DALLAS (AP)—Keith Yandle, Peter Mueller, Radim Vrbata and Shane Doan each scored to lead the Phoenix Coyotes to a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars Sunday at American Airlines Center. Ilya Bryzgalov added 38 saves for the Coyotes, as they improved to 33-18-5 on the season. Steve Ott and Fabian Brunnstrom each scored for the Stars, who fell to 24-20-11 with the loss. In other NHL action Sunday, Pittsburgh gashed Detroit, 2-1 in a shootout, Washington stymied Tampa Bay, 3-2, Florida blanked the New York Islanders, 2-0, Los Angeles got past New Jersey, 3-2 and the New York Rangers bested Colorado, 3-1.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Wayne Chism had 16 points and 11 rebounds and the #14 Tennessee Volunteers edged the Florida Gators, 61-60 Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena in Top 25 mens’ college basketball action. The Volunteers were able to pull out the win by virtue of a last-second jumper by Scotty Hopson, as they improved to 16-4. Alex Tyus had 18 points in the loss for the Gators, which dropped them to 15-6 on the season. In other Top 25 action Sunday, #12 Purdue walloped Penn State, 66-46, South Florida upset #17 Pittsburgh, 70-61, #18 Butler got past Milwaukee, 73-66, Arkansas stonewalled #20 Mississippi, 80-73, #21 Clemson stymied Maryland, 62-53 and #24 Ohio State embarrassed Minnesota, 85-63.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Dustin Boyd and Jarome Iginla each had a pair of goals while Rene Bourque and Dion Phaneuf also scored as the Calgary Flames crushed the Edmonton Oilers, 6-1 Saturday at the Pengrowth Saddledome in NHL action. Mikka Kiprusoff added 27 saves for the Flames, who improved to 27-20-8 with the win. Sam Gagner scored the sole goal for the hapless Oilers, who fell to 16-31-6 with the loss. In other NHL action Saturday, Philadelphia doubled up the New York Islanders, 2-1, Ottawa got past Montreal, 3-2 in a shootout, Los Angeles tripped up Boston, 3-2 in a shootout, Carolina gashed Chicago, 4-2, Vancouver waxed Toronto, 5-3, Columbus stonewalled St. Louis, 3-2 in overtime, Phoenix outlasted the New York Rangers, 3-2, Nashville stymied Buffalo, 4-3 and San Jose bludgeoned Minnesota, 5-2.

DALLAS (AP)—Former University of Utah star Andre Miller posted a career-high 52 points and the Portland Trail Blazers got past the Dallas Mavericks, 114-112 Saturday at American Airlines Center in NBA action. The Mavericks, coming off a disappointing loss Thursday at Phoenix, led 112-108 with three minutes left in the extra session before Portland scored the game’s last six points to pull out the dramatic victory. The win improved the Blazers to 28-21 on the season, while the Mavs fell to 30-17. Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points and nine rebounds in the loss for Dallas. In other NBA action Saturday, Orlando dismantled Atlanta, 104-86, Washington stymied New York, 106-96, New Orleans got past Memphis, 109-102 in overtime, Milwaukee doused Miami, 95-84 and Charlotte held off Sacramento, 103-96.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP)—Stanford’s Georgia Griffin placed first in the women’s 5,000-meter dash to headline numerous strong showings for collegiate track and field athletes Friday at the Texas A&M challenge. Additionally, Brianne Theisen of Oregon won the womens’ pentathlon and her teammate, Ashton Eaton, won the mens’ heptathlon. The meet will resume Saturday.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP)—Kansas’ Taylor Washington placed first in the womens’ 600-meter dash and her teammate Rebeka Stowe won the mile run to lead the way for numerous athletes scattered throughout the Midwest at the Jayhawk Classic Friday. Additionally, the Lady Jayhawks were bolstered by Andrea Geubelle’s win in the long jump and Jamaica Collins, who placed first in the womens’ triple jump. As for the men, Kansas’ Kyle Clemons placed first in the 200-meter dash and Don Wasinger won the mile run for the Jayhawks. The meet will resume Saturday.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP)—Jasmine Thomas posted 23 points to lead the #7 Duke Lady Blue Devils to a 73-43 rout of the #14 Florida State Lady Seminoles Friday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game matched only the third time these teams met when both were ranked but Duke maintained their dominance over the Lady Noles as it was their 29th win in 32 games against them. Courtney Ward led Florida State with 11 points in defeat.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Paul Millsap amassed 32 points and 14 rebounds, filling in admirably for the injured Carlos Boozer and the Utah Jazz won their fifth consecutive game by overpowering the Sacramento Kings, 101-94 Friday at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz, who were also missing Deron Williams, raced out to a 12-2 lead and managed to withstand a spirited Sacramento effort keyed by Kevin Martin (33 points) and sensational rookie Tyreke Evans (25 points, six assists). Andrei Kirilenko added 18 points and seven boards for the Jazz while Sundiata Gaines posted 12 points, rewarding the franchise’s faith in him. The Jazz also maintained their lead over San Antonio for the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff race by improving to 28-18. Sacramento fell to 16-29 with the loss. In other NBA action Friday, Cleveland pummeled Indiana, 94-73, the Los Angeles Lakers got past Philadelphia, 99-91, Atlanta gashed Boston, 100-91, Chicago tripped up New Orleans, 108-106 in overtime, Miami embarrassed Detroit, 92-65, Minnesota waxed the Los Angeles Clippers, 111-97, Washington held off New Jersey, 81-79, Oklahoma City dismantled Denver, 104-81, Houston edged Portland, 104-100, San Antonio bested Memphis, 104-97 and Charlotte outgunned Golden State, 121-110.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—School employees could face more criminal background checks under a measure the Utah House has approved. House Bill 81 proposes letting school districts and charter schools require employees to submit to periodic background checks if “reasonable cause” exists. It also gives the schools the option to make the subjects of the checks shoulder the cost. The bill was unanimously approved Friday although critics say it places a financial burden on employees, as the checks can cost more than $70. The bill is sponsored by Bountiful Republican Sheryl Allen.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Dirt bikers and off-road vehicle drivers won’t be allowed to attach a flag to their helmets in Utah, except on a pole on their vehicles when they’re riding on certain sand dunes. Democratic West Valley City Senator Brent Goodfellow says long poles sometimes hit people in a crowd and aren’t always visible to other riders because they bend down when they’re in motion. However, Goodfellow’s measure to allow the helmet option failed to gain enough support in the Senate Friday. Senate Bill 19 fell two votes shy of the number needed to send it to the House. Six of the Senate’s 29 members were absent.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Former U.S. Senator Jake Garn is calling for an end to nuclear weapons. Garn is an active proponent of Global Zero, an effort to eliminate all the world’s nuclear weapons by 2030. Garn told the Deseret News he has desired to end nuclear warfare since he was an astronaut in 1985, floating high above the earth. He say he’s worried about what could happen if the world’s nuclear arsenal is allowed to remain intact. Garn says his biggest opponents to the Global Zero idea are fellow conservatives. Garn was honored by the Utah National Guard last month for his service as both a lawmaker and former guard member.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—When it comes to moving data online, several Utah cities are swifter than the national average. In fact, according to a report completed by Akamai Technologies, a Massachusetts-based technology company, it was determined Sandy has the average fastest Internet in the country. Akamai published the findings in their third quarter report, stating Sandy’s 33.5 megabits per second is the fastest in the country. Logan came in fourth at 26.7 Mbps and Spanish Fork was seventh at 18 Mbps. Nationally, Utah ranks 10th, while Delaware placed first with an average connection speed of 7.2 Mbps.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Two Utah newspapers are fighting to have court documents related to the murder of a Millard County Deputy unsealed. Prosecutors have asked the judge in the case to seal nine search warrant affidavits against Deputy Josie Fox’s alleged killer, Roberto Roman of Delta. A lawyer representing the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune says the public has the right to view pretrial criminal proceedings and records. Prosecutors say the release of the documents could hinder the case against Roman. Deputy Fox was shot and killed Jan. 5 after a traffic stop outside of Delta. Roman, along with an accomplice, was arrested the next day in Beaver. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Orrin Hatch is threatening an all out political “war” if Democrats employ a rarely used Senate rule to win approval of their health care reform bill. Hatch’s statement came a day after Pres. Obama made a plea for bipartisanship and cooperation in his State of the Union address. He said Obama’s plea is something he just doesn’t believe because the Democrats have not acted in good faith and he expects them to go to reconciliation. Reconciliation is a procedure that would allow Democrats to bypass a potential filibuster and pass a bill with a simple majority vote. The rule was created to allow Congress to pass budgets in extreme circumstances and is rarely used. Hatch said if reconciliation is employed, it would be the worst grabs for power in the history of the country and would divide the two parties even further. He commented that Republicans will work with Democrats on health care legislation, as long as tax increases are not included.

(PAROWAN) – Parowan City officials are considering a revision to their animal ordinance due to loose dogs harassing livestock. Parowan police reported an incident earlier this month involving two dogs that were shot and killed by a sheep owner who claimed the dogs were harassing his livestock. The owners of the dogs were concerned with the firing of guns within city limits. Parowan Police Chief Preston Griffith investigated the shooting and said the livestock owner was within his rights to protect his sheep. The Iron County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating the incident. City Attorney Justin Wayment said he’s revising the ordinance covering the protection of livestock and that it would require people to call police instead of shooting animals. A citation would then be issued to the offending dog owners and the matter can then be decided in court. The city council will consider adopting the revised ordinance in a future council meeting.

(HENRIEVILLE) – Heavy snow devastated the fire station in Henrieville Thursday morning leaving the Garfield County town without fire service. Fire personnel said the snow collapsed the roof of the fire station and bowed the walls of the reinforced-concrete block building. Officials said the fire trucks were a total loss and the back of a Mack truck was completely smashed. The roof truss also went right through another truck. Insurance adjusters were at the scene by Thursday afternoon and said that it would be some time before Henrieville would have fire service. The fire departments in Tropic, about 8 miles away, or Ruby’s Inn, 15 miles away, will respond to fires in Henrieville.

STANFORD, Calif. (AP)—Kayla Pedersen had 23 points and seven boards and the #2 Stanford Lady Cardinal overcame a slow start to pound Arizona State, 71-48 Thursday in Top 25 womens’ college basketball action. The win improved the Lady Cardinal to 18-1 as they overcame a 29-25 halftime deficit and went on a 46-19 surge in the latter stanza to put the game on ice swiftly. Tenaya Watson had 12 points in the loss for the Lady Devils, who fell to 12-7 with the loss. In other Top 25 action Thursday, #5 Tennessee crushed Auburn, 85-56, #6 Ohio State shellacked Minnesota, 81-58, Mississippi State upset #9 Georgia, 74-66, #23 Kentucky bested #19 LSU, 71-62, #22 Wisconsin-Green Bay humbled Butler, 73-62 and #24 Vanderbilt ousted Alabama, 70-61.

PHOENIX (AP)—Steve Nash posted 19 points and 11 assists while making a myriad of clutch shots down the stretch and the Phoenix Suns handed the usually-efficient Dallas Mavericks a rare road loss with a 112-106 win Thursday at U.S. Airways Center in NBA action. Amar’e Stoudemire led the Suns with 22 points and Jason Richardson added 17 more for Phoenix who reversed a trend which saw them lose five of their previous seven games. The odd thing for Dallas, the NBA’s best closers this season, was their 4th Quarter ineptitude as they scored a paltry 16 points in the last stanza and were unable to stop the Suns when it mattered most. Jason Terry had 21 points in the loss for the Mavericks, which dropped them to 30-16, while the Suns improved to 27-21, maintaining their hold of the eighth (and last) postseason berth in the Western Conference. In other NBA action Thursday, Orlando edged Boston, 96-94 and Toronto got past New York, 106-104.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Police have tracked down the driver of a car that crashed through the front door of a Salt Lake City home early Thursday morning. Just after midnight, police say a driver lost control of a car near 1000 West and 600 North, crashed into a home and fled the scene. Occupants in another car told police the driver who crashed fired shots at them and was speeding away. Police tracked down the driver through the car’s license and registration. The 27-year-old man was then cited for hit and run. Police say shell casings were found near the crashed car and an investigation into the incident is currently ongoing. Thus far, no arrests have been made. No one in the home was injured.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Elderly voters in Utah won’t be allowed to use their Medicaid cards as a valid form of identification at the ballot box. The Utah House voted down a measure Thursday 47-27 that would have carved out an exception in state law that requires a picture ID to vote. Current forms of acceptable identification include a valid Utah driver’s license, U.S. passport, tribal identification card and concealed weapons permit. Two forms showing the voter’s name and proof of address can also be used. Representative Marie Poulson, a Cottonwood Heights Democrat who sponsored the bill, says many older voters don’t have driver’s licenses or other necessary documents. However, opponents defeated the bill out of fear illegal immigrants would obtain fraudulent Medicare cards.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A bill designed to limit post-conviction appeals in Utah criminal cases, particularly those from death-row inmates, has been approved by a legislative committee. The bill would allow a state court judge to dismiss a petition for post-conviction relief on a procedural basis, such as missing a filing deadline, without assessing the merits of the appeal. An exemption for defendants claiming their lawyers provided ineffective assistance would remain. House Bill 19 is sponsored by Representative Kay McIff of Richfield and would alter the Post-Conviction Remedies which outlines the claims defendants can raise after losing an initial appeal of a conviction. It was approved by a House panel unanimously on Wednesday and now advances to the full house.

(RICHFIELD) – Local American Red Cross volunteers were pleasantly surprised to collect cash donations for Haitian refugees while on assignment to provide disaster services in South-Central Utah. John Stone, Volunteer Administrator for the Mountain Valley Chapter of the ARC, says he was shocked to be given money to help in the relief effort for the Haitians. ARC Fleet Manager, Justin Nelson said it was an emotional experience for him to be part of such a successful relief effort. KSVC-AM 980 conducted a fund-raiser this past week in the relief effort and thanks to local donors, gained $508. Other communities, including Price and Cedar City, also collected amounts of cash. Stone and Nelson will transport the money to the ARC Chapter in Provo and forward the money to the relief effort in Haiti.

DALLAS (AP)—Loui Eriksson scored in the third round of a shootout and the Dallas Stars outlasted the Calgary Flames, 4-3 Wednesday at American Airlines Center in NHL action. Mike Modano, James Neal and Brad Richards also scored for the Stars, who improved to 23-19-11 with the win. Dion Phaneuf, Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen each scored in the loss for Calgary, which dropped them to 26-20-7. In other NHL action Wednesday, Buffalo doubled up New Jersey, 2-1 in a shootout, Carolina hammered the New York Rangers, 5-1, Tampa Bay blanked Montreal, 3-0, Washington crushed Anaheim, 5-1, Minnesota gashed Detroit, 5-2 and Vancouver surged past St. Louis, 3-2.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)—Dairese Gary had a career-high 25 points, including nine in the last 1:30 of action and the #23 New Mexico Lobos downed the #10 Brigham Young Cougars, 76-72 Wednesday at the Pit in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. The Cougars had their 15-game winning streak snapped while the Lobos remained perfect against Top 25 teams this season, having previously vanquished California, Texas Tech and Texas A&M when each of those squads were ranked. Jimmer Fredette had 27 points in the loss for the Cougars, who fell to 20-2. The win improved New Mexico to 19-3 on the season. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #3 Villanova crushed Notre Dame, 90-72, #6 Texas got past Texas Tech, 95-83, #7 Duke stymied Florida State, 70-56, #23 Vanderbilt surged past #14 Tennessee, 85-76, Charlotte upset #15 Temple, 74-64, Providence bludgeoned #19 Connecticut, 81-66, #24 Ohio State overpowered Iowa, 65-57 and #25 Northern Iowa hammered Drake, 67-51.

MANTI, Utah (AP)—Nevin Jensen had 23 points and the Emery Spartans shellacked the Manti Templars, 66-45 Wednesday in Region 12 boys basketball action. Kyle Moore had 18 points and Walker Schaffer added 12 more in the loss for Manti.

DELTA, Utah (AP)—Joey Lewis keyed a balanced scoring attack with 18 points and the Juab Wasps crushed the Delta Rabbits, 56-32 in Region 12 boys basketball action Wednesday at the Palladium. Taylor Shamo had 14 points in the loss for Delta.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)—Craig Brinkerhoff had 19 points and Payton Jesus added 18 more as the Kanab Cowboys bludgeoned the Millard Eagles, 75-55 Wednesday in Region 13 boys basketball action. Kegan Carter had 20 points in the loss for Millard.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Josh Curtis amassed 24 points and Zach Wood stepped up with 19 more as the Parowan Rams downed the Beaver Beavers, 61-59 in Region 13 boys basketball action Wednesday. Austin Blackburn and Robbie Gurr each had 15 points in the loss for Beaver.

SALINA, Utah (AP)—Hayden Jensen had 12 points and Drayson Ball added 10 more as the Gunnison Bulldogs clipped the North Sevier Wolves, 53-41 Wednesday in Region 13 boys basketball action. Colton Piep had 13 points in defeat for North Sevier.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)—Kaylea Shakespeare led the way with 18 points and the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs pummeled the Milford Lady Tigers, 51-18 Wednesday in Region 20 girls basketball action.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)—Kalani Norris had 20 points for the Panguitch Lady Bobcats in a 54-39 win over the Valley Lady Buffaloes in Region 20 girls basketball action Wednesday.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A Utah House Committee has approved a bill that would let charges be filed against a woman who tried to arrange an illegal abortion. The bill, sponsored by Representative Carl Wimmer of Herriman, was prompted by a case in Uintah County, where a pregnant 17-year-old girl allegedly paid a man to beat her in an attempt to induce a miscarriage. A charge filed against the girl was dismissed and the state has appealed. The baby survived and has since been adopted. The committee approved that bill Tuesday, sending it to the full House. Wimmer’s bill clarifies what abortions are legal and protected from prosecution. Terminating a pregnancy in an unauthorized way could lead to charges of criminal homicide, a second-degree felony.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A North Ogden lawmaker is backing off his bill that would have required state officials to kill or capture gray wolves that wander into Utah, even those protected under the Endangered Species Act. Instead, Republican State Senator Allen Christensen offered a substitute bill Tuesday seeking increased management of wolves in Utah, but no requirement that they be killed. The state’s Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel has said Christensen’s initial version was probably unconstitutional, violating the supremacy clause where federal law supersedes state law. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Director Jim Karpowitz told a committee Tuesday he worried about any bill requiring his division to violate the law, including a proposition to kill wolves that are federally protected.

(Manti) The State Legislature is in session, and one of the problems that lawmakers will tackle is funding for education and especially higher education. With the economy struggling, and unemployment rising, colleges and universities are seeing record increases in enrollment at the same time school budgets have been slashed. Most schools have been able to absorb the cuts so far with minimal disruption, but if further reductions are made, school officials have warned that their programs will suffer. State Representative Kay McKiff commented that even if the Legislature only funds on the same level as last year the schools will have a hard time making ends meet since all ten state colleges and universities have seen at least a ten percent increase in enrollment. Lawmakers are likely facing a seven hundred million dollar shortfall in next fiscal years budget, and that could mean more cuts for programs and agencies that are already struggling.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City officials are discussing a possible tax increase on energy use due to fledgling revenues in sales taxes. At the bi-monthly council meeting Tuesday night, Mayor Brad Ramsay and City Finance Director Mike Langston outlined an energy tax increase from three to six percent to generate an additional $200,000. Langston said if the tax is not increased, the city will have to cut services. He said sales tax revenues have dropped nearly $500,000 during this past fiscal year and the city has run out of options of additional cuts. Langston said Richfield City has a lower energy tax rate than many cities throughout the state. A public hearing will be held Feb. 9 to gain citizen input on the tax increase or possible service cuts.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)—Devan Downey had 30 points and the South Carolina Gamecocks beat the top-ranked team in the country for the first time in school history with a 68-62 win over the #1 Kentucky Wildcats Tuesday at The Colonial Center in Top 25 men’s college basketball action. The Wildcats fell to 19-1 on the season while DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 12 boards in the loss for Kentucky. The win improved Darin Horn’s Gamecocks to 12-8 on the season, keeping their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #5 Michigan State edged Michigan, 57-56, #9 West Virginia dismantled DePaul, 62-46, #13 Kansas State outlasted Baylor, 74-72 and Boston College upset #21 Clemson, 75-69.

GREEN RIVER, Utah (AP)—Jason Johnson had 28 points and Justin Johnson added 22 more as the Green River Pirates pounded the Wayne Badgers, 69-48 Tuesday in non-region boys basketball action. Zach Taylor had 11 points in the loss for Wayne.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)—Maklee Bliss had 13 points for the Delta Lady Rabbits in a 34-25 win over the Juab Lady Wasps in Region 12 girls basketball action Tuesday. Kiz Farrer had 11 points in the loss for Juab.

CASTLE DALE, Utah (AP)—Taylor Mann amassed 18 points and Abbie Kay had 16 more as the Emery Lady Spartans decimated the Manti Lady Templars, 69-35 Tuesday in Region 12 girls basketball action. Tauni McFarland had seven points in the loss for Manti.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Tanisha Armstrong had 14 points for the Richfield Lady Wildcats in a 60-38 rout of the North Sanpete Lady Hawks in Region 12 girls basketball action Tuesday. Erica Draper had 14 points in the loss for the Lady Hawks.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)—Rickie Warr had 23 points for the Parowan Lady Rams as they got past the Beaver Lady Beavers, 51-45 Tuesday in Region 13 girls basketball action. Bonnie Yardley had 20 points in defeat for Beaver.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Kelly Livingston posted 14 points for the Kanab Cowgirls in a 45-31 win over the Millard Lady Eagles in Region 13 girls basketball action Tuesday. Krystyn Stevens had 11 points in the loss for Millard.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Sydney Asper’s 12 points led the way for the North Sevier Lady Wolves in a 50-29 win over the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs Tuesday in Region 15 girls basketball action. Sara Brown had 11 points in defeat for Gunnison.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah House has passed a measure to let owners of wolf-damaged livestock in parts of Utah seek compensation. The House voted 69-1 Tuesday to advance House Bill 32 to the Senate. Animals meeting the definition of livestock are sheep, cattle, goats and turkeys. People can’t get compensation in areas of the state where wolves are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Damage caused by mountain lions, bears and eagles is already covered. The bill is being sponsored by Republican Representative Melvin Brown of Coalville.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah Governor Gary Herbert is preparing to deliver his first State of the State address amid an economic recession that has some lawmakers eying tax increases. Herbert has submitted a budget to state lawmakers that doesn’t include tax hikes, but hasn’t said he’d veto a budget that includes them. Lawmakers are looking to close an expected $700 budget shortfall. The Republican’s speech Tuesday night will be broadcast live and serve as his best chance to connect with voters in his tenure thus far. Herbert took office in August after Jon Huntsman resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to China. Huntsman’s record-setting approval ratings have yet to transfer to Herbert and Utah Democrats believe he is vulnerable in this year’s special election. The address will take place at 6:30 p.m. MST.

(PARK CITY)—There is no evidence the Utah Highway Patrol targets cars with out-of-state license plates, according to a Third District judge. The Deseret News reported Monday that Judge Bruce Lubeck ruled troopers did not single out Joseph Bravo of San Francisco when they stopped his car in November 2008. The UHP conducted a drug interdiction exercise that month to intercept drug trafficking from California. Bravo was pulled over on a section of Interstate 80 in Utah and is now facing drug-related charges. Bravo claimed the troopers violated his civil rights with the stop because they had no right to stop him other than the California plates on his car. The troopers involved testified they had legitimate reasons to pull Bravo over and the judge said lawyers for Bravo did not adequately dispute their claims.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A state lawmaker is going after ticket scalpers. A proposed law would cap their ticket prices. House Bill 76 would bar scalpers from selling tickets for more than their face value, plus tax and a service charge. That service change can’t be more than 15 percent of the price, with the maximum of $10. The bill’s sponsor, Democratic representative Lynn Hemingway of Salt Lake City tells the Deseret News he proposed the bill after fielding several complaints from constituents. Hemingway said the bill is meant to discourage people from buying large amounts of tickets to popular events, then reselling them at exorbitant prices. Scalpers on the street tell the Deseret News this bill is a waste of time, saying 90 percent of tickets are sold below face value.

(EUREKA) – A mining company has discovered three new high-grade silver ore zones above the main body of silver in the historic Burgin Extension mine near Eureka in Juab County. Chief Consolidated Mining Corp. officials say the zones were found more than 1,540 feet below the surface of the mine measuring 32, 26 and almost 15 feet wide. Mining officials say the core samples silver, lead and zinc. Chief Consolidated plans to drill a fourth hole this spring, adding to more than 100 holes already drilled. Officials say they’re excited that the discovery of more silver in the mountain east of Eureka contains more silver than previously thought. Chief Consolidated is one of the largest landowners in Utah with roughly 16,000 acres, including part of Eureka and south and west of the historic mining town on both sides of Highway 6.

(Manti) The Six County Association of Governments has been studying the possibility of creating a transportation plan that would provide rides for those who don’t have vehicles, or can no longer drive. The program would provide transportation for seniors and others who needed to travel to the Wasatch Front for doctor appointments and other activities. Sanpete County Commissioner Steve Frischknecht says the Association has put together a Regional Coordinating Council to evaluate the feasibility of the proposal. The Council is made up of nine representatives from care centers, hospitals, and senior centers throughout the six county region. The goal is to provide a means of transportation from one end of the six county area to the other, and even as far as Utah County. The plan would also benefit Snow College students who find it hard to get a ride home on weekends and holidays. According to Frischknecht, the main obstacle at this point is funding for the program.

(FT. GREEN) – A Provo man only suffered a sore shoulder in a rollover south of Ft. Green Monday morning that smashed his pickup and stopped his breathing. According to a UHP report, 19-year old Jordan Phillips was traveling southbound on SR-132, when he apparently fell asleep at the wheel and drove off the road at about 8am. The report said that Phillips rolled on his top and EMT’s had to pull him out of his truck to resuscitate him. He was taken to the Sanpete Valley Hospital with minor injuries.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP)—K.K. Houser had a career-high 18 points and the Purdue Lady Boilermakers edged the #4 Ohio State Lady Buckeyes, 63-61 Monday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Sam Ostarello added 14 points for Purdue who improved to 10-10 with the win. Jantel Lavender posted 17 points and 10 rebounds in the loss for Ohio State, which dropped them to 20-2 on the season. In other Top 25 action Monday, #15 North Carolina waxed North Carolina State, 81-69.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 20 rebounds while Andrei Kirilenko added 25 points and six boards and Wesley Matthews added 21 more points as the Utah Jazz overpowered the Phoenix Suns, 124-115 Monday at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz were able to weather a 45-point 2nd Quarter by the Suns by scoring 66 second half points and shooting 52 percent from the field for the game. In the loss, Steve Nash posted 15 points and 15 assists, giving him 8,000 assists for his career and Goran Dragic posted a career-high 32 points. The win improved the Jazz to 26-19 while the Suns fell to 26-20. In other NBA action Monday, Indiana waxed Philadelphia, 109-98, Boston got past the Los Angeles Clippers, 95-89, Cleveland edged Miami, 92-91, Memphis clipped Orlando, 99-94, Atlanta surged past Houston, 102-95, Chicago stymied San Antonio, 98-93, Denver waxed Charlotte, 104-93 and New Orleans outlasted Portland, 98-97.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Avalanches have killed eight people in the West thus far this winter. The latest casualty was a Utah skier who died Sunday when a wall of snow broke away near Snowbasin resort. Utah Avalanche Center Director Bruce Tremper says more than a month of drought conditions followed by last week’s storm created deep, slide-prone layers of heavy snow atop a weak layer near the ground. Some avalanches have been 10 feet deep and a half-mile wide. Tremper also said there have been some “astoundingly huge” avalanches triggered by the weight of just one person. Perilous conditions in Utah’s mountain backcountry areas are expected to persist for several more days. Other avalanche fatalities have occurred in Idaho, Colorado, Oregon, Wyoming and Montana.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Already, Sundiata Gaines has made quite an impression on the Utah Jazz. Days after he was signed to a 10-day contract several weeks ago, Gaines hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer as time expired to lead the Jazz to a victory over the powerful Cleveland Cavaliers. Additionally, since his signing, Utah has gone 6-2 and the Jamaica, N.Y. native is the fourth call-up from the NBA Developmental League to the NBA, proving that the farm league system is an effective way of developing talent. Gaines played collegiately at Georgia where he led the Bulldogs to a surprise berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2008 before bowing out to a Xavier team that made the Elite Eight in the first round. After not being selected in the 2008 NBA Draft, Gaines honed his skills by playing professionally in Italy and later joining the Idaho Stampede of the NBADL before the Jazz called him up. Utah seeks to ensue in its recent momentum as they entertain the exciting Phoenix Suns Monday evening at EnergySolutions Arena.

(AMERICAN FORK)—Less than a year after trimming its hours to meet a budget crunch, the library in American Fork is facing more financial difficulties. City councilwoman Heidi Rodeback told library staffers Saturday that city revenues are expected to drop another 6 to 10 percent. This is likely to force more belt tightening at the library, though Rodeback didn’t discuss possible options. After a dip in city revenue in 2009, library officials cut 20 hours from the library’s weekly schedule rather than trim staff.

(MANTI) – Sanpete County Commissioners plan to hold a public hearing in March concerning adding a new service for fire protection to unincorporated towns in the county. At issue is the Axtell Community Special Service District. County Clerk Sandy Neill says Axtell has a Special Service District allocated for water but not for fire protection. She said Commissioners approved holding a public hearing to gain input on whether citizens in Axtell and other unincorporated areas in the county want to be included in the fire district. The public hearing will be held at the County Commission Chambers in Manti on March 2 at 2pm. The public is invited to attend.

(GREEN RIVER) – Officials from a proposed nuclear power company are answering some big questions concerning the building of a plant near Green River. Utah-based Blue Castle Holdings plan to construct a 3,000 megawatt nuclear power plant but needs to secure $16-20 billion in construction funds to build the plant. Blue Castle officials say before shareholders can fund the project, they need to secure 50,000-acre feet of Green River water and a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license. Blue Castle says Kane and San Juan Counties have already agreed to lease the water to the company. Opponents say during dry years, the Green River may not produce enough water the plant needs to operate and that could affect farmers and ranchers in the area. Other opposing factors include storage of spent fuel rods, federal loans and tax incentives and who will benefit the most from the power produced. Company officials said that all these questions have been already been answered. If approved, the plant could be on-line by 2020.

NEW ORLEANS (AP)—This will not be a conventional article as those can get trite and boring from time to time. Rather, I will say it is nice to see Brett Favre choke while class acts in Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints and the erstwhile Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts will play for a championship in Super Bowl 44 (Roman numerals get too confusing) February 7 at Miami’s Landshark Stadium. The Saints, who notwithstanding great players in their past such as Manning’s father, Archie, Bobby Hebert, Rickey Jackson Eric Martin and Danny Abramowicz, are playing in their first Super Bowl since the franchise’s inception in 1967. This team, bolstered by solid players such as Brees, wideout Marques Colston, linebacker Jonathan Vilma and safety Darren Sharper, was the toast of the NFL for much of the regular season in racing out to a 13-0 start before losing their last three games. Meanwhile, Indianapolis just does what they do. With former Brigham Young star Austin Collie and dynamic Pierre Garcon filling in at receiver for the released Marvin Harrison and the injured Anthony Gonzalez, the Indianapolis offense has not missed a beat. This is because Manning further cements his status as the greatest quarterback this game has seen in this columnist’s opinion. I tip my hat to the New York Jets who gave the Colts all they had in a 30-17 loss in the AFC championship game and perhaps Mark Sanchez (17 of 30, 257 yards, 2 TD’s, INT) has the stuff of greatness in him. He sure had an excellent view of a true master as Manning (26 of 39, 377 yards, 3 TD’s) was on top of his game. Now, shifting back to the Vikings/Saints game, Brett Favre was at his worst at the most inopportune time. His statistics (28 of 46, 310 yards, TD, 2 INT’s, fumble) looked solid enough but his three turnovers, including an interception by Tracy Porter which eradicated any shot at a field goal that would have potentially won the game in regulation (New Orleans prevailed, 31-28 in overtime). As for Drew Brees (17 of 31, 197 yards, 3 TD’s) his performance wasn’t flashy but what it lacked in pizazz it more than made up for in substance. When the Saints won the coin toss in overtime, Brees calmly led New Orleans into position for Garrett Hartley’s 40-yard field goal, obviously the biggest kick the Oklahoma product and Keller, Texas native has ever made. Still, it’s important that you, the reader, understands, Favre’s precipitous fall. Despite a recent history of choking in the clutch (i.e, the 2008 NFC Championship Game when his Packers lost to the New York Giants) in big games, he is still lauded as perhaps the greatest the game has seen. Obviously, Favre cannot hold a candle to Manning in terms of character or excellence on the field. This is because Favre, in his best wishy-washy Charlie Brown attitude always stews over retirement, holding teams (such as the Packers) hostage as he mercurially debates whether he should come back or not. Of course, every year he comes back and every year he falls short of true greatness. Please don’t misunderstand, greatness and championships are different entities. Dan Marino, the only quarterback, who can be in the conversation with Manning at this point, never won a championship. Nevertheless, he always handled himself with dignity and when it was time to go, he knew it. (That’s the funny thing about losing a playoff game, 62-7 as Marino did in his finale). Never have true great quarterbacks, like my beloved John Elway, Joe Montana, Marino or even Troy Aikman or Jim Kelly held franchises and the media hostage in order to get themselves a few moments of publicity. Favre can say he loves the game all he wants but what he really loves is Brett Lorenzo Favre. He honestly believes he is bigger than the shield (a reference to the NFL logo) and thus it is refreshing to see him fail. This is an alien feeling to me. I despise the BCS primarily because it deprives everyone of an equal opportunity to compete in college football and while Favre should have every right to compete theoretically he has taken away opportunities from other quarterbacks who toil and sweat through minicamps and training camp throughout the offseason. Last August, Favre came to Vikings headquarters at Eden Prairie, Minn. when he wanted to with no respect for signal-callers Sage Rosenfels and Taravaris Jackson who had toiled throughout the summer in hopes of being Minnesota’s #1 quarterback. Vikings head coach, Brad Childress, made a pernicious pact with Beelzebub and allowed Favre to give him an impressive regular season and a scintillating 34-3 win over the Dallas Cowboys in last week’s NFC Divisional playoffs. Nevertheless, when they met a team with true heart and class, the Vikings were vanquished proving that good men and good teams win in the NFL regularly. If you ever wonder about the justice and equity of the world, look to this Super Bowl matchup between the Saints and Colts as irrefutable evidence that sometimes nice guys, in this case, Manning and Brees as well as their respective head coaches, Indianapolis’ Jim Caldwell and New Orleans’ Sean Payton come off conqueror. Keep on doing good and reading my columns, even lengthy ones such as this. May peace be with you this day and always!

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada (AP)—Henrik Sedin posted two goals and Daniel Sedin, Mikael Samuelsson and Steve Bernier also scored as the Vancouver Canucks shellacked the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-1 Saturday at General Motors Place in NHL action. The Canucks raced out to a 3-0 lead after the first period and Roberto Luongo bolstered Vancouver with 43 saves. Jonathan Toews scored the sole goal in defeat for Chicago. The win improved the Canucks to 31-18-2 on the season while the Blackhawks fell to 35-13-4. In other NHL action Saturday, Ottawa doubled up Boston, 2-1, Philadelphia gashed Carolina, 4-2, Los Angeles tripped up Detroit, 3-2, Montreal smacked the New York Rangers, 6-0, New Jersey stymied the New York Islanders, 4-2, Washington humbled Phoenix, 4-2, Florida blanked Toronto, 2-0, Tampa Bay downed Atlanta, 2-1 in a shootout, Anaheim snuck past St. Louis, 4-3 in a shootout, Minnesota clipped Columbus, 4-2 and San Jose sunk Buffalo, 5-2.

SAN DIEGO (AP)—Jimmer Fredette had 33 points and led the #13 Brigham Young Cougars on a key 15-0 2nd half run in a 71-69 win over the San Diego Aztecs Saturday at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl. The Cougars amassed their 20th win, which marks the fifth consecutive year they’ve done so and their 15th straight victory has given them the second-longest winning streak in the country. Kentucky, which is slated to be the top-ranked team when the new polls come out late Sunday, has won 19 straight games. Tyler Haws added 17 points for the Cougars, while Kawhi Leonard had 16 points and 11 boards in the loss for San Diego State, which dropped them to 14-6 on the season. The Cougars face perhaps their stiffest test of the season next Wednesday when they travel to the notorious Pit at Albuquerque, N.M. to face the New Mexico Lobos. In other Top 25 action Saturday, #21 Connecticut bludgeoned #1 Texas, 88-74, #2 Kentucky flattened Arkansas, 101-70, #3 Kansas dismantled Iowa State, 84-61, #4 Villanova stymied St. John’s, 81-71, #5 Syracuse outlasted Marquette, 76-71, #6 Duke waxed #16 Clemson, 60-47, #7 Michigan State edged Minnesota, 65-64, Georgia embarrassed #8 Tennessee, 78-63, Oklahoma State stunned #9 Kansas State, 73-69, #10 Gonzaga smoked Loyola Marymount, 85-69, #12 West Virginia overpowered #25 Ohio State, 71-65, #14 Georgetown walloped Rutgers, 88-63, #15 Purdue stonewalled Michigan, 69-59, #17 Temple tripped up Fordham, 62-45, #20 Butler crushed Illinois-Chicago, 84-55 and #24 Mississippi smacked LSU, 73-63.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Rachel Garrett had 17 points for the Grand Lady Red Devils in a 42-36 win over the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs Saturday in Region 13 girls basketball action.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)—Chelsea Barney posted 15 points to lead the Panguitch Lady Bobcats to a 48-28 win over the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs in Region 20 girls basketball action Saturday. Kaylea Shakespeare had eight points in defeat for Bryce Valley.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)—Mariah Dotson had 14 points for the Milford Lady Tigers in a 35-15 rout of the Escalante Lady Moquis Saturday in Region 20 girls basketball action.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)—Kandice Gleave had 19 points and Amanda Bagley added 15 more as the Piute Lady Thunderbirds embarrassed the Valley Lady Buffaloes, 60-34 in Region 20 girls basketball action Saturday. Kayla Maxwell had 12 points in the loss for Valley.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Trevor Daley, Mike Modano, Jamie Benn and James Neal each scored and the Dallas Stars won their third game in four attempts with a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers Friday at Rexall Place in NHL action. The Oilers, losers of 10 straight and 17 of their last 18 games, fell to 16-28-6 with the loss. Sam Gagner had two goals in the loss for the Oilers, while Ryan Potulny also scored for Edmonton. The win improved Dallas to 22-18-11. In other NHL action Friday, Montreal overpowered New Jersey, 3-1 and Colorado doubled up Nashville, 2-1.

CASTLE DALE, Utah (AP)—Nevin Jensen keyed a balanced scoring attack with 15 points and the Emery Spartans got past the Delta Rabbits, 62-55 Friday in Region 12 boys basketball action. Taylor Shamo had 20 points in the loss for the Rabbits.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Joey Lewis had 12 points and Brock Orme added 10 more as the Juab Wasps humbled the Richfield Wildcats, 45-38 in Region 12 boys basketball action Friday. Tyler Thomas posted 15 points and Robert Torgerson added 14 more for Richfield.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Rhees Jackson led all scorers with 27 points as the Kanab Cowboys overpowered the Cross Creek Bobcats, 100-57 Friday in Region 13 boys basketball action.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Kevin Holt amassed 17 points and Kyle West chipped in with 13 more as the Enterprise Wolves bested the Beaver Beavers, 56-49 Friday in Region 13 boys basketball action.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)—Kegan Carter led the way for the Millard Eagles with 13 points in a 59-54 win over the Parowan Rams in Region 13 boys basketball action Friday.

MONROE, Utah (AP)—Dillon Bishoff had 32 points and the South Sevier Rams crushed the North Sevier Wolves, 78-53 Friday in Region 13 boys basketball action. Daniel Hales had 26 points for the Wolves in defeat.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)—Tyson Westwood had 14 points and Jaylen Christensen added 13 more as the Piute Thunderbirds got past the Bryce Valley Mustangs, 60-45 in Region 20 boys basketball action Friday. Korde Chynoweth had 15 points for the Mustangs in defeat.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)—Lance Maxwell had 22 points and Clay Williams chipped in with 21 more as the Valley Buffaloes dismantled the Escalante Moquis, 75-43 Friday in Region 20 boys basketball action. Paul Sorenson had 19 points in the loss for the Moquis.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)—Tyler Denny’s 18 points led the way for the Milford Tigers as they got past the Wayne Badgers, 69-61 in Region 20 boys basketball action Friday. Carson Syme had 16 points in the loss for Wayne while Trevor Behunin added 15 more.

(PROVO)—A suspected hotel robber was caught when she decided to stop for a drink a short time after he committed the crime. Police said Joel Montepeque walked into the Provo Fairfield Inn near 1500 South and University Avenue just after 11:30 p.m. Thursday evening. Montepeque told the clerk he had a gun in his pocket and demanded money. After getting some cash, the man drove off in a Chevy Lumina and went to a bar near the Center Street I-15 interchange. From there, police went inside, finding Montepeque intoxicated. Authorities believe he may have been drinking before the alleged robbery as well because the hotel clerk said she could smell alcohol on him. Montepeque was booked into jail on suspicion of aggravated robbery.

(OGDEN)—Ogden police are looking for a man they say attacked a woman in a hospital while she was taking care of her new babies. According to the Standard-Examiner, a nurse at McKay-Dee Hospital called police Wednesday when 31-year-old Zachary Stirdivant allegedly hit the mother of his 3-week-old twins during an argument about her feeding schedule. Stirdivant fled before police arrived.

(SPANISH FORK) – A major Utah highway that has had a reputation of being one of the deadliest highways in the state is now considered one of the safest. UHP Sgt. David Rumfield says news numbers from UDOT show that deaths on a stretch of U.S. Highway 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon have gone down significantly over the past few years. Rumfield said rumble strips, concrete barriers and widening the road from two to four lanes are all factors in making that stretch of Highway 6 more safe. He also said that the addition of more signs showing how fast drivers are traveling have contributed to improved driving conditions. UDOT has spent $90 million in the past 10 years to try to save lives.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett is accusing Democrats of violating their own legislation to return surplus funds from a financial relief program to reduce the national debt. Bennett said the Troubled Asset Relief Program fund was created to bail out banks and financial institutions during the mortgage crisis in the latter part of 2008 but were to be returned once the crisis was over. He said the immediate crisis ended last year but the Democrats want to use the surplus money for their own programs. Bennett said it’s evident that Senate Democrats and the current administration are not serious about tackling the national debt and that TARP was never created to be a congressional slush fund. TARP is set to expire on Oct. 3, 2010 but Congress could still spend the money regardless of the expiration date. In December of 2009, the Senate voted 60-39 to increase the debt ceiling by $290 billion to $12 trillion and this year the Senate wants to increase the debt by another $1.9 trillion to $14 trillion.

(RICHFIELD) – A new moisture-soaked snow storm is moving throughout the state today from the Pacific. The Utah Department of Transportation says this storm is leaving a layer of new snow on recent accumulations, making I-15, I-70 and SR-89 treacherous during the morning commute. Mike Conger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, says the mountains in South-Central and southern Utah are going to get hammered with three feet or more of new snow. Heavy snow shut down schools in southeastern Utah on Thursday and a flash flood watch was issued. The San Juan School District canceled classes in LaSal, Monticello and Blanding. District officials say that all 12 schools in the district, including the district offices, will be closed today. UDOT Spokesman Kevin Kitchen said workers in the 14-county region of southern Utah are geared up for clearing roads wherever needed.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Three Utah Albertsons supermarkets will be shutting their doors in February. The locations, at 5400 South in Taylorsville, and at 1653 West and 9000 South and 6950 S. Redwood Road in West Jordan will all close February 22. The company says they’re just trying to do what’s best for everyone and that they’ll help workers find other jobs. Customer pharmacy prescriptions have been sold and relocated to other local drug stores.

(VERNAL)—A Vernal school teacher has been arrested for suspected sexual activity with a student. Norman Ray Bernard, a 57-year-old teacher at Vernal Junior High, was arrested for five counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first degree felony, and four counts of sexual abuse of a minor, a Class A misdemeanor, according to Vernal police. Bernard teaches 8th grade history and police believe there aren’t any other students involved. Bernard is currently being detained in the Uintah County Jail on $132,400 bail.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Salt Lake City police are defending a decision to fire several canisters of tear gas into a home where they believed Roberto Roman was hiding after he allegedly shot and killed Deputy Josie Greathouse Fox earlier this month. Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank says Roman’s uncle, Raymundo Miramontes, told them Roman was hiding in his house and they had no choice but to use the gas to protect the lives of officers. Miramontes denies telling police anything about his nephew and his son is demanding the city pay $25,000 to clean tear gas residue from the house. Police tracked down Roman in Beaver the day after the Miramontes house was searched. He has been charged with capital murder in Fox’s death.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah Governor Gary Herbert says he will consider opening driver’s license offices on Fridays in an effort to cut down on lengthy wait times. A new law requiring the Utah Drivers License Division to collect additional proof of citizenship has been creating hours-long waits in some locations since it went into effect January 1. Herbert said Thursday those wait times are unacceptable. He says customers shouldn’t have to wait in line more than 5 or 10 minutes. Driver’s license offices have been closed on Friday as part of the state’s four-day workweek, but one office will be open on Fridays starting next month. Herbert says he’s considering opening up more while there’s a backlog. He didn’t say how he’d pay for it.

(RICHFIELD) – The Fishlake National Forest has made some personnel changes for the beginning of the new year. Officials reported that Amy Barker is the new District Ranger on the Beaver Ranger District. Barker recently moved to the Fishlake from the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest where she has been working as the Environmental Coordinator. The current Fillmore District Ranger, Mel Bolling has accepted the position as the Public Services Staff in the Supervisor’s Office in Richfield. Richfield District Ranger Fred Houston has recently retired, creating two district ranger positions to fill. Forest Supervisor Allen Rowley says the District Ranger position should be filled with the next month or two. Bob Tuttle will be acting District Ranger until the position is filled. Other personnel changes on the Forest include the additions of Marianne Orton as the Fishlake Environmental Coordinator, along with Brian Tritle as the new Recreation Staff Officer on the Fillmore Ranger District.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Officials with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints held their customary lunch with Republican legislative leaders Tuesday afternoon to discuss the massive $1.5 billion City Creek development project and humanitarian efforts in Haiti and Utah. The church’s delegation was led by Quentin L. Cook and M. Russell Ballard of the LDS Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and a handful of members of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Republican leaders said their was no discussion of the faith’s recent support for Salt Lake City’s ordinance shielding residents from housing and employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, or any other legislative issues. The Church held a similar meeting two weeks ago with Democratic legislative leaders and given the same presentations.

(MEADOW) – A California man nearly drowned at the hot pots near Meadow just before midnight on Monday. A Millard County Sheriff’s report said that 18-year old, Michael Rex of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. was swimming with friends, when he dove deep into the water and remained under for about four minutes. The report said that his friends realized he had been down too long and brought him to the surface where they performed CPR, restoring his breathing. Rex was transported to the Fillmore Community Medical Center and then flown to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Alexandre Burrows, Sami Salo and Daniel Sedin each scored and the Vancouver Canucks edged the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2 Wednesday in overtime at Rexall Place in NHL action. Roberto Luongo added 31 saves for the Canucks, who improved to 29-18-2 on the season. Sam Gagner and Sheldon Souray scored for the Oilers in the loss which dropped them to 16-27-6. In other NHL action Wednesday, New Jersey blanked Florida, 2-0 and St. Louis got past Montreal, 4-3 in overtime.

PROVO, Utah (AP)—Tyler Haws had a career-high 24 points and six rebounds while Jackson Emery added 15 more points as the #13 Brigham Young Cougars stonewalled Wyoming, 81-66 Wednesday in men’s Top 25 college basketball action at the Marriott Center. The Cougars improved to 19-1 with the win, which is their best start since 1987-88 when they raced out to a 20-1 start. Things will get tougher for Brigham Young over the weekend though as they travel to San Diego State Saturday and will meet New Mexico at the Pit next Wednesday. Adam Waddell had 15 points to pace the Cowboys in the loss. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #3 Kansas got past Baylor, 81-75, #4 Villanova pummeled Rutgers, 94-68, North Carolina State hammered #6 Duke, 88-74, #7 Michigan State waxed Iowa, 70-63, #14 Georgetown overpowered #11 Pittsburgh, 74-66, #12 West Virginia ousted Marshall, 68-60, #17 Temple clipped Xavier, 77-72, #19 Wisconsin smacked Michigan, 54-48, #21 Connecticut shellacked St. John’s, 75-59, Wake Forest gashed #23 North Carolina, 82-69 and #24 Mississippi bested South Carolina, 66-57.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Robbie Gurr had 20 points and Colton Harris added 14 more as the Beaver Beavers hammered the Cross Creek Bobcats, 83-57 Wednesday in Region 13 boys basketball action.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)—Ryan Robinson posted 16 points and the Parowan Rams got past the Kanab Cowboys, 57-51 in Region 13 boys basketball action Wednesday. Rhees Jackson had 22 points in the loss for Kanab.

ENTERPRISE, Utah (AP)—Lance Garnder had 12 points for the Enterprise Wolves as they crushed the Millard Eagles, 50-21 Wednesday in Region 13 boys basketball action. Mike Louder had six points in defeat for Millard.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)—Kace Roundy amassed 17 points and Korde Chynoweth added 16 more as the Bryce Valley Mustangs stymied the Escalante Moquis, 77-56 in Region 20 boys basketball action Wednesday. Cody Barney paced Escalante with 15 in the loss.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)—D.J. Tischner had 22 points for the Piute Thunderbirds as they got past Milford, 65-52 Wednesday in Region 20 boys basketball action.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)—Eric Frandsen had 17 points and Brooks Leach added 13 more as the Panguitch Bobcats humbled Wayne, 52-43 in Region 20 boys basketball action Wednesday. Brennan Rees had 13 points in the loss for the Badgers.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Brielle Christensen keyed a balanced scoring attack with nine points and the Beaver Lady Beavers dismantled the Cross Creek Lady Bobcats, 72-23 Wednesday in Region 13 girls basketball action.

(WOODS CROSS)—The Silver Eagle refinery of Woods Cross is conducting an open house Wednesday night in hopes of regaining the lost trust of nearby residents. Silver Eagle’s Vice President of Refining and Operations, Mike Redd, continues to express regret over the November 4 explosion that damaged dozens of homes. However, he says he’s hopeful officials will soon be able to restart a section of the plant that was not damaged by the explosion. The section in question is a low-pressure distillation unit that doesn’t use chemical reactions. Redd says the purpose of the meeting is to show the public what they do and what sections of the plant they hope to reopen. Passengers will also get to see where the explosion took place from a distance. Redd says the U.S. Chemical Safety Board continues to keep the explosion area sealed off so no rebuilding or improvements have been made in that area.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—With less than a week until the 2010 session, a new Utah Senate majority leader has been elected by Republican legislators. The change was made Wednesday morning following Sheldon Killpack’s resignation. Senator Killpack was serving as Senate Majority leader, but resigned from his post after a DUI arrest last week. According to the Senate’s Web site, Senator Scott Jenkins, a Plain City Republican, has been selected as Killpack’s replacement. Senator Wayne Niederhauser, a Sandy-based Republican who had been serving as assistant whip, will replace Jenkins as the majority whip. Senate leadership is slated to hold a news conference Wednesday to discuss what this new leadership team needs.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners met in session today to discuss raising the transient room tax to promote the attraction of more events to the county. Travel Council Director Kevin Arrington said the proposed tax increase does not affect local residents. Commissioners approved a measure to raise the tax but not until they could decide how much it would be. The state allows counties to raise the transient room tax to 4.25%. Sevier County currently has a tax rate at 3%. Commissioner Gary Mason says sports tournaments statewide have become increasingly competitive and Richfield is fortunate to host the bulk of them because of our location in the middle of the state and other venues. Commissioners will decide on the tax increase in future meetings.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The man accused of killing Millard County Deputy Josie Fox was reportedly heavily armed and had threatened to shoot a cop, according to a newly released search warrant. The document states that 37-year old, Roberto Roman of Delta was armed with an AK-47 and AR-15 semi-automatic rifles and had threatened to “kill any police officer that stops or approaches him.” The search warrant was served at a Salt Lake City home hours after Fox was shot to death on SR-50 in the early morning hours of Jan. 5. The deputy’s brother, Ryan Greathouse, had purchased drugs from Roman prior to the shooting and told investigators that he saw an AK-47 and a Baretta semi-automatic weapon in the car with Roman. He also said that Roman told him he would “shoot a cop if they stopped him.” Roman and an accomplice, 36-year old, Ruben Chavez of Fillmore, were arrested the following day after they were found asleep in a shed in Beaver. Both men will appear in 4th District Court in Fillmore this (Wednesday) morning for a status conference.

(RICHFIELD) – A new winter storm has moved into the state causing delays in the morning commute. A UDOT Spokesperson says I-15, I-70 and SR-89 are passable with road restrictions. UDOT said the heaviest amount of snow is falling south of Utah County and all roads are snowpacked and slick. The Utah Highway Patrol says motorists should be extra careful with travel this morning and throughout the day.

CINCINNATI (AP)—Monica McNutt amassed a career-high 26 points and the #18 Georgetown Lady Hoyas edged the Cincinnati Lady Bearcats, 60-56 Tuesday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. McNutt made eight of her 12 3-point attempts and scored 11 straight points in the second half to lead the Lady Hoyas to the win which improved them to 16-2 on the season. Kahla Roudebush had 25 points for Cincinnati in the loss which dropped them to 8-9. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #5 Notre Dame pounded Louisville, 78-60.

CLEVELAND (AP)—LeBron James amassed 28 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds and Shaquille O’Neal joined prestigious company as the Cleveland Cavaliers got past the Toronto Raptors, 108-100 Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena in NBA action. O’Neal had 16 points on the night and in the first half, became the fifth player in NBA history to amass 28,000 points, joining Hall of Famers Karl Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan. Mo Williams added 22 points and 10 assists for the Cavs, who improved to 32-11 on the season with the win. Chris Bosh had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors in the loss, while Andrea Bargnani had 19 points and six boards for Toronto. In other NBA action Tuesday, Miami scorched Indiana, 113-83.

(RICHFIELD) – A Richfield High School basketball player is being honored by her family, friends and teammates for her determination to play in spite of a debilitating disease she’s had since she was three years of age. Shacari Hinck has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and is a two-year starter for the Wildcats, a team that won the 2A state championship last season in overtime. This season, she’s averaging 7.2 points for the 12-1 Wildcats. Her father, Rod, says his daughter has had pain all her life and just works through it. Richfield coach, Marc Peterson says Shacari is known as the “unstoppable stopper” because of her toughness mentally and physically on and off the court. Rod said his family treats Shacari like there’s nothing wrong, even when the disease gets the best of her. He said Shacari wants to be judged by her abilities and not defined by a disability.

(DENVER)—Colorado’s top water official is optimistic that a setback to a California water conservation plan won’t derail an agreement affecting the use of the Colorado River by six other western states. Dick Wolfe, the director of the Colorado Division of Water Resources, said Tuesday that water officials have shown a new collective will to overcome obstacles to cooperation on the river. A California state judge invalidated a conservation plan intended to curtail southern California’s overuse of the river. Among other things, the plan called for an effort to restore California’s Salton Sea, an enormous desert lake. The judge said California lawmakers hadn’t approved the state’s share of the Salton Sea project cost. An appeal is planned and the judge left the deal in place for now. The California conservation plan also called for transferring trillions of gallons of water from agricultural to municipal use. By expanding its municipal water supply through those transfers rather than taking more water from the Colorado River, California was set to become part of a landmark 2007 agreement on managing the Colorado River during droughts. Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are also party to the deal. Unless the California conservation plan is resurrected or replaced, it could undermine the 2007 deal. Nevertheless, Wolfe believes water officials will find a fix because of a new willingness to cooperate after decades of legal disputes. Wolfe also said it’s too early to predict with any certainty how the California ruling might affect Colorado and other states.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Planned Parenthood says the House 12 bill would penalize women who miscarry. Executive Director Melissa Bird says women, medical professionals, clergy and spouses could be prosecuted for the loss of a pregnancy. Bird says a woman who falls while skiing, for example, or is in a car accident and miscarries could be prosecuted for reckless behavior. The bill’s sponsor, Carl Wimmer of Herriman, says that won’t happen. Wimmer said Planned Parenthood is opposed to the concept in general. Wimmer wrote the amendments after a Vernal teenager was not charged with a crime although she sought an illegal abortion. He believes the state will pass the bill and that it has bi-partisan support. Wimmer believes that once it passes in the Legislation in Utah, many other states will fall in line.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Senator Curtis Bramble of Provo says he’s withdrawing from the internal contest for Senate majority leader. This means Representative Scott Jenkins of Plain City and the current majority whip, will likely assume the majority leader position. The decision will come at a special Republican caucus meeting Wednesday. The majority leader position was formerly held by Sheldon Killpack who resigned his Senate seat last weekend following his arrest for driving while impaired. Bramble says he’s withdrawing in light of the dramatic events over the past week caused by Killpack for his DUI. Bramble also stated he knows some will speculate another reason, perhaps that he lacked the votes to win, but he pushed all reasons aside. Senator Jenkins was literally unaware of this, saying he was surprised about Bramble’s decision early Tuesday.

(ST. GEORGE)—The Utah State Board of Regents has approved three new degree programs at Dixie State College. As of this fall, the college will offer a four-year bachelor’s degree in psychology. A couple of two-year associate’s degrees will also be available. One will be in clinical laboratory science and the other in operations management. As of last Friday, the regents approved the degree programs. Dixie State will now offer 13 baccalaureate degrees.

(MONROE) – The Monroe City Council has approved a resolution to update the city’s water conservation plan. At last week’s city council meeting, officials said updating the plan every five years helps ensure the availability and future costs of the water supply in the city. Monroe City currently provides culinary water to 830 residential users, 25 commercial customers, 18 agricultural customers for stock watering and one wholesale customer. The city has both culinary and irrigation water systems in place which appears to be adequate through the year 2016. Monroe City has also implemented a water management plan to monitor watering practices to avert wasteful watering.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield Police arrested an Elsinore man in connection with an attempted burglary of Winkel Distributing west of the city over the weekend. Police reports said they arrested 21-year old, Ammon King after getting a call at about 4pm Saturday. The report said police were able to get a description of his vehicle, a 1996 Jeep Cherokee and stopped King in Elsinore within an hour of the attempted break-in. King was charged with DUI, possession of marijuana and driving on a suspended license. Sevier County Deputies are also on the lookout for a suspect that broke into the Johnson’s Feedlot near Aurora on Saturday and stole a computer.

(ROCK SPRINGS, WY.) – Damages caused by man-made earthquakes in 2007 in Rock Springs, WY. have made residents angry with government inaction. Residents say the damages caused by a government project to collapse old coal mines under the town are making their homes worse and the government isn’t fixing it. Residents, Esther Shafe and Becky Kelley say the man-made quakes affected their families and homes. Another resident, Karla McAffee said she has already spent $50,000 just to avoid disaster. The Wyoming Attorney General’s office said residents should not make repairs until the state does an assessment and the Wyoming Legislature said the inaction is unacceptable. Some officials have argued the pounding was meant to be a good thing and there’s no proof the pounding is what damaged the homes. The Legislature will take up the matter in the upcoming session.

BOSTON (AP)—Daniel Alfredsson amassed a hat trick while Alexei Kovalev and Jonathan Chechoo also scored as the Ottawa Senators dismantled the Boston Bruins, 5-1 Monday at T.D. Banknorth Garden. The win was big for the Senators, as it improved them to 25-21-4 on the season and enabled them to tie Boston for second place in the Northeast Division, with 54 points. The Buffalo Sabres, with 64 points, are in first. Daniel Paille scored the sole goal in the loss for the Bruins, which dropped them to 23-17-8. In other NHL action Monday, the New York Islanders blanked New Jersey, 4-0, Tampa Bay edged Carolina, 3-2, Buffalo crushed Phoenix, 7-2, Columbus doubled up St. Louis, 4-2, Florida stymied Atlanta, 1-0, Dallas stymied Minnesota, 4-3, Toronto waxed Nashville, 4-3, Colorado hammered Edmonton, 6-0 and San Jose decimated Calgary, 9-1.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP)—Jamar Samuels amassed 15 of his 20 points in the first half and the #9 Kansas State Wildcats handed the top-ranked Texas Longhorns their first loss of the season with a 71-62 win Monday at Bramlage Coliseum in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. Curtis Kelly added 17 points and Rodney McGruder stepped up with 11 more for the Wildcats, who improved to 16-2. Despite their shoddy shooting behind the arc (only 1 of 12 on 3-point attempts), Kansas State’s extended man-to-man defense flummoxed the Longhorns all night, causing them to shoot a pedestrian 36 percent from the field. Avery Bradley had 11 points to pace Texas in the loss, which dropped them to 17-1. Currently, both the Wildcats and Longhorns are in a second place tie in Big 12 conference play, with preseason national title contender Kansas in first. In other Top 25 action Monday, #5 Syracuse outclassed Notre Dame, 84-71.

(SOUTH SALT LAKE)—An apartment fire in South Salt Lake claimed the life of a 10-year-old boy Monday afternoon. The fire occurred just before 12:30 p.m. at the Royal Garden Apartments in South Salt Lake and fire crews responded swiftly to smoke and flames shooting from the apartment complex. The fire was doused shortly thereafter and the boy’s brother and mother were being treated for smoke inhalation. A number of residents were forced from their homes and some even said they had to jump from the second story to escape. Several also reported sounds of explosion. There is no word on the cause of the fire as of yet.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The NAACP’s Salt Lake City branch celebrated Civil Rights Day with a luncheon and address from the commander of the Tooele Army Depot. The event Monday was titled, “NAACP 100 Years: Bold Dreams, Big Victories. Other events included a 3.5 march and parade from Salt Lake City’s Sugarhouse Park to the University of Utah’s Kingsbury Hall.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A Salt Lake City family wants the city to pay for damage from a SWAT team search of their house. This has stemmed from the January 5 search for the man accused of fatally shooting Millard County Sheriff’s deputy Josie Fox. Police originally believed the suspect, Roberto Roman, was hiding at the Salt Lake City home of his cousin, Guillermo Miramontes. A car believed to be connected to the shooting was spotted in front of the house. Officers received permission to search the premises and ended up firing 10 canisters of tear gas into the house before entering. Family members told the Salt Lake Tribune they’re afraid they’ll get stuck with the cost of repairing the house. Salt Lake City is not commenting due to the pending claim.

(LOA) – Fire crews on the Fishlake National Forest plan a prescribed burn of 200 acres east of Fremont, Lyman and Horse Valley in Wayne County. The burn should begin Tuesday depending on the weather. Personnel on the Fremont River Ranger District say the Cedar Creek project contains 3,569 acres of wildlife habitat and hazardous fuels that need to be reduced. Throughout 2009, crews with chainsaws and skid steer loaders with brush saws removed encroaching small diameter pinyon and juniper, creating piles that need to be burned. Fire and smoke may be visible from Wayne County communities.

SAN DIEGO (AP)—Shonn Greene ran for 128 yards and a touchdown and ran for a game-breaking 53-yard score in the 4th Quarter as the New York Jets edged the San Diego Chargers, 17-14 Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium in NFL action. The Chargers, winners of 11 straight games, had expectations of making the Super Bowl, but the Jets were too brash and disciplined to care as they forced Philip Rivers (27 of 40, 298 yards, TD, 2 INT’s) into uncharacteristic turnovers, one of which set up the Jets’ first touchdown. After Jim Leonhard intercepted Rivers in the 4th Quarter, rookie signal-caller Mark Sanchez (12 of 23, 100 yards, TD, INT) hit Dustin Keller on a 2-yard touchdown strike which gave New York a 10-7 lead. After Greene’s touchdown run, the Chargers still had a pulse but Nate Kaeding, who had made 20 consecutive kicks coming into this game, misfired on all three of his attempts and as his 40-yard attempt midway through the 4th Quarter sailed wide, the Jets were able to take more time off the clock. The Chargers were able to pull within 17-14 on a 1-yard run by Rivers but after a failed onside kick attempt on the ensuing kickoff, the Jets ran out the clock. The win sends the Jets to Indianapolis next Sunday where they’ll face the Colts with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. In other NFL action Sunday, Minnesota decimated Dallas, 34-3.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada (AP)—Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows, Mikael Samuelsson, Jannik Hansen, Willie Mitchel and Ryan Kesler each scored and the Vancouver Canucks hammered the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-2 Saturday at General Motors Place in NHL action. Roberto Luongo added 22 saves for the Canucks, who improved to 28-18-2 on the season. Evgeni Malkin and Matt Cooke both scored in the loss for Pittsburgh, which dropped them to 30-19-1. In other NHL action Saturday, Dallas edged Detroit, 3-2 in a shootout, Chicago outlasted Columbus, 6-5, Colorado stymied New Jersey, 3-1, Los Angeles snuck past Boston, 4-3 in a shootout, San Jose doubled up Edmonton, 4-2, Ottawa gashed Montreal, 4-2, the New York Islanders tripped up Buffalo, 3-2 in a shootout, Florida waxed Tampa Bay, 5-2, Atlanta smoked Carolina, 5-3, St. Louis dismantled the New York Rangers, 4-1, and Phoenix humbled Minnesota, 6-4.

PROVO, Utah (AP)—Jimmer Fredette returned from injury and scored 21 points as the #17 Brigham Young Cougars made quick work of Colorado State with a 91-47 rout of the Rams Saturday at the Marriott Center in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. The Cougars shot an astounding 59 percent from the field on the game and outscored the Rams, 53-25 in the second half en route to their 18th win in 19 games this season. Greg Smith had 13 points to pace Colorado State in the loss, their first in Mountain West conference play. In other Top 25 action action Saturday, #1 Texas outlasted Texas A&M, 72-67 in overtime, #2 Kentucky snuck past Auburn, 72-67, #3 Kansas dismantled Texas Tech, 89-63, #5 Syracuse edged #9 West Virginia, 72-71, Northwestern upset #6 Purdue, 72-64, #8 Michigan State bested Illinois, 73-63, #10 Tennessee got past #23 Mississippi, 71-69 in overtime, #12 Kansas State ousted Colorado, 87-81, #18 Georgia Tech tripped up #13 North Carolina, 73-71, #14 Gonzaga bludgeoned San Diego, 68-50, Ohio State waxed #16 Wisconsin, 60-51, #19 Clemson got past North Carolina State, 73-70, #20 Pittsburgh defeated Louisville, 82-77 in overtime, #21 Temple gashed Massachusetts, 76-64, #22 Butler crushed Youngstown State, 91-61, #24 Baylor shellacked Oklahoma State, 83-70 and #25 Florida state smacked Virginia Tech, 63-58.

NEW ORLEANS (AP)—Drew Brees completed 23 of 32 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns while Reggie Bush amassed 217 all-purpose yards and a pair of scores as the New Orleans Saints crushed the Arizona Cardinals, 45-14 Saturday at the Louisiana Superdome in the NFC Divisional playoffs. The Cardinals, fresh off an exciting 51-45 win over the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round, got off to a solid start as tailback Tim Hightower ran for a 70-yard score on the game’s first play of scrimmage. Nevertheless, the Saints refused to panic and on their first possession, Lynell Hamilton capped off a 10-play, 72-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring run to tie things at 7-7 apiece. The Saints seized momentum for good on the next possession when star safety Darren Sharper forced Cardinals wideout Jerheme Urban to fumble, returning the error well into Arizona territory. Four plays later, Brees found Jeremy Shockey on a 17-yard scoring strike and New Orleans never looked back. On the Saints’ next offensive possession, Bush had his first touchdown, on a 46-yard run, and the rout was on. The Cardinals also received a scare when quarterback Kurt Warner was hurt after a 2nd Quarter interception which saw Saints defensive end Bobby McCray level Warner after teammate Will Smith intercepted his pass. Warner was diagnosed with chest problems and while he returned, he was unable to lead the Cardinals to much success offensively. The win for the Saints means they will host the NFC Championship game for the first time in franchise history. They previously played in the NFC title game in Chicago after the 2006 season, but were pounded by the Bears, 39-14. The Saints will host either Dallas or Minnesota next Sunday. In other NFL playoff action Saturday, Indianapolis humbled Baltimore, 20-3.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP)—Ashley Wills and Jessica Ford represented Tulsa well with wins in the womens’ 200 and 400-meter dashes respectively to headline a strong showing for numerous athletes at the Wichita State Indoor track invitational Friday. The Lady Golden Hurricane also received first-place finishes from Jennifer Mace in the 600-meter dash, Tayler Rigsby in the 800-meter dash, Alex Becker in the 1,000-meter dash and Lana Kelley in the 3,000-meter dash. For the men, the homestanding Shockers had strong showings in the 600-meter dash as Justin Cole took first place and Todd McKown, who won the 60-meter hurdles.

DALLAS (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki had 32 points, including a clutch jumper in the closing seconds while Josh Howard won the game with a key deflection as the Dallas Mavericks outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder, 99-98 Friday at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks, who have been burned by porous defense in previous home losses to Utah and the Los Angeles Lakers, marshaled up sufficiently and made several key defensive plays in the 4th Quarter to repel the talented Thunder. After Jason Terry (21 points) uncharacteristically missed two free throws that would have given Dallas a 101-98 lead with four seconds left to play, Howard came up with his huge deflection which caused Oklahoma City to run out of time and miss a desperation jumper. Kevin Durant had 30 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder in the loss, which dropped them to 21-18. The win improved Dallas to 26-13 on the season. In other NBA action Friday, Philadelphia ousted Sacramento, 98-86, Charlotte dismantled San Antonio, 92-76, Atlanta edged Phoenix, 102-101, Chicago surged past Washington, 121-119 in double overtime, Detroit stymied New Orleans, 110-104 in overtime, Indiana stormed past New Jersey, 121-105, Toronto clipped New York, 112-104, Memphis hammered Minnesota, 135-110, Miami defused Houston, 115-106, Milwaukee stonewalled Golden State, 113-104, the Los Angeles Lakers shellacked the Los Angeles Clippers, 126-86 and Portland tripped up Orlando, 102-87.

(PROVO)—Provo Police Department officer Devon L. Jensen was instrumental in helping a woman deliver her baby alongside the highway last Wednesday evening. Jensen was flagged down by a man and his wife near the University Avenue off-ramp on Interstate 15. The baby, a boy named Jayden, was born weighing six pounds and 11 ounces and was 20 inches long. He was slated to go home with his parents Friday.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Senate majority leader Sheldon Killpack was arrested on suspicion of DUI. The Utah Highway Patrol DUI squad member spotted a car driving erratically in Salt Lake City Friday morning and it was discovered Killpack was the driver. UHP Sergeant Jeff Nigbur said Killpack did poorly with his field sobriety tests and then refused a breathalyzer. He was taken into custody. Killpack was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail at 2:45 a.m. Investigators have since been able to get a warrant to check Killpack’s blood, but the blood won’t be back for a while. Senate President Michael Waddoups also released a statement saying the Senate will keep Killpack in their thoughts and prayers in this difficult time for his family.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Authorities in Utah say a 24-year-old man posed as a Major League Baseball player in attempts to steal a car. Matthew T. Van Meter of Elko, Nev., is being held at the Salt Lake County jail pending an appearance in Utah state court on felony charges, including theft and forgery. Charging papers accuse Van Meter of using documents identifying himself as Chicago Cubs outfielder Tyler Colvin to buy a 2010 Dodge pickup worth $50,000 in West Valley City. Officials say it’s not clear if Van Meter had any legitimate connection with Colvin. Colvin is a 24-year-old from Georgia who appeared in six games with the Cubs last season. He is regarded as one of the team’s top prospects.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will begin accepting big game hunting applications February 1. Utah wildlife licensing coordinator Judi Tutorow says nearly 300,000 people are expected to apply for available permits this year. However, not everyone will get a permit. Division spokesman Mark Hadley says when all permits are finally approved in the spring, there will be about 125,000 available. The deadline for application is March 1 and results of the permit drawing will be available April 29.

(MOAB) – The Mill Tailings Removal Project near Moab has reached a milestone. Federal Project Director Donald Metzler said crews shipped 136 containers of mill tailings, the maximum number that can be transported in a single train. The load was sent from Moab to a disposal cell 30 miles north near Crescent Junction. Metzler said the shipment held about 4700 tons of tailings, bringing the total quantity shipped to more than 680,000 tons. The bulk of the tailings shipped was funded by federal stimulus dollars. In addition, Metzler said construction of an underpass on SR-279, which cuts across the Moab project site, was completed in December. The underpass is used by trucks hauling tailings containers to and from the rail loading area, helping curtail more than 500 potential interactions with highway traffic each day.

(RICHFIELD) – Employees on the Fishlake National Forest and Richfield Field Office have joined forces to raise money for non-profit charitable organizations. Forest Supervisor John Zapell says the fundraiser gives forest employees the opportunity to show their generosity and help. Zapell said on Nov. 17, 18 and 19th last year, employees sponsored a variety of activities, including daily baked goods, auctions and lunches. The three-day sale raised $2400 for the cause. Forest fundraisers are connected to the Combined Federal Campaign, a nationwide effort to raise contributions for a wide range of recognized local and national organizations.

(RICHFIELD) – A Joseph woman was injured in a rollover Wednesday morning at the south exit of Richfield on I-70. According to a UHP report, 18-year old, Stacia Bess was traveling eastbound in a 2000 Chevy S-14, when she took the exit too fast and rolled at about 7:45am. The report said Bess was not wearing her seatbelt and sustained minor injuries. She was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield and treated. Bess was cited for traveling too fast for conditions. UHP also investigated a crash into the Sevier River six miles south of Circleville Wednesday morning at about 6:00. The report said Jessica Kellum of Circleville was traveling southbound on SR-89 in a 1997 Pontiac Grand AM, when she came around a corner and lost control. She was wearing her seatbelt and refused medical treatment. Kellum was not taken to the hospital.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Sundiata Gaines, currently on his second 10-day contract for the Utah Jazz may have gotten the extension he’s sought after. Gaines made a clutch 3-pointer as time expired, while making all three of his shots on the evening and the Jazz edged the Cleveland Cavaliers, 97-96 Thursday at EnergySolutions Arena in NBA action. Gaines’ shot brought what was an exciting 4th Quarter to a close as the Cavaliers had just finished off a 22-4 run with LeBron James (36 points) scoring 20 in that span. Even after James’ second successive 3-pointer in as many possessions gave Cleveland a 94-88 lead with just over a minute left to play, the Cavaliers did themselves in with sporadic free-throw shooting, enabling Gaines, the rookie out of Georgia who had previously played for the Idaho Stampede in the NBA’s Developmental League, to hit the game-winner. Carlos Boozer added 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Jazz before fouling out while Utah pulled off the win, despite injuries to Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko. The win improved Utah to 22-17 on the season while the Cavs slumped to 30-11. In other NBA action Thursday, Chicago clipped Boston, 96-83.

(NEPHI)—Juab High School is investigating an altercation between a student and coach that happened Wednesday. Principal Rick Robins won’t give a lot of details, but did confirm some sort of altercation occurred. Robins said the coach is now on paid administrative leave and Robins is personally conducting the investigation. The names of the people involved have not yet been released.

(DENVER)—Utah should have say over whether a company can ship low-level radioactive waste from another country into the state, attorneys argued Thursday before a federal appeals court. Attorneys for the state of Utah and an interstate compact that regulates the waste argued before the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the law creating the compact gives the state and other members broad authority. They asked the judges to reverse a Utah federal court decision saying the Northwest Interstate Compact can’t block EnergySolutions Inc. from shipping in low-level radioactive waste from Italy. EnergySolutions wants to import up to 20,000 tons of low-level radioactive waste from Italy. The waste would be processed in Tennessee and about 1,600 tons would be disposed of in Utah. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman used the state’s veto power on the compact in hopes of keeping the foreign waste out. Congress granted the compact authority to exclude out-of-state waste, stated Kristina Mitchell of the Washington state attorney general’s office. Mitchell said the law’s language is clear, notwithstanding the trial court’s stance to the contrary. A 1980 law amended five years later allowed states to form compacts and develop new regional facilities for low-level radioactive waste to more evenly distribute waste sites across the country and prevent some states from becoming national dumping grounds.

(CEDAR CITY)—Officials say the Iron County Animal Shelter may have to abandon its no-kill policy because of crowding. Iron County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Holm says the shelter holds up to 16 dogs and six cats. He said the shelter is constantly having to turn animals away. The sheriff’s office is encouraging county residents to adopt a pet if they can or volunteer time at the shelter. Enoch Animal Shelter director Chris Johnson stated her shelter is seeing similar problems, particularly with cats and kittens. Johnson says the shelter, a no-kill facility, often has to turn cats away. The shelter only takes animals found within city limits.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah plans to start conducting its own safety inspections of coal mines, a job long left to federal regulators. The Utah Labor Commission was scheduled to convene Thursday to authorize the state inspections. Labor Commissioner Sherri Hayashi, however, says the state won’t be able to take enforcement actions, leaving that to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, which does its own inspections. Hayashi says the commission is adopting a provision of a 2008 law that set up the Price-based state Office of Coal Mine Safety, which has a single employee and no regulatory powers. The Utah Legislature created the oversight office in the wake of the twin cave-ins at Crandall Canyon that killed six miners and three rescuers.

(Manti) One phase of the South Sanpete School District Building Program is complete and will be dedicated in February. The Manti Elementary addition was the smallest of the three projects started last year, and was complete during the Christmas break. The addition includes a new Kindergarten room, as well as seven new classrooms. A dedication and open house will be held at the School Board’s meeting on February 10th at 3:30 PM. The ceremony will include a short program, refreshments, and a tour of the new facilities. District officials commented that the school will also receive new playground equipment in the spring, and the main building area will have new carpet installed this summer. The public is welcome to attend the dedication and open house.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Sidney Crosby, Bill Guerin and Tyler Kennedy each scored and the Pittsburgh Penguins bested the Calgary Flames, 3-1 Wednesday at the Pengrowth Saddledome in NHL action. Marc-Andre Fleury added 37 saves for the Penguins, who improved to 29-18-1 with the win. Mark Giordano scored the sole goal for the Flames in the loss, which dropped them to 26-15-6. In other NHL action Wednesday, Minnesota overpowered Vancouver, 5-2, Washington outlasted Florida, 5-4 in a shootout and Anaheim got past Boston, 4-3.

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP)—Jackson Emery had 21 points and the #17 Brigham Young Cougars limited Air Force to 18 second-half points in a 67-49 win over the Falcons Wednesday at Clune Arena in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. The win improved the Cougars to 51-12 all-time against Air Force and also led Dave Rose’s squad to a 17-1 mark on the season. Derek Brooks had 10 points in the loss for the Falcons, which dropped them to 8-8. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #1 Texas got past Iowa State, 90-83, #3 Kansas bested Nebraska, 84-72, #5 Syracuse hammered Rutgers, 81-65, #7 Duke pummeled Boston College, 79-59, #8 Michigan State stonewalled Minnesota, 60-53, #9 West Virginia dismantled South Florida, 69-50, #19 Clemson pounded #13 North Carolina, 83-64, #20 Pittsburgh overpowered #15 Connecticut, 67-57, #16 Wisconsin waxed Northwestern, 60-50, Virginia upset #18 Georgia Tech, 82-75, #21 Temple bludgeoned Pennsylvania, 60-45 and #23 Mississippi downed Georgia, 80-76.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)—Nevin Jensen had 15 points and the Emery Spartans edged the Juab Wasps, 41-37 Wednesday in Region 12 boys basketball action. Joey Lewis had 11 points in the loss for Juab.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Robert Torgerson amassed 17 points and the Richfield Wildcats got past the Manti Templars, 59-51 in Region 12 boys basketball action Wednesday. Russ Hugentobler had 14 points in defeat for Manti.

DELTA, Utah (AP)—Taylor Shamo amassed 22 points and Colin Christensen added 19 more as the Delta Rabbits stonewalled the North Sanpete Hawks, 54-43 Wednesday in Region 12 boys basketball action at the Palladium. Dallen Bird had 12 points in the loss for the Hawks.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Rhees Jackson had 17 points and Craig Brinkerhoff added 12 more as the Kanab Cowboys outlasted the Beaver Beavers, 59-55 in Region 13 boys basketball action Wednesday. Robbie Gurr had 25 points for Beaver in the loss.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Dillon Bishoff had 19 points for the South Sevier Rams in a 67-47 shellacking of the Gunnison Bulldogs Wednesday in Region 15 boys basketball action. Drayson Ball had nine points in the loss for Gunnison.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)—Ashley Nelson had 14 points to lead the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs to a 55-23 rout of the Escalante Lady Moquis Wednesday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Justine Griffin had six points in defeat for Escalante.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)—Amanda Bagley posted 17 points and Kandice Gleave added 16 more as the Piute Lady Thunderbirds hammered the Milford Lady Tigers, 71-40 in Region 20 girls basketball action Wednesday.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)—Kalani Norris had 26 points and the Panguitch Lady Bobcats smacked the Wayne Lady Badgers, 56-32 Wednesday in Region 20 girls basketball action.

(RICHFIELD) – The State Fire Marshall has determined that a faulty furnace caused a fire Tuesday night at the home of Casey and Holly Rollins of Richfield. Fire Chief Bryan Burrows said crews were called to the residence located at 120 North 400 West at about 9:20pm and quickly put out the fire. Burrows said the Rollins were not at home at the time of the fire but were notified of the incident. He said smoke caused extensive damage throughout the residence.

(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.)—Texas authorities say they’re still investigating a Colorado woman in connection with bogus phone calls that may have triggered a raid on a Texas polygamist group, an apparent contradiction of a claim by the woman’s lawyer. An attorney for Rozita Swinton of Colorado Springs said Wednesday that Texas authorities don’t believe she had any “critical involvement” in the calls. Nevertheless, Jerry Strickland, a spokesman for the Texas attorney general, says the inquiry isn’t over. Texas investigators have called Swinton a “person of interest” in connection with calls to a hot line alleging abuse at the FLDS ranch in western Texas. Authorities later said the hot line calls were bogus and were traced to a telephone number linked to Swinton.

(MURRAY)—Murray City police arrested a woman overnight linked to three robberies in the area. Detectives spotted a white truck at a motel near 7300 South and State Street. The truck matched the description of the getaway vehicle involved in the robbery of a Little Caesar’s Restaurant. The woman and a man came out of the motel, saw police and tried to leave in a red car. The man got away, but police arrested the woman, Tamra Elfstrom, on charges of armed robbery. Police said the couple was involved in the robberies of a Sconecutter and Papa Johns restaurant. Witnesses to the Little Caesar’s robbery said the man was wearing a hoodie at the time and has been described as being about six feet tall and weighing 190 pounds.

(PRICE)—A man accused of strangling his friend to death at a birthday party took a plea deal Wednesday. Paul Wilson pleaded guilty to criminal homicide by assault, a third-degree felony. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a manslaughter charge. In August 2009, deputies arrested Wilson in the death of Jonathan Tobey. They said the pair was celebrating with friends in Price Canyon when, at some point, Tobey became belligerent. Wilson said he claimed to calm Tobey down by sitting on him and putting him in a choke hold. Tobey passed out and died. Wilson will be sentenced March 3.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Gas prices in Utah aren’t following the national trend. According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of gasoline in Utah has dropped one cent since December. The average is $2.60 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline. While this is slightly down from December, it’s 98 cents more than the average was a year ago. Utah gas prices are still among the lowest in the country, while AAA says only drivers in Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wyoming pay less. The current national average is $2.75.

(RICHFIELD) – A partial payment for water damage at a Richfield residence was approved by the city council in Tuesday night’s meeting. The council approved a payment of $10,705 to go towards clean-up and restoration efforts at the Wendell and Rachael Olsen residence at 357 North 500 West in Richfield due to a main water line break that flooded their basement in the early morning hours Dec. 29. City officials said a 14-inch main water line burst due to extremely cold temperatures just after midnight Dec. 29, pushing 1.2 million gallons of water into at least four residences, causing thousands of dollars in damage. The Olsen residence had six feet of water in their newly remodeled basement by the time the water abated. Other residences were hit with 3-6 inches of water and property damage. City officials have approved payments to cover losses in those incidences. They say their purpose is for homeowners to make a complete recovery to their lost property.

(RICHFIELD) – A local fight club is seeking approval from the Richfield City Council to allow minors to fight. At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, Anthony Monson, owner of Extreme Combat of Richfield, addressed the council to discuss requirements needed to allow 15-17 year olds to fight. Currently, state law does not allow those under 18 to participate in combat-type fighting. City councilmembers said they could pass a resolution to allow the fighting in the city but it could not be less restrictive than state law. Mayor Brad Ramsay said it might be best for Monson to approach state lawmakers to change the law prior to the city approving a resolution. The city council will take up the issue in future meetings.

(RICHFIELD) – Several homeowners and building contractors voiced their opposition to a proposed amendment at a public hearing in Richfield Tuesday night concerning exterior buildings in residential areas. The amendment involves changes to the Richfield City Zoning Code to include maximum height for garages and accessory buildings in residential areas and requiring exteriors to be in nature and in harmony with existing homes in the neighborhood. Homeowners commented that the 20-foot requirement on garages is not high enough to park an RV in it and should be at least 25 feet. They were also concerned about limiting the sizes of garages and accessory buildings on their private property, saying it violates private property rights. Building contractors also expressed concern for the city prohibiting the construction of galvanized steel or Quonset-type buildings in residential areas. They said city planners need to consider the adverse effect the requirement would have on businesses selling such structures and why it’s necessary to prohibit the construction of the buildings. After discussion, the City Council decided to send the concerns back to the Planning Commission for review before amending the zoning ordinance.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council unanimously approved an application to the Community Impact Board for the city’s portion of funding for the airport expansion project. At Tuesday night’s council meeting, Interim Business Administrator, Mike Langston said he’ll approach CIB with a $658,775 application. He said $400,000 would be a grant and $258,775 would be a loan at 0% interest for 30 years amounting to approximately $9,000 a year for the city’s expense on the airport project. The amount represents 2-1/2% split funding with the FAA picking up the rest of 5% funding for the $26-million project. The Federal government will fund 95% of the project. The money should be available before Sept. 30 to begin construction on the project.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)—Kelsey Griffin amassed 26 points and 10 rebounds and the #9 Nebraska Lady Cornhuskers bested the #21 Texas Lady Longhorns, 91-79 Tuesday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Yvonne Turner added 21 points for the Lady Huskers while matching a career-best with five 3-pointers. Brittainey Raven had 22 points for Texas in the loss, which dropped them to 11-5, while Nebraska ensued in their perfect season, by improving to 15-0. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #3 Notre Dame overpowered South Florida, 81-64, #13 West Virginia snuck past Villanova, 45-41, #18 Georgetown stonewalled Providence, 74-62 and #19 Oklahoma State edged Kansas, 70-68.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—Dwight Howard amassed 30 points and 16 rebounds and the Orlando Magic finished the game with a 31-10 4th Quarter surge in a 109-88 win over the Sacramento Kings Tuesday at Arco Arena in NBA action. The Kings, playing their seventh straight game against a division leader, held their own against the powerful Magic through three quarters and nursed a 78-76 lead heading into the last stanza. Nevertheless, Sacramento went cold and a quick 18-4 run by the Magic buried the Kings en route to Orlando’s 26th win of the season. Tyreke Evans had 18 points in the loss for Sacramento, which dropped them to 15-22. In other NBA action Tuesday, Detroit downed Washington, 99-90, Charlotte humbled Houston, 102-94, Memphis edged the Los Angeles Clippers, 104-102 and San Antonio hammered the Los Angeles Lakers, 105-85.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Former Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. will return to Utah in May to deliver the commencement address at the University of Utah. Huntsman resigned as governor in August to accept an appointment from President Barack Obama as ambassador to China. The U of U commencement ceremony will take place at the Huntsman Center May 7, 2010.

(UTAH COUNTY)—The Alpine School District is looking to limit teachers’ and employees’ interactions with students on social networking Web sites. The district’s board is discussing proposed policy changes at its Tuesday evening meeting that would prohibit teachers from sending personal texts to individual students, or adding students as friends on personal Facebook pages. If the policy changes are approved, teachers would be allowed to create professional classroom pages on Facebook or other social networking sites. They could also send out mass texts. The district board is expected to vote on the changes next month.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Convicted murder Ronnie Lee Gardner will not be put to death anytime soon. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell refused to lift a stay of execution that was in place in 1996. Judge Campbell said the stay must remain in effect until decisions are made on petitions still pending with the U.S. Supreme Court. The Utah Attorney General’s Office claimed the stay was no longer valid. Gardner was sentenced to death in 1985 after he shot and killed attorney Michael Burdell during an escape attempt in court. Gardner tried to escape during a hearing on charges in the 1984 robbery and fatal shooting of Melvyn John Otterstrom at a Salt Lake City bar. Gardner wounded a bailiff and shot Burdell twice before being captured on the courthouse lawn. Gardner was sentenced to death for killing Burdell and five years to life for killing Otterstrom.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon kicked off his gubernatorial bid with a speech Tuesday morning, formally announcing his candidacy for Utah governor. The moderate Democrat is hoping to unseat current Utah governor, Republican Gary Herbert who took office in August after then-governor Jon Huntsman resigned to become the U.S. Ambassador to China. Corroon focused on the environment and economy during his announcement. He also talked about finding stable, high-paying jobs and paying attention to local business owners. Corroon also announced he would protect Utah’s water supply and stop out-of-state radioactive waste. Corroon and his campaign staff have secured more than $300,000 in campaign funds. According to financial disclosure reports submitted Monday, Herbert has more than $800,000 on hand. Corroon also talked about air quality and about building a strong energy economy, saying he wants to focus on Utah becoming energy independent and creating jobs in renewable energy.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A newly released Gallup poll says members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are the most conservative in the U.S. The poll asked people to identify their religion and political views. The results, based on telephone interviews with more than 353,000 adults, show that 59 percent of adult LDS members say they’re conservative, compared to only 8 percent who say they’re liberal. Roughly 31 percent identify themselves as moderate. The numbers do not only reflect Latter-Day Saints in Utah, but are reflective of LDS throughout the country. According to Gallup, the percentage of conservative Church members living in Utah is little different from the conservative percentage among those living elsewhere in the United States. Nevertheless, the 59 percent of Church members identifying themselves as conservative is the largest percentage of any major religious group in the poll.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah’s newly expanded committee dedicated to notable routes and road holds its first meeting this week. The Utah State Scenic Byway Committee meets in Salt Lake City on Wednesday. Legislation approved last year expanded the committee’s membership from 10 members to 15. Utah has eight national scenic byways and 18 state scenic byways. The committee includes officials from state tourism and transportation departments as well as local, state and federal officials.

(Ephraim) State budget cuts have put the squeeze on higher education institutions over the last year. Snow College is no different, but there is one program at the college that has seen a major monetary boost recently. According to Greg Dart, the Director of Admissions and Communications at the school, the nursing program has received a six-hundred thousand dollar line item appropriation from the Federal Government. The money will be used to enhance the L.P.N. and R.N. programs at the school and its satellite locations. Dart commented that the programs have seen amazing growth recently, and one of the biggest improvements will be having a full time biology teacher at the Richfield location to teach the nursing prep courses. Until now, the college has had to rely on electronic courses and teachers traveling between schools to offer those classes, but the school will now be able to hire a full time teacher to remain on site and administer those courses. The money is the result of a lobbyist the school hired in Washington DC. School President Scott Wyatt made the move, hoping that the school would benefit from having a representative in Washington. So far, he has been pleased with the results.

(SEATTLE, WA.) – Farmers nationwide are fighting back against animal rights groups in their effort to protect the future of the livestock industry. At the annual convention for the American Farm Bureau Federation on Sunday, President Bob Stallman addressed the 5,000 members gathered in Seattle, WA., saying that the time has come for the Bureau to face their opponents with a new attitude. He said the days of elitist power grabs by animal rights groups are over. Stillman said the U.S. Humane Society has shepherded laws in six states to ban cramped cages for farm animals and persuaded large fast-food restaurants and retailers to make a gradual switch to cage-free eggs. He said that Ohio farmers struck back on the Humane Society’s efforts by creating a livestock care standards board with 64% approval of voters in the Ohio Farm Bureau. Stillman commented that the Farm Bureau will continue to step up efforts to counter animal rights regulations.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP)—Lori Bjork had 20 points and Lynetta Kizer posted 19 points and 14 rebounds as the Maryland Lady Terrapins got past the #19 Virginia Lady Cavaliers, 61-60 Monday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. The win improved the Lady Terps to 13-3 on the season and to 1-1 in ACC play as they responded from a 28-point loss to North Carolina State in their conference opener. Monica Wright posted 20 points in the loss for Virginia, which dropped them to 0-2 in ACC play and 11-5 overall.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Carlos Boozer amassed 25 points and 11 rebounds while Deron Williams posted 23 points and 10 assists as the Utah Jazz hammered the Miami Heat, 118-89 Monday at EnergySolutions Arena. Wesley Matthews added 18 points in 17 minutes of work off the bench, while the Jazz nailed 57 percent of their shots on the evening en route to their 21st win of the season against 17 losses. Michael Beasley had 20 points in the loss for the Heat, which was their second in a row after starting their road trip last Friday with a win over Phoenix. In other NBA action Monday, Indiana got past Toronto, 105-101, Philadelphia tripped up New Orleans, 96-92, Atlanta overpowered Boston, 102-96, Chicago decimated Boston, 120-87, Oklahoma City dismantled New York, 106-88, Denver stonewalled Minnesota, 105-94, Phoenix held off Milwaukee, 105-101 and Cleveland outlasted Golden State, 117-114.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Northern Utah is currently home to the worst air in the nation, and it’s not even close. Sunday, Salt Lake City’s air quality index was 142, compared to 67 in San Francisco and 23 in Las Vegas. Monday, the federal government’s air quality Web site forecast the five worst places for air quality and they were all in Utah: Logan, Ogden, Provo, Salt Lake City and the Washakie Indian Reservation near the Utah-Idaho border. While Utah’s current inversion level is unhealthy, but Utah Division of Air Quality Planning Manager Bryce Bird said Utah has not yet reached the unhealthy level. At that point, Utahns would be advised to limit time outside. This may especially affect elementary school students, as if conditions worsen, school district officials may decide to keep children indoors at school at all times.

(OREM)—The husband of an Orem woman stabbed to death last week has been released from the hospital and booked into jail. Orem police booked Roberto Ramirez into the Utah County Jail Sunday on charges including murder, obstruction of justice and aggravated assault in front of a child. Officers were called to his home January 4 on reports of an argument. When they arrived, they found Ramirez and his wife, Norma Villalobos Guzman, both had been stabbed. Guzman died later that evening at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Ramirez was hospitalized in serious condition.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council will hold two public hearings Tuesday night concerning funding for the new airport project and changing the city zoning code on requirements for exterior buildings on residential property within the city limits. The council will also consider payments for cleanup efforts at a residence in Richfield that was damaged due to a main water line break recently. The public is invited to attend and offer comments at 7pm Tuesday at the regularly scheduled city council meeting.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Gov. Gary Herbert has delayed signing a water-sharing agreement between Utah and Nevada in the Snake Valley area. Herbert spokesperson Angie Welling says the governor still hopes to sign an agreement but he first wants to address concerns raised by Millard County Commissioners. The Commission sent letters this week to Herbert asking the governor to consider pending scientific study on how much water the aquifer contains and how pumping it to Las Vegas would affect the Snake Valley and Wasatch Front environments. The deal would split water from an aquifer that straddles the two states. It would also delay a proposal until 2019 for the Southern Nevada Water Authority to pump water from it. The governor had appeared ready to sign the agreement earlier this week.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The State of Utah has lost its 129th law enforcement officer with the death of Millard County Deputy Josie Fox but only its second woman. The first was 24-year old, Esther Todecheene, who died in a grisly single-vehicle accident on June 8, 2008 in the Navajo Reservation on the Kayenta District. Police reports say that Todecheene was responding to a night-time call from another officer and rolled her cruiser in rough terrain. The Navajo Police Department spans over 4600 square miles in the Kayenta District and is rife with dirt roads and loose rocks. Of the five officers killed in the district’s history, two of them have been killed in traffic accidents.

CINCINNATI (AP)—Mark Sanchez completed 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown and the New York Jets pulled off the shocker of the day in the NFL playoffs with a 24-14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium in NFL action. The Jets, who received two major breaks when Indianapolis and Cincinnati rested their starters in their last two games of the regular season, were criticized for their “easy road” into the postseason. Nevertheless, Jets head coach Rex Ryan made several brash statements to the media, saying New York should be considered the favorites in the AFC to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. May it suffice to say that now, the Jets’ odds seem a lot better to back up their coach’s boasts than they did when the game started. The Bengals got off to a solid start as Laveranues Coles hauled in an 11-yard scoring pass in the first quarter to give Cincinnati an early 7-0 lead. Nevertheless, the Jets seized control for good in the 2nd Quarter, when fleet-footed tailback Shonn Greene (21 car, 135 yards, TD) scored on a 39-yard run and Dustin Keller (3 rec, 99 yards, TD) added a 45-yard scoring reception on successive possessions. While Cincinnati remained within striking distance, they were crippled by a pair of missed field goals by the normally reliable Shayne Graham, with each attempt being well within 40 yards. Incidentally, this is the Jets’ second playoff victory all-time against the Bengals on January 9, as on January 9, 1982, they beat Cincinnati, 44-17 at the Bengals’ old Riverfront Stadium. Cincinnati also has the longest postseason victory drought in the NFL as their last playoff win came in the 1990 wild card round against the Houston Oilers. In other wild card action Saturday, Dallas pummeled Philadelphia, 34-14. Sunday’s games feature New England hosting Baltimore and Arizona entertaining Green Bay.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Raffi Torres, Jan Hejda and Antoine Vermette each scored and the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the Calgary Flames, 3-2 Friday at the Pengrowth Saddledome in NHL action. Mathieu Garon added 20 saves in the win for Columbus, which improved them to 17-20-9 on the season. Mark Giordano and Rene Bourque each scored for the Flames in the loss, which dropped them to 25-14-5. In other NHL action Friday, Carolina doubled up Colorado, 2-1, Buffalo snuck past Toronto, 3-2, and Dallas humbled the New York Islanders, 4-3. The New Jersey-Tampa Bay game was postponed, due to a lighting malfunction.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)—Rihards Kuksiks tied a career-high with 27 points and the Arizona State Sun Devils pounded the #22 Washington Huskies, 68-51 Friday at Wells Fargo Arena in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. Ty Abbot added 17 points for the Sun Devils, who improved to 11-5 with the win. Isaiah Thomas had 20 points for Lorenzo Romar’s Huskies, who shot a lackluster 36 percent from the field in the loss which dropped them to 10-4. In other Top 25 action Friday, #24 Butler bested Wright State, 77-65.

MONROE, Utah (AP)—Dillon Bishoff had 22 points and Race Parsons added 18 more as the South Sevier Rams hammered the Millard Eagles, 73-50 Friday in non-region boys basketball action. Mike Louder had 18 points in the loss for Millard.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Utah (AP)—Colton Barnett and Nevin Jensen each had 18 points and the Emery Spartans ousted the North Sanpete Hawks, 62-48 in Region 12 boys basketball action Friday. Rhett Bird had 23 points in the loss for North Sanpete.

MANTI, Utah (AP)—Jake Bradford amassed 21 points and Taran Wright added 16 more to lead the Juab Wasps to a 51-38 win over the Manti Templars Friday in Region 12 boys basketball action. Kyle Moore had 10 points in the loss for Manti.

DELTA, Utah (AP)—Nick Nissen had 13 points to lead all scorers and the Delta Rabbits got past the Richfield Wildcats, 36-33 in Region 12 boys basketball action Friday at the Palladium. Tyler Thomas had 10 points in defeat for Richfield.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)—Kace Roundy had 21 points for the Bryce Valley Mustangs in a 65-60 win over the Wayne Badgers Friday in Region 20 boys basketball action. Trevor Behunin’s 16 points led the Badgers in the loss.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)—Eric Frandsen amassed 24 points while Brooks Leach added 19 more as the Panguitch Bobcats outlasted the Piute Thunderbirds, 75-74 in Region 20 boys baketball action Friday. Tyson Westwood had 21 points in the loss for Piute.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)—Clay Williams had 35 points and the Valley Buffaloes snuck past the Milford Tigers, 63-60 Friday in Region 20 boys basketball action. Tyler Denny’s 24 points led the way for Milford.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Stoney White had 16 points and the Beaver Beavers got past Liahona, 47-44 in non-region boys basketball action Friday.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Drayson Ball had 14 points, while Drew Despain added 12 more to lead the Gunnison Bulldogs to a 57-35 rout of Maeser Prep Friday in non-region boys basketball action.

SALINA, Utah (AP)—Matt Bossart’s 19 points led the way for the Rowland Hall/St. Mark’s Winged Lions in a 63-57 win over the North Sevier Wolves in non-region boys basketball action Friday. Derrick Christensen had 27 points in the loss for North Sevier.

EPHRAIM, Utah (AP)—Sixteen ex-Snow College football players will be able to continue their college football careers at numerous universities throughout the country. Quarterback Quinn Mecham will be playing for former Nebraska star signal-caller Turner Gill at Kansas, while offensive lineman Mike Overgaard will follow in the footsteps of former Badger Olin Hannum at North Carolina State. Wideouts Mazi Ogbonna and DeJay Lester will both go to Wyoming and cornerback Gavin Jones will go to Utah State. Those playing at the Division I-AA level include Chad Willson who will play for the North Dakota State Bison and linebacker Tyler Osborn along with offensive linemen Devin Tavana and Brandon Beddes will go to Southern Utah. Defensive lineman Charles Ho Ching and tight end Jeremy Sondrup will each go to Division II Chadron State, (Neb.) which has produced NFL standouts Danny Woodhead and Don Beebe previously. Other Badgers going to Division II schools include safety Daniel Dodd, and linebackers Taylor Kerbs, Bryn Roy, Aaron Corbiere each going to Adams State and safety Taylor Jeski going to the Colorado School of Mines.

(DETROIT)—A plea of not guilty has been entered for a Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day. Umar Farouk Abdulmatallab appeared at a hearing in federal court in Detroit that lasted less than five minutes Friday. He answered in English in the affirmative that he understood the charges. After his attorneys waived the reading of the indictment, the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. A grand jury indicted Abdulmatallab on six charges earlier this week. The most severe carries up to life in prison, the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

(LAYTON)—An audit has been released into what appears to be financial troubles at Layton High School. The Layton police chief says investigators will now go over the audit and conduct interviews to see if any criminal wrongdoing took place. That process could take weeks. The audit found reportable and significant deficiencies in accounts at Layton High school, resulting in falsification of records and misappropriation of funds. The superintendent of Davis School District told the Standard-Examiner he does not believe Layton High principal Paul Smith did anything wrong, although Smith is retiring at the end of the month after being on paid administrative leave since October.

(AMERICAN FORK)—Investigators have identified a body found Thursday near the Utah-Nevada border. American Fork police stated the body is that of 46-year-old Lehi resident Jesus Landin who they believe was murdered December 28. American Fork police arrested 29-year-old Ramon Alfredo Somoza Friday in connection with the murder. Authorities say he was the victim’s employer. Landin was reported missing as of December 31 by a friend. As investigators explored the case, they discovered Landin made a call to Somoza December 28, demanding to be paid for work he had done. Police said, when questioned, Somoza denied knowing anything about Landin’s disappearance, save the fact he received a call. Lieutenant Sam Liddiard of the American Fork Police Department said Somoza told investigators he shot Landin and investigators say they served a search warrant of the apartment where the shooting occurred and discovered Somoza had painted the walls after the shooting occurred. Somoza was booked into the Utah County Jail on charges of murder.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah Educational Savings Plan has reached more than $3 billion in assets. The savings plan was created by the state in 1996 to help families save for college. Earnings on the account grow tax deferred and are tax free when used for high education expenses like tuition, fees, textbooks and certain room and board costs. In 2009, the total number of accounts increased more than 12 percent.

(GREEN RIVER) – The Utah BLM is holding talks with the Grand County Council to temporarily close the White Wash Sand Dune Open Riding Area over the Memorial Day weekend for a Disney Movie Production. BLM Spokesman, Lynn Jackson met with Grand County Councilmembers Tuesday afternoon to discuss preliminary items needed for the closure of 1800-2000 acres for 7-10 days while the production company produces that portion of the movie. The Disney movie is titled, “John Carter From Mars” and the production company needs to have the county and BLM close the area to reduce noise while filming the movie. The White Wash Sand Dunes and Fisher Towers is located in an area about ten miles southeast of Green River. Jackson said more details will be forwarded to the Grand County Council on Jan. 27.

(SALINA) – Salina City is accepting bids for a Blackhawk Arena Food Concessionaire. Officials say the annual contract begins March 1, 2010 and may be renewed at the end of the contract period. A complete copy of the contract may be obtained at the Salina City office during regular business hours and interested parties may submit a resume with references by noon Feb.1. Salina City and the Blackhawk Committee reserve the right to award the concessionaire contract based upon experience and qualifications and can refuse any bid.

(RICHFIELD) – Rural police departments statewide are commenting concerning the preparation needed when approaching suspects in light of this week’s shooting death of a Millard County Deputy. Sevier County Sheriff’s Assistant, John Hunt, says when an officer is alone on a suspicious call in a remote area, he relies on his training before the stop is made. Box Elder County Sheriff Lynn Yeates says his county is 6500 square miles and the biggest portion is rural. He said his officers patrol the western part of the county in three-day rotations, so that a deputy is relatively nearby for residents in that area. Yeates and Hunt both say that when a deputy is on his own, his training becomes his partner.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP)—Alexis Rack had 31 points and the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs surged past the #16 Vanderbilt Lady Commodores, 90-76 Thursday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Armelie Lumana added 18 points for the Lady Bulldogs, who improved to 11-4 with the win. Meredith Mash had a career-high 29 points for the Lady Commodores, who despite shooting 68 percent from the field in the first half, failed to maintain their prolific shooting as the Lady Bulldogs outscored Vandy 53-36 in the latter 20 minutes. In other Top 25 action Thursday, #1 Connecticut decimated Cincinnati, 83-51, #4 Tennessee pummeled South Carolina, 79-62, #8 Georgia edged Kentucky, 61-60 in overtime, #9 Duke crushed Clemson, 67-41, #11 Florida State smacked #19 Virginia, 68-50, #12 LSU obliterated Arkansas, 65-38, #18 Wisconsin-Green Bay dismantled Wright State, 68-41 and Washington upset #24 Arizona State, 62-56.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)—Kiz Farrer had eight points to lead all scorers and the Juab Lady Wasps downed the Manti Lady Templars, 30-14 Thursday in Region 12 girls basketball action. Chelsea Cox had three points to lead Manti in the loss.

CASTLE DALE, Utah (AP)—Taylor Mann had 22 points for the Emery Lady Spartans in a 70-33 rout of the North Sanpete Lady Hawks in Region 12 girls basketball action Thursday. Shelby Earl’s 11 points led North Sanpete in defeat.

DELTA, Utah (AP)—Shacari Hinck amassed 14 points and the Richfield Lady Wildcats mowed over the Delta Lady Rabbits, 45-28 Thursday in Region 12 girls basketball action at the Palladium. Kaity Diaz had 14 points in the loss for Delta.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)—Kalani Norris had 17 points and Chelsea Barney added 14 more as the Panguitch Lady Bobcats hammered the Milford Lady Tigers, 51-17 in Region 20 girls basketball action Thursday.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)—Amanda Bagley had 13 points for the Piute Lady Thunderbirds in a 56-27 shellacking of the Escalante Lady Moquis Thursday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Lindsey Phillips had 18 points in the loss for Escalante.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)—Cassey Manzanares posted 13 points and the Wayne Lady Badgers edged the Valley Lady Buffaloes, 42-41 in Region 20 girls basketball action Thursday. Nikki Milligan had 15 points to pace Valley in the loss.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Sarah Madsen had 21 points to lead all scorers as the American Leadership Lady Eagles got past the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs, 33-30 Thursday in non-region girls basketball action. Chansey Caldwell and Sara Brown each had seven points in the loss for Gunnison.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)—Brittany Griffiths and Brittney Blackner had 10 points apiece and the Beaver Lady Beavers stymied the North Sevier Lady Wolves, 35-29 in non-region girls basketball action Thursday. McKinzie Robins had 13 points in the loss for North Sevier.

(WOODS CROSS)—Officials say they will restart a crude oil refining unit at Utah’s Silver Eagle refinery at Woods Cross, where a huge gas explosion in November led the company to decide to temporarily shut down the location. There were no injuries during the November 4 explosion, but several homes nearby were damaged. A little more than a week after the explosion, company officials accepted a recommendation from investigators to shut down the refinery unit until it was deemed safe to reopen. The refining unit is scheduled to restart January 24. Silver Eagle Vice President of Reining and Operations, Mike Redd, says the refinery’s insurance company has received 271 damage claims. About 45 claims have been settled with residents thus far. Redd says the refinery is being inspected and new protocols will be in place before it’s running again.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Deseret Management Corporation, the for-profit arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, unveiled a new mission statement Thursday. Mark Willes, the president and CEO of DMC, unveiled the new mission statement during a daylong meeting Thursday of managers of the church’s various media companies, including KSL Television and Radio, Deseret Book, Deseret News and the newly created Deseret Digital Media. The mission has been summarized as DMC realizing their role as a trusted voice of light and knowledge reaching millions of people around the world.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Notwithstanding a lack of money, Utah state educators seem determined to ensuring there are more counselors in Utah’s junior high and high schools. The state is looking to secure a counselor for every 350 students. Educators say they’re encouraged by the workload counselors currently assume and how state officials are dedicated to the issue despite tight budgets.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Bankruptcy filings in Utah soared in 2009. The number of filings hit 14,481, which is a 56 percent increase from 2008. This is serious enough to rank Utah fifth in the nation for bankruptcy filings. A clerk at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court tells the Deseret News some year-to-year numbers from last summer showed increases of 75 percent. Overall, 2009 was the seventh-worst year on record for the rate people were filing for bankruptcy.

(SPRINGVILLE)—Springville police arrested three people for stealing their roommates’ debit card after she died. The Deseret News reports the 60-year-old died Friday morning of unknown causes. The theft was discovered when her son came to collect her belongings a couple of days later. Springville Police Lieutenant Dave Caron told the Deseret News someone used the card, but he wasn’t sure how much money was taken. Additionally, Caron said her Social Security check had been cashed as well. A few days before the discover, one of the womans’ roommates, 30-year-old Kristina Hamer, had been arrested for DUI. Police say the missing card was found in Hamer’s car. Police arrested Hamer, her 32-year-old husband, Kevin Hamer, and another roommate, 53-year-old Melody Barker, on Tuesday for unlawful use of a financial card and unlawful possession of a transaction card.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The American West Center at the University of Utah is developing an oral history record of polio survivors and those who treated them. The university is seeking survivors and clinicians involved with the disease. Material gathered will be available to clinicians, researchers and the public through the Special Collections Department of the University of Utah’s Marriott Library.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP)—Tonight in southern California, computers have decided Texas and Alabama are worthy to play for an immaterial “national championship” because Division I-A college football believes they’re too good to determine a title the way all sports do.

I say this because college football at the I-A level is NOT a sport, regardless of what BCS spin doctors say. It is a beauty pageant, but unlike Miss Universe, the contestants would look horrendous in bathing suits. No scintillating Miss Italys or Miss Australias, I regret to inform you.

Right now, the biggest tool in the world has to be BCS executive director Bill Hancock. My brethren at playoffpac.com (please, visit this site and if you have money to give, donate!) have lampooned Hancock’s interview with Dan Patrick several weeks ago wherein NBC’s NFL halftime and Football Night in America host grilled Hancock on what you tell an unbeaten team (Texas Christian, Boise State, Cincinnati were all unbeaten and kept out of the “national championship” game) that didn’t get to play for a title.

Hancock’s asinine response is, “not everyone can play for a title. You had a great season.” Anyone who has a brain and loves sports has what my copy editor professor at Southern Utah University called their “B.S. meter” go off wildly. The way to rectify this is simply a playoff.

Playoffs are more indigenous to collegiate football than BCS apologists would have you believe. Speaking of Southern Utah University, they play in a division of college football I refuse to call anything but I-AA, although the preferred title by BCS bigwigs is Football Championship Subdivision. Incidentally, playoffs also occur in Divisions II and III of the NCAA. What is the reason for their reticence in having one at the highest level, where competition is clearly the best in collegiate spheres?

Quite aptly, this title is a reflection of what actually exists in this level of Division I football, a playoff. While ESPN buffoons such as Mark May and (Lispin’) Lou Holtz were having nonsensical arguments about who would play for a mythical championship, a real one was unfolding in I-AA.

On December 18, an exciting playoff was culminated when Villanova edged Montana at Chattanooga, Tenn. This was a majestic conclusion to exciting playoff games, such as Villanova and William & Mary and Montana and Appalachian State which saw the Mountaineers only lose to the Grizzlies on the final play of regulation.

All of these games were rife with meaning and intensity and for several years now, at the I-A level of college football, I have rightfully deduced that the emperor has no clothes. I am no longer bewitched nor hoodwinked by the fraudulent specter of the Sun Bowl, even if it does occur in my old stomping grounds of El Paso, Texas or the Orange Bowl or any other bowl that does not have “Super” in front of it.

Furthermore, the BCS consists of the most despicable criminals this country has ever seen, rife with agendas that do not have the best interests of the athletes themselves.

Hancock says a playoff will hurt the athletes’ ability to graduate and increase injuries.

Just so Hancock knows, I have heard these arguments before. An assistant coach at Arizona State University (a member of the Pac-10, one of the conferences whose rear end the BCS kisses) told me that when he coached at then I-AA Idaho, the playoff got everybody banged up, but the kids seemed to want one.

As to a playoff getting everybody “banged up,” as one who played football myself, I know injuries can occur at any time in any situation. There is no empirical evidence suggesting that playoffs create more injuries.

As for the academic argument, Montana’s Brandon Fisher (the son of the longest-tenured NFL head coach, Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans) sported a 4.0 GPA, even though playoffs were occurring right through Finals. Again, I adroitly eradicate another nonsensical argument.

The federal government is already angry at the BCS for their illegal cartel and if this argument is the best they can do, they’ll go the way of VCR’s anyday now. As for me, this day cannot come soon enough. In any case, I tip my hat to the only Division I football champions for the 2009 season, the Villanova Wildcats!

(WEST VALLEY CITY) – Today marks one month since Susan Powell disappeared from her West Valley City home. Her husband, Josh Powell, has returned from Washington and plans to move the contents of the West Valley home and return to Washington permanently. Neighbor, Tim Peterson, built a playground for the Powell family just a few days before Susan disappeared and said with Josh moving, he wants to get his playground set back. One of Josh Powell’s brothers was at the home and told Peterson he’d have to ask Josh about taking the playground. The brother then called police, saying Peterson was trespassing. Peterson left empty-handed.

DENVER (AP)—Jon Sim, Rob Schremp and Kyle Okposo each scored and the New York Islanders edged the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2 Wednesday at Pepsi Center in NHL action. Chris Stewart and Matt Hendricks each scored in the loss for the Avalanche, which dropped them to 24-14-6. The win improved the Islanders to 18-18-8. In other NHL action Wednesday, Buffalo bested Tampa Bay, 5-3, the New York Rangers ousted Dallas, 5-2, Philadelphia smacked Toronto, 6-2, Minnesota gashed Calgary, 4-1 and San Jose doubled up St. Louis, 2-1 in overtime.

PROVO, Utah (AP)—Jonathan Tavernari and Noah Hartsock each had 17 points and the #23 Brigham Young Cougars surged past the Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels, 77-73 Wednesday at the Marriott Center in Top 25 men’s college basketball action. After taking a narrow 33-32 lead into the locker room, the cold-shooting Cougars broke out of their doldrums by making 14 of 27 shots, including six of 11 3-pointers in the last 20 minutes. The win was the eighth in a row for the 15-1 Cougars, but of greater importance, improved them to 1-0 in Mountain West Conference play. Tre’Von Willis paced the Rebels with 24 points in the loss. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #1 Kansas edged Cornell, 71-66, #5 Duke hammered Iowa State, 86-65, #6 Villanova stonewalled DePaul, 99-72, #7 Syracuse bludgeoned Memphis, 74-57, #8 West Virginia shellacked Rutgers, 86-52, #11 Michigan State held off #20 Wisconsin, 54-47, Marquette upset #12 Georgetown, 62-59, #13 Connecticut downed Seton Hall, 71-63, #15 Tennessee pummeled Charlotte, 88-71 and #25 Temple overpowered Saint Joseph’s, 73-46.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)—Dylan Jones had 24 points to lead the Milford Tigers to a 77-50 rout of the Escalante Moquis Wednesday in Region 20 boys basketball action. Tyler Hughes had 17 points and Paul Sorenson added 16 more in the loss for the Moquis.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)—Brooks Leach had 17 points and the Panguitch Bobcats outlasted the Bryce Valley Mustangs, 49-47 in Region 20 boys basketball action Wednesday. Kaden Pollock had 16 points to pace the Mustangs in defeat.

JUNCTION, Utah (AP)—Lance Maxwell had 17 points and the Valley Buffaloes got past the Piute Thunderbirds, 44-39 Wednesday in Region 20 boys basketball action. Heath Payton had 15 points in the loss for Piute.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)—Kegan Carter and Mike Louder each posted 16 points and the Millard Eagles edged the American Leadership Eagles, 58-57 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday.

SALINA, Utah (AP)—Derrick Christensen amassed 23 points to lead the North Sevier Wolves to a 68-58 win over the Green River Pirates Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action. Jason Johnson posted 30 points in the loss for Green River.

MANTI, Utah (AP)—Dallin Duncan and Devin Wright each had 10 points and the Monticello Buckaroos edged the Manti Templars, 43-40 in non-region boys basketball action Wednesday. Kyle Moore had 11 points to pace Manti in the loss.

COALVILLE, Utah (AP)—Dallen Bird keyed a balanced scoring attack with 13 points and the North Sanpete Hawks stonewalled the North Summit Braves, 64-49 Wednesday in non-region boys basketball action.

(ST. GEORGE)—A custodian at a St. George middle school has been accused of child sex abuse. According to the Daily Spectrum, Stanley Lloyd Hunt was charged with four counts of lewdness with a child, six counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and two counts of rape on a child. He was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility on $167,400 bail. Prosecutors say the allegations involved two girls, both under the age of 14, neither of which attended Pine View Middle School, Hunt’s employer. Hunt was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the prosecution.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A father and son who pleaded guilty to robbing a pharmacy of OxyContin pills will both spend time behind bars. Mark Dubarry was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in the crime. His 19-year-old son, Sean, will spend nine years in prison. The pair were among six people arrested last August in connection with a string of pharmacy robberies that began last January. Officers discovered the group hiding in a Lehi motel. As part of a plea deal, charges against the Dubarrys in connection with the other robberies were dropped. Nicole Dubarry, Mark Dubarry’s wife and Sean Dubarry’s mother, died in jail before facing trial.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Salt Lake County’s newest councilman is a local law enforcement veteran. Steven J. DeBry has worked for the Salt Lake County sheriff’s office for nearly 30 years and is currently a captain in the new Unified Police Department, which still oversees the county. In 2008, DeBry ran for the council but lost to Democrat Randy Horiuchi. A seat opened up when Jeff Allen resigned his council seat in order to spend more time with his family. It was up to the council members to approve his replacement. The eight members unanimously voted in favor of DeBry Tuesday.

(WEST VALLEY CITY) – Rep. Jason Chaffetz is expected to announce today his run for a second term to the U.S. House of Representatives. Some sources say that wording of invitations sent to supporters indicated Chaffetz may seek to run against Sen. Bob Bennett. Chaffetz told the Deseret News that he will make an announcement for his future plans at a news conference set for 1pm today at the West Valley City Hall. Party officials said they expect him to announce that he’ll seek re-election to the House. Some conservatives have urged Chaffetz to run against Bennett because they say Bennett is not conservative enough. Chaffetz has indicated that he has enjoyed his service in the House this past term.

(HOLDEN) – Millard County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a theft of several items, including a safe containing cash, from a Holden residence. A sheriff’s report said the theft occurred sometime between Dec. 24 and 31, where a safe containing cash, along with some jewelry and three computers were stolen. Sherrif Rob Dekker reminds residents to lock all doors and windows when you leave home and keep valuables in a secure area. The investigation on the thefts continues. Millard County Sheriff’s Deputies also served a search warrant on building belonging to Arthur Turner of Delta. The Sheriff’s Office has received several citizen complaints that the owner of the building is serving alcohol to its patrons without a proper license. The warrant stemmed from several months of undercover operations involving several agencies.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)—April Phillips had 17 points and Amber Harris posted 13 points and 12 rebounds as the #14 Xavier Lady Musketeers got past the Missouri Lady Tigers, 68-60 Tuesday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Christine Flores had 18 points in the loss for Missouri. The win improved the Lady Musketeers to 10-3 on the season, while the Lady Tigers fell to 10-3 with the loss. In other Top 25 action Tuesday, #17 West Virginia outlasted #22 Pittsburgh, 63-59, #20 Texas hammered Texas-Arlington, 84-41 and #23 Iowa State pummeled South Dakota, 68-43.

DENVER (AP)—Kenyon Martin had 27 points and 13 rebounds and the shorthanded Denver Nuggets, playing once again without Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony, outgunned the Golden State Warriors, 123-122 Tuesday at Pepsi Center in NBA action. Ty Lawson added 21 points and eight assists for Denver, before leaving with an ankle injury in the second half. Corey Maggette posted 35 points and seven rebounds for Golden State, while Monta Ellis had 32 points and six assists in the loss for the Warriors, which dropped them to 9-24. The Nuggets improved to 22-13 with the win. In other NBA action Tuesday, Indiana downed Orlando, 97-90, Washington ousted Philadelphia, 104-97, Charlotte held off Chicago, 113-108, Milwaukee pummeled New Jersey, 98-76, Dallas humbled Detroit, 98-93, Memphis outlasted Portland, 109-105, Phoenix bested Sacramento, 113-109 and the Los Angeles Lakers stymied Houston, 88-79.

(FILLMORE) – The search continues for two suspects involved in the shooting death of a Millard County Deputy early this morning outside of Delta. Police reports say that 37-year old Deputy Josie Fox of Delta was gunned down and died after pulling over a vehicle suspected in several burglaries in the area at about 1am a mile outside of Delta on SR-50. Police are looking for 37-year old, Roberto Roman and 36-year old, Ruben Reyes of Fillmore. Millard County Sheriff Rob Dekker says Reyes is a person of interest and deputies want to question him in connection with the slaying of the officer. Dekker said Roman is still being sought by police in Salt Lake City where authorities believe he has relatives living in the 1100 West 300 South area. Police say the search in that area has been completed and Roman still remains at large. UHP Sgt. Jeff Nigbur says Roman is considered armed and dangerous. Police believe Roman and Reyes switched cars after the shooting. They said a gray 1995 Cadillac Deville was found west of Nephi and Roman may be have driven a Corvette to Salt Lake City. Deputy Fox was called to back up another deputy who was watching two suspicious vehicles east of Delta this morning.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon is touting his accomplishments ahead of a likely bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. Corroon gave his annual State of the County Address Tuesday and is expected to announce whether he’s running for governor within weeks. Corroon’s address explored many issues he would likely face on the campaign trail, such as economic development, education and maintaining government services amid shrinking budgets. Thus far, no Democrats or Republicans have said they’ll challenge GOP Governor Gary Herbert. Herbert has been in office since August and filled in for ex-governor Jon Huntsman who was commissioned by President Barack Obama as U.S. Ambassador to China.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—An agreement meant to protect a central Utah canyon rife with ancient American Indian art while allowing for nearby mineral development is scheduled for final approval. The unusual pact governing Nine Mile Canyon was set to be signed at the Utah Capitol Tuesday by federal and state agencies, conservation and archaeology groups, tribal leaders and a Colorado natural gas producer. The deal sets out a list of tasks, including increased efforts to tamp down dust kicked by trucks in the canyon that some fear hurts thousands of ancient rock paintings and carvings. Denver-based Bill Barrett Corporation is awaiting federal environmental approval to add 800 gas wells on high plateaus that are accessibly only from Nine Mile Canyon.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—U.S. Senator Bob Bennett will face another challenger from within his own Republican party. Mike Lee’s campaign manager says Lee will announce his candidacy for U.S. Senate on Tuesday. Lee is an attorney from Alpine who served as general counselor to former Governor Jon Huntsman. Bennett is seeking a fourth term, but is already facing three Republican challengers, Tim Bridgewater, Cherilyn Eagar and James Williams. Thus far, Sam Granato is the only democrat vying for Bennett’s seat. Current Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff recently dropped out of the race to spend more time with a mentally ill daughter. Lee has been testing the waters for a Senate race by giving a series of talks around the state about the Constitution. Republican delegates will choose the party’s nominee in May at the state convention.

(SARATOGA SPRINGS) – People in northern Utah County awoke to a small earthquake early this morning. Seismologists at the University of Utah say the 2.9 magnitude quake was centered four miles northwest of Saratoga Springs. Residents said the quake knocked items off shelves and TV sets but caused no major damage or injuries. It was the third earthquake in Utah in the past month. On Monday, a 4.1 quake struck near Cedar City and a 2.8 magnitude earthquake hit near Magna on Dec. 23.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Police have surrounded a home in a Salt Lake City neighborhood in the search for a Hispanic man who allegedly gunned down a Millard County Deputy early this morning near Delta. Police reports say officers searching the area of 1100 West and 300 South found a man hiding in a shed but after questioning him, determined the man is not the suspect. Officers continue to search for 37-year old, Roberto Roman, who is accused of gunning down Deputy Josie Fox of Delta in a traffic stop at about 1am a mile outside of Delta on SR-50. Fox was called as a back up to another deputy, who was watching two suspicious vehicles, whose occupants were suspects in several burglaries in the Delta area. A sheriff’s report said that Fox pulled one of the vehicles over to identify the occupant and was shot. The other deputy found Fox dead at the scene when he arrived. Police continue to search for Roman, who may be driving a gray 1995 Cadillac Deville with Utah license plate number 713PAB, or an orange-colored Chevy Corvette or a maroon mid-sized SUV. Officers say they’ve found an orange Corvette in the Salt Lake City area where they are now searching. They say the suspect is armed and dangerous. Three local schools in the search area are on lockdown.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)—Michael Handzus, Oscar Moller, Anze Kopitar, Ryan Smyth, Wayne Simmonds and Scott Parse each scored and the Los Angeles Kings pummeled the San Jose Sharks, 6-2 Monday at HP Pavilion in NHL action. The Kings scored the game’s first five goals to take a 5-0 lead headed into the third period en route to their third straight win, while they snapped San Jose’s eight-game winning streak. Douglas Murray and Patrick Marleau each scored in the loss for the Sharks, which dropped them to 27-9-7, while the win improved Los Angeles to 25-15-3. In other NHL action Monday, the New York Rangers ousted Boston, 3-2.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)—Andrew Goudelock had 24 points and hit a key jumper to force overtime and the College of Charleston Cougars stunned the #9 North Carolina Tar Heels, 82-79 Monday at Carolina First Arena in men’s Top 25 college basketball action. Ed Davis had 19 points and 16 boards in the loss for the Heels, who squandered an 11-point lead in the closing minutes of regulation. Donavon Monroe added 15 points and six assists, as well as several key plays in the extra session for the Cougars, who under the guidance of ex-Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins, pulled off one of the biggest upsets thus far of the college basketball season. The loss dropped North Carolina to 11-4 on the season. In other Top 25 action Monday, #19 Florida State decimated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 94-54.

(PARK CITY) – An Ephraim man has been arrested for the shooting of another man in Park City over the weekend. Park City Police Chief Wade Carpenter says 19-year old, German Chavez was identified in a photo line-up by the 48-year old man he shot. Police said the victim was shot at close range in the parking lot at 2200 Monitor Drive around 6:30pm Saturday. The man told police he was unloading his vehicle when a man approached him and offered to sell him electronic equipment. The victim refused and was shot in the face. He’s listed in stable condition. Chavez faces charges of aggravated attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a restricted person and possession of a stolen firearm.

(LAS VEGAS)—A man dressed in black walked into a federal building in downtown Las Vegas Monday and opened fire with a shotgun, killing a court security guard and wounding a U.S. marshal before he was shot to death in a running gunbattle. The gunfire erupted moments after 8:00 a.m. at the start of the work week and lasted for several minutes. A passer-by said he counted at least 40 shots. Authorities did not immediately release the names of the victim or the gunman.

(OREM)—Orem police discovered a husband and wife stabbed Monday and are currently searching for more information. Police were called to an Orem home Monday around 11:30 a.m., but investigators say they initially thought the stabbing was related to a domestic disturbance, but now they aren’t sure. Orem Police Department Sergeant Craig Martinez says the wife is in serious condition and being prepared for surgery. The husband is in stable condition.

(ST. GEORGE)—A federal judge dismissed charges against a St. George man accused of buying drugs and carrying a gun because city officials refused to turn over documents related to the case. The Salt Lake Tribune reports U.S. District Judge Dee Benson threw out the charges against Donald Gregory Edwards Thursday. Edwards has been behind bars for more than a year awaiting trial on the charges, which included one count each of possession of a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Federal Magistrate Paul Warner, who handled pretrial matters in the case, recommended the dismissal. In May, he said the city of St. George was under subpoena to turn over documents, but “blew it off.” According to the Tribune, St. George City Attorney Shawn Guzman said he is reviewing the order and had no immediate comment. Edwards has now been released.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A fire at a Salt Lake City Tesoro refinery was swiftly extinguished Monday morning. The fire erupted around 10:00 a.m. at the refinery, located at 474 W. 900 North, but was swiftly doused by the refinery’s fire brigade. The Salt Lake City Fire Department arrived to assist, but the fire was out by the time they arrived. No one was injured. Investigators believe the incident stemmed from a power outage that happened earlier in the day. When workers got the power back and began restarting things, there was a fuel leak. The leak then proceeded to pour crude oil out on to the ground and it later caught the fire below the base of one of the refinery stacks. No one was injured in the fire, but a few vehicles and pieces of equipment were destroyed.

(REDMOND) – A Redmond home sustained damages in a fire over the weekend. Dispatch reported that the Salina Fire Department was called to the residence at 368 East Main on Saturday for a chimney fire. Crews were able to quickly douse the flames to keep it from spreading to other areas of the home. Fire personnel said the wall behind the chimney had to be opened up in order to make sure the fire was all the way out. The State Fire Marshall determined the fire to be accidental with damage mostly to the wall behind the fireplace, along with some smoke damage.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Curtis Glencross had two goals and Jarome Iginla added another goal as the Calgary Flames overpowered the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-1 Saturday at the Pengrowth Saddledome in NHL action. Mikka Kiprusoff added 24 saves for the Flames, who improved to 24-12-5 on the season. Jason Blake had the sole goal for Toronto in the loss, which dropped them to 14-19-9. In other NHL action Saturday, Carolina doubled up the New York Rangers, 2-1 in overtime, Vancouver stymied Dallas, 3-1, Tampa Bay waxed Pittsburgh, 3-1, Los Angeles ousted Washington, 2-1, the New York Islanders outlasted Atlanta, 6-5 in a shootout, Colorado ousted Columbus, 3-2, Chicago doubled up St. Louis, 6-3, Detroit waxed Phoenix, 4-1, Nashville gashed Anaheim, 3-1, New Jersey smacked Minnesota, 5-3 and San Jose humbled Edmonton, 4-1.

MILWAUKEE (AP)—Scottie Reynolds had 23 points, including the game-winning shot in the closing seconds and the #8 Villanova Wildcats opened up Big East play on the right foot with a 74-72 win over the Marquette Golden Eagles Saturday at the Bradley Center in Top 25 men’s college basketball action. With a raucous crowd behind them and a national audience watching on television, the Golden Eagles got off to a solid start and even when they trailed, were able to keep the deficit within single digits for the duration of the game. Jimmy Butler had 19 points and Lazar Hayward chipped in with 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Golden Eagles, in the loss which dropped them to 0-2 in Big East play. In other Top 25 action Saturday, #1 Kansas crushed #19 Temple, 84-52, #2 Texas edged Texas A&M-CC, 76-70, #3 Kentucky dismantled Louisville, 71-62, Pittsburgh upset #5 Syracuse, 82-72, #10 Connecticut stonewalled Notre Dame, 82-70, #11 Michigan State pummeled Northwestern, 91-70, Oregon outgunned #16 Washington, 90-79, #20 Georgia Tech tripped up Charlotte, 76-67, #22 Gonzaga outlasted Illinois, 85-83 in overtime and #23 Butler got past Milwaukee, 80-67.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)—Kace Roundy had 16 points and Korde Chynoweth added 12 more as the Bryce Valley Mustangs got past the Milford Tigers, 48-42 Saturday in Region 20 boys basketball action.

ORDERVILLE, Utah (AP)—Brooks Leach amassed 16 points while Riley Miller added 13 more as the Panguitch Bobcats downed the Valley Buffaloes, 50-45 in Region 20 boys basketball action Saturday. Lance Maxwell’s 18 points led all scorers in the loss for Valley.

ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)—Carson Syme had 24 points and Hagan Brian stepped up with 15 more and the Wayne Badgers decimated the Escalante Moquis, 86-54 Saturday in Region 20 boys basketball action. Paul Sorenson posted 19 points in the loss for Escalante, while Cody Barney added 16 more for the Moquis.

SANDY, Utah (AP)—Neal Monson posted 20 points to lead the Waterford Ravens to a 49-34 win over the Manti Templars in non-region boys basketball action Saturday. Walker Schaffer had eight points in the loss for Manti.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)—Drayson Ball had 16 points and Drew Despain chipped in with 15 more as the Gunnison Bulldogs bested the Parowan Rams, 55-48 Saturday in non-region boys basketball action. Zack Wood posted a game-high 22 points in the loss for Parowan.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)—Cassey Manzanares had 17 points and Brittany Brinkerhoff stepped up with 11 more as the Wayne Lady Badgers stymied the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs, 47-39 in Region 20 girls basketball action Saturday. Sydney Cornforth amassed 19 points in the loss for the Lady Mustangs.

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)—Kandice Gleave and Loni Allan combined for 29 points and the Piute Lady Thunderbirds tripped up the Panguitch Lady Bobcats, 43-28 Saturday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Kalani Norris had 12 points in the loss for Panguitch.

MILFORD, Utah (AP)—Kenzie Leigh had 14 points and Kayla Maxwell added 11 more for the Valley Lady Buffaloes in a 46-34 win over the Milford Lady Tigers in Region 20 girls basketball action Saturday.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)—Briana Gilbreath had 16 points and Heather Oliver added 14 more as the USC Lady Trojans bested the #17 Arizona State Lady Sun Devils Friday at Wells Fargo Arena in the Pac-10 opener for both squads. Danielle Orsillo had 16 points in the loss for Arizona State, which dropped them to 8-4 on the season while the win improved the Lady Trojans to 7-5.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Kobe Bryant had 39 points, including a game-winning 3-pointer at the final buzzer as the Los Angeles Lakers edged the Sacramento Kings, 109-108 Friday at STAPLES Center in NBA action. For all intents and purposes, Sacramento did everything right except for on the final possession of the game when they enabled Bryant to get loose and nail the game-winner. Lamar Odom added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles, while Pau Gasol had 17 points and 16 boards for the 26-6 Lakers. Spencer Hawes amassed 30 points and 11 rebounds in the loss for Sacramento, which dropped them to 14-18. In other NBA action Friday, New York ousted Atlanta, 112-108 in overtime and Orlando bested Minnesota, 106-94.

(ST. GEORGE) – a St. George man lost about 20 snakes in a trailer fire on Thursday. St. George Fire Capt. Jason Whipple said a malfunctioning heat lamp used to warm the snakes apparently sparked the blaze shortly before 11am in an RV park near 2100 East and Middleton Drive. Whipple said the fire was “pretty small”, causing only about $5,000 in smoke and heat damage. Fire crews were able to contain the fire in time to save most of the snakes, some of them pythons and boas up to 10 feet long. The owner was apparently “wrapped up” in other work and not at home at the time of the fire.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Craig Conroy and Curtis Glencross each scored and Curtis McElhinney amassed 21 saves as the Calgary Flames doubled up the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1 Thursday in a battle of provincial rivals at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Shawn Horcoff scored the sole goal for the Oilers while Jeff Deslauriers had 37 saves in the loss for Edmonton. The win improved the Flames to 23-12-5 on the season while the Oilers slumped to 16-21-4. In other NHL action Thursday, Montreal outlasted Florida, 5-4, Detroit bested Colorado, 4-2, Ottawa tripped up the New York Islanders, 3-2 in a shootout, Vancouver humbled St. Louis, 4-3 in overtime, San Jose stymied Phoenix, 3-2 in a shootout, Nashville stonewalled Columbus, 2-1 in overtime, the New York Rangers snuck past Carolina, 2-1, Dallas smacked Anaheim, 5-3, Los Angeles ousted Minnesota, 5-2, and Chicago hammered New Jersey, 5-1.

SEATTLE (AP)—For all the karma that appearing on Jim Rome’s nationally-syndicated radio show brings to sports figures and personalities, Washington Huskies mens basketball coach Lorenzo Romar has some adroit coaching skills as well. Romar, who chose to appear on Rome’s show when Rome was on vacation, received enough good vibes from local Seattle radio personality Dave “Softy” Mahler, and was able to lead his #16 Huskies to a 76-70 win over Oregon State in the Pac-10 season opener Thursday evening at Bank of America Arena. Leading the charge for the Huskies were Quincy Pondexter (20 points and 10 rebounds) and Venoy Overton, whose 11 first half points rescued Washington from an otherwise moribund performance. Nevertheless, the Beavers hung tight and kept the pressure on the Huskies by making a respectable 46 percent of their shots on the evening. Roeland Schaftenaar, already the bane of copy editors from coast to coast, amassed 16 points in the loss for the Beavers, who fell to 6-6. Meanwhile, the win improved the Huskies to 10-2 on the young season. In other Top 25 action Thursday, #7 Duke decimated Pennsylvania, 114-55, #13 Georgetown outlasted St. John’s, 66-59, #14 Tennessee got past Memphis, 66-59, Wisconsin embarrassed #15 Ohio State, 65-43, #22 Gonzaga pummeled Oklahoma, 83-69, #23 Butler shellacked Green Bay, 72-49 and #25 Florida State obliterated Alabama A&M, 81-34.