(ST. GEORGE)-Washington County School District teachers and staff are spending the summer vacation brushing up on school safety procedures. Student Services Director, LuAnne Forrest, says the district is holding a community emergency response training course in conjunction with St. George police. Training courses cover basic first-aid for life-threatening injuries, fire suppression, search and rescue skills and disaster preparedness. Forrest says teachers will test their skills during a Wednesday night drill. In addition to safety training, Dixie High School is installing a two-way radio communications system to connect the school directly with first responders. This system will be used instead of telephones to facilitate better and swifter communication.

(RICHFIELD) – A Kansas man charged with attacking a Greyhound bus driver on I-70 in March appeared for a plea before a judge in 6th District Court in Richfield on Tuesday. According to court documents, 37-year old Santos Munoz-Gonzalez of Springdale, KS., was scheduled to make a plea before Judge Wallace Lee in court Tuesday but his attorney asked for a continuance. Judge Lee granted the continuance until July 13, where Munoz-Gonzalez will appear again for a plea hearing. A UHP report said that Munoz-Gonzalez attacked the bus driver near Sevier on I-70 in March, causing the bus to crash. He then fled to the rafters of a garage in Joseph where he was found a short time later. Six passengers, including the bus driver, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Investigators said that Munoz-Gonzalez may have suffered a mental episode in the incident.

(HEBER) – A 17-year old Holladay girl died at an LDS Church camp on Monday. According to her LDS Bishop, Scott Wilmarth, Sophie Barton was hiking with other girls and her mother at the LDS Church Heber Valley Camp, when she felt dizzy and eventually collapsed at about 4pm. Emergency crews responded to the scene and took Barton by ambulance to the Heber Valley Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at about 7pm. Wasatch County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jared Rigby said that Barton was conscious when she left camp but stopped breathing at the hospital and died. A medical examiner has yet to determine the exact cause of death but officials believe it could be from heat exhaustion. Barton was a member of the Holladay 25th Ward. The rest of the girls at the camp cut their trip short and returned home Monday night. Grief counselors organized a session today and a fireside was scheduled for tonight to help ward members.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City officials are asking residents to conserve water for the rest of this week due to problems of electrical issues with the large water well. City Manager Mike Langston said the city is struggling to keep up with the current demand for water and if residents can cut back on water use until Friday, the city will be able to keep the water tank as full as possible. If residents have questions, call the city office.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Governor Gary Herbert has made his nominations for two judicial vacancies. Herbert nominated Katherine Bernards-Goodman to serve as a judge in the 3rd District Court and Clark McClellan in the 8th District Court. Bernards-Goodman, an assistant division chief for the Salt Lake County district attorney’s office, where she supervises 15 attorneys and prosecutes drug and homicide cases. McClellan is the city prosecutor for Vernal and Roosevelt and has also served as counsel for various governmental entities, such as the Uintah School District. These nominations are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is warning people concerning telephone fraud. Public Information Officer Nate Curtis says the department has been getting calls from people complaining that they’re getting phone calls indicating that they’ve won a cruise and need to send money. Victims say the caller says he represents “Winner International” and the winner needs to have $2,000 shipped to him to get the prize cleared through customs. Curtis says such calls are generally a scam and potential victims need to hang up and notify the sheriff’s office.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett introduced a bill last week to strengthen airport security. Bennett wants to require all commercial airports in the United States to deploy Advanced Imaging Technology machines, as a means to beef up security. The AIT machines are also known as Body Imaging Scanners. Bennett said he’s seen the machines in operation and believes it’s a true advancement in technology to deliver safer skies and that the current magnetometers are not enough of a security measure following the 911 attack. Along with Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, Bennett has introduced the Safer Air Act in Congress, to include the Body Imaging Scanners as the primary screening method at commercial airports, including the Salt Lake International Airport.

Well, this is a time of year where there isn’t much in sports going on, but we’ll do the best to fill the gap.

First of all, LeBron James manages to steal the headlines, even now. James’ desires have not yet been revealed as the King himself says he wants to be the one to determine all elements of his decision. Thus, you guess is as good as mine as to where he’ll end up. Interestingly, the Dallas Mavericks have recently expressed interest in free agent Joe Johnson( Happy Birthday to Johnson Tuesday)! Perhaps this is a smokescreen in hopes of pursuing James, we’ll see what happens. If nothing else, it should be exciting.

Finally, in the College World Series, the underrated South Carolina Gamecocks pounded UCLA, 7-1 in the first game of the CWS World Series. The Gamecocks received three RBI from Bobby Haney while the prolific South Carolina offense belted out 14 hits overall. Game 2 is Tuesday and the Bruins will be fighting for their lives.

Well, that’s all the time for now so thanks for reading!

(RICHFIELD) – An Ogden teenager who was killed in a horrific automobile accident near Huntsville over the weekend has local ties. Local officials say that 18-year old Karlee Jack of Neola, was one of five Ogden teenagers killed Saturday when the driver of the car in which she was a passenger, attempted to pass a truck before crashing in Ogden Canyon. Springer-Turner Funeral Director Bruce Turner said Jack is related to the Brinkerhoff and Turner families of Wayne County. A police report said that Jack and four of her closest friends were not wearing seatbelts and all died in the accident. A couple and their baby were in the truck but did not suffer any serious injury.

(RICHFIELD) – The Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Office of Tourism are encouraging businesses to participate in the “Stay an Extra Day” promotion. UDOT and the Tourism Office are asking businesses to offer a discount or incentive to travelers to stay at Utah attractions an extra day surrounding holidays. The promotion is designated exclusively on the Thursday or Tuesday around the Fourth of July, Pioneer Day and Labor Day holidays and/or on a Friday or Monday for any other weekend throughout the summer. Incentives could range from hotels providing a discount on a Monday night to encourage stay into Tuesday on the Fourth of July weekend to golf courses offering a special rate or retail discount. Local business owners can get more information by contacting the staff at the Richfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

(TOOELE) – Dozens of people gathered over the weekend to participate in the search for missing West Valley City mother, Susan Powell. Volunteers scoured the Simpson Springs area in the West Desert Saturday in Tooele County for any signs of the woman, who has been missing for more than six months. Volunteer Paula Heward said she hopes her search effort will make a difference. Family members, friends and other volunteers have been to the Simpson Springs area in the past to search for Powell and still hope they’ll find something. Powell’s husband, Josh, is identified as a person of interest in the case but has not been charged with her disappearance since she went missing on Dec. 7, 2009. Josh Powell’s brother-in-law, Kirk Graves, questions Josh’s reluctance to help in the search for his wife. Graves said the family has been told not to contact Josh and admits it’s difficult to keep hoping this story will have a positive outcome. Nearly 30 searchers participated in the effort on Saturday.

(RICHFIELD) – Judges have selected the new Miss Richfield in a pageant that was held at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield Saturday night. After 13 contestants competed in five categories, judges chose Makenna Jones, daughter of Jeff and Jan Moore, as queen. First Attendant was Karolann Mason, daughter of Scott and Cinda Mason and Second Attendant was Alexandria Wall, daughter of Steve and Sharon Wall. Hannah Nelson, daughter of Jon and Mariah Nelson, was selected as Third Attendant. Miss Congeniality was Virginia Smith, daughter of Lynn Hazlewood and Howard Smith. The contestants competed in interview, talent, evening wear, onstage question and casual wear. The current Miss Richfield, McCall Nielson, relinquished her crown at the pageant. The new royalty will reign over the Independence Day activities in Richfield and will provide community service through their chosen platforms.

(RICHFIELD) – Greyhound Bus Service is now available for travelers in Richfield. Greyhound Spokesperson Bonnie Bastian said Richfield has not had bus service since 2004 and due to a rise in interest, Greyhound decided to open the Richfield area to bus service. Bastian said Day’s Inn at 300 North Main in Richfield is the official stop for Greyhound service and welcome travelers to use the service. Information is available at Day’s Inn as to travel times and schedules.

(MARYSVALE) – A Phoenix man claiming he was being “chased” on SR-89 Tuesday morning crashed into a sign and a rock at the Big Rock Candy Mountain. According to a UHP report, 28-year old Sergio Martinez was traveling southbound in a 1991 Chevy Astro van, when he suddenly turned into a business on the west side of SR-89 and crashed at about 11am. He told troopers he was being chased by other motorists but UHP could not identify or locate the other drivers. Martinez said he had to turn off his headlights to keep from being found. Emergency medical personnel were called to the scene but officials have no information as to any injuries. UHP continues to investigate the incident.

The Utah Jazz had a plethora of options with the #9 overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. However, perhaps as a panicking procedure once the Detroit Pistons adroitly took Georgetown’s Greg Monroe with the #7 pick, Utah took Butler’s Gordon Hayward. While it’s true that Hayward was a good collegiate player, many NBA analysts, chief among them, ESPN’s Jay Bilas, believe Hayward lacks sufficient athleticism to be a solid NBA player. This is what the Jazz do with the #9 pick? I wish I could feel good about this selection, but on my part that would be intellectually dishonest. The Jazz’ major concern is lack of height and the selection of Hayward did nothing to solve this problem. Deron Williams said he would give Utah two years to make moves to impress him. Sadly, they appear to be off to a lousy start in that regard. For the most part, other teams made wise moves, such as the Miami Heat. Miami was able to draft Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi State and De’Sean Butler of West Virginia, who, if he is able to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in the Final Four, could be a steal. However, the true success for the Heat could come from the amount of salary cap space they’re freeing up in anticipation of the start of free agency July 1. Stephen A. Smith, via his Twitter account, has said the Heat can sign up to three max players (one of them would of course be current Miami star Dwyane Wade) and thus become instantaneous championship contenders. In any case, it will be interesting to see how things play out next week as free agency commences. The Atlanta Hawks, who traded for New Jersey’s pick at #27 with which they selected Jordan Crawford of Xavier, may have gotten a steal while Milwaukee adroitly selected solid big men in Larry Sanders of Virginia Commonwealth, Darington Hobson of New Mexico and Tulsa’s Jerome Jordan. The Washington Wizards also did quite well for themselves in selecting John Wall of Kentucky with the #1 overall pick and taking Marquette’s Lazar Hayward with the 30th overall selection. I could be wrong about Gordon Hayward, but right now it’s obvious that the Wizards selected the draft’s best Hayward as Lazar, much like his ex-college teammate, Wesley Matthews (who I love with the Jazz), has a nose for the ball and gives you everything he has. Thanks for reading!

(EPHRAIM)-Heat from the rear brakes of a semi truck caused its load of hay to catch on fire Thursday while traveling through Ephraim. The truck was on the northern outskirts of Ephraim, near Wal-Mart just before noon when an explosion on one of the truck’s tires caused the incident. Home video shows the flames shooting off the back of the truck and firefighters attempting to extinguish the fire. No one was hurt and U.S. Highway 89 remained open during the fire. Traffic is currently flowing normally.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – A Cedar City woman was chosen as third runner-up at the Miss Utah Pageant on June 19. 21-year old Erika Hansen, last year’s Miss Iron County and current Miss Southern Utah, won the position against 54 other contestants. She received $1300 in scholarship money and additional scholarship money by being chosen as the sole recipient of the Quality of Service Award. The award is given to the contestant with the best platform. Hansen has received state-wide media attention for her platform of child sexual abuse awareness. She suffered severe sexual and physical abuse for seven years at the hands of her stepfather, Kevin Phillips, who is now serving a sentence of 25 years in prison for his crimes. Hansen eventually alerted authorities of the abuse and has bravely and openly shared her story in the hopes that other victims will know what to do if they are suffering from abuse.

(Manti) The Sanpete County Search and Rescue were called out this morning at 4:00 AM to look for four people from Gunnison who were reported missing in the twelve mile area. According to the Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office, Cody Dyreng, Rhett Jackson, and two young boys went to scout hunting areas in the Black Fork portion of Twelve Mile Canyon about 4:30 Wednesday Afternoon. The Sheriff’s Office reports that the jeep the men were driving became stuck and they were forced to spend the night without any supplies. Rescue crews were able to locate them about 8:30 this morning and brought them down off the mountain. All four were reported in good condition.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced his endorsements Wednesday for Utah’s major political races. For the U.S. Senate, Romney is supporting Republicans Mike Lee, Gov. Gary Herbert, Rep. Rob Bishop and Rep. Jason Chaffetz, all running for re-election. Gov. Herbert said he’s grateful to have Romney as a good friend to the State of Utah and honored to call Mitt and Ann his friends for their support to the upcoming election in November. Romney also endorsed Morgan Philpot in the race against Jim Matheson for Utah’s Second Congressional District. Romney announced he’ll be contributing a combined $12,500 to their campaigns.

Most of you who clamor for some semblance of sports year-round have been somewhat intrigued by the United States’ emergence out of their pool in the World Cup. For you aspiring historians out there, the red white and blue’s 1-0 win over Algeria commemorates the first time since 1930 that the Americans have won their pool at the World Cup. As we receive more information at midutahradio.com concerning the updated World Cup Bracket, we’ll post those games for you on our super duper scoreboard and schedule.

However, it must also be mentioned that I’m not really a soccer fan. Despite this issue of my personality, this is important news and the soccer players, which are often overlooked in our nation, deserve some recognition. Wherever they go from here, this World Cup has been a success. U-S-A! U-S-A!

Meanwhile, in sports I care about, the NBA Draft is tomorrow (5:00 p.m. MDT) and obviously the Utah Jazz have a great chance to snare a magnificent player at #9. Once again, I hope this individual is Georgetown center, Greg Monroe. Cole Aldrich of Kansas, who many experts have seen potentially going to the Jazz, is Greg Ostertag Jr. so I would suggest Utah not draft him.

Finally, the NFL is becoming more interesting as training camp nears. Oshiomogho Atogwe, or O.J, if you prefer, returns to the St. Louis Rams. His impressive ballhawking skills will continue to help the Rams head in the right direction. As for new signal-caller, Sam Bradford, (a classy name if ever I heard one!), he should, for all intents and purposes, be a solid quarterback for years to come. St. Louis will be winning sooner rather than later, although 2011 is the “sooner” (no pun intended, Bradford played at Oklahoma….) in this instance. Even the great Peyton Manning went 3-13 in his rookie season in 1998. From there, the Colts went 13-3 in 1999 and have been consistent winners since. Bradford is the right choice for the Rams. Thanks again for reading!

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier Valley Veteran’s Memorial continues to slowly progress towards completion. Project Coordinator Woody Farnsworth updated the Richfield City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting as to the timetable of when the memorial will be finished. Farnsworth said the $423,000 project has nearly $300,000 committed to the project with about $125,000 still needed from private donations to complete the memorial. The mayor and city council suggested asking vendors at the July 4th celebrations in Richfield to add a small cost to their sales to go towards the memorial. Other private donations are also being sought to help complete the project. The city council hopes the memorial will be ready for dedication by Veteran’s Day in November.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Several Utah communities are showing exponential growth in the past decade, the Deseret News reports. New census estimates out Tuesday show the population of Saratoga Springs is now 13 times larger than it was in 2000 while other communities, such as Lehi and Saratoga Springs, have had comparable population explosions. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated populations for cities and towns nationwide, as of July 1, 2009, in the final annual estimates before the 2010 Census finalizes the numbers. Thus far, the Census is showing the most growth in Utah and Salt Lake County suburbs. As expected, Salt Lake City is still the largest city in Utah, while West Jordan is the second-largest and Provo is third-largest.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City has awarded the low bid for the construction of the new Six-County Food Sharing building at the Richfield Industrial Park. The low bid of $387,000 was awarded to BC Building Corp. of Richfield at the city council meeting Tuesday night. Mayor Brad Ramsay said the project has been two years in the making and he’s glad to finally see it come to fruition. Project Engineer Don Naser approached the city council at Tuesday night’s meeting to discuss the project. He said several grants from different agencies were secured to fund the project, including a Community Development Block grant, Community Impact Board grants and USDA money. Construction for the project will begin as soon as funds are received and should be completed by late fall.

(Manti) Manti’s 4th of July royalty was selected Monday night. Makayla Lindheart was crowned as Miss 4th of July, along with first attendant Heidi Richardson and second attendant Kate Murdock. Summer Pipes was selected as Miss Liberty. Manti will celebrate the 4th with a parade on Friday night July the 2nd, and all day activities at the park on Saturday the third.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council has approved its first ever archery range as part of a local boy scout’s Eagle Project. Scout Nathan Woolsey of Richfield presented the council with an outlay of the archery range, to be located on city property in the hills west of the city. He also produced 80 signatures in support of the project. Woolsey said he would gain the help of the Utah Bowman’s Association to set up the range and users would be required to maintain the targets and surrounding area. Mayor Brad Ramsay commented that the city has no funds to maintain the project and the area would need to be managed or the city would have to reclaim the project area. Councilmember Mike Turner made a motion to approve the project with a review of the area every two years for proper signage and maintenance. The Council unanimously approved the project.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-Massive clouds of smoke protruded the edge of Flagstaff, Ariz. Tuesday as firefighters battled to keep a nearly 19-square mile wildfire from the edge of this college town of 60,000 people. The work shifted after firefighters evacuated the area closest to homes, several of which remained under evacuation orders. Strong winds in the Kaibab Plateau region have quickly fanned the flames that broke out Sunday about five miles away from Flagstaff. Another fire burning on the southeast side of Flagstaff, that was linked to a campfire, was 50 percent contained Tuesday. A third fire, 11 miles northeast of Williams, Ariz., was expected to be fully contained Wednesday. Authorities have pointed to an abandoned campfire as the cause of the blaze. Thus, campfires will be ruled off limits for three northern Arizona forests as of Wednesday. Meanwhile, in Colorado, firefighters battled a 700-acre wildfire Tuesday west of Canon City, Colo., near the scenic Royal Gorge Bridge. Consequently, the bridge, which spans the Arkansas River, has been ruled off-limits for passersby.

(CEDAR CITY) – A Cedar City man responsible for a string of burglaries has been found and arrested. According to The Spectrum newspaper, 34-year old Todd Gubler was arrested on Friday in connection with the thefts of bicycles, electronic equipment and stereos. Police say the items were taken from homes and cars around the Cedar City area. Gubler has been charged with five separate burglary and theft charges. Police say Gubler has a history of criminal activity and is on the sex offender registry. He was convicted in 2003 of a third-degree felony for lewdness involving a child.

(MOAB) – Grand County School District Administrators are asking voters to pass a leeway to help pay for teachers’ salaries. The district is asking voters for the authority to raise property taxes up to a maximum rate, according to law, to be phased in over a several-year period. Business Administrator Robert Farnsworth says putting a leeway in place will help pay for teachers’ salaries. The small district out of Moab has faced a series of financial woes this past year, including the discovery of serious misallocation of funds in addition to the budget shortfalls districts statewide are facing.

(SUNNYSIDE) – The Utah Division of Forestry is planning a prescribed burn of over a thousand acres in the Tavaputs Mountains of Carbon County today. Division officials say the nearest burn area is seven to eight miles northeast of Sunnyside. The fire will be ignited both on the ground and by helicopter with hand crews and fire engines at the scene to manage the fire’s spread. Fire crews say the prescribed burn area is overloaded with dead and dying timber. Access on the Range Valley Mountain Road will be closed at Bruin Point until the burn is complete. Smoke and fire may be visible throughout the week from surrounding valleys and communities.

(RICHFIELD) – Property tax rates are coming down in Sevier County due to an increase of property tax revenues. At the Commission meeting Monday, Commissioners determined that the county had received a boost of $125,000 in property tax revenue than normal. Commissioners opened the current 2010-11 budget and adjusted the rate while including the increase. By state law, agencies that collect property taxes must reduce the tax rate if tax revenue increases and increase the rate if property taxes fall.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners approved an energy-efficiency grant contract between the county and the state to fund the installation of a solar photo-voltaic system at the County Administration building. At the commission meeting today, Economic Development Director Malcolm Nash says the system will provide the county with two sources of power. Nash said the county is working with the state in securing a $250,000 grant from federal stimulus money to go towards the project. He said $15,000 will come from county funds with a 25-year warranty on the system, including the replacing of 16 HVAC units at the county jail, which are in disrepair. Commissioner Gary Mason commented the county would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding the projects.

(LOA) – Wayne County officials are seeking a letter of support from Sevier County Commissioners with plans to change the designation of a minor collector route to a major collector route in Wayne County. State Senator Ralph Okerlund approached Sevier County Commissioners in today’s meeting to gain the support for UDOT to provide funds for changing RR 3270. Okerlund said the road is a six mile stretch between the main Fishlake Road, half way between Loa and the original Fishlake Road in Wayne County and is well used. The letter of support from Sevier County will help Wayne County officials in their effort to seek funding from UDOT.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Comprehensive Emergency Management is sponsoring a countywide exercise regarding an earthquake in the Richfield area. The drill will be held this Wednesday involving multiple emergency responders, including the testing of the new public alert siren system. Activities will be held in most Sevier County communities throughout the day Wednesday. SCCEM says the exercise will be handled as if it was a real life disaster and communities are welcome to participate.

(RICHFIELD) – The Annual South-Central Utah Relay For Life fundraiser is set for this weekend at the Richfield High School football and track field. Organizers say this year’s Relay is set to begin Friday at 6pm through Saturday at 10am. The event includes registration for survivors from 4:30-5:45pm Friday at which time they’ll receive a gift and T-shirt. Booths are set to open following the tributary laps and will feature games, beverages, snacks, food and various craft and assorted items. Events through the night are slated to include Relay idol winners, line dancing, a scavenger and treasure hunt, luminaria ceremony, karaoke and a midnight Mexican dinner. A 5-K run is set for 6:15am Saturday.

This weekend, the College World Series (PING go the aluminum bats) got off to a solid start with everything a legitimate postseason needs: a Cinderella. The Texas Christian Horned Frogs, who are capping off an athletic season where they’ve flirted with greatness are excelling on the baseball field to compensate for their football team’s late collapse in the Fiesta Bowl. Leading the way for the Frogs was Jason Coats who posted three RBI, while TCU exploded for five runs in the bottom of the first inning to give their first ever CWS appearance legitimate pizazz. It is refreshing to see non-BCS conference schools get a shot to make the big boys look stupid. In the other matchup of the day, UCLA decimated Florida, 11-3, giving the Sunshine State an ignominious start in Omaha, Neb. While the Bruins are an excellent story in their own right, for all intents and purposes, the plaudits belong to the Frogs, who face UCLA Monday evening.

As for the World Cup, Denmark scored a whopping two goals in a win over Cameroon, so give the Danes credit for their prolific offensive explosion (heavy sarcasm intended).

Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins are beginning to regret paying Albert Haynesworth(less) $41 million in bonus money as Fat Albert now insists he can’t play in the defensive scheme the ‘Skins have chosen to employ. All I know is if I was paid that much jack to do anything, I’d do whatever was asked of me. Incidentally, I try to do that at Mid-Utah Radio currently. Thanks to all of you who have visited this site and hopefully many more come in the future.

(Manti) The Mormon Miracle Pageant opened its 44th season last night in Manti to a croud of about seven thousand. The Pageant has been a summer time staple in the Sanpete Valley since 1967. This year over 900 cast members will portray the story of the Book of Mormon, the founding of the LDS church, and the settling of the Sanpete valley. The Pageant will run each night through Saturday June 26th, except for Sunday and Monday. The show starts at 9:30 PM and is free of charge.

(ST. GEORGE) – St. George police discovered the body of a 27-year old man in a car wash bay Thursday night. Police spokesman Johnny Heppler said officers went to the car wash shortly before midnight after a resident called to report the man’s vehicle had been parked in the car wash near South Pioneer Road in St. George for several hours. Heppler said police don’t believe the death to be suspicious and the man may have died of a possible drug overdose. His body will undergo an autopsy by the state medical examiner to determine the cause of death. The man’s identity has not been released.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Critics of a planned water pipeline project through Utah’s west desert are applauding the Nevada Supreme Court’s decision Thursday to deny applications that were granted by the Nevada state engineer. The Nevada Water Authority had previously granted applications to project engineers to build a $3.5-million pipeline to convey 50,000 acre feet of water per year from the aquifer straddling the Utah-Nevada border in the Snake Valley area. The pipeline would transport the water 285 miles to water-starved Las Vegas. In its Thursday decision, the Nevada Supreme Court said the state engineer did not adequately consider environmental impacts of the water right applications that were granted. Steve Erickson of the Great Basin Water Network said with the High Court’s decision, the Nevada Water Authority needs to look for water elsewhere.

So the Lakers won. There, that’s my obligatory sentence.

Kobe Bryant still isn’t in Michael Jordan’s class.

The Celtics are about to be blown up, as I suspect Ray Allen will be released and Doc Rivers will return to broadcasting, where he’ll be free from the moronic rants of New England sports fans who wanted his head on a platter in April.

In closing, good luck to the Utah Utes in the Pac-10 and thanks to Senator Hatch who will still fight the inherent evils of the BCS.

GOOD NIGHT NOW!

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Rocky Mountain Power is teaming up with the American Red Cross to encourage Utahns to help income-qualifying households with their energy bills this month. RMP Spokesperson Margaret Oler says the “Lend-A-Hand” program provides donations for June electric bills. Oler said the partnership with ARC has been very successful over the years with about $400,000 contributed to provide energy assistance to 1,660 households throughout the state. Donations to “Lend-A-Hand” can be made through envelopes included in the June, February and November RMP bills or by calling the American Red Cross.

(CEDAR CITY) – Utah candidates running for the U.S. Senate headed to Southern Utah University in Cedar City Wednesday night in a debate to combat all-time low-voter turnout rates in Utah. Republican candidates Tim Bridgewater and Mike Lee, along with Democrat Sam Granato, answered questions from an audience at SUU in the only senatorial debate in the region. The Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service sponsored the debate that covered topics from federal land to nuclear waste storage. KUTV talk show host Rod Decker, who moderated the debate, started off the event with the hot topic of immigration. Both Bridgewater and Lee stressed the removal of what they call incentives and rewards for illegal immigration, with no compromise for amnesty but Granato said the U.S. can’t send all illegals home and wants compromise with the work force. Leavitt Center Executive Director Doug Larson said SUU sponsored the debate to expose southern Utah voters to the political process and improve civic participation in the community.

(RICHFIELD) – A small handful of citizens showed up at the Richfield City park today to hear a speech and ask questions of U.S. Senate candidate Mike Lee. Lee made a campaign swing through Richfield and was asked what the biggest problem is facing the state. Lee commented that state of Utah faces the same problems as the nation does with massive deficits and out-of-control spending. He said federal control over public lands leaves the state with no say on how much money flows into our school districts. Lee said the biggest difference between him and Tim Bridgewater is that he has never profited from earmarks or federal stimulus money and has never supported gambling taxpayer money on risky foreign business ventures. Bridgewater calls those allegations lies and denies participation in his campaign.

(Manti) Manti Elementary has a new principal. Karen Soper has been appointed to replace Barbara Eliason who is retiring after spending 36 years in the District. The appointment was made at the South Sanpete School Board meeting on June 9th. Soper has worked in education for 25 years. She spent five of those years in Idaho, another eight years in the Granite School District, and the last twelve years in South Sanpete. Most recently she has been working as the reading specialist at the Manti Elementary.

(RICHFIELD) – The Utah Department of Transportation continues to remind motorists of construction projects along roadways in South-Central Utah. UDOT says that crews are replacing concrete and joints on the roadway at Clear Creek Canyon on I-70 east of Sevier. Officials say that single lane closures are possible and blowing dust may affect visibility in work zones. UDOT also says a chipseal project is going on along SR-118 from Austin to the Livestock Auction with potential delays in traffic for a few minutes. A chipseal project is also underway on U.S. 89 from Fairview to the Utah County line with single lane closures. Expect some delays. UDOT reminds motorists to be careful in work zones in construction areas around the state and take necessary precautions.

(RICHFIELD) – U.S. Senate hopeful Mike Lee will visit Richfield at noon today. Campaign organizers said that Lee will be at the Richfield City Park at noon at the Freedom Stage. Lee is running against businessman Tim Bridgewater in the race to replace outgoing Senator Bob Bennett. The public is invited to attend and ask questions.

Tuesday, in Los Angeles, the Lakers kept their season alive by doing everything right in an 89-67 rout of the surprisingly beleaguered Boston Celtics. Nevertheless, the Celts are a team that rises to the moment when the stakes are the highest so it would not surprise me to see them stun the Angelenos with a victory Thursday in Game 7. Speaking of Game 7, the last time an NBA Finals series ran the gamut was in 2005, when the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Detroit Pistons. Not surprisingly, this series is a bit more exciting. I will not make predictions for the outcome, but I just hope the Celtics win. The Lakers, who were once beloved by the previous generation with stars such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, are now reviled by many, primarily because Kobe Bryant is a jerk. Thus, go Celtics.

Meanwhile, LeBron James keeps the Cleveland Cavaliers in the lurch concerning his designs as to where he plans to go once July 1 strikes. Chances are he could be with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Chicago Bulls or even the Cavs again. At this stage, he holds Cleveland management spellbound but once free agency begins, this will be intriguing to say the least.

In other news, hurry back NFL and perhaps tomorrow at the CBA meetings, we can receive valuable information concerning what the future of the NFL holds. Stay tuned.

(MOAB)-Authorities say a 47-year-old Clearfield resident drowned during a weekend rafting trip on the Colorado River near Moab. The Grand County Sheriff’s office says Lawrence Evaro of Clearfield fell out of the rubber raft Saturday before entering White Rapids near Red Cliffs Lodge. Heavy swirling currents kept him underneath the water through the rapids before a boat guide and others pulled Evaro from the water and performed CPR. He was later pronounced dead at Allen Memorial Hospital in Moab. The sheriff’s office says Evaro was wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident.

(BURRVILLE) – Several burglaries are being investigated in the Burrville area. Sevier County deputies said they believe a transient staying at a cabin in the area burglarized camp trailers and another cabin. The deputies say that evidence collected at the scene, including a jacket belonging to the man, indicate the transient is responsible for the theft of basic food items taken from the area. A sheriff’s report also said that about $900 of damage was done to windows and screens of the cabins. Sevier County deputies continue to investigate the burglaries.

(RICHFIELD) – Early voting for the June primary in Sevier County is nearing its end. Sevier County Clerk Steven Wall has notified the public that early voting will be held until this Thursday between 10am and 4pm at the Administration Building and 10am to 5pm on Friday. Early voting will also be held at the Salina City Hall between 10am and 4pm until Thursday. The statute permits registered voters to vote prior to Election Day upon providing photo identification. A voter who registered after May 24 will not be eligible to vote early. Primary elections will be held June 22.

(KINGMAN, Ariz.)-Feeding, housing and securing jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs has been costly for Mohave County (Ariz.). Mohave County Sheriff, Tom Sheahan, stated the cost to the county of housing Jeffs at the Kingman jail was about $120,000 for 720 days of custody. The costs also include added security when corrections officers took Jeffs across the street to court hearings. Jail costs also included several medical issues such as Jeffs being taken by air to a Las Vegas hospital. Jeffs was involved in several hunger strikes while in custody, which included being force-fed by more expensive liquid food. A Mohave County judge granted a prosecutor’s motion last week to dismiss four charges against Jeffs or being an accomplice to sexual conduct with a minor.

(DRAPER) – The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole has denied the appeal for clemency from condemned killer Ronnie Gardner. The board’s statement was delivered by chairman, Curt Garner, who said that Gardner made no claims of innocence and admitted he is guilty of the crimes of which he was convicted. Garner said that Gardner’s criminal history, life history and the totality of the information, evidence, records, testimony and arguments submitted, reviewed and considered in this matter, the board determined that the jury’s verdict imposing the death sentence, was not inappropriate. The vote was unanimous. Gardner was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to die in 1985 for the fatal courthouse shooting of attorney Michael Burdell in a botched escape attempt. He was in court that day to face murder charges for the 1984 shooting death of bartender Melvyn Otterstrom.

(HURRICANE) – Strong winds damaged the roof of a Hurricane City building Saturday afternoon and two homes suffered water damage during severe thunderstorms. Hurricane Police Chief Lynn Excell said high winds damaged the street department shop building. He said a power substation office building also had damage. Both buildings are located on 600 North. Excell said that water also damaged two homes but no injuries were reported. Hail as big as a half-inch in diameter fell during the storm.

(CEBU CITY, PHILLIPPINES) – LDS Church officials dedicated their newest temple over the weekend. Pres. Thomas S. Monson dedicated the Cebu City, Phillippines temple on Saturday. Monson called the Church’s 133rd temple “a beacon on a hill” and thanked the Fillipino people for the sacrafices they made during World War II. LDS missionary work in the Phillippines started in 1961 and three of the country’s earliest missionaries attended Sunday’s dedication. The new temple will serve about 200,000 Church members living in the southern part of the Phillippines.

Shalom friends, here are more random musings for your perusing pleasure.

First of all, the NCAA National Track & Field Championships are always a treat to watch. When you have the masterful Ian Eagle doing play-by-play on CBS and impressive athleticism on display, you can’t go wrong. I extend congratulations to both Texas A&M’s mens’ and womens’ track and field teams as they both won a national title, just as they did last year at Fayetteville, Ark. Individual magnificence was epitomized by the likes of Queen Harrison of Virginia Tech, who swept the womens’ 100 and 400-meter hurdles titles and Oregon’s Andrew Wheating, who amassed victory in both the 800 and 1500-meter dashes. It’s a shame that Americans only get into track every four years, when there’s a Summer Olympiad, because, for me, it’s right behind the NFL, NBA and college basketball as my favorite event.

Speaking of another event that transpires every four years, the World Cup has its brilliance but I guess I’m too stupid to appreciate it. I’m sorry, but 0-0 scoreless ties (yes, I’m talking about YOU, France and Uruguay…) aren’t much fun. Once the beautiful weather returns Monday, I’m sure as soon as I leave work, it’s all about enjoying the beauty of God’s creations and not watching soccer matches where scoring is harder to come by than palm trees in south central Utah. Still, as my mentor Jim Rome says: U-S-A! U-S-A!

Finally, congratulations to Florida for becoming the first collegiate baseball team to advance to the College World Series at Omaha, Neb. next Saturday. The Gators ousted Miami (Fla.), 4-3 Saturday to win the best-of-2 super regional at Gainesville, Fla. Meanwhile, the greatest game of the day didn’t end until 11:30 MDT when the Arizona State Sun Devils, by virtue of a clutch RBI from Deven Marrero in the 12th inning, outlasted Arkansas, 7-6. The Sun Devils are college baseball’s top-seeded team, so give the Razorbacks credit for pushing ASU to the brink.

That’s all for now, so if you’re lucky, you’ll read more ramblings. For now, may peace be with you this day and always!

EUGENE, Ore. (AP)-As Day 3 of the NCAA Track & Field championships commenced @ Hayward Field, numerous stellar athletes were able to take individual national titles while also putting their teams in prime condition for prestigious hardware. Individual champions included South Carolina’s Johnny Dutch in the mens’ 400-meter hurdles, Virginia Tech’s Queen Harrison in the womens’ 400-meter hurdles, Indiana’s Derek Drouin in the mens’ high jump, Kylie Hutson of Indiana State in the womens’ pole vault, LSU’s Walter Henning in the mens’ hammer throw and Mariam Kevkhishvili in the womens’ shot put. Other wins came from Florida’s Jeff Demps in the mens’ 100-meter dash in a time of 9.96 seconds, Texas-El Paso’s Blessing Okagbare in the womens’ 100-meter dash, Oregon’s Andrew Wheating in the mens’ 800-meter dash, Phoebe Wright of Tennessee in the womens’ 800-meter dash, Louisville’s Matt Hughes in the 3000-meter steeplechase, Kirani James of Alabama in the mens’ 400-meter dash, Francena McCorory of Hampton in the womens’ 400-meter dash and Iowa State’s Lisa Koll in the womens’ 5000-meter dash. Additionally, Oregon’s Ashton Eaton won the mens’ decathlon for the third consecutive year with 8457 points, while his girlfriend and Ducks teammate, Brianne Theisen won the heptathlon with 6094 points. In the overall standings, the Texas A&M mens’ team is in first place with 36 points, while Florida is in second with 28 points and USC checks in at third with 22.50 points. As for the women, the Oregon Lady Ducks are currently in first with 30 points, Iowa State is in second with 28 points and the Southern Illinois Lady Salukis are in third with 26 points. The meet will conclude tomorrow.

(FILLMORE) – Millard County Commissioners have completed the process of selecting a new interim Commissioner to fill a vacancy on the Commission. Commissioners Daron Smith and Bart Whatcott have chosen Craig Greathouse of Delta to fill the seat of Kathy Walker, who recently moved to California. By state law, the vacancy required the Millard County Republican Party Central Committee to forward three names in order of preference to the County Commission. The names of Gale Chapman, Craig Greathouse and Virginia Josse (JOSS-EE), were given to Commissioners to interview. Commissioners said that all candidates brought great experience to the table and the decision was difficult. Greathouse will take the oath of office at the next Commission meeting on June 15. He will serve for a period of six months.

(PAROWAN) – Iron County Commissioners will hold a public hearing Monday afternoon concerning Geologic Hazard and Problem Soil regulations. Commissioners are seeking public comment for development in areas subject to surface fault rupture, landslide-slope instability, rock fall, debris flow, liquefaction and problem soils. Discussion will also be held on prohibiting development in areas where landslides are susceptible. The public hearing will be held Monday at 2:45pm at the Iron County Courthouse at 68 South 100 East in Parowan.

The Boston Celtics are not an easy out. The Los Angeles Lakers, perhaps a little full of themselves, laid a major egg Thursday in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, an error which may have cost them sustainable momentum as the series progresses.

The Celtics, who were still suffering from shoddy shooting from Ray Allen, got solid performances from Paul Pierce (19 points, six rebounds), Glen Davis (18 points) and Nate (full of great) Robinson (12 points).

As for the Lakers, when Kobe Bryant (33 points, six rebounds) and Pau Gasol (21 points, six boards)are the only players to show up, it can easily spell doom for the Lake Show. Game 5 is crucial for both teams and while the Celts have received a major shot in the arm, Los Angeles is in danger of squandering any advantage they may have had.

If the Lakers lose this series, and if they continue to get such a lackluster effort from Bryant and Gasol’s supporting cast it would be highly probable, they can look back to the 4th Quarter of Game 4.

In the last stanza, the Celtics outscored their Western Conference adversaries, 36-27 and in doing so looked as spry and free-flowing as they have all series.

Lakers, Russian Roulette is a dangerous game and one I don’t recommend playing for pulling the trigger can be too seamless a process.

Meanwhile, if you tuned into the postgame press conferences on ESPNEWS, chances are you saw the illustrious Jalen Rose providing stellar analysis.

Rose, the onetime member of Michigan’s famed Fab Five in the early 90s and swingman with the Nuggets, Pacers, Bulls, Raptors, Knicks and Suns for 13 seasons, has parlayed his prestigious basketball acumen into a gig on ESPN where he, along with Hubie Brown, is the network’s best NBA commentator.

Rose combines his stellar analysis with the smarts one can only obtain by being inside NBA huddles and playing a significant role in a team’s fortunes.

Beyond all that, Rose is also a class act as he communicates frequently with me on Twitter and since I told him, I would write a tribute to him in my post, I hope he reads this offering. It is never a bad thing to have friends in high places.

Finally, the World Cup commences in but a matter of hours from Johannesburg, South Africa. While I am a soccer neophyte and have had little to do with the game since we quit playing it at recess after 5th grade, it is still a prestigious event.

As the multiculturalist I am, I appreciate anything with anthems and flags so I will give the World Cup a shot.

Italy is the defending champion, but gli Azzurri (that’s your Italian for the day, don’t you feel so enlightened?) will receive stiff competition from the likes of Argentina, Brazil and England.

Thanks again for reading and may peace be with you this day and always.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Scientists say a magnitude 2.7 earthquake fell in parts of the Salt Lake Valley followed by another jolt 30 seconds later. The University of Utah Seismograph Station says both shocks originated two miles west of Bluffdale as of 10:58 a.m. Thursday morning. The seismograph lab stated the magnitude 2.7 and 2.5 quakes were felt for up to about 20 miles from the epicenter. Seismologists affirmed both quakes broke about six miles deep and there were no reports of damage.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-For years, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has delighted audiences worldwide and earned prestigious hardware, including five gold records, two platinum records and a Grammy award. Now, music lovers can hear some of the Choir’s earliest recordings on a new 32-track, three-disc combination CD/DVD. The project includes digitally reworked versions of earlier recordings and rarely-seen video of early choir performances. The earliest available recording in this series will be from their performance of “Let The Mountains Shout For Joy,” from 1910. The choir was formed in 1847 as the Latter-Day Saints completed their exodus from Nauvoo, Ill. to the Great Salt Lake Valley and is perhaps best known for their weekly “Music and the Spoken Word” program which of course can be heard during Mid-Utah Radio’s The Sounds of Sunday.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Sen. Bob Bennett will throw his support behind Tim Bridgewater, one of the candidates who knocked the three-term incumbent from office. While the Bennett camp declined to comment on the endorsement, multiple sources familiar with discussions between Bennett and Bridgewater confirmed the announcement is imminent. Bennett said he would give an official announcement on Monday. Bridgewater’s campaign said their office has not received an official endorsement by Bennett. Opponent, Mike Lee said the endorsement for Bridgewater shows that he is the true conservative in the race, since Bennett was ousted by Republican delegates in the convention because he wasn’t conservative enough. Bridgewater received the most GOP delegate votes at the convention, followed by Lee, then Bennett and Cherilyn Eager with 16 percent. Eager recently said she would support Bridgewater in his run for the Senate seat.

(CASTLE DALE) – An Emery High School track coach killed when a large tree fell on him on Memorial Day is being honored by his community. 51-year old Darrell Gardner ran track for Emery High, then went on to run at USU and later became an assistant coach at the university. For the last 19 years, Gardner was back at home coaching at his alma mater. Emery High track team member, Barbie Powell, says she remembered Gardner running during practices. Fellow team member Spencer Fehlberg says Gardner helped him fulfill his dream when almost everything was lost. Gardner was not only the track coach but taught social science and dance, drove a bus and was on the city council. He was killed on Memorial Day, when a tree he was attempting to remove on his property fell on him, killing him instantly. Gardner’s neighbor and fellow teacher, Lee Moss says his death affected the whole community. He is survived by his wife, Natalie and three children. There will be a “Last Run for Coach Gardner” event planned at the Emery High School tonight at 6pm to help raise money for the family.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Planning Commission met with representatives from the Sevier Power Company Wednesday night to discuss language in an application for the building of a gas-fired power plant near Sigurd. Planners say they want the development agreement to be more consistent with a “gas” plant, rather than a “coal-fired” plant. Several parts of the application were discussed, including silencers on safety valves, light pollution, used water reclamation, chemical use and evaporative ponds. References to coal use were deleted from the new agreement and further discussions will be held as the application and conditional use permit process progresses.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City Mayor Brad Ramsay was the keynote speaker today at the Richfield Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Ramsay spoke on budget issues at the close of the fiscal year at the end of June and revenue opportunities in the next budget year. He commented that the city has done its best to balance the budget, while not increasing taxes or cutting necessary services. Ramsay said the city will continue to look for ways to boost revenues throughout the city to stay solvent.

(RICHFIELD)- Severance pay for Richfield City employees was the hot topic at a special meeting held prior to the regular city council meeting Tuesday night. City Manager Mike Langston discussed amending the city’s policy to include a severance pay clause for full-time employees who are terminated or laid-off because of a reduction of force resulting from budgetary cut-backs. Langston recommended a severance of $250 per year for each year of full-time service. Part-time employees would not be allowed severance pay. After discussion, the city council decided to meet with the city attorney to draft a contractual agreement between the city and its employees.

(RICHFIELD) – Richfield City officials may join forces with the high school drill team in their efforts to set up a scrap metal recycling bin in the city. Recycling advocate Tammy Resendes says recycling scrap metal helps keep landfills free from an overflow of metals. Resendes said she, along with White’s Sanitation, want to set up a bin at the old Coors building east on Annabella Road with an off-site sign on main street directing recyclers to the area but the city ordinance does not allow it. She said the Planning Commission denied her request on June 2 and appealed to the city council. The city council commented that the city could participate in the effort as a community event, which allows off-site directional signs. Councilmember Bryan Burrows made a motion to approve a 90-day participation followed by a review of the success of the effort. The council approved the measure.

In the latest installment of random thoughts, we commence with the NBA Finals, so let’s begin.

The Boston Celtics had the world at their feet. They had seized control of the NBA Finals, albeit briefly, by stealing Game 2 in Los Angeles. However, with three consecutive home games awaiting them, they picked a ignominious time to lay an egg. Ray Allen, who for all his heroics in Game 2, was as horrific in Game 3 as he was excellent in the preceding game. If it weren’t for Kevin Garnett (25 points, six rebounds), Boston would have been destroyed by the resurgent Lakers, although a 91-84 loss hurts just as much as it would had the margin been 91-61.

For Los Angeles, Derek Fisher (16 points) was the man of the hour as he had 11 of his points in the 4th Quarter and made several defensive plays to repel Boston surges as well. However, the fact remains that he’s a deplorable person. He left the Utah Jazz high and dry because he lusted to go back to the Lakers. He can hide his true intentions behind his daughter’s eye condition all he wants but it’s obvious that Utah’s medical facilities are as good as any others in the country and we Utahns aren’t stupid. He may be the impetus of another Lakers championship, along with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, but he has major character issues and has forever lost my respect.

Meanwhile, I move onto a more propitious event. The Washington Nationals, despite a subpar record of 28-31, have found themselves a gem in star pitcher Stephen Strasburg. The former San Diego State standout amassed 14 strikeouts in his MLB debut, a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. I’ll admit that on my Twitter account (BroncosItaly if you want to follow me), I was skeptical of the hype Strasburg received up to this point. However, as his performance manifested, the 200 extra media requests the Nats received to witness Strasburg’s debut were well worth it. After drafting former College of Southern Nevada star, Bryce Harper, #1 in Monday’s annual amateur draft, perhaps the moribund Nationals could be going places.

Finally, in the College Softball World Series, the UCLA Lady Bruins defeated my beloved Arizona Lady Wildcats, 15-9, to sweep the two games in the best of three championship series at Oklahoma City and won their 11th national title. The UCLA women were classy in victory as they wore black armbands to commemorate the unfortunate death of the institution’s legendary former mens’ basketball coach John Wooden. Obviously, if Coach Wooden had a seat from the celestial press box to witness these events, he was pleased by the Lady Bruins’ efforts in victory.

Later on this week, we have the College Baseball World Series (“ping” as my mentor Jim Rome would say), the World Cup and the continuation of the NBA Finals. That’s all for now, so thanks for reading.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett said at a news conference today that the EPA is attempting to impose economically harmful climate regulations on the country. He said that the EPA is using the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to give itself more power. Bennett commented that America wants to protect the environment but the answer is not expanding the reach of the government. He said EPA regulations will kill jobs and devastate the economy. Congress will vote Thursday on the new climate resolution.

(RICHFIELD) – The Utah Department of Transportation continues to remind motorists of construction projects along roadways in South-Central Utah. UDOT says that crews are replacing concrete and joints on the roadway at Clear Creek Canyon on I-70 east of Sevier. Officials say that single lane closures are possible and blowing dust may affect visibility in work zones. UDOT also says a chipseal project is going on along SR-118 from Austin to the Livestock Auction with potential delays in traffic for a few minutes. A chipseal project is also underway on U.S. 89 from Fairview to the Utah County line with single lane closures. Expect some delays. UDOT reminds motorists to be careful in work zones in construction areas around the state and take necessary precautions.

(NEW YORK, NY.) – A popular national magazine lists Kanab as one of the top 20 towns for sportsmen. Outdoor Life magazine ranked Kanab 5th on the list, while Richfield came in at 39th. The magazine used extensive data to score 200 towns on their sporting opportunities and quality-of-life issues for its 3rd Annual ranking. Rapid City, S.D., with a population of 65,500, took top honors on the magazine’s list. Other Utah towns included, Vernal at 51st, Logan at 52nd, Heber at 54th, Cedar City at 56th and Price at 195th. The magazine ranks towns according to what most sportsmen like, including world-class hunting and fishing, decent homes and schools and good-paying jobs. Kanab was noted in the magazine as “Little Hollywood” because the town and surrounding areas were used as the set in many classic Westerns.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) – Sen. Bob Bennett is holding a news conference today to discuss the upcoming vote on the EPA’s resolution on climate regulations on the country. Bennett is joining forces with 40 Republican and three Democrat senators in opposition to the EPA’s attempt to place harmful climate regulations on businesses. Congress will vote on the resolution this Thursday.

(RICHFIELD) – The State of Utah has determined that “Curly Doc” is a noxious weed. USU Extension Service Agent Jody Gale spoke before Sevier County Commissioners at Monday’s meeting to update the county on the eradication of the weed. Gale said crews have been using herbicides to attack the weed along the Sevier River, including nine miles from the Washburnville area east of Monroe and from Austin through Central. He said efforts have been hampered by high winds where crews can’t spray in order to target the weed. Commissioner Gary Mason commented that an area along the Sevier River in Redmond and Aurora is so thick with “Curly Doc” that a rabbit couldn’t get through. The USU Extension Service works closely with Sevier County in helping to destroy the weed.

(SIGURD) – A fight involving six Sigurd residents resulted in their arrests. Sevier County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a fight in progress at about 3:30am Saturday, where three members of the group starting a shoving match. A sheriff’s report said the girlfriend of one of the boys grabbed a baseball bat to defend her boyfriend and several other people got involved in the fight. One subject was treated by Sevier County EMS for an injury to the back of the head and six people were arrested. Deputies said one of the subjects is still avoiding police. There’s no report as to the cause of the fight.

(RICHFIELD) – High winds gusting through Richfield today blew over a display of exotic rugs on the Ogden’s Carpets property. Chris Marquis, owner of Marquis’ Magic Carpets, said winds blowing over 50 miles per hour hit his display for the second time this year. He said he’s prepared for incidences like this because he usually displays his carpets outdoors but he felt that natural forces were against him this time around. Marquis said he travels around the western United States selling his exotic lines of carpets from around the world. He commented that even though high winds knocked over his display, the damage was minimal and he’ll be back at the end of the week.

(MOAB)-U.S. Rep Jim Matheson says he’s encouraged by the progress a contractor has made in cleaning up uranium tailings from a bank of the Colorado River near Moab. Matheson says 1.5 million tons from a pile of 16 million tons of radioactive waste has been moved. The mining waste is being shipped by rail to a disposal site 30 miles north of Moab at Crescent Junction. Matheson says the $108 million federally funded effort is ahead of schedule while the job is expected to be completed by September 2011. The waste was a legacy of the Cold War, when rich uranium deposits were mined during the 1950s for nuclear weapons. The Moab mill closed in 1984.

(SALINA) – Sevier County Commissioners met in session today to consider opening up Gooseberry Road to ATV travel. The current policy is that no ATV access is allowed on the Gooseberry Road from I-70 to Johnson Reservoir. During several past public hearings on the issue, Commissioners welcomed comments from ATV enthusiasts, who unanimously agreed that the road should be open. At issue is access from one campground or trail to another but four-wheelers are not allowed on Gooseberry Road. After discussion, Commissioners approved the access with restrictions on speed and licensing for on-road travel.

(RICHFIELD) – A Richfield teenager and an elderly Richfield man were taken to the hospital after a crash on North Main in Richfield Saturday afternoon. According to a police report, 16-year old Kayden Jacobsen was traveling northbound in a Honda Civic at about 2:45pm, when another vehicle exited the parking lot at Lin’s Marketplace and hit him. The second vehicle, a Cadillac Deville, was driven by 82-year old Owen Christiansen. Christiansen told police it appeared to him the road was clear and he didn’t see Jacobsen. Both were transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with possible injuries. Other occupants in the vehicles were taken to the hospital for observation. Jacobsen’s vehicle was unoperable and had to be towed.

(RICHFIELD) – The Sevier County Planning Commission will hold a work session this Wednesday night concerning modifying conditions on a permit for the construction of a power plant near Sigurd. Planners say they want to discuss making Sevier Power Company’s development agreement to be more consistant with a “natural gas”-fired power plant rather than a “coal”-fired plant. Sevier County Commissioners say SPC still has a valid application with the county on the construction of a coal-fire power plant and an application for a gas-fired plant. The meeting will be held Wednesday night at 6:20 and the public is invited to attend but no comments will be taken.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Some prominent Utah Republicans are worried their party has been hijacked by what they’re calling the right-wing “Tea Party” movement. Kirk Jowers, with the Hinckley Institute of Politics, says groups, including the “Tea Party” movement and Club for Growth, are dividing the Republican Party. Signs across North Salt Lake show D.J. Schanz and Rep. Becky Edwards are “Republicans for Real.” Jowers said the split in the Republican Party only gives Democrats more chances to win elections. A recent pew research poll shows just 25% of Americans agree with the “Tea Party” movement but in Utah, those who identify with the movement have gained influence and the effect is uncertain.

(RICHFIELD) – A public hearing will be held in Richfield on passage of the final budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year. The Richfield City Council has planned the hearing for Tuesday, June 8 at 7:15pm at the City Center. The 2009-10 budget will also be opened for any changes and amendments and the public is invited to comment. Discussions over the budget will include revenues and expenditures in the last completed fiscal year, the current year and estimates for the coming year. The tentative 2010-11 budget is available for public review at the city offices.

(RICHFIELD) – Registered voters in Sevier County are invited to participate in early voting for the 2010 Primary Election. Early voting will be held June 8 through June 17 from 10am to 4pm, except for Saturday and Sunday, at the Sevier County Administration Building in Richfield and also at the Salina City Hall from June 14-17. Election officials say that voters who registered to vote after May 24 will not be allowed to vote early.

(GUNNISON)-Town Reservoir, a popular camping and fishing spot up 12-Mile Canyon in the Manti-LaSal National Forest will be closed for the summer. Nate Lewis, the special uses administrator for the Manti LaSal, recently released information to media outlets in the area stating that the Mayfield Irrigation Company is planning to drain Town Reservoir in June to fix a leak in the dam and make other essential repairs. In the interim, the forest has issued a special use permit which will allow the Mayfield Irrigation Company to drain the reservoir this month in order to fix the leak and make other repairs.

(GUNNISON)-Last week, the Gunnison City Council attempted to work out lengthy details of the preliminary 2010-11 proposed budget which is due to be adopted by the end of the month. City financial adviser, Gary Keddington, was on hand to present the council with an organized overview of the city’s financial situation. Keddington distributed packets which broke down each city department into specific cost items such as insurance, power and maintenance costs for the new city building which should be available for use by as early as July if all goes well. Gunnison Mayor, Lori Nay, expressed disappointment that not more funds are available for city beautification. Council member, Steve Buchanan, suggested the city raise irrigation rates in preparation for costs which undoubtedly will arise in the next few months.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Utah Air National Guard says a military cargo aircraft safely navigated to an emergency landing at Salt Lake City International Airport. Air Guard Lieutenant Colonel, Lisa Olsen, stated the C-130 cargo plane took off Thursday from Puerto Rico en route to Utah when the flight crew reported smoke in the cockpit. The crew declared this as an emergency and the plane landed around 5:20 a.m. Thursday. Olsen stated no one was injured and the plane was towed to the Utah National Guard ramp for examination. Initial indications are that there was some kind of electrical malfunction that occurred. The exact number of crew members on board was unknown and Olsen stated she could not reveal the aircraft’s mission.

(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday concerning amending the county zoning ordinance and map. Commissioners welcome comments on who can appeal the Planning Commission’s decision on a land use issue, amending the zoning ordinance to eliminate percent built requirements in all zones and eliminate the Planned Unit Development Overlay zones that were not specifically applied for. Public input will also be taken concerning amending the zoning ordinance on allowing “Restricted Access Roadways” or “Gated Communities” in restricted areas of the county. The public meeting will be held Monday at 10:15am in the Sevier County Commission Chambers in Richfield and the public is invited to attend.

(CASTLE DALE) – A Castle Dale man accused of murdering his parents is not competent to stand trial. On Tuesday, a district judge ruled that Peter Sharp does not have the mental capacity to understand the charges against him and aid in his own defense. The judge ordered Sharp back to the state hospital where state health officials will re-evaluate his prescribed drug treatment and therapy. Sharp is facing two counts of murder in connection with the shooting deaths of his father and mother in their Castle Dale home last October.

(JUNCTION) – Piute County Commissioners met in session Tuesday to amend a resolution on access to River Road out of Marysvale. Commission Clerk Valeen Brown said some time ago, Marysvale annexed an area known as Thompsonville, south of town, where about a dozen homes were located and the move affected access to River Road. She said Commissioners wanted to amend the resolution of a designated right-of-way for county access on BLM and private property. The resolution amendment was unanimously approved.

(KOOSHAREM) – The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office responded to over 60 reports of ATV accidents over the holiday weekend in various parts of the county. In one report, sheriff’s deputies said 47-year old Tracey Langenbacker of Salt Lake City was coming down the mountain road near Milo’s Kitchen about three miles west of Koosharem on Saturday, when she attempted to negotiate a turn in the road and rolled at about 4:40pm. The sheriff’s report said that Langenbacker was traveling too fast and was found in the middle of the road. She was not wearing a helmet and was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield with possible chest and head injuries.

(HEBER) – Crews continue to search for the body of a man believed to have drowned in Strawberry Reservoir Monday night. A Wasatch County Sheriff’s report said 26-year old Christopher Barton and two friends were cleaning up their boat after a day of fishing when Barton fell into the water. The report said the boat went over Barton and the friends threw out a life preserver but it didn’t reach him. They then jumped into the water to try to rescue the man but couldn’t get to him. Todd Bonner with the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said both friends swam to shore and were picked up by other boaters. Bonner said the three men had been drinking before Barton fell in. The sheriff’s office commented that they don’t know how big of a role the alcohol might have played in the incident. About a dozen members of the Wasatch County Search and Rescue team spent much of the time Monday night and this morning searching for the man.

(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council has awarded the low bid on the 300 North to 300 West street improvement project. At a special council meeting today, councilmembers awarded the low bid of $643,370 to Mel Clark, Inc. of Cedar City. Jones and DeMille Engineer Tom Christensen presented two bids to the council, saying Mel Clark was within the desired bidding amount for the project. The second bid by Staker and Parsons of Redmond was $34,000 over the Mel Clark bid. Richfield Mayor Brad Ramsay said UDOT requires the city to accept the lowest bid on street projects. The project should begin after the July 4th holiday and be completed by the end of September.

(KANAB) – The Bureau of Land Management is offering a $5,000 reward for information on the recent vandalism and theft of artifacts from a Native American grave site near Kanab. BLM says the theft is believed to have occurred sometime between April 17 and April 19 this year. Officials say if anyone has any information concerning the thefts, call the BLM Field Office in Kanab.

(SEVIER) – Fremont Indian State Park officials are seeking campers to help with a day camp for people with disabilities. Park Manager Bob Hanover said this Saturday’s day camp at the park will be a fun-filled experience at several ability levels. Hanover said pre-registration for the camp is required and forms can be picked up at the park’s visitor center or requested by e-mail. He said there are no age-restrictions or fees for the camp and an adult caregiver must accompany each camper. Day camps will also be held on June 16 and July 10. For information or to volunteer, call the Fremont Indian State Park at 527-4631.

(DRAPER) – The president of the LDS Church’s Draper Temple has died. Church spokesman Scott Trotter announced that 78-year old Donald Staheli died of cancer at his home in St. George on Saturday. Staheli had been president of the temple since its dedication in March of 2009. He had previously served in the church’s Second Quorum of the Seventy.