Story Archive for 10/01/2009
Show/Hide Archive Navigation
Flames Scorch Canucks in NHL Opener
Published on October 01, 2009 at 11:31PM
CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Mikka Kiprusoff posted 39 saves and Brent Sutter was victorious in his coaching debut with the Calgary Flames in a 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks Thursday at the Pengrowth Saddledome in the NHL season opener for both squads. The Flames raced out to a 3-0 first period lead and outlasted a late Canucks surge to pull out the win in front of 19,289 fans. Mark Giordano, Rene Bourque, Adam Pardy, Brandon Prust and Dion Phaneuf each scored for the Flames, while Vancouver got goals from Kevin Bieksa, Mikael Samuelsson and Alexandre Burrows. In other NHL action Thursday, Washington hammered Boston, 4-1, Montreal outlasted Toronto, 4-3 in overtime, and Colorado overpowered San Jose, 5-2.
Lady Cougars Down Oregon, Win 9th Game of Season
Published on October 01, 2009 at 11:24PM
PROVO, Utah (AP)—Jessica Ringwood scored the sole goal of the game as the Brigham Young Lady Cougars downed the Oregon Lady Ducks, 1-0 Thursday at South Field in intercollegiate soccer action. McKinzie Olson added three saves for the Lady Cougars in the win, while Cody Miles paced Oregon with one save in the loss. The win improved Brigham Young to 9-2-1 on the season while the Lady Ducks slumped to 9-10-2.
Balanced Jazz Win Preseason Opener Against Nuggets
Published on October 01, 2009 at 11:17PM
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Deron Williams had 16 points and six assists and C.J. Miles also scored 16 points as the Utah Jazz downed the Denver Nuggets, 103-87 Thursday at Energy Solutions Arena in the preseason opener for both squads. Additionally, this commemorated the first time NBA replacement refs were used and while 69 fouls were called, there was no disputation among players on either team. Mehmet Okur added 10 points and seven boards for Utah, who used 16 players in the game and got at least two points from each of them. Carmelo Anthony and James White had 13 points apiece in the loss for the Nuggets. The Jazz will next leave on a European tour Saturday which includes stops in London and Madrid, among other places.
NDSU Downs Southern Utah in 3
Published on October 01, 2009 at 11:01PM
CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP)—Brooke VandenBergh and Jennifer Lopez each had 11 digs to lead the North Dakota State Lady Bison to a 3-0 win over the Southern Utah Lady Thunderbirds in Summit League volleyball action Thursday at the Centrum. The 11-3 Lady Bison had little difficultly with SUU as they won each set by at least seven points. Cashaano Renfro had 10 kills in the loss for the Lady T-Birds.
Prep Sports Roundup: 10/1
Published on October 01, 2009 at 09:30PM
PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)—Zach Brophy and Riley Miller each had home runs as the Panguitch Bobcats bludgeoned the Valley Buffaloes, 11-1 Thursday in Region 20 baseball action.
MILFORD, Utah (AP)—Colin Anderson and Tyler Albrecht each had a pair of doubles while Anderson earned the win on the mound as the Wayne Badgers steamrolled the Milford Tigers, 15-1 in Region 20 baseball action Thursday.
FILLMORE, Utah (AP)—Keri Brunson had two goals while Krystyn Stevens and Briana Lemon also scored as the Millard Lady Eagles downed the South Sevier Lady Rams, 4-1 Thursday in Region 13 soccer action.
Flu Might Fill Up Hospitals in 15 States
Published on October 01, 2009 at 03:24PM
(WASHINGTON D.C.)—If 33 percent of Americans end up catching swine flu, 15 states could run out of hospital beds around the time the outbreak peaks, a new report warned Thursday. The nonprofit Trust for America’s Health estimates the number of people hospitalized could range from a high of 168,000 in California to under 2500 in Wyoming.The public health advocacy group used government flu computer models to study how quickly hospitals would fill up during a mild pandemic, like the kind the swine flu is shaping up to be. Although only a fraction would be sick enough to be hospitalized, health officials are still hoping to be prepared for whatever strikes. By the outbreak’s peak, the new report suggests Delaware and Connecticut hospitals would fill up soonest. Other states on that list include Arizona, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. To deal with potential overcrowding from emergencies, hospitals are supposed to have “surge” plans, when they would postpone elective surgeries to free up beds and when they might even need to call in government help for mobile hospital units.
Utah Doctors Warn About Snake Valley Agreement
Published on October 01, 2009 at 03:20PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah Medical Association says a proposed agreement to divide water from the Snake Valley aquifer with Nevada could expose the public to carcinogens, radiation and valley fever. In a letter sent this week to Utah Governor Gary Herbert, the association criticizes the proposal for a lack of data on potential air-quality damage and a failure to consider long-term health risks to those who live downwind. Nevada and Utah are required by Congress to reach an agreement on dividing up water from the aquifer that straddles the states’ shared border. The Southern Nevada Water Authority wants to eventually start delivering rural groundwater from the aquifer to the Las Vegas area. Both states would be entitled to half the water in the aquifer under the agreement.
Saturn Shut Down
Published on October 01, 2009 at 03:17PM
(DETROIT)—Saturn, once billed as a different kind of car company, has been dropped by General Motors. Wednesday, Penske Automotive Group announced it was walking away from a deal with GM to buy Saturn, unable to find a manufacturer to make Saturns when GM stops making Saturn models in 2011. GM has been trying to sell Saturn since earlier this year as part of its turnaround plan.
Smart Testifies About Abduction During Mitchell Hearing
Published on October 01, 2009 at 03:04PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—Thursday, Elizabeth Smart took the stand at U.S. District Court during a competency hearing for accused kidnapper Brian David Mitchell. For two hours, the 21-year-old Smart recounted details concerning the nine months she was in captivity to Mitchell. She testified Mitchell came into her room June 5,2002, held a knife to her throat and told her to get up quietly or he would kill her and her family. Additionally, Smart testified that Mitchell raped her incessantly, often as much as three or four times a day, while also forcing her to watch pornography and take drugs and alcohol. Incidentally, while Mitchell purported to be a religious man, primarily for manipulative purposes, Smart said he was anything but religious. Executive Director of the Rape Recovery Center, Heather Stringfellow, applauded Smart’s decision to take the witness stand as she said it can be empowering for victims to do something that makes a criminal accountable for their actions.
Poll Results Back Smaller Class Sizes
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:58PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—A new survey from the Utah Education Association and Dan Jones & Associates may give the teachers’ union the ammunition it needs to fight future budget cuts. The poll surveyed 600 state residents, asking them a series of questions about public schools between kindergarten and 12th grade. The margin of error of plus or minus was 4 percent. UEA President Kim Campbell said the people surveyed would prefer to increase corporate taxes than cut extracurricular programs or see fewer instructional days in the schedule to make up for the funding gap. Campbell pointed to statistics from the National Education Association comparing Utah’s per-pupil spending to that of the national average. In the 1940s, Utah’s spending was on par with the nation, but has gradually dropped over time. As the spending dropped, the class sizes gradually increased until they reached the levels where they’re at today. Among the survey’s other findings were parents were ambivalent, at best, about the usefulness of standardized testing, while only 4 percent responded with a belief that the tests measure a student’s overall performance effectively.
Vernal Police Chief to Head Logan's Department
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:54PM
(LOGAN)—Vernal Police Chief Gary Jensen is stepping down to take the same position in Logan. Jensen has worked as chief of police for Vernal since 2005 and headed up a 22-officer police force. Before that, Jensen worked as deputy sheriff and paramedic for the Davis County Sheriff’s Office, a flight paramedic for University of Utah AirMed and as a peace officer in Farmington and Centerville. Jensen replaces Russ Roper, who announced in August he would resign at the end of the month after some officers lost respect for him. The new chief says he won’t hesitate to put on a fluorescent vest to assist with a traffic accident or write a citation at a traffic stop. Jensen starts his new job October 26.
School Custodian Charged With Sexual Abuse
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:48PM
(ST. GEORGE)—Charges have been filed against a custodian at Sunrise Ridge Intermediate School in St. George for assaulting a 16-year-old girl. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Richard Burditt is charged with felony forcible sex abuse, lewdness and voyeurism, among other charges. Police say they became aware of the relationship, which occurred when the girl was at Sunrise Ridge, when the girl’s mother called police. Officers say Burditt and the girl had been sexually involved for more than two years, and that he admitted to the relationship when questioned.
Fake Amber Alert Making Way Through Text Messages
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:44PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utahns are receiving a fake Amber Alert claiming a 3-year-old boy was kidnapped in the Heber City-Midway area. The Amber Alert is currently being passed through text messages. The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the text message in question is a hoax and should not be taken seriously. Others in Utah County received a similar message Wednesday, but with Salt Lake City as the place where it occurred, rather than Heber City-Midway.
Report Says Utahns Don't Eat Enough Fruits and Vegetables
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:40PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—A new federal report says most Utahns aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only 32 percent of the state’s adults eat at least two fruits a day and 25 percent eat at least three vegetables a day.Teenagers fare worse, with just 30 percent meeting the goal for fruit and 11 percent meeting the goal for vegetables. The report also says Utah schools don’t provide enough produce in vending machines and other options outside of regular school menus. Patrice Isabella, a dietitian for the Utah Department of Health says health officials, businesses, schools and community members will use the new report to talk about how to make healthier food available and how to make it more affordable.
Census Says Utah Home To Lots of Stay-At-Home Moms
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:36PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—A U.S. Census Bureau Report says Utah is tied with Arizona in having the lowest percentage of children with both parents in the workforce. The report says 53 percent of Utah children have at least one parent of home. According to the report, there were 5.6 million stay-at-home mothers in 2007 who were caring for children younger than 15. That was about 1/4 of all married couple families, while there were 165,000 stay-at-home fathers. Information for the report came from the American Community Survey.
Ogden Police Discussing Gang Prevention
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:29PM
(OGDEN)—Ogden police say they want to partner with city residents this week to combat gangs and youth violence. Thursday and Friday, the department will host community discussions regarding gang prevention and awareness. Thursday, Arturo Hernandez, an author, educator, counselor and expert on gang culture will discuss what attracts youths to gangs and what can be done to dissuade them from joining. Friday, the discussion will address how gang portrayals in the media and entertainment affect young people in a forum led by Chris J. Przemieniecki, an assistant professor at Montgomery Community College in Blue Bell, Pa.
Former U.S. President Takes Utah Hunting Trip
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:19PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—Former U.S. President George W. Bush took a hunting trip to Utah this September. The Salt Lake Tribune reports he purchased a non-residential hunting license on September 24. He visited a 27,000-acre ranch near Sunnyside in Carbon County owned by Texas oilman and family friend Ray Hunt. There is no word on whether or not he bagged any game.The governor’s office received a courtesy call from the former president’s staff, but Utah Governor Gary Herbert never spoke with Bush. A group of nine people heard Bush was in town and showed up at the Price airport Sunday to see the former president depart.Ashley Bracken said the president was “polite” and posed for pictures with her children. Bush last visited Utah in May 2008 for a fundraiser for Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign.
Utah Company Selling Lake Erie Wind Prospect
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:12PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—A Utah company has announced it’s selling the development rights for a sprawling wind farm on the Canadian half of Lake Erie. Wasatch Wind Incorporated says it’s turning over the project on undisclosed terms to Calgary, Alberta-based Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. A spokesperson for the Canadian company said the deal is still in the works and refused comment. Park City-based Wasatch Wind says the wind farm would be the largest offshore project of its kind in the world, 3-18 miles off the Ontario coastline. It would anchor at least 2000 giant turbines cranking out as much as 4400 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 2 million homes. The Utah company refused to say how it came by the development rights on Canadian waters.
Utah Professor Appointed To Medical Library Board
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:08PM
(SALT LAKE CITY—The chairwoman of the University of Utah’s department of biomedical informatics has been appointed to the board of regents of the National Library of Medicine. The library is the world’s largest repository and distributor of medical information. The appointment of Joyce Mitchell was approved by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. The library houses rare 11th Century manuscripts as well as the most recent scientific journals and vast computer records of the latest research discoveries, including information on the human genome project and toxic spills in the environment.
Online High School Offers Alternate to Regular Education
Published on October 01, 2009 at 02:04PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah Electronic High School offers an alternative educational experience for teenagers and is currently growing precipitously. The school, which primarily consists of students taking courses online, has 7300 students, an increase from 6800 students last year, principal Kathleen Webb said. Additionally, Webb said 95 percent of the students are also public school students and enroll in the courses to either catch up or get ahead in their studies. Additionally, parents enroll their kids in these courses so they can take trips with them during the school year. The online high school set a goal to have its courses accessible through smart phones by 2011.
Samoan tsunami ties local connections
Published on October 01, 2009 at 08:19AM
(RICHFIELD) – The massive tsunami that has devastated the island of Samoa and Tonga has brought the tragedy close to home to a Richfield resident. Alma Ogden said her great-grandson, Colton Cheynoth, is serving an LDS mission in Samoa and was caught in the disaster. Colton is the grandson of Blaine and Terri Cheynoth and has been in Samoa for a bout a year when the 8.3-magnitude quake hit the South Pacific, causing the tsunami that has claimed the lives of at least 120 people. LDS Church officials say all missionaries have been accounted for except for two sister missionaries who have not yet been found. Communications have not been completely successful since the tsunami hit the area.
Icy roads on I-70 cause accident
Published on October 01, 2009 at 07:27AM
Updated on October 01, 2009 at 08:03PM
(SALINA) – Icy roads were the cause of an accident east of Salina on I-70 Wednesday night. According to a UHP report, 44-year-old, Enot Valez of Costa Mesa, Calif. was traveling eastbound when he lost control of his 2001 Dodge pickup pulling a trailer and went off the left shoulder. The report said the trailer jackknifed at about 8:30pm 27 miles east of Salina. UHP said the driver was wearing his seat belt and was not transported to the hospital.
Former Fillmore mayor sentenced
Published on October 01, 2009 at 07:17AM
(FILLMORE) – A former high school teacher and mayor of Fillmore who pleaded guilty to having sex with a teenage student was sentenced in District Court Wednesday afternoon. 61-year old, Keith Gillins, was sentenced to serve three terms of up to life in prison as well as two terms of 1-15 years, all to run concurrently. The sentence means that Gillins may have a chance at parole in a few years. Court documents said that Gillins was arrested and charged on June 8 after a sexual relationship between himself and a then, 17-year old girl, became known. The victim, who is now 18, testified against Gillins through her attorney, saying her life had been ruined because of the act. Prosecutors called Gillins’ crimes a monumental betrayal of trust over several months during the school year. During sentencing, Gillins offered an apology to her family, his family, the school and community.