Story Archive for 07/16/2010
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Teens Repair Homes Near Blanding
Published on July 16, 2010 at 11:41AM
Updated on July 16, 2010 at 05:45PM
(BLANDING)-This Friday commemorates the end of five straight days of heavy labor in the Navajo Nation of southeastern Utah for teens throughout the country. The adolescents have spent thousands of hours this summer fixing homes within the Navajo Nation. This past week has been especially industrious for the youth as they have worked a cumulative 10,000 hours of work on 35 Navajo homes. This is also the 11th year that the state of Utah’s Division of Housing and Community Development has welcomed teens to the state, which has proved to be an enriching experience for both the youth and those they serve.
LDS Church launches new profile connection
Published on July 16, 2010 at 11:33AM
(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a new approach to the way its missionaries and members share the faith’s message. LDS leader Elder Richard G. Hinckley says the new mormon.org website allows users to find and read the profiles of members of the church from around the world. The new high-tech interaction allows people who have questions to approach missionaries or Church members online. On the new launch site, more than 2,000 Church members have listed their profiles and sharing their life stories and faith. Church officials said that 1300 more are working on creating them.
Body Found @ Grand Canyon
Published on July 16, 2010 at 11:30AM
(GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.)-Grand Canyon National Park officials now know the identity of a body retrieved from below Moran Point on the South Rim of the park last Monday. In a news release issued Thursday, park officials say they identified the body as that of 50-year-old Kirby Porter of Mechanicsville, Va. Park officials say they first received a call of a man who reportedly exited a car at Moran Peak July 11. The man then climbed over a retaining wall and was found lying down at the edge of the canyon rim. Additionally, witnesses reported that upon park rangers’ arrival at the scene, the car was found but not Porter. Officials began searching in the area Monday and the park’s helicopter reported seeing the body of a man more than 250 feet below the rim. According to the Coconino County (Ariz.) Medical Examiner, the cause of Porter’s death resulted from injuries incurred in a fall. We would like to thank KPHO-Channel 5 of Phoenix for their assistance in gathering information on this story.
California Man Charged in Flagstaff Fire
Published on July 16, 2010 at 11:14AM
(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-The Coconino County (Ariz.), attorney has filed felony charges against a homeless California man accused of starting the 280-acre Hardy fire in Flagstaff, Ariz. Facing the charges is 54-year-old Randall Nicholson who has been charged with the damage of the Little America hotel property in excess of $10,000, a Class 4 felony. Additionally, he faces a count of criminal damage of state trust land property, a class 6 felony, according to information issued by the office of Coconino County attorney David Rozema. Jurisdiction of the case became a matter for the state of Arizona because state land was destroyed, according to a press release. Nicholson will be in Flagstaff Justice Court within the next 24 hours to have these charges formally read against him, according to Rozema’s release. The charges against Nicholson are especially ominous because several times prior to his setting the campfire that caused the flames last month, Flagstaff police officials stated they’d warned him not to violate the city’s anti-camping ordinance.
Governor Herbert Appointed NGA Economic Development and Commerce Committee Chair
Published on July 16, 2010 at 10:57AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Governor, Gary Herbert, is the new chair of the Economic Development and Commerce Committee for the National Governors Association. The appointment was announced in Boston last Sunday during the final day of the annual NGA meeting and Herbert replaces the outgoing chair, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, his spokeswoman, Angie Welling said. The Economic Development and Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over a broad range of issues, such as transportation and infrastructure, financial service and competitiveness, in addition to other matters. Governor Herbert has previously served on the NGA’s health and human services standing committee, the Health Care reform task force and the special committee on homeland security and public safety. In 2011, Utah will host the annual NGA meeting for the first time since 1947.
New Utah BLM Chief Sworn In
Published on July 16, 2010 at 10:14AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Thursday, Juan Palma was sworn in as the new state director for Utah’s Bureau of Land Management. BLM director, Bob Abbey, administered the oath for Palma, who replaced the retired Selma Sierra. The federal agency manages almost 23 million acres of public land and 35.2 million acres of subsurface mineral estate in Utah.
Two Identified As Compilers of 'The List'
Published on July 16, 2010 at 10:06AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-The state of Utah has identified at least two employees from the Department of Workforce Services who accessed state data to compile a 1,300-name list of people presumably in the country illegally, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Friday morning, Utah Governor Gary Herbert said this appears to be a “very deliberate violation of security protocols,” when he appeared on an KSL-AM 1160 morning show. Reportedly, a group calling itself “Concerned Citizens of the United States,” sent the 29-page document to news outlets and law enforcement agencies, demanding people on the list be immediately deported. In addition to listing the names of the supposed illegal immigrants, the sheet also featured their places of employment, due dates for pregnant mothers, and more than 30 Social Security numbers. This crime, in the state of Utah, is considered a misdemeanor, which is punishable by six months in prison or an $1,000 fine to release protected information. Additionally, Herbert said federal law also appears to have been violated.
Joel Briscoe Voted Into Utah House
Published on July 16, 2010 at 09:58AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Delegates from House District 25 voted Joel Briscoe into the Utah House of Representatives Thursday night at the Sprague Library. Briscoe will serve out the remainder of former Representative Christine Johnson’s term, which expires in January. Briscoe was the only person to submit his name for consideration to fill the remainder of Johnson’s term. He also won the Democratic primary for this seat to face Republican Rick Raile in the November election. Briscoe’s name will be submitted to Utah Governor Gary Herbert Friday for appointment to the House. He is expected to be sworn into office during the Utah Legislature’s August 18 interim day at the state Capitol.
Utah Latino Leaders Voice Concerns Over "Alleged" Illegal Immigrant List
Published on July 16, 2010 at 09:50AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Latino community leaders are calling for swift and open investigation as they seek to suppress community fears. Volunteers have taken more than 1,000 calls and e-mails from Latinos who are desperate to know if they are among the 1,300 supposed illegal immigrants who are in Utah. Those who have been fielding the calls say many asking if they’re on the list insist they are American citizens or permanent residents. The accuracy of this list is in question and many point to the fact that despite virtually all of the names being of Hispanic origin, it is believed a quarter of undocumented immigrants come from different places.
Details emerge in Top Stop gas leak settlement
Published on July 16, 2010 at 07:55AM
(GUNNISON) – Details are emerging in the settlement agreement between Top Stop and Gunnison City in the gasoline leak three years ago. Gunnison City will get the property where the Top Stop disaster began, 19 replacement trees for Main Street and $10,000. Individual property owners and businesses impacted by the 20,000-gallon leak can’t disclose the terms of the agreement because of a confidentiality clause but it’s close to what the city received. Doug Hansen with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality says even though Top Stop has reached a financial settlement with the city, they’re still responsible for the clean up. Top Stop officials say they’ve spent over $2 million so far in the clean up effort and have recovered all but 200 gallons of the 20,000 gallon leaked but Hansen says that’s not true. Top Stop owners could not be reached for comment but issued a statement saying the settlement demonstrates their desire to completely cleanup the leak site.