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.