000 Amby Baby Motion Beds are being recalled after two infant deaths. The hammock-like beds are marketed to parents of fussy babies with colic or reflux. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause an infant to roll and become trapped or wedged against the hammock’s mattress or fabric pad, posing a suffocation risk to babies. Two infants suffocated in such hammocks this summer. The beds are made by Amby Baby USA of Minneapolis.

(WASHINGTON)—The Obama Administration says it will spend more than $3 billion to settle a long-running and contentious lawsuit over royalties owed to American Indians. President Barack Obama handled the settlement of the case, known as Cobell v. Salazar, as an important step in reconciling Indian tribes and the federal government. Under the agreement announced Tuesday, the Interior Department will distribute $1.4 billion to more than 300,000 tribe members to compensate them for historical accounting claims and to resolve future claims. Additionally, the department will spend $2 billion to buy back and consolidate tribal land lost by previous generations. The program will allow individual tribe members to cash payments for divided land interests and free up the land for the benefit of tribal communities. The proposed settlement still must be approved by Congress and a federal court judge.

(CEDAR CITY)—An Iron County man has been found guilty of two counts of aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of two men in 2007. The Spectrum in St. George says a jury found 45-year-old Martin Chris Nelson of Beryl guilty on Tuesday. Jurors started their deliberations Monday afternoon. Police have stated Derek Davis and Chad Grijalva, both 34, were shot eight times in the torso and found buried in a shallow grave on Nelson’s property, 40 miles west of Cedar City. The jury trial lasted six days while Nelson was also found guilty of a charge of theft by receiving stolen property. Sentencing in 5th District Court is slated for February 5 while Nelson could possibly face the death penalty.

(ST. GEORGE) – An Indiana man accused of shooting and killing his would-be bride may have been spotted in southern Utah. According to the Indiana State Police, 57-year old, Steven Farrell of Lafayette, IN., had been dating 40-year old, Christine Craig for years and asked her to meet him on a rural road in Benton County on Nov. 27th. The report stated that Farrell allegedly shot her to death in front of one of her family members. The two had planned to be wed soon. Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies had unconfirmed reports that Farrell may have been seen in the Veyo area recently. Deputies say Farrell was reported to have had a home in Enterprise. He is described as 5-foot, 11-inches tall, 200 pounds, with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes. He was last seen driving a silver 2008 Toyota Tundra pickup with Indiana plates “IN GOD WE TRUST” ZM-9064. Farrell is considered armed and dangerous.

(ST. GEORGE) – The new 5th Judicial District courthouse in St. George will open Dec. 14. The 91,734 square-foot facility includes eight courtrooms, plus office space for judges and court staff, juvenile probation officers, mediators and the Office of the Guardian ad Litem. The $29-million building also has a secure holding area for prisoner transport and cells adjacent to the courtrooms. The layout will prevent interaction between prisoners and the public or court staff. Construction of the building, located at 206 Tabernacle Street, began in February of 2008 and will accommodate more courtrooms as Washington County grows. Employees will move into the new courthouse this Thursday and Friday. Court offices will be closed all day Friday.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett is holding a news conference today to introduce a bill to prevent the Troubled Asset Relief Program from being used as a second “stimulus” bill. Bennett, along with Sen. John Thune of South Dakota and David Vitter, will hold the news conference at 1pm MDT at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. The senators will discuss their opposition to the Obama administration’s potential plan to use unspent TARP funds for another “stimulus” bill. Bennett and Thune recently introduced legislation that would sunset TARP at the end of the year to prevent the Treasury Secretary from extending the program.

(EPHRAIM) – A Manti man was taken to the hospital Monday morning after losing consciousness due to a medical problem while traveling on SR-89 north of Ephraim. A UHP report said that 60-year old, Harold Henriod was traveling northbound in a 1992 Chevy Silverado, when he crossed southbound lanes and went off the west side of the road at about 9:30am. The report said Henriod went through two fences, coming to rest in a field. He was transported to the Gunnison Valley Hospital for observation and treatment. There was no report on any injuries in the mishap.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Scott Parse and Jarrett Stoll each had goals and Jonathan Quick posted 26 saves as the Los Angeles Kings doubled up the Calgary Flames, 2-1 Monday at STAPLES Center in NHL action. After Parse’s goal, Calgary tied things up at 1-1 on a Curtis Glencross goal but after Stoll’s score, the usually prolific Flames failed to find the net for the remainder of the game. Mikka Kiprusoff added 15 saves to bolster Calgary in the loss which dropped them to 18-8-3, while the Kings improved to 18-10-3. In other NHL action Monday, New Jersey blanked Buffalo, 3-0, Toronto tripped up Atlanta, 5-2, Montreal bested Philadelphia, 3-1, Carolina downed Pittsburgh, 3-2, Washington stonewalled Tampa Bay, 3-0, Edmonton stymied Florida, 3-2 in a shootout, Colorado pummeled St. Louis, 4-0, and Phoenix waxed Minnesota, 2-0.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Carlos Boozer ensued in his recent excellence by posting 27 points and seven rebounds and the Utah Jazz downed the San Antonio Spurs for the third time this season with a 104-101 win Monday at EnergySolutions Arena. Additionally, Deron Williams added 15 of his 17 points in the second half while making eight of his 10 shots as well as dishing out 11 assists. After San Antonio led by double digits in the first half, the Jazz turned the tide with a 37-19 surge in the 3rd Quarter while they had just enough left in the tank in the 4th Quarter to pull out the thriller. Matt Bonner had 28 points and eight boards in the loss for San Antonio, which dropped them to 9-9. Meanwhile, the Jazz improved to 12-7 with the win. In other NBA action Monday, Denver downed Philadelphia, 93-83, New York ousted Portland, 93-84 and Oklahoma City pummeled Golden State, 104-88.

(NORTH OGDEN)—The school day got off to a rough start for Ben Lomond High School students, thanks to a broken water pipe. School officials say the pipe broke before classes began Monday morning, flooding one of the commons areas in the school. As students arrived, they were sent to the gym where they stayed until the mess was cleaned up. School officials sent students home at 12:30 p.m. because they are now having trouble maintaining heat at the school.

(RICHFIELD) – The Central Utah Public Health Department in Richfield is offering the H1N1 flu vaccine to the general population in the six-county area. The vaccine will be given on Tuesday at the Richfield Office from 3-6pm and also Dec. 15th at the North Sevier High School in Salina from 3-6pm. H1N1 vaccines will also be given on an availability basis in Piute County Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 5pm at the Junction Office and in Wayne County at the Loa Office. In Millard County, the vaccine will be available this Tuesday from 3-5pm at the Pahvant Senior Center in Fillmore and at the Delta Office this Thursday from 2-5pm at the Delta Office. The vaccine will also be made available today (Monday) from 3-6pm at the Ephraim Middle School.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett spoke on the Senate floor Saturday concerning flaws with the Democrat’s health care bill. Bennett is calling for Democrats to vote their conscience on the bill. He highlighted Utah’s health care model, saying the Democrats’ bill would destroy the successful progress already made in Utah to improve quality and drive down costs of care. Bennett said the “reform” bill will also raise taxes, boost premiums and cut nearly a trillion dollars from Medicare.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Correll Buckhalter ran for 113 yards on only 12 carries and the Denver Broncos scored the most points in franchise history at Arrowhead Stadium with a 44-13 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday in NFL action. The Broncos, who have traditionally struggled at Kansas City, managed to take a 14-6 lead at halftime by virtue of a 7-yard touchdown reception by Daniel Graham from Kyle Orton (15 of 25, 180 yards, 2 TD’s, INT) and a 2-yard scoring run by Knowshon Moreno. In the second half, the Broncos proceeded to blow the game open as Orton tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, Andre’ Goodman returned a fumble 30 yards for a score and Matt Prater nailed a pair of field goals. Additionally, the Broncos’ defense remained solid as they surrendered only 222 yards of offense on the day and forced three turnovers. The win improved the Broncos to 8-4 on the season, while Kansas City slumped to 3-9. The Broncos next travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts, while the Chiefs will host Buffalo. In other NFL action Sunday, Philadelphia crushed Atlanta, 34-7, Carolina humbled Tampa Bay, 16-6, Chicago downed St. Louis, 17-9, Cincinnati stormed past Detroit, 23-13, Indianapolis bested Tennessee, 27-17, Jacksonville got past Houston, 23-18, Miami edged New England, 22-21, Oakland upset Pittsburgh, 27-24, New Orleans clipped Washington, 33-30, San Diego tripped up Cleveland, 30-23, the New York Giants ousted Dallas, 31-24, Seattle snuck past San Francisco, 20-17 and Arizona humbled Minnesota, 30-17.

DALLAS (AP)—Shawn Horcoff scored in the fifth round of a shootout and Jeff Deslauriers denied four of five Dallas Stars shooters as the Edmonton Oilers edged Dallas, 3-2 Saturday at American Airlines Center in NHL action. Jamie Benn and James Neal gave Dallas an early 2-0 lead in the first period, while the Oilers received goals from Lubomir Visnovsky and Ladislav Smid to tie things up at the end of regulation. The win improved the Oilers to 12-13-4 on the season, while Dallas fell to 13-8-8. In other NHL action Saturday, Carolina ousted Vancouver, 5-3, St. Louis surged past Los Angeles, 5-4 in a shootout, Boston hammered Toronto, 7-2, the New York Rangers doubled up Buffalo, 2-1, New Jersey clipped Detroit, 4-3 in a shootout, Washington decimated Philadelphia, 8-2, Atlanta got past Florida, 3-2, Colorado humbled Columbus, 3-2, Chicago stonewalled Pittsburgh, 2-1 in a shootout, Tampa Bay blanked the New York Islanders, 4-0, Minnesota gashed Nashville, 5-3, Calgary defeated San Jose, 2-1 and Phoenix tripped up Ottawa, 3-2.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP)—Oscar Bellfield amassed 15 points and six rebounds while Tre’Von Willis hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the closing moments as the #21 Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels outlasted the Santa Clara Broncos, 66-63 Saturday at Leavey Center in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. The Rebels, who have defeated traditional powers Louisville and Arizona in the past seven days, received perhaps their toughest test of the season against the scrappy Broncos. Marc Trasolini had 22 points to pace Santa Clara in defeat. The win improved the Rebels to 7-0, while the Broncos fell to 4-4. In other Top 25 action Saturday, #4 Kentucky edged #11 North Carolina, 68-66, #5 Duke ousted St. John’s, 80-71, #6 Purdue crushed Buffalo, 101-65, #7 Syracuse decimated Maine, 101-55, #14 Georgetown pummeled American U., 73-46, #15 Ohio State obliterated Eastern Michigan, 111-60, Wake Forest upset #16 Gonzaga, 77-75, Charlotte embarrassed #18 Louisville, 87-65, #20 Butler drilled Valparaiso, 84-67, #23 Georgia Tech dismantled USC, 79-53 and #25 California stymied Iowa State, 82-63.

DUCHESNE, Utah (AP)—Marty Burt had 15 points and the Duchesne Eagles hammered the Escalante Moquis, 63-41 Saturday in non-region boys basketball action. Cody Barney’s 12 points led the way in the loss for Escalante.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Craig Brinkerhoff amassed 23 points and the Kanab Cowboys got past the San Juan Broncos, 55-47 at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Brady Vernon had 16 points and the North Summit Braves torched the Beaver Beavers, 54-33 Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center. Robbie Gurr’s 12 points led the way for Beaver.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Isaac Pedroza had 26 points, including 3 3-pointers and the Layton Christian Eagles outlasted the North Sevier Wolves, 62-60 at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday. Derrick Christensen’s 26 points led the way for North Sevier in defeat.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Ajay Pizza had 22 points and Morgan Hesleph added 17 more as the Juan Diego Soaring Eagle ousted the Manti Templars, 63-54 in overtime at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday. Kyle Moore’s 17 points led the way for Manti in defeat.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Rhett Bird amassed 26 points, including four 3-pointers and the North Sanpete Hawks got past the Canyon View Falcons, 51-45 Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center. Jordan Sanders’ 13 points led Canyon View in the loss.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Jace Mecham posted 13 points and the South Sevier Rams edged the Enterprise Wolves, 54-50 at the Sevier Valley Center Saturday.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Mike Brown amassed 21 points, while Trevor Bamgartner added 17 more as the Wasatch Wasps bludgeoned the Richfield Wildcats, 65-40 Saturday at the Sevier Valley Center. David Bean posted 18 points for the Wildcats, while Tyler Thomas added 17 more.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)—Eddie Dunham amassed 20 points, while Kam Roundy added 14 more as the Bryce Valley Mustangs stonewalled the Monument Valley Cougars, 73-42 Saturday at the Ruby’s Inn Invitational.

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)—Joey Dutson had 16 points, and Nick Nissen added 15 more as the Delta Rabbits outlasted the Parowan Rams, 68-63 Saturday at the Southern Utah Invitational at the Centrum.

MANTI, Utah (AP)—Jessica Madsen led all scorers with 25 points and the Duchesne Lady Eagles torched the Manti Lady Templars, 60-37 in non-region girls basketball action Saturday. Tauni McFarland had 10 points to lead Manti in the loss.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)—Kaylea Shakespeare had 12 points and the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs downed the Milford Lady Tigers, 48-22 at the Ruby’s Inn Invitational Saturday.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Tracy Pontius had 19 points and the Bowling Green Lady Falcons downed the #14 Vanderbilt Lady Commodores, 66-60 Friday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Tamika Nurse added 15 points for the Lady Falcons, while making three 3-pointers and Lauren Prochaska added 14 more for Bowling Green. Jence Rhoads had 13 of her 17 points in the second half for Vanderbilt, while the Lady Commodores trailed by as much as 18 in the latter stanza. The win improved the Lady Falcons to 5-2 on the season, while Vanderbilt suffered its first defeat of the season, falling to 6-1. In other Top 25 action Friday, #13 Arizona State got past Idaho State, 65-56, #23 DePaul bested Illinois-Chicago, 67-56 and #24 Dayton decimated Milwaukee, 86-52.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Carlos Boozer had 35 points and 13 rebounds and rookie Wesley Matthews added 18 points as the Utah Jazz clipped the Indiana Pacers, 96-87 Friday at Energy Solutions Arena. The Jazz, who came out with retro green uniforms to honor the movement of “going green,” started out red hot as they built a 34-12 lead at the end of the 1st Quarter. Nevertheless, the resilient Pacers didn’t back down and behind the clutch play of Danny Granger (26 points, eight rebounds) and Troy Murphy (16 points, 10 boards), they pulled to within four late in the 4th Quarter. Nevertheless, Boozer ensued in his inspired play of late and made numerous big plays in the closing minutes to lead Utah to their 11th win of the season. In other NBA action Friday, Toronto edged Washington, 109-107, New York tripped up Atlanta, 114-107, New Orleans got past Minnesota, 98-89, Cleveland smoked Chicago, 101-87, Detroit downed Milwaukee, 105-96, New Jersey bested Charlotte, 97-91, Boston stormed past Oklahoma City, 105-87, Memphis embarrassed Dallas, 98-82 and the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted Miami, 108-107.

(JOSEPH) – Two Moab men were taken to the hospital with unknown injuries after a rollover on I-70 near Joseph today at about 3pm. According to a UHP report, 83-year old, James Stolzfus was traveling westbound when his 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser drifted off the right shoulder and rolled. The report said Stolzfus was wearing his seatbelt and transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center for treatment. His passenger, 67-year old, Floyd Humphreys, was not wearing his seatbelt and was also taken to the hospital with possible injuries. UHP said the driver was cited for improper lane travel.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A possible rival to President Barack Obama in 2012 is coming to Salt Lake City, but citizens who want to see Sarah Palin will have to arrive early. Palin will be visiting Salt Lake City with her new book, “Going Rogue.” Across the country, Palin has drawn large crowds, so the Costco store, located at 1818 South 300 West, wants to limit the press of people. Palin has stated she will sign only 1,000 copies of her book when she arrives next Wednesday. Thus, store personnel will be handing out golden tickets for lucky customers December 9 for her appearance at 10:00 a.m.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A Southwest Airlines flight landed in Salt Lake City later than scheduled Friday afternoon due to an expectant mother giving birth. The plane was forced to make a stop in Denver for the woman who had her baby aboard the aircraft. Airline officials reported the mother gave birth on Southwest Flight 441 Friday morning. The plane originated from Ohio, with stops slated for Chicago, Salt Lake City and Boise. The final destination is Spokane, Wash.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah Attorney General’s Office is appealing a judge’s decision to throw out charges against a teenager accused of hiring a man to beat her up so she would miscarry her baby. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the judge called the then 17-year-old girl’s actions appalling, saying they fit the definition of an abortion. The girl told the police she hired 21-year-old Aaron Harrison to beat her up after her boyfriend threatened to break up with her if she didn’t terminate the pregnancy. Harrison was sentenced to prison for up to 20 years. The girl gave birth to her child in August. Lawmakers are now considering a bill that could clear the way for the prosecution of women who seek illegal abortions.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Two Utah Highway Patrol troopers returned to work Friday after being involved in a traffic stop that ended with a teen shooting himself. The 17-year-old boy in question is still in critical condition at Intermountain Medical Center after Sunday’s incident. Troopers had stopped the car he was riding in and asked the teen and driver to get out when they smelled marijuana. The teen then started to run and fired a single shot over his shoulder from a .22-caliber pistol, shooting himself in the head. The troopers were put on leave, but reinstated after an investigation into the incident was completed.

(SANDY)—A three-vehicle accident seriously injured a driver and snarled northbound traffic on Interstate 15 near Sandy Friday morning. The incident occurred at 10200 South around 7:30 a.m. The Utah Highway Patrol reported a car traveling northbound in the right lane suddenly swerved and clipped the rear of a small truck, which rolled over. The car then went on to hit another vehicle in the HOV lane, while the driver of the car that caused the accident was transported by ambulance with critical injuries. The other drivers escaped with only minor injuries. Troopers closed down three lanes of traffic to investigate and clear the scene. All lanes were reopened a few moments before 10:00 a.m.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett is voicing his opposition to the federal government cutting $500 billion in Medicare to pay for the Democrat’s health care legislation. He said the Democrats are playing politics with senior citizens by telling them they want to fix health care by cutting payments to providers but it’s just another government-run entitlement program. Bennett said Democrats want to slash $14.6 billion for nursing homes, $135 billion for hospitals and supplemental coverage by $120 billion. He said Democrats say the cuts are to health care providers and not cuts to benefits for senior citizens who rely on Medicare but Bennett said that once providers face cuts, the health care businesses will close their doors.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP)—Lauren Altch posted 15 points and Aisha Jefferson added 13 more as the #21 Michigan State Lady Spartans bested the #4 North Carolina Lady Tar Heels, 72-66 Thursday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. While Michigan State held an 11-point lead midway through the second half, North Carolina took a brief lead at 64-63 before the Lady Spartans regained the lead for good on Allyssa DeHaan’s jumper to make it 65-64. Italee Lucas had 29 points in the loss for the Lady Heels. In other Top 25 action Thursday, #1 Connecticut hammered Vermont, 84-42, #12 Duke downed #3 Ohio State, 83-67, #9 Florida State ousted Indiana, 82-74, #10 Xavier smoked Middle Tennessee State, 80-63, #15 Virgina held off Purdue, 56-49, #18 Oklahoma embarrassed Texas-Arlington, 100-67 and #22 Maryland smacked Minnesota, 66-45.

DENVER (AP)—Carmelo Anthony had 22 points and Aaron Afflalo added 17 points as the Denver Nuggets pounded the Miami Heat, 114-96 Thursday at Pepsi Center in NBA action. The Nuggets, who many NBA analysts extol as an elite team, did their best to live up to those expectations by shooting 53 percent behind the 3-point line for the game and limiting the Heat to 43 percent shooting defensively. The Nuggets used a key 33-20 surge in the second half to blow the game open while the Heat posed little threat in the last two quarters. Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 24 points in the loss for Miami which dropped them to 10-8. The win improved Denver to 14-5, keeping them firmly atop the Northwest Division. In other NBA action Thursday, Boston humbled San Antonio, 90-83 and Houston outlasted Golden State, 111-109.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)—Tyson Westwood amassed 20 points and Heath Payton added 13 more as the Piute Thunderbirds overpowered the Kanab Cowboys, 61-47 Thursday in non-region boys basketball action. Rhees Jackson had 21 points in defeat for Kanab.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)—Dalila Rodriguez had 19 points and Sarah Madsen chipped in with 16 more as the American Leadership Lady Eagles got past the Millard Lady Eagles, 49-43 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday. Krystyn Stevens posted 18 points in the loss for Millard.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Shaleece Christensen keyed a balanced scoring attack with eight points and the Beaver Lady Beavers smoked the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 45-19 Thursday in non-region girls basketball action. Kayli Frandsen had five points to lead Gunnison in the loss.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Chelsee Willardson posted 19 points and 11 rebounds and the Richfield Lady Wildcats overpowered the Canyon View Lady Falcons, 55-43 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday.

SALINA, Utah (AP)—McKinzie Robins had 12 points to lead the North Sevier Lady Wolves to a 44-35 win over the Manti Lady Templars Thursday in non-region girls basketball action. Shauri Lyon had 12 points in the loss for Manti.

(PROVO) – Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney spent time in Utah Thursday and took the opportunity to tell reporters that Pres. Obama has failed in his stimulus policies. Romney said the 10% national unemployment rate is an albatross around the president’s neck in spite of his promise to hold unemployment to 8%. He said the government needs to stop scaring the private sector with government takeovers and keep taxes down. Romney was in Utah to be a part of the grand opening of the APX Alarms new headquarters in Provo.

(LOGAN)—Authorities say a tractor-trailer crash sent bags of shredded cheddar cheese floating down the Logan River Wednesday in Logan Canyon. The Utah Highway Patrol says the truck, with 38,000 pounds of dairy products on it, tipped over just before noon on a curve of U.S. Highway 89. The driver, a Draper resident, received a minor hand injury.

(SALT LAKE COUNTY)—A former school custodian who got a helping hand from students now faces a sexual abuse charge following claims that he groped a woman. The 44-year-old Terry Birch was charged in 3rd District Court Tuesday with sexual abuse for allegedly touching a mentally-challenged 35-year-old woman. According to the Deseret News, court documents attest the incident occurred at the woman’s residence after the woman, who operates on the mental level of a 5-7-year-old reportedly told him “no.” Birch is deaf and a former janitor at Olympus Junior High School. In 2006, students raised money for a surgery to improve Birch’s hearing. Birch now faces a second-degree felony and his bail is set at $150,000.

(PRICE) – A Price woman died early Wednesday morning after her rambler-style home caught fire. According to Price City Fire Chief Paul Bedont, 65-year old, Carol Seely was upstairs asleep at the time the fire broke out at about 2am and was not able to get out of the house. Fire officials said that two other women were in the home, including Seely’s granddaughter, who tried to get upstairs to save her grandmother. Bedont said the granddaughter had to be treated for smoke inhalation after her attempts to go upstairs where the fire was burning. Damage to the home was estimated to be between $80,000 and $90,000 and not determined to be a total loss. Bedont said the entire upstairs of the home was destroyed but the downstairs remained intact. The State Fire Marshall is expected to conclude the investigation today.

(REDMOND) – Sevier County Deputies are asking the public for help in apprehending individuals who stole 15 goose decoys recently from a field on the Redmond Lake Road. Deputies say the value of the decoys is about $250. They say the decoys belong to Ryker Johansen of Salina. The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office has no known suspects in the case and are asking the public for help with any information.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – New reports show that the original climate scientists in the early ‘80’s have been deliberately deceiving the world on climate change due to discarding raw temperature data. World reknowned environmental consultant and former climatatology professor, Dr. Tim Ball, obtained a report through the Freedom of Information legislation, that the original climate scientists admitted throwing away data on which their predictions of global warming are based. The admission follows the leaking of a thousand private e-mails sent and received by Professor Phil Jones, the Climatic Research Unit Director, discussing thwarting climate sceptics seeking access to the data. The CRU is the world’s leading center for reconstructing past climate and temperatures. Ball says the information means that academic science professors have no basic calculations to show a long-term rise in temperatures over the last 150 years. He says it basically destroys the premise of man-made global warming that some climate scientists have been purporting for the past 30 years.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Planning Commission held a public hearing Wednesday night concerning the maximum height of garages and exterior buildings in residential areas. No negative comments were offered in the hearing and the commission approved a maximum height of 20 feet on garages and exterior buildings. The commission held a public hearing last month on garage exteriors to be of a similar nature and in harmony with existing homes in the neighborhood. At that meeting, planners approved prohibiting construction of galvanized steel or Quonset-type buildings in residential areas. The recommendations will be forwarded to the Richfield City Council for final approval.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP)—Pepper Wilson had 13 points and six Pittsburgh Lady Panthers scored in double figures as the #20 Panthers improved to 6-0 with an 89-37 rout of the Youngstown State Lady Penguins Wednesday in women’s Top 25 college basketball action. Katie Popovec added 11 points and 12 boards for the Lady Panthers while the Lady Penguins were led by Brandi Brooks’ 10 points and seven rebounds. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #6 Notre Dame outlasted Eastern Michigan, 69-59, #7 Texas A&M hammered Stephen F. Austin, 106-56, #14 Vanderbilt stormed past Wright State, 63-46, Wisconsin-Green Bay upset #23 DePaul, 79-68 and Central Michigan stunned #25 Louisville, 84-75.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki posted 24 points, seven rebounds and eight assists as the Dallas Mavericks pounded the New Jersey Nets, 117-101 Wednesday at IZOD Center in NBA action. While the win continued the Mavs’ excellent start to the season as Dallas now boasts a 14-5 mark, things continued to get worse for the New Jersey Nets as they became the first team in NBA history to start a season 0-18. Dallas, which shot 58 percent on the night, broke the game open with a 49-point 2nd Quarter while the Mavericks made 17 of 19 shots in the period. Additionally, Dallas made 81 percent of their shots in the first half, the most prolific performance since Denver connected on 82 percent of their shots in a 2006 game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Chris Douglas-Roberts had 24 points to pace the Nets in the loss. In other NBA action Wednesday, Atlanta hammered Toronto, 146-115, Cleveland stormed past Phoenix, 107-90, Orlando bested New York, 118-104, Washington edged Milwaukee, 104-102, Chicago downed Detroit, 92-85, Memphis got past Minnesota, 97-95, Oklahoma City tripped up Philadelphia, 117-106, Sacramento outlasted Indiana, 110-105 and Houston hammered the Los Angeles Clippers, 102-85.

(AURORA) – An Aurora woman died of an apparent self-inflicted gun shot wound Nov. 25 after a traffic stop. According to Salina Police Chief Greg Harwood, 48-year old Tammy Johnson, was pulled over by Officer Eric Pratt for a traffic violation, and while talking to her, Pratt noticed she had her hand on a gun. Harwood said Officer Pratt pulled his own weapon and told Johnson to put her gun down, at which time she drove away. Pratt said he may have heard a gunshot and called for backup. Officers from Salina, Richfield and Sevier County responded and followed Johnson to Aurora, where they attempted to talk her out of her car but to no avail. When officers approached Johnson’s vehicle, they administrated first aid but were unable to save her. Salina Police Chief Greg Harwood said that alcohol may have been a factor in the incident but a complete report from the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office will confirm that.

(CEDAR CITY) – A Beryl man charged with the murder of two St. George men was led into a Cedar City courtroom Tuesday for the beginning of his trial. According to court documents, 45-year old, Martin Nelson was charged with shooting and killing Derek Davis and Chad Grijalva, both 34, in 2007 and burying their bodies on his property in the remote community of Beryl. Iron County Attorney Scott Garrett told jurors in his opening statement that Nelson intentionally shot both men while the pair were visiting him at his small trailer. Garrett said the two victims died after being shot eight times each with bullets from a .22 calibre rifle found in Nelson’s trailer. He said that during the investigation, it was discovered that Nelson had made two phone calls to friends telling them “to talk him out of killing some folks.” Nelson could get the death penalty if found guilty.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)—Patrick Marleau had two goals, while Jamie McGinn, Ryan Clowe and Manny Malhotra also scored as the San Jose Sharks ousted the Ottawa Senators, 5-2 Tuesday at HP Pavilion in NHL action. Thomas Greiss added 25 saves in the win for San Jose, which improved them to 19-6-4 on the season. Milan Michalek had both goals in the loss for Ottawa, which dropped the Senators to 13-8-4. In other NHL action Tuesday, Toronto blanked Montreal, 3-0, Chicago surged past Columbus, 4-3 in a shootout and Los Angeles ousted Anaheim, 4-3.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP)—E’Twaun Moore posted 22 points and JaJuan Johnson added 21 points and nine boards as the #6 Purdue Boilermakers reversed a recent trend of futility in the Big 10/ACC challenge with a 69-58 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons Tuesday at Mackey Arena in Top 25 men’s college basketball action. Coming into this game, Purdue had lost six of their last nine matchups in the BIG 10/ACC challenge, but this year’s rendition of the Boilermakers showed their toughness by outscoring the Demon Deacons, 40-27 down the stretch to win going away. Additionally, Purdue forced 25 Wake Forest turnovers and held the Demon Deacons to under 30 percent shooting for much of the second half. C.J. Harris and Ishmael Smith each had 14 points to pace Wake Forest in the loss. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #11 North Carolina held off #9 Michigan State, 89-82, #17 Florida crushed Florida A&M, 80-59 and #24 Cincinnati decimated Texas Southern, 94-57.

MANTI, Utah (AP)—Rachel Nakken had 20 points and Courtnie Duncan added 13 points and six rebounds for the Cedar Lady Reds as they pummeled the Manti Lady Templars, 66-29 Tuesday in non-region girls’ basketball action. Cedar shot 54 percent for the game and an astounding 75 percent behind the 3-point line. Shauri Lyon had 11 points to pace Manti in the loss.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Tanisha Armstrong had 14 points for the Richfield Lady Wildcats as they outlasted the Beaver Lady Beavers, 39-34 in non-region girls’ basketball action Tuesday. Bonnie Yardley’s 10 points led the way for Beaver.

SALINA, Utah (AP)—Tia Pappas had 16 points, including the game-winning shot in the closing seconds to lead the Carbon Lady Dinos to a 43-41 win over the North Sevier Lady Wolves Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Sydney Asper had 14 points in the loss for the Lady Wolves.

MONROE, Utah (AP)—Tessa Lyman had a game-high 25 points for the Enterprise Lady Wolves in a 59-49 win over the South Sevier Lady Rams in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Dayna Monroe and Kayla King each had 12 points in the loss for South Sevier.

DELTA, Utah (AP)—Kaity Diaz had 23 points to lead all scorers as the Delta Lady Rabbits dismantled the Hurricane Lady Tigers, 51-32 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action at the Palladium.

DRAPER, Utah (AP)—Lauren Tigue had 14 points for the Juan Diego Lady Soaring Eagle in a 43-35 win over the Juab Wasps in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Kiz Farrer had 12 points for Juab in the loss.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)—Amanda Bagley posted 17 points while Kandice Gleave and Loni Allan each added 15 more as the Piute Lady Thunderbirds stormed past the Millard Lady Eagles, 78-37 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Keri Brunson’s 10 points led the way in the loss for Millard.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Caitlin Hatch had 14 points to lead the way for the South Summit Lady Wildcats in a 49-23 win over the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Felicia Jensen had five points to pace the Lady Bulldogs in the loss.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)—Sarah John had nine points in a balanced scoring attack as the Union Lady Cougars outlasted the North Sanpete Lady Hawks, 41-36 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Kara Anderson led all scorers with 15 points in the loss for North Sanpete.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A fire in the industrial area of Salt Lake City that shot a massive plume of black smoke into the air has now been extinguished. The fire started just before noon Tuesday inside the cab of a semi truck that was in garage near 1200 South and 3600 West. Mark Bednarik of the Salt Lake City Fire Department said it appeared the structure was on fire, although a deeper inspection revealed that only the vehicle was on fire. The fire has been ruled accidental as the engine of the semi somehow sparked the flames, eventually causing $100,000 in damages. There were early reports of explosions in the fire, but Bednarik said it appeared that was the tires of the truck popping. There were no injuries.

(DAVIS COUNTY)—After a couple of high-profile mistakes concerning inmates at the Davis County Jail, the Davis County Sheriff’s Office plans to do something about it. Davis County will become the first county in the nation to receive a $10,000 grant to start using an eye scan system to keep track of jail inmates. The eye scans are stored in a national database and can quickly be pulled up to ensure a person is who they say they are. A year ago, Davis County accidentally released the wrong inmate while authorities hope the new system prevents that from happening again. Some say the eye scan system should also be used to help find missing children or elderly adults who wander off and forget who they are.

(MURRAY)—A Murray man who admitted to stabbing his ex-girlfriend’s brother will spend five years in prison. Nazir Rahimi pleaded guilty to a charge of homicide by assault in connection with the April 2008 death of Farhad Ahmad Mullahkhel. The two men had been arguing when Mullahkhel came with his sister to Rahimi’s house to retrieve her cell phone at which time Rahimi stabbed Mullahkhel. Before sentencing yesterday, Rahimi apologized, saying he never meant to kill anyone.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—An official says Mexico’s consul over Utah and western Wyoming has died. Deputy Consul Eusebio Romero says 59-year-old Ignacio Rios Navarro died Monday at St. Mark’s Hospital due to complications following abdominal surgery. Romero says Rios had a wife and two children and said his remains will be returned to Mexico. In Rios’ stead, Romero will serve as acting consul. Rios was appointed to the post in April, replacing former Consul Salvador Jimenez who retired in December 2007. The consulate serves an estimated 350,000 Mexicans. Rios previously served as consul of the Mexican Embassy in the United Kingdom.

(CEDAR CITY)—The Dixie National Forest is implementing a new plan outlawing unrestricted off-trail travel for motorized vehicles and designating some 2,700 miles of routes for ATV’s and other vehicles. The plan was approved last summer and implemented this fall. The effort is part of a national push to help federal officials better manage more off-road vehicles in the national forests and limit the effects on the environment. Part of the implementation of the Dixie forest will involve moving boulders, ripping out roads and placing signs. Early next year, forest officials also plan to provide the public with a free map of routes for motorized vehicles.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – A new Congressional Budget Office analysis shows that health care premiums will go up drastically under a plan proposed by Democrats. Sen. Bob Bennett said that during Pres. Obama’s campaign, he promised that premiums would go down 25% but the CBO report says the premiums would actually go up. Bennett said the CBO report estimates under the Senate legislation, the average family with employer-sponsored coverage would pay more than $20,000 per year for health insurance and premiums for individuals without employer-sponsored coverage would increase 10-13% or $2100 per family in 2016. Bennett said it’s no wonder the majority of Americans oppose health care bills in Congress. He said this is not reform and Americans know it.

NASHVILLE. Tenn. (AP)—David Moss, Nigel Dawes, Adam Pardy, Curtis Glencross and Jarome Iginla each scored and Mikka Kiprusoff added 22 saves as the Calgary Flames pounded the Nashville Predators, 5-0 Monday at Sommet Center. The win improved the Flames to 10-1-3 on the road while they improved to 10-0-1 on the season when scoring three or more goals. The Predators, who fell to 15-10-1 with the loss, were dealt their fifth shutout of the season. In other NHL action Monday, Washington outlasted Carolina, 3-2, Pittsburgh bested the New York Rangers, 5-2, Buffalo blanked Toronto, 3-0, Atlanta ousted Florida, 4-3, Columbus stonewalled St. Louis, 5-2, Detroit smacked Dallas, 4-1 and Colorado surged past Tampa Bay, 3-0.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Ronnie Brewer had 25 points and Carlos Boozer added 24 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists as the Utah Jazz won their 10th straight game over the Memphis Grizzlies with a 120-93 win Monday at Energy Solutions Arena in NBA action. The prolific Jazz won their third consecutive game and amassed their highest point total of the season while shooting 58 percent from the field on the evening. Additionally, rookie Wesley Matthews had 17 points for Utah, while Deron Williams chipped in with 22 points and six assists for the Jazz. Sam Young and Marcus Williams each had 17 points in defeat for the Grizzlies. In other NBA action Monday, Dallas outlasted Philadelphia, 104-102, Milwaukee edged Chicago, 99-97 and Golden State pounded Indiana, 126-107.

(SAVANNAH, Ga.)—With the end of November looming, the hurricane season has ended with barely a whimper. Tuesday, the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends while the year has produced a paltry nine storms, including three hurricanes. Only two tropical storms, Claudette in August and Ida in November, made landfall in the U.S. These tropical storms brought heavy rain and some flooding but caused little destruction. This was also the quietest hurricane season since 2006, when one of the nine storms hit the U.S. coast. James Franklin of the National Hurricane Center says El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean helped produce strong winds that disrupted storms in the Atlantic before they could strengthen into hurricanes.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Elizabeth Smart’s accused kidnapper is back in court for a hearing that will determine how the case moves forward. A 10-day competency hearing for Brian David Mitchell began Monday morning in federal court. A judge will then decide whether Mitchell can assist in his own defense. Monday morning, the focus of testimony was Mitchell’s religious writings while the judge heard from Dr. Daniel Peterson, a professor of Islamic studies and Arabic at Brigham Young University. Peterson is involved in the study and analysis of religious texts and confirmed that Mitchell’s writings included many references from the Bible, Book of Mormon and other scripture. Peterson also said he disagrees with the notion that Mitchell is incompetent to stand trial. Additionally, a New York-based psychiatrist who believes Mitchell is competent is expected to testify during the next two weeks. Other witnesses include Mitchell’s relative and workers at the Utah State Hospital.

(KANAB)—Twenty bighorn sheep from Nevada have a new home in Utah. Earlier this month, biologists with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources released the desert sheep into southern Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The sheep were captured near Lake Mead in southern Nevada. The relocation project is part of an ongoing effort to bolster southern Utah’s bighorn sheep population. The 20 transplanted sheep included 19 ewes, several of which were pregnant, and one young ram.

(MOAB) – Two outdoor recreationists were injured in Grand County over the weekend in two separate accidents that sent both men to the hospital with various broken bones. Deputy reports said that 37-year old, Richard Webb of Moab, was injured Friday while paragliding near Mineral Bottom. The report said that Webb crashed his paraglider into a hillside, breaking his back, arm and leg, in addition to sustaining internal injuries. He was flown to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, CO. by medical helicopter. The second accident also occurred in Mineral Bottom, where 34-year old, William Sullivan of Denver, broke both of his ankles after his parachute failed to open in a 100-150-foot jump. He was transported by medical helicopter to Allen Memorial Hospital in Moab.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Utah’s senior senator has landed a cherished spot on the Senate floor. It took decades, but Sen. Orrin Hatch has been chosen to occupy an aisle desk behind the Republican leader. The desk once belonged to Harry Truman, former Utah Sen. Frank Moss and legendary Georgia Sen. Richard Russell. Sen. Bob Bennett, meanwhile, inherited the desk in 1993 that his senator father, Wallace Bennett, had used about 17 years earlier. This year, Utah’s junior senator, like Hatch, moved that desk adjacent to the coveted aisle. Senate staff say the seat location may seem meaningless to outsiders but inside power-propelled Washington, the right desk in the right spot is key. Hatch says sitting behind the Republican leader’s desk is the Number One desk on the Senate floor.

(CRESCENT JUNCTION) – A Nebraska man sustained minor injuries in a crash on I-70 near the rest area Sunday morning. According to a UHP report, 19-year old, Tyler Carpenter of North Platte, NE. was traveling westbound in a 2005 Toyota Celica, when he drifted off the left side of the highway, overcorrected and went through a wire fence and hit a large rock at about 11:30am. The report said that Carpenter received injuries to his left leg and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Former Utah State star quarterback Anthony Calvillo completed 26 of 39 passes for 314 yards and a pair of scores as the Montreal Alouettes won the 79th Grey Cup championship game, 28-27 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders Sunday at McMahon Stadium in CFL action. Damon Duval won the game with a 33-yard field goal as time expired for the Alouettes while former Brigham Young star Ben Cahoon added five receptions for 57 yards and a score in the win. The loss was painful for the Roughriders as they led 17-3 at halftime, only to see a late 4th Quarter surge by Montreal (the Alouettes outscored the Riders, 18-7 in the last stanza) ensure the victory. Darian Durant completed 17 of 29 passes for 201 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in the loss for Saskatchewan.

FREEPORT, Bahamas (AP)—Allyssa DeHaan had 23 points and the #25 Michigan State Lady Spartans outlasted the Oklahoma State Cowgirls, 93-90 in overtime Saturday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Kalisha Keane added 20 points and 13 boards in the win for Michigan State. In other Top 25 action Saturday, #1 Connecticut dismantled Richmond, 86-37, #3 Ohio State hammered IUPUI, 88-33, #5 Tennessee pounded UCLA, 61-47, #6 Notre Dame bested #17 Oklahoma, 81-71, #8 Baylor decimated Louisiana-Lafayette, 89-42, #10 Xavier stymied Minnesota, 71-56, #13 Arizona State surged past East Tennessee State, 80-67, #14 Texas edged Rutgers, 70-67, #15 California stormed past Southern, 78-47, #16 Vanderbilt held off North Carolina State, 77-71, #19 Georgia crushed Southern Mississippi, 84-55, #20 Pittsburgh gashed Marshall, 80-58, #21 DePaul got past Northern Illinois, 78-67, USC upset #22 Mississippi State, 64-60, Texas Christian ousted #23 Kansas, 74-69, and South Carolina stonewalled #24 San Diego State, 58-55.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Carlos Boozer posted 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Deron Williams added 24 points and 15 assists as the Utah Jazz dismantled the Portland Trail Blazers, 108-92 Saturday at Energy Solutions Arena. The Jazz made quick work of their division rivals by making their first nine shots of the game en route to shooting 61 percent for the evening. The Jazz shot so well, primarily due to their collective selflessness, which saw the team amass 36 assists. The win improved the Jazz to 9-7 while Portland fell to 12-7. The Trail Blazers have currently played the most games in the league, with 19 thus far. Brandon Roy had 19 points to pace Portland in defeat. In other NBA action Saturday, Charlotte stymied Washington, 92-76, Cleveland pummeled Dallas, 111-95, Orlando edged Milwaukee, 100-98, and the Los Angeles Lakers decimated Golden State, 130-87.

STANFORD, Calif. (AP)—Kayla Pedersen had 18 points and 12 rebounds and the #2 Stanford Lady Cardinal hammered the Utah Lady Utes, 60-41 Friday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. After a first half which saw Stanford build a 24-11 lead, the Lady Cardinal turned things up a notch in the latter stanza to improve to 5-0 on the young season. Taryn Wicijowski had 15 points for the Lady Utes in the loss. In other Top 25 action Friday, #1 Connecticut pounded Hofstra, 91-46, #6 Notre Dame hammered South Carolina, 78-55, #8 Baylor walloped Idaho, 82-37, #9 Florida State humbled Auburn, 82-67, #13 Arizona State stymied Hawaii, 65-53, USC stunned #14 Texas, 61-54, #16 Vanderbilt torched Austin Peay, 95-51, #17 Oklahoma embarrassed #24 San Diego State, 87-48, #18 Virginia got past South Dakota State, 78-66, #19 Georgia stonewalled Texas A&M-CC, 77-58, #20 Pittsburgh downed Appalachian State, 63-56, Rutgers upset #22 Mississippi State, 62-54 and #25 Michigan State blew past George Washington, 78-47.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki had 31 points and Jason Terry added 17 more as the Dallas Mavericks dismantled the Indiana Pacers, 113-92 Friday at Conseco Fieldhouse in NBA action. After J.J. Barea’s 3-pointer gave Dallas a 35-26 lead at the end of the 1st Quarter, Dallas refused to relent as they led 66-54 at halftime and put the game away with a 29-15 surge in the 3rd Quarter. The win improved the Mavericks to 12-4 on the season, while the loss dropped Indiana to 6-8. Danny Granger had 20 points in defeat for the Pacers. In other NBA action Friday, Washington surged past Miami, 94-84, Atlanta hammered Philadelphia, 100-86, Charlotte bested Cleveland, 94-87, Boston clipped Toronto, 116-103, the Los Angeles Clippers ousted Detroit, 104-96, San Antonio overpowered Houston, 92-84, Denver outgunned New York, 128-125, Phoenix scorched Minnesota, 120-95, Oklahoma City crushed Milwaukee, 108-90, Memphis downed Portland, 106-96 and Sacramento humbled New Jersey, 109-96.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Lights will be going on all over Salt Lake City Friday evening as the holiday season gets underway. Around 5:00 p.m. Friday evening, Mayor Ralph Becker will be joined by the Jazz Bear and Santa Claus to flip the switch on the lights at the Gallivan Center. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Alliance and the Utah Jazz. This will be followed by the Temple Square lights being turned on at 5:30. Hogle Zoo will turn on its lights Saturday.

(NORTH SALT LAKE)—The final bridge replacement for the Interstate 15 Express-Link project is near completion. The U.S. 89 bridge over I-15 from North Salt Lake will be closed Monday and Tuesday to switch traffic onto a new bridge. The Beck Street on-ramp to I-15 will also be closed, while the U.S. 89 bridge will be reduced to one lane until January as crews finish final construction work. As part of the project, the Utah Department of Transportation also replaced bridges at Beck Street, 1000 North and 800 North. The $25 million Express-Link project spans more than four miles and is scheduled for completion by next summer.

(LOGAN)—An administrative traffic checkpoint on S.R. 89-91 near the Dry Lake area of Sardine Canyon resulted in five arrests and more than 100 warnings. The checkpoint occurred Monday near mile marker 12 in the area known as Dry Lake. The Utah Highway Patrol stopped 828 vehicles to make sure they had snow tires or chains, which are required in the canyon from November 1-March 31. However, troopers also made arrests for driving under the influence and drug possession among other things. UHP lieutenant Lee Perry says troopers gave 92 warnings to drivers for having bald tires, 69 warnings for defective windshields and six warnings for vehicles required to have mud flaps.

(MORONI) – The Moroni Feed Company is preparing for a record year of turkey production next year. Kent Barton, CEO of Moroni Feed, says after severe financial losses last year because of high feed prices, he’s looking forward to a bounce back to increased profits. Barton said turkey growers are expanding their facilities in Sanpete County to accommodate more than four million turkeys that have been raised this year. He also commented that with the increased production at the plant, plans will need to be made to sell turkey products under the Norbest label beyond the traditional whole bird directly to retail customers. Those plans include cook-in-the-bag roasts, turkey pot roasts and marinated BBQ turkey steaks. Moroni Feed likes to point out turkey is healthy meat and believes people will consume more turkey if it’s available to them.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada (AP)—Henrik Sedin, Tanner Glass and Kyle Wellwood each scored in the pivotal third period and the Vancouver Canucks stormed past the Los Angeles Kings, 4-1 Thursday at General Motors Place in NHL action. In the first two periods, Wayne Simmonds scored for Los Angeles, while Alexandre Burrows posted Vancouver’s first goal to tie things at 1-1 apiece headed into the third period before Vancouver’s surge. The win improved the Canucks to 13-11 on the season while the loss dropped Los Angeles to 14-10-2. In other NHL action Thursday, Ottawa doubled up Columbus, 2-1.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)—Damian Johnson had 18 points and the prolific #16 Minnesota Golden Gophers pulled off a mild shocker over the #10 Butler Bulldogs, 82-73 Thursday in Top 25 men’s college basketball action. Tubby Smith’s Gophers improved to 4-0 while handing Butler their first loss of the young season. Matt Howard had 23 points in the loss for the Bulldogs. In other Top 25 action Thursday, #8 West Virginia shellacked Long Beach State, 85-62, #15 Michigan surged past Creighton, 83-76 in overtime and Texas A&M stunned #19 Clemson, 69-60.

DENVER (AP)—Elvis Dumervil amassed two sacks and a forced fumble to increase his NFL-leading sack total to 14 and the Denver Broncos pounded the New York Giants, 26-6 Thursday evening at INVESCO Field @ Mile High to keep significant pressure on the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West as well as remaining in the AFC wild card hunt. The Broncos, fresh off the memory of four consecutive losses, capitalized on an energized crowd and a national television audience watching by racing out to a 16-0 lead at halftime with Matt Prater kicking three first-half field goals and Knowshon Moreno scoring on a 1-yard run. As the game progressed, Kyle Orton (18 of 28, 245 yards, TD, INT) continued to hit big plays in the passing game for the Broncos with Brandon Marshall (6 rec, 86 yards) earning player of the game accolades from NFL Network as he was awarded the annual pudding pie for the performance of the night in the prime time Thanksgiving game. The Broncos put the game out of reach with a 17-yard touchdown reception by Brandon Stokley and Prater’s fourth field goal of the night (which tied a career-high) from 24 yards. The win improved the Broncos to 7-4 on the season while the Giants fell to 6-5 and have dropped five of their last six games after a 5-0 start. Both teams will be off until Sunday December 6, with the Broncos traveling to Kansas City, Mo. to face the Chiefs and the Giants hosting the Dallas Cowboys. In other NFL action Thursday, Detroit crushed Green Bay, 34-12 and Dallas got past Oakland, 24-7.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP)—Glory Johnson made 10 of 15 field goals and had 21 points as the #5 Tennessee Lady Volunteers tripped up the Middle Tennessee State Lady Blue Raiders, 69-52 Wednesday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Angie Bjorklund added 16 points for the Lady Vols in the win, which improved them to 4-0 on the season, while Alysha Clark, the Division I scoring champion from last season, had 23 points for Middle Tennessee State. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #3 Ohio State trounced UNC-Greensboro, 89-56, #4 North Carolina decimated Presbyterian, 92-37, #11 LSU surged past Tulane, 73-65 in overtime and #19 Georgia hammered Alabama State, 75-48.

HOUSTON (AP)—Jason Terry amassed 27 points and 10 assists and Dirk Nowitzki added 25 more points as the Dallas Mavericks decimated the Houston Rockets, 130-99 Wednesday at Toyota Center in NBA action. Early on, it appeared that the Rockets would blow out the Mavs as they raced to an early 17-4 lead midway through the 1st Quarter. Nevertheless, from that time on, Dallas caught fire and never looked back, leading 36-25 at the end of the period. Overall, the Mavericks shot an astounding 66 percent from the field and punctuated their dominance with a 39-point 4th Quarter to improve to 11-4 on the young season. Carl Landry had 24 points and six board to pace the Rockets in the loss. In other NBA action Wednesday, Indiana stymied the Los Angeles Clippers, 86-73, Charlotte crushed Toronto, 116-81, Boston outlasted Philadelphia, 113-110, Miami surged past Orlando, 99-98, New Orleans got past Milwaukee, 102-99 in overtime, Cleveland downed Detroit, 98-88, Denver outgunned Minnesota, 124-111, San Antonio humbled Golden State, 118-104, Phoenix scorched Memphis, 126-111, Portland handled New Jersey, 93-83 and Sacramento ousted New York, 111-97.

(UTAH COUNTY)—More than 30 search and rescue members are continuing their attempts to free a man who is stuck in Nutty Putty caves. Utah County rescue workers say the 26-year-old man became stuck around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday evening. They say the man is a resident of Stansbury Park and went to the caves with a group of friends. Crews were notified the man was stuck in the “birth canal,” a narrow section of the caves. Emergency crews stated the man is tired and uncomfortable, but safe. In the interim, they’ve only been able to move him about 12 feet.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Friday, the Canyons ski resort, and many others scattered along the Wasatch front, will be open for skiing enthusiasts. Other resorts that will be open Black Friday include Alta, Brian Head, Brighton, Park City Mountain Resort, Snowbird, Solitude, Wolf Creek and Snowbasin.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The president and CEO of Merit Medical says he will challenge U.S. Senator Bob Bennett for the Republican nomination this spring. Fred Lampropoulos unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor in 2004. The 60-year-old joins a crowded field trying to persuade the state’s yet-to-be named delegates that Bennett isn’t conservative enough. Three other Republican challengers have already filed to run against Bennett. A fourth, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, dropped out of the race earlier this month to spend more time with a daughter experiencing mental health problems. The only Democrat to file for the race thus far is Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control chairman Sam Granato.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Police say four known gang members are in the Salt Lake County Jail thanks to an observant gang detective. The officer recognized a driver in West Valley City as someone driving with a suspended license. When he stopped the car, the driver and a passenger jumped out and ran. Two others stayed in the car. Police dogs caught the two assailants that ran. All four of them, 22-year-old Danny Loya, 29-year-old Carlos Ortiz, 30-year-old Charity Schneider and 25-year old David Mosquedo, had active warrants for their arrests.

(BEAVER) – Beaver still claims it has the best tasting water in the country. In 2006, the town entered a nationwide contest, held annually in Washington D.C. and beat all municipalities that entered the contest. Mayor Leonard Foster says even though other towns in Ohio, Massachusetts and Alabama have won since then, once you’ve won the gold, you’ve won it. The primary water source for the town of 2500 is in Baker Springs, about seven miles up the canyon in the Tushar mountains. Mayor Foster said the spring is just a fine quality spring that gives the town the best tasting drinking water. Foster said if the town ever enters the National Rural Water Association’s Great American Taste Test, he wouldn’t be surprised that the town would win again.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Utah Commissioner of Agriculture and Food, Leonard Blackham has offered a Thanksgiving message to Utahns, urging them to make donations to the Utah Food Bank to help those in need. Blackham says Thanksgiving is the perfect time to celebrate agriculture’s bounty and reflect on the many blessings we have. Blackham, a former turkey producer from Moroni, said we’ve been celebrating Thanksgiving since 1621, when the Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down for a three-day celebration. He said turkey was served then because it was the most plentiful meat available and it’s plentiful now in Utah. Utah has a healthy poultry and turkey industry that produces millions of turkeys each year. Blackham urged Utahns to donate food and supplies to the Utah Food Bank this year to help those struggling and in need.

MONTREAL (AP)—Marc-Andre Bergeron amassed two goals and Carey Price posted 33 saves as the Montreal Canadiens drilled the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-3 Tuesday at Bell Centre in the sole game in NHL action on the night. With the stage all to themselves, the NHL’s most storied franchise drew first blood with a goal by Micheal Cammalleri before a pair of scores by the Blue Jackets’ Antoine Vermette and Anton Stralman gave Columbus a 2-1 lead after the first period. From there, the two teams traded goals in the second period with Vermette getting his second score and Bergeron getting his first for a 3-2 Blue Jackets lead. From there, the Habs took complete control as Bergeron’s second goal was sandwiched in between scores by Glen Metropolit and Maxim Lapierre, whose score put the game out of reach. The win improved Montreal to 12-11-1 on the season, while Columbus fell to 12-8-3.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Damion James amassed 20 points and nine rebounds and reserve guard J’Covan Brown added 10 crucial points as the #3 Texas Longhorns surged past the Pittsburgh Panthers, 78-62 Tuesday in the finals of the CBE Classic at Sprint Center. Jamie Dixon’s scrappy Panthers gave Texas all they could handle however, as the teams were deadlocked at 51-51 midway through the second half before the Longhorns’ final surge. Brad Wanamaker had 13 points in the loss for Pittsburgh, while the win enabled Texas to start the season 4-0. The defeat was the Panthers’ first of the season, dropping them to 4-1. In other men’s Top 25 college basketball action Tuesday, #5 Kentucky dismantled Cleveland State, 73-49, #8 West Virginia ousted Citadel, 69-50, #9 Syracuse hammered Cornell, 88-73, #18 Ohio State bludgeoned Lipscomb, 84-64, #21 Illinois bested Wofford, 78-64, Cincinnati upset #22 Maryland, 69-57, #23 California steamrolled Jacksonville, 79-47 and #24 Vanderbilt crushed Chaminade, 68-41.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)—Brock Orme amassed 22 points and Dallin Kay added 16 more as the Juab Wasps hammered the Beaver Beavers, 78-39 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action. Robbie Gurr posted 13 points in the loss for Beaver, while Austin Blackburn had 12 for the Beavers.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)—Marty Burt posted 13 points, while Jacob Verde had 10 more as the Duchesne Eagles bested the Wayne Badgers, 50-43 in non-region boys basketball action Tuesday. Carson Syme had 15 points to pace the Badgers in the loss.

MONROE, Utah (AP)—Orion Wilson had 13 points, while Race Parsons added 12 more as the South Sevier Rams bludgeoned the Escalante Moquis, 89-31 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action. Paul Sorenson’s 11 points led the way in defeat for the Moquis.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)—Dallen Bird had 15 points and Rhett Bird chipped in with 13 more as the North Sanpete Hawks got past the Gunnison Bulldogs, 64-54 in non-region boys basketball action Tuesday. Drayson Ball’s 19 points paced Gunnison in defeat.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Craig Brinkerhoff posted 24 points, while Rhees Jackson added 20 more as the Kanab Cowboys downed Page (Ariz.), 61-52 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action. Eathen Fowler had 21 points to lead Page in the loss.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)—Heath Payton’s 15 points led all scorers and the Piute Thunderbirds tripped up the Millard Eagles, 47-40 in non-region boys basketball action Tuesday. Patrick Bendall had 10 points in defeat for the Eagles.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Kalani Norris had 11 points for the Panguitch Lady Bobcats as they edged the South Sevier Lady Rams, 31-26 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action at the Sevier Valley Center. Dayna Monroe had 10 points in defeat for the Lady Rams.

SALINA, Utah (AP)—McKinzie Robins had 23 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Emery Lady Spartans trounced the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 60-44 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)—Loni Allan posted 22 points and Kandace Gleave added 21 more as the Piute Lady Thunderbirds steamrolled the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 78-41 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Kayli Frandsen’s nine points led the way for Gunnison in the loss.

DELTA, Utah (AP)—Kaity Diaz had 24 points for the Delta Lady Rabbits as they bludgeoned the Hunter Lady Wolverines, 57-34 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday at the Paladium. Andy Hammond had seven points in defeat for Hunter.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Brittany Griffiths had 14 points for the Beaver Lady Beavers as they tripped up the Hurricane Lady Tigers, 42-37 Tuesday in non-region girls basketball action. Carly Stratton had nine points in defeat for Hurricane.

HEBER CITY, Utah (AP)—Chelsee Willardson had 11 points for the Richfield Lady Wildcats as they stonewalled the Wasatch Lady Wasps, 39-28 in non-region girls basketball action Tuesday. Natalie Pennington had 11 points in defeat for Wasatch.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A man accused in the cold-blooded killing of a University of Utah college student in 1999 was in court for a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Donald Younge is accused in the stabbing death of University of Utah student Amy Quinton. He also faces attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery and burglary charges. Nine years ago, Quinton was a 22-year-old theater student at the University of Utah who was fatally stabbed during a break-in at a condominium in Salt Lake City. Two of her roommates survived the attack. Younge was arrested in Illinois for the murders of three women. Those charges have since been dropped and he was returned to Utah to stand trial in this case. The aggravated murder charge against Younge carries a possible death sentence in Utah.

(SMITHFIELD)—Two water canal companies in northern Utah will join forces on a $25 million rehabilitation project. On Monday, shareholders with the Logan and Northern Irrigation Company voted in favor of working with the Logan, Hyde Park and Smithfield Canal Company. The company approved a similar agreement earlier this month. A new nonprofit organization, the Cache Highline Water Association, will be formed and will represent the two groups. On July 11, a mudslide killed a mother and her two children in their Logan home. The Logan Northern Canal broke during the slide, prompting discussions about how to manage the waterways. The canal that ruptured is managed by the Logan and Northern Irrigation Company. The rehabilitation project will allow some parts of the canal system to be enlarged and expanded.

(PROVO)—Utah County weed officials hope a pilot program to rid a portion of Utah Lake’s shoreline of an invasive weed will provide answers to a long-running program. The reedy weed, known as phragmites, can quickly grow up to 14 feet tall and crowd out native species. The Utah County Weed Board is trying to clear about 160 acres of phragmites on the northeast side of the lake. That part of the pilot program is expected to be finished sometime next year. Crews will then move to other parts of the lake. The work is part of the country’s 10-year plan to wipe out the noxious weed through the use of fire and chemicals.

(OGDEN)—An Army sergeant faces communications fraud charges in what prosecutors say was a scheme to divert and sell military property from Hill Air Force Base. Davis County prosecutors have charged 51-year-old Keith Turner with a second-degree felony count of communications fraud. Deputy County Attorney Rick Westmoreland said Turner was taking some of the items, including computer equipment and uniforms that were supposed to continue further down the supply line. He said some of the items were destined for people being deployed overseas. Turner has been accused of selling them on eBay and keeping the money. Turner also sought to sell some uniforms to Smith & Edwards, causing the company to make the inquiry. Westmoreland said investigators also found equipment belonging to the military in Turner’s apartment. The department of defense also worked on the investigation. Prosecutors claim Turner pocketed about $6,000. Turner is a Sergeant First Class in the Army Reserve, working at Hill Air Force Base. He was booked into jail and released on $10,000 bail. An initial court appearance has been slated for December 2.

(DUCHESNE COUNTY)—A Duchesne County man officials have characterized as “paranoid,” is facing charges for firing a gun at a man driving past his house. Deputies say 72-year-old Clyde Wayne Thomas also fired a gun at them when they came to his house to investigate the shooting Friday morning. They say it appeared Thomas had booby trapped his property in several places and at first, did not believe the deputies were actually law enforcement. The man Thomas open fired on was slightly injured as the bullet fragmented as it entered his car, cutting his head. The Deseret News reports Thomas is now charged with attempted murder and discharge of a firearm.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett is attacking House Democrats for passing an additional $200 billion bill that adds to the current health care legislation being debated in the Senate. In a news conference interview, Bennett said the Democrats are trying to claim the new bill is “budget neutral” but in the end, it’ll cost them their political career. Bennett said more and more Americans are not being fooled by the current administration’s push to get government-controlled health care passed in Congress. He said the Democrat’s plan is nothing but “smoke and mirrors”.

(PHOENIX) – A proposed LDS Temple north of Phoenix is drawing more opposition from area residents. Neighbors protested Sunday on the building site, saying they worry about traffic and crowds if the new temple gets built. LDS Church leaders gained unanimous approval earlier this month from the Phoenix Planning Commission to build a temple at 51st Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road. Protester, Scott Anderson said his group would feel the same way if a hospital or library were to be built. The two sides have talked and shared ideas on a compromise but Church leaders have not changed their plans. The Phoenix City Council is set to hear from both sides and will decide on the issue in about 10 days.

(CEDAR CITY) – An Alabama semi-truck driver was killed Monday afternoon after being ejected from his rig as it slid down a 400-foot embankment on SR-14 near Cedar City. According to a UHP report, the westbound semi was transporting coils of steel at about 2pm, when the driver lost control, went off the road and up over a barrier and rolled down the ravine. UHP Troopers said the driver was thrown from his rig and died at the scene. Reports said that speed was a factor in the crash but are still looking at whether a mechanical malfunction played a part. The driver’s name has not been released pending notification of family.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)—Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points apiece as the Portland Trail Blazers decimated the Chicago Bulls, 122-98 Monday at the Rose Garden in NBA action. Brandon Roy added 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Portland, who shot 58 percent from the field for the game. Additionally, the Trail Blazers scored at least 30 points in three quarters en route to their highest point total of the season. Luol Deng had 25 points in the loss for the Bulls. In other NBA action Monday, Memphis gashed Sacramento, 116-105, San Antonio humbled Milwaukee, 112-98 and the Los Angeles Clippers held off Minnesota, 91-87.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—As reported by KTVX Channel 4’s Marcos Ortiz, five Salt Lake City teenagers have reportedly been busted for having Molotov cocktails in their car. A Salt Lake City police officer spotted a suspicious person near a manhole cover around 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning. According to a spokesman for the SLCPD, the officer also spotted another couple near a fence with a can of gas. Police were summoned and officers found two other teens in a car with Molotov cocktails inside the car. The five suspects, Devon Baucom, Kevin Tucker, Jacob Morrison, Julia Dahdah and Graham Beckstead, are all 18 years old. Earlier this month, police found two Molotov cocktails that had been set on fire and left on the driveway of a Jewish synagogue in Salt Lake City. Police said it’s too early in the investigation to determine if the teens were involved in that episode.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Trials are expected to be scheduled for nearly two dozen defendants in a major artifacts looting and trafficking case in the Four Corners area for early 2010, a federal magistrate said Monday. U.S. Magistrate Samuel Alba told a roomful of defense attorneys at a Monday status conference they have until January 15 to file any pretrial motions. Another conference is slated for January 20, while Alba said he wants the trial scheduled soon thereafter. There are 26 people from Utah, Colorado and New Mexico who have been indicted as part of a joint operation between the FBI and the Bureau of Land Management.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah Highway Patrol will conduct a seat-belt enforcement blitz over the Thanksgiving holiday. Troopers say they can cite anyone under 19 for failing to buckle up. Adults may also be ticketed, but only if troopers find another moving offense to cite. Additionally, troopers will be enforcing requirements for special booster seats for all children under 8. The highway patrol will publicize the crackdown plans at a news conference set for Tuesday at the Salt Lake City International Airport.

(MONROE) – An Elsinore man along with an American Fork man were taken to jail after fleeing deputies and abandoning their vehicle in Monroe late Friday night. A sheriff’s report said that 33-year old, Loni Bown of Elsinore and 27-year old, Daniel Ackerman of American Fork, ran from deputies and abandoned their car at the Mystic Hot Springs in Monroe. The report said a box of beer was dumped on the ground and the car was left with the doors open. Bown was found walking from the scene a few blocks away and Ackerman was found at Bown’s residence. Both men were booked into the Sevier County Jail for failure to stop and failure to obey a police officer’s command, among other violations.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett has voted against the Senate Democrats health care plan. At a Friday night news conference, Bennett said the opposition went behind closed doors for six weeks, without Republican input, to draft a 2,074 page bill that increases cost and expands government spending by $2.5 trillion over a decade. Bennett said Friday night’s Senate vote was not a vote for reform. He said those who voted to proceed to this bill voted to raise premiums, raise taxes, cut benefits to Medicare and inflate the national debt. Bennett commented that the Democrat’s plan would take $500 billion out of Medicare to pay for it, severely affecting senior citizens. He said he was outraged and discouraged that 60 members of Congress voted to proceed and he’ll work to defeat the bill.

(RICHFIELD) – The Central Utah Public Health Department will hold several H1N1 clinics in the six-county area this week. On Tuesday, the clinic will be held at the Richfield Office from 3-6pm and on Dec. 3 at the South Sevier High School from 3-6pm. In Sanpete County, the clinic will be held today at the Gunnison Elementary School from 3-6pm and also in Millard County at the Fair Building in Delta from 2-5pm. CUPHD says a clinic will be held Tuesday at the Pahvant Senior Center in Fillmore from 3-5pm and in Piute, Wayne and Juab Counties, the clinic will be held on an available basis only. Health Information Officer, Mike Carter says CUPHD is out of the seasonal flu vaccine but has scheduled H1N1 clinics only.

PHOENIX (AP)—Amare Stoudemire amassed 21 points and Steve Nash added 20 more as the Phoenix Suns dismantled the Detroit Pistons, 117-91 Sunday at U.S. Airways Center in NBA action. The prolific Nash made 7 of his 8 field goal attempts while adding nine assists as the Suns improved to 11-3 on the season, which is tied with Atlanta and Orlando for the best record in the NBA through nearly a month of play. Charlie Villanueva and DaJuan Summers each amassed 13 points for the Pistons in the loss, which dropped them to 5-9. In other NBA action Sunday, Orlando ousted Toronto, 104-96, Boston outlasted New York, 107-105 in overtime, Charlotte hammered Indiana, 104-88, Miami held off New Orleans, 102-101, and the Los Angeles Lakers gashed Oklahoma City, 101-85.

LAS VEGAS (AP)—Italee Lucas had 24 points and the #4 North Carolina Lady Tar Heels bested UNLV, 78-68 Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Top 25 women’s college action. Lucas scored seven of North Carolina’s first 11 second half points to help the Lady Heels pull away from the Lady Rebels. Jamie Smith amassed 17 points and 18 boards in the loss for UNLV. In other Top 25 action Sunday, #2 Stanford smacked UC-Davis, 76-51, #3 Ohio State crushed Oklahoma State, 93-72, #5 Tennessee bested #17 Virginia, 77-63, #6 Notre Dame hammered Iona, 80-45, #8 Texas A&M overpowered Auburn, 79-59, #9 Baylor stormed past #11 California, 69-49, #10 Florida State waxed Georgia State, 66-53, #15 LSU crushed Nicholls State, 86-49, #19 Louisville bludgeoned Tennessee Tech, 84-54, Mississippi State embarrassed #20 Maryland, 84-55, #21 Michigan State clipped Western Michigan, 74-51, #22 Georgia edged Rutgers, 49-48, Georgetown upset #23 Purdue, 55-39 and Drake outlasted #24 Iowa State, 78-75.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Jarome Iginla amassed a hat trick, David Moss and Daymond Langkow also scored and Mikka Kiprusoff had 23 saves as the Calgary Flames ousted the Los Angeles Kings, 5-2 Saturday at STAPLES Center. After Alexander Frolov’s goal gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead in the second period, the Flames scored the last four goals of the game to improve to 13-6-2 on the season, while Los Angeles fell to 13-9-2. In other NHL action Saturday, Chicago tripped up Edmonton, 5-2, Carolina stymied Tampa Bay, 3-1, Detroit outlasted Montreal, 3-2 in a shootout, Florida gashed the New York Rangers, 3-2, Ottawa stonewalled Buffalo, 5-3, Toronto doubled up Washington, 2-1 in a shootout, Pittsburgh bested Atlanta, 3-2, Dallas smacked New Jersey, 5-3, St. Louis smacked the New York Islanders, 4-1, Phoenix clipped Philadelphia, 3-1, Nashville got past Columbus, 4-3 in a shootout and San Jose handled Anaheim, 3-2.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)—After the prolific Eric Maynor graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University and joined the Utah Jazz, many may have thought the Rams would be down for a long time. Nevertheless, the #17 Oklahoma Sooners can now be counted among those who disbelieve that notion. Jay Gavin amassed 20 points and Larry Sanders added 17 more as Virginia Commonwealth dismantled the #17 Sooners, 82-69 Saturday at the Siegel Center in men’s Top 25 basketball action. Head coach Anthony Grant’s squad built a 44-34 lead at halftime and then managed to repel any Oklahoma runs in the latter stanza to pull out a win which improved them to 2-1 on the season. Tony Crocker had 19 points to pace the Sooners in defeat. In other Top 25 action Saturday, #5 Kentucky hammered Rider, 92-63, #8 Duke decimated Radford, 104-67, #10 Butler outlasted Evansville, 64-60, #20 Georgetown stymied Savannah State, 63-44, #22 Louisville smoked East Tennessee State, 69-56 and #25 Illinois crushed Presbyterian, 94-48.

WASHINGTON (AP)—Travis Moen, Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri each scored and Carey Price had 32 saves as the Montreal Canadiens outlasted the Washington Capitals, 3-2 Friday in NHL action at Verizon Center. Eric Fehr and Brandon Morrison each scored in the loss for Washington, which dropped them to 13-5-4 on the season. The win was big for the Habs, as they improved to 11-11, which keeps them greatly alive in the Eastern Conference. In other NHL action Friday, Boston surged past Buffalo, 2-1 in overtime, Florida doubled up Detroit, 2-1 in overtime, Minnesota stymied the New York Islanders, 3-2, San Jose hammered Philadelphia, 6-3 and Vancouver waxed Colorado, 5-2.

SEATTLE (AP)—Quincy Poindexter amassed a career-high 30 points, including 13 in a row to start the second half and the #14 Washington Huskies surged past the San Jose Spartans, 80-70 Friday at Bank of America Arena in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. Isaiah Thomas added 16 points for the Huskies who improved to 4-0 with the win. The Spartans were led by ex-Husky Adrian Oliver who had 32 points in the loss. In other Top 25 action Friday, #2 Michigan State tripped up Toledo, 75-62, #24 Syracuse overpowered #4 North Carolina, 87-71, #6 Villanova overpowered #21 Dayton, 71-65, #7 Purdue gashed South Dakota State, 74-63, #11 Tennessee decimated East Carolina, 105-66, #15 Ohio State downed #12 California, 76-70, #16 Michigan bludgeoned Houston Baptist, 77-55, #19 Georgia Tech held off George Mason, 70-62, and #23 Clemson hammered UNC-Greensboro, 89-67.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Sydney Cornforth had 15 points and the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs hammered the Meridian Lady Mongooses, 40-23 Friday in 1A girls basketball action at the Sevier Valley Center.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Ashley Argyle had 11 points and the Rich Lady Rebels made 82 percent of their free throws on the evening in a 45-13 win over the Valley Lady Buffaloes in 1A girls basketball action at the Sevier Valley Center Friday. Brooks Eberly had five points in the loss for Valley.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Maray Filfred had 29 points for the Whitehorse Lady Raiders in a 41-38 win over the Wayne Lady Badgers Friday in 1A girls basketball action at the Sevier Valley Center. Brittani Nelson had 11 points in the loss for Wayne, while Brittany Brinkerhoff added 10 more for the Lady Badgers.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Tasha Reilley had 15 points including three 3-pointers and the Duchesne Lady Eagles bested the Panguitch Lady Bobcats, 33-28 Friday at the Sevier Valley Center in 1A girls basketball action. Kalani Norris had nine points in the loss for Panguitch.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Kandice Gleave posted 21 points, while Amanda Bagley added 14 more as the Piute Thunderbirds stormed past the Monticello Lady Buckaroos, 55-28 in 1A girls basketball action at the Sevier Valley Center Friday.

(MIDVALE)—Police say a 24-year-old Taylorsville man has been critically injured after walking into the path of a TRAX train in Midvale. Midvale Police Captain Steve Shreeve says the man was around the TRAX Thursday evening at 5:00 p.m. wearing headphones. Shreeve said the man had just gotten off a bus when he walked in front of the train, was hit, and thrown about 10 feet. The man hit a fence and suffered head injuries. He was taken into a hospital where he remains in critical condition. The train was moving between 5 and 10 miles an hour when it hit the man.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Nomination paperwork for Karl Malone’s induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. has recently been mailed to the museum, well ahead of the November 30 deadline, the Deseret News reported. The official documents and endorsements were postmarked by the Utah Jazz, the team for which Malone played for 18 years, before playing for the Los Angeles Lakers for a season. Malone should be a sure bet for the Hall of Fame with career numbers of 25 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and 1 steal per game in 19 NBA seasons with the Jazz and Lakers. Other nominees for the Basketball Hall of Fame, which also considers key contributors to college basketball, include former North Carolina State head coach Jim Valvano (who coached Malone’s long-time Jazz teammate, Thurl Bailey in college), former Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers forward Scottie Pippen and former Washington Bullets, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors guard Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues, who is best known for being one of the shortest players in NBA history as he stands only 5’3.”

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A University of Utah professor has died after falling out of a moving campus shuttle Thursday night. University police stated the 53-year-old woman was standing when the bus turned at the intersection of North Campus Drive and Mario Capecchi Drive, causing her to fall backwards through the rear emergency exit. Police Sergeant Arbon Nordgran said that she fell against the door, the door opened, and she fell on the ground. After the bus stopped, the other passengers rushed out and called police and paramedics, Nordgran stated. The research professors, whose identity has not been released, was taken to University Hospital and later pronounced dead. Nordgran said speed was not a factor in the incident. Investigators have since impounded the bus and are looking into whether the emergency exit door malfunctioned. The driver has not been suspended. The Daily Utah Chronicle reported the professor is originally from China.

(OGDEN)—An Ogden police officer who allegedly caused thousands of dollars of damage in a drunk driving crash has pleaded guilty to reduced charges against him. Prosecutors said Jared Ingalsbe was under the influence of alcohol when he drove his car into a power pole on June 30, knocking it down and causing power lines to fall into the road. The crash caused $13,000 in damages. According to the Standard-Examiner, Ingalsbe pleaded guilty to reckless driving Thursday and agreed to pay a $595 fine. He remained on administrative leave.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett is responding to the unveiling of the health care reform plan submitted by Senate Democrats this week. Bennett says the Democrats are praising the bill they wrote behind closed doors as a cost-cutting approach to health care management, while at the same time, saving taxpayers money but Bennett says it’s all smoke and mirrors. Bennett said the math just doesn’t add up because the bill actually costs $2.5 trillion over 10 years once it’s fully implemented. He commented the bill raises $493 billion in taxes and will cut Medicare by nearly half a trillion dollars. Bennett said the bill does not cut escalating costs and will re-structure one-sixth of our economy, which will raise taxes, increase premiums, add to the national debt and slash Medicare. He said that’s not what Americans want.

(NEPHI) – A new movie theatre in Nephi is hoping the latest “Twilight” movie will help them enjoy a measure of success since the owners opened in mid-October. Co-owner, Jennifer Howard says getting “New Moon” is perfect timing for the Salt Creek Cinemas. She said she wasn’t sure they would get the new movie because production companies don’t usually like working with new movie theatres, especially smaller ones. Ground was broken for the new theatre in February of 2009 and owners were worried about starting a new business in a bad economy but they’re hoping the new movie will pull them over the top in gross sales.

(RICHFIELD) – The Central Utah Public Health Department in Richfield says their office has no seasonal flu vaccine available but they do have the H1N1 flu vaccine in supply. Information Officer, Mike Carter, says if you want to get the seasonal flu vaccine, you’ll need to contact your local clinic or hospital. He said his office will inform the public when the seasonal flu vaccine arrives.

(WOODS CROSS)—The Silver Eagle refinery and the federal Chemical Safety Board have asked news media not to air videotape of an explosion at the refinery which was mistakenly released to news outlets. The video depicts an explosion in January 2009, which injured several workers at the plant. It was accidentally posted on a Web site managed by the safety board and news organizations aired the tape, which the board says has caused family members of the injured men “increased stress and trauma.” The safety board is also investigating another explosion at the plant which damaged dozens of nearby homes earlier this month, but caused no injuries.

(COALVILLE)—A small earthquake struck in Summit County Thursday, but no damage has been reported. Seismic officials at the University of Utah say the magnitude 2.9 temblor rattled the area at 5:24 a.m. Thursday. The epicenter was eight miles west-southwest of Coalville and 20 miles north-northeast of Salt Lake City. Park City, Bountiful, Coalville and Salt Lake City residents reported they felt the quake on a U.S. Geological Survey Web site. University officials say seven other earthquakes were recorded in the same area over the course of the last day or so. The largest was a magnitude 1.5.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Drillers say it’s getting so hard to obtain and oil-and-gas lease in the Rocky Mountains under the new administration of President Barack Obama that many aren’t bothering to show up for auctions. The criticism came after the government conducted an auction of public lands in Utah that was remarkable for how few parcels were offered or sold. Only five drilling leases sold this past Tuesday. The Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States says the new administration is scaring away drillers, who say it’s holding up leases after taking their auction money. In part, this is a reaction to the series of decisions by the Department of the Interior that suspended the award of 60-77 leases sold at a contested December 2008 auction. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar faulted the Bush administration for rushing to award leases to the doorstep of many of Utah’s national parks. The Bureau of Land Management has turned exceedingly cautious about awarding leases in Utah, where many of the battles over vast areas of public land have been playing out. Before Tuesday’s auction got underway, BLM dropped 13,543 acres of proposed drilling sites that were near proposed wilderness areas or state wildlife management areas, bureau spokeswoman Megan Crandall said. Those drilling sites were nominated by the oil industry for lease sale.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff thinks a health care reform plan in Washington could spur lawsuits. Tuesday, Shurtleff told the Deseret News that whatever health care reform bill comes out of Washington will be seriously reviewed for possible state constitutional violations. Shurtleff said a lawsuit could be brought against the federal government if the bill imposes fines or sanctions against employers who don’t offer health care coverage. The U.S. House passed a health care reform bill this month. Shurtleff doesn’t dispute that the reform is needed, but said states should be able to tailor their own solutions.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – “Joe the Plumber” appeared at the Utah State Capitol Wednesday to speak on behalf of Cherilyn Eagar, a Republican candidate challenging Sen. Bob Bennett in 2010. Joseph Wurzelbacher, also known as “Joe the Plumber”, spoke generally about elected officials as public servants and what freedom means to him. Wurzelbacher said he did some research on Eagar before agreeing to speak on her behalf. He told the crowd about the importance of holding politicians responsible and that the nation has “lost its way”. Wurzelbacher said that being right is not an easy process and citizens must take responsibility for their actions when voting.

(DENVER) – A federal appeals court heard arguments Wednesday on whether UtahAmerican Energy, Inc. can begin coal-mining operations at the Lila Canyon mine east of its ill-fated Crandall Canyon Mine that killed nine workers in a collapse in 2007. A coalition of environmental groups, led by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, sued the federal government to halt the project after regulators approved the plan to reopen the mine. The coalition claims mining infrastructure would destroy vegetation and soils at the mouth of the ecologically sensitive canyon in East-Central Utah. In 2007, U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball rejected the environmental coalition’s claims, ruling the alliance “failed to present sufficient evidence” that the ecosystem would sustain irreparable harm in the area of the mouth of the mine. UtahAmerican Energy says the Lila Canyon mine is one the last high-quality coal deposits in the state and wants to remove 4 million tons of coal annually once the mine is fully operational.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Ryan Potulny, Patrick O’Sullivan and Ales Hemsky each scored third period goals and the Edmonton Oilers outlasted the Colorado Avalanche, 6-4 Wednesday at Rexall Place in NHL action. Shawn Horcoff, Gilbert Brule and Sam Gagner also scored for the Oilers, who improved to 9-10-3 on the season, and to 7-3-1 on their home ice. Milan Hejduk had two goals for the Avalanche, who dropped their fourth game in their last five, although they remain 13-6-3 overall on the season. In other NHL action Wednesday, Florida dismantled Buffalo, 6-2, Dallas stymied Detroit, 3-1, Phoenix bested Minnesota, 3-2 and Philadelphia tripped up Los Angeles, 3-2.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)—Damion James had 18 points and seven rebounds and the #3 Texas Longhorns made quick work of the Western Carolina Catamounts with a 73-41 victory Wednesday at the Erwin Special Events Center in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. The prolific Longhorns made 53 percent of their shots on the evening while J’Covan Brown added 10 points and three assists for Texas. Harouna Mutombo posted 10 points and eight boards in the loss for the Catamounts. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #10 Butler stymied Northwestern, 67-54.

(SPRING CITY) – Two motorists were taken to the hospital after crashing Tuesday morning on SR-89 at Pigeon Hollow. A UHP report said that 18-year old, James McClellan of West Haven, UT. was traveling northbound in a 1997 Mercury Sable, when he attempted to turn left on SR-132 at about 6am and was hit by a 2000 Hyundai Elantra, driven by 42-year old, Tom Seely of Mt. Pleasant. The accident sent both men off the left shoulder of the highway and down a dirt embankment. McClellan was wearing his seatbelt and was transported to the Sanpete Valley Hospital with possible injuries. He was also cited for failure to yield. Seely was transported to the hospital with possible injuries and cited for no seatbelt use.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett says the national deficit tops $12-trillion for the first time in U.S. history. In a recent interview, Bennett called on Pres. Obama to abandon his current policy if he wants to bring down the national debt. He said the national debt has increased $1.4 trillion since Obama became president in January. Bennett said the current trillion dollar health care bills in both the Senate and House costs American taxpayers too much, is too intrusive and divides Congress on legislation.

(KANAB) – A Swiss billionaire who stepped down in July as the chairman of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance board of directors has been questioned in federal court for illegal medical testing that led to three deaths. According to court documents, Hansjorg Wyss was listed as “Person No. 7” in an indictment of Synthes, Inc., a subsidiary of Wyss’s, where sales representatives looked on as three patients were administered an off-label bone cement in spinal surgeries that were not approved by the FDA. The three patients died as a result of the surgeries. Wyss joined the SUWA board in 1996 and has been a major donor to the organization. District 73 representative, Mike Noel of Kanab, has been battling SUWA for years over wilderness issues and says it surprises him that such a small non-profit organization has so much power in Congress. Noel said the well-funded organization angers him and accuses SUWA of being a “shadow government” and claims that staff attorney, Steve Bloch, has lied in federal court proceedings.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett has introduced a bill in Congress to allow the Troubled Asset Relief Program to expire at the end of the year due to abuses by the Obama Adminstration. At a press conference on Tuesday, Bennett said the bill would remove the secretary of the treasury’s authority to extend TARP, forcing the program to expire. Bennett said the Obama administration has unilaterlly violated the will and intent of Congress and used the money in a way that was never appropriate under the law as the TARP legislation was written. He commented that TARP was intended to deal with the financial crisis and allow financial institutions to stabilize themselves. Bennett said the crisis has passed and the usefulness of TARP is over. He said the Obama administration is using TARP like a revolving credit account and treating it as a permanent addition to the national debt.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Milan Hejduk scored the go-ahead goal and Craig Anderson amassed 34 saves as the Colorado Avalanche downed the Calgary Flames, 3-2 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in NHL action Tuesday. Jarome Iginla posted his 12th goal of the season in defeat for the Flames while Mikka Kiprusoff posted 21 saves for a Calgary squad that lost in regulation for the first time all month. Ryan Wilson and Cody McLeod also scored for the Avalanche, while Rene Bourque added a goal for Calgary in the loss. In other NHL action Tuesday, Washington doubled up the New York Rangers, 4-2, Montreal snuck past Carolina, 3-2 in a shootout, Ottawa stymied Toronto, 3-2, and Nashville tripped up San Jose, 4-3.

ST. LOUIS (AP)—Cole Aldrich posted 18 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks and the #1 Kansas Jayhawks held off the Memphis Tigers, 57-55 Tuesday in men’s Top 25 college basketball action at the Scottrade Center. The Jayhawks managed to pull out the win despite posting only 31 points in the second half, partly because of their defensive excellence which forced the Tigers into 35 percent shooting from the field on the night. Elliot Williams had 21 points and six rebounds and nearly won the game for Memphis, but his last-gasp 3-pointer clanged off the back of the rim to preserve the win for Kansas. The win improved the Jayhawks to 2-0 on the season, while Memphis’ loss dropped them to 0-9 all-time when facing the top ranked team in the country. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #2 Michigan State outlasted Gonzaga, 75-71, #8 Duke decimated Charlotte, 101-59, #11 Tennessee obliterated UNC-Asheville, 124-49, #13 Connecticut surged past Hofstra, 76-67, #17 Oklahoma bested Louisiana-Monroe, 72-61, #20 Georgetown edged Temple, 46-45, #22 Louisville pummeled Arkansas, 96-66, #23 Clemson bludgeoned Liberty, 79-39, and #25 Illinois dismantled Northern Illinois, 80-61.

SANDY, Utah (AP)—After another successful season, the #8 Snow College Badgers’ football team, will play in the Top of the Mountains Bowl Saturday December 5 at Rio Tinto Stadium against the #3 Grand Rapids (Mich.)Raiders, a 10-0 squad from the Midwest Football Conference. Currently, one of their victories, a 49-44 win over Iowa Central is in question, as they reportedly had an ineligible player in the game for a quarter. The National Junior College Athletic Association is expected to make a decision by Thursday on the outcome of that game. Once again, the bowl game can be heard on KMTI AM-650.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Second Annual Community Coat Drive this year for families in our local areas in need. Chamber President Jordan Shumway says there were more people in need last year than donations given. Shumway said all coats donated will stay in our local area. He said new or gently used coats can be given to help the needy keep warm during cold winter months. Donations can be taken to Comfort Inn of Richfield until Nov. 24th.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—One of Elizabeth Smart’s accused kidnappers took a plea deal Tuesday as Wanda Eileen Barzee pleaded guilty to federal charges of kidnapping and transportation of a minor. As part of the plea agreement, Barzee will be sentenced to 15 years on the federal charges and testify against her estranged husband, Brian David Mitchell. In U.S. District Court, Barzee apologized to Smart, while Barzee’s defense attorney, Scott Williams, says the medication and treatment at the state hospital has helped Barzee medically reach a point where she understands what she did and now wants to take responsibility. In a statement, U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman said the plea deal is an “appropriate resolution of this case” and said it means Smart won’t have to testify against Barzee. Smart’s father, Ed, said she will forgive Barzee. Last year, a federal grand jury indicted Barzee and Mitchell for Smart’s 2002 kidnapping. The plea deal would spare Barzee from a possible life sentence. As part of the agreement, she would get credit for time served since her arrest in March 2003, meaning she could serve only nine years. The state’s case against Barzee is still going on and she’s expected to plead guilty to state charges against her as well. A federal judge will sentence Barzee in May.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A new report shows Utah has moved up from being the fifth to the second healthiest state in the nation. The America’s Health Rankings report credits Utah with having the lowest rates in the nation for smoking, cancer deaths, infant mortality and binge drinking. The UHF cited Utah’s limited availability of primary care physicians, high geographic disparity within the state and low public health funding as significant challenges. Additionally, the UHF lauded Utah for its efforts in preventing infant mortality, and for decreasing its rate of uninsured residents. Currently, Utah ranks in the Top 10 in 12 of the 22 determinants, such as infant mortality, prevalence of binge drinking and infectious diseases. The report ranked Vermont as the healthiest state in the nation while Massachusetts, Hawaii and New Hampshire round out the top five.

(WOODS CROSS)—Surveillance video showing the “moment of ignition” from the Silver Eagle refinery explosion will be released by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board Tuesday afternoon. The November 4 explosion damaged at least 10 homes near the refinery. On Friday, CSB asked Silver Eagle to temporarily shut down operations. According to lead CSB investigator Don Holmstrom, a pipe failed causing the explosion. They determined the pipe was too thin, and discovered that was true of many other pipes throughout the refinery. Investigators also discovered inaccurate records being kept for the equipment, while they suspect much of the equipment is past its expiration date of safely functioning. Silver Eagle complied with CSB’s request and temporarily shut down operations.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A new poll finds many Utahns are still unsure of how they feel about new Governor Gary Herbert’s performance in office since he took control in August. The Salt Lake Tribune found 23 percent of those surveyed, nearly a quarter, were undecided about his job performance. 50 percent of the people in the Tribune poll said Herbert was doing either a “good” or “excellent” job, while 83 percent said they felt that way about former Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. in January.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah BLM held its quarterly oil and gas lease sale today with five sales of the 20 parcels offered. The five parcels totaled 2,314 acres of federal land located in the Moab, Price and Vernal Field Offices. During the oral auction, BLM received $160,736 in bonus bids for the federal oil and gas lease rights. In addition to the bonus bids, the sale netted $3,474 in rental fees and $725 in administrative fees, totaling $164,935 revenues from the lease sale. Enduring Resources LLC of Denver, submitted the highest total bid per acre of $1,075 on parcel number 27 containing 40 acres in the Vernal Field Office. The highest total bid per parcel was submitted by Turner Petroleum Land Services LLC of Midvale for $113,970 on parcel number 25 containing 392 acres also located in the Vernal Field Office.

(RICHFIELD) – Christmas tree cutting permits are now available at the Richfield BLM Field Office. The permits are $10.00 per tree and may be purchased Monday through Friday at the Field Office. Permits are also available at the BLM Office in Hanksville on the Fishlake National Forest. Personnel say that only one permit may be sold per person, although multiple permits may be sold on behalf of other family members. Christmas tree permits are for personal use only and may not be used for commercial purposes.

(Sanpete) The Forest Service will begin selling Christmas Tree permits at the Sanpete District office beginning November 23rd. Tags will cost ten dollars each and will be sold during regular business hours from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Permits will also be sold on November 28th at the Stock Corral East of Spring City; Ephraim Canyon; the Manti Stake Center; Sterling LDS Church; Stock Corral East of Mayfield; Fountain Green Elementary School; and at the District office in Nephi. This is the last year that permits will be sold at locations other than the District Office. Those purchasing permits should bring exact change or a check. Payment cannot be accepted by credit or debit cards. Permits will be available at the District office through the 23rd of December.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Gov. Gary Herbert says there’s no rush to sign an agreement with Nevada over sharing water in the Snake Valley aquifer. At a Monday meeting with the Snake Valley Aquifer Advisory Council, Herbert also stressed he didn’t believe it was prudent to suspend ongoing negotiations in light of a recent Nevada ruling. A district judge called the state water engineer’s decision granting water rights to the Southern Nevada Water Authority in neighboring basins, “arbitrary” and “capricious” and reversed the engineer’s action. Last week, Herbert traveled to Washington D.C. and visited with Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who gave him the distinct impression that the judge’s ruling would be overturned in an appeal. Nevada plans to construct a $3.5-billion pipeline to convey water 285 miles to Las Vegas. Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director, Mike Styler says, signing an agreement with Nevada does not authorize the construction of the pipeline or any pumping but is meant as a way to keep Utah at the negotiating table to ensure certain protections for Utah’s water sustainability.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)—Vincent Lecavalier scored bookend goals in both the first and third periods and Mike Smith posted 30 saves as the Tampa Bay Lightning struck down the Phoenix Coyotes, 4-1 Monday at Jobing.com Arena in NHL action. Alex Tanguay added a goal and two assists for the Lightning, who improved to 8-4-6 with the win. Adrian Aucoin had the sole goal in defeat for Phoenix, as they fell to 11-9. In other NHL action Monday, Philadelphia outlasted New Jersey, 3-2, Columbus snuck past Edmonton, 3-2 in a shootout, Pittsburgh smacked Anaheim, 5-2, and Los Angeles stonewalled Florida, 4-3 in a shootout.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)—Highly-regarded freshman John Wall posted 19 points, including the game-winning jumper as time expired and Patrick Patterson amassed 17 points and 10 rebounds as the #5 Kentucky Wildcats outlasted the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks, 72-70 Monday at Rupp Arena in Top 25 men’s colelge basketball action. The win was also the first for new Kentucky coach John Calipari in his new job at Kentucky after leading both Memphis and Massachusetts to the Final Four previously. Nick Winbush had 26 points for the Redhawks, who nearly used their prolific shooting (15 of 26 on 3-point attempts) to pull off the shocking upset. In other Top 25 action Monday, #6 Villanova crushed Pennsylvania, 103-65, #8 Duke hammered Coastal Carolina, 74-49, #13 Connecticut smacked Colgate, 77-63 and #18 Minnesota decimated Stephen F. Austin, 82-42.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners are getting closer to opening the Gooseberry Road to OHV use. At the county commission meeting today, commissioners held a public hearing on the issue with positive comments from Forest Service personnel and representatives from the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Commissioner Gary Mason says all commissioners agree that the road needs to be open to OHV use. He said the road is currently closed to any OHV use and all commissioners commented that further study needs to be done concerning posting separate speed limits signs on the Gooseberry Road for vehicles and ATV’s. Fred Houston of the Forest Service said his office conducts 80% enforcement on BLM lands according to state law but he’s willing to work with commissioners as to whatever decision they make concerning opening the road to OHV use. Commissioner Mason said the decision will be made late December or early January.

(OGDEN)—Ogden police say a sex offender who has been on the run for more than six years has been arrested. According to a police spokesperson, 41-year-old Brent Dee Unsworth fled from prosecution after being charged with kidnapping in 2003. Unsworth pleaded guilty to child sex abuse in an unrelated case in 1991 and after serving for four years in the Utah State Prison system, he was befriended by an Ogden family with a 12-year-old son, according to court documents. Unsworth reportedly moved into the family’s basement in 2003 and began to befriend the boy, taking him to school and out for breakfast, among other things. The charging documents also allege Unsworth took the boy to his apartment in Salt Lake City where he took photos of the boy, but did not allege to have any physical sexual contact with him. Prosecutors also say Unsworth took the boy out of his school without the consent of his parents. Police say Unsworth disappeared until last weekend, where he was arrested on an outstanding warrant by probation officers.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A project to demolish and replace parts of the condemned visitor center at Dinosaur National Monument has gone out to bid. The project is getting more than $13 million in federal stimulus funds. The Quarry Visitors Center, which houses the nation’s premiere quarry of Jurassic-period dinosaur bones, was shuttered more than three years ago due to safety issues. Its closure frustrated paleontologists who have been unable to access its 1,500 dinosaur bones in the interim. Bids for a large-scale rehabilitation went out earlier this month and is expected to be finished by 2011. Furthermore, park officials have decided to temporarily relocate the visitor center at a former gift shop just outside the park’s Utah entrance. The 3,500-square foot building, will include replicas of a juvenile allosaurus and a sauropod, as well as fossils, stated Carla Beasley, the monument’s chief of interpretation. The Park Service wants to rehabilitate the existing exhibit hall surrounding the 150-foot fossil wall to ensure the bones are protected and ready for public viewing. Other parts of the building would be demolished. An interpretive center and administrative offices would be built about a quarter mile away. The monument is located about 150 miles east of Salt Lake City, near Vernal, and straddles the Utah-Colorado border.

LAS VEGAS (AP)—The University of Nevada-Las Vegas has announced football coach Mike Sanford will not return in 2010 after posting a 15-43 record and no bowl appearances in five seasons. In a statement released Monday, university president Neal Smatresk and interim athletic director Jerry Koloskie said Sanford will coach the final game of the season, a home contest against San Diego State November 28, before being released. The Rebels became ineligible for postseason play after a 45-17 loss to Air Force which dropped them to 4-7 and 2-5 in Mountain West Conference play. Sanford has compiled a 7-32 record in conference play during his tenure at Las Vegas. UNLV’s last winning season occurred in 2000.

(BOULDER)—A new partnership will fight the spread of Russian olive and other invasive weeds on private and public lands in southern Utah’s Escalante River watershed. The Escalante River Watershed Partnership was formed in June. By using seed money from the National Park Foundation, the group will work to combat the spread of Russian olive. The plant is a nuisance because it absorbs large amounts of water and creates impenetrable thickets along streams. Additionally, it pushes out native plants that provide habitats for other plants and animals. The plant’s encroachment is causing ecological and economic losses, while hurting recreation in the area. Last month, the partnership gathered and organized into working groups to develop a plan. More meetings are planned for the spring.

(SALINA) – A Fruita, CO. man escaped injury when he swerved to miss a deer on I-70 Saturday morning and rolled. According to a UHP report, 45-year old, Kevin Wimberly was traveling eastbound in a 2003 Ford F-350, when he swerved to miss the deer about 18 miles east of Salina, hit a patch of ice and rolled off the left shoulder of the highway at about 10am. The report said that Wimberly was wearing his seatbelt and was not transported to the hospital.

(SALINA) – Excessive speed and slushy road conditions were factors in a crash Friday morning west of Salina on I-70. A UHP report said that 27-year old, Ammy Moore of Parachute, CO. was traveling westbound, when she lost control of her 2009 Toyota Corolla and crashed into a ditch at about 7:15am. The report said that Moore was wearing her seatbelt and was injured but refused medical treatment. Her passenger, 22-year old, Randy Wallace of Grand Junction, CO., was also wearing his seatbelt and was injured but also refused treatment. Moore was issued a citation for driving too fast for road conditions.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points and six boards and the Dallas Mavericks capitalized on the absence of Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince from the Detroit lineup to oust the Pistons, 95-90 Sunday at the Palace of Auburn Hills in NBA action. Rodrigue Beaubois added 14 points for Dallas by making all six of his field goal attempts while the Mavs took control of the game with a key 31-20 surge in the 3rd Quarter. Will Bynum amassed 27 points in the loss for Detroit, which dropped them to 5-5. The win improved the Mavericks to 7-3 on the season while Monday, they’ll face the Bucks in Milwaukee, who are off to an impressive 5-2 start behind the brilliant play of rookie Brandon Jennings. In other NBA action Sunday, the Los Angeles Clippers bested Oklahoma City, 101-93 and Phoenix edged Toronto, 101-100.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)—Becca Tobin posted a career-high 18 points and the #11 Arizona State Lady Sun Devils surged past the South Dakota State Lady Jackrabbits, 73-64 Sunday at Wells Fargo Arena in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Danielle Orsillo chipped in with 12 points and five assists for the Lady Devils who forced the Lady Jacks into 9 of 26 shooting from the field in the second half. Kristin Rotert had 14 points in the loss for South Dakota State. In other Top 25 action Sunday, #7 Notre Dame embarrassed Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 102-57, #2 Stanford blitzed Rutgers, 81-66, #3 Ohio State downed Bowling Green, 91-72, #9 Tennessee humbled #4 Baylor, 74-65, #16 Texas A&M dismantled #6 Duke, 95-77, Georgia upset #8 Oklahoma, 62-51, #10 Michigan State bested Detroit, 71-62, #17 LSU decimated Centenary, 92-19, #18 Virginia hammered Manhattan, 86-68, #19 Louisville outlasted Dayton, 65-63, #20 Vanderbilt crushed Lehigh, 90-54, #23 Purdue smoked Western Illinois, 70-37, #24 Iowa State doubled up Florida Atlantic, 80-40, #25 DePaul got past North Dakota State, 77-65 and #13 California bludgeoned Idaho State, 100-43.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Henry Burris completed 19 of 32 passes for 264 yards and a pair of scores and the Calgary Stampeders advanced to the CFL Western Finals with a 24-21 win over the Edmonton Eskimos Sunday at McMahon Stadium. Joffrey Reynolds added 18 carries for 127 yards for Calgary, who will next face the Saskatchewan Roughriders next Sunday for a right to defend their Grey Cup championship. Fred Stamps had 4 receptions for 76 yards in the loss for Edmonton. In other CFL playoff action Sunday, British Columbia downed Hamilton, 34-27. The Lions will face Montreal in the East Finals next Sunday.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (AP)—Ned Grabavoy scored the winning goal on a penalty kick and Real Salt Lake advanced to their first MLS cup with a 5-4 win over the Chicago Fire Saturday at Toyota Park. After regulation ended in a scoreless stalemate, the Fire broke the ice with a goal from Cuauhtemoc Blanco, while the teams alternated goals and saves before Grabavoy’s game-winner. Real Salt Lake will next face the Los Angeles Galaxy next Sunday, November 22, at the MLS Cup which will take place at Qwest Field in Seattle.

STORRS, Conn. (AP)—Tina Charles posted 26 points and 13 rebounds, including her 1,000th career rebound as the #1 Connecticut Lady Huskies decimated the Northeastern Lady Huskies, 105-35 Saturday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Connecticut scored the game’s first 28 points en route to the blowout victory. Rachael Pecota had 10 points to pace Northeastern in defeat. In other Top 25 action Saturday, #21 Maryland stormed past UNC-Central, 88-39.

CLEVELAND (AP)—LeBron James had 21 points and nine assists, including 10 points in the closing minutes as the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Utah Jazz, 107-103 Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena in NBA action. On a night where James didn’t have his best shooting performance of the season (6 of 15 from the floor), his teammates stepped up to the plate as Mo Williams had 21 points and six assists, while J.J. Hickson added 20 more points. Carlos Boozer amassed 25 points and 12 boards in a losing effort for the Jazz, while Eric Maynor stepped up with a career-high 24 points in his second consecutive start in the stead of Deron Williams, who revealed his daughter was having some health problems back in Salt Lake City Saturday. The win improved the Cavaliers to 7-3 on the season, while Utah fell to 4-6. In other NBA action Saturday, Atlanta pounded New Orleans, 121-98, Indiana stunned Boston, 113-104, Detroit outlasted Washington, 106-103, Portland ousted Charlotte, 80-74, Miami edged New Jersey, 81-80, Chicago got past Philadelphia, 94-88, Memphis waxed Minnesota, 97-87, Milwaukee outgunned Golden State, 129-125 and Oklahoma City humbled San Antonio, 101-98.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Amber Harris amassed 19 points and 12 boards as the #15 Xavier Lady Musketeers held off the USC Lady Trojans, 81-71 Friday at Galen Center in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Ta’Shia Phillips added 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win for Xavier, while Ashley Corral posted a career-high 25 points for the Lady Trojans. In other Top 25 action Friday, #2 Stanford decimated Old Dominion, 89-56, #3 Ohio State pounded Eastern Illinois, 91-68, #5 North Carolina stormed past Charleston, 88-57, #6 Duke embarrassed Houston Baptist, 104-35, #8 Oklahoma smacked Mercer, 108-66, Dayton stunned #10 Michigan State, 77-74, #12 Florida State pummeled North Florida, 79-50, #14 Texas stonewalled Texas-San Antonio, 71-60, #18 Virginia bested UMBC, 68-57, and #25 DePaul downed Central Michigan, 86-76.

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Carlos Boozer had 24 points and 12 rebounds while Eric Maynor, starting in place of the absent Deron Williams had 13 points and 11 assists in his first-ever NBA start as the Utah Jazz stymied the Philadelphia 76ers, 112-90 Friday at Wachovia Center in NBA action. Additionally, Wesley Matthews had a career-high 16 points for Utah while the Jazz shot 51 percent from the field for the game. Utah’s success came in spite of Deron Williams’ absence as he left the team and returned to Salt Lake City for personal reasons. His return to the team is unknown while in all likelihood, the Jazz will play in Cleveland Saturday without his services. Thaddeus Young had 17 points to pace the Sixers in defeat. In other NBA action Friday, Orlando pounded New Jersey, 88-72, Golden State blew past New York, 121-107, Atlanta waxed Boston, 97-86, Portland bested New Orleans, 86-78, Dallas stonewalled Minnesota, 89-77, Sacramento surged past Houston, 109-100, Denver decimated the Los Angeles Lakers, 105-79 and Toronto overpowered the Los Angeles Clippers, 104-89.

(SANDY)—A fatal crash involving eight cars has brought southbound traffic on Interstate 15 to a halt near the south end of the Salt Lake Valley. The crash occurred just before 1:00 p.m. at 8600 South and I-15 in Sandy and is blocking the three left lanes. Cars are inching by on the right, pushing delays back as far as 5900 South. One person has been killed in the melee and this crash is one of three crashes from 7200 South-9000 South involving the same car.

(EMERY)—A small earthquake shook parts of central Utah, but no damage was reported. The magnitude 3.2 quake hit around 6:22 a.m. Friday, while the U.S. Geological Survey says the temblor struck about nine miles northwest of Emery and 19 miles southeast of Mayfield. Officials at the University of Utah seismograph stations say they’ve not heard any reports from anyone who felt the quake. The Emery County sheriff’s office also says it hasn’t received any calls.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—More Utah schools are signing up for specific anti-bullying programs. School officials are finding it’s better to be protective and preventative when it comes to bullying and to get the whole school involved. Most of Utah’s schools are now focusing on teaching social competence, or respecting and looking out for each other. This also includes school-wide positive behavior support or strategies in many cases.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Salt Lake City police are warning women to be careful while walking near the University of Utah following attacks on three women near campus. Police told the Salt Lake Tribune two women were walking in the Heritage student housing area around 9:30 p.m. November 5 when a man yelled sexual suggestions at them and touched them inappropriately. The man is described as 5’9”,-6” weighing anywhere from 200-210 pounds. Two days later, another man grabbed another woman walking in the same area around 7:30 a.m. She got away from him and left. He is described as being in his early 20s with a husky build being about 5’7”. Police recommended people be aware of their surroundings and walk with someone else if possible.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The progress of health care legislation in Congress has both Utah senators frustrated and they’re opposed to the current version. Sen. Orrin Hatch was back in Utah for a few days and met with a string of Utahns who talked to the Senator on the issue. In a discussion with Paul Cardall, a heart transplant recipient, Hatch said the meeting puts a face on the issue that pinpoints problems with the House version of the bill that doesn’t put people first. Hatch and Sen. Bob Bennett both say that health care legislation is expensive, intrusive, divisive and is separating Democrats on the issue. Both say that Republicans are simply left out in the cold on the discussion because Democrats don’t seem to care about working with bi-partisan consensus. Hatch said that the $1.8-2.4 Trillion bill on top of $2.4-Trillion the government is already spending on health care, is something the country can’t afford.

(RICHFIELD) – A winter storm has hit South-Central Utah, dumping at least two inches of snow in the valleys and more in the mountains. UDOT officials said all roadways are snowpacked and slick. The Utah Highway Patrol has reported no accidents yet on I-15, I-70 or SR-89 due to the storm but ask motorists to take the necessary precautions to avoid any accidents.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Planning Commission conducted a swearing-in ceremony for a new member to fill a vacancy on the commission. At a recent County Commission meeting, Commissioners approved the appointment of Ralph Brown of Central Valley to fill the position left vacant by Douglas Gadd of Monroe, who now serves on the Monroe City Council. Brown says he’s excited to serve on the planning commission to help make decisions on avoiding abuses in funding. Also at Thursday night’s meeting, planners approved a Conditional Use Permit for Pat and Cyndi Hess of Monroe to erect a 55-foot “ham radio” tower on their property at 1441 North 750 West but tabled a concept approval for a 140-acre, seven-lot subdivision on Monroe Mountain requested by Doug Magleby.

STANFORD, Calif. (AP)—Alyssa Vander Veur scored a goal and McKinzie Olson posted three saves as the Brigham Young Lady Cougars blanked the UC-Santa Barbara Lady Gauchos, 2-0 Thursday in the first round of the women’s soccer Division I playoffs. The win advanced Brigham Young to the second round Saturday, where they’ll face the home-standing Stanford Lady Cardinal, 2-0 victors over Northern Arizona in the nightcap. Tammy Lenham had 10 saves in the loss for the Lady Gauchos.

MIAMI (AP)—LeBron James posted 34 points and added seven assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers surged past the Miami Heat, 111-104 Thursday at American Airlines Arena in NBA action. In what was billed as a matchup between two of the league’s brightest stars, James and Dwyane Wade (36 points, four rebounds), LeBron’s Cavs found just enough offense to pull out a thrilling victory. James was bolstered by solid contributions from teammates Mo Williams (25 points) and J.J. Hickson (a career-high 18 points) as they amassed their highest point total of the season, albeit against the league’s third stingiest defense. Michael Beasley added 24 points to pace the Heat in the loss. In other NBA action Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers dismantled Phoenix, 121-102.

(SANDY)—Fire scorched a store and warehouse of a popular women’s clothing company based in Sandy early Thursday morning. Thus far, fire fighters estimate the damage is worth thousands of dollars. The fire broke out around 1:00 a.m. Thursday at Layers Clothing in Sandy. A driver on Interstate 15 first noticed the flames and informed authorities. When firefighters responded, they said they found flames and smoke coming from the roof. They said their swift response in part saved the building. Firefighters said no one was hurt in the fire, but they assess the damage incurred to be roughly worth $50,000. They said the cause is currently under investigation.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah’s mental health industry is about to get a big financial boost. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health was awarded a federal grant that could eventually total over $2 million over the next five years. The grant comes as state programs face millions of dollars in budget cuts. The agency will use the funds to expand its Youth in Transition program, which helps kids with mental health difficulties develop life skills into adulthood.

(OREM)—Two men are in the Utah County jail after police say they kidnapped a man and later nearly ran over a police officer. Wednesday morning, police were called by a relative of a man who said he had been kidnapped Tuesday by two men who said he owed them money. The suspects, 32-year-old Kenny Prows and 29-year-old Joshua Williams, allegedly took the man up Provo Canyon Tuesday night where they beat him. Reportedly, they then dropped him off at his Orem home where they told the victim they would be back to get the money. Orem Police Department Sergeant Craig Martinez said a responding officer spotted the suspects in a Jeep. The officer parked around the corner from the suspect vehicle and approached them on foot. The officer ran back to his car and tried to follow, but by then the suspects were speeding off through residential neighborhoods. At some point, the passenger in the Jeep got out and ran away on foot. The driver kept going and even drove onto a few sidewalks and yards. Police said he was having trouble controlling the vehicle, while making turns at the high rate of speed. Police lost the vehicle for a time until they received a call from a resident saying an SUV had driven through a fence. Prows and Williams were booked for aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping and assault, among other charges.

(PLEASANT GROVE)—Southbound Interstate 15 was shut down in Pleasant Grove Thursday morning when a truck’s load caught fire. The truck was pulling a flatbed trailer with straw wattles, which are used in landscaping. The fire forced crews to close two lanes of the interstate for about 30 minutes, causing backup all the way back to Lehi. Fire officials aren’t sure how the blaze started and no injuries were reported. The freeway has since been reopened.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The chairman of the Utah State Board of Regents has called a special meeting to discuss the possible effects of looming cuts to the higher education budget. In the 2009 legislative session, the higher education budget was cut 17 percent at the same time enrollment has increased by more than 28,000 students. That cut was softened with federal stimulus money that made the final reduction 9 percent. However, that money will be gone after June. Chairman Jed Pitcher says the board needs to address how it will address that shortfall. A meeting has been scheduled for Friday.

(MONROE) – Monroe City officials have provided the final tally of the Municipal Election canvass at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. City Recorder, Emalee Curtis presented the canvass to the city council showing that Mayor Kirt Nilsson, who ran unopposed, gained 126 votes with four write-in votes. For four-year council seats, Warren Monroe had 125 votes and Lamar Ogden gained 122 votes. Both ran unopposed in the election. Also, the two-year council seat went to Douglas Gadd, who ran unopposed, with 127 votes. The canvass was approved by the city council and signed.

(CEDAR CITY) – A million-dollar drug-trafficking operation was brought to a halt with the discovery of nine pounds of cocaine on I-15 near Cedar City Tuesday morning. According to sheriff’s reports, Iron County Deputy Wade Lee was on patrol when he pulled over a Chevy SUV at about 11:15am with four adults and three children inside. Lee said he smelled marijuana and asked to search the vehicle and discovered a kilo of cocaine in the center console, along with other stashes. Further search also turned up stashes of marijuana in the soles of shoes and other weapons. The deputy said the travelers told him they were on their way from Ohio to California to visit a sick uncle and were returning via Utah with three children, ages 2, 11 and 13. They also told the deputy that they were smuggling drugs back to their hometown of Warren, Ohio. Deputies also found a .38-caliber gun with the drugs. The adults were arrested and the children were taken into state custody.

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP)—Jerome Randle had 16 of his 22 points in the first half, while Theo Robertson posted 15 of his 22 points in the second half as the #12 California Golden Bears decimated the Detroit Titans, 95-61 Wednesday in Top 25 mens’ college basketball action. Patrick Christopher added 18 points and five boards for the Golden Bears while Cal overpowered the pesky Titans in the second half with a 55-29 surge to win going away. Chase Simon amassed 17 points for Detroit in the loss. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #4 North Carolina hammered North Carolina-Central, 89-42 and #25 Syracuse bludgeoned Robert Morris, 100-60.

(OREM) – An Orem woman who suffered serious brain damage four years ago while saving her cousin and sister in an accident near Delta has died at the age of 19. Police reports said that then 15-year old, Tori Schmanski, was riding in a car near Delta with her sister and two cousins, when the car flipped and landed in a canal. Schmanski’s father, Tim, said Tori pushed her sister and cousin out of the vehicle but was unable to save herself. The accident left Tori, a talented dancer, unable to walk, speak or care for herself. Tori’s father said that money was raised online to held fund a trip to China in 2007 for a stem cell transplant for Tori. Tim said that Tori showed a small amount of improvement following the month-long trip. Tori remained healthy for four years but died Saturday at her home of viral infection.

(CEDAR CITY)—Officials say an Iron County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrested four adults who were traveling with family while posing as family traveling to Ohio on Tuesday. The deputy also found nine pounds of cocaine in their vehicle. At around noon, a deputy with the Iron County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a vehicle traveling northbound on I-15. The deputy found seven people inside the Chevy Tahoe, along with nine pounds of pure cocaine, which deputies estimate to be worth $2 million, and a loaded firearm. Deputies say the people were “disguised” to look like a family and had three kids with them, two of which no one knew where they came from. Deputies stated the people tried to throw off law enforcement officials by acting like they were a family en route to Ohio, while two of the men in the car were reportedly felons. Another man and woman were also taken into custody. The children were all taken to DCFS workers. Those who were arrested included India Thernhill, Jason O’Malley, Troy Verity and Jonathan Lathan and were booked on charges of drug trafficking and child abuse.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah has agreed to a $24 million settlement with Eli Lilly & Co. over claims the drugmaker engaged in off-label marketing of the anti-psychotic drug, Zyprexa, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said Wednesday. Zyprexa is approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and certain types of bipolar disorder, Shurtleff said. Additionally, Shurtleff stated the company’s sales force illegally promoted Zyprexa for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, agitation and depression. Shurtleff said a four-year investigation by his office found that there were 1,769 Medicaid patients over the age of 65 who took Zyprexa, but never had a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Utah was one of 13 states that filed a separate lawsuit against Lilly and did not take part in a $62 million settlement announced a year ago that involved more than 30 states, Lilly spokeswoman Marni Lemons said. Lemons said Lilly admits no wrongdoing in connection with the Utah settlement. In the past two months, South Carolina agreed to a $45 million settlement with Lilly and Connecticut agreed to a $25 million settlement over Zyprexa marketing. Lilly shares fell 19 cents to $35.06 in afternoon trading.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Salt Lake City police are investigating a potential threat outside a synagogue. Early Wednesday morning, a man walked by the Congregational Kol Ami synagogue in Salt Lake City and noticed two bottles broken in the street. Upon closer investigation, he discovered the bottles were filled with liquid and the bottlenecks were stuffed with newspaper, like a Molotov cocktail. He informed police, who in turn called hazmat crews to investigate. Police officers are concerned this was an inappropriate prank or even a threat, since they were found near a synagogue. Authorities say they don’t believe the liquid is flammable, but say that doesn’t matter. Salt Lake City Police Lieutenant Craig Gleason said he would be particularly concerned if it was water in a Gatorade bowl. Synagogue directors are concerned because they say this isn’t the first time there have been problems near the synagogue, but they plan to go about their normal business. Investigators are currently checking the bottles for fingerprints and trying to determine what type of liquid was in the bottles.

(ROOSEVELT)—Roosevelt police are trying to find what caused a man to lose control of his car just before it struck and killed a utility worker. The driver was headed south on State Street in Roosevelt when his car crossed the center line near 1800 South. The sedan then left the road, hit a fence and slammed into a worker who was marking telephone wiring boxes. The worker was then taken to the hospital where he died. Roosevelt’s chief of police told the Deseret News it doesn’t appear drugs or alcohol were factors in the incident. Investigators are looking into whether or not the driver’s history of diabetes and seizures played a role.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A legislative audit says retired state employees who return to work are costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits at a time the state retirement system is facing a $6.5 billion shortfall. The audit released Wednesday says state lawmakers should ban the practice of double dipping, where employees collect a salary and retirement benefits. The audit says allowing rehired employees to earn pension benefits has cost the state more than $400 million in the past eight years and will cost nearly $900 million over the next 10 years. The audit recommends requiring employers to make contributions to the state retirement fund instead of personal 401 (k) plans for retired workers who return to the work force.

(GUNNISON) – A Kearns man escaped injury but his passengers from Salina and Ephraim were taken to the hospital when their vehicle rolled on its top Tuesday night east of Gunnison. According to a UHP report, 44-year old, Brent Johnson of Kearns was traveling eastbound on SR-137 about three miles east of Gunnison, when he swerved to miss a deer on a curve and rolled his 2004 Subaru Impreza. Johnson was wearing his seatbelt and was not injured but a passenger, 37-year old, Katina Christensen of Salina, was not wearing her seatbelt and was transported to the Gunnison Valley Hospital with possible injuries. Another passenger, 49-year old, Manu Tukuafa of Ephraim, was also not wearing his seatbelt and was taken to the hospital. The accident happened at about 8pm Tuesday and UHP Troopers stated that Johnson was driving too fast at the curve.

(RICHFIELD) – The Municipal General Election canvass was officially tallied and signed at Tuesday night’s Richfield City Council meeting. City Recorder, Michele Jolley presented the canvass to councilmembers, showing the total votes for each candidate. Jolley said Richfield Mayor, Brad Ramsay, who ran unopposed, garnered 971 votes with 44 write-in votes. Four-year council seats went to Bryan Burrows, with 640 votes and Michael Turner, with 505 votes. Council candidates Kathy Christensen received 494 votes and Mayo Jacobsen had 418. Kris Allred ran unopposed for the two-year council seat and received 928 votes with 25 write-in votes. Official totals show that about a third of registered voters voted in this year’s election.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council has decided not to revoke the business license of a repair shop which the city says is in violation of the nuisance ordinance. At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, councilmembers re-visited the nuisance violations of United Automotive on Cove View Road, saying that trash, debris, junk cars and parts, continue to be a problem and have not been corrected for over 20 years. Attorneys representing Verdi Rasmussen, owner of the business, addressed the council with a solution of using permanent storage containers to store the debris and clean up the property. Councilmember Larry Lunnen said the use of permanent storage containers within city limits is still a violation of the ordinance. Attorneys asked councilmembers if a variance could be made in this situation but the Mayor and council disagreed, saying that amending the ordinance could set a dangerous precedent. United Automotive’s business license is due for renewal or denial at the end of the year and the decision was made to reinstate the license pending conditions that law enforcement are allowed on the property to document abuses. Business attorneys, city officials and law enforcement will meet Monday at 3pm to move forward on compliance.

DALLAS (AP)—Jason Terry had 24 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 23 points and six rebounds and Erick Dampier amassed 14 points and 20 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks surged past the Houston Rockets, 121-103 Tuesday at American Airlines Center in NBA action. Despite the Mavs’ assertive victory, they swiftly fell into a 17-point deficit in the first half as Aaron Brooks (22 points) and Carl Landry each had solid starts. Nevertheless, in the latter stages of the 2nd Quarter, Dallas pulled to within 61-57 at halftime as Nowitzki and Terry began catching fire while Houston had no answers as the second half progressed. The win improved the Mavericks to 5-2 on the season while the Rockets slumped to 4-3. Dallas next faces San Antonio in a critical Southwest Division matchup Wednesday. In other NBA action Tuesday, Orlando tripped up Charlotte, 93-81, Miami scorched Washington, 90-76, Denver edged Chicago, 90-89, Portland overpowered Memphis, 93-79 and Sacramento surged past Oklahoma City, 101-98.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Salt Lake City Council is seeking the public’s input on two non-discrimination ordinances proposed by Mayor Ralph Becker’s Administration. There will be a public hearing Tuesday evening in the City Council Chamber at the City & Council Building. The ordinance would enact two new chapters in the Salt Lake City Code. These ordinances, one dealing with employment and the other with housing, stem from a report released in July by Mayor Becker and the city’s Human Rights Commission, which found a number of discrimination cases throughout the city. The first ordinance would make discrimination unlawful against any person because of his/her sexual orientation or gender identity in seeking a job, working, or training for a job. The second would make discrimination unlawful against his/her sexual orientation or gender identity in seeking to rent or buy a place to live or to use real estate services to find a home to rent or buy. The proposed ordinances also include procedures for reconciling discrimination complaints. They contain exemptions for some businesses and organizations, and contain civil fines for individuals, businesses or organizations found to have discriminated against a person.

(UTAH COUNTY)—Some Utah County dentists are hoping police can catch the burglars that seem to be targeting dentist offices. Orem Police Sergeant Craig Martinez said Kenneth Maughan’s Orem-based office was victimized by burglars, as they unscrewed all the lights on the outside of the building to try and darken the building, while they appeared to be after some type of drug. Police are hoping someone saw something or has information about the burglaries. They are also looking at adjacent businesses to see if they have any video surveillance systems that might have taped the burglars.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The president of industry group Ski Utah predicts the number of skier visits in the state will increase by 3 percent in the 2009-10 season to about 4.1 million. Tuesday, Nathan Rafferty said recent signs of economic growth in the national economy should lead to more destination travelers vacationing in the state than last year. Many ski resorts are also offering new deals on lodging and lift tickets. Last year was the first since 2001-02’s season that the state’s ski industry didn’t experience any growth, mirroring a national trend. Rafferty said visits to Ski Utah’s Web site are up 9 percent compared with the same period last year. One ski resort has already opened and a second is slated to open Wednesday.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City is planning a Veteran’s Day program at the cemetery gazebo on Wednesday at 11am and the public is invited to attend. As part of planned events, Civil Air Patrol Cadets of the Sevier County Composite Squadron, will conduct a flag ceremony followed by a brief program featuring Richfield Mayor, Brad Ramsay, who will speak about the new centerpiece of the Veteran’s Memorial and planned completion of the project. Two CAP Cadet Riflemen will be posted at the Main Street gate of the Richfield Cemetery from 7am to 11am to serve as honor guards.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has sent letters to Congress opposing the Affordable Healthcare for America Act. Chamber Executive Vice President R. Bruce Josten says currently, employers voluntarily provide health coverage to over 170 million Americans and spend over $500 billion per year on those benefits. He says the “pay-or-play” mandate on all but the very smallest employers would force them to provide highly mandated health plans or face a new two to eight percent payroll tax. Josten says the plan would cause businesses to increase outsourcing, lower wages and eventually, layoff low income workers. He commented that the legislation specifically states that the “public option” will pay below market rates, which guarantees that costs will be shifted to the private sector. Josten says that the government-controlled plan would make health care more expensive, create onerous new burdens for businesses, greatly increase the government’s involvement in the health sector and implement a vast array of new taxes. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett praised passage of legislation to rename a Provo post office after a prominent Utahn. Bennett said that renaming the post office after Rex E. Lee is a fitting tribute to one of Utah’s most outstanding citizens. Lee served as the Solicitor General of the United States from 1981-1985 and argued 59 cases before the United States Supreme Court. In 1989, he was named the 10th president of Brigham Young University and served faithfully for six years, before dying a few months later from cancer. The bill renaming the post office unanimously passed the Senate late Monday night after clearing the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Congressman Jason Chaffetz sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives. Once the bill is signed into law, the post office located at 936 South 250 East in Provo will be renamed the Rex E. Lee Post Office Building.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP)—Arinze Onuaku had 14 points, while Scoop Jardine, Wesley Johnson and Kris Joseph each added 12 more as the #25 Syracuse Orange decimated the Albany Great Danes, 75-48 Monday in Top 25 mens’ college basketball action. The win was the 800th in the career of Syracuse Jim Boeheim as he became the eighth coach in Division I history to reach that plateau. Currently, Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight is the all-time leader with 902 victories, while only Mount St. Mary’s Jim Phelan and North Carolina’s Dean Smith have coached more games at a school than Boeheim has at Syracuse. Will Harris had 14 points in the loss for the Great Danes. In other Top 25 action Monday, #4 North Carolina stormed past Florida International, 88-72, #12 California surged past Murray State, 75-70 and #17 Ohio State pounded Alcorn State, 100-60.

DENVER (AP)—Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 233 yards, three touchdowns and an interception while Rashard Mendenhall added 155 yards on just 22 carries as the Pittsburgh Steelers pounded the Denver Broncos, 28-10 Monday at INVESCO Field @ Mile High. The Broncos, coming off a 30-7 rout at the hands of Baltimore last weekend tried to get back into their previous groove before their bye a couple of weeks ago, but the Steelers dictated otherwise. The usually reliable Kyle Orton (23 of 38, 221 yards, 3 INT’s) had an uncharacteristically poor performance as the first of his interceptions was returned 48 yards for a score by Pittsburgh’s Tyrone Carter. Nevertheless, the Broncos managed to hang around and actually took a 10-7 lead in the third quarter when Robert Ayers returned a Roethlisberger fumble 54 yards for a score. From that time on, though, Pittsburgh asserted itself by gashing the stout Broncos defense consistently, while Orton continued to commit costly turnovers. An interception by the Steelers’ Troy Polamalu enabled the Steelers to increase their lead to 21-10 when Roethlisberger hit rookie wideout Mike Wallace on a 25-yard strike with just under seven minutes left in regulation. Roethlisberger’s third touchdown toss, a 3-yarder to Hines Ward gave Pittsburgh their final margin of victory. The win improved the Steelers to 6-2 while the Broncos fell to 6-2. Each team currently has at least a share of their respective division title while the Broncos will next travel to Landover, Md. Sunday to face the Washingotn Redskins. Pittsburgh will host Cincinnati Sunday with the winner having sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

(WASHINGTON D.C.)—An airline industry trade group predicts that passenger traffic over the Thanksgiving holiday this year will drop 4 percent from last year. The Air Transport Association made the forecast Monday despite deep discounting by airlines over the past several months. U.S. airlines have struggled this year with declining traffic during the recession. They cut fares for the peak summer vacation season and have eliminated many unprofitable flights to save money. With fewer flights, planes are likely to be full over Thanksgiving, the trade group said. The group instructed passengers to pack light, check flight status before going to the airport and arriving at the airport early.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The FBI has announced a new special agent to head the agency’s Salt Lake City division. Monday, the FBI announced James McTighe will replace Timothy J. Fuhrman, who was recently named as special agent in charge of the FBI’s Mobile, Ala. division. McTighe is expected to arrive in Salt Lake City around the end of the year. He comes to Utah after serving as special assistant for the deputy director at FBI headquarters in Washington D.C. McTighe started as an FBI special agent in 1983 while he has worked in the Cincinnati, Miami, Denver and Cleveland FBI divisions and served as a pilot with the Special Operations Group.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A Democratic state lawmaker says he may consider challenging U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson for the party’s nomination after Matheson voted against sweeping health care legislation that’s at the top of President Barack Obama’s domestic agenda. Utah State Senator Scott McCoy of Salt Lake City says he and other Democratic activists are frustrated with Matheson for voting with Republicans on the health care bill. Matheson says he voted against the bill because it’s too expensive. McCoy is one of the most liberal members of the Legislature, while Matheson is a moderate who is known for frequently siding with Republicans. Matheson is seeking a sixth term in 2010 and thus far, no Democrats or Republicans have filed to run against him.

(SANDY)—The Canyons School District in Sandy may soon offer a special College and Career Ready Diploma, Superintendent David Doty said. Doty stated this would emphasize a heavier course load as well as a higher academic bar. The board could consider such changes in the next few days, possibly making the special high school diploma ready for the upcoming freshmen class of 2014. Doty said the board is also looking into placing sixth grade into middle school and ninth grade into high school, a move he believes will help strengthen middle schools and put students more on the college-ready track as well. The reconfiguration is part of the overall look at how the facilities and school buildings are used in the Canyons district.

(WASHINGTON D.C.)—Utah Governor Gary Herbert is in Washington for two days to meet with federal leaders about health care, public lands and natural resource issues. Herbert’s visit began Monday, where he was scheduled to meet with senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett about health care. While in Washington, Herbert will also meet with some members of Utah’s Congressional delegation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Herbert spokeswoman Angie Welling says Herbert plans to discuss wilderness fire issues with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, stemming from the Bureau of Land Management’s role in managing southern Utah’s Mill Flat fire this summer. Herbert will also meet with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

(RICHFIELD) – A 14-year old girl was taken to the hospital with injuries this morning after being hit by a truck while crossing the street at 400 West 100 South in Richfield. According to a UHP report, Andie Thomas of Richfield was in the crosswalk with another girl at about 7:40am, when a 2002 Ford F-150 truck, driven by 25-year old, Dason Lay of Richfield, hit her. Thomas was transported by ambulance to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with head injuries and a broken arm and leg. The UHP report said the other girl was not injured, nor the driver. Both girls are Richfield High School students and were on their way to classes when the accident occurred. Lay claimed he didn’t see Thomas in the crosswalk. The accident is still under investigation.

DENVER (AP)—Mike Comrie, Tom Gilbert and Dustin Penner each scored first period goals for the Edmonton Oilers and Ryan Potulny and Andrew Cogliano added insurance scores in the third in a 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche Sunday at Pepsi Center. Nikolai Khabibulin added 34 saves for the Oilers, who improved to 8-8-1 with the win. Marek Svatos, T.J. Hensick and David Jones each scored for the Avs, who fell to 12-4-2 in the loss. In other NHL action Sunday, Atlanta edged St. Louis, 3-2 in a shootout.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Rookie phenom Tyreke Evans had a career-high 32 points and dished out seven assists and the Sacramento Kings pulled off a mild upset with a 104-99 win over the Utah Jazz Saturday at Energy Solutions Arena in NBA action. The erstwhile Kings went on a crucial 19-0 run in the 3rd Quarter and held off several late Utah surges to win their second game on the young season. The Jazz, riding high off of Thursday evening’s pasting of San Antonio, shot 60 percent from the field in the 1st Quarter en route to a 30-19 lead. Nevertheless, the scrappy Kings hung around and seized control for good in the 3rd Quarter behind prolific play from Evans and Andres Nocioni (14 points). Despite a late Utah run which nearly erased a 20-point deficit, the Kings did just enough to stave off the Jazz. Deron Williams had 29 points and 15 assists to lead Utah in the loss. In other NBA action Saturday, Atlanta hammered Denver, 125-100, Boston waxed New Jersey, 86-76, Chicago edged Charlotte, 93-90, Dallas decimated Toronto, 129-101, Milwaukee stonewalled New York, 102-87 and the Los Angeles Clippers held off Memphis, 113-110.

DALLAS (AP)—Brad Richards and Brenden Morrow each scored and the Dallas Stars withstood a late Vancouver run to down the Canucks, 2-1 Friday at American Airlines Center. Marty Turco amassed 32 saves to pace the Stars, who improved to 7-3-6 with the win. Vancouver was paced by Cory Schneider who posted 45 saves in defeat. In other NHL action Friday, Toronto snuck past Carolina, 3-2, New Jersey doubled up the New York Islanders, 2-1, Philadelphia stormed past Buffalo, 5-2, Washington dismantled Florida, 4-1 and Colorado outlasted Chicago, 4-3 in a shootout.

BOSTON (AP)—Jason Richardson had 34 points and 10 rebounds while making 6 of 7 3-pointers and the Phoenix Suns snapped the Boston Celtics’ six-game winning streak with a 110-103 win Friday at TD Banknorth Garden in NBA action. Steve Nash added 16 points and 12 assists for Phoenix, including a clutch 3-pointer in the 4th Quarter to hand the Celtics their first loss of the season. Kevin Garnett had 26 points and eight boards to pace Boston in defeat. In other NBA action Friday, Indiana dismantled Washington, 102-86, Orlando stonewalled Detroit, 110-103, Philadelphia edged New Jersey, 97-94, Charlotte pounded Atlanta, 103-83, Miami doused Denver, 96-88, Toronto pounded New Orleans, 107-90, Milwaukee gashed Minnesota, 87-72, Cleveland ousted New York, 100-91, Houston defused Oklahoma City, 105-94, the Los Angeles Clippers crushed Golden State, 118-90, the Los Angeles Lakers stymied Memphis, 114-98 and Portland overpowered San Antonio, 96-84.

(ORLANDO, Fla.)—Friday, a gunman opened fire in the offices of an engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago, killing one person and injuring five others. The 40-year-old Jason Rodriguez surrendered to police about three hours later, after officers saw him through the window of his mother’s home and asked him to come outside, Orlando Police Chief Val Demings said. She said investigators didn’t know why Rodriguez targeted the engineering firm where he once worked. People streamed out of the 16-story Legion Place office building around lunchtime and some told local television stations they had barricaded themselves inside their offices while the gunman was on the loose. Interstate 4 was closed in both directions through downtown and nearby schools were locked down until the gunman was caught. Rows of ambulances lined up outside the building as police snipers took up positions around the building and officers on foot and horseback searched the area.

(OREM)—A man Orem police say shot and killed his brother-in-law on October 25 was formally charged Friday with first-degree murder. Stephen Strate made a quick court appearance to hear the charges against him although he waived the reading of the charge. While in the courtroom, he was surrounded by close to a dozen family and friends in support. Defense attorney Ron Yengich told the judge the bail for Strate was too high, while Strate surprised prosecutors when shortly after his arrest he made his $1 million cash-only bill with a cashier’s check. Strate hopes the bail will be reduced so he can get some of the money back to those who collected it. Prosecutor Craig Johnson said prosecutors will fight any attempt to have the bail lowered. Strate is scheduled to appear in court again December 3, when this case will take another step in the direction of resolution.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Defense attorneys for the man charged in the 2002 abduction of Elizabeth Smart say a psychiatrist’s report deeming him competent for trial is advocacy, not an objective evaluation of facts. In U.S. District Court filings released late Thursday, defense attorneys criticize Dr. Michael Weiner, saying he relied only on data or evaluations supporting his own opinions. Weiner, who was paid $400,000 by federal prosecutors, concluded Brian David Mitchell suffers from multiple mental disorders, but is competent for trial. His report suggests Mitchell is exaggerating or feigning symptoms of illnesses in hopes of avoiding prosecution. In 2008, Mitchell was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor and faces a 10-day competency hearing that begins November 30.

(LEHI)—Students who have been working with Utah Highway Patrol troopers to learn how to be safer when driving will get a chance to put their skills to the test. Friday, high school students from the program, which emphasizes seat belt use, got a chance to drive police cruisers on the Department of Public Safety’s emergency vehicle operations track in Lehi. There was lots of safety gear for the students, while UHP Trooper Cameron Roden says the Crown Victorias are equipped with five-point harnesses and have good tires. The student drivers also wore helmets. Troopers taught such driving skills as evasive maneuvers to avoid crashes.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The first TV ad for the 2010 election by a local candidate aired Thursday from Sen. Bob Bennett. Bennett’s ad took a shot at Pres. Obama and the Democrat health care reform bill. The early ad comes after Bennett already reported spending a whopping $545,000 from July through September in his latest disclosure ads, more than many Utah congressional campaigns spend over an entire election cycle. Jim Bennett, Bob’s son and campaign manager, has said the senator is spending heavily early because he realizes the real race his father must win, is the state GOP convention. He said delegates often are more conservative than the state as a whole and where conservatives challenging him have the best chance at success. Bennett wants to gain better than 60% of delegate votes to avoid a run-off in a primary election next year. Conservative Republicans currently challenging Bennett include former congressional candidate Tim Bridgewater, businesswoman Cherilyn Eager and small businessman, James Williams III. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff dropped out of the race this week to spend time with his daughter who suffers from chronic depression and suicidal behavior.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Sevier County has paid $10,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by five sheriff’s officers who claim they were demoted for supporting their boss’ opponent in a primary. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, a federal judge earlier this year threw out the suit, which sought millions of dollars in damage from the county, for allegedly retaliating against the five and violating their free speech rights. In exchange for the payment, the officers have agreed not to appeal the dismissal. The county said in a written agreement that it denies all allegations in the suit but has chosen to end lengthy court proceedings. The plaintiffs alleged in their suit that they were targeted for retaliation and lost supervisory positions because they supported Sheriff Phil Barney’s opponent in the 2006 Republican primary. Shortly after Barney won that election, the officers were transferred to different positions.

(NORTHERN UTAH) – The news of mass shootings at Fort Hood, TX. Thursday have hit close to home for a Utah family whose daughter was one of the soldiers shot at by the gunman. The father said he got a call from his daughter after the shootings, explaining what happened. The father did not want his daughter or his family to be identified because he’s worried she could get into trouble with her superiors for making public statements of what she witnessed. She told her father that soldiers were sitting in a staging area for medical and dental checks when the group was startled by gunfire. The father commented that his daughter told him she thought the incident was some sort of drill but quickly discovered it wasn’t. She said the person next to her was killed instantly and she immediately fell to ground and played dead. The father said he contacted the news media because he thought the public should know what happened. KSL-TV stated that the father and his daughter’s reports could not be confirmed by government or military officials.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)—Martin Hanzal, Peter Mueller and Scottie Upshall each scored and the Phoenix Coyotes stormed past the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-1 Thursday at Jobing.com Arena in NHL action. Ilya Bryzgalov posted 31 saves in the win for Phoenix, who improved to 10-6 with the win. Kris Versteeg had the sole goal for Chicago in the loss, which dropped them to 8-5-1. In other NHL action Thursday, Montreal doubled up Boston, 2-1 in a shootout, Columbus bested Atlanta, 4-3, Detroit clipped San Jose, 2-1 in a shootout, Ottawa surged past Tampa Bay, 3-2 in overtime, Vancouver dismantled Minnesota, 5-2, Calgary ousted St. Louis, 2-1 in overtime, the New York Rangers overpowered Edmonton, 4-2, Anaheim blanked Nashville, 4-0 and Los Angeles stymied Pittsburgh, 5-2.

COLUMBUS (AP)—Javier Morales, Robbie Findley and Andy Williams each scored and Real Salt Lake overcame an early 2-0 deficit to end the Columbus Crew’s season with a 3-2 win Thursday at Crew Stadium, winning their Eastern Conference semifinal series, 4-2 on aggregate. Columbus got off to a solid start with a pair of goals from Guillermo Barros Schelotto, but Real rallied en route to a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Police say at least four cars of a train have derailed on Salt Lake City’s west side. No injuries were reported in the Thursday morning derailment and the cars were empty. Salt Lake City police say there may be additional cars derailed elsewhere on the track. The Union Pacific train was traveling southbound and it’s unclear what caused the derailment. Union Pacific says machinery is coming to lift the cars off the tracks. Police say a road in the area is closed while the cleanup takes place.

(WOODS CROSS)—Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators at the blast zone at the Silver Eagle Refinery at Woods Cross Thursday pieced together what caused the explosion that shook homes miles away on Wednesday. Members of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board are also at the scene walking the neighborhoods documenting how widespread the damage was from the blast. Woods Cross Mayor Kent Parry has been walking with the CSB investigators to get a better idea of how many homes are damaged. Parry said one of the big concerns the city has is that some homes might have internal damage that isn’t easily recognized. Parry spoke with refinery officials Thursday morning, asking that they send building inspectors through all the affected homes to look for problems. The mayor also said the city and refinery will have to work together to come up with a long-term plan to ensure the safety of the residents near the refinery. He added the city still hasn’t seen the reports from the fire at the refinery that took place last January. The neighborhoods around the refineries were filled with insurance adjusters Thursday, both from homeowners and the refinery. A Silver Eagle worker said it was the company’s priority to ensure needs of residents were met. A table with insurance information was set up in the neighborhood closest to the refinery to help people get information. Some home owners, living as far as three quarters of a mile away, reported broken windows and cracks in their walls from the blast.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Lawyers for a man accused of shooting and killing his parents in their Castle Dale home said he needs to undergo an inpatient mental capacity evaluation. The 26-year-old Peter Sharp is charged with two counts of aggravated murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, William and Charmaine, last month. According to the Deseret News, prosecutors backed up the defense in asking for an in-depth competency evaluation, including how an injury suffered in a truck accident as a teen, may have affected Sharp’s mental state.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah’s school population this year shows some interesting changes from last year as there are now 563,273 students in Utah public schools, an increase of 12,260 from last year. The San Juan, Salt Lake and Ogden School Districts are now major minority districts at 55.8 percent, 55.3 percent and 54.3 percent minority enrollment, respectively. Speaking of charter schools, enrollment grew by 24 percent from 2008 to 2009. The largest district is now the Granite School District with 68,131 students.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Planning Commission met in session Wednesday night to discuss amendments to the Land Use Management Code as it pertains to garages and accessory buildings in residential areas. Commission Chairman, Blake Zobell says language in the code needs to be inserted requiring homeowners to make the exteriors of their garages and buildings to be similar in nature and in harmony with the existing homes in the neighborhood. Zobell also said the planning commission discussed prohibiting the construction of galvanized steel or Quonset-type buildings. He said the heights of garages will be discussed in future planning meetings and public hearings will also be held on all items discussed.

(MILFORD) – A celebration of Utah’s largest wind project will be held in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday in Milford as commercial operations get underway. First Wind Director, John Lamontagne says the project is one of the biggest in the West. The Utah-based Milford Wind Corridor project will start operations after the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday at noon at the Operations and Maintenance Building in Milford located at 2390 East First Wind Road. The 203-Megawatt project is in its first phase and representatives will be on hand to discuss the economic and environmental benefits to the surrounding areas.

DALLAS (AP)—Jarome Iginla had two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, and the Calgary Flames slipped past the Dallas Stars, 3-2 Wednesday at American Airlines Center in NHL action. After Iginla’s first goal gave Calgary a 1-0 lead but in the second period, successive goals by Dallas’ James Neal and Loui Eriksson gave the Stars a 2-1 lead, before Daymond Langkow tied things at 2-2 heading into the third period. In other NHL action Wednesday, Buffalo blanked the New York Islanders, 3-0, New Jersey edged Washington, 3-2, San Jose waxed Columbus, 3-2 in a shootout, Florida gashed Carolina, 3-0 and Colorado dismantled Phoenix, 4-1.

NEW ORLEANS (AP)—Peja Stojokavic hit a clutch 3-pointer to force overtime and Chris Paul amassed 39 points and seven assists as the New Orleans Hornets surged past the Dallas Mavericks, 114-107 Wednesday in NBA action at the New Orleans Arena. Despite Dirk Nowitzki (12 points) having an off night and fouling out early in the 4th Quarter, the Mavericks were well on their way to finishing the game off in regulation behind the prolific play of Jason Terry (35 points). Nevertheless, Dallas uncharacteristically missed several free throws in the closing moments to help the Hornets get back in it and force an extra session. David West (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Bobby Brown (18 points) each made several big plays in overtime to help the Hornets snap a 2-game losing streak, while the Mavericks had their three game winning streak snapped. In other NBA action Wednesday, Orlando stonewalled Phoenix, 122-100, Miami doused Washington, 93-89, Toronto bested Detroit, 110-99, Denver decimated New Jersey, 122-94, Indiana clipped New York, 101-89, Boston edged Minnesota, 92-90, the Los Angeles Lakers held off Houston, 103-102 in overtime, Atlanta waxed Sacramento, 113-105 and Golden State humbled Memphis, 113-105.

(SARATOGA SPRINGS)—With municipal elections having been completed all over the United States, a noteworthy occurrence transpired in Utah. Saratoga Springs voters made Mia Love the first ever black female mayor in Utah history. Love, with 861 votes, easily bested competitor Jeff Francom, who had 594 votes, in unofficial results. The two were vying to replace outgoing mayor Timothy Parker. Love says she’s pleased with the results and is excited to become mayor. Love is the second mayor in Saratoga Springs’ brief history and ran on a platform of growing the city’s commercial base while preserving its quality of life. She also said previously serving on the city council during a budget crisis gave her the needed experience of serving in the city’s top position.

(SUMMIT COUNTY)—A semi truck driver hauling cattle lost control of his rig and crashed while heading westbound on Interstate 80 east of the Echo Junction in Summit County. The Utah Highway Patrol stated the truck spun around before rolling just after 11:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, blocking both westbound lanes. Traffic is passing by on the shoulder. Of the 96 calves aboard the truck, only one was found wandering outside the trailer. The driver suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital. Additional trucks were brought in to take the cattle while traffic is still being backed up in both directions.

(LOGAN)—A major solar power project going up outside Campbell Scientifics offices could eventually provide valuable data on alternative energy, its developers say. The array of 64 solar panels will be mounted on a single pole that will turn with the sun, increasing the amount of power it can produce. When the development is operational in a few weeks, it will provide 94 kilowatt hours of power per day, systems designer Wayne Bishop said. A second area of research will look at how Cache Valley’s winter inversions affect the panels and their ability to generate energy. Generally, Bishop said the Logan area has good conditions for solar energy, saying the panels work well in cold, sunny weather. Bishop said in the near future, it will be common to see homes with six-eight solar panels, particularly if the cost of power spikes the way it has in California.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Federal prosecutors have lined up witnesses in an attempt to prove that Brian David Mitchell is faking psychological problems to avoid prosecution for the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a brief Tuesday asking that the lay witnesses be allowed to testify at a competency hearing for Mitchell. Prosecutors want to show that Mitchell’s “insanity” can be turned on and off at will. Professionals have previously split their opinions of whether he is competent to stand trial. The Tribune reports the witnesses would include Mitchell’s relatives, former neighbors and people Mitchell talked with at the Utah State Hospital, even discussing case strategy. Other witnesses include several people who say they were molested by Mitchell as children or teens. Mitchell’s defense team has objected to having lay testimony be allowed in court to determine Mitchell’s competency. Federal prosecutors say lay testimony is the key to finding out who Mitchell really is. The 55-year-old Mitchell and his wife, 63-year-old Wanda Eileen Barzee, are charged with abducting Smart from her Federal Heights home on June 5, 2002. Police arrested them in Sandy in March 2003. Mitchell’s two-week competency hearing is set for November 30.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is no longer seeking the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate. In a surprise announcement on the Doug Wright Show on KSL Newsradio today, Shurtleff told listeners that he’s “suspending his campaign” to devote more time to helping his daughter who suffers from depression. Shurtleff said he recently admitted his daughter in a treatment facility and asked for prayers and support. He confirmed that “suspending” his campaign means he’s dropping his current bid for Bennett’s seat. Shurtleff will continue to serve as attorney general. He commented that the announcement comes with sorrow because he wants to serve his country and believes that both political parties have put this nation in grave danger by spending so foolishly that our children and grandchildren will have a difficult time recovering.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)—Pascal Dupuis scored the game-winning goal with 10:47 left in the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins tied the NHL record of seven consecutive road wins with a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday at Honda Center in NHL action. Mike Rupp, Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski also scored for the Penguins, who improved to 12-3 on the season, while the Ducks fell to 4-7-2. Corey Perry had two goals for Anaheim in the loss, while Saku Koivu added another one in the loss. In other NHL action Tuesday, Detroit blanked Boston, 2-0, Atlanta held off Montreal, 5-4, Tampa Bay doubled up Toronto, 2-1 in overtime, and Vancouver stymied the New York Rangers, 4-1.

(ST. GEORGE)—St. George police say officers used a Taser on a 15-year-old boy after he allegedly resisted arrest. St. George Police Sergeant Aaron Townsend says officers responded to a report late Saturday of three rowdy males. Townsend says that when the boy and two others saw the officers, they fled. After a foot chase, Townsend said the 15-year-old resisted arrest and officers had to use a Taser gun to get him to comply. The boy received a “dry stun” with the Taser early Sunday morning instead of being shot with the gun. Townsend said the boy was then medically cleared and taken to detention.

(COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS)—The FBI is looking for a man involved in the robbery of a Cottonwood Heights credit union. Agents say Alejandro Torres, also known as “Casper,” was one of two armed men who robbed a Mountain America Credit Union September 30. Police arrested Torres’ partner, Jose Miguel Alamarez, at a Murray apartment complex, but authorities are still searching for Torres. Both have been indicted on federal robbery charges.

(SANTAQUIN) – A chase in Santaquin ended in gunfire today. According to a Utah County Sheriff’s report, local police were investigating a person who was reportedly suicidal and the person fled in a truck. Police chased the man with the pursuit ending at Lincoln Beach, just west of Spanish Fork. Officers approached the vehicle and at some time, a shot was fired and the suspect was hit. Police have not released the suspect’s condition or his identity. It’s also not clear if police or the suspect fired the shot.

(RICHFIELD) – The 38th Annual Sterling Scholars of Central Utah Awards program will be held March 16, 2010 at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield. New committee co-chairpersons, Neal and Marcia Bosshardt of Redmond met with committee coordinators Oct. 27 at North Sevier High School in Salina, to make plans for the year’s events. The committee also announced that judging will take place March 9, 2010 and said that Committee coordinators, Nolan Anderson and Barry Smith at NSHS, will be in charge of the awards program under the direction of the Bosshardt’s. The Sterling Scholar competition is open to eligible high school seniors throughout the region. High schools participating include, Richfield, North and South Sevier, Manti, North Sanpete, Wayne, Piute, Millard, Delta, Juab, Gunnison Valley and Tintic. Each high school may nominate one student in each of 15 categories.

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—After the 76ers and Eagles did all they could to defend the honor of Philadelphia during the weekend against New York foes in the Knicks and Giants, the Phillies did their part to repel their Gotham-based opponent. Chase Utley amassed two home runs, tying the World Series record with five thus far in the series and the Philadelphia Phillies lived to play another day with an 8-6 win over the New York Yankees Monday at Citizens Bank Park in Game 5 of the Fall Classic. The game served as the last at home this season, regardless of what else happens, for Philadelphia and the Phillies gave a sellout crowd of 46,178 perhaps their best performance of the series thus far. After the Yankees drew first blood in the 1st Inning on Alex Rodriguez’ double for an early 1-0 lead, the Phillies scored six consecutive runs, culminating with Carlos Ruiz’ grounder in the 3rd Inning. After a Johnny Damon grounder pulled New York to within 6-2 in the fifth, successive solo home runs by Utley and Raul Ibenza put the game out of reach, despite a late game surge for the Yankees which ended after Derek Jeter’s grounder in the ninth to make the final margin of victory for the Phillies. The World Series will resume Wednesday evening in the Bronx, while (if possible) Philadelphia will seek to force a Game 7 Thursday.

NEW ORLEANS (AP)—Drew Brees completed 25 of 33 passes for 308 yards, two touchdowns and an interception as the New Orleans Saints outlasted the Atlanta Falcons, 35-27 Monday at the Louisiana Superdome in NFL action. The Saints improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1991, which led to an 11-5 season, the second-best in franchise history at the time. Despite their less than stellar past, the Saints have dominated their competition thus far, as the victory over Atlanta was the first on the season under 10 points. New Orleans appeared to have the game under control when cornerback Jabari Greer returned a Matt Ryan (19 of 42, 289 yards, TD, 3 INT’s)interception 48 yards for a score to give the Saints a 28-14 halftime advantage. Nevertheless, a 68-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Roddy White )4 rec, 108 yards, TD) and a 24-yard Jason Elam field goal pulled the Falcons to within 28-24 in the fourth quarter. The Saints appeared to wrap the game up when Brees hit Pierre Thomas on a 1-yard scoring toss later in the period, but the scrappy Falcons managed to force a Saints fumble and after a 40-yard Elam field goal, recovered an onside kick in the closing seconds. Nevertheless, Darren Sharper came up with his seventh interception of the season with three seconds left to play to secure the win for New Orleans. With the Saints’ win, they join Indianapolis as the only unbeaten teams left in the NFL. The loss dropped the Falcons to 4-3, while they will host the Washington Redskins Sunday at the Georgia Dome. Meanwhile, the Saints will entertain the Carolina Panthers Sunday with hopes of improving to 8-0 on the season and putting the NFC South away for all intents and purposes. Michael Turner (20 car, 151 yards, TD) was also solid in defeat for Atlanta.

(UTAH COUNTY)—A serious crash on Interstate 15 is backing up traffic in Utah County. Two cars collided while traveling south on I-15 near Pleasant Grove at Exit 276 during the morning commute. The collision caused one of the vehicles, which was in the HOV lane, to hit a wall and then roll. A man and woman were trapped inside one of the cars until emergency crews cut them out. Both were transported to local hospitals in stable condition and are expected to be OK. The driver of the other vehicle was not seriously injured. The portion of I-15 near the accident recently reopened, but major delays are still being reported.

(RICHFIELD) – Enrollment numbers in the Sevier School District show an increase of 21 more students this year than last year but Business Administrator, Patrick Wilson says those numbers could be deceiving. At the Oct. 20 school board meeting, Wilson said that anticipated enrollment will go down as the school year progresses. He said enrollment typically goes down after the Christmas break for various reasons. Wilson commented that the Oct. 1 enrollment count is also less than what the state office of education projected it would be. The Oct. 1 enrollment count is showing 4,624 students currently enrolled this year compared to 4,603 students enrolled last year at the same time. He also said that declining enrollment combined with insufficient funding from the legislature due to poor economic conditions, will affect staffing for the coming school year.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners approved a letter of support for energy development in Carbon County. At today’s meeting, Economic Development Director, Malcolm Nash said the Utah Association of Petroleum Development requested the support for the Bill Barrett Corporation’s drilling of natural gas in the region. Commissioner Ivan Cowley stated that the Bill Barrett Corporation is the largest developer of natural gas in the state and made a motion for approval of the letter of support for Barrett’s continued efforts in Carbon County. The motion gained unanimous approval from Commissioners. Commissioners also approved the selection of Ralph Brown of Central Valley to assume the position on the Sevier County Planning Commission due to Douglas Gadd’s resignation for a position on the Monroe City Council.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Clerk’s Office reminds registered voters that the General Election will be held Tuesday. Deputy Clerk, Barbara Crowther says that voters will need to have a Utah driver license for identification before voting or an ID card issued by the state; or a branch, department or agency of the U.S. government. She said you may also show a permit to carry a concealed weapon, U.S. passport or Tribal identification card. The polls will open at 7am in towns and cities around the county and close at 8pm.

(BICKNELL) – A Loa man was transported to the hospital with unknown injuries when he hit an embankment over the weekend on SR-24 near Bicknell. Utah Highway Patrol reported that at about 11:15am Sunday, 18-year old, Tony Billie was traveling eastbound about two miles east of Bicknell, when his 2001 Chevy Cavalier drifted off the right shoulder of the highway and hit an embankment. UHP said Billie was not wearing his seatbelt and was taken to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with possible injuries.

BALTIMORE (AP)—Joe Flacco completed 20 of 25 passes for 175 yards and a score in an efficient performance and Lardarius Webb returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score as the Baltimore Ravens crushed the Denver Broncos, 30-7 Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in NFL action. The Broncos, who have traditionally struggled at Baltimore (0-4 against the Ravens on the road since 1996), had their worst offensive performance of the season as the Ravens’ defense finally played up to its billing, only allowing Denver to cross midfield three times. Meanwhile, the Broncos’ stout defense finally showed signs of deterioration in the second half on Flacco’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason and a 7-yard touchdown by Ray Rice. The win improved the Ravens to 4-3 on the season and was their first victory in more than a month, while the Broncos slumped to 6-1. The Ravens next travel to Cincinnati to face the division-rival Bengals next Sunday, while the Broncos will host Pittsburgh next Monday evening. In other NFL action Sunday, Houston pounded Buffalo, 31-10, Chicago smoked Cleveland, 30-6, Dallas gashed Seattle, 38-17, Miami outlasted the New York Jets, 30-25, Indianapolis surged past San Francisco, 18-14, Philadelphia decimated the New York Giants, 40-17, St. Louis ousted Detroit, 17-10, San Diego held off Oakland, 24-16, Tennessee hammered Jacksonville, 30-13, Minnesota bested Green Bay, 38-26, and Carolina stunned Arizona, 34-21. The New Orleans Saints will host the Atlanta Falcons for this week’s Monday Night game.

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—On a weekend which features numerous sports matchups between New York and Philadelphia, the storied New York Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the World Series with an 8-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. However, the Phillies started out the game on fire as Jayson Werth hit a solo home run, Pedro Feliz scored on a Jimmy Rollins walk and Shane Victorino hit a sacrifice fly to give Philadelphia a 3-0 lead after two innings of play. However, the Yankees went on a six run surge spanning from the 4th-6th Inning, with Alex Rodriguez’ two-run shot serving as the impetus. After Nick Swisher’s solo shot in the sixth, the Yankees held a 6-3 lead. A 7th Inning Jorge Posada single and a Hideki Matsui home run in the eighth gave the Yankees the last of their offense while Carlos Ruiz added a ninth-inning home run for Philadelphia, although they failed to dent the Yankees’ advantage any further. Game 4 will take place Sunday with the Phillies hoping to avoid a 3-1 deficit.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki posted 24 points and nine rebounds, Jason Kidd added 16 points and six assists and Shawn Marion chipped in with 16 points and 11 boards as the Dallas Mavericks won their second game at STAPLES Center in as many nights with a 94-83 win over the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday in NBA action. The Clippers, despite starting 0-3, jumped out early on the Mavs with a 27-23 lead after the first quarter. Nevertheless, Dallas hung around and seized complete control with a 25-16 surge in the 3rd Quarter. Although Dallas hit the skids offensively in the last stanza, they still managed to make enough big plays to hold off the home-standing Clippers. The win improved the Mavericks to 2-1 on the season, while Los Angeles slumped to 0-4. Chris Kaman amassed 27 points and 11 rebounds in the loss for the Clippers. In other NBA action Saturday, Washington dismantled New Jersey, 123-104, Cleveland stymied Charlotte, 90-79, Philadelphia outgunned New York, 141-127 in overtime, Houston downed Portland, 111-107, Milwaukee humbled Detroit, 96-85 and San Antonio smacked Sacramento, 113-94.

CHICAGO (AP)—Patrick Sharp scored the game-winning goal and Cristobal Hulet stopped 20 shorts as the Chicago Blackhawks edged the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2 Friday at United Center in NHL action. Kris Versteeg and Cam Barker also scored for Chicago, who improved to 8-4-1 with the win. Mike Cammalleri and Travis Moen each scored in the loss for Montreal, which dropped them to 6-7. In other NHL action Friday, the New York Islanders edged Washington, 4-3 in overtime, Pittsburgh downed Columbus, 4-3 in a shootout, Buffalo got past Toronto, 3-2 in overtime, Minnesota gashed the New York Rangers, 3-2, Florida surged past Dallas, 6-5 in a shootout, Anaheim decimated Vancouver, 7-2 and San Jose stonewalled Colorado, 3-1.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Ricky Ray completed 22 of 34 passes for 332 yards and a touchdown as the Edmonton Eskimos hammered the Toronto Argonauts, 36-10 Friday in CFL action at Commonwealth Stadium. Arkeith Whitlock added 15 carries for 114 yards and a score in the rout for the Eskimos. Chad Lucas hauled in 10 receptions for 123 yards and a score in the loss for the Argos.

(LAS VEGAS) – A Nevada judge’s ruling has stalled the proposed construction of a 250-mile pipeline that would tap water from Utah and send it to Las Vegas. Steve Erickson, with the Great Basin Water Network, is among many Utahns that are cheering the judge’s ruling, saying “it’s a real blow to Nevada’s massive water grab.” The Great Basin Water Network is a coalition of ranchers, environmentalists and native tribes who oppose the pipeline, saying it will destroy the environment, cattle and livelihoods. Some groups along the Wasatch Front are concerned that if water is drawn from the area, it will create dust storms that will further pollute the air even in Northern Utah. Nevada Judge Norman Robinson ruled recently that Nevada’s top water official used poor science to determine whether the amount of water in the Snake Valley area could be divided equally between the two states. The Southern Nevada Water Authority says they’ll appeal the judge’s ruling.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)—Carmelo Anthony had 41 points and six rebounds, including two clutch free throws in the closing seconds and Chauncey Billups added 22 points and six assists as the Denver Nuggets outlasted the Portland Trail Blazers, 97-94 Thursday at the Rose Garden in NBA action. The win was all the more impressive for Denver considering they touched down in Portland around 4:00 a.m. after an emotional win over Utah Wednesday. The Trail Blazers led for much of the 4th Quarter before key plays by Anthony, Billups and Nene Hilario enabled Denver to eventually gain the lead. Brandon Roy had 30 points in the loss for Portland, while Rudy Fernandez added 22 points. In other NBA action Thursday, Chicago bested San Antonio, 92-85.

NEW YORK (AP)—Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui each hit solo home runs and the New York Yankees evened the World Series at a game apiece with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. Matt Stairs started things off on the right foot for Philadelphia with a 2nd Inning RBI single before the Yankees seized control for good on Matsui’s sixth inning home run to give New York a 2-1 lead. Jorge Posada added an insurance RBI single in the 7th Inning while Mariano Rivera earned the save for New York. Game 3 will be Saturday in Philadelphia.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A biomass energy project was awarded $2.5 million in a congressional earmark that Utah Senator Bob Bennett included in a pending federal budget bill. Viresco Energy LLC is a company headed by a southern California real-estate developer who owns a ranch in Alton, where Jim Guthrie proposes to turn wood waste, manure or coal into 40 barrels of fuel a day. The U.S. Department of Energy says the new technology holds some promise but that it wasn’t endorsing this $25 million project. Bennett’s office says it did some diligence before sponsoring the taxpayer-funded item. The University of California at Riverside says it’s transferring technology rights to Viresco for the pilot plant. Alton Coal Development, which is opening a strip mine, says it isn’t immediately committing to supplying Guthrie’s project with any coal.

(AMERICAN FORK)—Four Lone Peak High school students have been cited for disorderly conduct after rapping their order at an American Fork McDonald’s. The teens started the rap at a faster pace and then repeated a slower one, causing workers to tell them they were backing up the line and they needed to either order or leave. Things soon escalated to a citation that was issues by officers who tracked the teens to a volleyball game at Lone Peak High. There are claims the teens used vulgar language and the workers felt threatened. A court hearing is scheduled for November 17.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz wants to make sure 2010 Census counters are not hardened criminals. In a letter sent this week to Census Bureau Director Robert Groves, Chaffetz raises concerns about census employees with criminal records. A recent Governmental Accountability Office study shows the Census Bureau may have accidentally hired 200 criminals. Chaffetz, along with three Republican lawmakers, wrote saying the Census Bureau will not hire anyone with any criminal record to be a counter or interact with the public. Lawmakers say that people with criminal records that are hired to work as counters will lead to a lack of public confidence and fear over safety and security. Chaffetz wants a list of all employees with criminal records by Nov. 6 and policy on what crimes would disqualify potential employees.

(ELSINORE) – Slick roads were the cause of a rollover on I-70 Wednesday morning south of Elsinore. UHP Troopers reported at about 10am, 62-year old, Sharon Peterson of San Diego was traveling eastbound, when she lost control of her 2004 Toyota RAV and rolled once off the right shoulder. She was wearing her seatbelt and was not transported to the hospital. Her passenger, 68-year old, Frances Cardozo, also of San Diego, was not injured.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Wojtek Wolski scored the tie-breaking goal in the third period to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames Wednesday at the Pengrowth Saddledome in NHL action. The Flames got off to a hot start however as Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen each scored in the first period for an early 2-0 Calgary lead. Nevertheless, the resolute Avs hung around as David Koci and David Jones each scored to make it 2-2 headed into the second period before Wolski’s heroics sealed the deal. The win improved Colorado to 10-1-2 on the young season while the Flames slumped to 7-3-1. In other NHL action Wednesday, St. Louis hammered Carolina, 5-2, Buffalo bested New Jersey, 4-1, the New York Islanders downed the New York Rangers, 3-1, Phoenix ousted Columbus, 4-1, Pittsburgh crushed Montreal, 6-1, Ottawa got past Florida, 4-3, Dallas snuck past Toronto, 4-3 in overtime, Nashville gashed Minnesota, 4-3, and San Jose doubled up Los Angeles, 2-1 in a shootout.