(PHOENIX)-Judge Susan Bolton presided over two hearings in a Phoenix courtroom packed with spectators and top Arizona officials Thursday on whether the state’s new immigration law should take effect amid a flurry of legal challenges against the crackdown.

Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, was in attendance at the second hearing, as was the U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Dennis Burke.

At the end of the first hearing, Bolton did not issue a ruling and the later afternoon hearing focused on the U.S. Justice Department’s request of a preliminary injunction which seeks to block key sections of the law from taking effect next Thursday.

During the morning hearing, Bolton told lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union she’s required to consider blocking only parts of the law, not the entire statute as was requested.

She also said the law has a section allowing certain parts to take effect even if other portions should be struck down.

Most of the controversy of the law, according to KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix, revolves around provisions related to the stops and arrests of people, new crimes related to illegal immigrants and a requirement that immigrants carry and produce their own immigration papers.

The law requires officers, as they enforce other laws, to check a person’s immigration status if reasonable suspicion exists that a person is in the country illegally.

It also disallows people from blocking traffic when they seek or offer day-labor services on streets and prohibits illegal immigrants from soliciting work in public places.

Since Brewer signed off on this law in April, it has inspired statewide rallies in Arizona and caused considerable controversy.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Democratic gubernatorial nominee Peter Corroon is calling for the state to maintain its traditional energy resources while expanding the development of renewable energy. Corroon announced his energy plan Thursday while he says developing renewable energy resources can bring economic development to Utah in the form of new jobs. As governor, Corroon says he would follow the lead of former Republican Governor Jon Huntsman, who set an energy-efficient target of a 10 percent reduction in electricity and natural gas consumption by 2025. Corroon says he would tap Utah universities for ideas and innovation to facilitate the renewable technological development and expand the use of renewable energy on state properties. Corroon says that includes requiring all new facilities to be “net zero,” generating as much as energy as they use.

(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-Several cracks in a dam at a new 71-acre flood control basin in the western sector of Flagstaff, Ariz., were found during a recent inspection by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which finished this project, is currently investigating the cause of the cracks, most of which are less than an inch wide. The dam is bisected by a concrete spillway but no cracks have been found there. The discovery came at an ominous time in Flagstaff, as earlier this week, significant flooding occurred in the city. Nevertheless, no repairs are scheduled until next year.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Utah Attorney General’s Office has begun a criminal investigation into two women accused of cobbling together a list of 1,300 residents who are purportedly in the country illegally. One of those women is Tressa Bassett, a 15-year state employee and computer specialist. The Salt Lake Tribune learned this from sources aware of her identity who spoken on condition of anonymity. Phone messages left for Bassett and two family members were not returned while a reporter also left a pair of notes requesting an interview at her home earlier this week. Bassett worked for the prison system until the state decided to consolidate its information technology services in 2005. She spent some time working for the newly formed Department of Technology Services until it disbanded the training unit, after which she went to Workforce Services. A state investigation has found information from the DWS database was methodically compiled over several months into a 29-page spreadsheet with the names, addresses, birth dates and phone numbers of all 1,300 listed and in select cases, their Social Security numbers as well. The department has begun the process of terminating Bassett.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-The Utah Office of the Legislative Auditor General has decided against auditing high-occupancy vehicle lanes, citing new legislation that will require the Utah Department of Transportation to answer similar questions. The audit was requested by Representative Wayne Harper of West Jordan who questioned the use of HOV lanes, the cost to construct and maintain the lanes, the impact on traffic congestion and vehicle emissions and the safety and enforcement of HOV lanes. In a report released Tuesday afternoon, the legislative auditor noted that in March, the Legislature approved SB38, sponsored by Senator Karen Morgan of Cottonwood Heights. The law requires UDOT to report each year to the Transportation Interim Committee on HOV lane usage, impact and safety in comparison to general-purpose lanes. Furthermore, UDOT is also finishing the installation of an electric tolling system that will change how drivers pay to use the lanes as well as where the lanes are used, according to the auditor’s report. UDOT will report their first findings to legislators by November. In August, UDOT will begin operating an electronic tolling system on the HOV lanes and will take time in gathering data.

(CASTLE DALE) – The father of former BYU basketball and NBA player Shawn Bradley died Wednesday after falling off his roof in Castle Dale. The Emery County Sheriff’s Office said 61-year old Reiner Bradley was applying caulk to a rain gutter on his roof, when he fell 15 feet onto a cement basement entrance, hitting his head. The sheriff’s office believes he died instantly. A report said when Bradley didn’t show up for work, his co-workers began looking for him. He was a physician’s assistant and was well respected in the community. He is survived by his wife and four children.

(COLORADO CITY, Ariz.)-Escalating tensions in the polygamous communities of Colorado City, Ariz. and Hildale, Utah, along the Utah/Arizona border have caused the Arizona Attorney General to call for an emergency dealing with a Utah judge to handle the matter. In the interim, Utah courts have assumed control of the United Effort Plan Trust, declaring the trust had been abandoned by polygamous group leader, Warren Jeffs. The UEP trust owns most of the land in these two communities. Nevertheless, the court-appointed administrator has been fought strenuously by the polygamous faction in his efforts to reform the trust. One of the more controversial moves has been giving occupancy agreements for homes in the community not belonging to members of the sect. Last Tuesday, community Marshals arrested a couple which did not belong to the sect at their own home and despite their calls to the Mohave County (Ariz.) sheriff, there was no resolution to the matter at hand. The arrestees, Matt and Genevive Hainline, said the arrest was a plot to remove all those from the twin communities who do not belong to the sect.

(CEDAR CITY)-U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials say a lightning-ignited southern Utah fire wildfire has grown to 397 acres, but is being contained. The fire began 19 miles north of Cedar Cit Tuesday on steep terrain. BLM spokeswoman, Jenny Hammond, says the blaze has been 60 percent contained and is burning grass, pinon and juniper trees. No structures have been threatened as of yet. Fire managers say there are about 78 people fighting the fire, including three ground crews and a pair of fire engines. Several air tankers have also been used. Officials say smoke from the fire may be visible from the communities of Cedar City, Minersville and Milford.