Story Archive for 02/22/2010
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Hawks Best Jazz
Published on February 22, 2010 at 11:13PM
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Joe Johnson had 28 points and six rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks got past the Utah Jazz, 105-100 Monday at EnergySolutions Arena in NBA action. The loss brought the Jazz’ seven-game winning streak to a halt and was their first to Atlanta at home since 1993 when the legendary Dominique Wilkins had 43 points in a 121-112 win. Josh Smith added 18 more points and Jamal Crawford stepped up with 17 points for the Hawks, who improved to 35-20. Paul Millsap posted 14 points and nine rebounds for the Jazz, who fell to 36-20. In other NBA action Monday, Washington got past Chicago, 101-95, Milwaukee surged past New York, 83-67, Dallas overpowered Indiana, 91-82 and the Los Angeles Clippers stonewalled Charlotte, 98-94.
Suspect Arrested For Hobble Creek Canyon Murder Victim Identified
Published on February 22, 2010 at 03:09PM
(PROVO)—A suspect has been arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail under suspicion of murder in connection to the investigation of a woman’s body found in Hobble Creek Canyon over the weekend. The suspect is 22-year-old Damien Allister Candland of Provo who was booked into the Utah County Jail on a charge of aggravated murder. The victim was later identified as 41-year-old Amy Candland of Provo, Damien’s aunt. Investigators previously called the circumstances of Amy’s death “suspicious.” Candland was found near the Jolley’s Ranch campground in Hobble Creek Canyon Sunday. Monday morning, police say the Utah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the victim’s identity from her brother. Police say they found evidence linking Damien to the victim and the Hobble Creek location. Amy’s body was turned over to the Utah Medical Examiners office where an autopsy will later be performed.
House OKs Bill Targeting Hazing-Related Deaths
Published on February 22, 2010 at 03:01PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—The Utah House has passed a bill intended to make fraternities and sororities think twice about hazing practices. Monday, House Bill 138 was passed on a 54-18 vote and it raises the penalty for a hazing-related death involving drugs and alcohol from a Class B to Class A misdemeanor. Bill sponsor Representative Carol Spackman Moss says she doesn’t want students to be forever marked by poor decisions but she wants them to consider the serious consequences that could result from forced alcohol consumption. The Salt Lake City Democrat says her proposal could go a long way in protecting students like Michael Starks, the 18-year-old Utah State student who died from alcohol poisoning in November 2008 while pledging to join the Sigma Nu fraternity.
Tenant Accused of Arson at Salt Lake Apartment
Published on February 22, 2010 at 02:58PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—Witnesses say a man torched his own apartment Sunday night and watched as it burned. The fire forced 12 people out of their homes while firefighters doused the flames at the Edison Place Apartments in Salt Lake City. The fire destroyed one apartment and severely damaged two others. The arsonist, 45-year-old James Brinton, was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated arson.
Man Sentenced To Prison For Wife's Murder
Published on February 22, 2010 at 02:55PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—A man who confessed to stabbing his wife to death was sentenced Monday morning to 15 years to life in prison. The 33-year-old Daniel Olivera pleaded guilty to one charge of first degree murder as part of a deal with prosecutors. In exchange, they dropped charges of aggravated assault and child abuse. Olivera admitted to stabbing his estranged wife, Lisa Olivera, several times during an argument at the couple’s home in October. The crime occurred in front of the couple’s two young children.
State, Morgan County Settle Legal Claims in Fur Protest
Published on February 22, 2010 at 02:51PM
(MORGAN)—The Utah Department of Transportation and Morgan County will pay nearly $40,000 to settle legal claims over a protest against fur farms. Federal court papers say the two agencies have agreed to pay the Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement to cover its attorney fees and court costs. Last fall, the group sought permission to hold a demonstration called Fur Free Saturday in Morgan. It sued over the county’s requirement that it pay $425 for extra police and permit fees along with taking out a million-dollar insurance policy. Group members also claimed UDOT employees violated their free speech rights because the agency wouldn’t issue a permit for the protest. The protest occurred November 26 and the group assembled without having to pay for security.
Bill Would Have Colleges Disclose Foreign Funding
Published on February 22, 2010 at 02:49PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—A Senate committee is scheduled to debate a bill that would require public higher educations in the state to disclose any funding flowing in from outside the U.S. Lawmakers plan to discuss Representative Carl Wimmer’s HB114 on Monday. The Herriman Republican has said foreign funding could influence what’s being taught in class. Under the proposal, anything from a grant, fellowship, scholarship or funding for property would have to be disclosed.
Pleasant Grove Addresses Odor Issue
Published on February 22, 2010 at 02:44PM
(PLEASANT GROVE)—Pleasant Grove is tackling a foul-smelling problem with the help of millions of dollars. The Deseret News reports the odor from the sewage treatment plant is strong enough that the people who work at the BMW dealership across the freeway say they’ve had to leave work at times. They also say the smell has made some workers and customers sick. Utah County Commissioners have approved the issuance and sale of up to $70 million in sewer revenue bonds for the Timpanogos Special Service District. About $10 million of that is going toward odor control. Crews will enclose the headworks building and air into the building will be filtered before it’s released. The changes could come as soon as next year. The newspaper reports the most offensive odor comes from crews flipping compost of the plant, which is done every three to five days within a three-week period. The district is installing a fabric system to cover the compost, which is now open. The facility serves 192,000 people in 10 municipalities.
Republicans denounce Obama health summit
Published on February 22, 2010 at 12:58PM
(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett has joined others of the Republican leadership to denounce Pres. Barack Obama’s Health Care Summit last Thursday. Republican lawmakers said the President brought nothing new to the summit and continued to push his government-run health care plan. They commented that the president’s plan is a collage of Democrat’s ideas from both the House and Senate versions of the bill with one addition: the creation of a Health Insurance Rate Authority to prevent “excessive” hikes in health insurance premiums in the wake of the WellPoint dispute in California. A Newsweek poll conducted last week indicated that 62% of Americans are opposed to the health insurance mandate. Lawmakers say that Obama’s push to get his plan passed is tantamount to re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. They say the August town hall meetings, huge rallies, phone calls, letters and polls are apparently not enough evidence for the president that the American people are against his plan.
UDOT praised by lawmakers for highway improvements
Published on February 22, 2010 at 10:58AM
(SPANISH FORK) – Utah lawmakers are praising the Utah Department of Transportation for improved safety measures on stretches of U.S.6 in Spanish Fork Canyon. Many lawmakers are saying if it hadn’t been for the lobbying efforts of a Huntington woman, who lost her mother in a 1971 crash on winding sections of the highway, the improvements may never have happened. Kathy Justice has been pushing for decades to get lawmakers to fund improvements and organized a group to make US 6 safer. She said she was told that no one in their lifetime would ever see a four-lane highway on that stretch of U.S. 6 but it happened. Spanish Fork police say they’ve had their share of investigations of fatalities on U.S. 6 for years and knew that something had to be done. UDOT has taken steps to greatly reduce crossover head-on collisions along the highway by adding lanes, bridges and rumble strips, along with additional signage.
Snow geese make stop in Delta
Published on February 22, 2010 at 08:15AM
(DELTA) – Snow geese on their flight to the Arctic made a pit stop in Delta over the weekend. Millard County residents say they know when spring is near when thousands of white birds with black-tipped wings descend on ponds at the Gunnison Bend Reservoir west of Delta in February each year. Division of Wildlife volunteer, June Ryburn says it’s a unique experience to see thousands of geese at one time in one area. She explained the birds fly to surrounding fields to feed at night and bed down with several birds sticking their heads above the slumbering broods to act as lookouts. Wildlife biologists say the geese stop over in Delta to feed and rest on their 3,000-mile journey from the Imperial Valley in Southern California and Baja Mexico, where they spend their winters to their breeding grounds in the Artic. They say up to 30,000 birds usually arrive in the last week in February.
Colorado woman injured in I-70 crash
Published on February 22, 2010 at 07:30AM
(SALINA) – A Colorado woman was taken to the hospital with injuries when the vehicle in which she was traveling crashed on I-70 Sunday afternoon. According to a UHP report, 53-year old, David Collins of Rifle, CO. was traveling eastbound east of Salina in a 2001 Porsche, when he lost control and spun on icy roads, crashing into the center guardrail at about 5:15pm. The report said that his passenger, 48-year old, Corrinna Collins, also of Rifle, was wearing her seatbelt and transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with broken bones. David was wearing his seatbelt and was not transported the hospital.