RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Jordan Williams homered and Chris Jensen amassed eight strikeouts as the Richfield Wildcats pounded the Beaver Beavers, 10-2 Wednesday in non-region baseball action. Josh Robinson and Stoney White each doubled in the loss for Beaver.

SALINA, Utah (AP)-Johnny Dykster and Taran Wright each doubled and Brady Hansen posted six strikeouts as the Juab Wasps doubled up the North Sevier Wolves, 6-3 in non-region baseball action Wednesday. Colton Piep tripled in the loss for North Sevier.

(RICHFIELD) – Several concerned citizens were in attendance at the Richfield City Council meeting Tuesday night to show support for funds needed to replace a portion of a leaky roof at the Senior Citizens Center. Richfield resident, Sally Henry petitioned the council on funding half of the cost of the repair due to a leaky swamp cooler on the building. Henry said the leak has damaged the shingles, wood casing and ceiling in the kitchen area of the building. Business Administrator Mike Langston commented that the city normally provides half the cost of repairs to city buildings when needed. Henry said a bid of almost $2,300 has been submitted from a local contractor. Mayor Brad Ramsay said the City Building Administrator, Paul Hinrichs will inspect the damaged area and report on the project.

(LOGAN)-Renowned actor, Danny Glover, will deliver the commencement address at Utah State University’s graduation ceremony this spring. School administrators say Glover will also receive an honorary doctorate during the ceremony May 8. Utah State University President, Stan L. Albrecht, says he’s thrilled about having Glover address graduates, noting that it’s not the actor’s first time at the school. Glover’s first appearance at Utah State came at a time when he gave an address on the famed Harlem poet, Langston Hughes. The actor, who has starred in such movies as Angels in the Outfield and the Lethal Weapon franchise, is also in the process of developing a film about ex-Utah State football player Lionel Aldridge, who had a successful career with Vince Lombardi’s legendary Green Bay Packers teams of the 1960s, as well as the San Diego Chargers in the 1970s, but also struggled with schizophrenia.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Obama administration will limit the use of an administrative shortcut that has been used to approve thousands of drilling permits across the Rocky Mountains without full environmental reviews. The policy change was reflected in the settlement late Tuesday of a lawsuit filed in Utah by environmental groups that challenged the Bush administration’s interpretation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The act allows federal land managers to fast-track drilling permits without ordering an environmental assessment of the consequences. In Salt Lake City Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed that the settlement will all but close the loophole used to approve thousands of oil and gas wells from 2006 to 2008. The government lawyers settled the case on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. His office did not immediately return a message from the Associated Press Wednesday.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A Hurricane man will spend one year in prison and pay $264,000 in restitution on a conviction of mortgage fraud. Tuesday, a judge spared Jerry Huff the three-and-a-half-year sentence prosecutors had recommended. Last year, a judge found Huff guilty of wire fraud, money laundering and failure to file taxes. He was among hundreds nationwide caught in a sweeping FBI crackdown on mortgage fraud.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Governor Gary Herbert has signed a bill creating penalties for those convicted of committing violent crimes in the presence of children. House Bill 62 makes it a Class B misdemeanor to commit a violent crime in the presence of a child younger than 14. Representative Janice Fisher, a West Valley City Democrat, sponsored the measure. The final version is largely similar to the bill Fisher originally introduced, except for one amendment. House lawmakers voted to remove a provision that would require courts to impose a fine for any counseling a child might need following the incident.

(RICHFIELD) – An agreement between a local canal company and Richfield City has been signed in order to relocate a portion of the canal before the airport expansion project can begin. City Business Administrator Mike Langston said the agreement between the Richfield Canal Company and the city was necessary as part of the expansion. Langston said the relocation of the canal would involve removing the flow of water away from proposed runways at the airport. He said that underground pipe will be installed as part of the relocation project.

(RICHFIELD) – Representatives from the Utah Department of Transportation are asking Richfield City officials to abandon a city road to allow them to develop the area. UDOT’s Nathan Lee presented the idea at the city council meeting Tuesday night. The road is located at 100 West between 700 and 800 South of Richfield. City officials say the road configuration has been a problem for many years and by abandoning the road, UDOT can help expand parking areas for Sandi’s Drive-In and a survey building. The move would also help UDOT expand their facilities in that area. UDOT also said no funds would be required by the city to expand parking. City officials will continue to work with UDOT for the development of the road area.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – A Moab businessman has been sentenced to a year in jail for securing a loan in a bogus construction project. According to court documents, 50-year old Jerry Huff misrepresented his income, doctor photos and loans from a number of lenders to secure a $250,000 loan in the form of a second mortgage, to build his “dream home”. A jury found Huff guilty last year of all five criminal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering and failure to file taxes. Prosecutors recommended that he be given up to 3-1/2 years in prison because of the “devastating impact” white-collar crime has on society and families but U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups instead sentenced Huff to a year in jail and ordered him to pay $264,000 in restitution. Huff’s attorney, Robert Hunt, spoke of his client’s work ethic and central role in his family, saying he was caught up in a dream and “aggressively” pursued something beyond himself that could aid his family.

(RICHFIELD) – A motion concerning setting maximum heights for accessory buildings in residential areas in Richfield died last night due to lack of consensus at the council meeting. For several months, the city council, planning members and building contractors have been battling a change in the ordinance that would require homeowners to construct new outbuildings at a certain height on private property within city limits. The current ordinance says builders can build accessory buildings up to 35 feet. Councilmembers have considered heights ranging from 20-25 feet and were eventually presented with a maximum height of 22 feet and a maximum eave height of any wall to not exceed 16 feet. Also included in the proposed ordinance was a requirement for an accessory building to be a minimum of six feet from the property line. Councilmember Richard Barnett made a motion to accept the ordinance as written with Dan Chidester seconding the motion. Both Councilmembers Mike Turner and Bryan Burrows voted no and Chris Allred abstained. Mayor Brad Ramsay said the matter will be sent back to the planning commission or not brought up again.

CHICAGO (AP)-Jason Richardson had 27 points and six rebounds and Steve Nash added 22 points and 10 assists, while leading the Phoenix Suns to victory in the last two minutes of regulation in a 111-105 win over the Chicago Bulls Tuesday at United Center in NBA action. Additionally, Channing Frye connected on three huge 3-pointers, including one in the closing seconds which put the game on ice. The win kept the Suns firmly in fourth place in the Western Conference playoff chase, which would give them home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Derrick Rose had 23 points and 10 assists while Ronald Murray added 23 points and nine boards for the Bulls, who are currently fighting with Toronto for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. In other NBA action Tuesday, Indiana downed Sacramento, 102-95, Oklahoma City bludgeoned Philadelphia, 111-93, Milwaukee stormed past the Los Angeles Clippers, 107-89 and Houston ousted Washington, 98-94.

(RICHFIELD) – Farmers and ranchers in the six-county area are reporting mixed weather-related conditions in the fields. Sevier, Sanpete, Wayne, Piute, Garfield and Kane counties report that most snow has melted and producers are getting ready to begin field work. Millard and Beaver counties report that late weekly storms are keeping producers from working their fields but some have been able to plant spring crops between storms. Emery and Grand counties report that major field work is underway with good winter snowmelt boosting above normal winter-seeded crops. Some livestockmen in Wayne, Garfield and Kane counties have reported dead livestock on the open ranges but total cattle loss has not yet been determined.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Monday evening, Jews around the world began The Holy Week with the feast of Passover with Seder, the traditional meal during which the tale of the Israelite exodus from Egypt is recounted. Some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are also commemorating the feast. LDS Hebrew scholar, Avraham Gileadi, will direct a Passover seminar Friday at Provo’s Scenic View Academy. The 69-year-old Gileadi, is affiliated with the Seder’s sponsor, the Hebraeus Foundation, an organization that promotes biblical scholarship. He said Mormons and Jews share similar attributes and that while Passover isn’t an LDS tradition, it easily could be. Mormon men in attendance at the lecture will wear yarmulkes on their heads while everyone will follow along in a reading of the Haggadah, the Seder narrative from Exodus. The major exception is that grape juice will be used in place of wine, as the consumption of alcohol violates the LDS Word of Wisdom.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Thick black smoke from a fire near Saltair has forced the closure of Interstate 80 at mile marker 99, S.R. 201 and S.R. 202. The winds also caused problems in Sardine Canyon, between Logan and Brigham City. An empty semi was blown over, forcing the closure of southbound lanes while crews clear the scene. The canyon is now closed to high profile vehicles.

(OGDEN)-Ogden police looking for drugs found weapons as well, and now the alleged owner of the items is facing multiple charges. The Ogden Standard-Examiner reports that 29-year-old Paul Russell Cornwell was arrested March 17 after police received a warrant to search his home on the 1100 block of 12th Street. The warrant was obtained after two months of surveillance on the house where they believed Cornwell was dealing drugs. Inside the house, they found methamphetamine and tools for making meth, in addition to several handguns and three small explosive devices. Cornwell has now been charged with six felonies, including possession of an incendiary device, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person and possession or use of a controlled substance. He is also charged with a misdemeanor count of use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Investigators hope to determine the source of the explosives as the investigation continues.

(PROVO)-A fire official says some residents on the south side of Provo lost power while firefighters doused a lakeside wildfire that filled the sky with black smoke. Provo Deputy Fire Chief Gary Jolley says electricity was quickly restored and no injuries were reported during the fire which occurred around 8:30 p.m. Monday. No structures were threatened. Jolley said firefighters kept watch through the night to ensure it was out. He says the fire burned phragmites that contain a lot of natural oil as it raced out over an area about 200 yards wide and perhaps a mile long. There was no immediate word how the fire started.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Nearly a dozen inmates at the Utah State Prison are looking at even more time behind bars for filing tax returns. Overall, the inmates netted thousands of dollars. Last spring, investigators started looking into the matter when they noticed something was wrong with certain tax returns. Utah State Tax Commission spokesman Charlie Roberts said investigators were able to piece together what happened with several discrepancies in tax returns. Roberts stated Nicholas Farr and Robert Austin Jr. served as the ringleaders, but other inmates voluntarily gave their names, social security numbers and birthdates. He said Farr and Austin deliberately tricked a man in Davis County to file the 1,040 forms and the inmates got refunds. As the ringleaders, Farr and Austin got bigger cuts while Roberts said it took the commission time to finish its investigation because amounts refunded to some inmates were so small that they took a backseat to bigger cases. Roberts says all 12 men, including the man in Davis County, are facing communications fraud charges. The Davis County man might be able to work a deal out with prosecutors.

(Manti) The Bureau of Reclamation has released the draft Environmental Impact Statement on the Narrows Project in Sanpete County. According to the Bureau, the project would provide for development of an irrigation, municipal, and industrial water supply source for users in northern Sanpete County. With the release of the EIS, the public has until June 1st to comment on the proposal before a final decision is made on the project. Two public hearings will also be held to take comments, although the comments will not be addressed at the hearings. The first hearing will be held at the Manti City Hall on Wednesday April 28th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. The other will be held in Price at the Civic Auditorium on April 29th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. The hearings will be recorded by a court reporter, and all written and oral statements offered will become part of the public record. If the project is approved, and if Congress appropriates the money, the water supply would be developed by the Sanpete Water Conservancy District.

(RICHFIELD) – The two men charged with pump skimming at two gas stations in Richfield will have a preliminary hearing today in Sixth District Court. 55-year old Levon Karamyan and 27-year old Robert Fichidzhyan from Bulgaria have been charged with eight counts each of obtaining encoded information on financial transactions and possession of drugs. Richfield Police Detective Trent Lloyd says the two men are in the country illegally and were caught last week when they attempted to remove eight skimming devices at Flying J and Walker’s Food and Fuel in Richfield, that they had installed March 17. Police said an alert gas station employee at Walker’s noticed the truck the men were driving in and notified authorities. The arrests followed other incidents in Orem, St. George, Reno and Mesquite and several places in California.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – A new national poll shows that most Americans want elected officials to join an effort for financial reform around the country. Charles Taylor, Director for the Pew Financial Reform Project, says most Americans believe that reforming the financial sector is a top priority. Taylor said the poll of 1,000 likely 2010 general election voters was conducted on March 4-8 by the bi-partisan polling team of the Mellman Group and Ayres, McHenry and Associates. He said 46% of Americans have either lost their jobs or had a family member or close friend lose their jobs and 59% of voters felt that Congress and the administration should support financial reform now. Taylor commented that real financial reform must include an early warning system that finds and deals with signs of trouble before they hurt American households, ends “too big to fail” bailouts, increases transparency, and protects consumers from harmful business practices. He said if Congress doesn’t act, voters will speak out at the polls this election year.

(CHESAPEAKE, Va.)-A Virginia man has been sentenced to prison for killing a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A second missionary was wounded in the January 2006 attack. Monday, 23-year-old James Boughton Jr. was given a 38-year, six-month term in Circuit Court. In December, 2008, jurors convicted Boughton in the shooting death of Elder Morgan W. Young of Bountiful, Utah. Additionally, Boughton was convicted of wounding Elder Joshua Heidbrink of Greeley, Colo. The missionaries were shot while tracting in Chesapeake, a city of about 225,000 in southeast Virginia. In addition to charges of first-degree murder, Boughton was convicted of malicious wounding, attempted malicious wounding and three firearms counts.

(FILLMORE) – The Deseret News has asked a judge to quash a subpoena that would require a reporter to testify about his story on a search warrant related to the murder of a Millard County deputy in January. Prosecutors issued a subpoena March 15 seeking testimony of Pat Reavy, who wrote the story on a warrant secured by Salt Lake City police, who believed 37-year old, Roberto Roman was hiding at a home in a Salt Lake suburb. Roman is charged with the murder of Deputy Josie Fox, who pulled him over in a traffic stop in Delta in the early morning hours of Jan. 5. The Salt Lake City Police Department released the warrant and supporting documents Jan. 19 after the newspaper made a Government Records Access Management Act request concerning a warrant in the shooting death of Fox. Prosecutors say releasing the documents could hinder their investigation and expose witnesses to harm and that the Deseret News story on the Salt Lake warrant violated a court order. Fourth District Judge Donald Eyre will hold a hearing this Wednesday in Fillmore on whether the records should be unsealed.

(Manti) The EnergySolutions Foundation has awarded scholarships to three local high school students. The Foundation provides scholarships each year to one sophomore from each high school in the state. This years winner from Manti High School is Abby Hatch, daughter of Dean and Susan Hatch. The winner from Gunnison High School is Rylan Anderson, son of Mark Anderson, and the winner from North Sanpete High School is Kelly Patino. The $2000 dollar scholarships are given to students to pursue a degree in math, science, or engineering. Student who apply must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, and must maintain it through graduation. Applicants must also participate in leadership positions at school and in the community. The top ten percent of the winners are also entered into a national competition for additional scholarships.

(PRICE) – The body of a Central-Utah man reported missing since March 21 was discovered Saturday afternoon at the bottom of a 300-foot embankment on SR-191 near Helper. UHP Troopers said a volunteer from the Helper Fire Department discovered the body of 87-year old Billy Webb at about 12:30pm. Troopers said it appeared Webb had lost control of his vehicle and crashed down the embankment. He was wearing his seatbelt. Webb was last seen March 21 in Price. Family members became worried when they hadn’t heard from him and called police, who issued an Endangered Person Advisory on Friday. UHP continues to investigate the crash.

(LOA) – Slushy roads were the cause of an accident on SR-24 Friday night that sent two women from Salina and Redmond to the hospital. According to a UHP report, 34-year old Christy Merchant of Salina was traveling eastbound when she slowed on the snowpacked highway and rearended a semi. UHP said Merchant was not wearing her seatbelt and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield for injuries. Her passengers, 29-year old Emmalee Hunt of Redmond, was wearing her seatbelt and was also taken to the hospital. A second passenger, 22-year old Meagan Torgensen of Richfield, was wearing her seatbelt and was not injured. The driver of the 1999 commercial semi, 75-year old Arval Prescott out of Ogden, was wearing his seatbelt and was not injured. Merchant was cited for driving too fast for road conditions.

(MONROE) – A Monroe woman was taken to the hospital after rolling her vehicle on SR-118 Sunday afternoon. According to a UHP report, 38-year old Camille Demille was traveling northbound at about 5pm, when she drifted off the right shoulder of the highway, overcorrected and rolled on her top in a 2004 Mitsibishi Eclips Demille was not wearing her seatbelt and was taken to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with possible injuries. She was cited for DUI and failure to operate within the lane of travel.

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP)-Brad Miller of Syracuse placed first in the mens’ 5000-meter dash to lead the way for numerous athletes competing at the Stanford Invitational Friday at Palo Alto, Calif. Additionally, Michigan’s Lex Williams won the mens’ 10,000-meter dash in a time of 28:34.28, while Joshua Anderson of Washington State placed first in the 400-meter hurdles with a mark of 49.64 and Brigham Young’s Bryan Payne finished second in the event. As for the women, Shelise Williams of Arkansas won the womens’ 400-meter dash and Southern Utah’s Sharla Manuele placed first in the 5,000-meter dash. The meet will resume Saturday.

LEXINGTON, Va. (AP)-Sara Neubauer of Air Force placed first in the womens’ shot put to lead a strong showing for numerous athletes affiliated with military institutions at the Military Track & Field Championships Friday. Additionally, Navy’s Chris Boniwell won the mens’ shot put and Angela Jenkins of Army won the womens’ triple jump. Other wins came from Frederick Beebe of Army in the mens’ triple jump, and Daphane Wright and Scott Winkler in the mens’ and womens’ paralympic shot put, respectively. After one day of competition, the Air Force women lead the way with 26 points while the Army men are in first with 32 points. The meet will resume Saturday.

(Gunnison) A Gunnison High School student recently won third place in a national essay contest. Dixie Sorensen was awarded $1,250 dollars along with the distinction. The contest was sponsored by the Bill Of Rights Institute in Washington DC, and is the largest high school essay contest in the country drawing over fifty-thousand entries this year alone. Sorensen’s sponsoring teacher also received a cash prize, and both were honored at an awards gala in Washington DC. While there, they met with lawmakers and toured the Capitol, National Archives, and Supreme Court Buildings. Students were asked to write in answer to the question “What civic value do you believe is most essential to being an American?” Sorensen chose “industry” as her topic stating in her essay that “Industry is the key to the future success of our great nation.”

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Health officials are urging parents to resist buying baby chicks or ducklings as Easter gifts for their children in anticipation of the holiday next Sunday. Each spring, some children become infected with Salmonella after receiving a chick or duckling for Easter, according to the National Center for Infectious Disease. Young birds often carry Salmonella and children can be exposed to the bacteria simply by holding, cuddling or kissing the birds.

(SALT LAKE CITY)Nine people are under arrest, accused of forging UTA passes to use and sell to others. All nine were residents of a halfway house in the Salt Lake City area. Usually, monthly average passes go on sale for $67, while Utah Transit Police say the suspects were selling the forged passes for $5$10 apiece. Officials say it’s not uncommon for someone to steal a bus pass or try to ride for free. However, devising a counterfeiting operation has officers on heightened alert. Jerry Carpenter of UTA says officials will now be checking riders for valid passes while riders are also encouraged to have valid proof of fair payment when boarding a train or bus. Investigators believe many other fake passes may still be in circulation.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Salt Lake City area will get 24 additional 7-Eleven stores over the course of the next three years. The Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. convenience store chain says it’s adding to the 111 stores it already has in Utah. Of those, 77 are in the Salt Lake area. Two stores are scheduled to open by the end of June and three more are slated to open this year. Some 7-Eleven stores are company-operated and others are franchises. The company’s stores usually consist of 2,400-3,000 square feet.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Many AT&T carriers had a potentially life-threatening problem Thursday. When AT&T customers in the Salt Lake City area tried to call 911 for help, they were connected to an operator in Seattle. AT&T says the problem was fixed by 11:30 p.m. MDT, but it’s still not known what caused the glitch. Area resident Tony Sams said he witnessed a hit-and-run accident while driving in the Farmington area and tried to call 911. However, the Seattle-based dispatcher who fielded Sams’ call confused him, saying he had the wrong address for the incident. Sams, who incidentally has never been to Seattle, was dumbfounded. Additionally, Seattle dispatchers said they received calls from Salt Lake City all day Thursday, reporting numerous incidents. Before the problem was resolved, Salt Lake City police advised cell phone users to call the local dispatch number rather than 911 in the case of an emergency. Oddly enough, Salt Lake City authorities admitted to receiving a call from a woman who was in a car accident in California March 10. The woman, who had Verizon service, misdialed on her phone, they believe.

(ANNABELLA) – The Annabella Planning Commission will meet Monday afternoon regarding the approval a Conditional Use Permit for a dog kennel in the Omni Point Subdivision. Planners will also meet with an attorney to discuss information on constructing dog kennels within town limits. The meeting will be held at 5:30pm at the Annabella Town Center. At 6pm, the Planning Commission will discuss construction of the dog kennel and fence on property located at 327 West 200 South in Annabella.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – An environmental group is sponsoring Earth Hour at 8:30pm Saturday where people worldwide turn their lights off for an hour to call attention to bring awareness to what the group calls climate change. World Wildlife Fund is the sponsor of the event, which has attracted a number of Utahns for the annual participation. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints participated in the event last year by turning off the lights at Temple Square but in 2010, Church Spokesman, Scott Trotter said the Church will not participate. He said the event will take place at the same time of the General Young Women worldwide broadcast. Event organizers said that BYU Law School will participate, as well as four other organizations and a half-dozen schools in Salt Lake County. Last year, the event attracted nearly a billion people worldwide in more than 4100 cities and 87 countries. Some groups say they’ll protest by turning on all their lights at 8:30pm.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)-Corie Blackham pitched a five-hitter and the Parowan Rams downed the Beaver Beavers, 3-1 Thursday in Region 13 baseball action.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)-William Elias amassed a hat trick as the Parowan Rams ousted the Beaver Beavers, 3-2 in 2A south soccer action Thursday.

MOAB, Utah (AP)-Erik Wermuth and Kryston Saunders each scored two goals as the Grand Red Devils hammered the North Sevier Wolves, 7-0 Thursday in 2A south soccer action.

MAPLETON, Utah (AP)-Riley Dinehart posted a hat trick to lead the Maple Mountain Eagles to a 5-1 win over the North Sanpete Hawks in non-region soccer action Thursday.

HURRICANE, Utah (AP)-Ryan Proctor and Jesse Katzenbach had two goals apiece as the Hurricane Tigers bested the Richfield Wildcats, 7-3 Thursday in non-region soccer action. Jaz Peppelaar had two goals and Riley Duncan added another goal for Richfield.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-Shantel Ison and Shelby Earl each had key hits to lead the North Sanpete Lady Hawks to an 11-3 win over the Delta Lady Rabbits in Region 12 softball action Thursday.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)-Brittan Labrum homered to lead the Parowan Lady Rams to a 7-6 victory over the Beaver Lady Beavers in eight innings Thursday in Region 13 softball action.

(PROVO)-A Utah judge has dismissed 25 fraud charges against a Las Vegas man because of a lack of a speedy trial in the 10-year case. In 2000, Anthony Marino was charged with felony counts, including securities fraud and money laundering. Court documents attest the charges against the now 71-year-old Marino stemmed from an investigation into investment firm R&D International and other defendants. Marino was initially placed in the Utah County Jail in July 2000. At the time, he was living in Costa Rica and then spent seven years in prison thereafter. He was then returned to the U.S., but in 2008, the case against Marino was continued several times due to issues with warrants and ongoing filings. Tuesday, 4th District Judge, Steven Hansen, dismissed the case.

(ST. GEORGE)-The former commander of the Utah Highway Patrol’s DUI squad, accused of operating a tractor-trailer while impaired, has pleaded guilty to driving under the influence. Earlier this month, Frederick S. Swain entered the plea in Washington County Justice Court. A misdemeanor charge of being an alcohol-restricted driver was dismissed. The 45-year-old Swain was arrested in November 2009 at the port of entry heading northbound on Interstate 15 after workers said they noticed indicators of impairment, including the odor of alcohol. Swain has been ordered to serve 10 days in jail, pay a $1,540 fine and spend a year on probation. In 2006, Swain resigned from the highway patrol after he was involved in a crash in his unmarked patrol car. He pleaded guilty in March 2008 to a Class B misdemeanor charge of alcohol-related reckless driving.

(BLUFFDALE)-Thursday, 11 people were taken to the hospital after being exposed to a potentially hazardous chemical at a Camp Williams building. Unified Fire Authority Captain, Clint Smith, says crews responded to a call around 9:30 a.m. after the workers complained of burning throats, noses and watery eyes. The victims were taken to Riverton Hospital in private vehicles for decontamination and observation. The people were kept outside of the emergency room due to potential exposure to the chemical. Hazmat crews were then dispatched to the hospital to set up a decontamination area outside. Lieutenant Colonel, Hank McIntire, of the Utah National Guard, said his forces will continue to analyze the building to see what caused the sickness of the employees. The Army National Guard’s Civic Support Team has been going through the building and trying to determine what chemical caused the symptoms. Smith says hazmat crews from United Fire Authority were unable to detect any hazardous substances on the victims themselves.

(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.)-The federal government is investing more than $32 million in stimulus funds to help the nation’s largest American Indian reservation, the Navajo Nation. The government plans to build a high-speed Internet highway which will connect thousands of homes and businesses across the sprawling reservation. U.S. Commerce Secretary, Gary Locke, announced the grant Thursday, saying Navajo communities throughout Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah will benefit. Locke says 60 percent of homes on the reservation lack basic telephone service and many Navajo communities have underemployment levels that exceed 40 percent. He says Navajos are stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide and the grant will help fix that. Once all the fiber optic cables are in place, officials say affordable broadband service will be accessible to 30,000 homes, 1,000 businesses and 1,100 community institutions.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah Governor Gary Herbert says he will probably let an increase in the tobacco tax become law without his signature. Under House Bill 196, a pack of cigarettes would cost $1 more. Herbert has repeatedly said he opposes increasing taxes, but the tobacco tax was built into the budget agreed to by him and legislative leaders. Herbert’s refusal to veto the tobacco tax increase contradicts his claim that he held the line on tax increases this legislative session. Thursday, Herbert said he likely won’t sign the bill because he wasn’t the one pushing for the tax. Not signing the bill could also help avoid drawing attention to his role in its passage.

(OGDEN)-A declining caseload means Weber County Justice Court cases will move to Roy starting next month. An attorney with the Weber County Sheriff’s Office says the court is being closed. The court had nearly 17,000 cases in 2004, but only 7,200 in 2008. Additionally, revenue has dropped the last five years, from nearly $1.2 million to about $470,000. Hooper, West Haven, Huntsville and Marriott-Slaterville will only contract with the county for justice court services. Now, Marriott-Slaterville will primarily contract with Washington Terrace while the other three will change to Roy.

Anita Farmer , owner of Farmer’s Country Floral will be honored as the 2010 Woman of Excellence at the Miss Mt. Pleasant Pageant this Saturday at 7:30pm at the North Sanpete High School Auditorium. Seven Ladies will compete for this years Miss Mt. Pleasant Title, they include Joya Fontaine, Charlette Holman, Jessica Peel, Tanisha Barnett, Kalley Shelley, Shyanne Ison and Amanda Stewart. Tickets are available at the door for the evenings events.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)-Brogan Neal posted two hits as the Gunnison Bulldogs outlasted the North Sevier Wolves, 5-4 Wednesday in Region 15 baseball action.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Jordan Williams, Kyle Medley, Kyler Torgersen and Steve Young each homered and Young earned the win on the mound as the Richfield Wildcats pummeled the South Sevier Rams, 15-4 in non-region baseball action Wednesday.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Nate Robison posted four goals while Nick Olsen and Pancho Alcala also scored as the Millard Eagles doubled up the Manti Templars, 6-3 Wednesday in non-region soccer action.

(ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo.)-One person is dead and Interstate 80 has been shut down after a multiple-car pileup in western Wyoming Wednesday morning. At least 100 vehicles were involved in the pileup and 21 of those sustained damage. The accident occurred around 9:00 a.m. when a tanker hauling crude oil jackknifed and overturned, according to Wyoming Highway Patrol Captain Perry Jones. The crash set off a series of rear-end chain reaction crashes. One person has been confirmed dead and at least five others were hurt, including two that suffered serious injuries. Poor weather conditions were the likely impetus for the fatal crash. Currently, I-80 is closed between Rock Springs and Rawlins while crews are slowly toting vehicles from the area and cleaning up leaking crude oil. There is no word yet on when the road will be reopened.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Dozens of employees of the state of Utah’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission will lose their jobs due to budget cuts. The Commission says the budget cuts will force them to close two stores, leaving 30 employees jobless. Additionally, costs will be cut by reducing work hours to eight a day at the Salt Lake City Wine Store and the Heber City Liquor Store. Furthermore, the Commission is delaying the opening dates for new stores planned in Bountiful and Springville by several months. The agency is seeking to cut its budget by $1.6 million for the rest of this year and next.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah’s St. George and Provo-Orem metropolitan areas are among the fastest-growing in the nation. According to the latest information from the U.S. Census Bureau, St. George has grown 52 percent since 2000. Provo-Orem has grown 48 percent in that same span. The two areas were only outdone by Florida’s booming Palm Coast, which grew 84 percent in the last 10 years.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Orrin Hatch is stepping rhetoric in opposition to the health care bill recently passed by Congress and signed by Pres. Obama. In an interview, Hatch said there’s some things in the bill Republicans agree on, like not foreclosing on pre-existing conditions but the bulk of the bill is something Americans don’t want. Hatch said the only bi-partisan nature of the bill is the opposition to it. He noted that if you look at the House, there were a certain number of Democrats voting against it with Republicans but in the Senate, it’s all Republicans versus all Democrats. Hatch said what Republicans can do now is fix what they find in the bill that doesn’t work. He said the Senate needs to bring up enough amendments on each item to show defects in the bill.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)-Nigel Dawes, Rene Bourque and Niklas Hagman each scored and the Calgary Flames waxed the Anaheim Ducks, 3-1 Tuesday at the Pengrowth Saddledome in NHL action. The Flames improved to 37-27-9 on the season and pulled to within two points of idle Detroit for the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff race. Mikka Kiprusoff added 22 saves for the Flames, while with the loss, Anaheim remains nine points out of a playoff berth in the West. Scott Niedermayer scored the sole goal for the Ducks in the loss. In other NHL action Tuesday, New Jersey doubled up Columbus, 6-3, Florida gashed Toronto, 4-1, Boston blanked Atlanta, 4-0, Ottawa humbled Philadelphia, 2-0, Tampa Bay stonewalled Carolina, 3-2 in overtime, Dallas bested Nashville, 3-1, San Jose tripped up Minnesota, 4-1, Chicago stonewalled Phoenix, 2-0 and Edmonton upset Vancouver, 3-2.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Chris Jensen hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to lead the Richfield Wildcats to a 4-1 win over the Delta Rabbits Tuesday in Region 12 baseball action.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-Mike Greenhalgh amassed nine strikeouts on the season and the North Sanpete Hawks pummeled the Juab Wasps, 15-1 in Region 12 baseball action Tuesday.

CASTLE DALE, Utah (AP)-Colter Moore homered and posted five strikeouts as the Emery Spartans clipped the Manti Templars, 6-2 Tuesday in Region 12 baseball action.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Sloan Parkinson had two hits and Stoney White added five strikeouts as the Beaver Beavers pummeled the Enterprise Wolves, 10-0 in Region 13 baseball action Tuesday.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Karl Harrison went the distance on the mound and had eight strikeouts as the Parowan Rams bludgeoned the Millard Eagles, 11-0 Tuesday in Region 13 baseball action.

BEAVER, Utah (AP)-Jacob Galley had two goals to lead the Grand Red Devils to a 6-0 win over the Beaver Beavers in 2A South soccer action Tuesday.

PAROWAN, Utah (AP)-Skyler Knight and Trexton Lozano each scored as the Parowan Rams doubled up the Gunnison Bulldogs, 2-1 Tuesday in 2A South soccer action.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)-Ben Lund amassed a hat trick and Nick Dickinson added another goal as the Manti Templars got past the Richfield Wildcats, 4-3 in Region 12 soccer action Tuesday. Jaz Peppelaar had a hat trick in the loss for Richfield.

CASTLE DALE, Utah (AP)-Taylor Daniels belted a 1st-inning grand slam and Tauni McFarland posted 12 strikeouts as the Manti Lady Templars doubled up the Emery Lady Spartans, 4-2 Tuesday in Region 12 softball action.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)-Shelby Earl netted four hits and added eight strikeouts on the mound as the North Sanpete Lady Hawks gashed the Juab Lady Wasps, 7-1 in Region 12 softball action Tuesday.

FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Camille Blad and Ashlie Deerden went a combined 9 for 9 from the plate, while Deerden also homered as the Millard Lady Eagles hammered the Parowan Lady Rams, 17-6 Tuesday in Region 13 softball action.

(HEBER CITY)-Wasatch County prosecutors charged charity founder, Lon Kennard Sr., with multiple sex abuse and child exploitation violations Tuesday. Kennard now faces 24 aggravated sexual abuse of child charges, 21 sexual exploitation of a minor charges, one forcible sex abuse charge and one tampering with a witness or juror charge. Kennard is the co-founder of a charity called, Village of Hope, which was created to assist children in third-world countries. He was under investigation for the alleged child sex abuse and child pornography charges. The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office arrested the 68-year-old Kennard last week. Deputies have not disclosed whether the charges are related to the organization or not. The Wasatch County District Attorney’s Office filed the charges Tuesday and a bail hearing was scheduled for Wednesday.

(BOISE, Idaho)-The U.S. Senate has temporarily blocked a plan by the Federal Aviation Administration to move part of the Boise Airport’s air traffic system to Salt Lake City International. Monday, the Senate approved a bill including a provision preventing the agency from transferring the Terminal Radar Approach Control system, also known as TRACON, to Utah until a newly formed board can review and evaluate the idea. The system keeps track of air traffic from five-65 miles outside an airport. Air traffic controllers at the Boise Airport tower would still track aircraft within five miles, but other controllers track aircraft outside the 65-mile range. Delaying the move is a victory for Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch as these Republicans, along with Boise officials and air traffic controller groups, have fought against moving the system citing concerns about public safety and costs associated with the transfer. The FAA’s plans to move TRACON is also under review by the Department of Transportation’s inspector general’s office. That office’s review focuses on the FAA findings that moving the radar system will ultimately create a savings estimated at $24 million over the next five years. The Boise system has been scheduled to move to Salt Lake City in January.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Salt Lake Community College has been named the sixth-fastest growing two-year public school in the country by Community College Week Magazine. An analysis of data compiled by the U.S. Department of Education shows that Salt Lake Community College grew by more than 16 percent to nearly 30,000 students in 2008. This places the school among the nation’s leaders in enrollment growth at a time when colleges across the board are experiencing significant increases.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett along with Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina have introduced legislation that would repeal the Democrat’s health care reform bill signed into law today by Pres. Barack Obama. Bennett said the bill adds trillions to the national debt and do more harm than good to the health care system. He said Obama blatantly ignored the voices of Americans by signing into law a costly and irresponsible piece of legislation that is littered with special deals and tax hikes. Bennett said he refuses to turn his back on Utahns and Americans who do not want this government takeover of health care forced upon them. Both Bennett and DeMint, along with senators of Idaho, Louisianna and Texas, are working together to repeal the health care bill.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett is criticizing a mandate in the health care legislation that allows the federal government to takeover student loans. Bennett says the government expansion creates a huge problem for Utah because the student loan system actually works in the state and the mandate will eliminate hundreds of jobs. He said Utah has the highest student loan repayment rate in the nation and the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority has designed a loan repayment strategy that works for everyone by offering default rates lower than what the federal government can offer. Bennett said the irresponsible provision was slipped into the health care bill by Democrats’ philosophy that there’s a government fix for everything. He said the student loan provision would put a stop to private banks offering student loans and would expand direct lending from the government instead. Bennett commented the insertion would eliminate 200 jobs in Utah.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City officials are planning two days of intensive meetings to scrutinize department budgets to look for further areas of cuts in order to balance the city budget. The first meeting will be held Wednesday at 7pm in the council chambers where the council will review and discuss budgets for insurance, parks and recreation, pool, library, golf course, administration, economic development, buildings, attorney and youth council. The second meeting will be held Thursday, also at 7pm to review and discuss budgets for police, fire, irrigation, shop and airport. The public is invited to attend.

LOS ANGELES (AP)-Drew Doughty scored the winning goal in overtime as the Los Angeles Kings outlasted the Colorado Avalanche, 4-3 Monday at STAPLES Center in NHL action. Ryan Smyth added a pair of goals and Jonathan Quick amassed 18 saves for Los Angeles, who improved to 42-24-5 with the win. Chris Stewart, Peter Mueller and T.J. Galiardi each scored in the loss for the Avs, which dropped them to 40-25-7. In other NHL action Monday, Detroit downed Pittsburgh, 3-1 and Ottawa blanked Montreal, 2-0.

DRAPER, Utah (AP)-Tauni McFarland posted four hits and earned the win on the mound as the Manti Lady Templars pummeled the Juan Diego Lady Soaring Eagle, 14-6 Monday in non-region softball action.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah BLM Resource Advisory Committee will meet in St. George this Wednesday and Thursday to discuss topics that affect recreation on public lands. BLM Chief of External Affairs, Mitch Snow says two important items on the agenda affect fees and wilderness areas. He said the agenda includes expanded amenity fees at the BLM’s Moab Skyway Group Site and the Entrada Bluffs, Bartlett and Courthouse Rock camping areas and fees at the Little Sahara Recreation Area and Dixie National Pine Valley Guard Station. Fees will also be discussed on the Fishlake National Forest’s Adelaide, Gooseberry, Lebaron, Maple Grove and Oak Creek campgrounds. The meetings will be held Wednesday and Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn in St. George.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Lines at the driver’s license division in Utah are about to get shorter. As of Monday, appointments can be booked online rather than standing in line. Utah Driver’s License Division Spokesman, Jeff Nigbur, says wait times are now averaging what they were before new laws took effect in January requiring more residency documentation to get or renew a license. Nevertheless, he says the new online appointments should make it even better. The soonest available appointments start next Monday and Nigbur stated that online appointments can be booked as far as three weeks in advance. Once appointments have been made, printable confirmation numbers will be available as well as the needed applications for any given transaction. The online scheduler is available online at driverlicense.utah.gov.

(CEDAR CITY)-A state geologist says the floor of southern Utah’s Cedar Valley is sinking. Utah Geological Survey senior scientist William Lund says the valley has dropped about 100 feet over the last 70 years, mostly due to water being pumped out of the underlying aquifer. Lund, in an address to the Central Iron County Water Conservancy District last week, said overpumping the aquifer also causes fissures in the ground that may allow pollution to sink in. Another agency scientist, Mike Lowe, says he’s preparing a set of recommendations for the conservancy district to deal with the sinking ground. Options could include pumping less water, using more surface water and outlining areas where construction would be prohibited or have to adhere to special building methods.

(Manti) The Sanpete County Courthouse is going green. County Commissioners received word recently that a $250,000 dollar grant has been awarded to upgrade the boiler system and lighting in the building. Commissioners recently conducted an audit of energy use at the courthouse and found that with some upgrades, the county could save around thirty percent. According to Commissioner Steve Frischknecht, the county will need to wait until the weather improves to do much since the boiler system is still being used. In the long run, the county should be able to save quite a bit from its operating budget with the energy savings.

(RICHFIELD)- Two men from California were arrested Friday for placing credit card scanners on gas pumps at Flying J and Walkers gas stations in Richfield. At about 6pm, Richfield City Police identified 55-year old Levon Karamyan of Burbank, CA. and 27-year old Robert Fichidzhyan of Van Nuys, CA., as the two men who allegedly placed four credit card scanners at each of the businesses last Wednesday. The scanners can store information of up 5,000 credit and debit cards. In a police report, the two men provided gas pump maintenance service at the locations affected. The report said an employee of C.S.E.C.O located the scanners at each of the businesses. Flying J Corp. was able to assist police through surveillance video of the suspects and their vehicle. Police then distributed the photos to Walker’s and Flying J. On Friday, an alert employee at Walker’s witnessed the suspects and called police. Police stopped the suspects and arrested them. The men were taken to the Sevier County Jail and charged with eight counts of unlawful storage of magnetic encoded information from a credit card. Bail was set for both men at $250,000 each. Fichidzhyan was also charged with possession of cocaine and both for marijuana.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The U.S. House of Representatives made history Sunday by passing a landmark health care reform bill. The vote in the House was 219-212. Republicans were unanimously opposed and are already preparing to use health care as a way to turn up the heat on Democrats across the country and in Utah. All three Utah representatives voted against the bill. The stage was set for the final vote by a last-minute compromise with wavering pro-life Democrats. Pres. Obama agreed to issue an executive order prohibiting federal funds for abortion but Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz denounced that maneuver. Democrat Jim Matheson’s explanation for his “no” vote was milder. Matheson’s “no” vote angered many Democrats but the party chairman predicts Democrats will set aside differences and unite for the fall campaign. Republicans relish the prospect that Matheson will be on the hot seat at the Democrat convention in May.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett says the Democrat’s tactic to “deem and pass” the health care bill without a clean up-or-down vote will be a historic mistake for Pres. Obama, not a historic achievement. In a statement issued today, Bennett said the latest gimmick epitomizes the smoke and mirrors being used to jam through this unwanted legislation. Bennett said where’s there’s smoke, there’s fire and Americans are going to get burned. He said Americans are not fooled by Democrat’s trickery to get the health care bill passed. Bennett commented that the “fixes” to the health care bill add $150 billion in new taxes, totaling $644 billion as cuts deepen to Medicare by slashing $525 billion from our seniors. He said Obama claims the legislation as a historic achievement but would be nothing more than a historic mistake on the backs of the American people.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City police are investigating the thefts of items from vehicles at the high school parking lot east of the Sevier Valley Center during the past week. Police reports say five vehicles were broken into between March 10-18. Several items were taken, including I-pods and tools. Police are asking for help locating suspects in the thefts. If you have any information, please call Richfield Police.

(EUREKA) – The BLM is planning to hike visitor fees at the Little Sahara Recreation Area near Eureka due to a nearly $300,000 revenue loss. BLM reports show that LSRA has seen a steady increase in visitors since 2005 but the popular off-roading area has been losing money over several years. Officials plan to raise fees to cover costs of law enforcement, pumping toilets, testing water quality, trash disposal and emergency medical supplies. The fees will be discussed at a BLM meeting in St. George next week. Recreation lead for Utah’s BLM office, Aaron Curtis said the BLM usually raises fees every three years to keep pace with rising costs but LSRA hasn’t seen an increase since 2003. He said they can’t even cover the costs of toilet paper. The fee would be $75 per night in the summer and $40 in the winter.

(Ephraim) A major employer in Ephraim has layed off most of its workforce in the last three weeks. I-Works, based in Saint George let fifty of its employees go from its Ephraim office three weeks ago, and another 100 last week. That leaves only thirty employees at the Ephraim location. The company blames the layoffs on the loss of a large account and the slow economy. Those who were layed off did receive one months severance pay, but all were caught off guard by the move. The company helps people access government loans, and takes customer service calls for other clients. According to the company, if the layoffs had not taken place, the company would have run out of money.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett has successfully added legislation to the pending Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill concerning the critical development of the St. George airport. Bennett said the legislation is an essential step forward in meeting the transportation needs of the rapidly growing region. The amendment, sponsored by Bennett and Sen. Orrin Hatch, is identical to legislation introduced by Bennett last year that would authorize the secretary of transportation to release restrictions on the use of 40 acres of property given to the city of St. George for its existing airport. He said the bill is expected to pass the Senate later this week.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is kicking off National Agriculture Day 2010 with its “Real Talk from Real Farmers” video contest. Department Spokesman Larry Lewis says this contest gives farmers and ranchers an opportunity to showcase their farms and animals. He said the contest will run from March 18 through Oct. 15, 2010 where the top 10 entries will receive an invitation by Ag Commissioner Leonard Blackham to a Thanksgiving celebration in November. Blackham said he’ll also be doing his part in making his own video. He added that he often hears how farmers and ranchers wished city dwellers knew what it takes to get food from the farm to the store and this is a great opportunity to tell the story.

(ROY)—Wednesday in Roy, a semi-truck lost control, causing two trailers to roll while thousands of gallons of diesel fuel were spilled on northbound Interstate 15. For hours, traffic in both directions was diverted, causing miles of backup. Currently, all southbound lanes on I-15 have reopened while the Utah Department of Transportation will repave two 30-foot sections of two lanes of northbound I-15 at 5600 South in Roy where the fuel has eroded the surface. UDOT says the northbound outside lane has also reopened as well. The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m. Wednesday and northbound traffic is currently being forced off at the 650 North Exit in Clearfield. The driver of the semi-truck suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital. Troopers say he was in the 11th hour of a 12-hour shift, but his allotted driving hours for the shift in question were legal. Nevertheless, officers are still thinking about pressing charges against him.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A Salt Lake City man faces charges for allegedly looking at child pornography on a computer at the library downtown, the Deseret News reported. Last November, police arrested 39-year-old Kenneth Thulin after another library patron saw what he was viewing on the computer. Library staff and security members confirmed the images and called police. Court documents say Thulin admitted to viewing the porn and said he had to go to the library because he didn’t have Internet access at home. When asked why he didn’t have access, Thulin said his wife didn’t want pornographic images on the family computer. He has now been charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

(SANDY)—Utah’s police council has disciplined or revoked the law enforcement powers of eight officers. The Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council had its quarterly meeting Monday, where it adjudicated several cases. At the meeting in March 2009, the council disciplined 17 officers. POST Director Scott Stephenson says discipline cases come in bunches but he also mentioned the state’s police academy has placed a greater emphasis on training cadets and veteran officers on ethics in recent years.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Democratic rival Peter Corroon, planned to file for election Wednesday. They will now begin campaigning to fill the state’s job for the next two years. Herbert and Corroon are vying to complete the remainder of former GOP Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s term, which expires in 2012. After Huntsman’s resignation in August 2009, he left Herbert in charge in the interim. Primarily, Corroon and Herbert are campaigning largely on economic development, energy development and improving education. Thus far, analysts say it’s been difficult to discern differences in their stances on these issues. Herbert advocates that one of his greatest accomplishments thus far has been protecting public education from deep cuts in a tough budget year without raising income taxes. Corroon is beginning his campaign efforts by starting with a rally in Park City Wednesday while others are planned for St. George, Ogden and Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, Herbert is starting his efforts by conducting a rally at the University of Utah followed by a rally at his downtown Salt Lake City headquarters.

(ST. GEORGE)—The chairman of the Washington County Democratic Party is challenging Republican House speaker Dave Clark for his seat in the Legislature. Friday, Cyril Noble filed for office and said he had been asking candidates to challenge Republicans for years and felt it was finally time to run himself. Noble is a retired manager and legislative officer for Boeing. Clark won his last election with 73 percent of the vote in 2008.

(NEW HARMONY) – Warmer temperatures are warning water officials to be wary of the possibility of flooding. Temperatures in Cedar City pushed above 60 degrees on Tuesday and Iron County Emergency Director Charlie Morris says he thinks if the snowpack doesn’t melt too fast, the area should be allright. In Washington County, officials are concerned in areas ravaged by wildfires. The Mill Flat Fire last summer burned close to Vernile Prince’s home in New Harmony and he’s worried that melting snow could trigger debris flows. Just to be safe, Prince build a sandbag wall around his window wells. Washington County officials say they’ve promised $1.1 million in federal funding for watershed improvement projects. They expect most of it to be spent on flood-control efforts.

Richfield and North Sevier high schools each had two winners, and Wayne and Piute high schools each had one winner in the thirty-eighth annual Deseret News-KSL Sterling Scholars of Central Utah awards program. “Nearly all of the 12 competing high schools garnered at least one of the possible 15 wins that were announced March 16 in the Sevier Valley Center, Richfield,” said Neal Bosshardt, program co-chairperson. “Judges talked about the excellence of the nominees this year and how well prepared they were for judging that took place March 9 in Richfield,” he continued. Juab and Richfield lead the pack with two winners each. Juab had eight runners-up and Richfield had seven runners-up. Other schools with two winners were North Sevier, Manti, and Delta. Millard, Manti and Delta each had three runners-up. Schools with two runners-up were South Sevier and North Sanpete. Schools with one winner were Piute, Wayne, Gunnison Valley, Millard, and North Sanpete. Wayne and Gunnison Valley both had one runner-up. Ken Beazer, athletic director of Southern Utah University served as master of ceremonies and also gave a challenge to scholars. Prelude music was a clarinet duo by Marissa Long and Samantha Schroeder directed by Phillip Forester, band teacher, NSHS. Nolan Andersen and Barry Smith, committee coordinators, NSHS, hosted the awards program. They were under the direction of Neal and Marcia Bosshardt, Redmond, co-chairpersons of the Central Utah program. NSHS Principal Jill Porter gave the welcome and Brother Zach Cowan, principal, LDS Seminary, North Sevier, gave the invocation. Musical selections include a piano solo by Jordan Pearson, RHS; Xylophone solo by Sean Gibson, JHS, and piano solo by Andrew Olsen, Manti High. Courtney Mehew, the 2009 winner in General Scholarship, RHS, gave a tribute to teachers and parents. Alexis Andersen and Layni Leaming, NSHS, served on stage as assistants to the master of ceremonies. “We want to thank those who make the Sterling Scholar program possible. The contributors, nominees, parents, teachers, counselors, principals, superintendents, school board members, judges, committee members, colleges and universities, news media, and all those who help to make the program a success,” said the Bosshardts. The 2010 winners and runners-up include- English & Literature Winner, Sarah Barton, RHS, parents Jared and Mindy Barton, Richfield; Runners-up, Amy Bangerter, North Sanpete, parents Jim and Sherrie Bangerter, Fairview, and Dixie Sorensen, GVHS, parents Wayne and Ann Sorensen, Gunnison. Mathematics Winner, J.D. Singleton, RHS, parents Phil and Nannette Singleton, Glenwood. Runners-up, Bryan Bishop, DHS, parents Rick and Jenilyn Bishop, Delta, and Josh Richens, JHS, parents Ken and Darlene Richens, Nephi. Social Science Winner, Kelsie Mason, North Sevier, parents Ferald and Shannon Mason, Aurora. Runners-up, Dallen Anderson, RHS, parents Darrin and Kristy Anderson, Glenwood, and Kelsie Jones, JHS, parents David and Maurie Jones, Mona. General Scholarship Winner, Eric Lyman, North Sevier, parents Matthew and Kayleen Lyman, Redmond; Runners-up, Tyler Whitlock, JHS, parents Dale and Sue Ann Whitlock, Nephi, and Orion Wilson, SSHS, parents Clayton and Merrilee Wilson, Monroe. Business & Marketing Education Winner, Olyvia Lindgren, PHS, parents Ole and Kenda Lindgren, Antimony. Runners-up, Nicole Brough, JHS, parents Chad and Lisa Brough, Nephi, and Kaden Hanks, Manti, parents Kerry and Wendy Hanks, Ephraim. Dance Winner, Susan Hamilton, WHS, parents Rob and Jane Hamilton, Loa. Runners-up, Kember Anderson, Millard, parents Pete and Colleen Anderson, Fillmore, and Cambrea Ann Breinholt, RHS, parents Carl and Ann Marie Breinholt, Richfield. Computer & Information Technology Winner, Jacob Johnson, GVHS, parents Lars and Diana Johnson, Mayfield. Runners-up, Landon Hitchcock, JHS, parents Craig and Merry Hitchcock, Nephi, and Colten Rouska, Manti, parents Eric and Karla Rouska, Ephraim. Science Winner, Hunter Bigelow, Manti, parents Chuck and Jennifer Bigelow, Manti. Runners-up, Demirie Huntsman, RHS, parents Layne and Laurie Huntsman, Richfield, and Tanner Linton, JHS, parents Troy and Monica Linton, Mona. Music Winner, Andrew Olsen, Manti, parents Richard and Bridget Olsen, Manti. Runners-up, Sean Gibson, JHS, parents Allan and Mariann Gibson, Nephi, and Jordan Pearson, RHS, parents Larry and Jani Pearson, Richfield. Visual Arts Winner, Ariel Peterson, JHS, parents Michael and Rosalie Peterson, Nephi. Runners-up, Alexis Fryer, North Sanpete, parents Douglas and Terresa Fryer, Spring City, and Garret Nash, RHS, parents Malcom and Wendy Nash, Glenwood. Trade & Technical Education Winner, Clay Davies, Millard, parents Rob and Renee Davies, Fillmore. Runners-up, Samantha LeFevre, DHS, parents Larren and Norene LeFevre, Delta, and Jameson Pace, WHS, parents Paul and Liz Pace, Bicknell. Family & Consumer Sciences Winner, Kimberlie Styler, DHS, parents Kevin Styler and Michelle Burnett, Oak City. Runners-up, Kara Lee Jensen, JHS, parents Brian and Tanna Jensen, Rocky Ridge, and Janette Stevens, Millard, parents Roger and Lorna Stevens, Holden. Foreign Language Winner, Michael Edmunds, North Sanpete, parents Klyn and Paula Edmunds, Spring City. Runners-up, Jared Fullmer, Manti, parents James and Penny Fullmer, Ephraim, and Kassidy Peterson, DHS, parents Clint and Rebecca Peterson, Delta. Agriculture Science Winner, Katharine Nye, DHS, parents John and Maria Nye, Delta. Runners-up, Riley Bastian, RHS, parents Nolan and Vicky Bastian, Sigurd, and Caleb Swallow, Millard, parents Kelby C. and Mary Ann Swallow, Fillmore. Speech & Drama Winner, Kevin Johnstun, JHS, parents Bryce and Larita Johnstun, Mona. Runners-up, Logan Bruce Jones, SSHS, parents Aaron and Marie Jones, Monroe, and Brooks Lindberg, RHS, parents Ron Lindberg and Tory Lindberg, Richfield.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A University of Utah employee was injured when he fell into a campus manhole Tuesday morning. The hole is 12 feet deep and the unidentified 30-year-old worker was too injured to climb out on his own. Salt Lake City Fire Department Spokesman Mark Bednarik said the employee had been working on underground fiber optics but as he returned to the surface, a ladder moved and dislodged as he fell to the bottom of the hole. Emergency crews responded, administered care and then brought him out of the hole on a stretcher. Bednarik said the employee is in fair condition and did not suffer any life-threatening injury. Officials and workers are now investigating the accident and how the ladder may have slipped out of position.

(WEST JORDAN)—West Jordan Mayor, Melissa Johnson, says an inspection of buildings in the historic Sugar Factory Playhouse returned to her Monday rife with frightening results. Johnson said the playhouse’s cement ceiling and unreinforced wall has a high probability of falling and smashing to the ground. This could be fatal as the playhouse cast, crew and audience could be as large as 300 during any given performance. Some residents are criticizing Johnson, but she fears for the playhouse staff, especially since her children often perform in the plays. Currently, Johnson is seeking for a temporary place where the productions can be moved.

(OGDEN)—An Ogden man is now behind bars, accused of stabbing another man in the head. The Standard-Examiner reports 30-year-old David Chadick was booked into the Weber County Jail on suspicion of attempted criminal homicide after Friday’s incident. Police say Chadick was hiding on the porch of a home on the 200 block of 34th Street when he lunge out and stabbed the 53-year-old victim. A woman who was with the victim at the hospital told the police Chadick was her ex-boyfriend and that he stabbed the man while the two went to visit a friend. The victim suffered severe cuts and doctors say he’s lucky to be alive.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah education officials are trying to determine which schools might need more protection from earthquakes. The Office of Education is collecting data for more than 1,000 school buildings in Utah to better understand which are more at-risk to earthquake damage. Finance director Larry Newton says each district and charter school is submitting information about when their schools were built, when they were last upgraded and how close they are to seismic faults. State officials will use that inventory to determine which school buildings may need additional seismic studies and possible upgrades.

(CARSON CITY, NV.) – A Nevada Supreme Court ruling has dealt a blow to the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s plan for a massive $3.5-billion pipeline project that may dry up water sources in western Utah. The High Court said SNWA filed for water rights in 1989 in the Spring Valley area near the Utah-Nevada state line but the state engineer did not act upon the applications for 20 years. Nevada law requires entities to act upon water rights applications within a year of filing. State officials said the less-than-definitive ruling has thrown into question thousands of water rights issued over more than 50 years. They also say that the one-year rule was a “statutory relic” from the late 1940’s and strict enforcement could void a quarter of active water rights. Those who have chosen not to be included in the negotiations say that Nevada State officials are using their claims as “scare tactics.” Utah officials suspended negotiations with Nevada authorities because of the High Court ruling.

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (AP)—Tomas Holmstrom posted his 20th goal of the season and Pavel Datsyuk also scored as the Detroit Red Wings doubled up the Los Angeles Kings, 2-1 Monday at the Pengrowth Saddledome in NHL action. The Red Wings and Flames are currently battling for the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff berth and Detroit’s win may be instrumental in helping them get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings lead Calgary by three points with 13 games left to play. Craig Conroy scored the sole goal in the loss for the Flames. In other NHL action Monday, Columbus tripped up Edmonton, 5-3 and New Jersey outlasted Boston, 3-2.

(RICHFIELD) – The 38th Annual Central-Utah Sterling Scholars Program will be held Tuesday at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield. One winner and two runners-up will be announced in each of several categories during the program starting at 7pm in the SVC Auditorium. Judges for the Deseret News/KSL Sterling Scholars of Central Utah program met March 9 in Richfield to judge 134 nominees from 12 high schools throughout the region. Nominees’ portfolios were viewed and judged by 44 judges. The program is under the direction of Neal and Marcia Bosshardt of Redmond.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A federal judge has denied a discovery motion filed by defense attorneys for a college student accused of sabotaging an oil-and-gas lease auction by running up prices and failing to pay for his bids. U.S. District Judge Dee Benson ruled Monday that prosecutors don’t have to turn over any documents they may have that show the intent of other bidders who failed to pay for leases they bid on but were never prosecuted. Defense attorneys are trying to show the government is selectively prosecuting environmental activist Tim DeChristopher. In a ruling from the bench, Benson said defense attorneys failed to show the other bidders who never paid up had similar situations to DeChristopher. DeChristopher’s attorneys say they still plan to pursue their line of defense.

(FILLMORE) – A judge has scheduled a joint preliminary hearing for three days in August for the two men involved in the shooting death of a Millard County deputy in January. A status hearing was held today for Roberto Roman and Ruben Chavez-Reyes in a Fillmore courtroom. Court documents say that Roman is charged with capital murder and tampering with evidence for the killing of Deputy Josie Fox at a traffic stop east of Delta in the early morning hours of Jan. 5. Chavez-Reyes is charged with felony obstruction of justice in the case. Both men will stay in the Utah County Jail until their hearing in August.

(ANNABELLA) – A Monroe woman was cited for a seatbelt violation when she was hit from behind while transporting three children west of Annabella Friday night. A Sevier County Sheriff’s report said that 29-year old, Elizabeth Geer was traveling westbound in a Suburban on Landslide Road, when she was struck from behind by 50-year old, Coreen Anderson of Annabella at about 6pm. The report said that Anderson was also westbound and didn’t see Geer due to the sun in her eyes, when she hit her in a Dodge Durango. The three children traveling with Geer were not seatbelted and were transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield for observation. Sheriff’s deputies issued a citation to Anderson for following too close and Geer for seatbelt violations.

(FILLMORE) – A man accused of killing a Millard County Deputy in January will face a judge today at a status conference hearing in Fillmore. Court documents indicate that Roberto Roman and his attorneys will meet with a judge in a hearing for his future trial. Roman has been charged with murder in the shooting death of Deputy Josie Fox in a traffic stop east of Delta in the early morning hours of Jan. 5. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the killing. Roman’s accomplice, Ruben Chavez-Reyes, waived a preliminary hearing today on charges of obstruction of justice, burglary, tampering with evidence and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – A former Utah Jazz basketball player wanted on out-of-state warrants was arrested Thursday in Salt Lake City. 27-year old, Robert Whaley was arrested at about 4:30am Thursday by Salt Lake County gang detectives. Officers stopped a car Whaley was riding in and found he had a warrant out of Michigan for his arrest. Detectives also caught Whaley with several bags of marijuana stuffed between his buttocks. Whaley identified himself as Kareem Johnson. Police reports say that Whaley has had a history of legal problems. In 2005, he identified himself as Bobby Williams after a fight in Park City. He and Deron Williams were both cited for giving police a false name. Whaley was drafted by the Jazz in 2005 but was traded to the Toronto Raptors the next year. He’s being held in the Salt Lake County Jail on $100,000 bond.

(ELSINORE) – A Kansas man was taken to the hospital after getting rearended by a semi near the Elsinore exit on I-70 Saturday afternoon. According to a UHP report, 74-year old, Merlin Bowen of Phillipsberg, KS. was traveling westbound in a 2002 Lincoln Town car, when a 2008 Freightliner semi, driven by 24-year old, Brett Burgess of Seattle, slid into him at about 3pm. Bowen was not wearing his seatbelt and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with possible injuries. His passenger, 22-year old, Michael Johnson of Colorado Springs, CO. was not wearing his seatbelt and was not taken to the hospital. The semi driver was wearing his seatbelt and was not injured. He was cited for unsafe lane travel due to white-out conditions on snow packed, slick roads.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)—Kevin Durant had 35 points and Russell Westbrook added 30 points and 11 assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder clipped the Utah Jazz, 119-111 Sunday at Ford Center in NBA action. The prolific Thunder shot a season-best 60 percent from the field in the win as they improved to 41-24. The Jazz fell to 42-24 and dropped their second consecutive game while Deron Williams posted 27 points and 14 assists for Utah in defeat. In other NBA action Sunday, Milwaukee bested Indiana, 98-94, Cleveland waxed Boston, 104-93, Miami torched Philadelphia, 104-91, Charlotte downed Orlando, 96-89, Phoenix pummeled New Orleans, 120-106, Portland ousted Toronto, 109-98 and Sacramento gashed Minnesota, 114-100.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Stoney White tossed a two-hitter to lead the Beaver Beavers to a 6-1 win over the Gunnison Bulldogs Saturday at the Chuckwagon Classic.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Justin Orton and Stetson Crandall each had doubles and the Kanab Cowboys doubled up the Manti Templars, 8-4 at the Chuckwagon Classic Saturday.

KANAB, Utah (AP)-Peter Shipman had a two-run homer and the Rowland Hall/St. Mark’s Winged Lions edged the South Sevier Rams, 3-2 Saturday at the Chuckwagon Classic.

MT. PLEASANT, Utah (AP)-Bahoram Puga had two goals and the Hurricane Tigers downed the North Sanpete Hawks, 3-1 Saturday in non-region boys soccer action.

DELTA, Utah (AP)-Jace Abbott scored the game’s sole goal as the Delta Rabbits downed Desert Hills, 1-0 in non-region soccer action Saturday.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Zach Bown homered for the Manti Templars while Courtney Lund and Kyle Moore added key hits in a 21-1 rout of Fredonia (Ariz.) Friday at the Chuckwagon Classic.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Jacob Dowell earned the win on the mound as the South Sevier Rams outlasted Lincoln County (Nev.), 8-7 at the Chuckwagon Classic Friday.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Stoney White belted a triple and the Beaver Beavers hammered the Rowland Hall/St. Mark’s Winged Lions, 14-1 Friday at the Chuckwagon Classic.

KANAB, Utah (AP)—Craig Brinkerhoff and Justin Orton each had extra-base hits while Orton earned the win on the mound as the Kanab Cowboys drilled the Juab Wasps, 13-3 at the Chuckwagon Classic Friday.

KAMAS, Utah (AP)—Trevor Rydalch scored the game’s sole goal and McKinley Smoot earned the shutout as the South Summit Wildcats blanked the Gunnison Bulldogs, 1-0 Friday in 2A North soccer action.

MONROE, Utah (AP)—Brian Anderson, Jake Roberts and Tyler Roberts each scored as the Beaver Beavers downed the South Sevier Rams, 3-0 in 2A South soccer action Friday.

EPHRAIM, Utah (AP)—Ryan Proctor amassed a hat trick to lead the Hurricane Tigers to a 7-1 win over the Manti Templars Friday in non-region boys soccer action. Ben Lund scored the sole goal in the loss for Manti.

PRICE, Utah (AP)—Jaz Peppelaar scored both goals for the Richfield Wildcats as they doubled up the Carbon Dinos, 2-1 in non-region boys soccer action Friday.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Sara Brown amassed the game-winning RBI in the ninth inning as the Gunnison Lady Bulldogs outlasted the Millard Lady Eagles, 10-9 Friday in non-region softball action.

(MILLCREEK)—A 21-month-old girl was flown to Primary Children’s Medical Center after her mother found the girl floating in a backyard pond Friday. Police say the mother had just returned from the store with her girl and was unloading groceries when the girl chased the family dog into the backyard. While the mother was distracted, the girl fell into the pond. Her mother found the girl floating face-up and called 911. The girl was flown to the hospital in critical condition and is expected to survive.

(HOLBROOK, Ariz.)—Authorities say two Linden, Ariz. men have been arrested in connection with a series of armed robberies of banks and credit unions in four states. FBI officials say Joel Jay Glore and Ronald Michael Capito were taken into custody Thursday after a week of surveillance. The men, both in their early 50s, are suspected of being the so-called “High Country Bandits,” who robbed up to 16 banks and credit unions in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah since September. The Arizona robberies all occurred within 150 miles of the state’s border with Utah in such places as Flagstaff, Payson and Pinetop. One of the bank robberies Glore was involved in occurred at a U.S. Bank in Park City February 16. Capito was not linked to this incident. Authorities say Glore was arrested at a Show Low (Ariz.) hospital where he was being treated for a ruptured appendix while Capito was arrested at his Linden home. FBI agents executed search warrants at the men’s homes and authorities would not disclose details on how Glore and Capito were identified as suspects or how much money was taken in the robberies.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah lawmakers have dropped a bill attempting to ban the state from the sale of nicotine-flavored candies. Time ran out on the last day of the legislative session Thursday, stopping the proposal in the Senate. House Bill 71 would have also made it a Class A misdemeanor to use a fake driver’s license or ID card to purchase items such as cigarettes. Previously, the offense was a Class C misdemeanor. The bill is sponsored by Clearfield Republican Paul Ray.

(ST. GEORGE)—Dixie State College will build a new campus centerpiece for a library and other facilities. Wednesday, the Utah Legislature authorized $35 million for the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons building. It will be the largest facility on campus with five stories and 170,000 square feet of floor space. College President Stephen D. Nadauld says the first floor will be devoted to student services with a library and electronic learning center occupying the next three floors and a career center on the top floor. The same spending bill passed by the Legislature for Dixie State set aside $29 million for a Salt Lake Community College administrative complex and $4 million for the National Guard Armory.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City library will get a new roof if the city can secure a USDA grant. At this week’s city council meeting, Finance Director Mike Langston approached the council with the estimated cost to repair the roof. Langston said it would cost $28,000 to re-shingle the roof and would protect completed improvements and renovations inside the library. He said the roof has been in disrepair for many years and needs to be replaced. Langston told the council the city needs $9,800 from a USDA grant, a donation of $13,200 from Friends of the Library and $5,000 from the city to complete the project. He said the city would come up with the money from the capital improvements funds for GIS enhancements but only if the grant is secured.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Rep. Jason Chaffetz has decided to not seek earmarks for the 2011 budget year because spending by Congress is so excessive that he cannot justify pushing even worthy earmarks now. Chaffetz says he’s received 50 requests amounting to over $280 million to go towards earmarks, some that are legitimate projects. He unseated former Rep. Chris Cannon two years ago, in part by attacking Cannon’s earmarks. Chaffetz kept a vow not to seek any himself during his first year in Congress. But late last year, near the end of his freshman term, Chaffetz announced he would seek worthwhile earmarks with full transparency. He still attacked unfair, pork-barrel earmarks of others. On Wednesday, Chaffetz said while many worthy projects from his district had been submitted for his consideration, he decided not to push any to try to help hold down overall spending.

(Salt Lake City) Two Central Utah residents were killed in an accident with a Trax Train last night in Salt Lake City. According to police reports, a car driven by 21 year old Alex Amundson of Fairview was stopped at a Trax crossing about 7:00 PM waiting for the train to pass when Amundson apparently drove the car around the crossing gate possibly in an effort to beat the train. The train struck the car and carried it for 300 hundred feet down the tracks. Amundson was killed immediately and one of the passengers, 18 year old Donald Callison of Monroe died later at the scene. Two other passengers were taken to hospitals in critical condition. According to the report, all of the occupant of the car were in Salt Lake for a KFC training meeting and were traveling from store to store. A Utah Transit Authority spokesman says the train was likely going about fifty miles an hour when it struck the car. No passengers on the train were injured in the incident.

(GUNNISON) – A Provo man sustained injuries after rolling his vehicle on SR-28 north of Gunnison Thursday at about noon. According to a UHP report, 62-year old Brent Young was traveling southbound in a 1992 Toyota pickup, when he apparently fell asleep at the wheel and rolled twice. The report said Young drifted off the right shoulder of the highway about 12 miles north of Gunnison and struck a delineator post, overcorrected and went off the left shoulder. Young was transported to the Gunnison Valley Hospital with chest pain and later airlifted to the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah State Legislature will wrap up its 45-day session by midnight tonight. Rep. Kay McIff says work on several bills will take legislators right up to the final hour, including budget bills. McIff said the 45-day session was not without its struggles and challenges but ended with most bills passed for the betterment of the state.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah lawmakers want the word “state” placed in all liquor store signs. In Utah, all liquor stores are state owned and many signs already tell customers that. However, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control left the word out of some store signs in an effort to better fit with certain store surroundings and to present a less imposing environment to out-of-state customers. Nevertheless, lawmakers say they want it to be known alcohol isn’t easy to come by as they contend that telling customers the store is state-owned assures that. Despite this, there is little difference in the way liquor stores operate in Utah as compare to other states. The Senate approved House Bill 419 Thursday. It now advances to Governor Gary Herbert.

(ST. GEORGE)—A Dixie State College club has raised more than $6,000 to help provide emergency preparedness kits to Washington County’s 1,000 school rooms. To raise funds, the Rural Health Scholars Club sponsored a benefit concert featuring classical pianist and composer John Schmidt. Last week, the club turned the proceeds from the event over to the Washington County School District. The money will help outfit classrooms with backpacks containing a first-aid kit, walkie-talkie, flashlight, whistle, water, student health care plans, a chart with emergency procedures and other items. Student Services Director, LuAnne Forrest, says just a few classrooms have preparedness kits, even though they’re required. Club president Austin Cope says fundraising for the kits will be an ongoing project.

(PINTURA) – A 25-year old Salt Lake County woman on her way to her own wedding in Las Vegas was killed in a multi-vehicle pileup north of Pintura on I-15 Wednesday afternoon. According to UHP Trooper Cameron Roden, Kristen Taylor and her husband-to-be, Gregory Bennin, were traveling southbound in a Kia Spectrum at about 12:30pm, when they stopped behind a semi due to poor visibility and then were rearended by a second semi. A UHP report said Bennin’s arm was seriously injured and he may lose it. Roden said a UHP Trooper, Lars Gardner was on his way to the I-15 accident from St. George, when he slammed into a vehicle and killed 71-year old, Karen Gummow and her sister, 75-year old, Ila Moore, who were on their way to a Relief Society meeting. The trooper was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. North and southbound lanes on I-15 were closed for about five hours while crews cleared wreckage from the highway.

(RICHFIELD) – A local cable company is expanding their service in Sevier County. CentraCom Interactive of Fairview will soon provide Internet service to residents and businesses in Venice and Glenwood. Community Development Director Steven Clark was the featured speaker at the Richfield Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon today and told business leaders of future telephone service in Richfield. Clark said Internet service is already up and running in Aurora, Central Valley, Annabella and Elsinore and the company is looking forward to providing additional services in several towns throughout South-Central Utah. He also commented that Channel 10 will expand with on-demand service and better audio capacity.

(CEDAR CITY)—A fatal accident involving at least 15 cars has shut down part of southbound Interstate 15 near Cedar City. The accident happened shortly before 1:00 p.m. near milepost 35 in northern Washington County. All southbound traffic must now exit the interstate in Cedar City on Exit 59 (200 North) and head westbound on S.R. 56 to Enterprise and then go southbound on S.R. 18 toward St. George. The road is expected to remain closed until 4:30 or 5:00 p.m.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Since the Bowl Championship Series remains obstinate in running its patently-illegal cartel, Utah university and college students are forced to pay the penalty. In an era where universities and colleges throughout the nation are in the red and the BCS hordes the money, colleges have no alternative but to force students to undergo tuition hikes. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, administrators and trustees at two major universities in Utah, Southern Utah University and the University of Utah, tuition hikes will be averaging a 10 percent increase next year, while SUU could increase tuition to up to 15 percent. Additionally, Weber State University and Utah Valley University are also considering tuition hikes in the 10 percent range. Tuition at colleges in Utah has doubled over the past 10 years, an increase of nearly three times the rate of inflation. Nevertheless, administrators say tuition in Utah is still below similar schools across the nation.

(AMERICAN FORK)—Two Utah County teenagers have been cited for a fight that developed after they traded messages on Facebook. One of the teens, 18-year-old Spencer Dauwalder of Alpine was cited for disorderly conduct in October when he rapped his order at a McDonald’s drive-thru in American Fork. A McDonald’s worker asked Dauwalder and his friends several times to speak their order but they refused. The manager then asked them to leave while police caught up to them later and cited them. Tuesday, Dauwalder was cited again, this time for a fight with another teen, Kyle Shennum. The Daily Herald reports Dauwalder and Shennum were sparring with comments on Facebook. This led to an arranged fight in Lehi February 27. About 50 people showed up to watch the fight, but police arrived and dispersed the crowd. The fight later moved to American Fork Junior High while police broke up the gathering as well and cited both teens. The paper reports Dauwalder faces a bench trial April 6 in connection with the first disorderly conduct citation. Court records show he filed a motion to dismiss that case.

(JOSEPH) – A Nevada woman escaped serious injury when she slammed into a concrete barrier on I-70 near Joseph Tuesday night. According to a UHP report, 35-year old Christine Bolduc of Henderson, NV. was traveling eastbound in a 2004 Ford Mustang at about 8:45pm when she lost control of her vehicle due to slick ice. The UHP report said Bolduc slammed into a concrete barrier, crossed eastbound lanes and went off the right shoulder of the highway. She was wearing her seatbelt and was not transported to the hospital.

(RICHFIELD) – The battle over maximum heights for accessory buildings or garages on residential property in Richfield continues between councilmembers, the Planning Commission and builders. For several months, officials have been discussing roof pitch, eave heights and setbacks that are favorable to all concerned. At Tuesday night’s city council, further discussion was held as to whether the heights of garages and accessory buildings within the city limits should be 24 or 22 feet. Planning members want the height to be 22 feet and some on the city council want 24 feet. Builders want the height to be at least 24 feet. The city council also discussed language in the land use ordinance concerning metal buildings to be in harmony with other structures in the neighborhood. Councilmembers, Dan Chidester, Richard Barnett and Mike Turner voted to amend the garage heights ordinance for further discussion and councilmembers Bryan Burrows and Chris Allred abstained on the metal buildings portion of the ordinance. The final vote on the entire ordinance will be held in a future council meeting.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council approved a resolution honoring the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America organization at the council meeting Tuesday night. The resolution expressed gratitude to the volunteers who commit countless hours to inspire and prepare future generations of leaders and to celebrate a 100 year legacy of “Doing a Good Turn” and “Being Prepared.” In addition, the resolution proclaimed March 2010 as “Boy Scouts of America Month” in Richfield. In other city council action, the council approved a C-2 Use permit to convert the old Parsons Bakery store to a sandwich shop at 60 West 100 North in Richfield. The business is owned by Ken Castles and proposes to seat 40 people. The council also rescheduled the next city council meeting from March 23 to March 30 to allow individuals to use the council chambers on March 23 for the Republican Caucus meeting that will coincide with other caucus meetings statewide.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Matt Howard had 14 points and nine rebounds and the #12 Butler Bulldogs pummeled the Wright State Raiders, 70-45 Tuesday in the Horizon League Final at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 20 games and are the only Division I team in the nation to head into the NCAA Tournament with an unbeaten mark in conference play. N’Gai Evans had 13 points in the loss for the Raiders.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Jimmy McCarthy had the game-winning RBI and Peter Shipman posted nine strikeouts as the Rowland Hall/St. Mark’s Winged Lions downed the Millard Eagles, 5-4 Tuesday in non-region baseball action.

SPANISH FORK, Utah (AP)—Corbin Laughlin had a pair of doubles for the American Leadership Eagles who edged the North Sanpete Hawks, 6-5 in non-region baseball action Tuesday.

GUNNISON, Utah (AP)—Darren Knomo and Kyler Pearce each scored and the Grand Red Devils blanked the Gunnison Bulldogs, 2-0 Tuesday in 2A South boys soccer action.

NEPHI, Utah (AP)—Ariel Gee posted seven strikeouts for the Juab Lady Wasps who played the American Leadrship Lady Eagles to a 5-5 draw in non-region softball action. The game was called after four innings due to a bout of snow that came into the Juab County area.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A web developer has announced his candidacy for a U.S. House seat from Utah. Last week, Randall Hinton announced he will challenge Democratic Representative Jim Matheson in Utah’s 2nd District. Hinton says he is running as the candidate for the Constitutional Party. In announcing his run for office, Hinton criticized Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and similar programs, calling them “unfunded liabilities.” Others who have announced they want to challenge Matheson include Dixie State College instructor Neil Walter and former state lawmaker Morgan Philpot. Both are seeking the Republican nomination. Matheson won another term in 2008 with 63 percent of the vote.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A U.S. appeals court has ruled wilderness groups cannot intervene to help the government fight a lawsuit filed by Kane County seeking ownership of two dirt roads crossing federal lands. Monday, the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that because the federal government was fully committed to fighting the lawsuit, there is no assistance required from the Sierra Club, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance or The Wilderness Society. Kane County is seeking title to Bald Knoll Road, which runs for nine miles along an edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Vehicles need high clearance to travel the route, which is on BLM land near a national forest. The county also wants title to seven-mile-long Mill Creek Road, which also crosses federal land.

(OGDEN)—Weber County prosecutors have decided against seeking the death penalty in the case of a man accused of shooting and killing two people at a wedding party three years ago, the Standard-Examiner reports. Riqo Perea has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder in connection with the 2007 crime. Sabrina Prieto and Resendo Nava Nevarez were both killed in the shooting and two others were wounded. Police say the shootings were gang-related. Jury selection in the case is expected to begin Tuesday and if Perea is convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A guide to some of Utah’s most scenic roads can now be found on the state’s Office of Tourism Web site. The site features listings of which roads to take and what has made them state and national scenic byways. The tourism office says Utah has scenic roadways from Bear Lake down to Zion National Park and that they are a major draw for tourists. Thus, the state wanted to put a guide online. Eight of Utah’s roadways have now been deemed as national scenic byways. The state has given the scenic designation to 18 other roads.

(TAYLORSVILLE)—A robber got away with several tills from a 7-11 convenience store in Taylorsville early Tuesday morning. Witnesses say they saw a black Ford Explorer sitting outside the 7-11 in question for hours while apparently someone inside the vehicle was waiting for customers to leave. The robber then entered the store around 1:30 a.m., walked to the counter and demanded money from the clerk. Police say he grabbed the cash drawers from both registers before jumping into the Explorer. The SUV was last seen headed north on 3200 West while a description of the suspect was not immediately provided.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The traditional five-year renewal cycle for livestock brands is currently underway. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is sending out notices to owners of cattle, sheep and horses to renew their brand or ear marking every five years. UDAF Spokesman Larry Lewis says Utah cowboys can now be among the first in the nation to use the Internet to apply. He said last year, UDAF returned over 2,000 head of lost cattle, sheep and horses to their owners at a value of over $1.5 million. Owners of livestock in Sevier, Sanpete, Millard, Beaver and Piute Counties will receive their notices in July. Owners in Emery, Grand, San Juan and Wayne Counties will receive notices in August and owners in Iron, Washington, Garfield and Kane Counties will get notices in September. Registering livestock brands has been a ritual in Utah since the 1860’s.

(NEPHI) – Biologists with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources went on an adventure Monday morning to track down a hibernating bear for ongoing research. The three-year old, 200-pound female bear was located in a remote area of Mt. Nebo through a signal device that was attached to the bear. DWR biologist Craig Clyde says tracking bears in the region help officials estimate bear populations. Biologists found the bear after a two-hour hike on snowshoes, sound asleep in a wet, humid area about 20 feet into a mountainside. They determined the bear had no cubs and said she should be venturing out into the wild in two to three weeks as spring arrives.

LAS VEGAS (AP)—Mickey McConnell and Ben Allen had career-highs with 26 and 20 points respectively and the Saint Mary’s Gaels punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with an 81-62 dismantling of the #14 Gonzaga Bulldogs Monday at the Orleans Arena in the West Coast Conference Tournament title game. McConnell and Allen hit four 3-pointers apiece for the Gaels, who shot 51 percent from the field on the evening and scored 51 points in the second half to repel the Bulldogs. The win commemorated only the second time since 1987 the Gaels won the league tournament as they now await their destination in next week’s NCAA Tournament. Steven Gray had 16 points in the loss to pace the Zags.

(ELSINORE) – A Las Vegas man was arrested on I-70 Friday for transporting over a pound of methamphetamine wrapped in duct tape. According to a sheriff’s report, Sgt. Adrian Hillin was patrolling the highway and pulled over a vehicle for having mirrored or Limo tint on its windows at the Elsinore exit. Hillin said after talking to the subject, he believed the driver was transporting some type of illegal drug. 48-year old, Felipe Miranda-Romero gave Sgt. Hillin permission to search his vehicle, after which he found the drugs. The suspect claimed he had no idea where the drugs came from. Hillin said the driver claimed he was traveling from Las Vegas to Denver. The man was booked into the Sevier County Jail on possession with intent to distribute illegal narcotics.

(RICHFIELD) – The Assistant Superintendent of Schools for the Sevier School District has been chosen to replace Dr. Brent Thorne as superintendent. Myron Mickelsen was selected on March 4 after a unanimous decision by the Sevier School District Board of Education over several other candidates. Mickelsen has been serving as Assistant Superintendent since 2002 and prior to that, served as principal of North Sevier High School in Salina. He’s a graduate of North Sevier High School and studied at Utah State University from 1967-1970 and also earned a Bachelor of Science, Biology Secondary degree from SUU in 1985. Mickelsen obtained a Master of Education Leadership degree from BYU in 1994. He and his wife, Joy, reside in Redmond. They have four children and 10 grandchildren. Mickelsen will take over his duties as Sevier School District Superintendent on July 1, 2010. Dr. Brent Thorne announced his retirement a few weeks ago.

(CENTRAL VALLEY) – A public hearing is planned for Central Valley residents this Wednesday concerning amending the 2009-10 budget. The Central Valley Town Council is advising residents that they can inspect the current budget at the Town Hall. The meeting will be held at the Central Valley Community Center at 50 West Center at 7:30pm. The public is invited to attend.

(CEDAR CITY) – The Cedar City Council has cut impact fees for Southern Utah University. At last week’s city council meeting, councilmembers approved a resolution to cut $116,152 from the originally proposed impact fees of $153,527 for SUU’s Science Center, settling a disagreement over the fees. City Manager Ron Chandler said when the city impact fee ordinance was first created, the transportation impact fee analysis did not include a category for educational institutions and government buildings. However, in May 2009, the state legislature made a law permitting municipalities to charge impact fees on state-funded buildings.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said President Barack Obama is “scapegoating” insurance companies after failing to get health-care legislation passed in Congress. Romney told commentators on the “Fox News Sunday” program that it’s something Obama is fond of doing when one of his programs runs into trouble. Obama is pushing Congress to approve the most sweeping U.S. health-care legislation in more than four decades. Republican lawmakers and 62% of the American public are unified against the plan and have urged Democrats to start the process over. 62-year old Romney, who lost the 2008 Republican nomination to Sen. John McCain or Arizona, said he hasn’t decided whether to run for president in 2012 and won’t make a decision until after this year’s congressional elections.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP)—Amanda Goetschius of Charlotte placed first in the womens’ 5000-meter run to headline numerous strong showings at the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame Friday. Additionally, New Mexico’s Chris Barnicle won the mens’ 5000-meter dash to finish the day. The meet will resume Saturday.

(HELPER) – A small earthquake near Helper was detected today. The University of Utah seismograph stations registered a 2.5-magnitude quake at about 7:50am centered four miles northeast of Helper and about 2-1/2 miles below the surface. Public safety dispatchers in Price said they received no calls from area residents about the quake and no reports of damage.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Marty Burt had 15 points and Devan Jones added 10 more as the Duchesne Eagles downed the Intermountain Christian Lions, 59-46 Thursday in the 1A state consolation bracket at the Sevier Valley Center. Duchesne next faces the Valley Buffaloes at 1:30 p.m. Friday. The game can be heard on KMGR.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Justin Olsen had 29 points and the Manila Mustangs got past the West Ridge Fighting Eagles, 64-52 in the 1A consolation bracket at the Sevier Valley Center Thursday. Austin Olson had 15 points in the loss for West Ridge. Manila next faces the Whitehorse Raiders Friday at 3:00 p.m.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Keliah Holly had 17 points and the Whitehorse Raiders downed the Milford Tigers, 59-48 Thursday in the 1A consolation bracket at the Sevier Valley Center. Bo Thomas posted 14 points and six rebounds in the loss for Milford.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Clay Williams posted 22 points and seven assists and Lance Maxwell added 19 more points as the Valley Buffaloes dismantled the Wasatch Academy Tigers, 72-54 in the 1A consolation bracket at the Sevier Valley Center Thursday. Fred Krajacic had 18 points and six boards in the loss for the Tigers.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Caden Andersen made 13 of 15 shots while amassing 29 points and eight rebounds as the Rich Rebels advanced into the 1A semifinals with a 77-66 win over the Liahona Warriors Thursday in the 1A quarterfinals. Brandon Nichols had 25 points and nine rebounds while Brayden Facemyer also had 25 points for the Warriors.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Tyson Westwood keyed a balanced scoring attack with 18 points and the Piute Thunderbirds clipped the Green River Pirates, 64-50 in the 1A quarterfinals Thursday at the Sevier Valley Center. Jason Johnson had 22 points and 11 rebounds in the loss for the Pirates. Piute next faces the Rich Rebels in the 1A semifinals Friday evening at 7:30. The game can be heard on KMGR.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Dallin Duncan had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Steven Redd and Devin Wright also posted 13 points apiece as the Monticello Buckaroos advanced into the 1A semifinals with a 54-49 win over the Panguitch Bobcats Thursday at the Sevier Valley Center. Riley Miller had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats while Eric Frandsen posted 17 points and 14 boards for Panguitch.

RICHFIELD, Utah (AP)—Kace Roundy had 23 points and eight rebounds and the Bryce Valley Mustangs stunned the Tabiona Tigers, 36-34 Thursday in the 1A quarterfinals at the Sevier Valley Center. Robbie Giles amassed 16 points and 20 boards in the loss for the Tigers. The Mustangs next face the Monticello Buckaroos in the semifinals Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. The game can be heard on KMGR.

(BRIAN HEAD) – The Utah Department of Transportation closed southern Utah’s SR-143 today from Brian Head to Mammoth Creek until further notice due to high winds and drifting snow. UDOT will announce the re-opening of the road when conditions improve.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett is blasting the Obama administration in their new effort of using reconciliation that would allow the Democrat’s health care plan to pass with a simple majority. Bennett said it’s outrageous to him that after several months of an outcry of opposition by Americans, President Obama has decided to forge ahead and use any tactic available to jam through his health care bill. Bennett said the president’s “new bill” will still raise taxes, increase premiums and slash Medicare. He said his partisan bill is facing bipartisan opposition from a vast majority of Americans. Bennett says he’ll continue to call on the president to scrap the current proposals, start over and focus on step-by-step reforms to lower the cost of health care.

(TROPIC) – A Tropic woman was taken to the hospital with possible injuries in a vehicle rollover on SR-12 west of Tropic Wednesday night. According to a UHP report, 37-year old Matthew Lagasse of Tropic was traveling eastbound in a 1987 Suzuki Samurai, when he was hit by 21-year old Kaleb McInelly of Bryce Canyon, traveling southbound on SR-12 at about 6:15pm. UHP said McInelly was stopped at a stop sign on John’s Valley Road and while proceeding through the intersection, was blinded by sunlight and hit Lagasse. The impact caused Lagasse to roll and his passenger, 43-year old, Tena Lagasse, also of Tropic, was transported to the Garfield Memorial Hospital with possible injuries. She was wearing her seatbelt, along with Matthew, who was not injured in the accident. McInelly, driving a 2006 GMC Sierra, was wearing his seatbelt and was not injured. He was cited for failure to yield.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told a Senate committee today that there is no “hidden federal agenda” to designate national monuments in Utah and around the West. Salazar, testifying before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, downplayed a leaked Interior memo highlighting 14 potential new monuments, including two in Utah, saying it was simply an effort to gather ideas from his staff. Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah released the Interior memo two weeks ago, arguing that he had unearthed what could be plans by the Obama administration to convert public lands in Utah and other states to national monuments. The move would block any development or oil and gas drilling in those areas. Two of the sites listed included San Juan County’s Cedar Mesa and Emery County’s San Rafael Swell. The release prompted Sen. Bob Bennett to ask Salazar to turn over all documents and correspondence to him relating to the discussions in light of the action former President Clinton took in designating the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument without local input. Salazar commented there’s no such move towards designating national monuments.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Detectives are investigating a case of a stolen e-mail account involving a local user and suspects out of the country. Detectives say after stealing the account, the suspects change the password and notify those in the contact list that a person is in jail in London, England and needs money to be bailed out. The suspects then proceed to try to get financial information from those on the contact list. The original owner of the e-mail was notified by a friend who called to tell her that she’s listed as being in jail in London. Sevier County Detectives were notified immediately and began an investigation. Authorities continue to warn Internet users to be wary of scams involving the transfer of money to unknown accounts.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah Supreme Court has upheld a land exchange between Garfield County and school trust lands managers over a challenge brought by the National Park Conservation Association. The land exchange occurred over 20 years ago in a backcountry route that extends from Boulder through the Grand Staircase National Monument, into Capitol Reef and onto the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The trade brought objections by the park conservation association, who argued state managers had breached their fiduciary duties by failing to give priority to scenic, aesthetic and recreational values. The suit brought the issue to the Utah Supreme Court in 1993 and justices halted the land exchange until assessments were done. Since then, assessments showed the SITLA land was valued at about $200,000, which was three times less the value of lands acquired by Garfield County and the Supreme Court ruled 3-2 against the park association that there was no breach of fiduciary duty. The court said transferring public property for less than fair market value would violate statutory prohibitions.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP)—Tanisha Smith posted 19 points and Danielle Adams added 18 more as the #14 Texas A&M Lady Aggies hammered the #12 Oklahoma Lady Sooners, 78-55 Tuesay in Top 25 womens’ college basketball action. The Lady Ags built a 19-point halftime lead and never looked back en route to their 21st win of the season against seven losses. Danielle Robinson had 16 points in the loss for Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)—Kevin Durant amassed 39 points and 10 rebounds, snapping out of his three game streak without scoring at least 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder outlasted the Sacramento Kings, 113-107 Tuesday at Ford Center in NBA action. Russell Westbrook added 30 points and 13 assists for Oklahoma City who remained in strong position for a high playoff berth in the Western Conference with the win. Although the Thunder were never seriously threatened, the scrappy Kings were able to remain within six-eight points but failed to make any significant defensive stops down the stretch. Tyreke Evans had 27 points and six rebounds in the loss for Sacramento, which dropped them to 20-40 while the Thunder improved to 36-23. In other NBA action Thursday, Boston held off Detroit, 105-100, Miami downed Golden State, 110-106 and the Los Angeles Lakers bludgeoned Indiana, 122-99.

(ST. GEORGE)—St. George police say five men have been arrested in a prostitution sting. Those arrested were Kyle Scott Carter, Wayne Toso Alofipo, Soloman Eleazar Kane, Kelly J. Olsen and Micah Rohn Strickler. They have all been booked into the Washington County Jail on suspicion of patronizing a prostitute. Another man was arrested, but not formally charged.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A partnership has identified itself as in the running to build a sprawling electronic data center for the nation’s intelligence agencies in Utah. Salt Lake City-based Jacobsen Construction is teaming up with New York-based Turner Construction Company and Klewitt Company of Omaha, Neb. The partners say that building the 1 million-square-foot data center in less than three years will be a monumental undertaking. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it isn’t releasing the names of any companies submitting qualification proposals February 24 on the $1.7 billion construction project for the National Security Agency.

(SANTAQUIN)—A Santaquin couple has lost custody of their child, and faces charges, after taking him to the hospital with broken bones and bruises, the Daily Herald reports. A police affidavit states Jeremy Averett admitted to inflicting injuries upon his young son but insists he didn’t do it intentionally. His wife, Ashley, then told police she had seen her husband abuse their son but had not reported it before taking him to the hospital. Both Jeremy and Ashley were booked into the Utah County Jail, Jeremy on charges of child abuse and neglect and Ashley on a charge of neglect.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett has sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar requesting all documents and correspondence relating to potential national monument designations in Utah. Bennett said a recent DOI document recently leaked confirms that the department is considering creating as many as 14 new national monuments by using the Antiquities Act to designate monuments without congressional approval or local input. In the letter, Bennett referred to the experience in 1996, when then President Bill Clinton, designated the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument as off-limits to development, without communicating with the Congressional Delegation and local officials. Bennett said Utahns are still infuriated over the action. He said that although Salazar has assured him that the designations are part of a brain-storming session, Bennett wants verification that areas in the state will not be designated without local input.

(Manti) The 49th annual Sterling Scholar Competition will be held later this month with scholarships going to the winners. Those competing from Manti High School this year include Kimberly Wayman in English, Markie Nelson in Speech and Drama, Courtney Lund in Math, and Dalliam Henningson in Social Science. Hunter Bigelow will represent the school in Science, Jared Fullmer in Foreign Language, Samantha Gordon in Visual Art, and Preston Nielson in Trade and Technology. Also competing are Barton Olson in Agricultural Science, Colton Rouska in Computer and Information Technology, Rachel Mitsvotai in Family and Consumer Sciences, and Kaden Hanks in Business and Marketing. Rounding out the list are Andrew Olsen in Music, Monique Lantz in Dance, and KelliAnne Olsen in the General Scholarship Category. Winners will be recognized at an awards banquet at the end of this month.

(FILLMORE) – New charges have been filed against two men in connection with the slaying of a Millard County Sheriff’s deputy. Prosecutors have added a charge of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony, against Roberto Roman, who is accused of fatally shooting Josie Fox during an early morning traffic stop Jan. 5 on a rural road east of Delta. Roman has already been charged with capital murder and evidence tampering. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Roman was restricted from possessing a gun because he’s an illegal alien. His accomplice, Ruben Chavez-Reyes, who was previously charged with obstruction of justice, now faces the same weapon charge and four other felonies, including two counts of burglary and two counts of evidence tampering. Chavez-Reyes is accused of altering, concealing or destroying a cell phone and a firearm in Millard, Juab, Salt Lake and Beaver counties.

FARGO, N.D. (AP)—Ted Rud placed first in the mens’ heptathlon for North Dakota State’s mens’ indoor track team to lead the Bison to the Summit League title with 175.5 points at the conference championships Monday. The Southern Utah squad placed third with 105. 5 points with Wade Nielson’s first place finish in the high jump bolstering the Thunderbirds. Other wins came from the Bison’s Weston Leutz in the 60-meter hurdle and the pole vault while his teammate, Ryan Jenson, placed first in the 1000-meter run.

PITTSBURGH (AP)—Kelly McManmon had 18 points and the #19 St. John’s Lady Red Storm downed the Pittsburgh Lady Panthers, 77-65 Monday in Top 25 womens’ college basketball action. Da’Shena Stevens added 17 points and 15 boards while Shenneika Smith posted 16 points and 10 boards for Pittsburgh. In other Top 25 action Monday, #11 Georgetown hammered Seton Hall, 71-49, #1 Connecticut dismantled #8 Notre Dame, 76-51 and Syracuse upset #7 West Virginia, 67-48.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Baron Davis had 19 points and 12 assists and Eric Gordon had 13 of his 24 points in the 4th Quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers outlasted the Utah Jazz, 108-104 Monday at STAPLES Center in NBA action. The loss was rare for Utah as they have amassed at least 10 wins in both January and February although the start to the month of March was less propitious than expected for the Jazz. Drew Gooden added 19 points and 11 boards for Los Angeles while Chris Kaman posted 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers. Carlos Boozer had 20 points and six rebounds in the loss for Utah. In other NBA action Monday, Cleveland dismantled New York, 123-94, Orlando pounded Philadelphia, 126-105, Dallas humbled Charlotte, 89-84, San Antonio waxed New York, 106-92, Atlanta decimated Chicago, 116-92, Portland stymied Memphis, 103-93, Houston bludgeoned Toronto, 116-92 and Phoenix scorched Denver, 101-85.

(AURORA) – Sevier County Deputies are looking for an unknown vehicle that backed into the fence surrounding the water tank in Aurora sometime over the weekend. The Sheriff’s Office reported that dispatch notified deputies at about 7:30 this morning that the fence had been knocked down between Friday afternoon and early this morning. Public Information Officer Nate Curtis said damage to the fence amounted to about $1000. Deputies continue to look for suspects in the case. If the public has any information, please call the sheriff’s office.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners met with representatives of the Sevier Power Company today to discuss the stalled effort of a proposed building of a coal-fired power plant near Sigurd. SPC’s Bruce Taylor said the reason the work on the project is on hold is due to a recent Utah Supreme Court decision to suspend SPC’s air quality permit. Taylor said the decision of the court is confusing. He told Commissioners if the points of the air quality permit can be resolved, then SPC can move forward with the project but if not, then they may have to start over with a new application, including the move towards a gas-operated unit. SPC President Rod Clark said the company has done no work on the proposed project for two years. Commissioner Gary Mason asked SPC if they could furnish the commission with all the options available to their Apr. 5 meeting and representatives said they could have the information within two weeks.

(ROY)—A church in Roy may end up affiliated with a different Lutheran congregation because of a split with national church leaders over gay priests. Last summer, the Evangelical Lutheran churches of America voted to allow openly practicing homosexual pastors to preside over congregations instead of requiring gay pastors to practice celibacy, as had been the previous policy. The Standard-Examiner reports the vote has caused concern for at least one Utah Congregation, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Roy. Thursday, the church will conduct a forum to discuss the possibility of joining a different Lutheran Congregation, the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. The paper reports the church in Roy did not receive the two-thirds vote needed to secede from the ELCA. Another church, The Ascension Lutheran Church of North Ogden, tells the paper it has increased membership since the policy change.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – A controversial climate change resolution advanced in the Senate Thursday by a vote of 18-8. House Joint Resolution 12, sponsored by Rep. Kerry Gibson of Ogden, urges the Environmental Protection Agency to cease its regulation of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas emission until climate change science can be proven. Majority Whip Wayne Niederhauser of Sandy says the EPA is wrongly pursuing its regulation on the premise that carbon dioxide will continue to increase in the atmosphere at a time when more and more attention is being paid to so-called green energy. Democrats are opposed to the measure saying it will reflect poorly on Utah’s reputation. The resolution will get one more airing in the Senate. It passed the House on a 56-17 vote.