(PRICE) – The former Garfield County School District Superintendent faces several felony charges on misuse of public funds and signing a fraudulent contract. According to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, 66-year old George Park was arrested Aug. 9 and charged with one count of second-degree felony for helping a former administrator steal tens of thousands of dollars and signing his fraudulent contract. Former Garfield School District Administrator, Justin Baugh, has been arrested and charged with stealing between $50,000 and $80,000, while working for the District. Park is believed to have been involved with the theft and was terminated by the school district. He was also charged with giving himself unauthorized bonuses, a larger 401-K contribution that had been approved by school board members and giving himself an unauthorized raise, when he was superintendent at the Garfield School District. He was arrested in Price while he was the Carbon County School District Superintendent. Mid-Utah Radio reported that Parks was hired by the Utah Board of Regents but those reports are not correct. The Utah Board of Education says that school board members hire school superintendents. Former Carbon County School District Superintendent Patsy Bueno, who was brought back out of retirement, said the school board conducted due diligence in hiring Park.

(TUCSON, Ariz.)-KPHO-TV, Channel 5 in Phoenix, reports that while Arizona’s SB1070 bill has been fairly successful in suppressing illegal immigration in the state since its inception in July, the Border Patrol still finds itself busy at times near Nogales, Ariz. A report that emerged Wednesday confirmed agents have recently recovered $260,000 while operating checkpoints near Nogales. Monday, agents at the Nogales port of entry said they seized $240,000 near Interstate 19 while back on August 5, agents reported they seized $20,000 belonging to drug smugglers. In the most recent incident, a canine team alerted agents to a tractor-trailer, filled with 27 packages of money hidden among the truck’s cargo, agents said. The driver of the truck was arrested. The patrol agent in charge of the Nogales station said the seizure of cash impacts the smugglers in the area where it hurts most, their pockets.

(SALT LAKE CITY) – The Utah BLM netted nearly $1.3 million in total revenues at its quarterly oil and gas lease sale Tuesday in Salt Lake City. Reports indicated that the BLM sold eleven of the twelve parcels offered in the sale with a total of 9,200 acres of federal land sold in the Vernal Field Office. BLM officials said that Tendy Management LLC of Henderson, NV., submitted the highest total bid per acre at $560 on parcel number 39 containing 80 acres. The highest total bid per parcel was by Rosewood Resources, Inc. of Dallas, TX., for $518,400 on parcel number 56 containing 2160 acres.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A hearing to consider polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs’ request for a new trial has been postponed. Jeffs filed a motion for a “speedy” new trial July 27, hours after the Utah Supreme Court reversed his convictions on accomplice to rape charges saying the case should be reheard. Fifth District Judge James Shumate was to hear the request Monday. Prosecutors and defense attorneys asked that the hearing be put on hold because the Supreme Court has not yet returned Jeffs’ case file and is not likely to do so by then. State attorneys have confirmed they plan to ask the high court to reconsider its ruling while prosecutors have until Monday to submit this request to the court. Meanwhile, Jeffs is facing an extradition proceeding which would transfer him to Texas to stand trial on charges of bigamy, aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault. These charges are based on evidence seized from the Yearning for Zion Ranch near Eldorado, Texas. One of Jeffs’ attorneys, Walter F. Budgen, said he’ll file a habeus corpus motion opposing the extradition until there’s a resolution of the Utah case.

(SPRINGDALE)-Although Springdale is becoming a renowned town nationwide, due to its proximity to Zion National Park and recent ranking in Forbes Magazine’s 2008 article on the “20 Prettiest Towns in America,” town officials are still reticent to allow national chain restaurants to permeate the community of 500. Thus, community leaders have crafted an ordinance banning what they call “formula restaurants” from opening within city limits. A group of eight investors challenged the ordinance suing the town, 16 town officials and the town’s attorneys for what the plaintiff calls their “constitutional right” to open a Subway franchise. Springdale’s zoning ordinance, similar to others across the nation, prohibits numerous businesses, such as formula restaurants and delicatessens because they’re found to be in conflict with the town’s general plan. The national League of Cities supports leaders who strive to protect their community’s “character and economic development,” stated league spokesman Gregory Minchak. While preparing the ordinance, Springdale officials explored the rulings of other communities regulating these types of businesses, such as Bristol, R.I. and Cannon Beach, Ore. Currently, Zion National Park tourists have given Springdale’s ordinance mixed results.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-Both the University of Utah and Brigham Young University slipped slightly in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report for “America’s Best College” rankings. The University of Utah fell to 129th place from 126th place and Brigham Young fell to 75th place from 71st place after jumping 42 spots last year. This puts BYU in a tie with the University of Indiana at Bloomington, Ind., the University of Delaware at Newark, Del. and Marquette University in Milwaukee. Meanwhile, the UofU is tied with the University of Kentucky at Lexington, Ky. and the Missouri University of Science and Technology at Rolla, Mo. Utah State University checked in at 170th place being tied with such institutions as South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C. and Bowling Green State University of Bowling Green, Ohio. The list, criticized by some as nothing more than a glorified popularity contest, also includes the opinions of high school counselors for the first time which ranked both BYU and the UofU in comparable positions to the national rankings. As far as regional universities throughout the West are concerned, Salt Lake City’s Westminster College is ranked 23rd overall, while Ogden-based Weber State University is in 56th place and Southern Utah University of Cedar City checked in at 75th place.

(SALT LAKE CITY)-A commission created by Utah Governor Gary Herbert to make state government more efficient is preparing to release its report. The Utah Advisory Commission to Optimize State Government is scheduled to make its recommendations public Thursday. The commission is led by former Republican Governor, Norm Bangerter, and includes numerous businesses and government leaders. However, it’s unclear how influential the report will be. When Herbert created this commission last fall, he didn’t commit himself to following its recommendations and ultimately the Legislature will decide what the budget is.

(ST. GEORGE)-A wildfire burned dangerously close to Interstate 15 Tuesday afternoon in Washington County. The fire, near Ash Creek Reservoir, is approximately halfway between Cedar City and St. George. Firefighters reported the fire has primarily been extinguished but it caused considerable difficulty for motorists in both directions. As of Tuesday evening, northbound I-15 was reopened and while investigators are not sure what caused the fire, it is estimated to have burned about 17 acres.

(HOLLADAY)-A major outdoor retailer is expanding into Utah as part of a trend The Governor’s Office of Economic Development has been anticipating. Tuesday, Black Diamond Equipment Inc., which already makes numerous outdoor products in Utah, announced it will be moving the operations of Gregory Mountain Products, formerly of Sacramento, Calif., to Holladay. Riley Cutler, the overseer of Utah’s Outdoor Products and Recreation strategic industry at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, said there are numerous reasons why Utah is so attractive for the business, including the various sites the state boasts for outdoor adventure. The Black Diamond expansion is expected to add 55 jobs to Utah’s economy over the course of the next 10 years.

(MONROE) – A Monroe woman was taken to the hospital and then to jail after crashing her vehicle near the Richfield Livestock Auction Tuesday night. According to a Sevier County Sheriff’s report, 38-year old Camille DeMille went off the road at about 150 West 3000 North and crashed through a barbed wire fence into a corn field. Deputies arrived to find DeMille unconscious in her vehicle. The report stated that DeMille had taken some prescription medication and then consumed some alcohol. She was transported to the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Richfield for treatment because she was unresponsive and then released to county deputies. Deputies said DeMille became violent when she started to wake up and had to be restrained. She was transported to the Sevier County Jail and charged with DUI, open container and resisting arrest.