(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah man accused of plotting a shooting spree at the Jordan River Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was sentenced in federal court Monday. Benjamin Speakman was put on three years probation and ordered to undergo mental therapy. In a deal with prosecutors last month, Speakman walked into a mental health clinic and told employees he was planning to shoot people inside the temple and then kill himself.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Campers will no longer be allowed to sleep unprotected in the outdoors or in tents at a northeastern Utah campground because of bear activity. Due to an increase in bear activity and sightings at Avintaquin Campground on the Roosevelt/Duchesne District of the Ashley National Forest, overnight occupancy without a fully hard sided and structurally sound camping vehicle and sleeping outside such a vehicle became prohibited as of June 19 and will remain so until further notice. Please contact the Ashley National Forest at 789-1181 for more information.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A party over the weekend ended with at least eight arrests while police say more than 100 people attended a party in the basement of a Salt Lake City bakery. Officers found juveniles drinking and one of them, they claim, was vomiting from alcohol. Police say the juveniles have been called to the building from other parties in the past while the venue isn’t licensed. The fire marshal is also investigating. Salt Lake City police Detective Dennis McGowan said he hoped the owner can be contacted so the venue can be shut down. A worker at the bakery, which was not affiliated with the party, says the space is often rented out for events.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah’s new immigration law is already the target of a lawsuit and the man that put his name to it is reacting to the pending lawsuit against it. SB81 goes into effect July 1, but attorneys with the American Immigration Lawyers Association say they’re filing suit later this week. Attorney Hakeem Ishola told the Salt Lake Tribune he and his colleagues have problems with four points of the new law: its requirement of proof of citizenship via a drivers license or state ID card, its provision allowing cross-training of police officers as immigration agents, its requirement that companies working with public agencies use the E-verify system to check status, and its provision that makes it a crime to harbor illegal immigrants for private or commercial gain. Kane County Republican, Mike Noel, SB81’s sponsor, said such notions are a red herring. The lawyers also told the Tribune SB81 will make it impossible for many people to obtain basic state identification. They have also expressed concerns about the cross-training officers as immigration agents, saying it could undermine public confidence in local law enforcement. Noel says the bill is about economics, rather than racism and that he will welcome any foreigner who comes into the country legally.

(WEBER COUNTY)—Transportation planners think they’re narrowing down a preferred route for the northernmost section of the Legacy Parkway. The route was narrowed down from 23 to six alternatives. The sixth route, the one the farthest west, was identified as the preferred route. Ben Wuthrich, the project manager for the Wasatch Front Regional Council, said land owners, the city, and the council worked together to come up with the route which is likely to slightly change in coming years. Once the route is finalized, cities and the county can adopt the route into their master plans and possibly buy land for the corridor as it becomes available.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A state office says child support payments drawn from unemployment checks have increased 185 percent in the second quarter of 2009 compared to last year. The state office of Recovery Services data also shows the amount it collected from unemployment checks increased 135 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to last year. The garnishments from unemployment checks may not cover full child support obligations in certain cases which means some custodial parents may not get all they’re owed and noncustodial parents may accrue back-due support payments. Tracy Graham, the state director of Child Support Services, says collections in Utah appear to be flat. The state Office of Recovery Services will collect about $173 million in child support this same year, about the same amount it took in last year.

(OGDEN)—A hearing over Ogden Police Chief Jon Greiner’s candidacy for office has been delayed until October. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel filed a complaint with the Merit Systems Protection Board last year saying Greiner violated the Hatch Act by being a candidate for public office. Greiner won a seat in the state Senate in 2006 on the Republican ticket. The Hatch Act of 1939 was aimed at corrupt politics and prohibited federal civil servants from running for office. This was expanded several times, first to include local and state employees who draw more than half of their salary from federal money, then to cover others who handle federal grants. Greiner said he checked running for office two years ago and was told he was not violating the law. The hearing was originally scheduled for last week before an administrative law judge in Salt Lake City. The hearing is now set for October 20.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Monday, crews began working to repair new Interstate 80 bridges at 2300 East in Salt Lake City. This means the westbound on-ramp from 2300 East to I-80 will close at 9:00 a.m. everyday until October, thus keeping it open for the morning commute. The Utah Department of Transportation reported the new bridges will be constructed next to the existing structures and slid into place following the demolition of the old bridges. Bridge placements will take place over the course of two weekends in October.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett grilled Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, last week in a Senate Banking Committee hearing concerning Pres. Obama’s financial overhaul plan. Bennett told Geithner that the administration’s proposal to eliminate industrial loan companies would shut off some sources of credit to consumers. He commented that ILC’s have a track record that is stronger than bank holding companies and the administration simply can’t just eliminate them, especially in tough economic times. Bennett said that one of the problems with the economy, is that there’s not enough credit available and yet, the Obama Administration wants to cut off a major source of credit, where there has been no difficulty. He said that’s overkill and not a single ILC has contributed to the financial crisis.

(RICHFIELD) – Several public hearings will be held this Tuesday in Richfield concerning sidewalk sales, grants and the westside development of 800 South Main. At the regular city council meeting at 7pm, the public is invited to comment on the city governing sidewalk sales, particularly along main street along with the city’s sponsorship of a $50,000 grant application to the CIB from the Central Utah Food Sharing Program for the purpose of constructing a new building in the city. A third public hearing will also be held on the 800 South Main intersection right-of-way width requirement and to bring the ordinance in compliance with the Richfield Master Transportation Plan. The public is invited to attend all hearings related to the topics and any other discussions by the council.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The U.S. House of Representatives has released their official report on congressional allotment spending for the first quarter of 2009. The report shows that 3rd District Congressman, Jason Chaffetz, spent the least of his Utah counterparts. Chaffetz was alloted $1,478,917 as his yearly allowance for running his office and so far, has spent $241,541. Rep. Jim Matheson has spent the most at $302,173, followed by Rep. Rob Bishop at $251,109. Both Chaffetz and Bishop hope to return more than $500,000 back to the treasury at the end of the year, while Matheson hopes to return $300,000. Chaffetz has often harped about wasteful government spending, saying the federal budget is bloated and needs to cut back. He says he wants to do his part in using taxpayer money wisely.

(CEDAR CITY) – A former fraternity treasurer accused of stealing rent money from members of the Sigma Nu fraternity at Southern Utah University in Cedar City has been apprehended in Texas and is awaiting arraignment. A 5th District Court judge issued a warrant for 22-year old, Thomas Cleveland in April, after the man failed to appear in court. Cleveland was charged with theft in March after collecting rent payments in cash from his house mates in the Cedar City fraternity and told them he passed the money onto the group’s landlord each month. According to court documents, the group believed him, until the landlord called saying the fraternity was $8,000 behind on the rent. The documents say that by the time the group figured out Cleveland may be tied to the theft, he had disappeared. Cedar City police confirmed that Cleveland was pick up in Waco, Texas and is scheduled to appear in 5th District Court on July 1. Iron County prosecutors allege the rent scheme was one of several ways Cleveland bilked his fraternity out of thousands of dollars in 2008. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the theft charge. He’s currently out of jail, after posting a $10,000 bond.