DELTA, Utah (AP)—Taylor Mann posted 14 points and the Emery Lady Spartans got past the Delta Lady Rabbits, 38-32 Thursday in Region 12 girls basketball action at the Palladium. Kaity Diaz and Maklee Bliss had nine points apiece in defeat for Delta.

MANTI, Utah (AP)—Kylee Blackham had 14 points and the North Sanpete Lady Hawks dismantled the Manti Lady Templars, 53-32 in Region 12 girls basketball action Thursday. Tauni McFarland had nine points in the loss for Manti.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)—Brooke Bliss had 21 points for the Richfield Lady Wildcats in a 57-38 rout of the Juab Lady Wasps Thursday in Region 12 girls basketball action. Tessa Bradford had 15 points in the loss for Juab.

ENTERPRISE, Utah (AP)—Brittany Griffiths had 11 points for the Beaver Lady Beavers as they outlasted the Enterprise Lady Wolves, 26-22 in Region 13 girls basketball action Thursday.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)—Krystyn Stevens had 14 points for the Millard Lady Eagles and Keri Brunson added 12 more as the Millard Lady Eagles got past the Parowan Lady Rams, 41-30 Thursday in Region 13 girls basketball action.

SALINA, Utah (AP)—Kayla King amassed 14 points and Dayna Monroe stepped up with 11 more for the South Sevier Lady Rams in a 43-38 win over the North Sevier Lady Wolves in Region 15 girls basketball action Thursday.

BICKNELL, Utah (AP)—Loni Allan had 26 points to lead the Piute Lady Thunderbirds past the Wayne Lady Badgers, 76-47 Thursday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Darci Clark and Brittany Brinkerhoff had nine points apiece for Wayne in defeat.

TROPIC, Utah (AP)—Kaylea Shakespeare keyed a balanced scoring attack with nine points as the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs doubled up the Valley Lady Buffaloes, 34-17 Thursday in Region 20 girls basketball action. Kori Cox had five points in the loss for the Lady Buffs.

(LOGAN)—The mayor of Logan wants to limit the way city employees communicate with members of the media, forcing all questions and answers to be submitted in writing. Mayor Randy Watts, who won re-election in a second term last November, announced the new city policy at a meeting Wednesday. The announcement was met by concern from members of the media in the Cache Valley, who suggested the new policy would limit transparency of city government.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah Department of Workforce Services says numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the state’s unemployment rate increased to 6.7 percent in December. November’s rate was 6.3 percent and the rate in December 2008 was 4.1 percent. The department says about 91,200 Utahns were considered unemployed last month, compared to 57,300 in December 2008. The department says Utah’s job count contracted by 2.8 percent over the past 12 months and that 34,700 jobs were removed from the Utah economy since December 2008. Total employment in Utah is just over 1.2 million. The U.S. unemployment rate was 10 percent in December, unchanged from November’s rate.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Salt Lake City’s chief prosecutor jumped into the race for Salt Lake County District Attorney Thursday. Democrat Sim Gill blasted Republican incumbent Lohra Miller, promising to restore public trust in the office. These two faced off against each other in a close race four years ago and Gill says he’s looking forward to a rematch. Gill kicked off his campaign in front of the downtown county DA’s office promising to save taxpayer money by running the office more efficiently, holding criminals accountable and meting out justice to victims. Using posters with headlines regarding controversies involving the current county district attorney as a backdrop, Gill says Miller has wasted taxpayer dollars, filed frivolous lawsuits and pursued personal vendettas, particularly the firing of former Chief Prosecutor Kent Morgan. Gill was introduced Thursday by former longtime prosecutor Bud Ellett, a Republican who backed Miller in the earlier race and now claims to back Gill. In order to advance, Gill must first win the Democratic nomination against attorney Greg Skordas.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—The LDS Church is buying another lot in downtown Salt Lake City. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints says it bought 3.76 acres on North Temple Street as a long-term investment. This is the same reason the Church offered for its purchase announced weeks ago of a 10-acre block north of the Little America Hotel. The Church picked up that parcel and a smaller one from hotel owner, and Latter-Day Saint, Earl Holding. The latest real estate purchase is a corner lot at 400 West and North Temple from a subsidiary of restaurant chain Gastronomy. Church spokesman Scott Trotter says the church has no immediate developmental plans. By virtue of their numerous business affiliates, the LDS Church is now downtown Salt Lake City’s largest landowner.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – A former Juab County Deputy Clerk has been appointed by the Obama administration to serve on the USDA’s Farm Service Agency State Committee in Utah. Ruth Ann George was picked by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to help farmers and ranchers build and maintain successful operations that produce the safe, nutritious food supply that America needs, while spurring economic development in our nation’s rural communities. George grew up on a farm in central Utah and learned to appreciate the value of agriculture early in her life. She was President of the Utah Cattlewomen’s Association and served on the Kanosh Town Planning Commission for eight years. George is joined by Chairperson Timm Munns of Snowville and Brent Money of Spanish Fork.

(PRICE) – Sen. Bob Bennett will hold his Annual Rural Business Conference Feb. 18-19 in Price at the Carbon County Event Center. Bennett says the event will include keynote address by Steve Appleton, CEO of Micron Technology, who will focus his remarks on energy development and how to help small businesses succeed in rural Utah. Bennett said the Obama administration has taken steps to further delay domestic energy production by adding to the bureaucratic red tape and this business conference will demonstrate what small businessmen can do to overcome the burdens of government and provide tools and tips necessary to improve business and thrive in today’s economy. The conference will also include workshops on strategies for marketing and sales, building a home-based business, acquiring capital for small business, community economic growth, developing social media strategies and rural business growth. The event is free to the public and a includes a free breakfast and lunch.

The Sevier Valley Center in Richfield hosted the Region 12 Drill Team Competition yesterday. In the Military category ,Richfield took first place, with Emery second, and Juab third. In Dance ,it was Emery first, Manti second and Richfield third. In the Kick category, Emery took first again, along with Manti receiving second and Richfield third. The overall winners included Manti in third place, Richfield taking second, and the overall winner of this years competition was Emery. All six teams including Emery, Richfield, Manti, Juab, North Sanpete and Delta have qualified to go to the State competition which will be held at U.V.U on Saturday, January 30th.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)—Nyeshia Stevenson had 23 points for the #13 Oklahoma Lady Sooners as they edged the Missouri Lady Tigers, 62-61 Wednesday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. Danielle Robinson chipped in with 16 points and Amanda Thompson (who scored the game-winner) added 13 points and 11 boards for the Lady Sooners, who improved to 13-4 with the win. Jessra Johnson had 16 points in the loss for Missouri. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #10 Xavier crushed St. Louis, 92-50, #11 West Virginia hammered Marshall, 74-42, #23 Texas overpowered #17 Oklahoma State, 77-63 and #21 Iowa State waxed Kansas, 53-42.