Story Archive for 09/08/2010
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Prep Sports Roundup: 9/8
Published on September 08, 2010 at 09:41PM
Updated on September 09, 2010 at 03:58AM
ESCALANTE, Utah (AP)-Jacob Ihde belted a pair of triples while Mauricio Hernandez added two doubles as the Milford Tigers shellacked the Escalante Moquis, 26-0 Wednesday in Region 20 boys baseball action.
PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)-Riley Miller went yard twice and amassed seven RBI in the fourth inning alone as the Panguitch Bobcats dismantled the Piute Thunderbirds, 15-1 in Region 20 boys baseball action Wednesday. Kelton Price doubled in the loss for Piute.
FILLMORE, Utah (AP)-Keri Brunson, Krystyn Stevens, Makinzie Hunter and Shelby Sheriff each scored and the Millard Lady Eagles bested the Manti Lady Templars, 4-1 in non-region girls soccer action Wednesday. Ali Rosquist scored the sole goal for Manti.
PANGUITCH, Utah (AP)-Kalani Norris set a new state record for kills as she amassed 25 kills in a 3-0 win for the Panguitch Lady Bobcats over the Wayne Lady Badgers Wednesday in Region 20 volleyball action. Norris now has 1,509 kills for her career, eclipsing former Woods Cross standout Kathryn Lovell who had 1,504 kills. Olympian and Highland High product, Logan Tom is third in Utah state annals with 1,355 career kills.
Snow College faces big challenges
Published on September 08, 2010 at 04:14PM
(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield Area Chamber of Commerce held their monthly luncheon today featuring keynote speaker, Snow College President Scott Wyatt. Wyatt said that several challenges face the college, including balancing budget cuts with a growing student population. He said that although many challenges have to be addressed on both the Ephraim and Richfield campuses, he hopes to one day see Snow College-Richfield as a stand-along college. Wyatt commented that state funding per student is down by 40%, making it difficult to fund more activities and events but due to attendance increases, both campuses are doing well.
Commissioners deny tax hike, approve tax rate
Published on September 08, 2010 at 03:47PM
(RICHFIELD) – Sevier County Commissioners denied a recreation tax increase at the county commission meeting today but approved a Transient Room Tax Rate hike. Commissioner Gordon Topham said the county has no recreation department, so there was no need to impose the tax. Tourism Director Kevin Arrington approached Commissioners with the hope that officials would raise the Transient Room Tax Rate from 3% to 4.25%, the highest the state of Utah will allow for a room tax rate. Arrington said visitors to Sevier County enjoy the events and activities the county offers and the rate hike will help fund those activities. He said the rate increase would begin to be collected on Jan. 1, 2011. Commissioners both denied the recreation tax increase but approved the Transient Room Tax Rate, which only affects motels and campgrounds in the county.
Herbert Launches Commercial Campaign
Published on September 08, 2010 at 02:50PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Incumbent Utah Governor Gary Herbert has begun a series of television commercials which will air on Utah television stations to help the public become better acquainted with him and his policies.
Herbert’s campaign unveiled six commercials Wednesday and while he doesn’t speak in any of the ads, his fellow Republicans step up to the plate for him.
Additionally, Herbert doesn’t offer any specific policy proposals in the television ads and one ad mentions that Herbert says he opposes new taxes.
However, Herbert did not veto a new tobacco tax increase.
Although he denies raising taxes, Wednesday, Herbert said the increase was necessary to pay for education.
Herbert’s competitor, Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor, Peter Corroon, began airing television spots several weeks ago.
Colorado Wildfire Destroys Numerous Homes
Published on September 08, 2010 at 11:28AM
(DENVER)-A wind-whipped Colorado wildfire sent flames through a rugged canyon in the state’s northern foothills.
Tuesday, authorities acknowledged that the fire also burned the homes of several firefighters battling the blaze.
The blaze initially broke out northwest of Boulder, Colo. in Four Mile Canyon and rapidly spread across 5.5 square miles while erratic 45 m.p.h. wind gusts sent the fire in several directions sporadically.
Fire managers have said 1,000 homes had to be evacuated from the canyon as of Tuesday.
Footage from Denver’s KUSA-TV has confirmed the danger the fire presents in Colorado’s rocky terrain.
In the interim, the Red Cross has set up an overnight evacuation center at the Coors Events Center on the University of Colorado’s campus at Boulder.
A shelter for livestock has also been set up at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont, Colo.
No New Vote on Snowbowl Contract
Published on September 08, 2010 at 11:17AM
(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-A push to reconsider last week’s council decision in Flagstaff, Ariz. to stick with the existing contract with the Snowbowl ski resort and the City of Flagstaff failed by a narrow margin Tuesday evening.
The Flagstaff City Council voted 4-3 not to reopen a process that could have amended the existing 2002 contract between the city and ski area to sell 1.5 million gallons a day of reclaimed wastewater for four months of the winter to the ski area for the next 12 years.
Mayor Sara Presler and three councilmembers were reluctant to reconsider last week’s decision.
A new contract would have given the city several new legal protections, tied Snowbowl to a specific cost over the next two decades for buying the reclaimed water and would give the resort a chance to recoup the full cost of putting in the infrastructure over the next 20 years, city manager Kevin Burke said.
Key legal changes in moving from the old contract to the new contract include requiring Snowbowl to carry an additional $1 million in liability insurance, waiving the city’s responsibility in any future claims related to the use of city-supplied treated wastewater for snowmaking.
The council did not discuss any proposals brought up at recent meetings, such as using drinking water instead of reclaimed water.
Fredonia Murderer To Face Charges in Arizona
Published on September 08, 2010 at 11:11AM
(FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.)-The 23-year-old Fredonia, Ariz. man accused of murdering a Kane County sheriff’s office deputy has been returned to his native state to face the charges.
The Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz. reports that Scott Curley had his initial appearance at the Coconino County (Ariz.) Detention Facility Saturday and is being held without bond at this time, according to jail personnel.
He was returned to Arizona last week after slaying Harris during a foot chase near Fredonia.
Coconino County issued a warrant for his arrest on a murder charge and Curely did not fight extradition charges.
While Curley was sent to Flagstaff Friday, his next court date has not yet been set.
St. George Police, Post Office Investigate Stolen Mail
Published on September 08, 2010 at 11:02AM
(ST. GEORGE)-St. George Police are investigating a series of mail thefts that occurred over the weekend primarily within the 1300 North block of Dixie Downs Road in the northwest sector of the city.
A news release issued by SGPD Public Information officer, Johnny Heppler, said several cluster mailboxes were broken into and a number of items were stolen.
Most of the stolen mail in the area was recovered although several vital pieces, such as checks, are still missing.
St. George police, in tandem with U.S. Postal Service inspectors, are investigating and following leads with some physical evidence obtained near the site of the theft.
Residents who notice theft in their neighborhoods are asked to inform the St. George Police Department or their local post office.
U. Exhibit Gives Voice To Undocumented Students
Published on September 08, 2010 at 10:50AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-An exhibit opening Wednesday evening at the University of Utah depicts 30 undocumented students at the U. who are undocumented immigrants.
Proposed legislation on the matter, which would create citizenship for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children, has been mired in immigration politics for nearly a decade.
The United States is home to about 2.1 million undocumented immigrants who arrived as children.
Under current law, many cannot legally work, go to college or obtain financial aid. Undocumented students in Utah may enjoy tuition for instate colleges but only if they’ve attended schools in the state for at least three years.
Of course, many Utah lawmakers remain reticent to create a change in the state’s stance on this issue.
Moab Recreational Road Collapses Under Mudslide
Published on September 08, 2010 at 10:42AM
(MOAB)-A road leading to several prominent recreation spots near Moab has been closed indefinitely.
Mineral Bottom Road will be closed at least until 2011 because of mudslide damage, Grand County officials announced.
This includes several switchbacks about 12 miles west of S.R. 313 which completely collapsed during an August storm, officials wrote in a press statement.
The road ends near Horsethief Point and offers northern access to the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park and boat access to the Green River.
Road repair funds will likely not be available until next year according to the statement.
Once funded, reconstruction is expected to take eight to 12 weeks.
Governor Herbert Kicks Off Anti-Drinking Campaign
Published on September 08, 2010 at 10:30AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-The fifth year of the “Parents Empowered” campaign against underage drinking in Utah commenced Tuesday with incumbent governor, Gary Herbert, and other state officials urging Utahns to pay attention.
Herbert said the goal is to educate families and youth about the dangers of underage drinking as the latest television spots on the issue were aired during the proceedings.
State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and several other legislative leaders in attendance noted the program was spared from this year’s massive budget cuts.
The spots primarily focused on the impact parental involvement can have in preventing young people from starting to drink.
The state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which manages Utah’s monopoly on the sales of liquor, wine and high-alcohol beer, generates significant state revenues, including more than $26 million for school lunches.
DABC officials had previously been vocal about their concerns over losing revenue as a result of cuts, but auditors said it wasn’t clear this would be the case.
The Legislative Auditor General’s Office is expected to release a more detailed examination of the department next week.
Elder Neuenschwander Credits Freiberg Temple For Church's European Success
Published on September 08, 2010 at 10:20AM
(KIEV, Ukraine)-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ temple in Kiev, Ukraine, which is the Church’s first in the former Soviet Union is seen as a breakthrough in a traditionally atheistic environment.
However, it is not the first temple in Europe to signify a changing of the guard in previously oppressive conditions on the continent.
Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander, an emeritus general authority of the Church, has also pointed to the Frieberg Germany Temple, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, as a temple build amid trying times and circumstances.
The Frieberg Temple was built behind the Iron Curtain and was the Church’s first temple to ever be built in a communist state.
Elder Neuenschwander said the temple’s construction was the first of four major events in then-East Germany that the Church instigated to bring down the Iron Curtain.
Additionally, the creation of a mission in Vienna, Austria, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and then-Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev’s push for openness or restructuring in Eastern Europe enabled the varied peoples behind the wall to finally be free.
Elder Neuenschwander said that through it all, the temple in Frieberg stood as a symbol of light and endurance amid the trying times the population in communist Europe had to face.
He has also predicted that the Kiev Temple will have similar effects on the Ukrainian people
President Samuelson Offers Advice To BYU Students
Published on September 08, 2010 at 10:10AM
(PROVO)-Individuals need to learn to balance activities in their lives with the appropriate amount of zeal those activities require, Brigham Young University President, Elder Cecil O. Samuelson said Tuesday.
President Samuelson, who is also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ First Quorum of Seventy, and his wife Sharon, served as keynote speakers for the university’s first devotional of the fall semester.
President Samuelson said that while numerous people are passionate about politics or their favorite sports teams, an unhealthy level of zeal can lead to unnecessary discord with our friends, families and others we come across on a daily basis.
During his address, President Samuelson referenced and endorsed a report that will soon be released by the BYU Presidential Commission on Sportsmanship, a group chosen broadly across the community.
The report includes suggestions and recommendations.
In closing, President Samuelson told the audience that it’s important to maintain appropriate decorum and conduct in all situations, regardless of whether or not others may not treat you appropriately and warned of the danger of judging others.
Devotionals will recur on a weekly basis throughout the fall semester.
University of Utah Wins Grant For Carbon Capture
Published on September 08, 2010 at 09:58AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-The University of Utah has won more federal funding to evaluate places in the Rocky Mountains to store carbon emissions from industrial plants.
The $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will support research efforts already underway at the university.
In 2007, engineering professor Brian McPherson’s team won a $67 million grant for the same studies.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the latest grant Tuesday which is for drilling and rock core analysis.
President Barack Obama has called for a cost-effective deployment of carbon capture and storage within 10 years, despite questions about the technology and skepticism concerning its feasibility.
Utah Budget Shortfall Estimated at nearly $28 Million
Published on September 08, 2010 at 09:55AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s office is estimating that the state’s budget shortfall is about $28 million.
The news was actually better than some had anticipated while previous estimates ranged from $50 million to $150 million.
The estimates are for the budget year that ended June 30.
Final, audited budget numbers for the previous fiscal year will not be released until November.
Herbert said in a statement the estimates are a sign Utah’s economy is improving.
Illegal Immigration Debate Ensues in Utah
Published on September 08, 2010 at 09:46AM
(SALT LAKE CITY)-Public faces on two sides of the illegal immigration debate in Utah met Tuesday and while their opinions are strong on the issue, civility prevailed.
Republican Representative, Chris Herrod of Provo, who is in favor of reforming existing laws, said their should be more praise for immigrants who come into the country legally while Latino activist Tony Yapias has lobbied for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, one of the state’s more powerful entities, to rule in favor of illegal immigration.
Nevertheless, the Church remains resolute in its stance to leave the decision in the hands of elected officials.
Herrod, whose wife immigrated legally from Ukraine, said it is inappropriate to honor or reward those who come into the country illegally and is ashamed that Utah’s illegal population is increasing faster than the state’s neighbors in the West.
Nevertheless, Yapias countered by saying there are numerous complicated components in play and much remains to be considered.
Jeffs Fights Texas Extradition
Published on September 08, 2010 at 09:29AM
(WEST JORDAN)-Polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs is fighting his extradition to Texas.
Tuesday, Jeffs appeared in 3rd District Court and refused to sign a waiver which would have allowed Texas authorities to transfer him there to face criminal charges.
In June, he refused to sign a similar warrant and his lawyer says he’ll continue to fight his extradition.
While Tuesday’s hearing was brief, the stage is set for another legal showdown once he returns to Texas.
In Texas, Jeffs faces numerous charges ranging from bigamy to aggravated sexual assault.
About a dozen of Jeffs’ followers, all men, attended Tuesday’s hearing and as a sign of respect for their leader, they stood during the proceedings.
Richfield discusses contract agreements
Published on September 08, 2010 at 09:13AM
(RICHFIELD) – Honoring contract agreements became a subject of discussion at the Richfield City Council meeting Tuesday night. At issue is the city’s contract agreement to bring irrigation water to property owned by William and Janet Nielson, which is located adjacent to the city property. The discussion was over whether the intent of the contract included constructing a piped ditch or open ditch. Councilmember Richard Barnett commented that the city should honor the intent of the contract but Councilmember Mike Turner said the city should honor the contract itself. The city agreed with the Nielson’s that they would get water to their property utilizing some type of method other than an open ditch. The city council discussed spending $11-12,000 to install a piped ditch between property owned by the city and property owned by the Nielson’s and approved the measure, with Turner voting no.
Sewer dump gets "no" vote in Richfield
Published on September 08, 2010 at 08:50AM
(RICHFIELD) – The development of a sewer dump station in Richfield will not be happening anytime soon. At the city council meeting last night, the Council discussed whether there was enough interest in establishing a dump but most councilmembers determined there was no need for it and voted to table the item indefinitely. Councilmember Dan Chidester was the only one voting in favor of continuing the discussion because of problems of outdoor recreationists using public land to dump their refuse. Chidester said that the city has property available at the south end of the Industrial Park and can hook up to the sewer line at that location. He says he thinks the issue is dead and the city council won’t bring up the issue in future meetings.
Killer accomplice gets change of venue
Published on September 08, 2010 at 07:31AM
(FILLMORE) – A district judge has granted a change of venue for a man involved in the shooting death of a Millard County deputy. According to court records, Judge Donald Eyre ruled on Thursday for the change of venue for Ruben Chavez-Reyes from Millard to Juab County. Chavez-Reyes will appear in a Juab County courtroom on Monday for a jury trial on five charges related to the shooting death of Millard County Deputy Josie Fox of Delta, who was shot to death in the early morning hours of Jan. 5 at a traffic stop east of Delta. Chavez-Reyes is an alleged accomplice in aiding 38-year old Roberto Roman, who is suspected of killing Fox in the incident. Chavez-Reyes is charged with obstruction of justice, two counts of burglary, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person and tampering with evidence. His trial is scheduled to start at 9am Monday and again on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Juab County-Nephi District Court in Nephi.
Richfield votes against minor ordinance
Published on September 08, 2010 at 07:18AM
(RICHFIELD) – The Richfield City Council has decided against establishing a minor subdivision ordinance. At the city council meeting Tuesday night, the council discussed minimum improvements in R-1 zones for developers who want to divide one lot into two, or more. City Building Inspector Paul Hinrichs said the council will use a Waiver of Improvements on a case-by-case basis. Hinrichs said even though the city won’t have a minor subdivision ordinance, city officials can still waive improvements, according to circumstances. The council voted unanimously on the measure.